Never Surrender (6 page)

When Taima’s fingers massaged her ribs a second time,
she covered them with her own and attempted to push his hand down to her waist,
if not remove it all together.

“Leave it be, Woman,” he growled close to her ear. “I
will release you when I’m ready...and I will touch you when I please.”

Again, fear vibrated through every nerve of her body.
He meant business and she continued to taunt him at every turn, but she hated
being controlled constantly. She wouldn’t put up with it and he’d know that
first hand tomorrow...if she lived that long!

Kate pulled her lower lip with her teeth. Blood pumped
furiously through her veins as her heart raced. She couldn’t believe Taima
actually thought she’d lie quietly while his hands freely roamed her body.

“Had you decided to stay put the first time, you
wouldn’t find yourself beneath my touch.” His warm breath fanned her cheek;
heat from his palm penetrated the thin hide of her dress. “Should you choose to
ignore my orders again, you may think what you like. You decide, woman.
Now...lay still. I, at least, would like to get some sleep tonight.”

The tension knotted every nerve in her body as she lay
there with him, his hard chest pressed against her back, his firm thighs molded
behind her own. She waited for him to make another move, to taunt her again,
make her flesh tingle beneath his touch.

Finally, Taima’s breathing slowed to an even rhythm.
The pressure of his hand moved to her hip, though not in a threatening manner,
and Kate eased the built-up tension in her muscles. She listened to the serene
wilderness and the whispering of the pines. Taima’s breathing kept an even pace
with the breeze blowing through the branches outside.

An owl hooted in the distance, responding to a howling
wolf, or possibly a coyote. Did it prowl nearby?

Suddenly, the cry of a mountain lion echoed in the
remote offing. Against her better judgment, Kate inched further into Taima’s
embrace. She wondered how he could possibly sleep through all the creepy
noises.

Then a deep chuckle erupted from his chest.

How dare he find humor in her fear? How dare he find
it funny that the wilderness frightened her?

She jabbed her elbow at his ribs before he had time to
ward off the attack. Though he laughed, the pressure of his hand tightened on
her hip.

Disgusted with her predicament, she bent her arm beneath
her head and lay silent--
the best way
, she thought,
to deal with this
man
. Slowly, fatigue and heavy eyelids threatened to close off her world
for the night; she couldn’t fight it any longer. Yet, with Taima beside her--as
much as she hated it--she’d be safe from any wild animals until morning.

Cloaked in restless sleep, Kate shivered and pulled
the blanket tight. The warmth at her back sent her cuddling against it and she
returned to her dreams.

Kate stirred sometime later with stiff muscles. Opening
her eyes to the bright morning, her face was mere inches from Taima’s. The
sternness had disappeared from his now sleep-relaxed features. Smooth skin
darker than hers stretched over high cheekbones, black brows feathered above
long lashes and a straight nose. Native American features, yet his English was
almost as clear as hers, Kate mused. His past interested her.

Her gaze rested on his full lips. Slowly, she inhaled,
her toes curling as a hot wave swept into her belly. Taima made her feel
desired though she had tried to fight it. She wondered at his actions, at what
prompted him to kiss her. It couldn’t be that he found her attractive because
he always told her he did it to punish her since he thought she hated his
touch.

Did she hate it? Kate wondered.

Her eyes traveled to the two-inch scar, which cut
diagonally across the left side of his jaw. Another half-inch scar marred his
cheekbone.

Battle wounds?

Animal attacks?

A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of him
being mauled by an animal or cut with another’s blade.

Two scars on his chest below each collarbone piqued
her interest. Kate knew these could only be scars from the sacrificial Sun
Dance she’d read about. She’d ask him later about those. The peaceful man who
lay next to her was the opposite of the hateful savage she saw when he was
awake.

Glancing up again, Kate met questioning blue eyes set
into tanned features, which changed to a look of wonder. His gaze traveled down
her face to her chest and a flush heated her skin. She quickly pulled up the
blanket to shield herself and looked away.

