his arms and was relieved when he allowed her this. “It— This ain’t never happened to me before,” she said softly, trying to find the right words to temper the irritation she suspected he felt. “When you touch me, it’s like I’m meltin’. I ain’t never feeled this way. I even moaned. I usually fake them moans, y’see. But when I done it with you…it was a real moan. It come out all by itself.”
He took a step away from her. “All by itself?”
Her chest heaving with the emotions still pumping through her, she brought handfuls of hair over her shoulders, dropping it so that it covered her entire torso. “I know you’re mad, and I know why. But—I— What you do to me…it scares me.”
He frowned. She wasn’t at all made apprehensive by his fierce reputation, but her sexual response to him scared her. He couldn’t figure that out, nor could he comprehend the deep blush spreading across her cheeks. “Russia, I don’t understand what—”
“Neither do I.” She hung her head. “I know ever’thing that can happen betwixt a man and a woman. I been touched all over, hear? Only I ain’t never felt nothin’ like what I feel with you.”
Lifting her head, she saw him watching her. His bold, steady stare made her tremble anew. “See?” she yelled. “You ain’t even gotta touch me! All’s you gotta do is look at me! Your eyes— Smidgens o’ starry midnight, and when you turn ’em on me… I fall plumb nelly to pieces!”
He jerked his fingers through his hair, thoroughly bewildered. Whoever heard of a harlot who was ignorant of sexual pleasure? There was no such thing!
“What game are you playing with me, Russia?” he demanded.
“Game? I ain’t playin’ no game.”
He didn’t know what to make of her. His only rational thought was that the moment of passion was definitely over. Well, good, he thought. He didn’t need a tease like her to satisfy his needs. She wasn’t the only woman in the world, and he’d find a more suitable one the first chance he got.
He stalked over to the fire and kicked dirt over it. Watching the embers smother and die, he decided that that was exactly what he would do with the strange feelings Russia forced him to feel. Whatever the hell they were, he’d smother them.
He’d been a fool to let her get to him. A fool to worry about her tears, hunger, and ant bites. She was a whore! As such she deserved no consideration at all. Dammit, he hated the girl!
“We’re leaving,” he bit out, donning his boots and weapons. “With any luck at all, we ought to make Rock Springs by this time next year.”
She decided to throw sarcasm right back at him. Her frustration and confusion demanded it. “Y’know, Zamora? I used to think you was jist a pain in the neck. Now I got a much lower opinion o’ you.”
He gave her a wrathful look. “Get your dress on. But be careful not to wipe away the medicine, or you’ll—”
He cut himself off abruptly, realizing he was showing her the very concern he’d just convinced himself she didn’t deserve. “Hell, I don’t care if you wipe it off! Wipe every bit of it off! Sting all day! And forget about begging for the food I’ve brought, do you hear me? You won’t get any! And your tears— Cry an ocean of them, but I promise you they won’t move me! And I swear to you, Russia, that no matter how much you talk to me while we travel, I’m not answering. Now get dressed!”
Because she understood the reasons for his anger, she was able to ignore it. Silently, without looking at him, she picked up her dress and lifted it over her head.
His eyes narrowed, Santiago watched carefully as she slipped the gown on. “Dammit, Russia, you’re wiping the medicine off!”
“Well, what do you care?” she yelled, her voice muffled in the dress. “Seems to me you oughta be doin’ some sorta merry little jig that I’m gonna sting all day!”
He muttered a profanity with each step it took him to get to her. Once by her
He took a step away from her. “All by itself?”
Her chest heaving with the emotions still pumping through her, she brought handfuls of hair over her shoulders, dropping it so that it covered her entire torso. “I know you’re mad, and I know why. But—I— What you do to me…it scares me.”
He frowned. She wasn’t at all made apprehensive by his fierce reputation, but her sexual response to him scared her. He couldn’t figure that out, nor could he comprehend the deep blush spreading across her cheeks. “Russia, I don’t understand what—”
“Neither do I.” She hung her head. “I know ever’thing that can happen betwixt a man and a woman. I been touched all over, hear? Only I ain’t never felt nothin’ like what I feel with you.”
Lifting her head, she saw him watching her. His bold, steady stare made her tremble anew. “See?” she yelled. “You ain’t even gotta touch me! All’s you gotta do is look at me! Your eyes— Smidgens o’ starry midnight, and when you turn ’em on me… I fall plumb nelly to pieces!”
He jerked his fingers through his hair, thoroughly bewildered. Whoever heard of a harlot who was ignorant of sexual pleasure? There was no such thing!
“What game are you playing with me, Russia?” he demanded.
“Game? I ain’t playin’ no game.”
He didn’t know what to make of her. His only rational thought was that the moment of passion was definitely over. Well, good, he thought. He didn’t need a tease like her to satisfy his needs. She wasn’t the only woman in the world, and he’d find a more suitable one the first chance he got.
He stalked over to the fire and kicked dirt over it. Watching the embers smother and die, he decided that that was exactly what he would do with the strange feelings Russia forced him to feel. Whatever the hell they were, he’d smother them.
He’d been a fool to let her get to him. A fool to worry about her tears, hunger, and ant bites. She was a whore! As such she deserved no consideration at all. Dammit, he hated the girl!
“We’re leaving,” he bit out, donning his boots and weapons. “With any luck at all, we ought to make Rock Springs by this time next year.”
She decided to throw sarcasm right back at him. Her frustration and confusion demanded it. “Y’know, Zamora? I used to think you was jist a pain in the neck. Now I got a much lower opinion o’ you.”
He gave her a wrathful look. “Get your dress on. But be careful not to wipe away the medicine, or you’ll—”
He cut himself off abruptly, realizing he was showing her the very concern he’d just convinced himself she didn’t deserve. “Hell, I don’t care if you wipe it off! Wipe every bit of it off! Sting all day! And forget about begging for the food I’ve brought, do you hear me? You won’t get any! And your tears— Cry an ocean of them, but I promise you they won’t move me! And I swear to you, Russia, that no matter how much you talk to me while we travel, I’m not answering. Now get dressed!”
Because she understood the reasons for his anger, she was able to ignore it. Silently, without looking at him, she picked up her dress and lifted it over her head.
His eyes narrowed, Santiago watched carefully as she slipped the gown on. “Dammit, Russia, you’re wiping the medicine off!”
“Well, what do you care?” she yelled, her voice muffled in the dress. “Seems to me you oughta be doin’ some sorta merry little jig that I’m gonna sting all day!”
He muttered a profanity with each step it took him to get to her. Once by her
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