“What was that all about?” he asked as she walked away.
“Mrs. Burnbaum. I’m not in the mood to deal with her hysterics today. I don’t…” She peered out of the windows at the busy boardwalk and decided it wasn’t wise to stand in the open chatting with Val if she wished to give the appearance she wasn’t in the building. She grabbed his arm and tugged him toward her quarters.
“Come on,” she said. “I don’t want anyone to know I’m here.”
Once they were shut safely inside the sitting room, she breathed easily. That is, until she caught Val studying her scar again. She crossed her arms over her chest, with one hand reaching up to cover her throat as she walked toward the window and shut its lacy white curtains.”
“So, what were you saying before I smothered you with my hand?” she said over her shoulder as she smiled.
“Why are you closed?” His eyebrows drew toward each other and his forehead scrunched.
“I don’t feel like dealing with the public today. I would rather have a day in peace to work on my abundance of orders.”
“Probably a good idea.”
Exasperated, she blew out a breath and shook her head. “I’ve got more orders than I have time to fill. At this point, I almost wish for some good competition just to take some work off my hands.”
Val chuckled. “You ought to get you one of those fancy sewing contraptions I’ve read about. Surely, you know what I’m talking about?”
“A sewing machine?” She asked with wide eyes before she burst into laughter. “I can’t afford one of those. It’s a nice idea, but nothing more than a dream for someone like me.”
“Sounds like you need to raise your prices,” he said.
She pursed her lips in thought as she peered through the curtains and studied the people milling about.
“Am I still being watched?”
“Yes.”
“How can you tell?” Her voice was wound with frustration. “I see no one unusual.”
He came to stand beside her, and she swallowed as he bent his face beside hers to peer out of the window pane. He smelled like Achilles and sage, making her smile softly to herself. Just like Virginia City. His pointed finger lifted to indicate a man sitting on a bench in front of the saloon across the road, reading the newspaper.
“You see that man?”
“Yes, what about him? He’s just reading the newspaper.”
Val frowned at her. “How often does he turn the page or flip it over? Surely, it doesn’t take all day to read one of Samuel’s stories.”
Jess frowned as she studied the man again. Val was right. The only time he moved the newspaper was to fold down a corner and peer in her direction. She gasped and recoiled as if he had seen her, even though she knew he couldn’t. Somehow, witnessing him first-hand brought the threat into another realm of reality, and she began to stroke the sides of her throat with the hand covering it.
“He’s sure being obvious about it, isn’t he? I mean, doesn’t the saloon owner notice the same man sitting outside his place every day and night?”
Val shrugged. “Who knows the kind of men Stacy employs? He could be more visceral than intellectual.”
Jess couldn’t hold in her grin. “Well, Stacy did offer you a job, so clearly any old sod will do.”
He chuckled and she felt the warm tickle of his breath on her face. She turned from him. “What are we going to do, Val?”
He took a deep breath. “I haven’t quite worked that out yet. I guess part of me is hoping Stacy is pulling one hell of a bluff.”
Jess’s brow rose skeptically as she faced him again. “Don’t be naïve. Men like Leonard Stacy don’t bluff. They don’t have to.”
“I know, but the only thing I can think of, short of giving the man what he wants, is to stay as far away from you as possible.” They locked eyes. “If I don’t come around here, he’s got to conclude there’s no affair and you mean nothing to me, therefore eliminating whatever leverage he thinks he has.”
“Sounds simple enough, but then he’ll find something or someone you do care about. You know that, right?”
“Yes,” he said softly as he looked down at her. “But at least you’ll be safe.”
Her heart beat against her chest and throat. His nearness pressed upon her like the thick heat before a summer storm. “But what about you?”
His lip curled in a soft grin. “I’ll be fine. I’m a survivor. You ought to know that.”
She worried her forehead into thick grooves. “Val, this isn’t something to –”
“Where’s Marlena?” he asked, cutting her off as he looked around the empty room.
