Rio (16 page)

“You have some good horses,” she said.

“
Si,
but not many. Someday if I work hard, maybe I can add to my herd and buy more land.” He rode up beside her and they started off at a walk, Tip running ahead of them, sniffing at the grass and barking at an occasional rabbit.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“I want to show you my ranch,” he said, glancing over at her. “It’s only fifty acres, but there’s some good pasture and a nice small lake back there in the hills.”

She looked toward the rolling grass on the other side of the fence. “Whose is that?”

“Not mine.” He shook his head. “Some New York company and even if it were for sale, I can’t afford it.”

“Well, fifty acres is a good start and can raise a few good horses and cattle.”

They rode past his small adobe house and she stared at the scarlet oleanders and remembered.

He must have misinterpreted her stare, because he said, “I’m afraid it’s not much, but it’s big enough for me and my one ranch hand.”

She looked at him as they passed. “It looks cozy. I imagine a little paint and some curtains and any woman could be happy there.”

“It’s not a mansion, Turquoise,” he reminded her.

“Sometimes mansions can be cold and lonely,” she said, remembering the big, dark house of the Foresters.

They rode for a few minutes in silence. The wind whispered through the dry grass and the desert willows that bloomed now all pink and white.

“This is really a fine ranch,” Turquoise said, enjoying her ride across the prairie.

He didn’t say anything until they reached the edge of a clear, small lake. They let their horses drink and then he dismounted and came around to her, looking up at her. “If
you only came to be pleasured, I wish you’d be honest with me. Don’t let me hope it might be something more.”

She blushed, wanting his body now that she knew the skill with which it performed. “Stop saying that. I—I’m not really sure why I came.”

“Maybe you want to turn around and ride back to your friend’s ranch? It’s late afternoon. You would be back before dark and no one ever need know where you’d been.”

“I don’t think I’m ready to go yet,” she decided and held out her arms to him.

He reached up and eased her down from her horse, but he didn’t release her from his embrace. “This is loco,” he whispered and then let go of her and led the two horses under a tree and tied them, where the two grazed peacefully. She stood and watched him, wanting to run her hands through that black mop of hair.

“There’s a shady place over near the lake’s edge,” he said and gestured. Then they walked there together and sat down on the grass. Tip lay down near them, panting from all his rabbit chasing. Rio offered her his canteen. “Are you thirsty?”

She nodded and took it with a smile. It seemed such an intimate gesture, drinking from his canteen.

“I don’t know what you’re doing here, senorita. Every time I see you, it just tears me up inside but it’s such pleasant torture.”

“I can’t forget that night,” she confessed. “And I wanted to experience it again.”

He nodded. “I’ve gotten you all smudgy,” he said. “I need to wash up, if you don’t mind.”

“Go ahead.”

He stood up and pulled off his boots, then walked down to the water’s edge. He hesitated only a moment before he peeled off his pants and stepped into the water. He wore nothing but the cross around his sinewy neck. She got a
quick glimpse of long, lean thighs and a hard butt, but what she noticed most was the big manhood between his thighs. Yes, this was a stallion of a man. He swam and dived, coming up like a seal and blowing water into the air while she laughed. She reached into her sleeve and pulled out a lace hankie, wiping the perspiration from her face.

He stood waist deep, watching her. “Come on in, the water’s fine.”

She shook her head and laughed. “No, thanks. You come out.”

He came out then, water dripping off his dark body He reached up and wiped his ebony hair back from his rugged face. He stood looking down at her and she looked over his naked body boldly.

“I don’t want to get you wet,” he said and flopped down on the grass next to her. “You’d have some explaining to do then.”

She reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. “I’m not sure I care.”

He turned his head and kissed that hand. “I care. I can’t ruin a lady’s reputation where no gentleman would have her and high society would gossip about her. That’s what you’ve been trying to escape all your life, isn’t it?”

“I was wrong,” she whispered and leaned over and kissed him. “I came for this and you know it.”

