Teton Sunrise (Teton Romance Trilogy) (13 page)

“Madame Evelyn,” Laurent said, squeezing her hand. Evelyn’s gaze dropped to where he still clasped her hand between his larger ones. He waited for her to look up at him again. “You can show your husband he is not the man he thinks he is. He has been my friend for four years, and has saved my life on many occasions. I wish for him to find the happiness that has eluded him. He can find that with you,
mon
cher
.”

He patted her hand once more,
then
released her. Smiling broadly again, as if the subject was now closed, he stared at the kettle over the fire, and slapped his stomach. “It is time to eat. Now where is that good-for-nothing
jeunot
and that stubborn man you have the misfortune to call your husband?” He stepped around her, heading toward the woods.

Evelyn stared after him. Her mind swirled dizzily with the information Laurent had given her. She recalled Alex’s angry reaction the day she tried to attack him with the knife. Absently, she rubbed at her wrists. The marks he had left were long gone. She remembered his tense stance after Aimee had put a stop to his ever-tightening grip, and the pained look in his eyes afterward. She recalled his fierce embrace, which had quickly turned gentle yet remained strong when he kissed her, and again when he held her during her angry outburst the day they met up with Laurent. Alex may think he would hurt her, but in her heart it became as clear as the water flowing in the nearby creek that he could never do to her what his father had done to him and his mother.

With a new understanding of the quiet, brooding man who had become her husband by a strange twist of fate, Evelyn stirred the contents of her stew pot. Her young girl’s dreams of becoming Alex Walker’s wife had come true, and she would follow Laurent’s advice and make him see that he was not the man he envisioned in his misguided mind.

She spotted Yancey by the horses, and waved him to the fire. He politely accepted her offer, and sat to eat. Alex finally emerged from the woods, carrying several large poles and pine branches. Laurent followed close on his heels. Evelyn ladled stew onto tin plates that Laurent brought her, and added a couple of biscuits from the skillet.

The Frenchman joined Yancey at the fire, but Alex stayed behind, setting to work building, what Evelyn quickly realized, was a lean-to.  Tying a large pole horizontally to two young trees that were spaced about ten feet apart, he added smaller poles to create a v-shaped shelter on one side, which he covered with pine branches. Only when he was finished did he come to the fire. He sat and silently accepted the plate of food she offered. She handed him several biscuits, which he eyed appreciatively.

“I’ll build a fire near the shelter. It’s going to be cold tonight,” he said, spooning food into his mouth without looking at anyone in particular. When no one replied, he glanced up, and his gaze met Evelyn’s.

“You can move some buffalo robes under there,” he grumbled, staring directly at her.

“You built that for me?” she asked, surprised even as her heart soared. She flashed him a wide smile, and Alex’s eyebrows scrunched together. Clearing his throat, he said, “Like I said, it’s
gonna
be cold tonight, and probably windy. It’ll be warmer for you there.”

Evelyn’s eyes darted to Laurent, who coughed into his coffee cup, then hastily stuffed a biscuit into his mouth. She shot another look at Alex, but his attention had returned to his food. With a determined intake of breath, Evelyn silently vowed that, starting in the morning, she would win Alexander Walker over just as he had again stolen her heart with his small gestures of kindness.

****

Evelyn shivered under her blankets, and tucked her legs up closer to her torso. A sudden blast of cold air hit her from behind, and in her half-awakened state, she groped for the covers. Just as quickly,
a pleasant
warmth replaced the frigid cold, and she inched closer to its source until she leaned against a solid wall. Vaguely, she wondered at the oddity, but her
groggy
mind didn’t question it further.

When a steely arm slipped around her middle, pulling her closer, she tensed instinctively, and her eyes opened to the blackness of night. She pushed against her assailant, and kicked her leg back. The strong arm tightened around her waist. Her sleepy mind conjured images of Oliver Sabin. Had the man found their camp? He’d come to claim her after all.

