Iris Johansen - Dark Rider

But it had to be done. She couldn't leave him here. "It won't be like the last time," she murmured as he reached deeper water and began to swim. "No one cared about you then. We're together now. I'll take care of you."

His ears were back, listening, but she could feel his muscles tense beneath her thighs. He sensed this was not like their other swims.

A quarter way to the ship.

He didn't know their destination. If she could keep him turned slightly away from the ship until the last minute…

She lifted her head and saw Danemount leaning over the rail, watching, his expression grim. But he always looked grim and intense.

No, that wasn't true. That night on the beach he had been sensual and free, and his smile had lit his face with pagan recklessness.

He had been happy because he had found her father.

Halfway to the ship.

She whispered to Kapu, "Just stay with me. We can get through this."

He neighed softly as if he understood.

Surely that was a good sign. It was possible he might have forgotten his experience on the ship. It had been two years, and she had made sure he had known only kindness since then.

Almost there.

She kept Kapu's head turned away as she angled toward the ship.

"That's right," Danemount said quietly. "Edge him just a little closer. The rope can't reach him yet."

What did he think she was doing? she thought in exasperation.

"Two feet closer. Just a yard or so more and the rope-"

Kapu jerked his head sideways, toward the ship.

Dear God!

She could feel his muscles bunch beneath her thighs as he saw the ship less than four yards away.

"It's all right," she said frantically. "It won't hurt you. I won't let it-"

He went wild! He screamed with rage and dived under the water, his legs thrashing wildly.

Cassie's mouth and nose filled with salt water as she fought her way off Kapu's back. She grabbed wildly for the reins.

Missed.

Reached again.

Leather! Her grasp closed on the reins as Kapu surfaced, pulling her with him.

"Drop the reins!" Lani's voice.

But she couldn't drop them. It was her only way of controlling Kapu. They would both drown if-

Blinding pain streaked through her shoulder. She had struck the side of the ship.

"Let go, dammit!" Not Lani, this time. Danemount, she realized. He was in the water, only a few feet away. "I have the ropes to fasten him. Let go of the reins before he kills you."

He had the pulley ropes. "Give me one of them," she gasped.

"Get away from him. I'll do it."

"He'll drown before you fasten both of them. You take one side and I'll take the other. We have to get him out of the water."

His eyes blazed at her. "Get him out of the water? Swim to the ladder and let them pull you up."

"We don't have time to argue. He may decide to strike away from the ship. Give me one of the ropes."

"Damn you!" He threw one of the pulley ropes to her. "Stay away from his legs."

She dived below the water, trying to avoid Kapu's flailing hooves. She could dimly discern the white canvas webbing of the halter. Where were the steel rings?

Her lungs were bursting as she fought to hold her breath. She could see Danemount on the other side of Kapu, his hair billowing about his face like seaweed. She felt a sudden surge of confidence. Together they could do it; together they could do anything.

The salt stung her eyes as she searched desperately for the ring that-there it was!

Kapu's hoof narrowly missed her head as she dived beneath his belly and passed the rope through the ring.

Hurry. She had to hurry. Her breath was almost gone.

Once through the ring and then back. Knot. The knot had to be very secure to hold his weight.

Done!

She fought to the surface.

No Danemount. Panic iced through her.

No, there he was, surfacing about ten feet away.

"Did you-" She broke into a fit of coughing.

He nodded as he drew in great gulps of air. "You?"

She nodded.

He waved his arm to the men on the deck. "Take him up."

She moved closer to Kapu. He was going to be so frightened. "It's all right. I'm here. It will be over in a moment."

"Stay away from him," Danemount said.

"I can't. He needs me."

"He'll need you more when he's pulled on board the ship." He added grimly, "He may explode once he's out of the water. We may all need you at that point."

He was right. It was more important that Kapu sense a friendly presence when he reached the deck of the ship. She struck out for the rope ladder.

Danemount reached the ship before her and was already climbing the ladder.

She heard Kapu's terrified squeal behind her as he was lifted from the water by the pulley. She forced herself not to look back as she climbed the ladder. Soon the stallion's ordeal would be over. They would be together on the ship, and she could comfort him and make him feel safe again. Dear God, she was weary. Now that the task was done, all the strength seemed to be seeping out of her.

Danemount reached the deck, turned, and lifted her the final two rungs. He was no longer the sleek, fastidious nobleman, she thought dully. His shirt and trousers were plastered to his lean body, and his long hair hung in wet strands about his face.

"All right?" he asked tersely. When she nodded, he didn't give her another look but instead went to the rail to watch Kapu's ascent.

"How's your shoulder?" Lani was there beside her, wrapping her in a blanket.

"My shoulder?" That's right, she had rammed it against the hull. Only now was she aware of a painful throbbing. "It's not bad."

"It doesn't seem to be bleeding anymore."

"Bleeding?" she repeated, startled.

"There was blood on the water when you surfaced. That's when Danemount dived overboard. He swims very well… for an Englishman." She added grudgingly, "And he has courage. Not many men would have been willing to risk being maimed by Kapu to fasten those ropes to the halter."

Cassie scarcely heard her. Kapu was being lowered to the deck. He wasn't struggling; he appeared frozen with terror. She dropped the blanket and hurried to the rail.

"Stay back," Danemount snapped. "Look at his eyes."

She could see what he meant. Kapu's eyes were glittering with panic. She stopped before the stallion, who was still suspended a few inches above the deck. "Put him down."

"Not yet."

"I said put him down. He's afraid. He hates this."

"He'll savage you."

"He won't hurt me. Not now." She reached out and touched Kapu's muzzle with a loving hand. "Is there a stall prepared for him?"

"Yes." He jerked his head toward an open doorway several yards down the deck. "There's a ramp leading down to the cargo hold."

"Then put him down and leave us alone. I'll lead him to the hold when he's ready."

For a moment Danemount didn't move. Then he motioned for the stallion to be lowered the final few inches. "Stand back and leave the halter on him until he's calmer."

She didn't answer as she stepped forward and buried her face in Kapu's mane. The horse was trembling but stayed still beneath her touch. She began to talk to him.

She was only vaguely aware of the others moving away.

"The worst part is over," she crooned. "It will never be this bad again. Soon I'll rub you down and feed you your grass. But not yet. We'll just stay here and get used to the feel of the ship and being together. You don't have to move until much later…"

Bradford glanced over his shoulder at the woman and the horse as he walked with Jared along the deck. "I think you should know that you're never going to get that stallion away from her. She's besotted with the animal."

"Do you think I don't realize that? She almost died for him today."

"I just thought I'd mention it. I didn't want you to have any false hopes. By the way, the two of you worked quite well together to save him. Does it foster a feeling of comradeship in your breast?"