“I knew it before you did.” Immediately, he seemed to forget his caution. He pulled her to him in a tight embrace and returned that kiss. Her western hat fell off as he reached to untie her hair. She could feel the water from his lithe body soaking through her clothing and she reached up and ran her hand through his wet hair and clung to him, wanting what he had to give.

“Turquoise,” he whispered against her lips, “don’t make a fool of me. I’m vulnerable to you like I have never been to another woman, and you can hurt me bad.”

“I can’t promise you anything,” she gasped. “I only knew that I had to come, had to feel your arms around me again.”

He kissed her again and then with a low moan, kissed her face and eyes and then her lips again, his cold face wet against her warm one. “I’m getting you soaked,” he whispered.

She looked around. It was dusk. “You’re right, maybe I need to take this outfit off and hang it over a limb. It’ll dry in the breeze.”

“Are you sure you want to do that?”

“Unbutton the back of my blouse,” she said, pulling off her leather vest as she turned.

She felt his fingers on her back as he unbuttoned her blouse and then he leaned and kissed along her backbone, which sent goose bumps up her spine. Then she stood up and pulled the split skirt and blouse off, hanging them over a low tree branch.

“You are beautiful in your underwear. It must be expensive,” he said, looking her up and down.

“Imported lace,” she answered and began to unbutton her bodice until her breasts were bare.

“Oh, such breasts!” He stood up and put his hands under her bottom, lifting her to him so that his lips could caress and lick and kiss those breasts.

“You’re still getting me wet,” she gasped as she arched against his mouth.

“You should have thought of that before you came looking for me.”

She watched him, suddenly feeling bold in the growing darkness. “Is anyone liable to see us?”

“Not likely. My cowhand is gone down to San Antonio tonight to visit relatives.” He stood there in the twilight, naked and proud.

She couldn’t keep her gaze off him as she pulled off her lace bodice, then sat down to pull off her boots. “You mean, the house is empty?”

He nodded. “Would you rather go there?”

She shook her head as she stood up and put her fingers on the tops of her lace drawers, then unbuttoned them. “No, I think I like it here on the lake bank. It’s wild and uninhibited somehow.” She let her drawers fall to her ankles, knowing he was watching her, caressing her body with his dark gaze. Then she stepped toward him and he grabbed for her and pulled her hard against his wet, naked body. He was all power and manhood. She could feel it throbbing hard and big against her belly.

A coyote howled in the distance somewhere and Tip came alert and growled.

She stiffened and looked up at Rio.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered against her ear. “I have my rifle with me.”

“Don’t you carry a pistol like Trace does?”

He shook his head and kissed her face. “I’m no good with a handgun. I’m not a gunfighter. You know a rancher only really needs a rifle.”

“Then make love to me, my vaquero,” she demanded. “I command you, make love to me like I have dreamed of you doing ever since that time under the scarlet oleanders.”

He seemed to need no further urging. He swung her up in his arms and she arched her back so that he could kiss her breasts, and then he lay her on the soft grass in the early darkness and lay down next to her.

She took his big right hand in her own and kissed the shamrock tattoo on the back of it. “I don’t care who your father was or your mother either. I have never felt like this about any man before.”

He pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed it. “I have had many women, Turquoise, I won’t lie to you about that, but since I made love to you, I think no other one will ever satisfy me again.” He bent and kissed her breasts and then caressed them with his strong, suntanned hands, molding
them up into peaks so his hot tongue could lick her nipples and make her squirm and moan.

His hand went to explore her, touching her, teasing her with his fingertips while she spread wide, wanting him to touch deeper still. She was panting and dewy wet now, wanting him, needing him.

“Do what you did before,” she begged against his mouth. “Make me one with you, mount me, take me….”

He needed no further urging. He pushed her knees up on each side of her black hair that spread under her in the grass like spilled ink. He knelt between her thighs and she could see his maleness, all hard and erect and throbbing. Past his shoulder, the sky seemed to be alight with stars and she felt like a wild, primitive thing, ready to mate with her male in the darkness under the trees.

He came into her slowly, making her grab onto his waist and try to pull him down into her. “You torture me,” she gasped. “Come deeper still.”

