Kate's Outlaw (Steam! Romance and Rails) Read Online Free PDF Page B

unlike anything Jake had ever seen. He wanted to rub his face in it, but that would arouse him and frighten her and make the journey a misery for both of them.
    Growing frustrated, he dropped his hat on her head so he wouldn't keep looking at her hair and wanting to touch it. "Here, wear this to protect your face."
    "Thank you. I didn't have the opportunity to collect mine."
    His lips twitched, but when she reached up to adjust the hat, his smile quickly faded. Her wrists were so raw they looked blistered. He'd used cloth to bind her hands to avoid damage to her tender skin, but she'd worked hard at escaping her bonds. She’d even ripped his bandana, which was still damp where she'd been chewing on it.
    She was a feisty little thing. Not easily frightened, but smart enough to know when fear was her friend. She’d kept her head when other women would’ve gone into fits, and was clever enough to take advantage of his weakness for her. She’d have bashed him in the head with that rock if Charley hadn’t called out—a lesson not to be forgotten.
    When he reached the creek, he took the horse into the water and let the stallion pick his way along the shallow bed. Redbird's shoulders tightened as she gripped the saddle horn and leaned over the horse's withers, trying to avoid contact. Was she still scared? Regardless, she would soon be in agony.
    He circled his arm around her waist and drew her against him. She resisted, which wasn’t surprising considering he'd made her use him as a saddle the last time. But if he could put up with this uncomfortable attraction, so could she.
    "Easy now." He used the same tone he took with fidgety mares. "Relax. I won't hurt you."
    "So you say."
    "I do say. And I keep my word."
    She cast a doubtful frown over her shoulder, yet allowed him to pull her against him. Her hand hovered over his arm. Did she want him to remove it? She surprised him by curling her fingers around his wrist.
    He cuddled her close to ease the discomfort of riding double in a saddle meant for one. They rode for a time in companionable silence. That she felt no need to chatter, like some women did, further impressed him. A warm, pleasant feeling settled in the center of his chest. Took him a minute to work out what it was.
    Contentment.
    His heart jumped like a jackrabbit. What had gotten into him? He could never be content with a white woman. Except, this wasn't just any white woman. She was Redbird.
    Her lemony fragrance teased his senses. He leaned forward, and then realized what he was doing and sat back. He must be addled. Didn’t matter if she fit perfectly in his arms, or if she smelled so good he couldn't stop sniffing her hair. She was no sun goddess or even a benign spirit. And she belonged to a rich white man, not a poor Indian.
    The thought angered him. That railroad man didn't deserve her if he couldn't take better care of her. "Why did your man bring you along?"
    "My man?"
    Did he need to clarify? "The one the workers call chief."
    "Oh. You must mean Henry Stevens. He’s Chief of Operations, that’s why they call him that. He's not my— I mean, he didn't bring out here. I came on my own.”
    Had she been about to deny the relationship? Why?
    “He should’ve made you stay home. It's not safe for you to be wandering around alone."
    She breathed a soft snort. "They’d be in complete agreement with you.”
    "They?"
    "I mean, Henry."
    Again, she'd stumbled. What was she hiding?
    "How long have you belonged to Stevens?"
    Her body tensed. "I'm not his possession.”
    "But the workers said you belong to him."
    "The workers?" She twisted, looking over her shoulder with a frown. "When did you talk to the workers? And why were you asking about me?"
    Jake clamped his teeth shut. Why had he let that slip, as well as Charley's name? He really had to be more careful. "Turn around. You're spooking my horse."
    She faced forward. "You're avoiding my question."
    He wasn't going to admit he'd been spying on the railroad