She struggled to awaken fully. ”Let go of me,” she said through gritted teeth. She thrashed her legs, kicking at him wherever she could, until a heavy thigh fell over her abdomen, holding her to the ground. The man straddled her, and pinned her beneath him. She pushed against his chest, momentary panic flooding her, but she was no match for his strength. His hands clamped around her arms, and he immobilized her further.

“I won’t hurt you,
Evie
,” someone whispered softly in her ear. “I’m only here to keep you warm. Don’t be afraid of me.”

Alex? Evelyn’s mind raced at his words. He’d come to share her blankets? Earlier she’d been ready to . . . do what? She wanted to prove to Alex that she was a woman. As her husband, he had every right to be in her bed, but she wasn’t ready for this. It was too unexpected.

“
Evie
, I’m not here to hurt you,” he said again, his voice louder this time.

“I told you I wouldn’t share your blankets.” She forced the lie from her lungs, trying to inhale a deep breath. “Or have you forgotten our agreement already?”

“Dammit, woman.
I’m only trying to see to your comfort. Cease your struggles and I’ll leave. But I won’t release you until you calm down.” Alex’s breath caressed her cheek, and a delicious shudder passed through her. Unable to see him in the dark, she turned her head to avoid a repeat of the sensation for fear it might give away her body’s growing awareness of him. She raised her head slightly, intending to move it to the side. Instead, her mouth grazed against his lips.

“
Evie
.”
Alex’s whisper was barely audible, just before his own mouth fully covered hers. Evelyn’s heart drummed wildly in her chest. Heat raced through her extremities to settle in the pit of her stomach. His kiss remained light and soft, and Evelyn craned her neck to intensify the connection. 

Alex released her arm, and his hand ran up her shoulder, caressed her neck, and cupped the side of her face. A low moan escaped his throat, just before he abruptly broke the contact. He inhaled a deep breath, and rolled to the side, completely freeing Evelyn from underneath him. Cold air immediately seeped through her clothing, and she shivered.

“Hold me, Alex,” Evelyn whispered, and turned toward him, craving his warmth. A scalding need that had nothing to do with Alex’s body heat flowed through her veins.

Alex inhaled deeply. “
Evie
, I’m not here for the reasons you think,” he said, his voice strained. “I . . . come here, you’re shivering.” He pulled the blanket and buffalo robe that had fallen away during their struggle over her, and she pressed against his chest.

Evelyn lay quietly in his arms. She waited for something to happen, wondering what to say or do. Never before had a man shared her blankets, yet for some reason, lying in Alex’s embrace seemed as natural as breathing.

“Turn around and go to sleep,
Evie
,” Alex said firmly. He loosened his hold so she could comply. Evelyn didn’t move. Should she dare try and kiss him? She had told him a moment ago that she didn’t want to share his blankets. Nothing could be further from the truth all of a sudden. His kiss ignited a need that refused to be ignored.

Gritting her teeth, she finally complied with his request. What if he rejected her kiss if she tried? Turning to her other side, she pressed her back against his chest. Had she imagined a shudder pass through him when she relaxed against him? He slid one arm beneath her head, his warm breath against her neck sending a renewed shiver down her spine. His other arm tightened around her waist as if he meant to draw her inside himself. Nothing had ever made her feel safer or more protected than lying in Alex’s arms. For a moment she could imagine that he truly loved her, and wasn’t merely here to keep her warm.

“Sleep,
Evie
, We’ll travel early in the morning.” His lips brushed against her neck. Evelyn sighed softly and she forced her eyes shut. Lying quietly in Alex’s embrace, she smiled to herself. Her mind recalled the gentle way he’d kissed her a minute ago. He was wrong. If he thought he could be cruel like his father, Alex was dead wrong. Here in his arms, nothing would ever hurt her. Content in his embrace, she drifted off to sleep.

