* * *
The next morning when she awoke, she found a satchel full of money in her sitting room. The mixture of paper money and gold coins was a surprise. Gripping the handles and looking inside, she wondered how he’d been able to get his hands on that much in just a few hours. She was so angry she imagined herself throwing it at him, but couldn’t deny the strange sense of relief she felt as well. In the end, she’d brought it into her room and hid it under the bed to deal with later. At least it was there...just in case.
Her sisters were already up and dressed when she went to find them in the nursery. They all went down to breakfast together, surprised to find that Hunter was already there at the dining table. Dressed similarly to the night before in a button-up shirt and trousers, though clean-shaven now, he welcomed them and kept the girls chatting throughout the meal by answering their many questions about the horses. Emmy couldn’t help but watch him as he became animated, seeming to know every detail about each horse. How old it was, how fast it could run, its favorite treat. The questions were endless, but he didn’t seem perplexed even once to answer them and even gave her a wink about halfway through breakfast. She blushed too easily and hastily looked back down at her plate.
“How about a ride after breakfast?” he suggested. “We can go to the river.”
The girls immediately chimed in with their agreement.
“They can’t ride, Hunter. It’s not a good idea.”
That didn’t deter him and simply made him turn to look at her, his eyes as intense as ever as he smiled. Sometimes he looked at her and she could almost believe that he felt something for her. It was part of his charm. She knew that, but it didn’t keep her heart from skipping a beat.
“It’s only a couple of miles. They can ride ponies and we’ll go slowly. How about we take a picnic?” He looked back to the girls who readily agreed to this updated plan. When he looked back at her, he raised a brow as if to say, See, they approve of me.
Her gaze landed on his perfectly formed lips as he smiled again and she couldn’t help but remember how those lips had felt on her body. She took a ragged breath and nodded her consent to keep from having to talk. But he knew. As the girls celebrated the victory, his gaze lingered on her, sweeping down to her breasts before meeting her eyes. She pulled her gaze away and avoided him the rest of the meal.
* * *
It was even easier to avoid him as they rode to the river just a little later.
He’d been very attentive in helping them all mount and get underway, leading the girls along slowly on their ponies. Emmy lagged behind, not much more experienced than her sisters in riding, though she’d had to learn fast enough on that terrifying ride across the countryside on his horse. It wasn’t the horse that made her lag. She’d been given the gentle Cinnamon, who was just as content as her rider to walk slowly, even nibbling a bit of grass along the way. She went slowly because she couldn’t stop watching him. The same gentleness that had been evident on the night he’d kidnapped her was on display now as he attended to her sisters. It didn’t seem possible that he was the same outlaw who had come into her saloon that night looking so dangerous.
And yet the juxtaposition suited him perfectly. When he wasn’t leaning over to answer a question or pointing out a bird in the distance, he was scanning the horizon, alert to anything that could be a threat. He’d strapped his gun to his hip and a rifle was holstered on the back of his saddle, strapped next to the picnic basket. Occasionally his eyes would catch hers and she’d see the spark of desire that made her wary, just as it drew her to him.
* * *
Later, when the river had transformed from a silver ribbon to a wide and rushing current before them, he walked over to help her dismount. She didn’t shy away when he gripped her waist and held her close as she dropped to her feet. They were obscenely close from chest to hip, his hard thigh pressed slightly forward against the indentation between her legs. The contact caused a warm tingle to travel the length of her body and she held on to his shoulders when she should have let go. He took in a harsh breath and she met his gaze, not surprised to find it deep and searching. He was confused by her accepting his touch. So was she. But the more she tried to ignore all the things he made her feel, the more she became aware of feeling them.
Rose called them and he slowly, reluctantly let her go, so she ran over to the river’s bank to see the fish her sister had found swimming in the shallow water. For the next hour she was extra aware of his every move. The way his muscles rippled under his clothing as he jumped the large rocks at the edge of the river to grab a handful of smooth pebbles. The way his muscular calves and bare feet seemed more attractive than they should, when he rolled up his trousers so they wouldn’t get wet.
* * *
And later, though she had her eyes closed as she lay on the blanket letting the sun warm her face, she knew that it was him coming toward her because butterflies fluttered in her belly just moments before his large body plopped down next to her. He lay down on his back, watching her, the sun glinting off his hair turning it more golden than brown. The girls were wading at the river’s edge, Rose calling to her older sister to join her, while Ginny firmly stayed onshore out of the cold water. But she still directed Rose to the location of the next smooth rock they’d skip across the river just like he’d shown them.
“You haven’t yelled at me about the money yet. Does that mean you’ve decided to accept it?”
She hadn’t thought he’d mention it, so she could only answer honestly. “I haven’t decided.”
“What’s to decide?” He looked up toward the white clouds in the brilliant blue sky, as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
“It’s not that easy.”
Eyes closed now, he gave a slight shake of his head. “No. The money is yours. That’s it.”
