Ruthless Heart

by Beth Williamson

  “How many more buckets?” Grady barked at Sonny.

  The poor young man jumped. “Four.”

  “Then let’s get them. I’m done watching you ogle my wife, boy.”

  “I ain’t ogling nobody.”

  Sonny looked so afraid of Grady, she feared he would actually soil himself. “It’s all right, Sonny. My husband is simply tired. He won’t hurt you.” She touched Grady’s arm, and this time, he didn’t pull away although he was tightly strung. Hopefully, he wouldn’t snap into pieces.

  This time when Sonny left the room, Eliza let Grady be without asking him any questions. There were so many she wanted to put to him, but she knew he had revealed a great deal about himself, more than he likely ever had. She could be patient enough to wait until another time, another day, to hear more.

  By the time the tub was ready, Sonny ran out of the room as if Grady was going to shoot him. She shook her head and vowed to talk to him about his intimidation tactics another time. Perhaps he didn’t understand Sonny had the mind of a child trapped in a man’s body.

  Instead, she needed to bring Grady back from the horrible memories, back to her side. After she took the bar of lavender soap from her bag, she began undressing while he watched her. The fierce expression on his face began to soften as she took off each article of clothing. By the time she was down to the chemise, he was now intently looking at her with that familiar hunger.

  “I hate that chemise.”

  She looked down at the serviceable, nearly gray undergarment. “It serves its purpose.”

  “It’s ugly as shit.”

  Eliza let loose a laugh. “I’m glad you’re not reticent or shy about telling me how you feel.”

  He walked toward her, and she managed to stand her ground although she felt like a bird being stalked by a big cat. He was tall enough to tower over here when he got close enough. His finger ran across the top of the chemise. Her nipples immediately popped.

  “I love your tits.”

  She didn’t flinch from the crude name. In fact, it felt even a bit deliciously naughty. “Thank you.”

  He brought his other hand up and used both to cup them. She closed her eyes as his thumbs ran across the turgid peaks. When she heard fabric ripping, she opened her eyes to find her chemise torn asunder.

  “Grady!”

  “Now, you can throw that fucking thing away.” He leaned down and took one breast in his mouth, and she forgot to scold him for tearing her chemise.

  In fact, she forgot everything except for the steam-filled room, the hot mouth on her breast, and the amazing sensations coursing through her body. His hand nudged between her legs and found her pleasure button.

  Pure rapture zipped through her as he stroked her slick folds. He slid two fingers up inside her even as his palm continued to rub circles on her clit.

  When he bit her nipple, she jumped. She moaned and admitted to herself the fact she actually enjoyed his teeth on her. It heightened her pleasure, which likely meant something about her, but she didn’t want to examine that revelation. She just wanted to feel.

  He scooped her up and carried her to the tub, standing her up so the wisps of steam circled her nude body. Then as she waited, he took off his clothes without his gaze ever leaving hers. Excitement curled in her belly as he stepped into the tub, turned her around, and then they both sank in together.

  The tub was long enough for her, but Grady’s knees poked out the top of the water. It was positively decadent to be lying in a tub with her lover, taking a bath in a public bathing house. It was a good thing she didn’t care who knew or she might be embarrassed. However, she was enjoying herself too much to feel ashamed of what they were doing.

  She lathered up the soap and started washing both of their legs. He twitched when she washed his foot, a ticklish spot apparently.

  “Wet your hair.”

  She tilted her head back and wet her hair thoroughly, then she heard him do the same to himself.

  “Here give me that.” He took the soap from her and washed her hair, massaging her scalp with his big fingers. The scent of the lavender surrounded them, its beauty winding around the steam wisps with each movement of his hands.

  “I love it when you do that,” she murmured.

  “Wait until I really get started.”

  After rinsing her hair, he washed his own quickly while she squeezed the water out of her black locks.

  “Now I get to wash the rest of you.”

  He sounded positively delighted by the prospect, and she was more than excited to have him do just that. After lathering his hands again, he washed her back and arms then reached around to cup her breasts. His hands slid in and around them, the soap making it feel as though he was gliding across her skin.

