CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Violet had giggled all the way to Cooper's house, but once safely inside she realized just how reckless they'd been. She was surprised. Cooper didn't strike her as reckless, though he'd made love to her without reservation after knowing her only a short time. She'd done the same, but her entire life had been unconventional. She grabbed hold when fleeting moments of happiness crossed her path. Throughout her life fleeting moments had been all she'd known. Did Cooper have a similar history? Perhaps they were more alike than she thought.
Looking around the living room it was obvious his home was merely a place to hang his hat, but the house was comfortable, and after being exposed to some lovely homes during her days with Earl, she could see its potential. Ambling into the hallway she found two bedrooms, the larger of which was obviously his, and staring at the bed a naughty smile crossed her lips. Closing the curtains, she slipped out of her clothes and slid between the sheets.
As she settled in she relived the shocking moment when he'd bared her backside, yanked her over his lap and started spanking her. She'd been embarrassed, which had surprised her, and his hand had been a whole lot hotter than Earl's.
But the entire episode had sent thrilling sparks through her entire being.
She loved his hard muscled body, his control, his easy authority, and how it was coupled with tenderness and compassion. His sexy smell was on the pillow, and inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes as a tingle rippled through her sex.
"Is this what it means to fall in love?" she whispered. "It has to be."
The sound of the front door snapped her from her thoughts. She realized he was probably expecting her to be naked and in his bed, and she wanted to surprise him with something more, but she had only seconds.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Cooper was confounded. He'd had no intention of ravaging Violet in the cell. It was foolhardy at best, and marching to his house he'd chided himself.
"What the blazes were you thinkin'?" he'd muttered. "This isn't the old days! You're not that wild outlaw anymore."
But as he turned the block and saw his house it struck him. He was. The crazy cowboy who feared nothing and no-one, who by all accounts should be dead and buried, had only been sleeping, and the beautiful young woman with the mesmerizing green eyes had woken him up.
The epiphany rattled through his soul.
Her erotic assault in her room at the boarding house had startled him, but it hadn't stopped him making love to her. Her conniving nature had turned him on, not turned him off. She hadn't protested his ardent attack in the cell, and she'd been just as aware of the potential danger as he had. She'd spent her life taking risks as he'd once done—was now doing again!
They were two peas in a pod!
"Dang it, Violet. Is that why I've fallen for you? Cos you're just like me?"
His pulse had ticked up, and entering his house he wasn't surprised to find the living room empty. He'd already assumed the mischievous girl would be waiting between the sheets. Making sure to lock the front door he walked quickly to his bedroom, but as he entered he broke into a broad grin and shook his head.
Violet had used her stockings to tether her ankles to the bed frame at the foot of the bed, and had tied her chemise around her eyes as a makeshift blindfold.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" he murmured, his cock springing to life as he moved across to her. "A helpless female waitin' to be taken."
"Some villains came in through the window and did this to me, but when they heard you come in they ran off. Won't you please untie me and take off this blindfold?"
He had to chuckle. Her hands were free. But playing along he leaned over and whispered in her ear.
"You're stayin' just as you are, and I'm gonna take full advantage."
"No, you can't," she whimpered. "Please won't you—"
But his mouth had abruptly covered hers, and he grabbed her breasts, kneading them roughly as he crushed her lips, then breaking away he unknotted the kerchief around his neck and quickly tied her wrists.
"There, now you really are helpless," he remarked as he removed his clothes, "and I think I'm gonna tease you for a while. Make sure you're nice and wet when I slide my big cock in you."
Her whimpered moan and salacious wriggle made him smile, and sitting on the edge of the mattress he touched his fingertip inside her slick slit.
"Looks like you're already in the mood. Did one of those villains mess with you?"
"He did, he put his mouth on my titties and fingered me."
"I should thank him for warmin' you up, and I'm gonna take the same liberties."
Dropping his mouth to her breasts, he slowly drew in each nipple, sucking hungrily as he sent his hand between her legs. Her moans grew louder, and he thrust his finger into her depths, searching out the magic spot deep inside her channel. Gently pressing, he was rewarded with a wail of pleasure, then carefully withdrawing, he lifted his head and rose to his feet.
Violet was beside herself. She hadn't expected him to tie her wrists and she felt truly helpless. When he had sucked on her breasts like a starving vampire, waves of scintillating sensations had coursed through her body, and as his fingers began to explore her sex, she thought she would faint from pleasure. Now she'd felt him leave the bed, and she had no idea where he'd gone, or if he was even still in the room.
"I'm untyin' your stockin's, and you're gonna roll over, get up on your knees and rest on your elbows. I want your ass high."
"Yes, Sheriff."
She would be in a lewd position, and as she felt him release her ankles, her heart began to hammer and a fresh wave of butterflies burst to life.
"Go on, be quick about it. I don't like to be kept waitin'."
He was being gruff, acting out the part, and it was fueling her fever. Shifting on the bed, she did her best to follow his instructions, but his hands unexpectedly clutched her waist and began moving her into position.
"Arch your back," he exclaimed, landing a hot slap, "arch it good and spread your legs."