A warm finger beneath her chin forced Kate to face him
again. “I think it’s only fair that I look, as you did.”

Embarrassed, Kate rolled away when he released her,
allowing her to rise. She glanced back at Taima as he stretched; her lip
curled, ready for an argument. “I’ll be right back,” she said.

“You know what’ll happen if you aren’t.”

Annoyed, she rolled her eyes and stepped from the
lean-to. Knowing Taima as she was beginning to, he’d likely follow her.

Thankfully, he didn’t.

Leaving the cover of the trees behind her, Kate raked
her fingers through her hair, pushing the stray strands away from her face.
When she stepped from the trees into a clearing, Taima sat before his fire with
his son. Walking toward them, she glanced around.

Prairie dogs poked their heads from various burrows,
checked the area for danger, then quickly scampered away. Overhead, ravens
played in the shifting winds, flying sideways and sometimes directly toward one
another--free to go where they wanted.

Just as she wished to do.

Ignoring Taima, Kate strode into his lean-to though
her stomach growled when she smelled their bread and meat. She refused to give
in and sat upon the furs.

* * * * *

Taima waited for Kate to reappear and when she didn’t,
he stormed into the lean-to. “You don’t want to eat?”

She didn’t answer.

Annoyed, he pulled Kate up and raked his fingers into
the nape of her hair, forcing her to look at him. Malice darted from her green
eyes like arrows intent on killing him. Surely, evil spirits possessed this
woman.

If just his touch seemed to punish her, then so be it.
Nothing he’d done so far had bothered her more. Could she possibly hate him
that much for being Indian?

The detestable expression in her eyes never changed as
he pulled her against his chest, crushing her soft breasts. The heat of her
body too easily penetrated the leather vest he wore; too easily heated his
blood. The silkiness of her hair threaded between his fingers. As Taima glanced
at her parted lips, he remembered the honeyed taste from their last kiss.

She nervously moistened her lips--a simple gesture
that sent blood surging through his body though he tried to will away any
intimate thoughts.

He clenched his jaw and inhaled a calming breath.

Damn her.
It
had been too long since he’d lain with a woman for him to be playing this type
of game with her.

Ignoring his conscience, Taima lowered his head and
kissed her, brutally forcing his tongue past her lips to sweep the silky flesh
of her mouth. His fingers braced the back of her head. Kate’s tongue fought his
advances, but he refused to let her win; only deepening the kiss to punish her
further. She wiggled within his arms, attempting to be released.

His heart raced though he tried to distance himself
from contact with the white woman. He took one more harsh sweep of her mouth
before he ended the kiss.

Raising his head, Taima stared at Kate through
narrowed eyes, slowly inhaling another calming breath. Her lips were pink and
swollen. Clearly shaken from his punishing attack, she gasped for air as she
raised her dark lashes to meet his gaze.

“You animal!”

“Come out and eat with us. My son asks about you,” he
said, ignoring her furious outburst.

* * * * *

A few hours later, still not trusting Kate, Taima had
tied her wrists behind her and walked to Ahanu’s lean-to. Ahanu glanced at
Taima with a raised eyebrow. Taima had become accustomed to his friend’s
knowing smirk. In Shoshone, Taima said, “Tie her ankles as well and keep her
tied until I come for her, lest she give you any more trouble.”

Kate looked from him to Ahanu and back. Narrowing his
eyes, Taima stared at her. “Remember my promise should you try to escape again,
White Woman,” and he strode away to care for the horses.

Lost in thought, he rubbed the animal’s legs as he
tried to rationalize his behavior toward Kate. Perhaps he should trade her for
valuable knives and cooking utensils next time the tribes gathered at Green
River. Then she wouldn’t be a constant reminder of how her woman’s body enticed
his thoughts away from his wife. He’d been faithful to her memory for three
years now.

“You need to deal with your feelings, Nechan.”

