Wesley grinned, too. "The Dancer failed to mention that little detail. Now if you'll all excuse me I think I'll tramp up the mountain to that pond I saw and take a bath."

He stopped in front of Leah and ran a finger down her cheek. "Perhaps you, pretty lady, will join me."

She gave him her sweetest smile. "I will indeed have to bathe now that you've touched me, but I'll not bathe with you. That would defeat the purpose, wouldn't it?"

She felt a little guilty at the look on Wesley's face and at the way his hand dropped as if she were something he no longer wanted to touch. The cabin was silent as he left, except for a soft chuckle from Revis.

Later only Bud and Cal were still in the cabin, still eating at the table.

Leah removed her apron. "I'm going to Wesley. Will you see that Revis doesn't come near us?"

Bud looked at his plate. "What is for supper tomorrow night?"

"Are you blackmailing me?" She smiled at them. "Do a good job tonight and I'll show you what I can do with that brace of doves you brought in." With only a bit of hesitation she kissed each one of them on the forehead. "Good night, my lovely princes."

With that she was out the door and running through the dark forest, up the trail to the cabin where Wesley had stayed. Above that was the pond. The whole time she traveled, she tried to come up with a way to cool his anger. The more she thought about it the more she was sure that she should let her body do the talking.

She stood on a little rise for a moment, looking down at the pond, at Wesley's long body swimming lazily about. The moonlight gleamed on his dark skin.

This wasn't going to be nearly as difficult as she'd thought. Coughing a few times to get his attention, and when she was sure he was looking at her, slowly, she began to unbutton her dress. Easily, the stained, sturdy garment fell to the ground and what was left was a semitransparent chemise.

She walked toward him; he was treading water, watching her, the fabric clinging to her thighs with each step, and when she reached the foot of a tall tree she paused. Eyes locked with his, she unfastened the chemise and let it fall.

The last layer of clothing was a pair of drawstring pantalets, so sheer they left nothing to the imagination, and short, soft silk stays.

When Leah was a child, to escape her father's wrath she'd learned to be very good at climbing trees and now, with agility, she pulled herself onto a long, heavy branch that overhung the pond. Balancing herself, she walked about halfway out. Then, looking down at Wesley, she removed her stays and dropped them to the ground, freeing her full breasts to the moonlight. Next she removed the clinging pantalets and tossed them down.

Nude, she didn't look at her husband, but very calmly walked to the end of the branch, balanced for a moment, then made a perfect dive into the cool water, not two feet from him. When she came up, he caught her arm.

"Lord, woman," he more breathed than said, "you do know how to get a man's attention."

Without another word he pulled her out of the water, half dragging her so that her legs floated out behind her, and led her to the shore. "Leah," he whispered as he pulled her into his arms, their wet bodies sticking together as if they were one.

With hands on both sides of her face, he kissed her hungrily and Leah put her arms about his neck, knowing that this moment was worth all his anger.

His hands moved down her wet back, playing with the damp tendrils of her hair as his lips caressed her face, kissing her eyelids, her cheeks.

Suddenly he pushed her away. "Here, let me look at you."

Color rose to Leah's face. Perhaps he wouldn't find her pleasing.

He held her hands, pulled her arms out to the side and let his eyes travel down her body. "When we get home I want to keep you in my house just as you are now. I'll never let you wear any clothes."

"Oh Wesley," she said in a girlish giggle. "I'd freeze in the winter."

"Not with me to keep you warm," he said as he pulled her to him and began to nibble her neck.

Leah shivered, chills running up and down her spine and down the backs of her legs. The movement caused Wes to pull her closer, and when he kissed her again she felt fire run through her and attempted to move closer to him.

With a soft, seductive smile, Wesley pulled her down to the ground, but when Leah started to touch the grass, Wes moved her to the top of him. "That skin of yours shouldn't touch the hard ground. Just touch me, my pretty wife." With that he lifted her and set her down on his maleness.

With a gasp Leah began to move atop him, undulating to the delicious rhythm that began coursing through her body. Wesley caught her hips in his powerful hands and helped her move. And when she felt her body reach a crescendo, she fell forward, wrapping her arms about his neck, pulling him ever closer while his hard thrusts made her feel as if she were drowning.

"Wesley," she cried as her body convulsed against his.

He held her so close she felt as if she might break.

Then suddenly he pushed her off him. "You certainly changed your tune. Are you sure you wouldn't rather be with your lover instead of your husband?"

With a deep sigh, Leah rolled away. "Why is it that men are so agreeable when their male member is standing upright and so disagreeable at other times?"

Wesley made a noise that was half laughter, half shock. "Where are you off to? Back to Revis? What's he like when his male member?" He stopped because Leah swung around to glare at him, and since her beautiful nude body was still a highly unusual sight to him, all he could do was gape.

"Just because I'm a Simmons and you're a lordly Stanford doesn't mean I jump into bed with every man who asks me, and if you ever again insinuate that I've been to bed with Revis, of all people, I'll never speak to you again. Or let you make love to me. Is that clear?" He stood, catching her shoulder just as she reached her clothes on the bank. "I'm sorry, Leah. I guess I was just mad about today. The boys told me how you've kept away from Revis. But why the hell did you turn me down this morning? If Revis knew you were mine he'd think twice about touching you. Now I can't protect you, at least not openly. Your little stunt of dumping cornmeal on me cost us a lot."

