“No?’ The desire in his eyes was unmistakable. He lowered his head until his lips met hers. The kiss flamed her desire until heat curled in her belly and spread throughout her body like a wildfire until she was ablaze with need. His hands stroked her arms and her back as his mouth plundered hers.
****
Evan picked her up and carried her over to the bed. He fell back on the bed and pulled her atop him. With one hand, he cupped her chin and drew her mouth to his. He gently brushed his lips over hers, and then he kissed her. A kiss that began slow, then increased in intensity. His tongue sought entry, and she opened her mouth to him. His tongue met hers and mated in a heated rush.
He rubbed her back, then pushed her nightshirt up until he felt the satin flesh of her thighs. The feel of her softness against his body stoked the fire igniting inside him. He nudged the nightshirt up further until his hands were on her buttocks. He slipped her undergarment down around her hips, his hands stroking, touching, reveling in the feel of her.
He rolled her over on her back and gazed down at her. Her lips were parted, swollen with his kisses. He tugged her undergarment off and stroked the soft mound covering her womanhood, watching her face as he did so. Desire shimmered in the depths of her eyes. He tugged her nightshirt over her head, and then she lay nude before him. He feasted on her beauty. He leaned over and took the pearled tip of her breast into his mouth. A moan escaped her lips, and her fingers entwined in his hair. She pulled him closer. He could hardly breathe with the feelings she aroused in him.
“It’s not fair,” she said suddenly.
“Fair? What do you mean?”
She reached up and stroked his cheek, her fingers trailing down the line of his shoulders, across his chest, to his belly, stopping at his waist. “You have removed my clothing, but you still have yours. It’s not fair.”
He grinned. “You’re right. It’s not fair, but I think I can remedy that.” He slipped from her embrace and quickly removed his clothing, then lay beside her. His aroused member touched her. She sucked in a deep breath. Her hand closed around him, and his pulse raced at the pleasure.
He levered himself over her. He parted her legs and then thrust deep inside her welcoming warmth. His lips found hers again, and he kissed her as their bodies melded together in a blissful fusion. In perfect harmony, they moved together as one, taking and giving, creating a whole that was more powerful, more passionate than anything he’d ever experienced.
His body approached fulfillment, striving, straining with a fierce need for this woman. Her breathing quickened, and he knew she rode the pinnacle with him. His body convulsed, pleasure spreading throughout his loins.
And he knew this was right.
****
Angel lay spent in Evan’s arms—it had happened again. Whenever he touched her or kissed her, all reason fled. She changed from a strong, independent woman to a quivering mass of jelly.
Now what? She’d told Mary the first time that she and Evan had made love meant nothing and that it would never happen again. She’d lied on both counts. She loved Evan Montgomery. With every fiber of her being, she loved this handsome, powerful, and arrogant man.
But did he love her? Or only desire her body? Had her resistance been a challenge to him? A sigh slipped from her lips.
He stirred, his arms tightening around her. “Angel?”
“Yes?”
“Are you sorry this happened?”
She laughed softly. So his feelings were as tenuous as hers. “No. No matter what happens between us, I’ll never regret it. I only regret hurting Mary.”
“Me too. I know now, without a doubt, that I never loved her.”
But do you love me? Say it, say it. But he didn’t, and tears filled her eyes. How can he make such wonderful love to me and not love me?
“Honey, you’re moving into town, and I don’t want to hear another word about it. It’s too dangerous for you out here alone, and if you won’t move to my ranch, that’s the only solution. Listen to reason, please.”
“I don’t want to move into town.” She rolled away from him.
“You must.” He leaned over the side of the bed and picked up his shirt. He sat up and shrugged into the garment. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, picked up his pants and stepped into them. “I won’t hear otherwise.”
“You are not my keeper, Evan Montgomery, and just because we made love doesn’t mean you’re my lord and master.” She jumped from the bed. With hands on hips, she shook her finger at him. “I’m not moving into town.”
