She begged off the next waltz, needing to rest her feet. The new slippers fit well enough but rubbed on her heels.
Burke went to get them some refreshments, when another man asked her to dance. She agreed, but the next one would be Burke’s, and since there was no one to watch her handbag, she took it with her.
“I saw you at Union Station today,” he said.
Her throat tightened. “Um, yes. We just came in today.”
“You were working my territory and I don’t like it.”
“I think you should take me back to my seat now.”
“The number isn’t finished. We wouldn’t want to stand out in a crowd now, would we? Or have these fine people know what your real business is.”
“If you don’t take me back to my seat, I’ll go myself. That would call attention to you.”
“I have an idea. Go upstairs with me and convince me to keep your secret.”
“Never.”
“Not even to protect your husband?”
She glanced in the direction the man was looking. Burke stood between two men, one of whom had Burke’s arm twisted behind him. They meant business.
So did she. The first thing she had to do was buy some time.
“All right, I’ll go. But first you have to tell those men to back away from Burke.”
“I don’t think I’ll do that.”
Poker face, she told herself. No tears. Keep him talking. Figure out how to get into her purse.
Another couple bumped into her arm, giving her an excuse to slide her hand off his shoulder.
He sneered. “I see you’re coming around.” He hugged her full on, leaving both hands free.
An elderly lady gasped at the impropriety, and Lexie took the opportunity to slip the derringer out of her handbag. She jammed the barrel into where his manhood wouldn’t be much longer.
“I said let him go.”
The man stopped dead still.
“That’s more like it. I’m not at all familiar with this weapon. Should I see if it has a hair trigger?”
“No.”
“Then let’s take a little stroll. You can dance back to where Burke is and no one will be the wiser. Tell your scalawags to leave. Do you understand? You leave us alone—we’ll leave you alone.”
It was awkward, but they did waltz to Burke without attracting attention.
“Darling husband,” she said, cocking her head down to direct his attention to the derringer. “I’d like to leave now.”
“So would I.” Magically, a derringer appeared in his palm, too. “I was merely waiting for the right moment.”
“Looks like the time has come.”
Burke glared at Lexie’s dance partner. “You and your friends will stroll over there, behind the orchestra. My wife and I will take our leave now.”
“And if we don’t?”
“Then I turn her loose on you, and...” he held up three money rolls. “I’ll take a cut of your funds to compensate for our inconvenience. If you do as I say, half the money will be at the clerk’s desk tonight, the rest at noon tomorrow.”
“How can I trust you?” the man growled.
Burke chuckled. “I wouldn’t worry about trusting me—if I were you, I’d be a lot more worried about the lady.”
* * *
Burke laughed out loud as he swung the Lexie around as soon as they dashed into their suite. She giggled, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him playfully. He’d never been so proud.
“Darlin’,” he said, “You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”
“I was scared to death.”
“Not as scared as he was.” He pulled her close and kissed her.
“I didn’t know what to think. When I saw those awful men hurt you, I had to do something, but I didn’t know what. Mostly, I just concentrated on keeping my head and taking advantage where I could.”
He pulled her close until her cheek rested on his shoulder. Petting her hair, he said, “I felt the same when I saw your dancing partner. I could’ve made a break for it, but I’d never leave you in such a fix.”
“Two on one didn’t seem fair.”
“Ah, Lexie-girl, it would take more than those two yahoos to get the best of me.” He massaged her back. “Don’t you ever worry about me.”
“Maybe you could’ve escaped on your own but I’m thrilled to have had a little part in helping out. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if I never had to do such a thing again.”
That, he couldn’t guarantee. Not in his line of work. And for the first time, he wished he could give her the assurance she wanted.
“Let’s get you out of that corset. I’ve called room service for food since you hardly ate anything for dinner. Warriors need a goodly amount of grub.”
“You’re right about that.”
“My brave lady. It was quick thinking to get that derringer out of your handbag and point it where it would do the most good.”
“Actually, that wasn’t the derringer—it was my pessary.”
“Pessary?”
“My morals may be questionable but my intellect is not.”
Her morals? He wondered if she referred to her afternoon’s work, or the previous night’s lovemaking. Either way, he regretted pulling an innocent woman—such a wonderful lady—into his life. He should’ve kept her at arm’s length, but no, she’d been a challenge and in his weakness, he couldn’t resist chipping away at the ice. But the ice had only been a thin layer over a vulnerable girl. Shame on him, because even knowing that, he couldn’t resist her now.
“Your morals have never been in question and neither is your intellect. Your quick mind makes you a very desirable woman, more desirable than any lady I’ve ever met, and I’ve met a lot of them. Your beauty doesn’t put me off my game, either.”
And to prove that, he kissed her. “Let’s get that corset off.”
* * *
Burke settled on the divan and pretended to read the newspaper while he waited for Lexie to finish her evening ablutions. He couldn’t have been more proud of his Lexie-girl. Not only was she the most beautiful woman in Colorado, she kept her head in the most trying of times. So much about her intrigued him. He performed magic but they were all tricks—Lexie was pure magic.
