Nevada Heat (19 page)

Jesus, if she'd done to him what he'd done to her, he'd still be sleepin'! Jesse groaned softly. Just the thought of Miranda's hands on his body shot liquid fire through his blood. His groin ached miserably and breathing became almost impossible.

At the rate he was goin', he wouldn't have the strength to kill the man he was searching for, even if he did find him!

Chapter 11

Jesse sighed heavily and squinted at the narrow path that stretched up before him. He shook his head and muttered a curse under his breath. The woman climbs like a mountain goat, he thought with disgust. He'd been hard put to keep up with her. He shifted position slightly and the sole of his right boot slid on the pebble-and-dirt-strewn path. Uneasily Jesse glanced over the edge of the nearest boulder and stared at the rocky ground nearly a hundred feet below. He rubbed one hand over his jaw and carefully stepped back a pace or two from the edge of the pathway.

Dammit. When he left Big Pete's place, why hadn't he just gone on back to the bunkhouse? If he had, he would never have seen Miranda sneakin' out of town, would never have followed her, and wouldn't now be danglin' over the edge of a goddamn cliff!

He grumbled again and started climbing. She'd disappeared around the top boulder almost twenty minutes ago, and the way the durn female climbed, if he didn't get movin', he'd never catch her! Of course, he reminded himself in his own defense, her moccasins were a helluva lot better for climbin' than his boots!

Pebbles skittered noisily over the path and Jesse felt drops of sweat roll down his back under the long sleeved blue shirt he wore. She'd better have a damn good reason for all this nonsense, he told himself grimly. Imagine a woman goin' off by her lonesome into the cliffs the day after they'd had trouble with the Indians! Why, if it wasn't for the worry that the raiding party might return, Jesse would just hightail it back to town and go to sleep! Let her take her chances with all the other dangers.

He stopped suddenly, gritted his teeth, and inhaled sharply. No he wouldn't Hell, there was no use in lyin' to himself! He'd have gone after Miranda anyway. Indians or no. It was almost as though he had no say in the matter at all. He was drawn to her warmth… to her smile… as surely as fortune hunters were drawn to a rich widow.

At the top of the rise he stopped. Jesse's mouth dropped open as he looked down into a huge water hole. The clear water was surrounded on three sides by steep rock walls. Cottonwoods and a few stray pines straggled around the edges of the tank, making the harsh line of the rocks softer, more welcoming. On the fourth side of the water hole, a series of natural steps had formed over time. They led to the water's edge, where there was a deep cutaway into the wall. An overhang of cliff shaded the little nook from the desert sun.

It was beautiful. Just looking at the clear water below made Jesse cooler than he'd been in days. He shook his head in wonder, then suddenly dropped down to the ground.

Miranda had stepped out from under the overhang. She didn't look up. Though he knew he should say something, announce his presence, Jesse kept his silence and watched. She must have set the basket down in the shade. He didn't see it anywhere. His eyes followed her as she walked to the water's edge. She plopped down on the rocks, pulled off her moccasins, then dipped her feet into the water.

Jesse almost felt her sigh when the cool water touched her skin. His breath uneven, he swallowed nervously and waited.

She threw her head back, eyes closed, and let the sun wash over her upturned face. As she leaned back on her hands the plain white shirt pulled across her breasts and strained as she arched her back. Lazily her feet kicked in the water and the splashing echoed off the surrounding walls.

Jesse pulled air in through clenched teeth and licked his too dry lips. He stretched out full length on the clifftop, lying on his stomach and peeking out over the edge of rock.

Suddenly Miranda stood up. Moving quickly, she began to unbutton her shirt and pants. Jesse gripped the cliff edge tightly. Hungrily his gaze followed her fingers' progress. One by one her shirt buttons popped open, revealing the silky chemise he'd seen earlier and the smooth golden flesh of her shoulders and chest. His thumb and forefinger rubbed together, and in memory Jesse touched her nipples once more.

