Free Her Dearest Enemy by Elizabeth Lane Page A

could alsocause the needless loss of his leg—a risk Brandonwas not yet ready to take.
    Come morning, there were bound to be travelers onthe road. Dawn was hours away, but if he could just holdout until then, everything would be fine. Everything…
    Harriet was watching him with anxious eyes, theirlong, black lashes beaded with moisture. She lookedpretty against the softly falling snow, he thought. Alldamp and fresh and tousled, her face a mere handbreadthfrom his own.
    Someone—for the life of him, he couldn’t rememberwho—had once told him that all women were beautifulin the dark. But Harriet, he mused, would be at hermost beautiful in dawn’s rosy sunlight, her dark hairspreading over the pillow like a silken fan, her cheeksflushed with the memory of last night’s loving…
    Brandon jerked himself fully awake. Hellfire, whatwas he thinking? Harriet Smith, the sister of the no-account who’d destroyed his daughter’s life, was the lastwoman whose face he would want to see on the pillownext to his own. She was the enemy—a prissy, irritating,mule-headed, blackmailing bundle of trouble!
    So why did he find himself gripped by the totallyinsane desire to kiss her?
    “How are we going to get out of this mess, Brandon?”Her voice, though strained, was a velvet whisper,warm and breathy against his ear.
    “Right now, all we can do is wait.” He spoke witheffort, trying to make sure the words didn’t soundslurred. “Sooner or later, somebody will come along,and even if they don’t, the sun will come up. The catwill go home to bed, and it’ll be safe for you to gofor help.”
    She frowned up at him, creating a tiny furrow betweenher brows. “Maybe I should go now. You’rehurt and cold and not getting any stronger.”
    “Too dangerous.” His arm tightened around hershoulders, as if to keep her with him. “If somethinghappened to you out there, we’d be even worse offthan we are now.”
    “You’re right, I suppose.” She sighed and nestledcloser against him, needing his human warmth as heneeded hers. “Besides, how could I leave you herealone? You could pass out and fall over in the water.”
    “The rope.” Brandon’s vision blurred, then clearedagain. “You could tie it under my arms and wrap itaround the axle…” He could not put words togetherto finish the sentence. Lord, was he bleeding to deathdown there under the water? Would this be his lastchance on earth to hold a beautiful woman in his arms?
    “Brandon?” Her face was close to his, her lips softand ripe and inviting. “What’s happening to you?Are you all right?”
    From high in the ledges, the cry of the golden catshattered the darkness. She shrank against him, instinctivelyseeking protection. All he had to do wastighten his arm and lean forward.
    The kiss went through him like the first lusciousjolt of warm peach brandy. He felt the flicker of resistanceas he pulled her tight against his chest; butit was only a flicker. With a little half sob, she meltedagainst him. Her arms found their trembling wayaround his neck. Her fingers tangled in his hair, pullinghis head down to hers as her mouth softened beneathhis like wild honeycomb, woman-sweet on thetip of his tongue. Her lips parted hungrily, wanting,demanding more. “Oh…” she murmured, strainingagainst him. “Oh, Brandon…”
    Those were the last words he heard as he tumbledinto darkness. His last conscious thought was thatthis was indeed a lovely way to die.
    Harriet caught his weight as he slumped forward,his eyes closed, his breathing shallow. Her pulse explodedinto panic as she realized what must be happeningto him. Why hadn’t she realized he was losingblood down there, under the water? No wonder he’dlooked so pale and drawn.
    Laying him back against the rock, she plunged herarms into the creek and groped her way down his leg.By the time she reached the trapped ankle, her chestwas in the water, but her probing fingers found exactlywhat she’d been hoping not to find—the