“Make it last, pretty one,” he whispered and came down relentlessly, gradually, while she bucked under him, wanting it all, urging him with her own fierce need. He rode her slowly, rhythmically, while she dug her nails into his hard hips and begged him to ride harder, faster until he succumbed to her wishes and rode her hard, pulling almost out and then slamming into her with a loud slapping of flesh on flesh. She grunted each time he came full into her and she locked her long legs around his waist so that he could not escape until he had given her what she hungered for. She was using him for her pleasure and she felt no shame in it.

One last second as he plunged into her and climaxed hard, she dug her nails into his hips so that he could not escape and they clung together under the stars and reached the pinnacle of pleasure together.

She did not know how long it lasted or when she gradually returned to consciousness. Her eager body kept convulsing,
holding onto his, not wanting to let him go until she had squeezed out every drop of seed he had to give, and then she wept softly while he kissed her mouth ever so gently.

“My little love,” he whispered, “what am I to do with you except pleasure you when you beckon me like a lowly servant? We are so unsuitable for each other.”

“You can make love to me again and again,” she murmured against his mouth.

“And this is my future?You will marry some prominent, rich man and then sneak over to see me now and then so that I can satisfy your greedy body?” He shook his head and pulled away from her. “No, that hurts me. It makes me no more human than a well-hung stallion.”

“It’s more than that. I think I love you.” She sat up, protesting.

He reached out and cupped one of her generous breasts, stroking and teasing it until she was gasping for air. “Let’s not talk about it anymore. I can settle for that if I must. Why don’t we swim?”

She laughed. “Why don’t we?”

They dove naked into the cool water, swimming and splashing like two children playing hookey. He caught her in the water and kissed her all over, then lifted her up in his arms and kissed below her belly.

“Oh,” she gasped, “you’ve got me wanting you again.”

“I said I would service you whenever you wanted, my lady,” he promised and carried her over, lay her in the shallow water so that more than half of her was exposed to the night air. Now he lay on top of her and rode her with a passion as if he had never had her before, and she thought if he made love to her all night, she still wouldn’t be satisfied.

“It’s getting late,” he finally said regretfully. “Let’s wash up and dress. I’ve got some chili at the house and some enchiladas.”

“I’ll wager they’re not as good as I make,” she said,
splashing in the water and then standing up, letting the warm night wind dry her naked body.

“You can cook, too?” He laughed and smacked her bare bottom.

She nodded. “I didn’t get enough of you. Can you keep this up all night?”

He winked at her in the moonlight. “I’m probably only good for half a dozen times, but tonight, I’d better get you back to Fern’s ranch before someone starts looking for us.” They began to dress slowly. She didn’t want to leave him, but of course she must. She had been lucky the last time to get home before the Lessup family discovered she’d been out all night. Of course Fern probably knew, but she wouldn’t tattle. Tip had come awake and now stood looking toward the south and growling.

As they dressed, Rio sniffed the south wind. “Do you smell smoke?”

She shook her head and pulled on her boots. “I don’t smell anything.”

“It would be bad if we got a prairie fire going with this wind,” he said and sniffed again.

She took a deep breath. “You know, now that you mention it, I think I do smell smoke.” Tip began to bark and then the little dog took off at a run for the house and barn over the hill.

Rio’s rugged face turned abruptly serious. “Mount up. We’d better check.”

She needed no further urging. They both swung into their saddles and started toward the ranch at a lope. When they topped the hill, they heard little Tip barking frantically and could see the house and the barn and the farrier’s shed. The flames lit up the sky like a torch.

“Dios!”
Rio swore. “The barn’s on fire! Let’s go!”

They rode back toward the barn at a gallop. Even at this distance, they could hear horses neighing in panic, see the flames scarlet against the dark sky and riders with torches galloping around the barn.

“What the hell?” Rio swore and Turquoise saw him reach for the rifle in the boot of his saddle. The quartet of attackers seemed to see them approaching and took off at a gallop, little Tip barking and nipping at their horses’ hooves.

Rio put the rifle to his shoulder and fired. One of the riders fell from his saddle and went end over end across the ground. The other three took off down the road past the blacksmith shed and away.

