She was dressed in violet, a shade that matched her eyes in the darkness

of the night. A shade that was barely concealing, a shade that managed

to enhance every beautiful line and curve of her body.

"Tess, where the hell" -- He paused, clearing his throat, wondering why

the hell he was getting so damned angry.

"Tess, where am I supposed to--oh, the hell with it!" he growled.

He didn't see her smile as he dropped forcefully upon her, sweeping her

into his arms. He didn't really see anything 271 except the color of her

hair, entwining and tangling around him. He breathed in the clean, sweet

scent of her, and he could barely contain his longings. The Apache had

kept them apart for the last two long nights. He hadn't realized how

badly he could need her after such a short time, how much he could crave

her. She was like a sweet a man thought he tasted once, and yet wanted

more and more once he knew the exotic taste. He kissed her fiercely, and

he kissed her long, and he felt the frantic rise of her breasts against

his hand as she lost her breath. Only when she trembled and gasped did

he raise his head and stare at her.

"I'm staying here. We're doing it my way, remember?"

She returned his stare. Her arms wound around him, and she pressed her

lips to his, then she shoved him slightly away from her and started to

open his shirt buttons. Slowly, achingly slowly, she opened them one by

one, pressing her lips against his flesh. And when his shirt was east

aside she tenderly nipped and kissed his shoulders while she tugged at

his belt buckle. She inched his pants slowly down his hips. Boldly,

possessively she touched him, stroked him and trembled, her fingers

shaking as he came hard as steel to her ministrations. Then he could

stand no more of the sweet torture and she was on her back, with his

lips savoring her body beneath the gauze of the lilac gown. He tasted

her breasts and the valley between them and her navel and her upper

thighs and teased her more intimately still until she was thrashing and

calling his name to the moon-dusted night, begging that he come to her.

With the deepest pleasure, he obliged, and the feeling of being where he

belonged within her was almost as great as pure sexual excitement of

being so tightly, so erotically He shuddered with the force of his

desire, and deeper and deeper until they exploded as one. Then her

tightly into his arms, glad of her lips pressed to her head burrowed

against him.

You're mine, he longed to tell her. You were mine when I first found

you, and mine when I came to Nalte to ask for you. You are mine this

night. And if we can only survive, you will be mine forever. His

thoughts gave pause, and he added silently: even if you are the most

ornery and troublesome female in the western world.

In the morning his troublesome female was up and almost dressed by the

time he had pulled on his trousers.

"Afraid of my family?" he asked her.

Tess looked his way curiously and shook her head. No man could be a

finer lover, tender and tempestuous, but in the morning his temper

always seemed to leave something to be desired.

"I don't care what they know, if you're talking about our sleeping

arrangements."

"I see. You think my older brother will insist that we marry."

"No one will ever force you to marry, Jamie. You said so yourself."

"So you're not planning on marriage."

"I try not to plan on anything."

She was at her dresser, brushing her hair. He slipped behind her, his

chest still naked, and pulled her against him.

He whispered against her ear.

"What if you're already with child?"

She turned and faced him, looking him up and down. "You're nicely built,

intelligent, I think, and your brothers don't seem to have too many

flaws.

If I have a child, it should be a darling one." She swung around to

continue to brush her hair.

He laughed as he donned his shirt and socks and boots. "Tess, you are a

hellion," he told her.

She smiled sweetly.

"I just do the best I can with what I've got, Lieutenant. I'm going down

for breakfast. I'm sure Dolly and Jane got things started very early

with all those 273 little children to feed. And I do want to be at the

paper by eight. I've got to teach Kristin and Shannon how to work the

press."

"I'm right with you," Jamie told her. But when she would have exited the

room, he pulled her back.

"We do things my way, remember."

"I remember," she said coolly. "Everything."

"Meaning?"

"I'll tell you later," was all he said.

He stepped past her and hurried down the stairs. She followed him,

convinced that he had only stopped her to prove to her that he could be

down first.

