Magnificent Passage (27 page)

“I was a virgin,” she taunted, determined to make him pay. “What am I supposed to tell my fiancé on our wedding night?” She could see him flinch, and she was glad she could hurt him. Glad she could make him feel some of the twisting, sickening pain she was feeling. He'd made love to her by mistake. She knew that now, though she'd tried to deny it before. He was thinking of another.
Wishana.
A name she would never forget—never forgive.

Anger seethed through Hawk like molten lava at the mention of the man she'd left behind.

“I'll give you something to remember on your wedding night!” He pushed her down into the soft featherbed. What a fool he'd been to think she cared about him last night. She was only using him for her pleasure, as she had the rest. She'd been a virgin, all right. But, the way she'd responded, if it hadn't been him it would have been another. Well, it was his turn to be the user.

With a muttered curse, he ripped away the sheet that lay between them. He savagely claimed her mouth with his and roughly caressed the swell of her breasts. He felt the taut peaks stiffen against his hand.
Her body betrays her,
he thought,
even when her mind says no.

Mandy struggled against him. She couldn't allow herself to weaken again. But even as she struggled, she was lost. The lips that bruised hers turned soft and gentle, torturing her in their possession. His hands roamed the length of her, making her tremble. She knew she wanted him again and felt shame and the sting of tears. She was afraid to meet his gaze, dreading the disdain she knew she would find. A
glimpse revealed only passion—or was there something more?

He was gentle with her now, softly spiraling her upward toward new heights of pleasure. He kissed her neck, her shoulders, then the swell of her breasts. Her shame was forgotten, replaced by a demanding heat. They made love slowly, fulfilling both their needs, until the sun was high in the morning sky. Then they napped for a time.

Hawk rose slowly from the bed where he'd found such pleasure, leaving the girl asleep. He wished they could stay forever, never have to face the realities of the world outside. He dressed and slipped quietly from the room, closing the door softly behind him.

Mandy awoke to find him gone. She knew she should feel ashamed of what she'd done, but all she felt was a warm, sensuous glow and an aching need to have the big man back in her arms. She thought of the day ahead. How would she endure it? Would she look somehow different? Would Hawk tell James what had taken place between them? Heat stained her cheeks at the thought. She rose from the bed and donned her silk wrapper.

By tonight they would be in Sacramento City. The moment she'd longed for would arrive.... If only she could delay it! A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. She opened it to find two bellmen and a steaming tub of water. Hawk must have sent up a bath. She wished it could wash away this fearful ache she felt inside.

“Hawk, where the hell have you been?” James's face looked flushed and angry as he marched across the lobby floor.
“The stage left an hour ago. Now we'll miss the train. The governor's expecting us. He's going to be fit to be tied.” He shook his head and paced nervously.

“We're not leaving yet,” Hawk grumbled, his manner brusque. He had trouble meeting James's gaze.

“I've already wired the governor,” Hawk said. “He'll be expecting us tomorrow.”

“ . . . You must have had
some
night.” James smiled knowingly and some of his anger faded. He started to speak, but the look on Hawk's face stopped him.

“Don't push it, James,” Hawk warned, not ready to cope with his friend's teasing. He'd never been very good at lying.

“Does Julia know about our change of plans? I didn't want to disturb her until I found you.” They moved up the big staircase.

“We'd better tell her,” Hawk said. “I've already taken care of the rooms.”

Mandy heard a knock at the door. The moment she'd been dreading was at hand. Her bags were packed and she wore her pink muslin, clean and pressed for the occasion.

“Come in,” she said, as light-heartedly as she could manage. She could hear a tiny quaver in her voice. The door opened and both men stood in the hall, James looking handsome and refreshed, Hawk back in his buckskins and looking dour as usual.

“I'm ready,” she stated flatly, unwilling to meet either man's gaze.

“There's been a change of plans.” Hawk moved into the room, picked up her bags, and carried them back over to the bureau. “We aren't leaving today.”

“What!” In one moment her fondest wishes and her worst
fears were both realized. “But I thought the governor . . . I mean, my father, was expecting us?”

“Now he's expecting us tomorrow,” Hawk said dryly.

“Something came up,” James added. “Besides, you wanted to see Virginia City, didn't you?”

“Well, yes, but... ”

“Then it's all worked out for the best,” he continued smoothly. “I don't know about you two, but I'm starved. Let's get something to eat.”

Mandy gritted her teeth, pasted on a smile, and swept from the room.

At first the conversation was agonizingly stilted. James kept glancing at her and then at Hawk. She straightened her shoulders and held her head high, determined not to let either of them know how disturbing this whole affair really was.

James ordered a bottle of wine with lunch and after a few sips Mandy began to relax. She decided she had come this far, she might as well make the best of it.

After lunch they took in the sights. James pointed out the Mackay Mansion, home of the “Bonanza King,” John Mackay, as well as “the castle,” built by the Gould and Curry Mining Company. The homes were fashioned in grand Victorian style and ornately trimmed.

The travelers walked several blocks farther, passing more saloons than Mandy had ever seen in one place: the Bucket of Blood, the Delta Queen, the Washoe Club, the Silver Dollar, and others with equally notorious names. They passed the
Territorial Enterprise,
famous as the newly formed state of Nevada's first newspaper, and the first publisher of the already legendary Mark Twain.

