Page 59 of Cutter’s Lady

Leslie grinned, idly curling a few of his chest hairs around her finger. “My pleasure.”

“I’ve wanted this since I first met you. That night in Zymchek’s Bar I kept wondering how it would feel to kiss someone as beautiful, as special as you. I kept wondering how you looked without any clothes. How you’d feel beneath me.” He was silent for a moment. “But I kept fighting it all the way. Weird, how you run from what you want most.”

“You think that’s why we’ve fought?” Leslie asked doubtfully.

“I guess. It’s so strong that it has to come out some way, if not in passion, then in battle.”

“Interesting theory.” Leslie brushed a kiss across his skin. “I would have said we couldn’t get along together except in bed.”

“As long as you’re in my bed, I suspect we’ll get along just fine out of it, too.” He chuckled. “Hell, I plan to take up so much energy with you that we won’t have any left to quarrel.”

Leslie smiled, but there was a curious hint of sadness deep inside her. She pushed it away. She wouldn’t let her reason intrude on the beauty of this time with Cutter. For once, her emotions were going to hold sway. Cutter got out of bed and crossed to the bag where he had been keeping all their trash for the duration of the trip. He threw the condom away in it. “I’ve really got to throw this away somewhere in the camp today.” He shook his head.

Leslie let out a laugh that turned into a yawn. Cutter got back in bed and she cuddled up to him sleepily. “I have a question.”

“What?”

“What’s your first name?”

His chest moved beneath her in silent laughter. “You wouldn’t want to know.”

“Yes, I would. Come on, tell me.”

“No way. It’d spoil a beautiful relationship.”

“Cutter…”

“Absolutely not.”

Leslie rose up on her elbows, crossing her arms on his chest. “I have ways of making you talk.” She raised an eyebrow saucily.

“Never.” She nibbled at his earlobe, and he groaned comically. “Stop.”

“Tell me.”

“Convince me.” Her tongue teased around his ear. “You’re very persuasive,” he breathed.

“Try this.” She moved to his other ear.

“Promise you won’t run if I tell you?” Cutter asked.

“I promise.”

“And you won’t laugh.”

“Hmmm…” Leslie pretended to give it some deep thought and Cutter laughed. “I promise.”

He hesitated for a moment. Then he moved swiftly, flipping Leslie over onto her back and pulling her under him. “Some other time.” He kissed her until she was breathless, and what she had asked him no longer seemed very important. She curled her arms around his neck and returned his kiss.

There was a scraping sound across the room, and someone cleared his throat. “Perdóname.”

Cutter whirled around. Leslie blushed up to her hairline. Velasquez stood in the doorway, bathed in sunlight. Cutter moved in front of Leslie, flipping up the bedroll to cover her. Leslie clutched it to her and closed her eyes. Cutter and the other man exchanged a few sentences in Spanish, and Velasquez left the room.

Cutter turned back to Leslie and stroked a hand down her hair. “Get up. We need to dress and get ready to move. Mora’s here, and he wants to see us.”

***

They washed and dressed hurriedly, and Cutter rolled up their sleeping bags into a bundle. Leslie picked up her boots to pull them on, but Cutter stopped her. He took the boots from her and turned them upside down and shook them. Leslie gave him a puzzled look.