  With splayed fingers, he did the same to her nipples, the peaks popping through between each digit. It was incredibly arousing.

  “That feels… amazing,” she said, her voice husky with desire.

  “They sure do. I could play with them for hours.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “The water would get cool.”

  “Oh, don’t worry, we could set it to boiling if we wanted.”

  She smiled and leaned back into him, recognizing the item poking her backside was not the tub. His erection was impressive and tempting. “My turn.”

  Before he could stop her, she turned around to face him. The steam had made his hair curl up on the ends, and his whiskered face was near feral with desire. She kissed him, a fierce mating of lips, teeth, and tongue that left her a bit breathless.

  She knelt and took the bar from him, lathering her own hands even as he continued to touch her soapy breasts. As she leaned over to kiss him again, her hands dove into the water to find his turgid cock. The soap made her hands slick enough to glide effortlessly over his skin.

  Their tongues rasped together even as they pleasured each other with their hands. Each time she was with Grady, her experience and her desire increased. She broke the kiss and sucked in some much needed air.

  Grady was breathing just as hard as she was. The only sound in the room was their labored breath and the frantic beating of her heart.

  “I need to fuck you.”

  Eliza’s body clenched at his bald statement. She needed him to as well, the question was how. “The tub’s too small for that. Perhaps we can wait—”

  “No, I ain’t waiting, woman.” He grabbed her by the waist. “Turn around and get on all fours.”

  He rose from the water, his cock mere inches from her face. She couldn’t help herself, she reached out and licked him from top to bottom. He shuddered and touched her head. “God, Liz.”

  He tasted like man, like Grady, like pure desire. She cupped his wet balls and pulled him deep into her mouth, sucking as he’d done to her. Although unskilled, she continued licking him, bringing him into her mouth then releasing him with a pop. She nibbled at him too, making him shiver.

  His essence coated her tongue, and she recognized it as Grady’s taste, the life within him. He suddenly pulled away from her and blew out a breath. “I ain’t ready to finish yet. Get on your knees.”

  She cocked one brow at him.

  “Okay, please get on your knees.”

  Eliza did as he asked, eager to try whatever he had in mind. He knelt behind her, his knees on either side of her calves. She felt his dick nudge her entrance, and she closed her eyes.

  As he slid into her waiting pussy, tingles spread through her. Inch by inch, he filled her until, finally, he was joined with her completely. The sensation was beyond words, beyond anything she’d experienced.

  They were two people joined as one.

  “Liz.” He sounded as amazed as she felt.

  “I love you, Grady.”

  He gripped her hips and began to move. His speed was unhurried and maddeningly slow. She pushed against him, needing more than the leisurely pace he’d set. With an evil chuckle, he smacked her fanny.

  Far from being angry or hurt, she fo
und the slight stinging sensation to be as arousing as his teeth on her nipple. Eliza didn’t know what any of it meant, or if it meant her proclivities were odd. All she knew was that it felt right, and only with Grady.

  “Do it again.”

  He paused for just a moment before he smacked her again. The combination of her wet skin and his callused hand made the stinging that much more intense. Apparently, it also sparked an interest in Grady because his pace finally quickened.

  As he plunged in, one hand would spank while the other tugged her closer. Deeper, then deeper still. His balls tickled her clit, heightening her pleasure that much more.

  Eliza closed her eyes, her fingers digging into the bottom of the tub. As Grady went faster, the water began splashing up around them, but she didn’t care one whit. All her focus was on him, his cock, his hand, her pussy.

  Her pleasure began to spiral tighter and tighter in her lower abdomen. He was now thrusting so hard, she was having to hang on to the tub to avoid getting pushed out of it. One more slap, one more thrust.

  Yes, more, now…

  Eliza could hardly form a coherent thought as the steam and the water surrounded her. She clenched her eyes shut as a veritable tidal wave of sheer bliss roared through her. She bit her lip to avoid screaming his name aloud as the ripples of ecstasy took over her body, turning her into a liquid puddle of heat.