“Look over there,” James instructed. “Beside that barn at the north end of town.”

“What in the world is that?” Mandy asked. A strange, straw-colored beast with a giant hump on its back was being led by a blue-uniformed soldier.

“That's a dromedary,” Hawk said with a smile, glad to see some of her spunk returning. “A camel. They're one of the orneriest beasts you'll ever want to meet. Don't get too close,” he added with a twinkle in his eye. “They've been known to spit at people they don't like.”

“Now you're teasing me,” she said.

“He's not kidding,” James said. About that time a passerby was unlucky enough to provoke a demonstration of the camel's defense.

Mandy broke into giggles. She tried to stifle her laughter behind her hand, but to no avail.

“I think it's time we head back to the hotel,” Hawk said. “Someone's liable to think we're laughing at him instead of the camel. In Virginia City, that could be dangerous.” They headed back down the street.

It turned out to be a delightful day for Mandy, even with the cloud of unhappiness hanging over her head. They had an early supper and called it a night. She glanced discretely in Hawk's direction as they headed up the hotel stairs, but his features were inscrutable. Sighing to herself and wondering what he could be thinking, she shut the door to her room.

She undressed with little difficulty, brushed her hair, and readied herself for bed. She climbed beneath the covers but couldn't fall asleep. Her mind kept conjuring heated memories of the night before. She lay tossing and turning for
what seemed hours. Then she heard the unmistakable sound of a key turning in the lock.
Surely he wouldn't come back tonight!
Her heart pounded.

He strolled into her room as if he belonged there and, just for a moment, she imagined he did.

“Good evening, little one,” he drawled lazily. “You look as though you weren't expecting me.”

“ . . . Ex . . . pecting you!” Mandy stammered. “Of all the conceited! . . . How dare you come into my room!”

“You didn't think I went to all the trouble of missing the train for nothing, did you?” He casually removed his buckskin shirt, then sat down on the settee and unlaced his moccasins.

“But Hawk, you can't just expect me to . . . to . . . ”

“I thought I made myself perfectly clear last night. There is nothing to keep you from me now.” He removed his buckskin breeches and strolled immodestly toward her. She glanced away and felt the heat rush to her cheeks.

“Hawk, I know you don't believe me, but I don't do this kind of . . . ”

He turned her face with his hand and covered her mouth with his lips before she could finish. She struggled momentarily against his chest, trying to push him away before it was too late. He held her effortlessly, stroking her hair and running his hand down the line of her hip. He cupped her bottom with a wide palm and pulled her firmly the length of him, tugging her cotton garment over her head as he made room for himself on the mattress.

A shiver tingled her blood. She struggled harder, knowing she would soon be in his power, a part of her hoping he would win. As his tongue probed the recesses of her mouth,
she moaned softly.
How she wanted him!
He kissed her deeply, and she let him begin his magic, transporting her to unknown worlds.

She lost track of time, their lovemaking at first heated and surging, making her breathless with its passion, rendering her helpless, yet lending the courage to give of herself in return.

Slowly they spiraled down.

Then he took her again. Slowly, languorously, they reached an even higher plane, until at last they lay sated. She drifted to sleep within the curl of his powerful arm.

An incessant pounding awoke them. Hawk checked the time, muttered beneath his breath, and rolled from the bed.

“Julia, wake up,” James demanded. “We're going to make that train today—with or without Hawk!”

Mandy cringed. There was no way around it now. No way to keep James from guessing the truth. Hawk tossed her the thin silk wrapper and pulled on his breeches. “Julia, can you hear me? I'm coming in.” “Don't bother,” Hawk answered gruffly. “We'll be right out.” He caught her look of mortification, and cursed himself for a fool. At least James was the kind of friend who would understand—he hoped.

Within the hour they were packed and ready to leave. James barely spoke to Hawk, and Mandy felt herself blushing continually. How had she ever let this happen?

They boarded the stage and rode toward Reno in silence. In just a few hours they would arrive in Sacramento City. Her true identity would be discovered. She wrung her hands nervously.
What would Uncle William do? What would
Hawk say? What about the money he and James would lose?
She could just imagine how Hawk would handle being made a fool—especially by a woman. She groaned inwardly and glanced back out the window of the coach.

They arrived in Reno, which turned out to be just a small cluster of wooden buildings established by the Central Pacific Railroad in its mad dash eastward to span the continent. The Union Pacific was rushing westward at an equally breakneck pace, and if all went as planned, the two lines would eventually meet somewhere in the territories. The tracks had only been open over the Sierras for a few months.

The travelers boarded the train in thoughtful silence. The coach was plush and elegant, but it was the scenery that captured her attention.

Mandy thrilled as the train began its long ascent, winding higher and higher into the pine-covered mountains. They crossed spindly trestles over deep gorges and rounded curves overhanging sheer dropoffs thousands of feet deep. It was not a trip for the fainthearted. Mandy remembered the dime novels she had read. On her perilous journey west, she'd experienced adventure far greater than anything she'd ever read about. She'd never be sorry for that.