Magnificent Passage by Kat Martin Page B

arms clung to his neck. By now his buckskins were soaked through, allowing him to feel her slightest movement. He cursed the situation he was in and the sudden swelling in his breeches.
    Finally the Indians finished watering their horses. Hawk tensed as the braves glanced across the stream and pointed in his direction. He could feel the girl’s heartbeat quicken against his chest. A raven flew from the branches overhead. The Indians laughed, apparently satisfied, turned, and, stirring up a cloud of dust, rode away.
    Relieved, Hawk glanced down at the girl clinging to him in terror. Glistening beads of water trickled down perfectly shaped breasts tipped just slightly upward as if to catch the
warmth of the sun. A rose-colored peak at each crest hardened against the breeze. He could feel smooth skin beneath his fingertips.
    The wind ruffled her damp hair. Only now did Mandy remember her circumstances. Turning crimson from the top of her dampened locks to the bottom of her toes, she glanced briefly into Hawk’s eyes. What she saw there paralyzed her a second time. The eyes that met hers weren’t hooded with the indifference she usually saw, but seemed to smolder with heat. She could feel the pressure of his muscled thighs beneath her, the warmth of his strong arms, and her heartbeat quickened.
    She struggled to her feet, sensing a new and different kind of threat, but he caught her arm and hauled her against him. His mouth covered hers, his lips strong and warm but unyielding. She pressed her hands against him in protest, and the muscles beneath his buckskin shirt bunched at her touch. She tried again to push him away, but her struggles were weak, useless—part of her didn’t want to be free.
    The kiss deepened. Hawk tasted, sampled, caressed her with his lips. His tongue found its way into her mouth. He tasted musky and masculine. The smell of leather and horses filled her senses. He kissed her thoroughly, passionately. One hand held her chin, another pressed against the small of her back, forcing her tightly against him. She trembled violently, and against her will her arms slipped around his neck. She heard a tiny moan and realized only dimly it had come from her. She ran a hand along his neck, buried it in his thick sandy hair, and pulled him closer. His hard chest pressed against the peaks of her breasts, and the chill
she’d felt only moments before was replaced by a shiver of anticipation.
    He kissed the line of her neck, his lips warm and moist, then returned to her mouth. The current of desire moved swiftly, flooding her with waves of pleasure. Her body felt cold and hot at the same time, as if she were drowning in a pool of liquid fire. With a moan and a final surge of willpower she tore herself free, trembling with a new kind of terror.
    His eyes raked her. She swallowed hard, trying to compose herself, trying to think straight. “How . . . how dare you sneak up on me!” she accused, hoping her voice didn’t sound as shaky to him as it did to her. “Just who do you think you are?” She was having trouble remembering her role, remembering even where she was. The world seemed blurred, fuzzy.
    His voice rang harsh, husky. “You little idiot, you almost got yourself killed, or worse—a white woman with that mane of hair would make a nice prize for the whole tribe—after those braves had their fill of you.” He hadn’t meant to spy on her. He’d spotted her accidentally. He intended to stay hidden, give her the privacy she needed, yet keep an eye out for intruders. But the Sioux bucks set events in motion. He had to quiet her for all their sakes.
    Mandy’s stomach lurched. She closed her eyes, shuddered, and swayed against him. He was right! Thank God he’d come along when he did. She glanced down and for the first time remembered her nakedness. Feeling bright heat rush the length of her, she gasped, darted from behind the log, and ran to get her