Part 24 (1/2)

”I wasn't angry, Smokey. I was flabbergasted. I thought you told me at Willa's that you'd never fenced before, and I come in to find you giving Hawk the duel of his life.”

Smokey frowned at him, trying to recall what she had said.

”I've been fencing since I was a child What I'd never done before was go for a person's face.”

Dallas' eyes slid shut with remembrance. That was what she had said, but she'd been a bit fl.u.s.tered and talking very fast; he had completely misunderstood her.

”No wonder you didn't believe that I'd escaped him.”

'You can't know how I've regretted my words and actions that day.” Dallas' voice held pain.

”It's all right,” Smokey told him before he could berate himself any longer. Dallas stared at her for a quiet moment.

”Did he hurt you, Smokey?”

”Not physically. He planned on it, but I escaped” Dallas watched as she wrapped her arms around herself as though cold, and wished he hadn't asked ”He was so big; he loomed over me,” Smokey continued softly, speaking to the fire. ”He said if I didn't put the dress on, hewouldput.i.tonforme.” Smokey shook her head ”I couldn't let him do that, so I felt I had no choice. I felt so cheap in that dress.”

Smokey had begun to tremble. Suddenly Dallas, no longer able to keep his distance, was there, his arms lovingly surrounding her. He held her for a moment and spoke gently.

”I'm sorry I asked you. Don't think about it anymore. He can't get you now, and even if he tried, you'd protect us.”

Smokey's surprised gaze flew to Dallas' face. He was grinning at her, and Smokey, forgetting the pirate, laughed with delight. Dallas joined her and snuggled her against his chest.

The silence in the next few minutes was warm and easy. After just a moment of quiet, Smokey continued to talk.

201.

”I was really anxious on the docks. When you wouldn't let go of me, I pictured Haamich Wynn coming and killing you in his rage. I couldn't stand the thought, and so to save you, I ran away.

”I'm sorry I threw myself at you that way,” Smokey went on. She felt Dallas' chest move. ”Are you laughing?” Smokey s.h.i.+fted to see his face again.

”Yes, I am. The woman of my dreams comes out of the dark, kisses me in a way that makes my blood boil, and then apologizes for it.”

”You didn't feel used?”

”Definitely not. I did wonder, however, where you learned to kiss like that.”

”I don't know; it was my first time.” Smokey didn't go on to tell him that she thought it was always like that when a woman was in love.

Dallas s.h.i.+fted then and could have easily kissed her. In fact, if either of them moved their heads, their lips would come together.

”You could kiss me again,” he told her softly as he caressingly studied every detail of her face ”You would like that?” Smokey's voice was just as soft. He was the kind of man a girl dreams of. Warm and caring for those he loved and with a deep love for Christ. Smokey was finding it hard to believe that he really cared for her.

”Oh, yes,” Dallas told her. ”I would like it very much, and if you kiss me, then I'll know I'm not pus.h.i.+ng you where you don't want to go.”

”And if I don't kiss you?”

”I'll wait until you're ready.”

Smokey's smile was so tender that Dallas' heart melted Smokey reached up and touched the gold loop in his ear before her hand went to the back of his head and she brought his lips to hers.

The kiss was sweet with yearning and pa.s.sion, and when Dallas could speak, he whispered, ”I love you.”

”Oh, Dallas,” Smokey breathed ”Do you mean that?”

202.

”Every word I have for a long time, but you're such a will-o'the-wisp that I could never keep you with me long enough to tell you.”

”I love you too,” Smokey said before her small hands came up and gently cradled his face. She'd never had someone care for her romantically in the way Dallas seemed to care for her now. She found herself feeling so cherished that it took her breath away. It certainly didn't hurt that Dallas was so handsome.

Smokey thought she could stare at his face forever. She was suddenly so overcome with joy that she reached up and kissed his chin.

'You missed,” Dallas teased her.

Smokey shook her head ”I never miss; I was aiming for your chin.”

”Ah. Then allow me to aim for your mouth.”

Smokey chuckled, but the sound was cut off as Dallas kissed her again. Neither one knew it could be like this, so sure and so in love. Wrapped in each other's arms, they continued to talk for the next hour. Smokey was just starting to get sleepy when their host knocked discreetly and came back in.

Dallas removed his arms, but took Smokey's hand in his own and stayed beside her on the sofa.

”I can hear Da.r.s.ey pacing in his room, so I thought I'd better come down in order to rescue him.” Brandon had taken a chair by the fire and now sat grinning at the couple on the sofa.

”You look as though you've ironed out your differences.”

Dallas and Smokey smiled contentedly in return, and Brandon felt a little surprised that they didn't tell him they were getting married ”It's not very easy for me, but we've talked some about Haamlch Wynn,” Smokey told Brandon. ”Will I have to tell the magistrate everything that happened?'*

”Probably, yes. I know it won't be easy, but we don't want to do anything that will give Lord Lynne a loophole.”

”What did you call him?” Smokey wanted to know.

203.

”Lord Lynne. He's the Baron of Farmington, and his English name is Lord Darrell Lynne. Why do you ask?”

”During the second capture I heard one of his men say his name, but I thought he said Lordlin and was referring to someone else. It never occurred to me that Haamich Wynn wasn't his real name.”

Brandon's look was grim. ”We've known for some time that he was a peer of the realm with an a.s.sumed name.”

”So you've known all along who he was, you just couldn't catch him?” Smokey asked ”Not really. But it was coming quickly. You see, he hung himself with his own method A group of us met together about six weeks ago in order to compare notes. Lynne hit only s.h.i.+ps owned by someone against whom he had a personal vendetta. He's never liked me, although I'm not sure why, and it was the same with everyone else who'd had s.h.i.+ps attacked ”When a few names were mentioned and investigated, it didn't take long for Lord Lynne to stand out. He's been sloppy lately; he hasn't even been pirating, just roaming the seas.”

”He was looking for me,” Smokey put in and both men stared at her.

”He told you this?”

”Yes. He said he'd been following me for quite some time.”

She s.h.i.+vered a little, and Dallas put his arm back around her. ”Can you tell me what he wanted?” Brandon asked carefully.