As Leah served food, Wesley mapped out a plan to attack a pair of wagons that looked as if they belonged to settlers but were in truth carrying gold.
“The Dancer always knows of these things,” Revis said as he leaned back in his chair and lit a thin cigar. “And tell me, how’s he doing? He looked fit the last time I saw him.”
“You know the Dancer,” Wes said. “He’s healthy as always. He mentioned the last time you met, at his house.”
“At the party, yes.”
“He seemed to be angry about you and a young woman.”
Revis smiled. “His daughter, actually. Didn’t he mention that the young lady who was so taken with me was his beautiful daughter?”
Wesley grinned, too. “The Dancer failed to mention that little detail. Now if you’ll all excuse me I think I’ll tramp up the mountain to that pond I saw and take a bath.”
He stopped in front of Leah and ran a finger down her cheek. “Perhaps you, pretty lady, will join me.”
She gave him her sweetest smile. “I will indeed have to bathe now that you’ve touched me, but I’ll not bathe with you. That would defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it?”
She felt a little guilty at the look on Wesley’s face and at the way his hand dropped as if she were something he no longer wanted to touch. The cabin was silent as he left, except for a soft chuckle from Revis.
Later only Bud and Cal were still in the cabin, still eating at the table.
Leah removed her apron. “I’m going to Wesley. Will you see that Revis doesn’t come near us?”
Bud looked at his plate. “What is for supper tomorrow night?”
“Are you blackmailing me?” She smiled at them. “Do a good job tonight and I’ll show you what I can do with that brace of doves you brought in.” With only a bit of hesitation she kissed each one of them on the forehead. “Good night, my lovely princes.”
With that she was out the door and running through the dark forest, up the trail to the cabin where Wesley had stayed. Above that was the pond. The whole time she traveled, she tried to come up with a way to cool his anger. The more she thought about it the more she was sure that she should let her body do the talking.
She stood on a little rise for a moment, looking down at the pond, at Wesley’s long body swimming lazily about. The moonlight gleamed on his dark skin.
This wasn’t going to be nearly as difficult as she’d thought. Coughing a few times to get his attention, and when she was sure he was looking at her, slowly, she began to unbutton her dress. Easily, the stained, sturdy garment fell to the ground and what was left was a semitransparent chemise.
She walked toward him; he was treading water, watching her, the fabric clinging to her thighs with each step, and when she reached the foot of a tall tree she paused. Eyes locked with his, she unfastened the chemise and let it fall.
The last layer of clothing was a pair of drawstring pantalets, so sheer they left nothing to the imagination, and short, soft silk stays.
When Leah was a child, to escape her father’s wrath she’d learned to be very good at climbing trees and now, with agility, she pulled herself onto a long, heavy branch that overhung the pond. Balancing herself, she walked about halfway out. Then, looking down at Wesley, she removed her stays and dropped them to t
he ground, freeing her full breasts to the moonlight. Next she removed the clinging pantalets and tossed them down.
Nude, she didn’t look at her husband, but very calmly walked to the end of the branch, balanced for a moment, then made a perfect dive into the cool water, not two feet from him. When she came up, he caught her arm.
“Lord, woman,” he more breathed than said, “you do know how to get a man’s attention.”
Without another word he pulled her out of the water, half dragging her so that her legs floated out behind her, and led her to the shore. “Leah,” he whispered as he pulled her into his arms, their wet bodies sticking together as if they were one.
With hands on both sides of her face, he kissed her hungrily and Leah put her arms about his neck, knowing that this moment was worth all his anger.
His hands moved down her wet back, playing with the damp tendrils of her hair as his lips caressed her face, kissing her eyelids, her cheeks.
Suddenly he pushed her away. “Here, let me look at you.”
Color rose to Leah’s face. Perhaps he wouldn’t find her pleasing.
He held her hands, pulled her arms out to the side and let his eyes travel down her body. “When we get home I want to keep you in my house just as you are now. I’ll never let you wear any clothes.”
“Oh Wesley,” she said in a girlish giggle. “I’d freeze in the winter.”