Turquoise was breathless with fear and excitement as she shouted, “Who were they?”

Rio shook his head. “I don’t know. We’ve got to save the horses!” Even as he yelled, he was off his horse with Peso still running.

The flames from the barn rose higher and Turquoise could hear the neighing and stamping of frightened stock. She reined in sharply and dismounted. Silver Slippers, like the well-trained horse she was, slid to a halt.

“You stay here!” Rio ordered as he ran toward the burning building.

“You need help!” she protested and ran into the barn right behind him. The acrid smoke choked and blinded her, but she heard terrified horses and cattle trying to break free from their stalls. The flames were hot against her skin but she did not retreat. Rio grabbed a saddle blanket, wrapped it around a horse’s head, and led it out of its stall and toward the open barn door.

The black smoke swirled around her as she ran through the barn, opening stall doors, but the panicked horses refused to budge, choosing instead to rear and neigh. Turquoise knew a frightened horse might not move, so she pulled off her blouse and ran into a stall. The gray mare inside reared and neighed. Turquoise took a deep breath and grabbed the mare’s halter. “Whoa, girl, I’m going to get you out.” She wrapped her blouse around the mare’s head and patted her muzzle. “Come on, girl, come with me.”

The mare quieted and Turquoise led her through the flames and out into the yard. She was choking and coughing as she turned loose of the horse and it ran toward the lake.

“You little fool!” Rio yelled. “You could get trampled trying to help me! Stay out!” Then he ran back into the barn.

She wasn’t going to let animals burn to death if she could help it. The scarlet flames now roared against the black sky, sending showers of sparks into the air, but Turquoise took a deep breath of fresh air. Grabbing up her blouse, she ran back inside. The flames had built as they caught the dry timbers. All around her seemed to be the fires of hell. The black, acrid smoke blinded her, so that she couldn’t see Rio anymore. She felt her way along the stall doors, where she saw a terrified black colt trying to kick down the gate to his stall.

“Take it easy, boy,” she said, attempting to soothe him.
“I’ll get you out. Trust me.” The colt reared and struck out at her with his front hooves, but she got the blindfold over his eyes, opened the gate, and led him out.

Rio was ahead of her with another horse. “Stay out!” he ordered her. “The whole thing is liable to collapse at any moment!”

“Not as long as there’s animals in there!” she shouted back and ran after him into the fiery barn. The heat seemed to blister her tender skin and she choked and coughed on the thick air. The whole barn was afire now. There was no chance of saving it, but she was determined to save the animals. This time she led out two mooing calves while ahead of her, Rio brought out another horse.

The whole barn looked like a giant funeral pyre against the black night, but they both ran in again to save horses. Inside, she was gasping for air and unable to see. Flaming timbers crashed down around her, showering her with sparks that burned her skin, but she ran blindly down the row of stalls until she found another terrified horse that reared, striking at Turquoise with its hooves. “Whoa, boy, I’m here to help,” she yelled and grabbed the horse’s halter, dodging the flaying hooves.

She couldn’t see anything and wasn’t certain which way was out. Then she felt cool air blowing against her face from the outside. This time, she only made it to the barn door and couldn’t go any farther. She let go of the horse as she fell to the ground just inside the barn and it galloped past her and outside into the night.

“Turquoise! Turquoise, where are you?”

Vaguely she heard Rio’s voice and managed to raise up off the smoldering hay on the floor, but didn’t have the strength to stumble to her feet and run outside. She was going to die here, she thought in a daze, only a few feet from the life-giving air outside. Well, maybe she’d be unconscious and wouldn’t feel the pain.

And then Tip nuzzled her with his wet nose and barked and barked. “Get out,” she gasped to the little dog. “Don’t die here with me.”

However, the terrier continued to bark and in moments, she felt strong arms lifting her. “Turquoise, you little fool! I told you to stay outside! If Tip hadn’t led me to you, you’d have roasted alive in there!”

She didn’t say anything as Rio carried her out of the barn and across the yard. He set her down by the water pump, pumped a little into his hands, and splashed it on her face. “Are you all right?”

