The Bronzed Hawk (7 page)

Once the chute was repacked, Nick slung it over his shoulder. “Let’s go,” he said. Taking her small hand in his, he propelled her briskly down the incline toward the foothills.

Kelly found it oddly companionable walking hand in hand down the rock-strewn hill through the gathering darkness. Strange that she experienced this total unconcern regarding the dilemma that they were in. She felt almost lighthearted, as if she were starting out on a brave new adventure, and she knew that her serenity was due to the man beside her. It was difficult to be frightened or worried when he was so assured and competent. Perhaps that comparison that she had drawn with Superman wasn’t so far off the mark, she thought.

They had reached the bottom of the hill, and Nick’s pace quickened as he moved purposefully
toward a clearing sheltered by a sparse growth of surrounding cottonwoods. Darkness had fallen fully now, and the clearing looked oddly desolate and menacing in the shadowy guardianship of the trees.

O’Brien took off the parachute pack when they reached the clearing and dropped it on the ground. “Stay here,” he ordered. “I’ll go gather some wood and build a fire.”

“I’ll go with you and help,” Kelly said in a determined tone. She might as well start out as she meant to continue. O’Brien needn’t think that he was going to treat her like some helpless little clinging vine. She would carry her full share of the work and responsibility in this situation.

In the darkness she couldn’t see the expression on O’Brien’s face, but his voice was rich with amusement. “I think I detect the signs of women’s lib surfacing. All right, Goldilocks, I wouldn’t dream of suppressing that independent spirit.”

It appeared that he meant exactly what he said. He not only let her help gather wood and carry it back to the clearing, but also set her the
task of finding stones to bank the flames while he busied himself with the actual building of the fire. When she had finished encircling the burning wood with several large, flat stones, she sank down beside it and sighed in contentment.

She watched O’Brien lithely move about, first stacking their reserves of wood in a readily accessible pile near them, and then unpacking the parachute and spreading it on the ground before the fire.

When he’d finished, he sat down on the brilliant nylon and patted the place beside him. “Come over here and join me, Goldilocks, and we’ll fire-gaze together,” he invited.

“Fire-gaze?” she asked, getting up and moving slowly to join him on the chute. “I’ve heard of star-gazing but never fire-gazing.”

“Fire-gazing is much more interesting,” he said, as he put an arm about her shoulders and pulled her close. “You can almost hypnotize yourself into seeing any shape or image you want to see.”

“Like seeing a camel in a bank of clouds?” Kelly asked, her green eyes sparkling.

He shook his head reprovingly. “You’re wandering
into an entirely different field,” he said sternly. “Now cease your flippancy and apply yourself, woman.”

“Yes, sir!” she said meekly, and settled herself more comfortably in the curve of his arm. She had an idea that obeying Nick’s invitation to join him was going to prove a serious mistake, but for the moment she was too content to move.

She soon found that Nick was right about the magnetic effect of gazing into the fire. She was in a state of drowsy bemusement sometime later when Nick stirred himself to get up and throw more wood on the fire. She hadn’t been aware of Nick’s hand toying idly with her curls, but she missed the feel of those lazily caressing fingers when he moved away. She shook her head as if to clear it. She was already feeling cold and lonely without his sheltering arm, and she knew that this sort of dependence was extremely dangerous.

When Nick returned to his place beside her, she shifted a discreet distance away and turned to face him. “Perhaps we should start trying to find our way out of these hills tonight,” she suggested
nervously. “We don’t have any food or water, and there’s no telling how long it will take us to find help.”

O’Brien’s blue eyes narrowed in thoughtful appraisal at her change in attitude. “Tomorrow will be soon enough,” he said slowly. “We can’t do much but stumble around in the dark until we get our bearings. Once it’s light, I’ll set about canvassing the area for water and food to supply us for our hike. We’ll be in much better shape after a good night’s sleep. And speaking of sleep,” he continued silkily, “I think it’s time we retired, sweetheart.”

Before she could reply, he had pushed her gently back on the nylon chute and was bending over her, laughing down into her startled face. “Shall I help you undress?” he asked politely. Then as she shook her head firmly and opened her lips to protest, he sighed. “It’s just as well. I might be a bit too enthusiastic getting you out of your clothes, and they’re the only ones you have. For the last hour I’ve been wondering how cream velvet and golden fleece would look against this silky orange chute.”