“You don’t understand.”
“Then tell me.” He didn’t look at her as he spoke.
Glancing at the girls to make sure they weren’t coming over, she said, “When I decided to do the auction, I knew that someone awful would buy me and, though it wouldn’t make it all right, I’d be able to live with myself for what happened. The fact that it was you...makes it more difficult.”
He flashed a smile that was pure male satisfaction. “You thought you’d be a martyr and now you’re disappointed that you enjoyed yourself.”
It wasn’t a question, but she wasn’t dignifying it with an acknowledgment. “Stop.” Rolling her eyes, she looked back to watch the girls in the water. Ginny squealed about how cold the water was as she dipped a toe in.
“The money has nothing to do with what we did together, Emmy.” He had moved onto his side to face her and was much closer now as he looked down, blocking the sun from her face. “Even if you had left my room before anything happened, I would have given you the money. I didn’t buy you, not that way.”
“I think the facts would disagree.”
“I don’t care. I know what happened that night, Emmy.” He tipped her chin up so that she looked at him and the expression of tenderness on his face stole her breath. “You know what happened.”
“It’s a lot of money. It’s made things difficult.” The slight weight of his thumb moved across her bottom lip to settle at the corner of her mouth.
“It’s not that much money to me. Take it. I want to know you’re safe. It doesn’t change what happened between us.” His eyes were darker now, the pupils reducing the green to a sliver.
“It would make me your whore.”
He sighed and then took a long breath, as if coming to some determination before he spoke. “It wouldn’t. Emmy, you’re not that type of woman.”
“You’ve said that before.” She moved to get up, but he caught her shoulder and gently pressed it back down.
“Wait. I know what I’m talking about. My parents’ marri
age was arranged because my father saw a way to marry into the Hartford family of Boston. My grandfather and his before him were very successful politicians and businessmen. My father wanted that so he bartered himself for it. That’s not you. My mother liked the idea of his mining wealth without liking the idea of him. She married him anyway. Emmy, sweetheart, that’s not who you are.”
She wanted to believe him and, looking up into his eyes, she came close. But the pain she saw there drew her attention. “This is the second time you’ve mentioned your mother unfavorably. She hurt you.”
When he dropped his head, she pressed her hand to his cheek, surprised when he kissed her palm before nodding. “Isabelle Hartford Jameson stayed with her husband long enough to bear a son, me. Then she hightailed it back to her family in Boston, complaining about the harsh conditions in Helena and her husband’s cruelty. She had no qualms about leaving me as well. I believed her lies about my father’s cruelty, though I’d never seen it myself.”
He took another deep breath and met her gaze, making her own breath stop. “Until I spent some time with her family in Boston and realized the harsh conditions she complained about were the lack of people she considered her social equal. My father’s great cruelty had been to insist that she live with him at the ranch instead of in Helena. She could never tolerate it here. Not the barbaric social structure. Anyone could be considered high society with the right bank account. She hates that.
“I didn’t realize her hatred included me until I was older. Though I attended Yale, I’m not the son she wanted. Never have been. I prefer herding cattle, tracking elk and raising horses to the high life in Boston. She thinks I’m as barbaric as my father.”
Her heart clenched for him and any mother who couldn’t value his good heart. “I’m so sorry, Hunter.”
“Don’t be. She’s not a part of my life, because it’s her choice.”
He went quiet for a moment, just allowing her touch on his cheek. Her sisters were still laughing in the background as they played. She imagined what it might be like to spend many more days like this, just the four of them. Emboldened by the way he had opened himself up to her, she asked, “Last night you said you would keep me if you could. But you’re an outlaw.”
He nodded, his eyes sad. “I ride with a gang. You deserve more stability than that and I can’t offer it to you. My brother needs me and I can’t walk away from that.”
“Because he’s the only family you have?”
The corner of his mouth tipped up in a smile and he nodded once in acknowledgment. “Aside from my father, yeah. Nothing matters more to Cas than his family. When his grandfather was murdered, it almost broke him. He’s vowed to have vengeance and I’ve vowed to support him. If I leave them now, they’ll be vulnerable to all the enemies we’ve made. I won’t walk away.” He was silent as he took a deep breath and looked off into the mountains in the distance. “This whole place should be his. I’m the illegitimate one.”
Pain tightened her throat as she realized that he held the burden of his father’s sins on his own very capable shoulders. “You don’t have to atone for all of the things your father has done.”
“No, I don’t. But someone should. Cas deserves it.” The fierce intensity in his eyes when he looked back at her went through her like a bolt of lightning.
She loved him in that moment. Every man she had ever known in her entire life had let her down one way or another. Hunter was different, or at least he was when it came to his brother. “What are we doing, Hunter?”
“Hell if I know,” he whispered, slowly shaking his head, his gaze tracing her face before lighting on her lips.
