Savage Desires (1st in Savage Series)

Chapter Three

Two weeks, Hawke helped Nathan build the cabin and barn. Two of the longest and most trying weeks of Hawke's life so far. Hawke had always had excellent self control and was good at controlling his temper and keeping his emotions in check but being around Nathan was nearly more than Hawke could handle. Wolf had grown tired of the man as well and no longer accompanied Hawke when he came here to work.

Hawke had hoped that he would be able to see the woman again whom Nathan had told him was named Lily but so far she had remained in the hotel whenever Hawke and Nathan were in town and she never came out to the cabin.

It was early morning and Hawke was just approaching Nathan's cabin which they had nearly completed when he heard Nathan's voice come from inside the cabin. Hawke looked around for signs of an extra horse but all he saw was Nathan's brown mare. Who was the arrogant, jackass of a man talking to?

"I don't like the thought of being this far out in the wilderness." a feminine voice said and Hawke was fairly certain that he recognized the voice as Lily's. He cursed at the way his heart reacted to the sound of her soft voice. She was a married woman after all and would never be his.

"Why not, my darling?" Nathan asked and Hawke could hear the coldness in his tone.

"You know why." Lily replied and this time Hawke could hear fear.

"You are my wife. As long as you obey me, you have nothing to fear."

"Hello." Hawke called out as he jumped from his horse. He did not like the way Nathan was making threats, as a matter of fact it made his blood boil. Nathan came out of the cabin quickly.

"Hello, Hawke. It's a nice day today. I believe we can get the rest of this finished up today and then we can haul the furniture and things out here tomorrow." he said. His smile was friendly but his eyes were suspicious. "How long have you been out here anyway?" he asked.

"I just arrived." Hawke replied deciding that a confrontation with Nathan would do no good. Lily was his wife and therefore Hawke had no say in her treatment.

"You've already met my wife but allow me to introduce you both again." Nathan said after a few seconds of silence. "Lily, come out and join us darling."

Hawke's eyes immediately went to the cabin door as Lily stepped out. She was just as beautiful and scared as he remembered. He noticed that despite the heat of the day she was wearing a dress with long sleeves and a high neckline. There was a faint shadow on her pale cheek that looked like a healing bruise. Her dark eyes locked with his for several seconds before she quickly looked down at her feet.

"Nice to meet you again, ma'am." Hawke said. Lily knew better than to look back at him. He was more handsome than any other man she had ever seen and there was something in those intense green eyes when he looked at her that sent her heart into an impossibly fast rhythm.

"Nice to meet you again as well, Hawke." she said and then she cleared her throat when she realized how raspy her voice seemed to have become. What was it about this man that had her body reacting so?

"Hawke, can I get you to do me a favor?" Nathan asked, not noticing the attraction and sparks that were flying between his wife and the man he had begun to think of as a friend.

"What?" Hawke asked. Nathan's arrogant tone annoyed him to no end. It was like the man thought that his every word was a treasure and the entire world should simply fall to its knees and obey him. Obeying anyone wasn't something Hawke normally did but to learn more about Lily, he would do what he had to do.

"Take my wife and horse into town and then bring my horse back along with some more nails." Nathan's words came out more like an order than a request but Hawke did not mind. He was finally going to be able to speak with the dark eyed beauty who had been occupying his every thought for weeks.