Dancing with the Devil

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Ance was on edge the next few days as the trio traveled. Audrey knew it was because of the close calls they'd had so far. It was clear the outlaw wanted to ensure he had his senses on high alert and no one else was able to get near Penelope. 

Audrey wished the man would relax--at least a little. Ance relaxed was grumpy enough; Ance tense was downright surly. Even Penelope seemed to have noticed the change in the man and begun giving him a much wider berth. She had even gone so far as to stop riding on Ance's horse and was now instead riding on with Audrey. 

"We'll camp here," Ance growled, pulling his horse to a stop beside the creek they'd been following for days. The water had been growing deeper and wider as they traveled and Audrey knew, based on the direction they were going, that they had to nearing Indian Territory if they hadn't entered it already. 

She wondered why Ance would bring them to such a dangerous land for safety but she didn't question him. He had done everything he could so far to keep them safe and they had lived this long... Audrey would trust him completely now. The man had certainly earned it. 

"It's earlier than when we usually stop," Audrey noted as she got down from the horses back and pulled Penelope off as well. 

Ance grunted as he pointed one thick finger up toward the sky and the dark clouds that were gathering quickly. "Would you rather ride through one hell of a rainstorm?" he snapped. 

"No," Audrey quickly replied with more than a little sarcasm in her voice. At the sound of her snappy tone, Ance raised a brow but said nothing before pulling all his gear off his mare and pack mule. Audrey did the same to her horse while Penelope walked to the creek bank and studied the rippling waves. 

"You and Penny go gather some berries," Ance's deep voice suddenly growled into her ear. 

Audrey's knees trembled as his warm breath caressed her. Before Audrey could form a response, Ance's calloused hand gently came to rest on her shoulder. 

Her stomach danced while her heart raced. The tips of his rough fingers danced across Audrey's skin and lightly grazed the bare skin of her collarbone. Audrey felt her womb clench deep within her. Dear Lord, what was happening to her? Desire flowing through her veins like blood and it took every ounce of control she had to keep from turning and throwing herself into Ance's strong arms. 

Those strong fingers grazed the tender flesh behind her ear and Audrey couldn't keep herself from moaning. Never had she felt a lust and want so powerful for any man but Alexander. 

Then, just as suddenly as he had begun to drive her wild, Audrey felt a small tug and Ance's warm touch was gone. Audrey turned on trembling legs just in time to see Ance tossing something too small for her to see away. 

"There was a bug," he mumbled. 

Audrey nibbled at her bottom lip as she studied his bearded face for any sign that he had been as aroused by the contact as she had. If Audrey was a betting woman, she would say that he had. She was nearly positive that the tops of his cheeks, above his beard, were heated, his pupils were dilated, his impossibly blue eyes even darker somehow than normal and his nostrils were flaring as he stared back down at her. 

"Um..thanks," Audrey stammered. 

"If you want a decent supper, you better go gather those berries." Was all Ance said in reply. 

To say that Audrey was feeling a bit off kilter as she and Penelope gathered their berries was an understatement. She was undeniably attracted to Ansel Adams. He was rude, bristly, possessive and a thieving, murdering outlaw...