The Scent of Jasmine by Jude Deveraux Page A

intend to share it or not?”
    He held out his hands to help her mount her horse. “Not.”
    Annoyed, Cay put her hand on his shoulder and moved her foot to his thigh. It was a move she’d often done to her brothers and it was guaranteed to throw them off balance. But Alex was ready for her, and he stepped back in a way that made Cay nearly fall backward. He caught her hand before she hit the ground.
    She started to bawl him out, but what she could see of his face looked so pleased with himself that she couldn’t help smiling. “Are you sure you don’t have sisters?”
    “None, but I’m learning that I just think of the most devious thing you can do and that’s what you will do.”
    Cay opened her mouth and closed it a few times, meaning to defend herself, but then she laughed. “You may be weaker and older than my brothers, but you might be smarter. Except for Adam, of course.”
    He held out his cupped hands, she stepped into them, and mounted her horse. “Except for Adam,” he said as he got back into the saddle. As he turned away, he said, “How old is Adam?”
    “Twenty-eight.”
    “That’s what I remembered,” Alex said thoughtfully as he glanced up at the sun. “I don’t know about you, lass, but I could use a bite to eat.”
    “I’ve been looking at the rump of your horse ravenously.”
    “Have you now?” Alex said. “Perhaps I should be glad it wasn’t my rump you covet.”
    “The dirt would poison me,” she said without a hint of a smile. “The horse is cleaner. And smells better.”
    Alex couldn’t help smiling as she tossed her beautiful hair back, put her chin up, and moved ahead of him.

Five

    “Are you sure you’ll be all right?” Alex asked Cay for the third time.
    “You’re worse than my father,” she said, but she was faking her bravado. The truth was that she was scared to death to be left alone in the forest. She glanced back at the spooky old ruins where he’d set up a canvas roof. Since the front was open, there wouldn’t be any protection from . . . from whatever was lurking in the trees. “I’m fine,” she said. “I’ll just wait here until you return.”
    “You have the pistol and you know how to use it, don’t you?” He’d already wasted a lot of time reassuring her that bears were unlikely to attack the camp.
    “I can shoot quite well.” She rubbed her arms against the chill in the air as she glanced at the sky. “It looks like it might rain soon so maybe you should go.” She wanted to beg him not to leave her alone there, but she would die before she told him that.
    Alex wasn’t fooled by her act of bravery. He knew she was frightened, and since they were wanted by the law and being hunted by every reward seeker in three states, she was right to be afraid. But he needed to get them food, and he couldn’t go into public with her with him. Too many people were looking for a man and a woman traveling on horseback together.
    “I’ll take your mare,” he said, watching to see how upset she’d be by this. When a look of panic crossed her pretty face, he almost relented. There were bags of dried food in his saddlebags but they’d need them later. Right now, they both needed a hot meal, and if possible, Alex was going to get it for them.
    “Go!” Cay said as she stepped back toward the canvas covering. “Stop worrying about me. I can take care of myself.”
    Alex thought she could barely walk by herself, but he wasn’t about to say that. His real fear was that she’d again decide this was her chance to escape and she’d leave as soon as he did. He hated to think what a bunch of vigilantes would do to a young girl they thought was a criminal.
    Reluctantly, he saddled the mare and, with one more backward glance, left her alone in the woods, sheltered by a few falling-down brick walls of a burned-out house.
    He rode as quickly as possible along the narrow path through the trees, and for the thousandth time he cursed T.C. Connor. On the one hand,