Feeling him climb up behind her she waited for his cock, but he had other plans. His hands gripped her cheeks and pulled them apart. A hot flame burned her across her face, and she thought she would die from humiliation, but his lecherous display of her most private part was cursory.
"That was to show you I'm the boss of your body," he declared, moving his hands to grasp her hips, "and I'm gonna help myself to every bit of it."
His cock was sitting at her entrance mercilessly teasing her, and as she bucked back begging him to thrust inside her, though he didn't pull away, he didn't accept her invitation either.
"You want somethin'?"
"You, please, you."
"Am I the boss of your body?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Lemme hear you say it."
"You're the boss of my body."
"You happy about that?"
"Yes," she panted, barely able to stand his salacious torment. "I am, I swear. I want you to be the boss of my body."
With agonizing slowness he pushed inside her, and as he began to pump with strong measured strokes, she dropped her head into the covers and let a long, low, endless moan. He was possessing her and she loved it.
She loved him, totally and completely. He had become the boss of her body and her heart.
Cooper heard her surrender in her bleating pleasure, and he could feel it in his soul. They were connecting on a level that transcended sex, and he knew they belonged together. They dared to defy convention, they seized opportunity and had the courage to risk, they lived with compassion and refused to be victims. They were two sides of the same coin, and submitting to the profound understanding he drove his cock forward, accelerating with every stroke until he was pummeling her pussy.
She suddenly cried out his name, then he heard her suck in the air. Her orgasm was seizing her, and as she erupted his climax gushed through his loins. Wild tingles buzzed through his limbs, his heart was pounding against his
chest, but he continued to thrust even as his convulsions waned. Her crescendo seemed to last forever, but as the last wave ebbed and she dropped on the bed, he slipped out and collapsed next to her. Still panting he rolled her on to her back, untied her wrists and removed her blindfold, and as she breathlessly gazed into his eyes he saw the threat of tears.
"Hey," he panted, pulling her into his arms. "Easy, darlin', what's wrong?"
"I'm s-so happy and s-so s-scared," she stammered. "Hold me."
"Whatta you scared of?" he asked softly, tightening his hug. "You worried about havin' a baby? I'm real sorry about that. It took me over. You make me crazy, Violet."
"No," she sniffled, "that doesn't scare me. It's you. It's me. I've never felt like this."
"Like what," he huskily, pulling back and staring down at her. "Tell me."
"I love you. I love you with all my heart. I love you so much it hurts."
"I feel the same. I love you, Violet. I swear I never thought I'd utter those words, but it's the God's honest truth. I reckon I lost my heart the moment I saw you by that stagecoach."
"Me too. You and your shirtless chest."
Their lips met, and as happy tears spilled down her face, Cooper thought his heart would burst. Their kiss lingered, neither wanting it to end, but when they finally broke apart and were breathlessly snuggling together, Cooper let out a grunt.
"What was that?"
"That was me complainin'. I wanna stay with you but I've gotta send out a couple of telegrams, then ride out to Zeke Johnson's house. That fella Charlie caught was one of the rustlers and I need to tell Zeke what's goin' on."
"What a shame."
"Violet," he said hesitantly, "I've gotta be honest. There's another reason I've gotta go out to the Johnson ranch. I don't wanna worry you, but I need you to keep your eyes open."
"I'm not going to like this."
"I reckon not. Charlie told me a stranger is stayin' there. Just appeared outta nowhere."
"You don't think it's the detective, do you?"
"I dunno. I'm just sayin' keep your eyes open."
"You're leaving right now?"
"Yep, but before I go, you wanna tell me where you learned about bein' blindfolded and tied up?"
"Yes, I do, and it's nothing I'm ashamed of."
"I wouldn't want you to feel that way. Who was he?"
"His name was Earl Wallace. He was a lovely man. We were going to be married."
"Dang. I wasn't expectin' that."
"I didn't feel for him the way I feel for you, but I cared for him deeply. He was quite a bit older than me. I met him on the tenth anniversary of his wife's passing. He was sitting on a park bench and he looked so sad I wanted to cheer him up. We ended up having afternoon tea, and I don't know why, but I told him all about myself. The orphanage, running away, the children, everything. We started seeing each other, and I really liked being with him. I didn't have to do anything illegal while he was in my life. He did a great deal to help the children with clothes and food. Anyway, he was always a gentleman, but he often joked about spanking me, and I started to find it intriguing. When he finally did I found it very exciting. That was the night he asked me to marry him. We were happy together, though he had a daughter who was very jealous. She didn't like me one bit, but he didn't care. He said I made him feel like a new man, and I believe I did."
"What happened?"
"One night at dinner he gave me a beautiful watch. He said it meant more than the engagement ring he was going to buy me. I was going to move from my lodgings to stay at his house the next day, and he was going to his lawyer's office to work out his will so I'd never want for anything. We kissed goodbye, and that was the last time I ever saw him. He had a heart attack overnight and passed away."
"No! Violet. You must've been devastated."
"Those were dark days, Cooper. Very dark days."
"Dang. I'm speechless, darlin'."