Kelly could feel that odd weakness beginning to affect her limbs at the picture his words invoked. She was beginning to quiver inside with that same hot sensation she had known such a short time before.

“No!” she said, pushing him away with a force that surprised both of them. She sat upright and scrambled away from him. “No, it’s not going to be that way, Nick. I’m not going to be one of your one-night stands. It was all a mistake.”

His expression hardened. “The hell it was,” he said roughly. “It was fantastic, and you know it. I’ve been going out of my mind wanting you since before we jumped out of that balloon, and I’m not letting you cheat us both because of some crazy prejudice you have against my lurid past.” His lips curved in a mocking smile. “I think you’ll have to admit that in less than five minutes I can make you forget all about your precious scruples.”

Kelly bit her lip uncertainly, as she gazed into his dark, ruthless face. How could she deny what they both knew was true? Yet she must find some way of discouraging him from instigating that
threatened assault on her senses. Her mind searched wildly for an answer. The obvious solution was to make him so angry with her that he would forget about the overwhelming physical attraction between them. The question was how that was going to be accomplished. She knew that insults would have no effect on Nick; he was the most confident, self-assured individual she had ever known.

“You might make me want you, but it wouldn’t change my mind,” she said stubbornly. “I won’t sleep with you, Nick.”

For a moment she thought the flicker behind Nick’s cool stare was the anger that she was looking for, but it was quickly masked by a sardonic expression. “Why should I be the only one left out?” he asked silkily. “Do you compile a dossier on all your men before deciding which one to take to your bed?” His lips thinned bitterly. “You were even willing to jump into bed with that damn editor if you’d lost your bet. Why shouldn’t I be allowed the same privileges as the rest of your male harem?”

Her eyes widened at his words. For a moment
she did not even make the connection; then she felt a wild urge to laugh aloud. True, she had not told Nick the reason for the wager. She started to explain when she noticed the hard, tight line of Nick’s jaw and the glaring expression in his eyes. He was jealous! He had told her that he was possessive of her, but she had not believed him. Yet, if he was a bit jealous, she might be able to use it to her advantage.

“It’s funny that you mentioned a harem,” she said lightly. “We both seem to have a passion for variety. Of course, you’re older and have more experience than I, but as I was reading over your dossier, I felt a real sense of kinship with you.” She lowered her eyes to the fire, her long lashes veiling her gleaming jade eyes. “Though it really wasn’t fair of me to so familiarize myself with your affairs when you knew nothing about mine.” She lifted her gaze to meet his eyes with what she hoped was a look of complete innocence. “Would you like me to tell you about my first lover?”

“No, I would not,” Nick said, between clenched teeth. She noticed with satisfaction that a muscle twitched in his lean cheek.

“You’re right,” she returned earnestly. “First affairs are so callow that they’re not a bit interesting in retrospect. It’s only after you gain more experience and sophistication that you can really appreciate the nuances of a relationship. Don’t you find that true, Nick?”

“I’d rather not discuss it,” he said coldly, reaching over to stoke the fire with a stick.

“Of course, you wouldn’t.” Kelly rocked back on her heels and demurely linked her hands together in front of her. “Why should you reveal any more of yourself to me, when I’ve not been equally generous?” She smiled at him with enchanting sweetness. “If we’re going to become as intimate as you wish, you’re entitled to my complete confidence. Would you like to know only who they were, or do you want to know what we actually did in bed?”

“Kelly!” The word was uttered in such a savage tone that it momentarily intimidated her.

She recovered swiftly, however. “I suppose I should start with Raoul,” she said, tilting her head consideringly. “He was really the first man who taught me anything about what lovemaking
should mean to a woman.” Her lips curved in a dreamy smile. “He worked at the French embassy in Algiers. Then there was Pedro Salazar, a bullfighter in Madrid. He was really magnificent, so strong and graceful. He had the most divine thrust.” She looked up at him limpidly. “I mean his sword thrust, of course.”

“Of course,” Nick repeated savagely. His bronzed face was set in grim lines, his half-closed eyes fixed on the flames.

