you hear?
You've become pretty important to all of us.'
'Thank you, that's very kind,' she murmured, but she knew that she was
blushing again. Everyone knew what had happened.
But they didn't really know. They didn't know what it had felt like when
his eyes had touched her naked flesh. 'Rations aren't much, ma'am, but
one of the boys brought in a few trout. May I fix you a plate and bring
you some coffee?' Monaban asked her.
'Please,' she agreed.
'That would be very nice.' Monaban brought her a plate of food, the
other young man brought her coffee. She thanked them both. Then, as she
ate, it seemed that every man in the company came by to see how she was,
if she would like anything, if she needed anything, anything at all, for
the night.
She thanked them all, and when they left, and the darkness fell, and the
camp became silent, she smiled. They were Yanks, but a good group of
them. Maybe there was hope. She believed again. There were von Heusens
in the world, but there were others, too, good people. She just had to
keep fighting. She had to hold on to the ranch and she had to keep the
Wiltshire newspaper going.
'Miss. Stuart.'
She started, feeling every nerve within her body come alive. She knew
the voice. Knew the deep tone, low and husky and somehow capable of
slipping beneath her skin. It was a sensual, sexy voice, and it awakened
things in her she was certain had died beneath the rifle fire of the
last years of the war, She inhaled quickly. If she was silent, he might
just walk away. He might believe that she slept and just walk away.
But he wouldn't. He knew she was awake. She sensed it, and she resented
him for his easy knowledge of her.
'Yes?' she asked crisply.
'I just wanted to make sure that you were all right.'
'I'm fine, Lieutenant.'
'Is there anything you need?'
'I want you to believe me, Lieutenant. And you're not offering me that.'
He was silent. She hoped he would turn away, but she sensed he was
smiling.
'You didn't thank me. For saving your life.'
'Ah, yes. Thank you for saving my life.' She found herself crawling the
length of the bunk, then defying him over the rear edge of the wagon.
'Lieutenant?'
'yes?'
'Come closer, please.'
He took a step nearer. Tess let her hand fly across his cheek. He
instantly caught her wrist, and she was glad of the surprised and
furious fire in his eyes as they caught hers. She kept smiling, even if
his fingers did seem to be a vise around her, even if the air seemed
charged with electricity. Even if she was just a little bit afraid that
he was going to drag her out of the wagon and down beneath him into the
dirt.
'I do thank you for saving my life, Lieutenant. But that was for the
