Charlene Sands Read Online Free

full well she would do no such thing. “And you’ll be sorry you did. Then again,” he added, soft as a summer breeze, “maybe you’d like it, Emmy.”
    She turned her back on him again then, away from the comfort of his arms, relying solely on the heat of the blanket to see her through the night. “It’s Emma Marie,” she said before she closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep.
     
    Bodine slept for a time, his slumber light, halfway between restful and alert. It was a matter of survival and he’d learned to sleep with one eye nearly open. As a child, running away from home with Josh to join the army meant sleepless nights more often than not. They’d taken turns, watching out for each other when closing in along Confederate lines. Two young boys, dressed in their army blues had found adventure during the Great War, but that notion had soon faded as fast as the western sunset. They’d seen fellow soldiers’ blood run red and deep, dozens of bodies lying wasted upon the earth, the destruction and pain they’d witnessed marking them for life. It hardened them, making them realize strength of body and fortitude of mind meant survival.
    It wasn’t until Captain Miles Rourke had taken both in, making them his personal errand boys, sharing meals in his canvas tent, teaching them basic regimental rules of combat, telling stories of his homeland in Ireland, that Bodine actually got a full and restful night of sleep.
    That had been a long time ago.
    And now Josh was gone.
    Bodine felt a slice of knifing guilt. Josh, his twin, had been innocent. He’d chosen to settle down with a woman, giving up his adventuresome life to father a child and raise a small herd of cattle. He’d wanted no more of the vagabond life. He’d given up bounty hunting with Bodine years ago, only to get shot on the streets of town in cold blood.
    He would see to it that Rusty Metcalf paid for that killing. He wouldn’t let up until the murderer was pushing daisies. He’d be sure to avenge his brother’s death or die trying.
    Bodine had bounty hunting in his blood. He’d never softened, hadn’t met a man, woman or child yet who could change him. And now he was stuck with this slip of a girl, who insisted on curling her petite body into his until his groin twitched through his buckskin pants.
    It’d been a while since he’d been with a woman. His body cried out for relief, was all. Eloisa Rourke’s words flashed into his mind, the reminder always there, “Unharmed and untouched. ”
    He’d been commissioned to keep the girl safe. He took his responsibility to heart. He’d protect her. And he certainly wouldn’t have a notion to touch her. But he was fully male, long in need of a woman. No able-bodied man would be completely immune to a female curving her body into the hollow of his own, teasing him with soft, sweet-smelling hair and beguiling little sounds uttered from her blissful sleep.
    Bodine let go a deep sigh, resigned to warming her lithe body, keeping her close by. He swung his arm up and around, tucking her safely in, while he willed the twitching in his pants to finally fall to defeat.
    He dozed for a short time that way, but a menacing sound brought him from hazy to alert instantly. He lifted his head and listened, cocking his gun, his ears keen on noises off in the distance that came closer, and closer yet.
    Bodine removed himself from the blanket carefully, watching for Emmy’s reaction. She slept. And he wanted her to keep on sleeping. He’d investigate the noises without waking her. She’d be safer here than with him. The last thing he needed was for whoever was out there to find their campsite. From his war days, Bodine had learned that surprise stacked the odds in the surpriser’s favor.
    He left their small camp and headed toward the sound of hoofbeats.
     
    Emma woke with a start. Something was amiss. She felt the gnawing truth of it deep down in her bones even before she realized that Bodine was no longer