Kora tiptoed farther inside, feeling Win’s nearness more than seeing him. From the first, this room had been his, she reminded herself. Only, she had a key.

Halfway across the floor, she saw him sitting in the tall wingback chair by the fireplace, his legs stretched out long in front of him.

‘‘Win?’’ she whispered as she ventured closer.

He didn’t move. His head was back, his eyes closed.

Without a word, she crossed to the desk where the doctor had everything ready. She soaked a rag in warm water and picked up the scissors. Slowly she knelt by Win’s side and began cutting away the bandage on his arm, allowing the rag to soak into the places where blood had dried, holding the stained cloth to Win’s flesh.

He looked at her with angry eyes. ‘‘What do you think you’re doing?’’

‘‘I’m going to rebandage the bites and put salve on them.’’ She didn’t stop working. ‘‘You can help by removing your clothes, or I can cut them off.’’

Win remained stone. She wasn’t sure how he’d react, but she’d faced kidnapping, assaults, and riding a half wild horse today. She wasn’t in any mood to be crossed.

Without a word she unbuttoned his shirt and set to work on the second wound.

When she’d finished, she motioned for him to undress as she resoaked the rag.

Standing slowly, he removed his shirt. ‘‘I locked the door for a reason.’’ His voice seemed to rumble around the room like a mirror of the storm outside.

‘‘And I unlocked it for a reason.’’ Kora waited for him to sit back down. ‘‘Why did you shut me out?’’

Win plopped back in the chair and allowed her to resume. ‘‘I didn’t want you to see me like this.’’

‘‘Like what? Tired? Hurt? Stupid?’’

Win smiled. ‘‘That does feel better,’’ he admitted as she rubbed salve across the third wound.

‘‘Then sit back and let me work,’’ she ordered. ‘‘And while I work, I’ll tell you what I’ve learned.’’

Win leaned his head back and relaxed. He listened as she told him the discussion she’d heard at the settlement. As before, he found himself asking her questions as she reasoned through all she’d learned.

‘‘You could have been killed if Wyatt hadn’t been the one to find you.’’ Win frowned. ‘‘I’m not sure why he was there. But he helped you and that stacks the deck in his favor.’’

Winter rubbed his forehead. ‘‘I’ll think about it in the morning. Right now all that matters is you’re safe.’’

‘‘And you’re alive,’’ Kora countered.

Win winked at her. ‘‘How’d you get in here anyway? Jamie pick the lock?’’

‘‘No, I have my own key.’’

‘‘There’s always been only one key. The captain used to lock the place up sometimes so he could drink. Even Miss Allie couldn’t get in.’’

‘‘So he may have thought.’’ Kora moved the rag over his swollen skin. ‘‘But there was a key hanging on the inside of one of the wardrobes. I’d never noticed any of the doors locked, so I didn’t know what it fit until tonight.’’

‘‘So the captain wasn’t safe from Miss Allie any more than I am from you.’’

‘‘Do you want to be?’’ Kora looked up suddenly. The thought had never occurred to her that he might really not want her around.

‘‘No,’’ Win answered. ‘‘But I’m hard enough to live with on a good day. On a bad day like this, I’m not much for company. Once I knew you were safe, I figured it would be better for me to stay away until the pain eased.’’

Kora wrapped the third bite mark. ‘‘Is it easing now?’’

‘‘Much better,’’ he whispered. ‘‘God, how I missed you, woman.’’

Kora leaned over him and lightly touched her lips to his. The warmth of his mouth spread through her. From the very first she’d thought about what he’d be like to kiss and he hadn’t disappointed her. All day her only sanity had been the thought of getting back to his arms.

He didn’t kiss her back, but only accepted her offering, which excited her. When she ended the kiss and moved away, she felt in control. No matter how much she longed to kiss him again, she had work to do first.

She pulled him once more to his feet and helped him with his trousers. Then she doctored the other bites as he relaxed. Gage had cut off Win’s drawers, making him seem as if he had on a pair of short pants. When she finished, he stood and carefully redressed.

‘‘You should be in bed,’’ she whispered as she watched the muscles of his arms move. ‘‘It’s late.’’

Win poured himself a taste of brandy and leaned back in the huge wingback chair. ‘‘I wasn’t sure I could make it up the stairs before, but the pain is much better now.’’