“She’s having a bath and then hopefully getting a bit more rest.” She nodded to the closed bedroom door. “I don’t think any of us really slept well last night.”
“I know you didn’t,” he said, and his eyes bore searchingly into hers. “I watched you dream for most of the night, and I know it wasn’t pleasant for you.”
Her eyes moved around the room, looking anywhere but at him. “That is one of the few things beyond my control, I’m afraid.”
“I often have restless nights, myself, over what happened last summer.”
Their eyes met and all she could manage was a nod. She couldn’t deny him that. He knew what it was like to survive a harrowing attack. His wounds were still fresh, though not as visible as hers.
“How are you feeling today after sleeping on stone,” she asked.
“There’s a bit of a burn, but nothing I can’t handle.”
Unsettled by the attraction she felt simmering inside of her, she left the window and knelt before the fireplace, working the wood and kindling into a stack so she could light it.
“You never told me why you’re here,” she said, striking a match.
“I wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything before I head out to the mines.”
She peered over her shoulder. “You’re back to work in the mines?” He nodded. “How long have you been doing that?”
“Since I got back in town. I started out with shortened days, but I’ve been able to pull full duty for the last few days.” His smile was proud. “I can already feel my strength returning.”
Her mouth curved in celebration with him. “Good. I’m glad to see you’re not still feeling sorry for yourself.”
“Same to you, Jess.”
Her smile faded and she returned her gaze to the fire. “I don’t need to pity myself, Val. You’re doing it enough for the both of us.”
He sighed behind her. “I can’t change who I am and what I feel, but if you look in my eyes, you’ll see more than pity there.”
She stood and turned, sucking in a breath to find he had moved from the window to stand close behind her. He tossed his hat on the sofa and took a step forward. She took one back, all while her eyes were pinned to his.
“Do you see pity in my eyes right now?” he asked with a low voice. He walked her toward the bookcase until her back hit it.
There was no trace of pity in any part of his presence, not in the heat of his eyes, not in the lean of his body toward hers, not in the determined purse of his lips. The fear she expected to claim her at such blatant desire was swept aside by the fiery longing pulsing through her blood. She couldn’t explain it and didn’t want to take the time to understand it, but she was dying for him to close the gap between their mouths. She thought she had forgotten the pleasure of pure passion, but in that moment, every inch of her body remembered and screamed out to be touched.
“Jess…” His voice was hoarse, little more than a breath, as was hers when she answered.
“Yes?”
“There is something I have to do.”
A thrill of excitement skittered up her spine and she breathed in as her eyes closed. “Do it,” she whispered.
“Open your eyes,” he said. “I want you to see who’s kissing you. I don’t want you to see anyone but Valentine Kelly.”
She opened her eyes without an
y fear, and he lowered his lips to hers. She almost moaned at the first press of his soft mouth, almost gave in to the weakening of her legs. The subtle scrape of his shallow beard growth over her skin set it tingling. Her mouth opened with his and she welcomed the entrance of his tongue, teasing the tip of it with hers before she stroked the full length of it.
His arm snaked around her waist and she felt the soft grip of his other hand on her wrist, pulling her palm from her throat and threading their fingers together high above their heads as he pressed them against rows of book spines. He deepened the kiss, tasting and teasing her, and a rush of heat pooled in her belly as her breasts slid against his chest.
Her free hand roamed up his back, up and over contours of rebuilding muscle, until she cupped the back of his neck to hold him against her. The dance of their tongues was slow and sensual at first, but quickly flared into a hot hunger. He suckled her bottom lip and she caught his between her teeth before their tongues dueled again. His knee wedged between her legs to separate them so he could grind his hips into hers. Liquid desire slithered through her body and gathered between her legs.
There was a low growl in the back of his throat just before he slowly broke the kiss and pulled back. His arm still rested around her waist and their hands remained joined above their heads as they stared at one another. She was desperate to know his thoughts as she struggled to read his face. When his lips curled in a grin, she relaxed, and smiled back.
