"I'm glad you're not pet.i.te and frail."

"And I'm glad you're not impeccably dressed with perfect manners."

"I'd still want to make love to you, even if all I had was a bed of pine needles."

Pine needles were okay as long as she shared them with Tyler. Somehow it seemed appropriate. She'd spent her whole life feeling like an outcast, first from the society that produced her parents, then from the society she would have entered as Guy's wife. She felt comfortable sleeping on pine needles next to a cowhand dressed in cotton, linen, and buckskin.

It felt as good to be in Tyler's arms as she remembered. It brought with it a level of excitement that had Daisy feeling too warm to remain under so many blankets. She didn't object when Tyler pulled her out of the bedroll. She didn't notice the cold. There was no guilt this time, no need to stop. She found it hard to believe just being held could give her so much pleasure. She liked the warmth of his nearness. She liked the comfort of his strength, the solid support of his firm, muscled body against her own.

Being in his arms just felt right.

She was aware her feet were still in the s.p.a.ce between their two beds. She pulled them inside and shoved them deep into Tyler's bed.

"You're cold," he whispered.

"Only my feet."

He pulled her closer. He seemed to envelope her with his warmth. She wondered what could be so comforting about being in a man's arms, even a man as big as Tyler. It didn't change anything in the past. The rest of the world was exactly the same. She even doubted it would have any real effect on the future. Despite all this, everything seemed new, different, like she was seeing and feeling everything for the first time.

Tyler kissed her gently, merely brushing her lips with his. It was an unexpected change from the hard, hungry kisses she had come to expect. Confounding her even more, he traced her lips with the tip of his tongue. It made shivers race back and forth over her body. He seemed to be tasting her. Her mouth opened and her tongue sought his, but it fled to be lost in a series of kisses which became more and more urgent.

She could hear Tyler's breathing become a little faster. His kisses grew less gentle, more insistent. Nor did they seem aimless. They were hot and kindled an equal heat in her.

That feeling in her belly was back. It was a strange excitement, delicious and discomfiting at the same time. It seemed to affect her muscles, making them difficult to control. It caused heat to flow throughout her body in a steady stream.

The feel of Tyler's hands on her body increased the heat and trembling until it was difficult for Daisy to focus her thoughts. The myriad of feelings and sensations were new, and each clamored for primacy. It wasn't long before she was overwhelmed. When Tyler slipped his hand inside her shirt and cupped her breast in his calloused hand, her brain gave up trying to distinguish, differentiate or a.n.a.lyze. It even stopped trying to record.

It simply experienced.

Shivers of excitement ricocheted along her ribs like shotgun pellets in a cave. The pressure of his fingertip on her nipple was like a small explosion. The friction as he gently rubbed the puckered skin drew heat from inside her. She was unable to remain still. Her body arched against his hand, bringing her abdomen into contact with a hardened length low on Tyler's abdomen.

Their lips locked in a fierce kiss which mirrored their need for each other. Heat blazed through Daisy like a wind-driven forest fire through dry brush. Her own breath caught in her throat, then escaped with an explosion that caused her body go limp. But only for a moment. The feel of Tyler's fingers as they moved down her body unb.u.t.toning her shirt caused her muscles to bunch, her breathing to become erratic, her skin to quiver under his touch.

Tyler's tongue snaked into her mouth. Her tongue darted out to meet his. They engaged in a sinuous frolic with the grace of two dancers. They entwined in a prelude to the joining of their bodies. The feeling of urgency grew until their breaths became noisy, uneven gasps.

The feeling was even more intense when he began to unb.u.t.ton her chemise. The feel of the night air on her hot, bare skin caused a shiver to race through her. Moments later Tyler's open hand covered her skin, blocking out all awareness of the crisp night air. His hand moved over her breast, cupped it, then moved down her side and to her stomach. The roughness of his hand chaffed her soft skin, making the feeling still more intense.

But nothing compared to the shocks that rocked her body when Tyler leaned forward and took her breast in his mouth. Daisy thought her body would explode.

The hot moisture of his tongue scalded her skin. Her breast became so sensitive, the nipple so firm it was a mixture of agony and pleasure. At times she couldn't decide which was stronger. It was only increased by Tyler hand caressing her other breast, creating with fingertips and open palm a pleasure nearly as intense as that from his mouth.