"I knew you wouldn't understand," she said heavily. "I refused Revis because he's a thief and I'm a married woman, so how would it look if you, another thief, walked in and I fell into your arms? Wouldn't he be suspicious?"

"Well, I am*" Wesley said.

"You're what?" she demanded. "My husband? We don't want Revis to know that, do we?"

"No, I meant I'm* I'm a lot better looking than Revis and it would make sense that you'd want me

and not him."

"Oh Wesley," she exclaimed, beginning to laugh.

"You don't think so?" He was indignant.

Still laughing, she put her arms around him. "Yes, I do think so. I honestly believe you're the best-looking

man I've ever seen."

He held back from her. "Better than Revis?"

"Much."

"And my brother Travis?"

"By far."

He grinned at her for a moment before beginning to kiss her.

As difficult as it was, she pulled away from him. "We can't stay. Revis will want to know where I am. If

we're both gone he'll suspect something."

"I can handle Revis. I'll tell him the better man won the lady."

"No," she said as her fingers played along the muscles on his chest. "Please don't do that. You don't

know him. He's evil. One night you'll be sleeping and he'll slip a knife into you. Please," she begged.

With a little frown, he caressed her cheek. "What happened to the little cat who was spitting at me on the way up this mountain? Where's the woman vowing to never give me anything but what I took?"

She pushed away from him. The last thing she wanted to do was tell him she loved him. When and if they

ever got off this mountaintop and he abandoned her, she wanted to have some of her pride left. And when he walked out she wanted to be able to tell him she didn't care, that he'd given her a few hours of bed pleasure and that was all she'd wanted.

She twisted away from him. "Of the two of you, you're safer. If I stayed with Revis I might end up like Verity, and besides, you said you and your money could get me off from the murder charges."

"Is that all I mean to you, Leah?" he asked quietly. "I'm someone whose money you can use?"

She tried to keep her voice from shaking. What was she supposed to say, that she thought she might lie down and die if anything happened to him? "We were married because you thought we had to be. I was nearly unconscious. I wanted to end the marriage but you refused to oblige me, so legally we're still attached and because of that and because it was my brother who shot you, I joined Revis's gang in order to protect you. After all this is over I think my duty to you is finished."

"Duty?" he said. "And what about this?" His eyes roamed down her nude body.

She gave him a lusty grin. "We Simmons women enjoy a tussle with a handsome man. I wouldn't bed Revis because I think he may be a man who likes pain."

He moved away from her. "God, but you're a cold-blooded woman, Leah. I guess I should feel privileged that you didn't leave me to bleed to death after your brother shot me."

She wouldn't answer him because all her concentration was on not crying. How much she wanted to tell him she loved him and have him tell her the same thing. But if she told him, he'd probably only laugh at her and say that of course someone of her class would love someone of his high station in life. No, it was better to keep her pride, if not her heart.

"I have to go now," she said, turning and beginning to pull on her clothes.

"Yes, do go," he said as he walked away from her.

Leah gave way to silent tears then. The fragile bond between them had been broken.

Chapter 22.

Leah didn't sleep much that night, but she cried some, hugged Verity some, and was generally miserable. She wished with all her might that she'd never even met Wesley Stanford. If she'd only listened to her sister and not walked out after him that night at the tavern and leaped on him like a starved animal, she wouldn't now be in the midst of a den of thieves. Or be walking off the end of tree branches without any clothes on and making a fool of herself. Or spending hours in the strong arms of the man she loved.

"Damn!" she said aloud as she tossed the blanket off and rolled away from Verity.

"It's time to get up," she said. "And today you're going to help me cook," she said on impulse. Perhaps work could give Verity a little of her self-respect back.

While she was cooking breakfast Wesley entered the cabin, but he didn't speak to her. In fact he was so cool there was a definite chill in the air.

"Would you like some breakfast, Mr. Armstrong?" she asked.

"Not from you," Wesley snapped just as Revis entered the cabin.

Leah saw the scowl on Revis's dark face and knew he was considering Wes's attitude. "This one's not as smart as you, Revis," Leah said smoothly, setting a platter of bacon on the table. "He thought he could have me for the asking and he doesn't take kindly to being told no. Breakfast is ready."

Twice during the meal Leah saw Revis watching Wesley, and to distract him she leaned over his shoulder as she set dishes on the table. Revis must hate someone else coming into his territory and he would hate Wes more if he thought the newcomer was succeeding where he'd failed.

"When is this job of yours, Armstrong?" Revis asked.

"Tomorrow morning. They'll be four miles down the mountain by then."

"And what makes you so sure about how fast they're traveling?"

"I have my ways," was all Wesley would answer.

It was later, as Leah and Verity were clearing the table, that Abe came to his sister.

"You two have a lovers' quarrel?" he hissed into her ear.

"Revis and me?" she asked, pretending not to understand.

"You and that Stanford fella. You two was lookin' sparks at each other all mornin'."

"I never looked at him," she protested.

"Not when he was lookin' at you. And he watched you ever' minute. Leah, you two lovebirds is gonna ruin ever'thin'. I ain't never gonna be respectable if you two get killed. And Revis'll kill you both when he finds out you're playin' him for a fool."

"What did Wesley promise you if you helped him?"