Then she slipped her hands beneath the waistband of her pants and began to smooth them down over her nicely rounded hips. Miranda's deliciously curved bottom wiggled as she pushed at the form-fitting buckskin, and Jesse's heart stopped when he realized that she wasn't wearing a damn thing under those britches of hers.

He groaned but couldn't look away. She bent over and slowly pushed her trousers down the length of first one leg then the other. As every inch of flesh was exposed Jesse's chest tightened. He felt as though he'd never be able to breathe again. And he didn't care. He only knew that he couldn't turn away if it meant his life. He wanted nothing more than to leap down the path and run his hands over her body. Feel her trembling for need of him. See his own hunger reflected in her eyes.

When she was free of her trousers, she straightened up. Jesse let his eyes travel up the length of her shapely legs to the small triangle of soft, brown curls that guarded the treasure he sought. The flat of her palms smoothed over her hips and stopped at her narrow waist. Her fingers held the hem of her chemise and she quickly pulled it off over her head.

Even from a distance Jesse saw her grin. She held her arms up toward the sun and spread wide as if welcoming a lover. Jesse's gaze moved slowly over every luscious inch of her. From the peaks of her breasts to the curve of her backside, she was a woman most men would kill for.

Miranda bent to one side slightly, swinging her long braid over one shoulder. Nimbly her fingers pulled the rawhide thong from the end of the braid and quickly pulled the long, thick hair free of its confinement.

Before Jesse'd had more than a quick look at the gold-streaked hair falling down past her waist, Miranda walked to the water's edge, positioned herself, then dived into the clear, deep water. Jesse leaned out as far as he dared and stared down into the pool. From his vantage point, he could see the rocks, ledges, and outcroppings that lined the water tank. And he could see Miranda's pale flesh slicing through the water. Her arms moving languidly, her hair streaming out behind her, and her long legs kicking her toward the surface once more.

He settled back as she climbed out of the water to repeat her dive. Tiny water droplets, capturing the sun's light, shone like crystal and rolled down her sleek body. Her hair hung straight as a lance down the center of her back, dripping water into a shallow pool at her feet.

She raised her arms, rose onto the balls of her feet, and dived in again. This time she went deeper. Jesse leaned forward again. He couldn't see exactly where she'd landed. Anxiously he scanned the tank. Seconds ticked by and still she hadn't come up. Then he saw a flash of white. It was Miranda. Floating gently in the water. Facedown, arms and legs limp, her glorious hair hanging down on either side of her face like a bed curtain. As he watched, stunned, a single bubble of air left her body, moved quickly to the surface, and popped.

#

Dave lit his cigarette, inhaled deeply, then exhaled the pale, bluish smoke in a rush. His eyes never leaving the door of Shelly's cabin, he took another drag of the tobacco, squinting against the coil of smoke floating upward.

"Thought I'd find you here."

Dave chuckled softly. "No wonder you're such a good Ranger. You're a helluva detective, Buck."

"Keep it down, man!" Buck twisted around nervously, letting his gaze wander over the deserted street. “You gone completely loco? What's the matter with you anyhow?"

“Me?" Dave shrugged. “Nothin's wrong with me, Buck. Not a damn thing."

Buck stepped up beside his partner. Even if he hadn't heard the sarcasm in the other man's voice, he'd have seen the disgust on Dave's face plain enough. “Yeah, I can see you're just dandy."

"Leave it be, Buck."

“Now, why in hell should I leave it be?" Buck took hold of Dave's arm and spun the man around to face him. “You're so all-fired busy starin' at that woman with your tongue hangin' out, you ain't done a thing about why we're here in the first place."

“Yeah? And what is there to do?" Dave spread his arms wide, encompassing the small town. His voice harsh and low, he went on. “You seen the fella we're lookin' for? Huh? He ride in while I was sleepin' or somethin'? 'Cause if he did, you just point me at him, Buck, and I'll go fetch him for ya!"

Buck shook his head, disgusted. "Just look at you."

“What?”

“In all the years I known you, I ain't never seen you lose your temper that away. You're 'bout the most easygoin' man I ever knew."

