“Of course, honey,” she said drowsily. “If you earn enough, maybe we could get married.”
“Maybe,” he said.
Ruby had the distinct impression he was just saying the words the woman needed to hear. He didn’t have any intention of marrying the whore, but Ruby wasn’t about to say a word. Let Clara learn that on her own.
For the next hour, it was all Ruby could do to keep the cards flowing, her voice pleasant, and not reach across the table and strangle Rivera. But she did what she had to, knowing sooner or later she’d get her opportunity, promising herself that patience was the key to obtaining her man.
“One last hand, gentlemen, before we call it a night,” she said.
At another table, Clara was fast asleep, waiting for her man.
Dealing the cards, Ruby glanced over at the outlaw. “Mr. Rivera, please stay afterwards. I have a question for you.”
“Anything for you, honey,” he said smiling.
Nausea roiled through her, and she had to swallow to keep from throwing up. He thought she wanted sexual favors, but he’d soon find himself with a case of a stiff neck an’ a short drop.
After the others had settled up the pot and walked away, Ruby turned to James Rivera and had to school the emotions she could feel surging through her. She couldn’t let him see she hated him and would like nothing better than to haul him out of town right this moment. But she had to wait.
“Several of our patrons are holding a special card game, starting tomorrow afternoon. I thought you would be a great player to have in the mix. We’re going to hold it in a private room in the hotel.”
He frowned at her. “That’s odd. Usually Mrs. Hutchins lets us use one of the rooms upstairs. Why aren’t they holding it upstairs?”
Ruby almost panicked. “She’s renovating that room, adding more space for more girls.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t been home in quite a while. My family is going to need my help.”
“There’s a jackpot of five hundred dollars being offered to the winner.”
“That’s a lot of money,” he said, his eyes widening as he stared at her. “Where did you say it was?”
Oh, the jackpot was luring him like bait on a hook. “The Hide Town hotel.”
“And who’s going to be playing?” he asked.
She named off several of her regular players and he frowned.
“I’ve beaten all of them before. That money could be mine,” he said, running his hands through his hair. “Okay, count me in. See you tomorrow afternoon,” he said and walked out the door, leaving a sleeping Clara slumped over a table.
Ruby wanted to kick her and tell her he was gone, but she decided it was none of her business and let the woman sleep on.
She turned to leave and there was Deke. “Oh,” she said surprised he was still there. It was late. “I thought you might be going after Rivera.”
“Not tonight. The sheriff is hanging around, and I don’t want to draw his attention.”
“Where’s the dog?” Ruby asked, glancing around.
“Waiting outside.”
“This whole time?”
“Yes, we’ve been waiting, the two of us,” he said.
“Exciting night.”
“I’m ready to go home. We have things to discuss,” he said, leading her by the elbow toward the door.
“Whatever could that be?” she asked innocently.
If he brought up her virginity, he just might not live to see tomorrow. Yet, she couldn’t wait to talk about Rivera and their plans to sneak him out of town before anyone noticed he was gone.
“You know exactly,” he said, and they stepped through the swinging doors to find Wyatt Thomas waiting on them.
“This your dog, Culver?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You need to keep him off the street.”
“I will, sir,” Deke said, and Ruby could feel the tenseness seeping from his bones like minerals from a spring.
Fear clutched at Ruby, and she put on her saloon girl persona. “Sheriff, so good to see you. I’ve been staying out of trouble.”
The sheriff glanced at her. “That’s not what I hear.”
Ruby pouted her lips at the man and tried to act coy. “What do you mean? I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Take a look to your left. What do you see?”
It took a conscious effort not to let the sheriff see how much she wanted to smack him upside the head.
“Deke?”
“Heard you and him went upstairs yesterday. That’s asking for trouble.”
A shiver of revulsion went through Ruby, and she could see Deke was ready to pound the man into the Texas dirt. She had to diffuse the situation before Deke killed the crooked lawman, a self-centered smartass who wore a badge smudged by the dirt that clung to him.
“Won’t happen again, Sheriff,” she said, ducking her head. She wanted to throw up, but knew that wouldn’t really look too good right now, though it would make her feel better. She hated corrupt lawmen, and this one had so much scum on him, he’d never come clean.
“How’s the hunt for your brother coming?” he asked Deke. “Any luck?”
“Not yet. I’ve been talking to the reverend when I can find him. Seems he likes to lay low.”
“Most men in this town do,” the sheriff said. “I’ll give you two more days, and then you’re going to need to move on.”
Deke shrugged like it meant nothing to him. “No worries.”
“And take that mangy mutt you call a dog with you or I’ll shoot him.”
Ruby could almost feel the hair on the back of Deke’s neck standing on end. The dog whimpered and gave a low growl.
“Not an animal lover, Sheriff?” Deke asked.
“I have no use for them.”
“Good,” Deke said and tugged at Ruby’s arm. “Good night.”
Ruby had to resist the urge to turn around and make certain the sheriff wasn’t going to pull a gun on and shoot them in the back. A creepy feeling slithered down her spine and made her want to run to the hotel.