The cold water revived her and she turned her face toward the flaming barn. “Did—did we get them all out?”

He nodded and as she watched, the barn collapsed into a pile of burning timbers and glowing ashes. “Lost a bunch of hay and saddles. Didn’t have a chance of saving the barn without anyone here to help carry water buckets.”

“I did the best I could,” she gasped.

“I know you did.” He took her smudged face gently between his two big hands and knelt and looked down into her eyes. “You’ve got more spunk than I gave you credit for.”

She looked back up at him, grinning. “I was raised on a ranch, remember?”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “Well, at least we saved all the animals. I’d better go look at the hombre I shot and see if I know him.”

Turquoise stumbled to her feet. “And you’ll have to send for the sheriff.”

“
Si,
you’re right.”

With Tip following them, they walked around to the man who had fallen from his horse. He was dead all right, Turquoise thought. Rio was good with a rifle.

Rio flipped the big man over on his back and shook his head. “No, I never saw him before. Don’t know why he’d want to set my barn on fire.”

Turquoise squatted and looked down at the dead man. The light from the burning barn lighted his features eerily. She gasped as she saw the jagged scar across his chin. It was Edwin Forester’s handyman, Luther.

Rio didn’t seem to notice her reaction; he was already looking down the road after the disappearing raiders. He shrugged. “Maybe they just hate Mexicans. Anyway, pretty one, you’d better get back to Fern’s ranch before they start looking for you.”

Thank God he hadn’t asked her if she recognized the dead man. “Yes, I guess I’d better.” She walked toward her horse.

“With all that’s going on, you might not be safe on the road,” Rio said. “I’d better escort you home.”

“You’ve got plenty to do here,” she protested.

“Don’t argue with me,” he snapped. “I’m escorting you home. The dead man isn’t going anywhere and the barn is beyond saving.”

“What about all the animals we just got out of the barn?”

“I can close the gate down at the road and they won’t get out. Now mount up, but better put your blouse on first. Tip, you stay here and make sure the stock doesn’t get out.”

There was no point in arguing with this man, she thought and obediently, she dressed and swung up on her horse. He mounted his and they rode away from the barn that was burning down to a pile of embers. Little Tip obediently stayed with the livestock.

“I can’t imagine why they picked my barn,” Rio mused as they rode. “I didn’t think I had any enemies.”

Turquoise didn’t say anything. The dead man was Senator Forester’s handyman. She remembered seeing Luther at the Forester mansion. Did the senator know anything about this? If so, why would he bother with a small rancher like Rio Kelly?
Oh my God,
she thought,
is this because of me? Did Edwin find out about Rio and me?

“You’re awfully quiet,” Rio said as they rode through the darkness to Fern’s ranch.

“I’m just tired,” she lied, her mind busy. Tomorrow, she would confront Edwin and find out if he knew anything about this. Surely the prestigious senator wouldn’t get mixed up in something as lowdown as burning out a small rancher.

They rode to Fern’s place in silence. The ranch dogs began to bark as the pair rode up and Fern and her lanky old father came outside.

Fern’s freckled face wore a frown as they dismounted. “Where have you been? We were worried.”

Turquoise said, “This is Rio Kelly, a friend of mine. We ran into some trouble.”

Rio nodded as he shook hands with Mr. Lessup. “Someone set fire to my barn, but we saved all the livestock.”

Fern’s father frowned. “Any hombre who would burn a barn is as lowdown a skunk as a horse thief. Any idea who done it?”

Turquoise didn’t say anything and Rio shook his head. “I got to go for the sheriff. I shot one of the hombres. The other three got away.”

Fern’s eyes widened. “Turquoise, you’re all smudged and dirty.”

“But we saved all the livestock,” Turquoise said.

“She’s got a lot of grit,” Rio added and she saw the admiration in his dark eyes.

Old Mr. Lessup looked to Rio. “You need any help?”

Rio shook his head as he swung up on his horse. “No. The barn is gone, didn’t have a chance of saving it. I’ll just ride into town and get the law to come out and take a look at the dead man, but much obliged anyway.
Buenos noches,
ladies.” He touched the brim of his hat, wheeled his horse, and rode away.

