Ride The Wild Wind (Time Travel Historical Romance) by Kimberly Ivey Page B

covered her grave with brush and
heavy rocks, scavenging animals wouldn’t reach her body easily.
    Exhausted, he fell
asleep, awakening after sunrise to find both her and the dog staring at him
from across the white, burned out coals of the fire. His heart leapt in his
chest as he sat up abruptly. She had survived the night!   Healthy
color tinged her cheeks in the crisp morning air. “How long have you been
awake?”
    She did not
answer, but pulled the blanket beneath her chin as if his gaze made her
uncomfortable. Then he remembered she was still nude beneath. His body
responded of its own accord as he recalled her silken skin, and the erotic
dream he had of her in the night. Although he forced the image from his mind,
he could not shake the desire flaring within.
    He stood and
dusted himself off, his erection evident beneath his trousers. Cold, he rubbed
his palms briskly over his arms, hoping she would not notice. “Last night I
thought you were going to die. How do you feel this morning?”
    “Like hammered dog
shit.”
    The dog’s ears
perked up. Antonio could not help but chuckle. “I understand that is not good?”
    “No, it’s not good
and neither is what’s going to happen beneath this blanket if you don’t help me
get behind those rocks ASAP.”
    “Relieve yourself
where you are. I’ll move you afterward.”
    Her mouth fell
open. “I will not ‘go’ where I am. I will ‘go’behind the rocks and
you’ll carry me.”
    Antonio did not
like being ordered around. There was no reason to move her. Besides, there
wasn’t anything he hadn’t seen. “Go where you lay. You are too weak and your
ankle cannot tolerate the strain.”
    “Fine. I’ll crawl
if you won’t help. Come on, Max.”
    Antonio watched
her laughable display, the huffing, groaning, and grappling with the blanket
that kept slipping off as she dragged herself inch by inch. The dog kept close
by her side.
    She collapsed in
the dirt, raging and spouting curses he had never heard a polite woman use.
Kneeling, he reached beneath her. “If you must be so stubborn, at least allow
me to help you stand.”
    “Get away. I don’t
need your help. I don’t need anyone’s help.”
    Ignoring her, he
lifted her to her feet, slipped one arm around her waist and pulled her against
him for support. She clutched the blanket to her breasts and leaned into him a bit
more, unsteady, very possibly having no idea the affect she was having on him,
or the enticing view of her shapely backside.
    “Don’t move too
fast.” He helped steady her enough to take a step. She paused, stiffened.
    “Ouch, but that
really hurts.”
    “Your knee is
infected and your ankle appears to be swollen this morning. You should not be
walking yet.”
    “Well, too bad
because I’m going to pee with dignity, okay?”
    With his
assistance she took two small steps, pausing before taking two more.
    She pointed. “Lean
me against that rock.”
    He obliged.
    Her gaze settled
on the dog, then back to him. “Okay, go away you two and give a girl some
privacy.”
    Against his better
judgment, he left her alone to tend to her morning business. Her dog remained
with him. A few moments later she staggered out from behind the rocks.
    “I can’t believe
people go camping for fun—roughing it no less. Hey, I’m all for communing with
nature and all that jazz, but I fail to see the fun in not having toilet paper
or a hot shower.”
    Toilet paper?
What an odd, but appealing idea.
    She pulled the
blanket tighter around her shoulders. He had never noticed before but for such
a petite woman, she had long, thin legs. His eyes riveted on her curiously
large feet. When he made a move toward her, she held up a hand.
    “I can do this.”
    He had no doubt
this strong-willed woman could do anything she set her mind to. He watched her
take a few more steps before she paused to catch her breath. A weak woman would
have crumbled, at the very least have dissolved into tears. But this was