Free Savage Desire (Savage Lagonda 1) by Constance O'Banyon

had said the words he had wanted so badly to hear. He traced the outline of her beautiful face with his finger. He called on all of his strength, and tried to quench the ache within his body.
    He wanted all of her. If she only knew how much he loved her and how much she ruled his heart. He would be her slave forever.
    He wrestled with his conscience. Should he take her? She was an innocent virgin, that he knew. He knew he was the first man ever to kiss her. Could he send her away? It would be wrong to make love to her and then leave her. Perhaps he would even get her with child. Then what would her life be like when she returned to her family?
    He crushed her in his arms. How would he ever be able to give her up? He wanted to keep her with him forever, forsaking his home and his responsibilities. Tajarez knew he would never be able to take her home to the Seven Cities. He had made a promise long ago that he would guard the secret of the hidden valley from the white man.
    She made him forget his obligations, he thought angrily. He shoved her roughly away from him and rose to his feet, not daring to look into her green eyes. He must get her to the fort quickly. She was a danger to him. For a while he had almost forgotten he was on a sacred quest and was charged not to lie with a woman until it was completed.
    Mara blinked the tears from her eyes and watched as he walked away from her. She was stinging from his rejection of her. Had he thought her without shame? Did he think she was a loose woman without any morals? She did not feel shame at what they had shared. How could she be ashamed of the love she felt for him?
    She had no experience of the love shared between a man and a woman, but she was almost sure he had felt something for her. She raised her hand to her lips that were still soft from his kisses. Suppose he had a wife! That must be the reason he had rejected her. She had never considered that possibility.
    Her heart felt as though it had been ripped from her body. Of course he was married. It was not likely a man such as he would be unmarried. Mara felt herself envying the unknown Indian woman who was his wife.
    She had been very forward and had practically thrown herself at him. Perhaps he thought she was always forward with men.
    Her newfound love had nowhere to go, and still it would not die. Mara knew she would love him forever.
    It appeared to her that his cold contempt for her had returned. Her heart felt bruised and battered by the way he tried to avoid contact with her.
    Tajarez wrapped the fish he had caught earlier in leaves, and placed them among the smoldering embers of the campfire. Then he left her, riding away on his horse.
    That night Mara lay on the fur robe alone. She tried to sleep, but could not. She did not know he was just outside the cave, guarding the entrance. She kept remembering the feel of his lips on hers, and the way her body had responded to his touch.
    The next morning Mara walked out into the morning sunlight and found him loading his packhorse. If only he would look at her, she would have tried to explain to him how she felt. She did not want him to think she would let just any man kiss her, but there was no way she could communicate this to him.
    Tajarez mounted his horse and held his hand out to her. He saw the hurt in her eyes and felt her pain. Swinging her onto the horse behind him, he thought it would be far better to hurt her a little now than to hurt her more later on. He urged his horse forward, wishing it did not have to be so.
    They rode all day, stopping only long enough to eat and drink. He continued to ignore her, causing her spirits to sink lower with each passing mile. When nightfall came, he did not slow his pace.
    Mara was weary, and leaned her head against his back. He pulled the horse up sharply and dismounted, spreading the robe on the ground for her to lie down on. Not bothering to light a fire, he handed her a piece of the dried meat, which she could not eat, so