“Still, I think we’ll take a fifteen-minute break. There’s a stream near here where we can wash off some of the dust.”
It sounded like heaven, but if she stopped, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to start again. “I think we’d better go on. We can rest when we get to the airfi—”
He wasn’t listening. He was pushing his way through the shrubbery to the left of the trail, and his pace was speeding up. She had to hurry to catch up with him.
“Sandor, I really don’t want to stop.”
No response. He acted as if he hadn’t even heard her.
“Sandor, listen to me, I—”
“Alessandra.” His tone was very gentle. “Shut the hell up. You’re going to rest.”
It appeared she was either going to trail along with him or exhaust herself fighting the stubborn man. At the moment she was having trouble putting one foot in front of the other, and was in no shape for a major battle. Her lips tightened grimly as she followed him through the brush. But Sandor was sadly mistaken if he thought he was going to have things all his own way in their relationship. As soon as she recovered she’d have a few things to say to him about his annoying tendency to take charge.
“Here we are.” Sandor unfastened his backpack and dropped it on the ground beside a thin ribbon of rushing brook. The stream looked crystal-clear, and even the low bubbling sound it made as it tumbled over the rocks was soothing. “I don’t think we’d better risk drinking the water, but we can bathe our feet in it.” He was pulling off his boots as he spoke. “And I, for one, am looking forward to that pleasure the way Moses did the promised land. Take your shoes and socks off and join me.”
“You go ahead. I’ll just wash my face and throat.”
He looked up in surprise. “Don’t be silly. You’ll feel much better once you’ve soaked your feet for a while. Take off your shoes.”
She shook her head. “I don’t need to soak my feet. I feel great.” She smiled determinedly. Why did he have to argue with her? It was difficult enough to stand here near that cool, tempting stream without having to withstand Sandor as well. She unfastened her backpack and dropped it beside Sandor’s. She carefully avoided his eyes. “There. That’s better.”
“Alessandra.”
“No!” Her tone was sharper than she had meant it to be. “I told you I didn’t want to do it. Leave me alone.”
“I don’t think so.” His hand was on her arm. “Look at me, dammit.”
Her gaze lifted defiantly to his face. A flicker of apprehension went through her, which she quickly quelled. His gaze was ruthlessly analytical as it raked her features. She had a fleeting memory of the moment in her bedroom when he had told her he wouldn’t have hesitated to shoot her if it hadbeen necessary. This wasn’t the Sandor who held her in his arms last night. This was the Tanzar.
“I find I’m very curious to know why you aren’t willing to take off your shoes. I think I’d like to take a look at your feet.” His lips tightened grimly. “It would be just like you to hide a score of blisters and not let me know.”
“I don’t have blisters.” Her lashes lowered to veil her eyes. “Why would you think that? I haven’t limped. Not once.”
“Sit down. I’ll take your shoes off myself.”
The man was as immovable as a mountain. Well, she had to be equally determined in this case. “No. You’re being ridiculous. There’s no reason for you to think—”
“Alessandra, be quiet.” His hands were on her shoulders, and he gave her a little shake. “Now, we can stand here and argue for the next ten minutes, and at the end of that time you’ll still take off your shoes, or you can begin to fight me physically, and I’ll have you down with your face in the dirt so fast it will make you dizzy.” His gaze was as cool as the brook they were standing beside. “You’re a strong woman, but I’m stronger. Don’t make me prove it to you.”
He meant
It sounded like heaven, but if she stopped, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to start again. “I think we’d better go on. We can rest when we get to the airfi—”
He wasn’t listening. He was pushing his way through the shrubbery to the left of the trail, and his pace was speeding up. She had to hurry to catch up with him.
“Sandor, I really don’t want to stop.”
No response. He acted as if he hadn’t even heard her.
“Sandor, listen to me, I—”
“Alessandra.” His tone was very gentle. “Shut the hell up. You’re going to rest.”
It appeared she was either going to trail along with him or exhaust herself fighting the stubborn man. At the moment she was having trouble putting one foot in front of the other, and was in no shape for a major battle. Her lips tightened grimly as she followed him through the brush. But Sandor was sadly mistaken if he thought he was going to have things all his own way in their relationship. As soon as she recovered she’d have a few things to say to him about his annoying tendency to take charge.
“Here we are.” Sandor unfastened his backpack and dropped it on the ground beside a thin ribbon of rushing brook. The stream looked crystal-clear, and even the low bubbling sound it made as it tumbled over the rocks was soothing. “I don’t think we’d better risk drinking the water, but we can bathe our feet in it.” He was pulling off his boots as he spoke. “And I, for one, am looking forward to that pleasure the way Moses did the promised land. Take your shoes and socks off and join me.”
“You go ahead. I’ll just wash my face and throat.”
He looked up in surprise. “Don’t be silly. You’ll feel much better once you’ve soaked your feet for a while. Take off your shoes.”
She shook her head. “I don’t need to soak my feet. I feel great.” She smiled determinedly. Why did he have to argue with her? It was difficult enough to stand here near that cool, tempting stream without having to withstand Sandor as well. She unfastened her backpack and dropped it beside Sandor’s. She carefully avoided his eyes. “There. That’s better.”
“Alessandra.”
“No!” Her tone was sharper than she had meant it to be. “I told you I didn’t want to do it. Leave me alone.”
“I don’t think so.” His hand was on her arm. “Look at me, dammit.”
Her gaze lifted defiantly to his face. A flicker of apprehension went through her, which she quickly quelled. His gaze was ruthlessly analytical as it raked her features. She had a fleeting memory of the moment in her bedroom when he had told her he wouldn’t have hesitated to shoot her if it hadbeen necessary. This wasn’t the Sandor who held her in his arms last night. This was the Tanzar.
“I find I’m very curious to know why you aren’t willing to take off your shoes. I think I’d like to take a look at your feet.” His lips tightened grimly. “It would be just like you to hide a score of blisters and not let me know.”
“I don’t have blisters.” Her lashes lowered to veil her eyes. “Why would you think that? I haven’t limped. Not once.”
“Sit down. I’ll take your shoes off myself.”
The man was as immovable as a mountain. Well, she had to be equally determined in this case. “No. You’re being ridiculous. There’s no reason for you to think—”
“Alessandra, be quiet.” His hands were on her shoulders, and he gave her a little shake. “Now, we can stand here and argue for the next ten minutes, and at the end of that time you’ll still take off your shoes, or you can begin to fight me physically, and I’ll have you down with your face in the dirt so fast it will make you dizzy.” His gaze was as cool as the brook they were standing beside. “You’re a strong woman, but I’m stronger. Don’t make me prove it to you.”
He meant
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