Read Online The Ruination of Essie Sparks (Wild Western Rogues Series, Book 2) by Barbara Ankrum - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Barbara Ankrum
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still-bound hands out as the river pulled her under, but this time as she slid by he grasped her wrist and managed to close his fingers around her slender bones and the rope ties. Using all of his strength, he stopped her momentum, pulled her out and dragged her up on top of him.
Falling back against the log, he held her atop him, unable to do more. " Ómotómeotse !" he told her. "Breathe. I have you." His fingers spread across her back, searching for the ties on her corset lacing across her back as she coughed and choked up river water. Quickly, he loosened the strings and she inhaled deeply.
Even then she didn't seem able to do more than lie sprawled across him, coughing and sucking in air. He held her, his hand slapping her back. Coughing, she pressed her cheek against his chest, her head tucked below his chin. They lay like that for half a minute before she seemed to come to herself. When she lifted her head from his chest, water still clung to her dark auburn lashes and her eyes seemed full of some emotion he could not name.
His own breath was still chugging in his chest, half from fear of losing her and the other half from the fact that he'd just used up what few reserves he had left. And yet in that moment, he had the impulse to kiss her. That must have shown in his eyes, because she got scared and rolled off him almost as soon as the thought entered his mind.
Her soaking wet chemise hid nothing from his view. He sat up and looked intentionally away from her, but couldn't get the image of her dusky nipples, so visible through the wet fabric, from his mind. "That was a fool thing to do," he muttered.
"A fool thing?" she cried, sitting up and pulling away from him. She sat between his legs on the log, crossing her arms across her small breasts with an accusing look. "I slipped. I almost drowned, thanks to you!" She held up her still-bound hands as proof.
They both could have drowned, because his next move would have been to jump in after her. Should it surprise him she was ungrateful? "You're lucky I caught you, or right now you would be heading over that waterfall below." He sat up, feeling dizzy.
" Lucky ?" She shoved the hair off her face. "I suppose you expect me to thank you for that? After putting me in harm's way in the first place? Bringing me to the middle of nowhere and—"
"No need." Slowly, he pushed himself up to his feet, then extended a hand down to her. "Just don't do it again. Next time, I will let you drown."
She scowled at him. "Probably your plan all along."
He shook his head as the pain in his leg roared back to life now that the rush of danger had passed. He pressed a hand against it, feeling a wave of nausea swell over him. "You should watch your back with a man like me. You never know what I'll do."
She agreed with a silent glare, but wasn't fool enough to refuse the hand he offered to help her up. They navigated their way off the fallen log. But as soon as they were on dry land again, she shook him off. She was shivering with cold and probably fear.
In truth, fear had his insides tumbling around as well. Nor did he miss that every soaking wet bit of her was exposed, from the slender shape of her hips to the pink, puckered discs of her nipples and the outline of her small, upturned breasts.
The moment she caught his gaze on her, she brought her hands up under her chin to block his view. "Stop looking at me."
When he reached his discarded gun and shirt he tossed the shirt at her. "Put that on."
For a moment, she just stared down at it. She held up her bound hands. "I cannot. Just as I could not swim, bound this way."
He shrugged the gun across his back and untied her long enough to pull his shirt over her head, then he retied her. The woman might do any fool thing, like bolt into the woods like a scared deer, given half the chance. He was obligated not to let her die, since he'd been the one to take her, but this incident with the river only confirmed his determination to be shed of
Falling back against the log, he held her atop him, unable to do more. " Ómotómeotse !" he told her. "Breathe. I have you." His fingers spread across her back, searching for the ties on her corset lacing across her back as she coughed and choked up river water. Quickly, he loosened the strings and she inhaled deeply.
Even then she didn't seem able to do more than lie sprawled across him, coughing and sucking in air. He held her, his hand slapping her back. Coughing, she pressed her cheek against his chest, her head tucked below his chin. They lay like that for half a minute before she seemed to come to herself. When she lifted her head from his chest, water still clung to her dark auburn lashes and her eyes seemed full of some emotion he could not name.
His own breath was still chugging in his chest, half from fear of losing her and the other half from the fact that he'd just used up what few reserves he had left. And yet in that moment, he had the impulse to kiss her. That must have shown in his eyes, because she got scared and rolled off him almost as soon as the thought entered his mind.
Her soaking wet chemise hid nothing from his view. He sat up and looked intentionally away from her, but couldn't get the image of her dusky nipples, so visible through the wet fabric, from his mind. "That was a fool thing to do," he muttered.
"A fool thing?" she cried, sitting up and pulling away from him. She sat between his legs on the log, crossing her arms across her small breasts with an accusing look. "I slipped. I almost drowned, thanks to you!" She held up her still-bound hands as proof.
They both could have drowned, because his next move would have been to jump in after her. Should it surprise him she was ungrateful? "You're lucky I caught you, or right now you would be heading over that waterfall below." He sat up, feeling dizzy.
" Lucky ?" She shoved the hair off her face. "I suppose you expect me to thank you for that? After putting me in harm's way in the first place? Bringing me to the middle of nowhere and—"
"No need." Slowly, he pushed himself up to his feet, then extended a hand down to her. "Just don't do it again. Next time, I will let you drown."
She scowled at him. "Probably your plan all along."
He shook his head as the pain in his leg roared back to life now that the rush of danger had passed. He pressed a hand against it, feeling a wave of nausea swell over him. "You should watch your back with a man like me. You never know what I'll do."
She agreed with a silent glare, but wasn't fool enough to refuse the hand he offered to help her up. They navigated their way off the fallen log. But as soon as they were on dry land again, she shook him off. She was shivering with cold and probably fear.
In truth, fear had his insides tumbling around as well. Nor did he miss that every soaking wet bit of her was exposed, from the slender shape of her hips to the pink, puckered discs of her nipples and the outline of her small, upturned breasts.
The moment she caught his gaze on her, she brought her hands up under her chin to block his view. "Stop looking at me."
When he reached his discarded gun and shirt he tossed the shirt at her. "Put that on."
For a moment, she just stared down at it. She held up her bound hands. "I cannot. Just as I could not swim, bound this way."
He shrugged the gun across his back and untied her long enough to pull his shirt over her head, then he retied her. The woman might do any fool thing, like bolt into the woods like a scared deer, given half the chance. He was obligated not to let her die, since he'd been the one to take her, but this incident with the river only confirmed his determination to be shed of
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