She was so ready to go home, but she knew the worst was yet to come.
Chapter Twelve
Deke would like nothing better than to see that stupid lawman face justice. He needed to somehow be brought before a judge and sentenced for being corrupt. And Deke hoped that before this was over, the cavalry would ride in and arrest him. They weren’t far from Fort Griffin, and there were soldiers there who could clean up this town.
But right now, he had to get himself and Ruby out of here safely with their bounty, Rivera. Because even though Deke would ride out of here without the bounty, he knew he couldn’t convince Ruby of leaving without Rivera.
After creeping up the back stairs of the hotel, they walked down the hall to Ruby’s door. He waited while she opened it, and then he pushed her inside, following her into the darkened hotel room. He put the puppy on the floor, and she curled up and went back to sleep.
Then Deke waited while Ruby lit a lamp.
“What are you doing?” she whispered in the dark, her voice like a caress across his tense body.
“We need to talk.”
“Can’t it wait until morning?” She finally got the coal lamp burning, and in the glow, he glanced around the room at the clothes that were a mixture of the bounty hunter woman and the saloon girl.
“No, we need to make plans for getting out of town with Rivera and Hannah without half the gunslingers in this town following us,” he said, breathing in the soft scents of her room. It smelled of roses and lilacs and lavender, the fragrance interrupting his flow of thoughts as he breathed in the sweet smell of Ruby.
“I just thought we’d gag Rivera, tie him up, and haul out of the hotel with him,” she said, brushing past him, her breasts rubbing against his chest.
Desire punched him in the gut like the kick of a bull. Standing here in this room, next to her, breathing in her womanly scent was enough to make him hard with wa
nting her.
“And you think they’re going to just let you ride down Main Street with him all trussed up like a calf at branding time?”
“Look, I’m so ready to get out of this rat hole town I’d try anything to get home.”
Ruby turned to walk away, and Deke grabbed her by the arm, pulling her to him. “I’m ready to get out of here as well.”
He hadn’t meant to haul her into his arms, just to stop her from putting distance between them. In the glint of light, her pupils dilated and desire glowed from her gaze. She licked her lips, and he almost groaned. This was not the time to have thoughts about what they could be doing on that bed.
“Thank you for what you did today,” she said softly. “The men were testing me, and then you came up, and it ceased.”
He lifted her chin to stare into her eyes. “I should have done something earlier. It was my fault. I didn’t think about how they would react to you and me in the bordello.”
She slipped out of his arms, stepping away from him. He could see her chest rising and falling with each breath, her creamy breasts all but spilling out of her dress.
“It’s okay. I never thought of them thinking I would be available to…to…”
He smiled. She couldn’t say the words, and that filled with him with silly pride. All he wanted to do was lay her down on the bed, strip her clothes off slowly, and methodically make sweet love to Ruby. Just one more time before they left this corrupt town and went their separate ways. Just one more time to explore her body. Because soon they would no longer spend each day together.
She had to go home to her sisters, and he had to return to his empty life in a house where the ghost of Laura lurked in every corner. Some days he thought about striking a match and burning down the homestead, but the property had belonged to her family for years. The dwelling had sat empty until he’d returned to rattle around in the cavernous building, lost and alone.
“So how do you want to handle getting out of town with Rivera?” she asked, facing him, the bed behind her beckoning to him like a sultry woman.
“I was thinking while you set up the card game, I could grab Hannah. The three of us nab Rivera. The horses are waiting in the back, and then we do our best to get out of town before anyone notices.”
She took a step toward him, laid her hand on his shoulder and ran it down his chest. He drew in a sharp breath. Scorching heat seared him with her touch.
“And once we get out of town, what are we going to do?” she asked, her hands still laying right below his heart.
He took a deep breath and tried to concentrate. “We’re going to ride as far as we can until we run out of daylight. Then we’re going to sleep under the stars without a fire, so we can get started bright and early the next morning. By supper of the second day, we should be close enough to Zenith that the sheriff will be afraid of the law.”
Taking a step closer, Ruby was almost completely against him, the scent of roses swirling around the two of them like they were in a garden. Deke closed his eyes and tried to focus. He’d wanted to keep tonight strictly business, and yet, his body betrayed him.
She reached up and caressed the side of his face and he moaned, the sound loud in the stillness of her room.
“What if they follow us?” she asked, her breathy voice sounding like a stroke down his body.
“That wouldn’t be good. We’ll need to ride along the edge of the river until we can cross over. Once we’re on the other side of the Brazos, I’ll feel safer.”
“Then it’ll be over,” she said, her words having a ring of finality to them, her lips mere inches from his.
As much as he knew it had to end, he didn’t want this thing between them to stop. And as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t resist Ruby anymore than he could stop breathing. Just one last time in her arms. “Hopefully.”
Greedily, his lips covered hers with an urgency, knowing tonight would be their last. Tonight, he would take one final risk and then never allow himself the sanctity of her arms again.
His mouth plundered hers as he melded her sweet body to his. Need exploded through him, rushing through him like a tornado on the prairie, sweeping everything from its path.
