The Moon and the Stars by Constance O'Banyon Page B

“I hope it won’t rain again.”
    â€œSo it is to be the weather.”
    She noticed the irritation in his tone and smiled to herself; it was the first time she’d penetrated that thick skin of his, and it felt good. “But then again,” she continued, “I could be wrong about the rain. The storm may very well pass us by altogether.”
    He laid his head on folded arms. “You just do not know when to stop, do you?”
    â€œYou do not want to talk to me?”
    â€œGood night, Mrs. Duncan.”
    She wanted to throw something at him. “I certainly don’t wish you a good night.”
    â€œI hope you have one,” he said half to himself. “Otherwise I do not expect to get any sleep myself.”
    She said nothing, but her gaze swept him from head to foot. She had never known a man like him, but then, she had never before met a bounty hunter. He appeared to have fallen asleep; she could see the steady rise and fall of his chest.
    Caroline suddenly had the most outrageous fantasy: What would it feel like to lay her head against his chest and allow him to hold her? She wanted him to be her protector, not her captor. She was afraid of him, and yet there was a part of her that wanted to pour her heart out to him.
    Why was that?
    After a while, her eyes grew heavy and the ground grew harder. She had already moved her blanket once because a root was jabbing her in the back. Now she was even more uncomfortable, and she tossed and turned, trying to find a position in which she could fall asleep.
    She heard him mutter a soft oath and watched as herolled to his feet. “Madame, will you settle down! You will not be fit to travel in the morning if you do not get some sleep.”
    â€œI never slept on the ground before,” she answered tartly. “You may be a brute and accustomed to such sleeping conditions, but I am not.”
    He stalked down the hill and soon returned with an armload of grass, which he spread on the ground, then made a second trip and repeated the deed. “Move your blanket onto this padding and maybe then we can both get some sleep.”
    She ached all over, and now she was exhausted. Nothing in her life had prepared her to deal with a man like him. She moved her blanket as he had instructed, and he bent down beside her to help smooth it out.
    Just as he was about to move away, she heard the cry of a wolf and then several other answering howls. She dove at him, pressing her body tightly against his.
    â€œWill they come into camp?” she asked, looking up at him with fright in her eyes.
    He eased her away from him and stepped several paces backward as if he needed to put some distance between the two of them. “There is nothing for you to be concerned about.”
    â€œThose creatures sound very near,” she said, scooping up her blanket and moving closer to his. “Are you sure they won’t come near us?”
    â€œI told you not to worry.” He sounded frustrated. “Now, dammit, go to sleep. The wolves will not harm you, and neither will I.”
    She turned her face into the blanket. He said hewould not harm her, but he already had. In making her a prisoner, he had degraded her, but the worst was yet to come. If she didn’t find a way to escape, she would soon be under Brace’s control. She could not let that happen. Brace would kill her without feeling any remorse.
    Her eyes fluttered shut, and she sighed. She would just sleep for a little while. Maybe an hour or so. . . .

Chapter Nine
    The sun had just touched the eastern horizon and tinted the sky a deep pink. The nocturnal creatures of the wilderness had already sought their safe dens and burrows, whereas the daytime creatures were embarking on their never-ending quests for food. Caroline awoke slowly and stretched her arms over her head.
    With a soft groan she made it to a sitting position. There was not a place on her body that didn’t ache. Gripping