Teton Sunrise (Teton Romance Trilogy) (21 page)

“I told her to stay here for the night,” Alex continued.

“You what?”
Evelyn blurted. Her heart sank. As if a gust of icy wind had hit her, the last flickering flame of passion and desire extinguished within her.

“It’s not a good idea for her to head back to her people in the dark. I wouldn’t want to be responsible if something happened to her. That’s why I offered her a place to stay for the night.”

“And where’s she going to sleep, Alex? Do you plan to share your blankets with her, too?” Evelyn turned on her heels. She wished the ground would swallow her up. Suddenly she was glad the girl had shown up when she did. If she found out about Alex’s
friend
after . . . after giving herself to him, her humiliation would be much greater.

“What the hell’s gotten into you?” Alex’s hands cupped her shoulders, and he applied pressure to turn her around to face him. Evelyn ducked away from his grip. She chewed her lower lip, and resisted the urge to turn around to stare him in the eye. How could he not see what he was doing to her? By having this woman here in camp? He was obviously unaffected that she was here. Or perhaps he was glad she’d shown up.

Unwilling to start an argument in the presence of the Indian girl, Evelyn inhaled a deep breath, then said, “I’m feeling rather tired, Alex. It’s been a long day. Enjoy your company.” Blinking back the tears in her eyes, she stumbled to where she had lain out their furs and blankets earlier. If not for the woman, she would be lying here right now, in Alex’s arms . . .

“
Evie
.”
He called to her, exasperation in his voice. She scrambled under the covers, and pulled them up over her head. The tears flowed freely down her cheeks. If he came after her, she’d crumble. Perhaps she could face him later, but at the moment, the thought of Alex in the arms of another woman was too much to think about.

The girl’s melodious voice drifted to her. She’d obviously returned from wherever it was that she’d gone off to. Evelyn strained her ears to listen, not that she understood anything of what was said. Curiosity got the better of her, and she slowly lowered the covers to see what was going on. Almost too dark now to see much, she squinted to where Alex sat on the ground where she left him. The girl sat beside him, pressing something to his arm. They conversed in hushed tones, and the woman wrapped a strip of leather around Alex’s arm. 

Evelyn turned her back on the scene. She squeezed her eyes shut. Countless thoughts raced through her mind. Had Alex taken an Indian wife? She’d heard the men talk about it while she was still a captive with the river pirates. Even Laurent had mentioned that he planned to go to the father of an Indian woman and ask for her in marriage. Several of the trappers had boasted that they had Indian wives from various different tribes in the mountains, and a white wife when they returned to the
city,
and none of the women knew about the others.

He told you he loves you
. Perhaps she shouldn’t be so rash to judge. Maybe it would be best to hear Alex out. Yes, that’s what she would do, but she’d wait until morning. She would wait until she could talk to him alone, not in the presence of this other woman. Clearly she knew some English. Fresh tears pooled in her eyes, thinking about what almost happened between her and Alex. What if he did have an Indian wife? She could never share the man she loved with someone else. Evelyn pressed her hand to her chest. A knife slicing through her heart couldn’t be any worse than the thought of Alex with another woman.  Would it be too late to ask Laurent to take her back to St. Louis?

The covers lifted behind her, and Evelyn held her breath. Her heart sped up, and she bit her lower lip. Alex slipped under the covers, and inched up behind her.

“I know you’re not asleep,” he whispered in her ear, sending chills racing down her back. He held his hand at her hip, and a renewed wave of desire spread through her. Would she always react this way from a mere touch of his hand? Even when she was angry with him, all it took was one simple touch from him and she melted. 

“I . . . I’m feeling rather poorly, Alex. I would like to get some sleep.” Every cell in her body screamed to turn and face him, and ask him to hold her close. Having this woman in camp made it impossible.

Alex stiffened beside her, and his hand dropped away. “Good night,
Evie
,” he said after a long pause, then he rolled to his other side, facing away from her as he had done every night since she started sharing his bed.

