Free Wild Desire by Cassie Edwards

alone,” Stephanie said, slowly standing, though wobbly.
    When Damon did not venture to make a move away from her, Stephanie leveled the derringer at him. “ Now , Damon, or by God I will pull the trigger,” she said, her voice a low hiss.
    â€œI think you would,” Damon said. He took slow steps away from her. He held his arms out away from himself, as a way to show her that she had gotten her message across. “Just lower that thing, Stephanie. I meant you no harm. I was just havin’ a little fun.”
    â€œYou call that fun?” Stephanie said tersely. She motioned with the firearm. “Go on. I’ll take my leave only once I know you are back inside your house. I can see now why Runner shows such little trust in you. You have surely given him and the Navaho many reasons not to.”
    â€œWhat I do ain’t none of your business,” Damon said, stopping to leer at her. “And don’t you go tellin’ Adam what happened here. We’re partners. We’ve got things to do.”
    â€œWhat the hell’s going on?” Adam said as he ran toward Stephanie. “Is this why you asked me to stay in your house while you had something to get done in the corral?” He gasped as he discovered the derringer being held at Stephanie’s side. He gave it a lingering look, then gazed at his sister and saw the fear and anger in her eyes as she stared over at Damon, then he turned toward Damon himself. “Is my sister that business you spoke about? She’d not have her gun drawn on you if you hadn’t caused her trouble.”
    â€œLike I told her,” Damon said, shrugging, “I was just havin’ a little fun. I see now that she ain’t got no sense of humor.”
    â€œSense of humor?” Stephanie said, her voice breaking. “Adam, he would have raped me if I hadn’t drawn the gun on him. His . . . his . . . filthy hand was already up my skirt. He . . . forced . . . me to kiss him. He even forced me to the ground.”
    â€œIt’s only because I found her kissin’ the Injun,” Damon said, again shrugging. “I just thought she might share some of that lovin’ with me after Runner left.”
    Adam looked quickly over at Stephanie. “You were kissing Runner?” he asked, slowly smiling.
    Stephanie lowered her eyes, her cheeks hot with a blush. “Well, yes,” she murmured. Then she raised angry eyes at Damon again. “Runner and I were kissing because I allowed it. As for Damon . . .”
    Adam’s heart was hammering inside his chest, but not because of being repelled over Damon having taken advantage of his sister. Adam saw that his plan to see Stephanie and Runner together had begun to happen. He wanted to shout hallelujah, but instead had to pull himself together and give Damon the scolding that was expected of him.
    â€œDamon, I’d think twice before doing a crazy stunt like that again,” Adam said sternly. “If not, you’ll have me to answer to.”
    Adam smiled slyly as he looked over his shoulder at Stephanie, then back at Damon. “But I think my sister can take care of herself, don’t you?” he drawled. “You see, Damon, there’s something I forgot to tell you about my sister. She might be petite and pretty, but she’s been taught not to let any man mess with her if she doesn’t want him to.”
    Adam looked over his shoulder at Stephanie. “Ain’t that right, sis?” he said, laughing softly.
    Stephanie smiled sweetly as she slipped her derringer back into its holster at her waist.

Chapter 8

    Shall I love you like the fire, love,
With furious heat and noise,
To waken in you all love’s fears,
And little of love’s joys?
    â€”R. W. R AYMOND

    As the heat of the day diminished with the setting of the flaming sun, a welcome breeze sprang up. The branches of ocotillo bushes stirred, as if to beckon night in.
    A shadowy