“I’ll skip the less important ones,” Kelly went on. “But I really think you should hear about Ian Cartwright. He was a game warden in Nigeria, and he taught me the most interesting—”

“No!” Nick shouted, and the face he turned to her was corroded with rage and passion. “Damn you, shut up!” His hands were on her shoulders, and he was shaking her with such force that she suspected she’d have bruises the next day. “What the hell are you trying to do to me?” he rasped. “I don’t know whether I’m going to strangle you or rape you, but you can damn well believe it’s going to be something violent!”

“Nick, don’t,” Kelly whispered, her face suddenly
so pale that her eyes were like emeralds in its whiteness. “I didn’t mean—”

“I know exactly what you meant to do. You wanted to get a little of your own back by roasting me over the flames.” His blue eyes were like daggers boring into hers. “Well, you’ll be glad to know that you succeeded. I hope it was worth it to you, because I don’t think you’re going to like the result of your little game of true confessions.” His hand moved up to tangle in her curls and draw her head back. “I’m never going to let you out of my sight from now on, and if you so much as look at another man, I’ll kill him!” The words were bullet hard and held a chilling sincerity.

“Nick—” Kelly said falteringly, “I have to tell—”

“You’ve told me enough,” he said tersely, releasing her and backing away, his expression stormy. “And I don’t want to hear another word out of you, or, so help me God, I’ll break your little neck.”

“But I only—”

“Kelly, if I have to warn you again, it won’t
be with words,” he growled menacingly. He straightened the chute on the ground and lay down on the other side of it. Then he propped himself up on one elbow. “I’m just aching to get my hands on you one way or the other, so if I were you, I wouldn’t tempt me. Now come and lie down.”

She looked away unhappily. “I think I’ll stay up for a while.”

“Kelly!” His tone was commanding.

“Oh, very well,” she said crossly, as she stretched out gingerly as far from Nick as the chute permitted.

“Over here, Kelly,” Nick ordered. “You needn’t be afraid that I’ll hurt you. I may be angry, but I have no intention of using you roughly.”

“I’m quite comfortable here,” Kelly protested uneasily, turning her back on him. Who could have known that Nick would explode like that. He had frightened her.

“Nevertheless, you’ll come over here. You have a right to be wary of me. At the moment, I’m using all my willpower just to keep myself under control. I have no intention of making
love to you. I’m so angry that I’m afraid I’d hurt you. But you’ll sleep in my arms tonight and every night from now on. Do you understand?”

She nodded silently and then obediently scooted close to him to be enfolded in his warm, strong embrace. Why was she being so meek and docile? It must be weariness and the shock of that violent, emotional outpouring from Nick that made her want only to relax and avoid any further arguments.

“That’s the first intelligent thing you’ve done in the past hour,” he said. He turned and shifted her body so that her back was to him and her body fitted into his spoon fashion; his arms formed a warm, secure stronghold around her. “All hell would have broken loose if you’d fought me on this.” He reached over her and pulled the other edge of the nylon chute over both of them as a blanket.

“I don’t think this is very good idea,” Kelly ventured uncertainly. His hard, tense frame was a burning brand against her, and she could feel how aroused he was. “How can we get to sleep like this?”

“We probably won’t,” he said curtly, his breath blowing the golden ringlets at her ear. “We’ll probably both lie here all night aching and feverish.” He laughed mirthlessly. “I’m damned sure that I won’t get any rest!”

“Then let me go back where I was,” she whispered reasonably. “It will be better for both of us.”

His arms tightened possessively around her. “Frankly, at the moment I don’t give a damn what’s best for us. The only thing that’s important right now is teaching you that, no matter how many men you’ve had in the past, it’s only my arms you’ll sleep in from now on.”

“Until you get tired of me,” Kelly said tartly.

She could feel the deep, ragged breath he took. “Kelly,” he said softly, “shut up!”

The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes early in the morning was the tip of a dusty, scuffed brown boot some six inches from her face. The second was a butt of a rifle in the dust beside that boot!

Startled, she jumped upright and felt Nick’s cautioning hand on her shoulder. “Easy, Kelly,” he said quietly. “It seems that we have visitors. Let me handle it.”