“I had to swear loyalty to Ethan and his church.” She held out her arms and turned, displaying the robe she was wearing.
“What’s with the new threads?”
“They took all my clothes.”
His gaze dropped to where the robe parted at her cle**age. “So you’re not wearing anything underneath?”
“Not a stitch.”
His body reacted to the image his mind so readily supplied, but he tried not to show it. “So this is what they wear after they join up?”
“Following baptism. But they did some other rituals, too. Too bad you had to miss the big event. It was…-quite interesting.”
“Looks that way.” It still looked interesting….
“It was also a little disconcerting.”
He studied what he could see of her, but it was difficult to identify nuances of expression. “Ethan didn’t…touch you, did he?”
“Everybody touched me—while I stood in front of the entire group.”
“What?”
She held up a hand. “Not the way you think.”
“I’m waiting for the details.”
When she gave them to him, he wanted to bash Ethan in the face for making everything so sensual. But Rachel distracted him by putting a gentle finger to his bruised cheek. “How badly are you hurt?”
“I definitely got the worst of it.” He chuckled at the memory. “But I’m okay.”
“You had to get yourself beaten up? You couldn’t trust me to handle this?”
She sounded upset. Was she assuming he’d shown up because he wanted to be the one to take Ethan down? That he was afraid he’d be upstaged by an underling? A woman? She’d accused him of being sexist. But that wasn’t it at all. It was her. He’d come for her.
“You wanted me to sit in that trailer and let you do all the heavy lifting?” he said.
“Not necessarily. I just didn’t see the point in you getting hurt.”
“I never would’ve known which building you were staying in if I hadn’t done that.”
“That might not have been a bad thing. I’m not so sure having you here is a smart idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to watch what they’ll do to you if they catch—” She stopped. Voices, coming from downstairs, filtered up to them. When it became apparent that Ethan and Bart were coming, her eyes latched on to his and widened until he could see their whites, even in the dark.
“What should we do?” she murmured. “One of them, or both, might come in here. You’ve got to get out now.”
Nate brought a finger to her lips. They weren’t going to move. They were on the second story with only one door and one window. He didn’t have time to escape through the window, and he couldn’t get out through the door. Their only option was to remain absolutely still—and hope for the best.
Rachel held her breath as she listened.
“That was amazing.” Ethan’s words were slurred as he climbed the stairs. “Didn’t you think it was incredible? I could’ve gone on all night, especially when she started to beg. That’s when I spread her legs and rammed that—”
“Shut up!” Bart cut him off.
“I’m just enjoying the aftermath. When did you turn into such a bitch?”
“We have company. I shouldn’t have to remind you of that.”
“She’s got to be asleep by now.”
“She doesn’t have to be anything. Exercise some caution for a change.”
Nate’s fingers slipped between hers and Rachel hung on to him. Ethan had mentioned begging. He’d also begun to describe something that sounded very ugly. Had he been talking about Martha—or some other woman? What had he done tonight?
“You’re getting on my nerves, you know that?” Ethan said. They were on the landing. Rachel could tell by the volume and proximity of their voices.
“I have a feeling that won’t last long,” Bart replied dryly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know what it means.”
“That you’re going to make it up to me?”
“Be quiet!” Bart snapped.
“I don’t want to be quiet. Kiss me here. In the hall.”
“Ethan, stop. You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“I know exactly what I’m saying. And I know exactly what I want.”
“Come on, into the room.”
“I want to do it here, on the landing, right by my wife’s door.”
At this, Nate felt for the wedding ring he’d given her and didn’t seem pleased when he found it missing.
The sudden quiet made Rachel believe Ethan was getting his wish. It also made her hesitant to speak. Bart and Ethan were so close. But Nate risked it.
“What the hell?” he whispered, the words barely audible as his lips made contact with the rim of her ear.
She moved closer, so he could hear her response. “I was getting to that.”
As she came up against him, his hands slid around her waist, anchoring her to the spot. “Please tell me they’re not doing what I think they’re doing.”
“They might be…”
“Let’s get you to bed,” Bart said, and he must’ve walked away because the next time Ethan spoke he seemed to be trailing after his lover.
Soon, Rachel could hear the murmur of voices but not the individual words.
“Ethan’s g*y?” Nate whispered, but he didn’t let her go.
“I’m beginning to get that feeling.” She told herself to break off the embrace. Now that Ethan and Bart were in their suite, she and Nate could separate and still hear each other. But she couldn’t seem to make herself act. Seeing him beaten by the crowd had upset her. Being able to feel him against her, to reassure herself, was too gratifying.
He didn’t step away, either. “Wait…I’m confused. Doesn’t he teach that homosexuality is an abomination? Or did I just assume that because—”
“I don’t think it’s merely an assumption, or he wouldn’t have to hide his involvement with Bart.”
“What a hypocrite.” He settled her against his hips, and it became apparent that she wasn’t the only one suddenly reacting to their closeness. “I hate hypocrites.”
She shivered with the longing that welled up inside her. She’d made love to Nate recently, but she hadn’t let her heart participate along with the rest of her. She’d limited her emotional involvement and, therefore, her enjoyment. She regretted that now. Somehow, everything she’d been worried about didn’t seem quite as important when they could be dead before the next sunrise. Maybe she should’ve thrown caution to the winds as soon as they hit Arizona and taken whatever Nate was willing to offer. It could’ve been an exciting week. A casual relationship was better than nothing, wasn’t it? She doubted they’d ever work this closely together again, which meant she’d never have another chance.