  His fingers bit into her hips as he plunged in so deeply he touched her soul. His body shuddered above her as he reached his release, prolonging hers to an intensity she hadn’t known existed. Stars exploded behind her eyes, and it was several minutes before she could catch her breath.

  “Holy shit.”

  Eliza hung onto the side of the tub. “Indeed.”

  He chuckled and bent down to kiss the nape of her neck as he withdrew from her body. She smiled and managed to get to her feet. Grady took her in his arms, and they embraced while their hearts beat hard against each other.

  They had been intimate numerous times, in various places, and now a bathtub in a public bath house. Yet this time had been different, it had been much more intense, and not just the pleasure either. Perhaps it was because she’d confessed her love to Grady, or perhaps because he had accepted that love.

  She kissed his shoulder and stood back to look at him. He was a fine specimen of man, and he was all hers. With a grin, she kissed him and stepped out of the tub. “Now, I’m quite famished.”

  He smiled and shook his head. Grady didn’t smile often, but when he did, it transformed his face from forbidding to joyful. His beauty shone through with it. Not that she’d tell him that, so she simply enjoyed looking at her man.

  Yes, he was definitely her man.

  They wrapped their dirty clothes into the sack Eliza had brought food in then put on clean ones before leaving the bathing house. She wore her purple dress, and it suited her mood well. It was as if the bath and their mating had rejuvenated both of them. Eliza almost felt like a different person, more hopeful and stronger.

  Grady took her hand in his as they stepped onto the sidewalk to walk back to the hotel. Eliza didn’t remember ever holding hands with him before, and was absurdly pleased at how well they fit together.

  The hotel was bigger than the one in Montgomery, but the restaurant took up most of the first level. Since it was near supper time, there were quite a few people dining. Eliza looked around at the diners, releasing a breath after confirming none of them was Angeline.

  “There’s a table over by the kitchen door.” He pointed to a small cozy corner with a lamp burning warmly on the table.

  She took his arm as they made their way through the restaurant. He pulled out her chair, another first occurrence and entirely unexpected. Eliza could get spoiled very easily by his sudden gentlemanly attention.

  He sat down with his back to the corner, affording her a clear view of the kitchen door. As he looked around at each of the diners, the kitchen door swung open, and Angeline walked out with two plates in her hands.

  Eliza’s heart stopped as she watched her sister walk past the man who hunted her. At first, panic seized control of Eliza’s brain as she saw the rest of her life disappear in a puff of smoke. Her muscles froze as her heart lodged in her throat.

  No.

  Her logical side took over and forcibly pushed the panic aside. This was no time to lose all semblance of intelligence. She managed to smile at him. “I left the extra money from Mr. Hansen in my bag with the books. Would you please go retrieve it for me? I don’t want anyone to walk away with it since it belongs to you.”

  “Why the hell would you leave it in your bag? Jesus, Liz, you’re smarter than that.” He grumbled as he rose to his feet.

  She watched out of the corner of her eye as Angeline served a family at another table. Her mouth was drier than the dirt she’d recently cleaned off her skin. Raw fear raced through her.

  Too soon. It was just too soon. She needed another week with him alone.

  “The money is in a small pouch; it’s brown with two buttons on it.” She squeezed his hand. “Thank you, Grady.”

  “Order me coffee, steak, and potatoes if they’ve got it.” He walked out of the restaurant without looking behind him at Angeline.

  Eliza trembled with more fear than she’d thought possible. When Grady was out of sight, she leapt to her feet and made her way on very shaky legs through the tables to her sister. Without a word, she took her sister’s arm and pulled her toward the kitchen.

  “Excuse me, ma’am, I—” Angeline’s blue eyes widened as she realized who was yanking at her arm. “Eliza!”

  “Shhh, just come with me quickly.” They went into the kitchen to find Lettie at the stove cooking. The brunette had always been quiet, never venturing beyond the shadow of her father, marrying late in life into the shadow of a monster.