Dave snorted and tossed his half-finished cigarette into the dust, where he ground it out with the toe of his boot.

“Is it the woman?"

Dave glanced at his mend and smiled halfheartedly. Hell, it wasn't Buck's fault he was in such a mess. “Yeah. It's Shelly." He leaned his shoulder against the porch post and nodded his head in the direction of her cabin. “Who'da thought this'd happen to me, huh?" He chuckled softly. "And I don't know what to do about it. She don't trust me worth a damn. Can't say as I blame her none for that, her thinkin' I'm a outlaw and such."

“You can't tell her, Dave."

He looked at his friend. “Yeah, I know." Dave shoved at Buck's shoulder. "Hell, it'll be all right. Things most times got a way of workin' out."

“I reckon." Buck's voice was quiet, hesitant. “You give any thought to how folks back home would look on Shelly?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Buck took a step back from the suddenly enraged man. "Simmer down, Dave. I didn't say nothin'."

"See that you don't." Dave stepped up close to his partner, his blue eyes sparking dangerously. "We been friends a long time, Buck… but don't you test me on this one. When we leave outta here, Shelly's gonna be travelin' with me, and as soon as we get back to Texas, we'll get married."

"That so?" Buck challenged softly. “I ain't exackly seen her out pickin' daisies for a boo-kay!"

"Yeah, well” — Dave grinned suddenly, his temper gone as quickly as it came — “she don't know it yet."

“Well, that explains a helluva lot!" Buck slapped his hat against his thigh. "Why in thunder are we arguin' over something that ain't happened yet? Shit, by the time you work up the gumption to ask her, we'll all be dead and buried."

"Don't you count on it."

Buck grumbled uneasily for a few minutes. Though he thought his friend was askin' for a peck of trouble, it wasn't wise to go pokin' around in things between a man and his woman… for now he'd let it go. “You mind if we talk a little business now?"

Dave chuckled. "Sure. Why not?"

"What’d you think about Hogan sayin' he's from Coldwater?"

"Hell, Buck. Both of us already had him figured for the brother of those Hogans that got theirselves killed. Why you actin' so surprised?"

"Well, I ain't surprised it’s him, you jackass. I'm surprised 'cause he's here!"

Dave frowned.

“Why's the boy pretendin' to be an outlaw? Hell, he's no more a badman than we are."

"Reckon he's lookin' for somethin'."

"Yeah. Or someone. C’mon, Dave. He's got to be here for the same reason we are. To catch that man did all the killin' back home."

"How would he know to look here? Hell, we only just found out about this place a few months ago."

"Shit." Buck spat into the street "He prob'ly heard the same talk we did." He squinted off into the distance. "'Bout our man usually turnin' up here in the canyon sooner or later. But it don't really matter how he found out about this place." Buck turned a flat stare on his partner. "What matters is we keep a close watch on him. If he messes this up for us, the cap'n'll have us stretched out on an anthill. Facedown!"

Dave shuddered at the thought of facing his boss with a failure. The man didn't accept defeat easily. In anyone. "Then we'll just have to see to it that Jesse Hogan stays the hell out of our way." He turned and looked back to Shelly's cabin. “I want to get this job finished so's we can go home."

Buck shook his head and looked past his partner at the tumbledown cabin across the road. This wasn't turnin' out to be the easy job he'd expected. A lovesick partner and another fella out for revenge. Hell, Buck told himself, maybe he was gettin' too old for this. Maybe it was time to buy himself a little ranch and just sit on the porch watchin' the days die.

His whole body shuddered at the thought. Deliberately he turned away from his partner and headed for Big Pete's place. The huge man might be an outlaw, but he served the best whiskey Buck had tasted since leavin' Texas.

#

Jesse leaped up and started running down the sloping steps to the water below. His boots sliding on the gritty rocks, he fought for balance. On the run, he unbuckled his gun belt and tossed it aside. His gaze never left the pale, motionless figure in the water. Another bubble rose from her lips and Jesse hurried even faster. He snatched his hat off, dropped it to the ground, and dived into the water.