Her mouth opened like a flower, and his tongue caressed the inside of her lip, then swept her mouth insistent and urgent. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she clung to him, pressing her body against his, letting him feel all of her womanly curves.
Slowly, she ended their kiss and stepped from his arms, her bosom rising and falling. His chest clenched tightly as he watched her shaking her head. “I’m probably going to regret this, but not tonight. Tonight, I want you.”
She whirled around and presented her back to him. “Help me undress.”
Relief surged through him, and before she could ask twice, his fingers were reaching for her buttons. Hurriedly, he unbuttoned her dress and let the gown fall to the floor. When she turned around to face him, she stood there in her corset, her breasts pushed up to almost spilling out of the garment. He’d never seen anything more beautiful.
Reaching out, he rested his hand over the soft mounds and placed his lips along the tops, trailing his tongue over her exposed flesh. He reached behind her and pulled the ties that held her confined and slowly released her.
She sighed and let the corset fall to the floor. Her breasts swayed in her chemise, and with an urgent need, he untied the bow and pushed the garment to the ground. Gripping the waistline of her pantaloons, she pulled them down, stepping gingerly from them.
Finally, she stood before him in all her naked glory. At the image of Ruby, thoughts of leaving town deserted him. He had to have her, now.
One last time.
Blinded by her beauty, he let his fingers trail over her body, sliding from her shoulders, to her breasts, down to her waist, then to the juncture between her thighs. Soft as satin and silk.
Their last joining had been frantic and hurried. This time he wanted to explore her body, linger over her curves, drive her to the brink of passion, and relish in her ardor. This time had to last him a lifetime, as he could not risk her life again. He couldn’t watch another woman die.
With trembling fingers, she unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it past his shoulders. He groaned at the touch of her warm hand as she glided it over his chest, exploring him until he thought he would burst from wanting her. From needing to be inside her.
Her hands brushed the waistband of his pants, and he yanked them away. “If you don’t stop, I won’t last much longer,” he gasped. “I want this to be slow. To enjoy each other.”
She smiled, and the fire in her gaze scorched him with need. He doubted he could go any slower. Just her look was enough to push him over the edge.
Dropping to the bed, he quickly removed his boots, his socks and lowered his pants to the floor. The touch of her fingers wrapping around his hardened shaft caused his breath to leave his body in a gasp.
Gently, he cupped her center, his fingers exploring her innermost folds, while his lips wrapped around her nipples, sampling her sweet flesh.
“Oh, Deke,” she sighed as she tried to crawl onto his lap and push herself down onto his cock, but he wouldn’t let her.
He held her in place, as his fingers brushed her satiny folds, tempting and teasing while her breathing rose faster and faster and she arched her back against his hand wanting more. Ruby was as responsive as a forest to a fire, hot and frenzied beneath his fingers. He wreaked havoc with her senses until he felt her tense. Her breathing stopped as she crumbled beneath his hand.
“I need you,” she cried, and his lips silenced her as he plundered her mouth once again. When she went limp in his arms, he released her mouth and she fell onto the bed.
“Deke,” she said with a sigh.
This was his dream for tonight—that he could satisfy her every way possible and leave her sated and exhausted until morning.
Crawling up beside her, he felt her hand wrap around his staff. Desire rushed through him at
the touch of her fingers sliding around his hardened flesh, flicking the head with a gentle stroke. He lay back, enjoying the feel of her ministrations, letting the fierce pounding of his blood overwhelm him as pleasure pulsated through him in wafting waves.
She leaned over him, her hand still caressing him as her lips covered his, greedily devouring him. He let her take the lead in the kiss as she moved her mouth over his, her tongue tracing the edges of his lips, her hand sliding up and down his blood-engorged cock.
Sensations ricocheted through him as he lay back and let her fingertips work magic on him, stroking him ever closer to the edge, so imminent that he lifted her up and pushed her onto her back, covering her body with his.
“Now,” he said as he plunged inside her, needing to bury himself deep within and feel her flesh surrounding him.
Wrapping her legs around him, she met him stroke for stroke, whimpering as he slowed the pace, trying to make it last. He clasped her hands in his, plunging deeper and deeper, her soul melding with his, their bodies joining.
His lips found hers again as they inhaled together the breath of life. Joined as one, he felt Ruby’s very life essence flowing around him as he gasped for a lungful of air. At this moment, he’d never felt closer to another person—like they were a part of each other, their hearts racing, their souls mingling.
And he didn’t want it to end.
Ruby had shown her strength, her vulnerabilities, her laughter, her love; she’d shared everything with him, while he’d only shown her his loyalty. He needed to give her more. He wanted to open his heart to her, but he could never let himself be that vulnerable ever again.
Unable to hold back any longer, Ruby tensed around him. “Deke,” she cried as her body stiffened, her eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks.
“Ruby,” he groaned, helpless to hold back another second. His body betrayed him and sent him spiraling to the moon and back.
What was it about Ruby that he couldn’t let go? Why did she affect him even more than Laura ever had? Why did she feel so right in his arms?
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