Turner's Woman by Jenna Kernan

Author:Jenna Kernan [Kernan, Jenna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2005-12-26T00:00:00+00:00

Twice now she’d pulled his fanny out of the fire. Both times she acted on her own without consulting him. Jake should be angry that she consistently disobeyed orders. But she was not in the military. What would he have done in a similar circumstance?

No reason to fault the woman for using the brain God gave her and, if he was honest, he would admit that if she’d been a man, he’d have insisted she cover his back instead of leaving her to mind the horses.

From now on, he’d give her the respect she’d earned. She deserved that much.

She rode behind the mule now, because, without a saddle, he could find no way to secure the mule to her horse. He called her forward and she moved in beside Duchess.

“I got some information from those fellows before the shooting started,” he began.

Her eyebrow lifted and he noticed how tan her face had grown, despite the wide-brimmed hat he’d made from elk and antelope.

“Based on what I can figure, I believe we will find either missionaries or Christian Indians within a day or two.”

“Good.”

He smiled. “No more arrows or ice, but a different kind of danger. You remember the story?”

“I could repeat it in my sleep.”

“You don’t talk in your sleep,” he said, and waited for her reaction, which came immediately when her cheeks turned a wonderful bright pink.

“What will you tell them when questioned about our relationship on the trail?”

“Who would ask about that?”

Her look was incredulous. “The priests.”

Certainly they would. Men of the cloth thought a white collar gave them leave to poke into all manner of private doings.

“We best decide now,” he said.

She nodded. “If you reveal that we shared the same bed, you will compromise me. No man would have me after that.”

“I would never do that.”

“But I want you to.”

“What?”

“If the Spanish think I’m your woman they will leave me be and that might be best. I see no point in appearing receptive to marriage, when it would complicate matters.”

“What if they just think you’re a…” He considered what word to use that would not offend and decided there was none. “A woman of low moral character?”

Her gaze snapped to his. “Do you think so?”

“No, but they might.”

“That would be a nuisance. Perhaps the truth?”

He shook his head. “I never touched you. We never shared the same bed. Not in that way. In any case, I never did touch you.” Though he wanted to every night. How he managed to control himself was beyond him. The woman grew harder to resist each day. Right now, for example. Her cheeks pink from the sun and a light spattering of freckles across her nose, she was beautiful.

Her expression turned serious. “I’ll do what you think is best.”

He had no right to make this decision. He’d underestimated her and marginalized her. Despite that, she let him choose.

“That mean you trust me?”

“Yes. I do. Plus you have more experience than I in these matters. If you want to present us as a couple, I’ll do so.

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