Silken Savage Read Online Free Page A

have gravitated toward the heat his body had offered.
    Tanya was mortified. Talk about embracing your enemy …literally! He gave her a level, measuring look, awaiting her reaction, which was not long in coming.
    First she turned a delightful shade of bright pink and immediately tried to push herself away from him. With his arm clasped about her shoulder and her leg caught between his, he held her easily, watching her struggle for a few seconds. Then she quieted, and he could see her thinking the problem over in her mind, her straight pearly teeth worrying her lower lip. He nearly laughed aloud as she very gingerly tried to untangle her limbs from his, her small white hand grazing his thigh as she tried to get him to move his leg without actually touching him. His chest shook with repressed laughter as she finally gave up.
    Resting her forehead on his shoulder, she sighed in defeat. “Will you please let me up, you big bronze brute?”
    He hid a smile and lifted her chin in his palm, tilting her face to his. With a look that said he knew he had her at his mercy and could do with her whatever he wished, he released her. He severed the thong that bound her to him and led her into the trees for her morning nature call, politely turning his back. Then he threw her some more dried meal and meat for breakfast and indicated she was to retrieve the blankets and follow him.
    When his big black horse had been tended to, he gave Tanya her ration of water and they mounted. The rest of the band followed suit.
    A quick look around at the other women made Tanya realize how fortunate she had been thus far. Suellen, Melissa and Nancy all looked half dead. Surprisingly, Rosemary was starting to rally. Having survived the previous night, she was coming out of her stupor and seemed more aware of what was going on around her.
    An hour into their ride, the sun was up, and Tanya was trying to get her bearings. Now that darkness did not cover the landscape, she saw that they were indeed in the foothills. The sun was behind them; the mountains ahead. On the top of a rise, Tanya twisted about, trying to memorize landmarks and mark the direction of their travel in relationship to the probable location of the wagon train. A smart slap on her thigh brought her attention to her captor’s face. He glared at her in disapproval, fully aware of what she was thinking. A sharp, negative shake of his head told her to forget all ideas of escape.

Chapter 2
    THEY REACHED the Indian encampment just before dusk. In the fading light, Tanya saw what looked like a city of tents spread out in the secluded mountain valley.
    At the edge of the encampment, Tanya’s captor halted his party of braves. Looping a length of leather about Tanya’s neck to fashion a collar and leash, he pushed her from his horse to fall to the ground at his mount’s hooves. With a tug at his end, he urged her to her feet.
    Fear and anger warred in her golden eyes, making them blaze. He felt them shooting darts into his straight bronze back as he turned from her and rode proudly through the maze of
tipis,
his leonine captive in tow.
    Never would Tanya forget the humiliation of that trip through the avenue of
tipis
to the center of the village. Forced to trot to keep up with the pace of his horse, it was difficult to maintain her dignity. As they wound their way past the skin-covered conical structures, a crowd gathered about them to welcome the returning braves and torment their victims.
    Tanya stiffened when the first red-brown hands reached out to touch her pale skin. Vaguely she heard Nancy, behind her whimper, and Melissa cry out in alarm. More hands reached out, pulling at her arms, pinching, tugging at her tangled hair. Jostled and pushed about, Tanya struggled to keep her balance. Hands struck out at her; feet deliberately thrust into her path, threatened to trip her. A sea of taunting faces loomed closer.
    An inner strength she never knew she had stiffened her spine and held the tears