"I did try to sell the watch to a pawnbroker I knew, but he warned me that Detective Connelly had put the word out. If I showed up, he was supposed to raise the alarm. I couldn't take it anywhere."
"Do you still have it?"
"The watch? Yes of course. It's very precious to me. I'm glad I didn't sell it now."
"I'm sure you are."
"There was one other…" she said softly. "Jimmy. He and I ran away from the orphanage together. I didn't want to tell you that earlier."
"That's okay."
"We sort of, grew up together and things just happened between us. It was like breathing. Nothing special, but we were close."
"And what happened to Jimmy?"
"He got a live-in job working for this very wealthy family as a—I don't know what. He ran their errands, polished shoes, whatever they needed. He said he could get me a job there as a maid or working in the kitchen."
"You didn't take it?"
"Heavens no. I'd rather be dead than live a life of drudgery."
"How old were you?"
"Fifteen."
"You turned down three meals a day and a roof over your head."
"I turned down prison."
"You're remarkable," he murmured, hugging her tightly. "You truly are one of the bravest people I've ever met."
"I doubt that."
"It's true, and I'm real glad you told me all that. It explains a lot. Now we have to get dressed and I'll walk you back to Mrs. Elwood's. I wanna make sure you get there safely."
"Thank you for the best afternoon of my life. I'll never forget it."
"Neither will I," he said, kissing her softly.
It only took them a few minutes to dress and tidy themselves up, and stepping outside into bright sunshine, she looped her arm through his elbow as they started off. They had to walk down Main Street a short way, then cross over and down the block to Ruby's.
Standing outside Al's Mercantile, Hannah caught sight of a beautiful dress, and squinting as she held her hand over her eyes, she noticed the woman wearing it had long, lustrous shimmering reddish hair. Hannah was so captivated by how pretty the woman was, it took her a moment to notice she was with the Sheriff. He was grinning, and the lovely lady on his arm was laughing along with him.
Hannah suddenly realized they were a couple!
And she saw red.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
After stopping at the telegraph office to contact the sheriff in Peabody, Cooper returned to the jailhouse to check in on Charlie and the bank robber. Walking in the door he found Charlie sitting at the desk, his head buried in the manual.
"Hey, Sheriff."
"Hey, Charlie. Everythin' under control? How's your prisoner?"
"Quiet as a mouse."
"I'm headin' off to your pa's ranch and I want you visible. Sit on the porch. That's why I whittle out there. People think I'm focused on the wood, and I am, but I've always got one eye on the street and one ear to the ground."
"I'll go out there right now."
"One more thing. Remember, don't talk to anyone about Rose Hamilton, or anything else we've discussed. Not a word to a soul. If anyone describes her, tell them she sounds like a lotta pretty girls in this town."
"You told me what we talk about is between you and me, and that's the way it'll stay. You don't have to worry, Sheriff."
"Worryin' is what I do, Charlie. It's good for business, but I know you'll do just fine. I guess I'll be an hour or so. I'm goin' out to saddle up. Will your mare be all right by herself?"
"Sure. The Hobson's horses are nearby."
"I'll throw her some hay to keep her happy."
"Thanks, Sheriff."
"We'd be nowhere without our horses. Gotta treat 'em right."
Deciding to take the fastest route out the back door, as he passed by the cells he saw the thief snoozing on the cot.
"Probably a lot more comfortable than the hard ground," Cooper murmured as he passed, but when he looked at the empty cell where he'd spanked Violet, he couldn't suppress a grin. The unexpected interruption wou
ld be a moment they'd be laughing about for many years to come.
"Many years to come," he muttered, repeating his thoughts as he strode across the alley to the corral and small barn. "Dang. I gotta get my head around this."
His horse walked up to the fence as Cooper neared, and opening the gate he rubbed his neck, then headed into the barn to throw on the saddle. River followed him like a puppy, and Hazel followed River.
"You've gotta stay put, girl, but here's some hay. That'll keep you happy for a bit."
Cooper tacked up River while the mare happily munched, and she barely flicked an ear as he led his horse out the gate and swung himself into the saddle. As he rode down Main Street he returned the friendly waves of passersby, but when he smiled at Hannah, she scowled at him and flounced away. Barely giving it a second thought, he was soon leaving the town behind him and cantering across the open fields towards Zeke Johnson's ranch.
Would the visiting stranger be the dastardly detective? Cooper wasn't sure what he would do or say if he was. Reaching the top of a knoll he pulled his horse to a stop and took in the view below. His town looked serene, but as a cool breeze rustled around him he felt a ripple of apprehension. The ominous feeling that had shivered through him a couple of times was back, and he abruptly felt an urgent need to reach the Johnson home.
Kicking River forward he galloped up the gentle slope, and as he descended into the valley below, the sprawling ranch house came into view. It was only a few minutes later he was approaching the homestead, and as he neared he saw George chopping wood, no doubt storing up for the coming winter. Like Charlie he was a big lad, and all muscle.
"Hey, Sheriff," George said as Cooper pulled to a stop and climbed off. "Whatta you doin' out here?"
"I need to talk to your pa. Is he in?"
SHERIFF: His Town. His Laws. His Justice. Page 11