“Well, I can’t spare any men to watch the cabin.” He shoved himself to his feet.
“That’s fine with me. I never asked you to do that in the first place.”
He shook his head. “You’re the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met.”
“And you’re a bully. I won’t be bullied.” She suddenly realized she was stark naked. She grabbed the blanket from the bed, wrapped it around her and glared at him.
“There’s no reasoning with you.” He stomped over to the door. “I don’t know why I even try.”
“I don’t either,” she retorted, “considering your low opinion of me. You think I’m a liar, a thief, and a soiled dove. Oh, by the way, for your information, I bought that new dress with my own money.” She grabbed a pillow from the bed and hurled it at him.
The pillow bounced off him and onto the floor. He glared at her. “This is your last chance to come to your senses.”
“Goodbye, Evan.”
****
Evan left the house and mounted Buck, all the while cursing himself. How could he have let this go so far? That woman was impossible. She wouldn’t listen to reason. She wasn’t accustomed to the dangers of this wild land. He knew best, yet she wouldn’t listen to him.
The sun rose over the treetops, and he jabbed his heels into Buck’s flanks and headed home. He’d have to make arrangements for someone to watch the cabin tonight. Despite the fact that he’d told her he couldn’t spare a ranch hand, there was no way he’d leave her out there all alone. If those bastards harmed one hair on her head, he’d hunt them down and kill them, and it’d be a slow, painful death.
What in blue blazes was he going to do with her? She wouldn’t move into town, she wouldn’t listen to him, and she was too damned independent. The fact that she wouldn’t obey him fretted him all the way home. He knew what was best for her. By the time he rode into the yard, he was in a surly mood.
Chad met him at the door. “Hey, Evan, where you been?”
“Never mind.” He pushed past his brother. “We got any coffee?”
“Yeah.”
Evan strode toward the kitchen, his boots clicking loudly on the tiled floor. He heard Chad’s footsteps behind him. At this point he didn’t feel like being questioned. After pouring a cup of the strong brew, he faced his brother. “Did the men get up to the line shack and repair it?”
“I sent them up there, but they ain’t back yet.”
“Good.” He sipped his coffee, wondering how to tell Chad to send someone to watch Angel.
“Where you been?” Chad repeated in a peeved voice. “I was beginning to worry about you.”
“Didn’t mean to worry you, kid, but I had some business to take care of in Deadwood. What are Shorty and George doing? Where are they?”
“Hunting strays up on the north rim.”
“Send someone to find them. I want to see them.”
“How come?”
“I want them to do something for me.”
“What?”
“Dammit, why all the questions? For God’s sake, can’t I do anything without being quizzed? After all, I am the owner of this damned ranch.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he wished he could take them back. Chad’s face fell like melted butter. “Look, kid, I’m sorry. I’ve just got a lot of things on my mind.”
“Like Angel Devereaux?”
Evan’s mouth tugged down into a frown.
“I may be your you
nger brother, but I ain’t blind, nor dumb. I seen the way you look at her.”
“Well, that’s all it is.” The lie rolled easily off his tongue. “She’s a pretty woman, and I like to look at her. That’s all.” He shrugged his shoulders, trying to convince the boy with his nonchalance.
“If you say so.” Chad turned to go. The defeated slump of his shoulders said much.
“Wait, kid. Look, I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to bite your head off. I guess it’s time to confess. I think Angel is in danger. She’s bound and determined to stay at that damned cabin. I’ve tried to convince her to move into town or over here, but she won’t. So I’ve been keeping an eye on her.”
“Danger?”
“Yeah.” He relayed what had happened last night, except for the fact that he and Angel had made love. Chad’s eyes widened with alarm.
“Did you recognize any of the bastards?”
“No. They were wearing masks. I thought I’d ride into town later, let everyone know what happened and see if anyone is sporting some new bandages.”
“You want me to go with you?”
Evan started to say no, but the hopeful look on Chad’s face stopped him. “Sure. I’d like some company.”