Turquoise looked after him as he rode away. To the
Lessups, she said, “It’s been an exciting night. I just wish we could have saved his barn.”

“I’ll talk to some of the other ranchers,” the old man grunted. “Maybe everyone can donate some hay and grain for his stock ’til he gets back on his feet.”

“I’m sure he’d appreciate that,” Turquoise said.

“You look like you could use a bath,” Fern noted. “My word, I wouldn’t have been brave enough to run into a burning barn.”

Turquoise shrugged. “I heard those terrified horses and the calves bawling and I didn’t even think about danger. I just knew we had to save them.”

Rio rode into town and found the sheriff. “You’d better come out and have a look. Some coyotes tried to burn me out and I shot one of them.”

The fat sheriff looked grumpy as he sucked on a toothpick. It was clear he wasn’t too happy about having to ride out to a ranch this late. “Was it just some of you Mexicans drinkin’ tequila and it got out of hand?”

Rio frowned. “No. I told you, four hombres set fire to my barn and I killed one of them. You’d better come have a look.”

“Oh hell, okay.” He got up out of his chair and grabbed his hat. As they went out the door, he yelled at two deputies lounging against the hitching post. “Hey, you, Joe and Bill, come along with us. This Mexican says some bastard burned his barn.”

The two men didn’t look happy to have to mount up. “Can’t it wait?”

The sheriff shook his head as he swung into the saddle. “Nope. The Mex says he killed someone.”

That seemed to make it a little more interesting. The other two mounted up and the four of them rode back to
Rio’s ranch. By now the barn was only a pile of glowing coals with thin wisps of smoke drifting in the breeze and the rescued animals were peacefully grazing across the pasture. Tip came running, wagging his short tail.

All four men dismounted and stood looking down at the dead man.

The sheriff pushed his Stetson back. “Yep, he’s dead, all right.” He squatted down and stared. “Hey, that looks like—”

“Who?” asked Rio. “I don’t recognize the hombre.”

“Whoa.” The sheriff glanced up and frowned at him. “This man’s been shot in the back.”

Rio frowned. “
Si.
They were escaping and I took a shot at them.”

“But shootin’ a man in the back?” one of the deputies asked.

“Look”—Rio gestured—“the bastard was burning down my barn—”

“Says you,” snapped the sheriff, sucking on his toothpick. “Maybe he was just riding by or something. You got any witnesses?”

Rio hesitated. He didn’t want to get a lady mixed up in this dirty business. “No. But I didn’t have any reason to kill some stranger except he set fire to my barn.”

The sheriff shrugged. “We got a dead man who was shot in the back and no witnesses. We better take you in, Mex.”

“Me?” Rio touched his chest in surprise. “Holy Mother of God, I swear I didn’t do anything except try to protect my property. Why don’t you look for the other outlaws instead?”

The sheriff pulled out his pistol. “Put your hands up, hombre. Bill, you handcuff him, and Joe, throw that dead man over a horse and let’s take him back to town.”

“Now wait a minute,” Rio protested, but Bill snapped the handcuffs on him. “If I’d been guilty, I wouldn’t have
brought you out here. I’d have buried him in an unmarked grave and kept my mouth shut.”

“Or maybe you just wanted us to think you was innocent,” the sheriff opined. “Everybody mount up. Let’s get back to town.”

“You’re holding me for murder?” Rio asked.

“You bet. I got a man shot in the back and only your word to back it up, no witnesses.”

“I got nothin’ to hide,” Rio protested.

“Then let’s get ridin’,” the sheriff ordered. “It’ll be dawn purty soon and I’d like some breakfast.”

The deputies threw the dead man across his horse and they all rode back to the courthouse.

As the sheriff locked Rio in a cell, he asked, “You got anyone you’d like to have notified?”

Rio shook his head. Most of his friends wouldn’t have enough money to bail him out even if he could be bailed out and he certainly didn’t want to drag a lady like Turquoise Sanchez into this mess. He had to protect her and her reputation at all costs.

“No, nobody.”