and against lace-covered soft flesh. Her body
responded instantly to the slow caresses. She curled into his body, eagerly
submissive.
"Lord, what I
wouldn't give to unfasten this," he groaned at her mouth as his fingers toyed
with the closure at her back. "And sure as hell, Stevie would come outside the minute I did, and
show and tell would take on a whole new meaning."
The idea of it amused
him and he lifted his head, smiling down into Sally's equally laughing eyes.
MERCENARY'S
WOMAN
"Ah,
well," he said, removing his hands with evident reluctance.
"All things come to those who wait," he added.
Sally blushed and
moved a little away from him.
"Don't be
embarrassed," he chided gently, his green eyes sparkling, full of mischief and
pleasure. "All of us have a weak spot."
"Not you, man
of steel," she teased.
"We'll talk
about that next time," he said. "Meanwhile, remember what I
said. Especially about night trips."
"Now where
would I go alone at night in Jacobsville?" she asked
patiently.
He only laughed. But
even as she watched him drive away she remembered an upcoming parents and
teachers meeting. There would be plenty of time to tell him about that, she
reminded herself. She turned back into the house, her mouth and body
still tingling pleasantly.
Chapter Four
Jessica was subdued after the time
she'd spent with Dal las. Even Stevie noticed, and became more attentive.
Sally cooked
her aunt's favorite dishes and did her best to coax Jess into a better
frame of mind. But the other woman's sadness was blatant.
With her mind on
Jessica and not on time passing, she forgot that she had a parents and teachers
meeting the next Tuesday
night. She phoned Eb's ranch, as she'd been told to, but all she got was the answering machine and a mes sage that only asked the caller to leave a name
and number. She left a message, doubting that he'd hear it before she was safely home. She hadn't really believed him
when he'd said the whole family was
in danger, especially since nothing
out of the ordinary had happened. But even so, surely nothing was going to
happen to her on a two-mile drive
home!
She sent Stevie home with a fellow
teacher. The busi ness meeting was long and
explosive, and it was much later than
usual when it was finally over. Sally spoke to
58 MERCENARY'S WOMAN
the parents she knew and left early. She
wasn't thinking about anything except her bed as she drove down the long, lonely road toward
home. As she passed the large house and accompanying acreage where her three
neighbors lived,
she felt a chill. Three of them were out on their front porch. The light was
on, and it looked as if they were arguing about something. They caught sight
of her truck and there was an
ominous stillness about them.
Sally drove faster,
aware that she drew their attention as she went past them. Only a few more
minutes, she thought, and she'd be home...
The steering wheel
suddenly became difficult to turn and with horror she heard the sound of a tire
going flatter and flatter. Her heart flipped over. She didn't have a spare. She'd rolled it out
of the bed to make room for the cattle feed she'd taken home last week, having
meant to ask Eb to help her put it back in again. But she'd have to walk the rest of the way, now. Worse, it was
dark and those creepy men were still watching the truck.
Well, she told
herself as she climbed out of the cab with her purse over her shoulder, they weren't
going to give her any trouble. She had a ioud whistling device, and she now knew enough at
least self-defense to protect herself. Confident, despite Eb's earlier warnings,
she locked the truck and started walking.
The sound of running
feet came toward her. She looked over her shoulder and stopped, turning, her
mouth set in a grim line. Two
of the three men were coming down the road
toward her in a straight line. Just be calm, she told herself. She was wearing a neat gray
responded instantly to the slow caresses. She curled into his body, eagerly
submissive.
"Lord, what I
wouldn't give to unfasten this," he groaned at her mouth as his fingers toyed
with the closure at her back. "And sure as hell, Stevie would come outside the minute I did, and
show and tell would take on a whole new meaning."
The idea of it amused
him and he lifted his head, smiling down into Sally's equally laughing eyes.
MERCENARY'S
WOMAN
"Ah,
well," he said, removing his hands with evident reluctance.
"All things come to those who wait," he added.
Sally blushed and
moved a little away from him.
"Don't be
embarrassed," he chided gently, his green eyes sparkling, full of mischief and
pleasure. "All of us have a weak spot."
"Not you, man
of steel," she teased.
"We'll talk
about that next time," he said. "Meanwhile, remember what I
said. Especially about night trips."
"Now where
would I go alone at night in Jacobsville?" she asked
patiently.
He only laughed. But
even as she watched him drive away she remembered an upcoming parents and
teachers meeting. There would be plenty of time to tell him about that, she
reminded herself. She turned back into the house, her mouth and body
still tingling pleasantly.
Chapter Four
Jessica was subdued after the time
she'd spent with Dal las. Even Stevie noticed, and became more attentive.
Sally cooked
her aunt's favorite dishes and did her best to coax Jess into a better
frame of mind. But the other woman's sadness was blatant.
With her mind on
Jessica and not on time passing, she forgot that she had a parents and teachers
meeting the next Tuesday
night. She phoned Eb's ranch, as she'd been told to, but all she got was the answering machine and a mes sage that only asked the caller to leave a name
and number. She left a message, doubting that he'd hear it before she was safely home. She hadn't really believed him
when he'd said the whole family was
in danger, especially since nothing
out of the ordinary had happened. But even so, surely nothing was going to
happen to her on a two-mile drive
home!
She sent Stevie home with a fellow
teacher. The busi ness meeting was long and
explosive, and it was much later than
usual when it was finally over. Sally spoke to
58 MERCENARY'S WOMAN
the parents she knew and left early. She
wasn't thinking about anything except her bed as she drove down the long, lonely road toward
home. As she passed the large house and accompanying acreage where her three
neighbors lived,
she felt a chill. Three of them were out on their front porch. The light was
on, and it looked as if they were arguing about something. They caught sight
of her truck and there was an
ominous stillness about them.
Sally drove faster,
aware that she drew their attention as she went past them. Only a few more
minutes, she thought, and she'd be home...
The steering wheel
suddenly became difficult to turn and with horror she heard the sound of a tire
going flatter and flatter. Her heart flipped over. She didn't have a spare. She'd rolled it out
of the bed to make room for the cattle feed she'd taken home last week, having
meant to ask Eb to help her put it back in again. But she'd have to walk the rest of the way, now. Worse, it was
dark and those creepy men were still watching the truck.
Well, she told
herself as she climbed out of the cab with her purse over her shoulder, they weren't
going to give her any trouble. She had a ioud whistling device, and she now knew enough at
least self-defense to protect herself. Confident, despite Eb's earlier warnings,
she locked the truck and started walking.
The sound of running
feet came toward her. She looked over her shoulder and stopped, turning, her
mouth set in a grim line. Two
of the three men were coming down the road
toward her in a straight line. Just be calm, she told herself. She was wearing a neat gray
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