  “Eliza?” the older woman said, her eyes widening.

  “Both of you, listen to me now.” She hugged her sister quickly, tears pricking her eyes. “Josiah hired a bounty hunter to find you. He’s outside the hotel right now. You must get out of town immediately. There’s no time to waste.”

  “A bounty hunter?” Angeline’s face paled. “I thought someone might come after us, but a cold-blooded killer?”

  “He’s not cold-blooded or a killer, but he will take you back.” Eliza tried to make Angeline understand. She had to realize the danger she was in. “You know what Josiah will do if you return to his house. This bounty hunter knows nothing of his cruelty, and even if he did, he’s being paid to bring you back, nothing more.”

  “How did you get here, Eliza? I can’t believing you’re standing here.” Angeline had tears in her own eyes now.

  “I left and set out to find you, to save you from the bounty hunter.” It sounded so simple, but there had been so much that had happened since she’d left home. It hadn’t been quite three weeks, but Eliza was no longer the same person.

  “Alone?”

  Eliza smiled. “Yes, alone.”

  “B-but how did you survive? Heavens, you even look clean, and that dress is so, well, purple.” Angeline’s eyes widened as she gazed at her older sister’s frock.

  “Angeline, there is no more time to discuss my clothes or my journey. You have to leave before he sees you.” Eliza gripped her sister’s arms and pushed her toward the door. “I must return to the table before he notices I’m gone.”

  “Why would he notice you’re gone? Eliza, what is happening?” Angeline’s voice had started to rise in panic.

  “Please, be quiet.” Eliza shushed her again. “Listen to me, you must go now. Take whatever belongings you have and leave Bowson.”

  “But I don’t understand—”

  “You don’t need to, just listen to me and do as I say.” Eliza glanced at Lettie who nodded at her. “I’ll meet you in a few minutes behind the hotel.”

  She went back out into the restaurant, eager to find a way to help Angeline escape without alerting Grady what she was up to. Fortunately,
Grady had not returned to the table yet. Another waitress brought her a water and coffee for Grady. As Eliza nearly bounced with anticipation, she sat alone waiting for him. She waited another five excruciating minutes, but he still didn’t return.

  She didn’t know where he’d gone, but she was becoming more scared with each passing moment. Eliza argued with herself for another minute before she rose and left the restaurant to look for him. Her stomach jumped as if a dozen frogs had taken up residence inside her.

  He wasn’t in the small lobby, and when she stepped outside, the horses stood, still secured to the hitching rail in front of the hotel. She didn’t have to be nervous he’d left her again. Where would he go without Bullseye? Perhaps he’d had to use the outhouse. She walked back into the hotel lobby then into the restaurant without seeing him.

  Dread wound its way around Eliza’s heart as she headed for the kitchen. When she opened the door, only Lettie stood there. Eliza’s dread turned into terror when she saw how pale the other woman’s face was.

  “Where is she?”

  “I don’t know.” Lettie’s voice was husky for a woman, even huskier given her current state of fear. “She went out the back door and disappeared.”

  Eliza abandoned all decorum, turned, and ran through the restaurant. When she reached the sidewalk, she wanted to shout in agony, but it was no use. Grady’s horse was gone.

  Chapter Thirteen

  ‡

  Grady held the blonde belly-down on the horse in front of him. He’d knocked her out by pinching off the blood on her neck. Then he got her on the horse before anyone saw him. It was definitely Angeline; he’d made certain of that before he took her. She not only responded to her name being called, she had a strawberry birthmark on the back of her neck in the shape of a heart. The telltale sign he’d been told to look out for.

  He didn’t want Eliza to know that he’d found who he was after. No doubt she had already noticed he was gone, but he couldn’t go back to town. He never did his killing in plain view of anyone and never left the body where it would be found.

  Eliza would be angry and probably hurt, but it couldn’t be helped. Besides, it wasn’t the first time he’d disappointed her or caused her pain. It was in his nature.