****

Alex lay awake, listening to the sounds of the night. No matter how much he willed his mind to focus on other things, his mind and body had other ideas. For nearly a week, he’d slept next to
Evie
, or tried to sleep. Having her so close without touching her proved to be more agonizing than the worst form of torture the Blackfeet could conjure up. Repeatedly, he convinced himself that she needed time; that he shouldn’t ask for something she wasn’t ready to give. He’d agreed to those terms before they left rendezvous.

Each day it became harder to uphold that agreement. Tonight, having her all to himself, he’d finally given in to his desires. He recognized the same longing in her eyes as what he’d been feeling for weeks, and he hoped to show her how much he loved her and finally claim her as his wife in all ways.

Seeing Whispering Waters, Alex’s first impulse was to run the Bannock woman out of camp, but it wouldn’t be wise to anger her people. Over the years, he’d established good trade relations with them, and treating the daughter of the chief with anything but respect was certainly not a wise thing to do. She’d made it clear to him in the past that she wanted to be his wife, but Alex had always been direct with her that he had no interest in her.  Now that Evelyn had entered his life, he was even more convinced that he’d made the right choice.

Admittedly, Whispering Waters was a beautiful woman, and Laurent would be a lucky man to have her for his wife. But where Whispering Waters was quiet,
Evie
was feisty and outspoken. Alex loved the sparks that flew from her emerald eyes when she got her feathers ruffled, and how the sun reflected in her auburn hair, turning it a deep bronze. While some men preferred a demure and obedient wife, he enjoyed her independent spirit and that she spoke her mind.

“I see you have made your choice, Walker. I’ve always known your heart would never belong to me, but I had hoped,” Whispering Waters told him when he introduced Evelyn as his wife.

“I believe my heart has always belonged to this woman. Even as children, although I didn’t see it until now.”

“I see she cares for you deeply.”  She had smiled in quiet acceptance,
then
said, “I must tell you that your friend, the Frenchman Laurent
Berard
has approached my father. If you were not so pleasing to look at, Walker, he would have caught my eye sooner. I came here to tell you that I have consented to become his wife.”

 Alex smiled inwardly. So, Laurent had finally found the courage to ask for the woman he’d been in love with for years.

“He will be a good husband, and he is a lucky man to have you as his wife.”

Whispering Waters had smiled softly. She finished applying the herbal poultice to his arm, and wrapped a piece of leather around it, then looked up at him.

“I will leave at dawn. Your wife does not want me to be here. You would do well to put her mind at ease about us, Shadow Walker.” Her smile widened. “For a white man, you are a good hunter and tracker, and you are observant of all things around you. All things but what is right before you.” She’d stood, and accepted the buffalo robe Alex offered her, then chose a spot near the fire and laid down to sleep.

Alex pondered her words. Kicking himself mentally, he suddenly understood Evelyn’s reaction. She’d made an assumption about him and the Bannock woman, and although it was the wrong assumption, it was his fault for not putting her mind at ease immediately. Would he ever learn to communicate effectively with her to avoid misunderstandings in the future?

Evelyn stirred next to him, and he clenched his hands into tight fists and ground his teeth. Every cell in his body screamed for him to reach for her, pull her to him, and hold her close. Not acting on his impulse required every ounce of self-control he possessed.  He’d startled her out of her sleep once before, and he wasn’t about to make that mistake a second time. He never wanted to see fear of him in her eyes ever again. He closed his eyes, and allowed the memories of
Evie’s
passionate kisses and soft curves to overrun his mind.

Chapter 16

Alex moved and startled awake. When had he fallen asleep? Sweat trickled from his forehead, and he breathed heavily. The gray sky of predawn greeted him. He was instantly alert. A quick glance across camp told him Whispering Waters had already left. The disturbing dream that woke him began to fade. His heart pounded in his chest, and adrenaline rushed through him. Evelyn had left him. In his dream, she’d told him she couldn’t be with him. She thought he was in love with Whispering Waters. He rolled over and reached for her. He had to feel her, convince himself that she was still here. His hand touched only cold furs and blankets next to him.