“Well?” he asked. “Did it feel like you expected?”
“No,” she answered. It felt so much better, she wanted to tell him, but couldn’t bring herself to utter the admission aloud. Instead, she swallowed and smiled. “It felt like the first sunrise after a long sleep.”
He chuckled softly, then reached down for another soft peck of her lips. “The perfect note to part on.”
She took a deep breath and nodded reluctantly. He pulled away and reached for his hat. As he fit it on his head, he glanced back at her leaning against the shelf for support.
“I’ll stay away to throw Stacy off.”
She nodded again. “Take care of yourself, Val.”
“You girls, too. I’ve got Dalton keeping an eye on you.”
She frowned. “So, that’s why he has been coming around a lot more.”
He smiled. “You didn’t think I’d leave you vulnerable, did you?”
There was nothing she could say, because that was exactly how she felt around him. So, she smiled. He smiled back and then was gone.
Chapter 19
When day broke five days later, the bench across the road was vacant, and she breathed her first easy breath since Val left. No one had appeared all day to fill the empty spot, and she felt the long-lamented peace of moving about her home without feeling the man’s eyes pinned to her building.
It had been five full days since she’d seen Val, and it had taken all of them for the warmth of his lips to fade from hers. Her heart was both thrilled and terrified to learn she could still feel the heat of desire in her blood. It meant her passion belonged to her. It was not given by Grant, nor taken away. It also meant she was very much susceptible to that dangerous trap of being betrayed by her body. She knew she could not allow any more intimate encounters with Val.
When he entered her shop two days later, her heart leapt to life, sending hot rushes through her limbs. She and Marlena were enjoying a cup of tea behind the counter while Jess made entries in a ledger. He removed his black hat and greeted them with a close-lipped grin. Her skin tingled, and she smiled back.
“Mr. Kelly,” she said. “In my shop again.”
“Afraid so,” he said as he joined them at the counter. He braced his elbows on it and warmed her cheeks with the look in his eyes. “Can't seem to get it out of my mind.”
“Is there something we can do for you?” Her eyes darted over his torso. “I would offer to take your shirts in, but it appears there’s no need anymore.”
His grin was slow. “I noticed you noticing.”
She took a deep breath and rolled her eyes. “I thought you said you’d stay away?”
“I did, but there’s no need anymore. Your little shadow has been gone for two days now. So, our plan worked.”
Her shoulders rose as she shrugged. “So, it did. That still doesn’t explain why you’re here.”
“I thought we should celebrate. Let me take you dancing tonight.”
She cleared her throat and gently stroked the lace around her neck. “No, thank you. I have work to do.”
They studied each other in a tense silence until the door opened and in walked Caroline. Jess’s shoulders relaxed and she forced a smile.
“Hello, Caroline,” she said before nodding at Val. “You are already acquainted vith Mr. Kelly.” Caroline nodded with a knowing smile and Jessie felt her blood race at the look that passed between them. “He was just leaving.”
“No, I wasn't,” he said, making himself comfortable against the countertop.
“Yes, you were.” Her eyes bore into his.
“Why would I leave? I just got here.”
She rolled her eyes and groaned in frustration. “Follow me, Caroline.”
When they were in the dressing room, Jess began to help Caroline with her bodice and corset. The beautiful, young doxy giggled.
“It’s a good thing you have decided to stay. It appears as though our Valentine is starting to grow feelings for you, Collette.”
Jess ignored the sudden scrunch of her forehead at the words our Valentine. “Za only feelings Valentine Kelly grows for women takes place in za band of his trousers, and I can do without those feelings.”
Caroline laughed. “I wouldn’t recommend it.”
Jess watched the woman lick her lips, and her fingers clenched around wads of her skirt to keep from scratching Caroline’s eyes out. She stood to her full height and narrowed her eyes at the woman, whose smile faded as she held her palms out in defense.