****

Horses whinnied, and birds chirped loudly. The sound of men’s voices reached her ears. Evelyn blinked and raised her head. Darkness had given way to a sunny morning. She quickly raised herself to a sitting position, and turned her head to peer behind her. Alex was gone. Had he even been here? Had he truly come to her bed in the middle of the night with the intent to shield her from the cold?  She touched tentative fingers to her lips, wondering if she’d imagined it all in a dream.

Chapter 10

Alex squatted by the fire, poking at the outlying ashes with a stick. The gray swirls of his breath in the crisp early morning air mingled with the wisps of smoke rising skyward. Laurent silently handed him a tin cup filled with steaming coffee.

“Did you stay warm last night?” Laurent asked, lowering himself to the ground next to Alex with a loud grunt. He sipped from his own cup, and peered at Alex from beneath his lashes.

Alex held the hot cup between his hands, staring at the dark brew. He didn’t want to think about last night. He’d been more than warm. Last night had been heaven and hell rolled into one. The early morning cold was a welcome reprieve to the heat coursing through his body like a fever consuming him. He glanced past the fire to where Yancey stirred under his covers,
then
held the cup to his lips.

“It is good that you have finally come to your senses and decided to share your woman’s sleeping blanket. I truly didn’t think you would wait much longer. I am surprised, though, that you have left the comfort of her bed so early,
mon
ami
.”

Alex didn’t respond. Laurent would find out soon enough that he hadn’t sought out Evelyn’s bed with the intent to truly claim her as his wife. What he had done instead was make a big mistake, something he seemed to be doing a lot lately where
Evie
was concerned. Communicating with her proved to be more difficult than trying to barter with a tribe of Indians whose language he hadn’t mastered. At least with the Indians, hand gestures and signs were sufficient means of getting a point across. Every time he spoke to Evelyn he seemed to make matters worse.

She was already skittish as a flighty deer whenever he came near her, and last night she had thought he’d come to her with the intent to force himself on her. Alex tossed the stick into the fire, sending up glowing orange embers. His coffee spilled onto his britches, and he jumped to his feet.

“Damn it all,” he growled, and tossed the remaining contents of his cup over the flames. The fire hissed, and a thick gray smoke plume rose in the air.

“She did not please you, Walker?” Laurent stared up at him, fanning his hand in front of his face. “Perhaps in time, she will learn how –”

“She pleases me just fine.” Alex glared at Laurent, and gritted his teeth. “It’s me who can’t do anything right for her. I’ve told you
before,
I
ain’t
no good for her.” He tossed his cup to the ground, and crossed his hands over his chest. Staring into the nearby woods, he cursed under his breath.

Laurent grunted and pushed himself up off the ground. He shook his head, and patted Alex on the shoulder. “I hope for your sake you will regain your sight soon, my friend.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“She is your wife. A woman, a wife, requires her husband’s attention.”

“Evelyn is my wife in appearance only. She and I both agreed to that. I promised to protect her until I can take her back to St. Louis, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.” Alex glared at his friend.  Laurent cast him a perplexed look. He shook his head and turned, reached for his rifle lying on the ground by his bedroll, and headed into the woods.

“How the hell am I supposed to talk to her?” Alex called after the Frenchman, throwing his arms up in the air.  “Every time I try, she gets her feathers ruffled.” Laurent kept walking. He raised his arm and waved in a gesture of dismissal. Alex scoffed and turned back to the dying campfire.

Women! How the hell was a man supposed to communicate with them? He threw some more wood on the fire, and glared at Yancey’s bedroll.

The greenhorn was still
sound
asleep. Alex envied the man. Sleep didn’t come easy for him lately. He hadn’t had a good night’s rest since arriving at rendezvous, since Evelyn became his responsibility. Thoughts of her consumed him day and night.
Evie
Lewis, his childhood friend’s baby sister, the woman who stood out among all others the day he arrived in St. Charles, and who had become his wife against her will. The woman he couldn’t touch. He had never been
so
aware of another person as he was of her. By the law of the land, she was his, yet he couldn’t have her.