Chad’s face broke into an ear-to-ear grin. “Great. I’ll go find someone to ride up to the line shack and find the boys.”
“While you’re doing that, I’m going to catch up on some paperwork. See you in a while.”
The lad scurried out the door, and Evan kicked himself in the pants. He should spend more time with his younger brother. Since their parents had died, he’d been mother and father to the boy. The kid was a hard worker, and the men liked him. Sure the kid had screwed up before, but didn’t everyone?
Hadn’t he?
He stretched and his muscles screamed in protest. The soreness reminded him he was too damn old to sleep on the cold hard ground any more. With a tired shrug, he headed for his office.
Chapter 13
Brilliant rays of light danced across the cabin floor. Angel opened her eyes, then promptly squeezed them shut. The bright sunlight hurt her eyes, and she pulled the pillow over her face.
The events of last night played over and over again through her mind. They had been at once sweet and wonderful. Promising—yet heartbreaking because he’d never once said he loved her or mentioned marriage. She sat up and punched the pillow. How could he expect her to live at his ranch? He didn’t care about her reputation, if indeed she even had a shred of one left.
Why had those men tried to run her off? What possible motive could they have? She tossed the pillow aside and opened her eyes, then sat up in bed and hugged her knees to her chest. Hazy memories of her father floated through her mind like clouds, yet there were no bad memories. What had her father been like? She remembered very little about him. She surveyed the cabin, wondering if her mother had once lived here.
The ornate clock on the mantel caught her attention. It looked so out of place in this rundown excuse for a building. One of Evan’s donations to the poor? No, it’d been there when she arrived, but she didn’t remember ever seeing it before in her childhood. She rose from the bed. But before she could walk to the mantel, she doubled over and grabbed her stomach. Dry heaves attacked her, sending her back to the bed. What the heck was wrong with her? This wasn’t the first time—
Then it hit her.
Could she be…pregnant?
It was a wonderful—and scary—thought. She furrowed her brow, trying to remember when she’d had her last monthly flux. It’d been over two months ago so there was a chance she now carried Evan’s child. Mixed emotions swept over her. She rubbed a hand across her belly. She wanted Evan’s baby, but did he?
After several minutes, her thoughts returned to the clock on the mantel. She stood, then waited for the nausea to attack, but it was gone. She padded over to stand in front of the mantel.
She picked the clock up and studied it. The back cover had rusted shut. She found her knife and pried it open. A paper, yellowed with age, floated to the floor. Had her father hidden it there? Dread at what the paper might hold paralyzed her. Afraid to pick it up, she stared at it as if it were a serpent and might bite her at any time. It had to be important enough for her father to hide it.
Pick it up, you ninny, and read it. She leaned over and gingerly picked it up. The old paper crackled loudly as she opened it. It was a wanted poster. The words seemed to jump off the page at her. Wanted Dead or Alive. Bob Larson. For murder and bank robbery. Reward—$10,000. As she stared at the evil face of Bob Larson, her hands shook. The man of her nightmares stared back at her. The man whose face had haunted her dreams since she’d been a child. The sight of him filled her with terror. Why would her father hide this poster?
Then she saw the date—eighteen sixty two. The same year she and her mother went to live with Grandpapa on the Delta Princess. There must be some connection. But what?
Now what did she do? Go the Citizens’ Committee? The Army? Show the wanted poster around town? Take it to Evan? No—she couldn’t do any of those things. With a fifteen-year-old wanted poster, they’d laugh at her. Besides, if this wanted poster was connected in any way to her father’s death, or to what had happened last night, she wouldn’t put anyone else in danger.
A plan formed in her mind. She’d go to town and visit every store and establishment in town. She’d go to church. She’d join the ladies’ club. She’d find excuses to visit the ranches in the area. If this man, now fifteen years older, was within a hundred miles, she’d find him. What she’d do when she found him she didn’t know. First things first. Tomorrow, she’d put her plan into action.