‘‘What else can I do to help?’’ She moved her fingers into his hair. Even weak from the bites, he still had a power about him. The need to touch him was like a craving. She leaned forward and let the front of her wrapper brush against his arm as she lightly kissed his cheek.

‘‘What you’re doing is nice.’’ He didn’t move.

Kora kissed him again. Slowly moving along his face until she brushed his lips.

This time he responded.

When she straightened and broke the kiss, he whispered, ‘‘It’s good to have you home.’’ His hand moved gently along her side. ‘‘Were you hurt?’’

‘‘No,’’ Kora answered. ‘‘I was worried about you.’’

‘‘I’m fine, now you’re here.’’ Win tugged at her belt and pulled her closer. ‘‘I never thought I needed a wife, or that I’d miss a woman, but I missed you. I didn’t like waking up and not having you near.’’

He tugged again and she sat on the arm of the chair. ‘‘Pull the drapes and lock the door. I want to use the last of my energy looking at you, not climbing the stairs.’’

‘‘But don’t you want to go to sleep?’’

‘‘I want the rest of the world to go away,’’ he grumbled. ‘‘For a few hours in our marriage, I want to see and think of nothing but you.’’

TWENTY-NINE


KORA STOOD AND CLOSED THE STUDY DOOR AND pulled the curtains. She knew he was still weak and she should probably insist he sleep, but she wanted to be alone with Win tonight.

When she returned to his chair, he motioned for her to stand between him and the fire. ‘‘I need to look at you, Kora. Do you mind?’’

‘‘No,’’ she whispered, unsure of his meaning. She didn’t know if her cheeks burned from blushing or the fire’s warmth. How could he want to look at her? Didn’t he know she’d always been invisible? She’d heard the way folks talked about some women, the way boys talked of girls. That they were pretty or beautiful, or grand. No one ever said things like that about her. They usually only commented on how they hadn’t noticed her.

He didn’t say a word as she leaned her hair back, letting the heat dry it. He just stared as she stood before him. The fire danced in his eyes as a slow smile spread across his lips.

‘‘Are you warm enough?’’ he finally whispered.

Kora felt his words were touching her somehow across the space between them. ‘‘Yes,’’ she answered.

‘‘Then take off the wrapper.’’ His voice was low, a little rough as always, but she wasn’t the least afraid.

Slowly she pulled the belt free and let the wrapper slip from her shoulders. The camisole she wore was bound at the waist by her muslin underskirt. The skirt pulled the silk tight over her breasts.

She reached behind her and pulled the ribbons of the skirt. It tumbled, joining her wrapper. Her underdrawers were damp from the rain and clung to her knees.

For a long while, Win was silent, but she could feel him watching her. Devouring her with his gaze. With the firelight behind her, he could see the outline of her body clearly through the thin clothing. His change in breathing confirmed her theory. Kora smiled and turned slowly.

Finally he offered his hand and she moved to him, sitting on the arm of his huge chair as she had before.

‘‘I’ll never get over how easy you come to me,’’ he whispered. His fingers brushed her throat as though he were touching velvet. ‘‘Even when I hurt you, you come back to me. I didn’t have to win your hand, or promise you foolish things like love. I don’t have to flatter, or give you things, or pamper you. You just come to me. You’re like a rainbow that follows my stormy life.’’

It was the first time he’d ever said such things. Kora knew it by the awkwardness in his voice.

‘‘I’d think of you all soft, but when Cheyenne came in earlier, he told me you threatened to kill Andrew Adams.’’ Win laughed. ‘‘Did you really hit him with that old rifle and threaten to slit him open with a knife?’’

‘‘I did,’’ Kora answered. ‘‘I think he was afraid of me by the time we got to the settlement. He’s probably glad to be rid of me.’’

‘‘Well, I’m glad to have you back.’’ He pulled her across his lap and kissed her as she’d wanted him to when she first got home.

Kora sighed and relaxed against him. ‘‘Am I hurting you?’’ She would have sat up, but his hand on her shoulder held her in place.

‘‘No,’’ he said. ‘‘Be still, Kora. You’re where you belong.’’

As he stroked her hair, he asked, ‘‘Do you think Andrew is a part of moving the cattle across my land?’’