She deserved a man who could give her a big house, a bunch of children, and a respectable position. She deserved a man who’d be there to comfort her, to buy her flowers, and to make love to her every night. And every day. Burke had never lived in a house and he had no idea how to be a family man. He didn’t even know if he could. What if he heard of a big game and decided to go play? What if someone from his past decided to get violent? It had happened that night and it could happen again.
Lexie would be better off without him. A pain stabbed his heart, because at that moment, he knew what being in love was all about. He’d never been in love, not all the way. Sure, he’d had infatuations, but never to the point where he’d skip a big game to be with his woman. Lexie was four aces with a king kicker.
He loved her too much to be selfish. She was not the type of woman to drag around from town to town working as his capper. And even though she was the best vingt-et-un player he’d ever seen, gambling wasn’t the life for her. A respectable woman of quality deserved more than a rambling gambler, even a thoroughbred, could offer.
Lexie came in to his room from her adjoining room. They’d rented a suite with a central living area, and bedrooms on either side. She carried a small bag and held it up.
“Our insurance.”
The pessary. Now came the hardest thing he’d ever have to say. “Lexie girl, I’ve been thinking about that. It’s all I think about. I’ve known many women who have used such protection but found themselves in a family way. You’re a college professor now. I’m a betting man, and these are high stakes—you’re betting everything you ever worked for. My advice is to fold while the pot’s not too full.”
“You don’t want to make love to me?”
She put the bag on the bureau. “You’re right. I knew it, too, so let’s keep our distance.” She opened the door to her room.
Burke couldn’t let her go. “Lexie, stay. We can be together—we can give each other pleasure.”
After studying the carpet, she asked, “How?”
“I’ll show you. If you’ll let me.” In a few more days, she’d be gone and he’d never see her again. “Let’s make the most of what little time we have.”
Her hand still rested on the doorknob. He could see she was thinking, going over everything in our mind, deciding what to do. “Would you give me a little sampling so I can make an informed decision?”
“I surely would.”
In two strides he had her in his arms kissing her, caressing her back, her waist, her hips, her thighs. And he nuzzled her neck and kissed her earlobes. “We can make love all night, and we can have satisfaction, too. You’ll see.”
* * *
They pleasured each other until dawn, and when Lexie fell asleep, Burke dressed and slipped out, careful not to wake her. He left the scoundrels’ money rolls with the hotel clerk, instructing him not to give it to anyone until noon. The three men who had accosted Lexie and him were nowhere in sight, which was one less problem he had to worry about.
At the train station, he confirmed their seats to Virginia City. He and Lexie would leave on the train at ten a.m., and they would leave in style. Fortuitously, he saw a private car on the side rail and when he asked the ticket agent about it, was told that it was available for rent.
Time was of the essence, so he was happy to learn that the locomotive for the ten a.m. train could take on more cars. The next up was the book shop. Lexie loved books and he loved Lexie. He wanted her to have plenty of reading material. He found one book of magic tricks—maybe she would keep it to remember him. He would sure remember her.
Most women wanted jewelry, and they liked flowers, maybe candy. But Lexie liked books. Maybe he could find her a book on mathematics, or some sort of puzzlebook. Here he was, walking down the street chuckling. He wondered if people knew he was in love. There seemed little difference between that and the local crazy person.
The next stop was at the bakery. Sure enough, they had cherry turnovers. He bought a dozen and also bought a dozen apple turnovers. At the mercantile, he found two bedrolls, just in case the private car was bare bones. He was embarrassed to admit that he hadn’t even bothered to ask.
Just as he got back to the hotel, he ran into Abbie. “Good morning, Abbie! I thought we’d lost you. Lexie was worried sick about you.”
“I just spoke with Miss Campbell, or is that Mrs. O’Shaughnessy?”
“Oh, so she’s up, then.” He chose to ignore her inquiry as to their marital status. Hell, he didn’t know. They weren’t married but would she say yes if he asked her? Would he have the nerve to ask her?
“She’s up, she’s dressed, and she’s ready to go, said you’re heading out to Virginia City today.”
“Yes we are, but I wanna know what’s going on with you. What’s your situation? Are you all right?”
“Oh yeah, especially now. Miss Lexie’s gave me the money that I lost—well, actually a man took it from me. Anyway, I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t bear to disappoint her so I decided to come to Denver on my own and make the best of it. And it worked out all right too because I got a job right away. Not a good job, mind you, but a job—enough to get myself a room at the boardinghouse and buy enough food to keep me going. And now that Miss Lexie gave me more money, I can pay for that school you told me about.”
“Glad to hear it,” Burke said. “Are you working here?”
“Yes. I clean rooms from five in the morning until noon, then I work the evening shift at the restaurant down the street.”
“Good, I’ll be stopping by in a couple weeks, so I’ll check on you then. If there’s anything you need, let me know.”
“I’ll do that, Mr. O’Shaughnessy.”