Daisy cried out when he took her nipple between his teeth. She tried to hold it in, but the shuddering moan would not be contained. Through the blazing swirl of pa.s.sion that was slowly engulfing her, she reached out with shaky fingers to unb.u.t.ton Tyler's shirt. The feel of his muscles quivering under her touch was like an aphrodisiac. She could feel the power of his muscled chest, feel the strength of his broad shoulders. His body was a work of art, the work-hardened muscles of a man who had built his body into a fine-tuned masterpiece. She buried her fingers in the soft mat of brown hair that cl.u.s.tered in the center of his chest and tapered to a narrowing band as it sank toward his middle.

She intended to remove Tyler's shirt, to study every inch of him until he was no longer a mystery, but she found her strength and willpower fading. Tyler had removed her shirt, slipped the chemise over her shoulders, and was in the process of slipping chemise and skirt from her body. The prospect of lying naked in his embrace made her forget everything else.

Tyler shrugged out of his own clothes. Long before she had become accustomed to her own state of undress, Tyler's naked body joined hers.

The fact they were naked next to each other stunned her. The fact his hands wandered over her body, touching, caressing, exploring was more than she could comprehend. Daisy felt completely at Tyler's mercy. The more intimately he touched her, the more helpless she became. Each increment of familiarity seemed more shattering than the last. She felt swept away on a tide of swirling sensations that carried her w.i.l.l.y-nilly through one stunning experience after another.

Tyler slipped his leg between hers, and her body clamped down tight.

"Relax," he whispered. "I won't hurt you."

She hadn't thought he would, but she no longer controlled her body. She no longer controlled anything about herself. Her body reacted to him with a will of its own.

"You must relax and open for me," Tyler said.

She tried, but her body wouldn't respond to her will. With gentle pressure, Tyler moved his leg farther between hers until she felt the muscles give way.

"I promise no to hurt you any more than necessary."

It wasn't hurt she feared or felt, only surprise and unfamiliarity, antic.i.p.ation of something more. Tyler put his arms around her and pulled her to him. She stiffened at the unmistakable sign of his own arousal, but he merely held her close. He talked softly, kissed her gently, caressed her hair. Held her.

The warmth from Tyler's body suffused her own and she was gradually able to relax. Even when his hand moved down her back, dipped at the small of her back, and cupped her b.u.t.tocks, she was able to contain her surprise, absorb the shock waves of sensation without becoming rigid. All that changed when he slipped his hand between her legs. She gasped for breath, and her body became taut.

Daisy didn't know how she was going to feel pleasure when panic threatened to drown every other emotion. She was certain of it when Tyler invaded her body. Every part of her being screamed in warning, seemed ready to rise up and fight off the intrusion.

But somewhere deep down behind the fear and the tension and the uncertainty, Daisy felt the feeling in her belly begin to grow and spread like water pooling after a summer rain. Even as her mind struggled to come to terms with what was happening to her, her body accepted it eagerly. She felt herself begin to relax, to move against Tyler, to want more instead of less. The feeling of warmth continued to grow and she felt her whole body begin to respond to his touch. Gradually her whole awareness narrowed until she thought of nothing else but the magic Tyler wrought.

She didn't know when Tyler moved over her. She only became aware when he withdrew his hand. "This may feel a little uncomfortable at first," he said.

She felt the pressure of him as he slowly entered her. But he was so gentle that in moments she was pressing against him, wanting him to reach the need buried deep inside her.

"This may hurt," he warned, "but it will only last a moment."

Tyler sank all the way into her. A sharp pain caused her to cry out, but he covered her mouth with a kiss. As he began to move within her, she felt the pain recede, the aching need grow and intensify until she felt nothing else. It seemed to gather her body and reduce it to a single white-hot kernel of such aching, longing she was conscious of nothing else.

She clung to Tyler, tried to envelope him, tried to absorb him so he could reach that spot deep within and satisfy the need that seemed to grow stronger with each second. Her need became urgent then nearly frantic. Tyler didn't seem to be doing enough to end this agony which was sweet and bitter all at the same time.

Daisy's need grew until she was conscious of nothing else, cared for nothing else. Bands inside her seemed to grow tighter and tighter until she felt she would be compressed into nothingness. Only her need seemed to grow without limitation.