Before she could even think of the many reasons she shouldn’t, she leaned up just enough to press her lips to his. When they parted, her tongue slipped inside to brush his and it felt so good she didn’t think at all anymore. His hand moved to cup the back of her head, holding her close as he deepened the kiss, filling her with his heat and making her ache to be filled in other ways. If she moved just a little, she knew that she’d find him aroused and the knowledge thrilled her.
Another squeal from the water made her jerk back, glancing over to make sure they hadn’t been caught. He didn’t let her go though, his hand tightened in her hair and a thrill of pleasure shot through her. She loved that he knew what he wanted and wasn’t afraid of taking it. Being near him, with him, had made her bolder, too. Like maybe she could take what she wanted as well.
Before she could stop herself, she kissed him again, a quick peck on the mouth before she was sliding out from under him. Too stunned to react, he let her go, eyes narrowing as she backed away. Grinning, she turned and ran, giving him one last glance on her way to the river, but squealed and quickened her pace as he came to his feet to give chase. Her sisters looked up and laughed before they, too, ran along the shallows at the edge of the river.
He closed the distance quickly and a muscled arm wrapped around her waist just as her bare feet touched the icy water, swinging her around. “You’re playing with fire,” he growled near her ear, and his other arm went around her hips, pulling her back against him so that she could feel his arousal.
“Is that a bad thing?”
He laughed softly and took in a deep breath, his nose buried in her hair. “It is if you don’t want to get burned.”
“Maybe I do.”
He went deathly still at her words as if he couldn’t believe they meant what he wanted them to mean. She couldn’t blame him for his confusion. She’d been the one putting distance between them, but she was tired of fighting, tired of listening to that rational voice that always made sense but never got her anywhere.
“Emmy...” His breath stroked her ear, making her shiver.
“I do, Hunter. Tonight. Tomorrow. Whatever time we have left, I want you.” She closed her eyes because she couldn’t say those words with them open.
His breath came out in a low curse and his arms tightened around her so that she savored his hard chest at her back. She wanted this. Him. While she could have it. He turned her in his arms before she could protest, but when he would have covered her mouth with his, she pressed her fingers to his lips.
“The children.”
He cursed again and she spared them a glance. They had stopped running and watched them curiously.
“Don’t children nap?” he whispered.
“They’re too old for naps.” She laughed and wiggled away.
“Tonight then.” He said it like a warning, making her laugh again. There was no way she could bring herself to stay away from him. No warning required.
* * *
After their picnic they had started back for home. It took them over an hour, but despite the fact that he was a vastly better rider than all of them, he had never once seemed impatient. He did fall back once or twice to give her a lingering glance that set her body on fire. Once they reached the stables, a stable hand came out to help her sisters, leaving her to the mercy of her captor. Hunter helped her down much as he had the first time, but boldly cupped her bottom with one hand and held her close as his mouth closed over hers quickly. It wasn’t more than a moment, but it left her breathless as she watched him walk away.
* * *
They spent the rest of the afternoon touring the property. They played in the loose hay of the barn and then fed corn to the chickens. After dinner, they retired to the nursery to play board games and then Emmy read stories aloud, taking requests from each of them, even Hunter who had apparently memorized every title at their disposal. When she kissed the girls good-night, he met her in the hallway, taking her hand and giving her a wicked smile as he led her to his bedroom.
“I should freshen up.” She pulled her hand away, suddenly nervous now that the time had come to be alone with him. She’d washed before dinner and changed back into the blue dress she had borrowed from Glory.
>
He only shook his head and put his arm around her, pulling her close when they reached his door. “You smell good,” he whispered into her hair. “I swear I can still smell you on my skin.” His hands settled on her hips and his lips brushed her temple.
“So do you.” She knew that she’d never get enough of his smell, that spice that was uniquely him beneath the leather and outdoors scent that clung to him. If she leaned up on her toes, she could press her face into the hollow of his warm neck and breathe him in. So she did, clinging to his shoulders so she wouldn’t wobble. Then she pressed a kiss there, allowing the tip of her tongue to taste him before pulling back to meet his gaze.
“Is this what you want?”
She nodded and reached for his doorknob, surprised when his hand covered hers and stopped her.
“If you say yes, this won’t be just for a night.”
“What do you mean?” Her gaze met his.
“It means that I hope you’ll share my bed the entire time you’re here.”
“Can’t we just take one night and see what happens?”
Taking a deep breath, he studied her face for a moment before answering her with a question. “Why are you so afraid of me?”
“I should think it’s obvious.” Didn’t he realize how he could crush her without even meaning to do it?
Her words startled him and he set her back away from him. “Dammit, Emmy, you know that I wouldn’t force you. That’s not what this is to me. I’m not your captor anymore—”
“No, that’s not what I meant.” Grabbing his hands, she put them back around her and stepped close in the loose circle of his arms. “You forget that I was given an armoire full of other women’s clothing.”
The Innocent and the Outlaw (Outlaws of the Wild West) Page 19