Hannah sighed in defeat. “Then how are we going to get away from them? And how are we going to keep them from trying to get money from you again?”
“Once we escape – and we will escape – I plan on having them all arrested and thrown in jail. They will lose their jobs, and I’ll personally see to it that they are driven out of town. They’ll be sorry they messed with the Easton brothers.”
“Your hope gives me hope,” she said in a quiet voice.
He pulled himself to a sitting position, cradling his ribcage in his arm. He wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her up against him as he kissed her forehead.
“Being with you gives me strength,” he whispered against her skin. “Just don’t let me down.”
She nodded and leaned her forehead into the crook of his neck and circled her arms around his shoulders. “I’ll do all I can to help you.”
Although she made the promise, she still worried that she would be worthless. As long as her mind continued to spin and the lump on her head throbbed, she wouldn’t be able to do much.
Breathing steadily, she tried to calm her panic. She must believe that God would direct them in the path they needed to take. She’d pray fervently, and believe that help would come soon.
“Hannah?” he said in a deep voice.
She moved her head slightly to peer up into his eyes, but his head had turned as well. Once her gaze stopped on his mouth, she couldn’t look away. What was it about this man that tempted her so? Yet, she’d been fortunate to experience his kiss, and because of that, she wanted more.
“Hannah?” he said again, softer this time.
“Huh?”
His mouth stretched a little wider into a smile. “You know, if you want to kiss me, all you have to do is—”
She leaned up and pressed her lips against his. This was now the second time she boldly made the first move, but just as before, it didn’t seem to matter. Kissing him made her feel safe, and all the fears she’d experienced since coming alert in this room just disappeared.
“Oh, Hannah,” he muttered against her mouth before deepening the kiss.
She pulled him closer, not wanting to leave the comfort of his embrace, and she didn’t want to leave the security of his kiss. The kiss was passionate, more so than the one they shared in the wagon. Of course, the position they were sitting in now brought them closer. She had more room to caress his shoulders and move her hands up to his head to run her fingers through his hair. She realized he must have found it easier to caress her back as he tightened his hold on her.
Her heart soared higher the longer they kissed, but she knew they couldn’t continue this. The men in the other room would stop them. Plus, this was not the place to show such affection. The passion inside her climbed higher, and it made her want to say things she wasn’t sure she felt.
She broke the kiss and rested her forehead against his shoulder. Her breaths were ragged, and his breathing matched hers perfectly.
“Maverick, I’m sorry—”
He slid his fingers under her chin and lifted her head. When she gazed into his dreamy eyes, she nearly sighed with happiness. She loved the way he looked at her.
“Never apologize for kissing me,” he said. “In fact, I will cherish these moments, always.”
She swallowed the lump that had risen to her throat. “As shall I.”
“But I’m glad you stopped us. I’d forgotten about those men in the other room.” He winked. “Do you see what your kisses do to my brain?”
She chuckled lightly. “I’m surprised I remembered.”
He stroked the side of her face before running the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip. “Not to worry, my lovely Hannah. We shall find more moments for this kind of passion. But now, we must formulate a plan to escape.”
Her heartbeat raced with excitement. Perhaps convincing him of marriage might not be that difficult, after all.
SIX
Maverick’s body hurt all over, and yet, he’d never been happier in his life. Being with Hannah and kissing her made him as giddy as a schoolboy experiencing love for the first time. However, he knew this feeling growing inside his chest wasn’t love. After all, people just didn’t fall in love that quickly, and especially only after two kisses.
Thankfully, the men in the other room hadn’t known what was going on between Maverick and Hannah. He wanted to keep it that way. But, while the men were still discussing their plans, Maverick and Hannah would figure out their own strategies on how to get out of this place.
When he had finally caught up to the men who had taken Hannah from his house, he realized the shack was surrounded. Apparently, a good eight men were working with Fred to try to get a ransom from the Easton brothers.
While hiding out in the bushes, Maverick had overheard two men discussing their hostage, describing Hannah as the prettiest woman around. Maverick had to agree with them. Although they’d lived in a town with not enough women, and most of the men were lonely, he still knew he’d never seen anyone as pretty as Hannah Ross.
During the conversation between the two men, Maverick realized that no amount of sweet-talking was going to get him inside. The only way these men would let him in was if Maverick forced his way through. He knew the consequences, and the way his ribs hurt, which made it hard to take deep breaths, let him know they’d probably cracked one or two ribs during his beating. Usually, Maverick could hold his own when fighting a man, but not when the odds were five-to-one.
As he whispered his idea to Hannah, he drew his finger on the floor to show her the outline of