Then she felt the beginning of a wave that lifted her, then another, then a continuing series until she felt tossed helplessly by them. She clung to Tyler, her fingers sunk deep in his flesh, her body fighting to force him to find the soul of her need.

Waves of sensual pleasure pulsed through her, throbbed until she was certain she wouldn't be able to breathe. One last pulsating wave welled up from deep inside and just as she thought she would die, the dam broke, and release flooded through her in waves of sobbing relief.

Only after some of the tension had ebbed from her body did she realize Tyler was now in the throws of the same need which had so recently teased and tortured her. His body was rigid, his breath came in noisy gasps, and his movement less smooth. Moving more deeply and rapidly, he pitched himself forward until his body locked and he emptied himself into her in a series of powerful thrusts.

Finally, his energy spent, Tyler collapsed next to her.

Daisy lay still for what seemed like hours, trying to absorb the full enormity of what had just happened to her. She didn't want to talk or move. She just wanted to feel. Tyler lay with his arms around her, her body nestled protectively against his body. It seemed impossible they could ever be separated after this. A bond had been forged between them that seemed more powerful than the differences between them. Everything had changed.

Yet nothing had changed.

It would take her a while to understand it all. In the meantime, she was content to remain where she was.

Tyler had never wanted to linger after being with a woman. Now he didn't want to leave. Daisy lay in the curve of his body, her warmth mingled with his. It was such an odd feeling sharing a bed. Only it wasn't the sharing of the bed that was the reason for the feeling. It was the sharing of a small part of himself. Putting his arms around her, holding her to him, wanting to be near her, required he make a small break in the ring of defenses he'd built around himself. The break made him uneasy, but it didn't make him feel bad.

It's what the break implied that scared him senseless.

It had taken every bit of his courage to admit to Daisy he loved her. That had been the first break in his armor. No, before that when he wanted to make love with her. Before that when he kissed her. Maybe even before that when he marked off the corner for her or fed her or worried about her wound.

h.e.l.l! This was no small break. His defenses were in complete disarray. They might have already collapsed, and he was such a fool he didn't even realize it. Yet somehow he couldn't summon the energy to care. He liked where he was, and he didn't want to do anything to change it.

Of course it would change as soon as Daisy woke, or it became light, or anything else happened to break the spell that enveloped them. That was the trouble with becoming vulnerable. You were no longer in control of your own feelings.

Still, he didn't move. He knew he had only to wake her to enjoy her again. Yet he hesitated. Things felt so good just as they were. He let his fingertips caress her skin. It was soft and warm. He'd never let himself enjoy a woman this way. He'd never wanted to before.

You never cared for any of those faceless women, only the physical release they could provide. This isn't the same thing at all.

Love was a strange thing. He didn't understand it. It started with caring about a person, wanting to be with her. But there was no end to how far it could go. He found himself thinking about far more than Daisy's body or the physical pleasure they could give each other. He thought of nights beyond tonight, days, mornings and evenings as well. In fact, there seemed to be no end to how far in the future his thoughts extended, and all of them included Daisy.

That shouldn't have surprised him. She had caused him to abandon his search for gold. He had effectively put his dreams on hold to help her. He had never thought it would happen, but here he was, proof that it had.

If he was going to make sure she continued to be all right, he'd better do something about those rustlers. He knew she expected to go with him, but he'd feel better going alone. He wouldn't have to worry about anything happening to her. The rustlers probably weren't expecting trouble, but he'd never known any who weren't willing to fight for their stolen property. Daisy had adapted to her new life with remarkable quickness, but she wasn't ready for a gun battle. With a little luck, he could have the cows back before she woke.

Chapter Twenty-five.

Tyler eased himself out of bed. He wanted to stay, to let the cows take care of themselves, but he couldn't.

The cold air bit into his bare skin. He dressed with more than ordinary haste and saddled his horse. Daisy did not stir. He had a momentary qualm at leaving her unprotected, but pushed it aside. She would be safer alone than with him.

The ride to the small canyon took less than ten minutes. Tyler was pleased to find half the canyon in deep shadow. If the rustlers woke, they'd have a hard time shooting at someone they couldn't see.

Tyler used his rope to lower the corral bars without dismounting. It was a simple matter to start the cattle moving toward the opening. It was even easier to start them down the trail. They were just as anxious as he to return to their familiar feeding grounds.