Dolly and Jane were busy with the children, and they seemed like a

couple of doting old aunts. Dolly beamed at Jamie.

"I just can't wait until it's one of your little bundles I'm holding,

Lieutenant!" she said. Of course she wasn't really holding Shannon's

daughter--the child was squirming away, ready to chase a little string

ball that was rolling across the floor.

"Yeah, soon enough, Dolly," Jamie said sweetly. To Tess's surprise he

winked at her.

"Coffee!"

A cup was shoved into her hand by Malachi.

"Jamie," he said, "I've told Hank to tal~ Dolly and Jane and the

children down to the storm cellar once we've gone. They're invisible

there." "Fine," Jamie said.

"Dolly?"

"I understand, Lieutenant, I understand perfectly."

"I'll watch them," Hank promised.

"Me and the hands, we'll stay in and down in the cellar with the

children."

"Is everybody ready?" Jamie asked. He swallowed his coffee and set the

cup on the table, then everyone was hurrying out.

The children were taken to the cellar, and Dolly waved a cheerful hand

to Tess.

"You take care, missy, you hear?"

"Yes, Dolly, I promise! Thank you!"

Dolly disappeared into the storm cellar, and Hank followed, closing the

door over them. Cole and Kristin stamped the dirt around so the opening

was invisible. By then Jon was coming around with the wagon, and Kristin

and Shannon and Tess climbed up with him. The Slater brothers mounted

their horses. Tess was aware that each was wearing a gun belt with two

Colts.

Each also had another gun attached to a saddle. They were well-armed,

but managed to remain nonchalant.

Tess froze, praying that she wouldn't bring about one of these men's

deaths.

It was her fight. Her own. She had no right to get these men killed.

Maybe nothing would happen today. Maybe yon Heusen would lie low.

Maybe he would take his time to attack her again. She had written the

truth once. After today, maybe more people would believe her. He

couldn't kill everyone.

"Why don't you explain the press while we ride?" Jon suggested to her.

Tess gave him a grateful smile. If she talked, she would relax.

"It's a small press, really, compared with many of the innovations

they're coming up with today. But it's a small town, and we're a small

paper. We set the type in a box called a chase. We tap our letters and

words in with wooden mallets, ink the set type, then roll the papers

through. It's very simple." She was just warming to the subject when

Jon's voice interrupted her softly.

"The town is quiet today."

It was quiet. The streets were deserted. Not that it was usually busy at

this time of the morning, but there was no one around. No one at all.

"Well," Tess murmured.

"There's, uh, there's the paper over there.

See, Wiltshire Sun. The place with all the windows broken out," she

added drily.

"Well, you can set to typing your story while Kristin and I sweep up,"

Shannon said.

Tess nodded. There was a giant lump in her throat, though. Why was the

town so damned deserted?

Jon stopped directly in front of the paper. Jamie had already

dismounted, and he was watching the silent buildings for any sign of

movement. Malachi came to the wagon and helped the women down.

"Get into the office," Jamie ordered curtly. Tess didn't argue but did

as he told her. Shannon and Kristin followed her.

"Will you look at this mess!" Kristin said, clicking her tongue.

"I should help you," d Tess said.

"Will you please go type! We can handle this," Kristin said.

Tess nodded and walked to her desk and typewriter. She dusted fragments

of glass from her chair and blew it from her papers and rolled a blank

sheet into her typewriter. She stared at it for just one second, then

her fingers began to fly. She had a lot to say. A hell of a lot. Time

moved quickly.

Kristin and Shannon moved around the room competently, and their

presence didn't disturb Tess in the least. She was just getting to the

part where Jeremiah and David had admitted their involvement with yon

Heusen when she heard a shout in the street.

The three of them froze. The shout came again. "Tess! Tess Stuart! We

know you're in there! And you're under arrest."

"Under arrest!" Tess gasped.