That evening, as she settled on the front steps and watched the sun set, her gun by her side, the sound of hoof beats filled the air, sending her heart racing. She grabbed her gun and retreated into the house. As she waited by the window, three men rode into the yard. Her heart pounded crazily in her breast. Had they come back to finish the job? But it was Chad and two other men who rode into the yard. With a grin, she went to meet them.
“Chad, what a nice surprise.”
“Howdy, Angel.” He blushed at her remark. “It’s good to see you. You okay?”
She nodded.
“Evan told us about last night—”
All of it?
“—and he sent us to guard you.”
“That’s not necessary. If I hadn’t been stupid enough to go outside—”
“He said you’d say that. Listen, you could’ve been hurt real bad. We ain’t leaving, and that’s that.”
His determined tone of voice reminded her of Evan. Besides, if Evan had given orders, his men, including his brother, would be afraid to disobey him. But she didn’t voice her thoughts. “Well, all right, and thank you very much. I confess I will sleep better knowing three strong, brave men are watching over me.”
Chad’s face flushed with obvious pleasure. His chest seemed to swell right before her eyes. “We’ll take good care of you.”
“I know you will.”
He turned to the other grinning men. “Take a look around, okay, fellows?”
The men dismounted and tied their reins to the hitching post. They pulled their rifles and disappeared around the house.
It suddenly occurred to Angel that Chad could be a great source of information about the town and its people—and Evan. She perched on the top step and patted the seat beside her. “Chad, come sit by me and tell me about Deadwood and its people. Were you born here?”
He took his hat off and slouched down on the porch. “Nope. Born in Colorado, but when my pa and ma died, me and Evan came up here. I was just a tad. Been here ever since.”
“So you know most everyone in these parts?”
“Yeah. At least the ones who’ve been here a while. But lots of people come and go. Miners, prospectors, drifters. Why?”
Her face flushed guiltily. What was wrong with her? She, who’d faced the best gamblers on the Mississippi, couldn’t hide her em
otions. “I just would like to meet some new friends. It gets rather lonely out here.”
“Yeah, it does. Hey, I got a great idea. There’s a dance in town on Saturday night. Everyone will be there.”
Perfect. “Well, if you think I should—”
****
Evan tapped his foot to the rhythm of the music and surveyed the crowded dance floor. Even though he didn’t want to admit it, even to himself, he was looking for one person in particular. No sign of her yet. Everyone in Deadwood and the surrounding ranches had turned out for the dance. In fact, most of his men were here, as well as his brother. Chad danced by, Linda Sue Perkins in his arms. The boy had grown up under his nose, and he’d been too busy—or self-centered to notice.
But where was she? Chad had mentioned he’d told Angel about the dance and she’d said she’d be here. His brother had also volunteered to drive her into town, but she’d refused. Stubborn fool woman—more stubborn than a Missouri mule.
Maybe more stubborn than he was.
Even though he’d almost confessed his love for her the other night, doubts clouded his mind. She was too independent for his liking. He wanted a proper wife who’d listen to reason, one who would stay home and take care of him and have his babies.
The thought of Angel having his baby brought a smile to his face, then a frown. Twice now, they had been intimate. The chances of her having his child was a real possibility. The fact sobered him.
Someone entered the barn door, and he glanced in that direction. Reverend Smythe and his plump wife walked into the barn. It wasn’t her—the flame-haired woman who drove him to distraction and stirred his blood to the boiling point. Studying his boots, he sighed.
“Why, Evan Montgomery, what a sad sigh.”
He glanced up to see Mary grinning at him. Dear sweet Mary. Why couldn’t he love her? His life would have been so much simpler. “Hello there. You’re looking quite lovely tonight.”
“Thank you. She’s not here yet.”
His face burned. “Who? Who’s not here?”
She laughed. “You’re not fooling me. I’ve known you too long.”
Gambling on Love Page 18