“I’m just sayin’ is all.” Caroline defended as Jess took a step toward her. “You know what I mean…well…I just meant…I’m just…I’ll be quiet.”
Jess took a deep, calming breath and forced a smile into the tightness of her lips. “Don’t be silly, Caroline. I don’t expect you to be quiet. I just have no need to discuss your nocturnal activities.”
Caroline managed a meek smile and a nod as Jess went to work, pinning and hemming. She completed the appointment faster than ever and called Marlena to escort the woman out when all was done. She sank into the plush chair with a sigh when she was alone again. The lace of her hat strap was making her scar itch and she took the headpiece off and rubbed the area. Her eyes shut as she relaxed.
“I'm surprised you service Juliet's girls,” Val said, startling Jessie out of her musings and her eyes sprang open.
“Just invite yourself into my dressing room, Val,” she said dryly. “I thought you'd be gone. And why should that surprise you? We all do what we must to survive. I don't judge Juliet or her girls.”
“I do,” he said, and she flinched, her face tight with righteous anger.
“You do?”
“Oh, hell yes,” he said as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. “And what I've concluded is Caroline is best for after a long night of drinking. She's easy on the eyes, soft on the hands, and keeps her mouth shut. Now, Helga! Helga is perfect during a long night of drinking. Her talents could coax any man in the height of drunkenness to…rise to the occasion. And Giselle…let’s just say Brazil is definitely a place I have to visit before I die.”
“I get the picture, Mr. Kelly. Thank you,” Jess snapped before stabbing her pin cushion with unused pins.
“Good Lord, I do love the way jealousy makes the violet spark to life in your eyes.”
She looked up. “I'm not jealous. I'm disgusted.”
“No, you're not. You're jealous, but that's all right. I don't mind a little jealousy. It shows you’ve been thinking about that kiss as much as I hav
e.”
Her laughter was a huff, hot and haughty. “Were you thinking of that kiss when you were with Caroline or Helga or Giselle?”
“Yep.”
The backs of her eyes stung with hot anger as she glared at Val. The arrogant bastard had just admitted to frequenting Julia’s since their kiss. Even if she had already known it inside, it was disrespectful of him to admit it in her presence. His ensuing laughter did nothing for her ire.
“Whew! You are so easy to rile. Did you really think I was serious?”
Despite the flood of relief in her veins, she stared down her nose at him. “I know what sort of man you are with women, Valentine Kelly, and I’m not interested in becoming one of many. I didn’t read anything into our kiss, and I am quite certain you didn’t either.”
“I read you enjoyed it as much as I did, and the enjoyment surprised you as much as it did me.”
“Keep talking, Val. I'm sure you'll convince yourself sooner or later.”
“Are you saying you haven’t been thinking about that kiss every moment of every day since it happened?”
“I'm saying, quite simply, you can go annoy someone else with your tales of female taste-testing. I am not the slightest bit interested or jealous.” She stood and tossed her cushion and instruments into a woven basket by her feet. “And as for that kiss, you can be assured it will never happen again.”
She stormed past him, and his arms lashed out to pull her against him. There was no time to speak, for he ground his mouth against hers, urgent and hungry. She kissed him back, opening her lips in warm welcome. Their tongues flicked and slithered up and down one another until she realized what she was doing, and sank her teeth into the soft flesh of his bottom lip hard enough to make him yelp. He jumped back, wiping at his lips with the back of his hand.
“Jesus, Jess!”
“That’s for your little monologue about your tally at Juliet’s. If you want to keep your lips, be mindful of the words you let pass through them…especially when addressing me. Good day, Mr. Kelly.”
She left the room and joined her sister in the shop.
Chapter 20
Val’s labored breaths thrust into the wooden floorboards with every bend of his elbows. His shoulder finally began to twinge and he worked through it, pushing his body. Up, down. Up, down through a set of a hundred push-ups. When he finally jumped to his feet, his forehead was damp with perspiration.
Desert Sunrise (Love in the Sierras Book 2) Page 13