Reckless Love

"I'll be as gentle as possible with him," Ty said in a low voice, taking Ja

"And if he can't accept capture," Ty continued, stroking Ja

She drew a shaking breath. "Thank you, but I already knew those things about you or I'd never have spoken in the first place and offered to help you."

"Then is it money you want? I don't have much, but I'll be glad to-"

"No," she interrupted swiftly. "I'd never take money for Lucifer. I want you to promise that you'll let me try to gentle him first. I couldn't bear to see him brought down by a rope and broken by force."

Ty thought of the stallion's raw power and his hard, flashing hooves. "No. It's much too dangerous."

For a long moment Ja

Finally the lightning barrage ended, leaving only a hard, steady rain. Ty looked over at Ja

"Ja

No answer came.

Ty pulled on the rain poncho and walked from the protection of the ledge. If he had been camping with one of his brothers, he wouldn't have gone more than ten feet before relieving himself. As it was, he went considerably farther.

When he came back Ja

Chapter Fifteen

The cold rain made Ja

Not even Ty MacKenzie.

When the clouds finally dissolved into streamers of mist buffeted by a playful wind, Ja

And Ja

Hie cold light of a new moon gave small illumination and less comfort to Ja

In the darkness before dawn, it took Ja

Canteen and knife on her hip, dry matches in her shirt pocket, Ja

Because the wind was from the north, only the hardest gusts reached her. She thought longingly of the hot spring in her winter camp, and of sunlight and of beds fragrant with pifion. Then she thought of the warmth of Ty's big body, and the sweet friction of his chest against her back, his thighs against her thighs, his arms like warm steel around her as he hung on to Zebra's long mane.

The curious, fluttering warmth returned to the pit of J a

After a time Ja

Ty slept until the wind swept the sky free of clouds, allowing the moon's narrow silver smile to illuminate the land.

"How about it, girl?" Ty said very softly. "You afraid of the dark?"

Zebra tugged impatiently against the hand restraining her nose. She wanted to be free to go down the trail.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Which will you go after, Ja

Zebra snorted.

"Well, I'll tell you, girl," Ty said, swinging onto the mare's warm back, "I hope it's Ja

Ty's voice faded. He didn't know what he was going to do when he found Ja

"Hell, why didn't she at least ride you?" muttered Ty to the horse. "Did she figure your tracks wouldn't wash out well enough? Or did she figure you would run off and I'd follow and miss her tracks completely?"

Zebra didn't even pause at the sound of her rider's muttered questions. She picked her way down the slope with the swift, clean poise that only a mustang could achieve over the rugged land.

Ty didn't bother trying to guide Zebra. He didn't know where he was going. Besides, in the dark the mare's senses were much more acute than his own. His only advantage over the mustang was his brain.

Some advantage, Ty told himself sardonically. I can't even outwit a slip of a girl.

The thought didn't improve his disposition. Nor did the fact that every time he closed his eyes, he saw the utter stillness of Ja

Hellfire and damnation, Ty seethed silently. What kind of a man does she think I am to let her risk her scrawny little ass fighting that stud?

A vivid memory of Ja