Tyler would have liked to take the rustlers horses as well, but they were hobbled next to a tiny cabin. It would be virtually impossible to run them off without waking at least one rustler. As it was, one of them must have been a light sleeper. Tyler had just reached the mouth of the canyon when he heard a shout from the cabin. Seconds later a rifle shot spit into the night and a bullet smacked into a rock high on the canyon wall. Letting out a yell, Tyler drove his horse right into the cattle.

They didn't need much encouragement. They headed down the trail as fast as they could go.

Daisy jerked awake. Before she could wonder what had waked her, a shot echoed through the night. She turned to Tyler only to find he wasn't there. Neither was his horse.

He had gone after the cows by himself. She listened intently and was able to make out the sound of pounding hooves. He must have the cows. The rustlers were after him. Daisy didn't have time to be angry about his leaving her. She had to do something.

Using all the speed of which she was capable, she threw on her clothes. It was useless to think of saddling her horse. They would be past her before she could get the saddle cloth in place. She ran to her saddle, but as she reached for her rifle, she remembered Rio telling her if it was ever absolutely essential to stop someone, she was to use her shotgun.

She s.n.a.t.c.hed up the shotgun, reached in her saddlebags for some extra sh.e.l.ls, and raced from the camp. The trail pa.s.sed about a hundred yards from where they slept. She reached it just as Tyler swept by driving the cattle before him like a drunken cowboy riding into town on a Sat.u.r.day night. She knew the rustlers would be close behind.

She had never faced any kind of criminal before, but she had to stop them from catching Tyler. He had a head start, but he wouldn't be able to stay ahead of them without abandoning the cattle. She knelt to the ground just in time to see the two rustlers round a bend in the trail up ahead. It was useless to attempt to warm them she was going to shoot if they didn't pull up. They wouldn't even hear her.

She raised the shotgun to her shoulder and took aim as best she could. When the rustlers were about twenty-five yards away, she pulled the trigger. Two things happened.

Screaming in shock and pain as the pieces of buckshot bit into their hides, the rustlers' horses came to an abrupt halt, rearing and backing into each other. The rustlers, unprepared for this surprise attack, lost control of their mounts.

The shotgun's recoil knocked Daisy flat on the ground. Only then did she remember Rio had warned her about the kick. Struggling to gather her senses, she scrambled for the shotgun and propped herself against a small pine. A second shot put a load of buckshot into the rustlers.

Before she could open the shotgun, eject the spent sh.e.l.ls, reach into her saddle bags for the extras, and shove them into the empty chambers, a rifle shot split the air. One of the rustlers sagged in the saddle. Another shot sent the second rustler tumbling to the ground.

Tyler rode past.

Daisy scrambled to her feet. By the time she reached the fallen men, Tyler had disarmed them. One had been shot in the shoulder, the other in the leg.

"Not very good shooting," he said. "If I had been Hen, they'd both be dead."

"What are we going to do with them?"

"Take them to the sheriff in Albuquerque."

Daisy held the horses as Tyler remounted the men and tied them to their saddles. She even managed to hold her tongue while she helped him break camp. But once they were on the trail, the rustlers and the cows ahead of them, she could hold back her anger no longer.

"Why did you go off by yourself?"

Tyler didn't try to avoid her gaze. He expected an explosion at any moment, and from the look in her eye, he was about to get it. "I didn't want you to get hurt."

"And if they had caught you in the canyon?"

"I could shoot my way out."

"You weren't doing very well when you raced by here."

"I was heading for a narrow pa.s.s a couple of miles ahead. I could have held them off there."

"And left me back here. How was I supposed to get through?"

She wasn't going to like his answer. "You were supposed to wait until I came back for you."

She glared at him, her eyes incandescent. "And how was I supposed to know that? You didn't tell me."

"If I had, you wouldn't have stayed here."

"That's no reason." Daisy's anger burst out like water from an artesian well. "Those are my cattle. Any decision concerning what to do about them should be my decision."

"But you don't know anything about fighting rustlers. You nearly killed yourself with that shotgun."

"That's beside the point. You had no right to make my decisions for me. I'm not hurt any more, and I'm not your patient."

Just like a woman. Let her get by one danger, and the fact that it existed isn't important anymore. Didn't she understand he would be willing to endure anger one hundred times worse than this before he would let her risk being killed? No, because he hadn't told her. "I couldn't take the chance."

"Do you know why I decided not to marry Guy?"