Free Midnight Rainbow by Linda Howard

of the way,” he said, turning her around and starting her on her way with a swat on her bottom before he turned his attention to taking down their shelter.

CHAPTER FOUR
    J ANE STOPPED , her hand going to her bottom. Awakened now, and irritated by his light, casual slap, she turned. “You didn’t have to do that!”
    â€œDo what?” he asked with total disinterest, already busy removing the tarp from the top of the lean-to and rolling it up to replace it in his backpack.
    â€œHit me! A simple ‘wake-up’ would have sufficed!”
    Grant looked at her in disbelief. “Well, pardon me all to hell,” he drawled in a sarcastic tone that made her want to strangle him. “Let me start over. Excuse me, Priscilla, but nappy time is over, and we really do have to—hey! Damn it!” He ducked in time, throwing his arm up to catch the force of her fist. Swiftly he twisted his arm to lock his fingers around her wrist, then caught her other arm before she could swing at him with it. She’d exploded into fury, hurling herself at him like a cat pouncing. Her fist had hit his arm with enough strength that she might have broken his nose if the blow had landed on target. “Woman, what in hell is wrong with you?”
    â€œI told you not to call me that!” Jane raged at him, spitting the words out in her fury. She struggled wildly, trying to free her arm so she could hit him again.
    Panting, Grant wrestled her to the ground and sat astride her, holding her hands above her head, and this time making damned certain that her knee wouldn’t come anywhere near him. She kept wriggling and heaving, andhe felt as if he were trying to hold an octopus, but finally he had her subdued.
    Glaring at her, he said, “You told me not to call you Pris.”
    â€œWell, don’t call me Priscilla, either!” she fumed, glaring right back.
    â€œLook, I’m not a mind reader! What am I supposed to call you?”
    â€œJane!” she shouted at him. “My name is Jane! Nobody has ever called me Priscilla!”
    â€œAll right! All you had to do was tell me! I’m getting damned tired of you snapping at my ankles, understand? I may hurt you before I can stop myself, so you’d better think twice before you attack again. Now, if I let you up, are you going to behave?”
    Jane still glared at him, but the weight of his knees on her bruised arms was excruciating. “All right,” she said sullenly, and he slowly got up, then surprised her by offering his hand to help her up. She surprised herself by taking it.
    A sudden twinkle lit the dark gold of his eyes. “Jane, huh?” he asked reflectively, looking at the surrounding jungle.
    She gave him a threatening look. “No ‘Me Tarzan, you Jane’ stuff,” she warned. “I’ve heard it since grade school.” She paused, then said grudgingly, “But it’s still better than Priscilla.”
    He grunted in agreement and turned away to finish dismantling their shelter, and after a moment Jane began helping. He glanced at her, but said nothing. He wasn’t much of a talker, she’d noticed, and he didn’t improve any on closer acquaintance. But he’d risked his own life to help her, and he hadn’t left her behind, even though Jane knew he could have moved a lot faster, and with a lot less riskto himself, on his own. And there was something in his eyes, an expression that was weary and cynical and a little empty, as if he’d seen far too much to have any faith or trust left. That made Jane want to put her arms around him and shield him. Lowering her head so he wouldn’t be able to read her expression, she chided herself for feeling protective of a man who was so obviously capable of handling himself. There had been a time in her own life when she had been afraid to trust anyone except her parents, and it had been a horrible, lonely time. She knew what fear was,