Page 33 of Native Hawk
Chapter 10
Catalina was startled awake by the sound of someone bursting in through her bedroom door. She instinctively dove beneath the covers and went still.
It took her a moment to remember the events of the night before, another moment to realize that Drew Hawk was still in her room.
He wasn’t in the bed, however. He’d leaped up at once to confront whoever had broken in. She wondered if they were varmints and if he’d shoot them.
It sounded like two men. They were snarling at each other. She couldn’t hear exactly what was going on. The voices were muffled. But the men seemed quite upset, and there was some scuffling in the room. She thought she heard them say something about a missing little girl.
Finally, she heard the door close. She threw back the covers.
Before she could even take a breath, in one smooth, lightning-fast move, Drew reached for his gun. He cocked and aimed it at her.
She drew in a sharp breath. In another split-second, he might have pulled the trigger.
But then his shoulders drooped, and he lowered his weapon. He ran a quivering hand through his hair and put the gun back on the night table.
“Sorry, ma’am.”
Catalina’s heart was still in her throat. She’d never seen anyone so fast with a gun. But Drew looked almost as shaken as she felt.
He sank down onto the bed.
By day, he looked even more captivating. The early morning sun burnished his skin like bronze, gilded his black hair, and lent warmth to his dark eyes.
His lips curved up in a rueful smile.
She recalled kissing those lips. They had been soft and warm, not at all what she’d expected from a hulking half-savage like him.
She also recalled that the kiss had been her idea. Whatever had gotten into her, she had behaved like a wanton last night. And by the bright light of day, the fact that they were sitting alone together in her bedroom in nothing but their undergarments seemed very wrong.
She diverted her gaze and clutched modestly at the front of her camisole. What had she been thinking, drinking so much? Today she had a dry mouth, gritty eyes, and an aching head.
She supposed it could be much worse. He could have taken advantage of her while she was drunk.
She pressed at her throbbing temples.
“Feelin’ that whiskey?” he asked.
She nodded.
“They say the best thing is hair o’ the dog, but in your case, I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”
Catalina shuddered. She did not want to eat dog hair. Besides, it was not the first time she’d been drunk. Once she had something normal to eat, she’d be fine.
“Who were those men?” she asked. Her voice came out on a croak.
“Just a local rancher and his lapdog,” he said.
She frowned. She hadn’t heard a dog. “What did they want?”
“It was a case of mistaken identity and a misunderstandin’. I think they were lookin’ for Chase. Lots o’ folks mistake me for my brother. We’re twins.”
“Twins?”
“Yep, identical. At least that’s what they say. ButIcan tell us apart. So canhe.”He gave her a wink.
She couldn’t help but grin at his absurd logic.