Alex bolted upright.
Evie
was gone! He flung the covers aside, ignoring the cold rush of air that hit his bare torso, and leapt to his feet. How could he have slept so soundly that he wouldn’t have noticed her get out from under the covers? He grabbed his rifle lying on the ground next to his blankets, and scanned his surroundings. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The first birds awake in the morning chirped loudly in the branches above. There was no breeze in the air. A quiet splash and soft humming reached his ears, and Alex headed toward the sound.

Evelyn’s shirt and britches lay on the sandy ground at the shore of the lake. Soft white vapors rose into the air as the warmer water met with the early morning chill. Near a large boulder protruding out of the lake,
Evie
splashed in the water. Alex’s mouth went dry. Any attempt to swallow became futile. Like a lithe cat, she moved her arms through the water. Even from a distance, he could see that she wore her shift, but she might as well not be wearing anything. The white cotton became all but invisible, and clung to every curve and contour of her wet body.

Time stood still. He couldn’t tear his eyes away even if a war party of Blackfeet were to descend on him at this moment.
Evie
rubbed her hands up and down her glistening arms, her hair falling in wet strands down her back. Her eyes were half-way closed as she hummed her soft tune, a look of pure contentment on her face. Would she ever gaze upon him with such pleasure and serenity?

Alex’s actions were no longer his own. He set his rifle on the ground and bent down to remove his moccasins, then untied the leather laces of his britches, letting them fall to the ground. He hadn’t bothered putting on his shirt the night before. Slowly, he waded into the lake. Shallow and heated by the previous day’s sun, the temperature was not as frigid as some of the other mountain lakes in the area. By the time he reached the rocks, the water lapped around his waist. Evelyn continued her dreamlike humming, and Alex relaxed to the sound of her soft melody. He shouldn’t be here, disturbing her bath, but it was too late for that. She drew him to her by some invisible rope, and he could no longer stay away. Reaching out, his hand touched her lightly on her wet shoulder.

“
Evie
,” he said quietly.

Evelyn spun around with a loud splash. A startled gasp escaped her open mouth, and she almost lost her footing. She stood before him, water drops running down her face, her lips glistening wet. There was no fear in her eyes, only surprise, and . . . longing. Alex took another step toward her. His gut clenched painfully, and he sucked in a deep breath of air. One hand reached out and slid along her neck, his thumb caressing her jaw. He leaned forward and covered her mouth with his, sipping at the moisture on her lips. He slowly wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her fully up against him. A low moan rumbled in her chest, and she wound her arms around his middle.

Surprised by her reaction, Alex pulled his head back, and smiled down at her. Wide-eyed, she stared up at him.

“
Evie
,” he whispered, and cleared his throat.

“Your friend left,” she said quietly. “She told me I was lucky to have you, and hopes you and I can be present when she marries the man who asked for her.” The corners of her mouth raised in a slow smile.

A great weight seemed to lift from his shoulders. “Whispering Waters means nothing to me,
Evie
. She never has. Only one woman has ever caught my eye, and she’s right here, in my arms, where she belongs.” His thumb stroked slowly back and forth along her jaw.

Evie’s
eyes widened even more, and Alex wasn’t sure if the wetness on her cheeks was water or tears. He swiped wet strands of hair from her face with a slow sweep of his hand, and studied her expressive eyes, her full lips, and tried to burn every little detail of her into his memory.

He swallowed, and tightened his hold around her, drawing her even closer. The slow-burning fire inside him ignited fully, and his pulse raced through his veins. She had to be aware of how she affected him.

“
Evie
, I can’t uphold my end of our agreement,” he said slowly, searching for the right words.