He bounded up the stairs to their suite. Lexie only had an hour to get ready and breakfasted before they had to be at the train station.
* * *
“A private car!”
Burke had known Lexie would enjoy the privacy and comfort of a private car, but seeing her delight filled him with joy. “We’ll be in it for two days.” He shrugged. “It was there, I had the money, so...here we are.”
The car was nicer than he expected but not as elegant as he hoped—he’d rented it without checking the interior. The mahogany paneling and the brass fixtures sported a gleaming new shine. He took her on a tour.
“The bedroom is on the far end. The porter will bring our trunks and put them here.” He pointed to a rack just outside the bedroom door. “This little room is the privy, so you don’t have to stand in line.” He took her back to the main room. “And of course this area doubles as the sitting room and dining room. We can have food served here, or we can eat in the dining car.”
“It’s wonderful! I’m ever so tired of hard benches and the passengers’ rude noises.” Her gaze circled the room. “Comfortable chairs, a real bed, a table, and even a couch.” She smiled and nodded her approval. “I feel like a queen.”
“I’m glad.” He opened a cabinet where he put her gifts. “Take what you like. It’s all yours.”
“Oh, my heavens.”
One thing about it, no matter how many games he’d win, no matter how many fish he’d skin, he’d never feel such a sense of accomplishment as he did at that moment. “Let’s take off your wrap. It’s two days of comfort for my lady of leisure.”
Just as he got her settled, the porter came in with their trunks, followed by another porter. “Is there anything you want out of these trunks before we lift them into the racks?”
“Yes.” Burke handed him a ten-dollar bill. “Would you mind coming back in an hour?”
The porter took the money with a smile and a bow. “Yes, sir. We’ll be back in an hour, and any time you call we’re at your service.” They scooted the trunks to the side of the sitting room and left.
“So what would you like to do first?” Burke asked Lexie. “As far as I can see there are only two options—unpacking or loving.” He nuzzled her earlobe. “I’m in the mood for loving.”
She walked to the trunks, her skirts fluttering about as she knelt. “Unless you want to get interrupted by the porters, I think we should unpack. You probably want your tools, and I want my personal items—definitely need a change of clothing and my nightgown.”
“I don’t think you need a nightgown. I prefer the one you were born with.”
She snorted, very unladylike, but very Lexie-like. “There is such a thing as modesty.”
Not between lovers, he wanted to say, but even he knew better than to speak that aloud. “We’ll unpack anything you want, and if you want something later, we’ll call the porter back. I’m sure he’ll be accommodating. Next time I rent a car, I’ll be sure to hire a personal attendant.”
“Not if they’d have to stay in our car.” She grinned, and he knew what she was thinking because he was thinking the same thing. “I’d like to hang all my dresses on hooks in the bedroom, please.”
“That would be fine. I think I’ll hang up my suit, too.”
Lexie fussed over the books that Burke had purchased for several minutes, then floated around making their private car a home. He tried to help her but she shooed him out of the way. He was amused but it also puzzled him, this strange sensation, like his feathers had settled. Too bad it was only a two-day trip. He could get used to this.
Her final touch was to arrange the bouquet he bought her in a heavy bottomed vase she’d f
ound in the cabinet and set it on the table.
It was the closest thing to a home he’d ever had.
By noon they were both hungry so Burke escorted her to the dining car. They had a nice meal, although Burke spent more time watching Lexie than attending to his food. So much so that Lexie was the first to spot the big fish.
“That man has a lot of money and he wants to get everyone else’s. See him sizing up that young man over there?”
She was right. “You’re a quick study. He has all the signs—well dressed, but a touch on the boisterous side, and then there’s that gleam in his eye. Most people would never catch the signs.”
“Maybe you should see if he’d like to play it few hands of vingt-et-un.”
“We’ll see if that’s his game. The question is would he play square.”
“I have no doubt you could keep him square. I think the question is would he like to play cards with a woman.”
Burke saw the challenge in her eyes. “As soon as we’re done with dinner we’ll visit with him. Two o’clock would be a good time for a game, don’t you think?”
“I’ll be ready.”
Chapter 14
Lexie had never been a homebody, but she enjoyed the ritual of fussing around the private car to make things a little nicer for the two of them. She had her first inkling of why ladies felt such pride in the needlework they’d sewn and hung on their walls. Not that she’d get out a needle any time soon. Lexie had always been more impressed with periodic tables or the Mohs hardness scale, so her sudden home decor fascination surprised her more than it did Burke.
Speaking of the Mohs hardness scale, that made think her of Burke. He’d insisted the pessary wasn’t safe, that it did little to prevent pregnancy. All of his ministrations of her from the night before, he paid for dearly, and had no completion of his own.
He was so attentive to her, that the next time they made love she’d ask him what those two ways were that she could give him relief. When she’d asked him about it, he said she wasn’t ready to know. Normally, she was curious about everything but he kept her so busy with his magic hands that she forgot all about it. Afterward, she felt a little selfish—he’d brought her to the pinnacle of ecstasy several times, but he wasn’t satisfied even once.
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