The soft, low voice of his father brought Taima from
his musings, angry with himself that he didn’t hear his father approach. He
didn’t look at Sakima, knowing his eyes would tell his father more than Taima
was ready to deal with at the moment.

He continued to massage his horse. “I appreciate your
concern, Noshi, but my feelings
will
be ignored. It only weakens a
warrior to be worried with unimportant matters.”

“My visions tell me otherwise, but you’ll know the
proper time to deal with the white woman.”

Taima rose and turned to his father. “I want nothing
to do with your visions regarding her.”

Sakima’s solemn eyes never changed. “You will...one
day,” he said, then turned and strode away.

Taima stared after his father. Why did the man insist
on pricking his curiosity, knowing it would make him reflect on the thoughts he
wished buried? He would banish Kate from his mind altogether.

Only the welfare of his people mattered at the moment.
Meat needed to be replenished. He would take Ahanu and one other brave on a
hunting trip. The remaining four braves should be able to watch over the group
in his absence.

As he stood near the horses, Taima shaded his eyes
from the setting sun and looked toward the lean-tos facing east. Kate sat at
Ahanu’s lean-to. The children watched her, as did some of the other women,
though they pretended to do otherwise.

Two women gathered water for the evening meal at the
shallow Wind River where it meandered beside their encampment. The aroma of
roasting meat invitingly mixed with the breeze.

Taima glanced back at Kate.

Aggravated that he’d even bothered to search her out,
Taima turned and strode for the cover of trees farther down the river where he
could bathe in privacy. He tossed his vest onto a rock along with his
breechcloth and leggings. Cold, rushing mountain water met his entrance into
the river, immediately divesting him of Kate’s image. Taima sharply inhaled as
he knelt on the rocky bottom in the now waist-deep water, then arched his back
and tipped his face heavenward. The river tugged at his hair as it touched the
water; the sun warmed his flesh.

Disgusted, he touched his side; his ribs still ached
where Kate had elbowed him last night. The bruises he received in battle could
easily be compared to what she put him through. Jealous braves didn’t fight him
with as much tenacity. And for what? Taima knew he’d be better off getting rid
of her, out of his sight, out of his mind, for good.

He closed his eyes, needing this quiet time. He
reveled at the orange colors the sun created behind his eyelids. Sweet
sagebrush grew nearby. An eagle cawed overhead. The cold, rushing water swept
away his worries.

Slowly, while his eyes remained closed, Taima cupped
water over each arm, then his chest. A swift intake of breath sent a sharp pain
through his bruised ribs, but nonetheless, he enjoyed the path each trickling
rivulet of water took on its way down his body.

Gravel crunched behind him, breaking through his
serenity. Dried grass rustled. His muscles bunched, preparing for attack.

Taima spun around to view his intruder, ready to kill
though his knife lay on shore.

“Does she make you feel the need to cool yourself in icy
waters?” Ahanu crouched on the shoreline. “And has she captivated your thoughts
so much that you don’t even hear danger approach, my friend? I could have been
a Blackfoot warrior for all you knew.”

Taima ignored the questions and submerged his face in
the water. His hair swirled to touch his cheeks. Like an explosion, Taima sat
up and raked his fingers through his long hair. Then he grabbed a handful of
sand and began to scrub, still ignoring Ahanu and his accusations.

“You might be able to put off my questions by closing
your eyes, but I fear it’s not so easily done where she is concerned. Does her
image invade your sleep, also?”

The cold water did little to wash away the anger now
coiling within Taima, evoked by a mischievous intruder intent on provoking him.
He bowed his head, then opened his eyes, focusing on the stones in the
riverbed. A school of minnows swan past his legs.

Slowly, he turned his head and through narrowed eyes,
met Ahanu’s dark gaze. “One day soon, I may have to challenge you should you
decide to make this your business.”

Ahanu picked a dark-yellow buttercup from its place on
the stream’s edge and held it to his nose. “You made it my business the day you
captured her in the raid. My question is...what do you intend to do with her?
She’s caused you nothing but trouble.”