Silver Springs

by Carolyn Lampman

  “I was beginning to think you weren’t coming,” he said, leaning against the doorframe.

  “I wasn’t so sure myself for a while. My father locked me in my room.”

  “What the hell did he do that for?”

  She grinned as she threw a protective blanket over the horse. “He was trying to keep me from running straight to you with his suspicions. He thought an evening of seclusion would change my mind.”

  “But Martha let you out?”

  “Nope. I’d still be there if I hadn’t used Shannon and Jared’s secret escape route.”

  “Now there’s a scary thought.” He moved out of the way to let her pass. “Dark tunnels and cobwebs, I suppose.”

  “Nothing so dramatic. There’s a very large tree outside my window. It was a simple matter of descending it.”

  “You never cease to amaze me,” Ox said with a chuckle, as he shut the door. “First outwitting outlaws on the road, then performing daring rescues on horseback, and now, climbing down trees in the middle of the night.”

  “Coming down was easy. The problem will be when I have to go back up. I’m hoping Martha will have figured out where I am and leave the back door open for me.” Angel stripped off her gloves. “That fire sure looks inviting,”

  “I figured you’d be rather chilly after coming through that storm, so I lit a fire.”

  “It doesn’t exactly feel like the middle of July right now, does it?” She flopped down on the settee and glanced toward the table. “What are my goblets doing out?”

  “They were in the cupboard, so I commandeered them to go with our bottle of Cognac.”

  “Cognac! Where in the world did that come from?”

  Ox grinned. “Compliments of my grandfather’s private supply, of course. It’s the best to be had this side of the Mississippi.”

  Angel laughed. “And he donated it to help celebrate our triumph, no doubt.”

  “That’s right.” Ox plucked a single red rose from its hiding place behnd a stack of cooks . “And this, my lovely partner, is for you,” he said, handing it to her with a flourish.

  “Oh, Ox, I love roses!” Angel held the blossom to her nose. “How did you know?”

  “It was a guess. Angel once told me it’s her favorite flower. I thought you might share her taste,” he said with a soft smile. “Anyway, it reminded me of us. James Treenery and Richard Brady are only beginning to feel our thorns.”

  “Beware the danger beneath our innocent cover,” Angel murmured, as she watched Ox open the bottle of cognac.

  “They won’t realize where the danger is coming from until it’s too late,” Ox agreed, pouring the deep amber liquid into the glasses. “What did the investigator tell your father?”

  “It appears someone is systematically destroying The Flying T from the inside.”

  Ox handed her a glass as he sat down. “Imagine that.”

  “Here’s to trickery and subversion.” She raised her glass in a toast.

  Ox grinned and clinked his glass against hers. “Long may they reign!”

  The potent liquor slid over Angel’s tongue and down her throat, leaving a trail of warmth behind. “Whew,” she said, as the glow spread from her stomach outward. “It’s got quite a kick to it.”

  “That’s true enough, but it should warm your insides.”

  “It does that, all right.” She took another sip. “I can see how a person might acquire a taste for cognac, especially on a chilly night like this.”

  “My grandfather would be pleased you approve. He’s very proud of his wine cellar.” Ox settled himself more comfortably. “I assume your father called off our betrothal during his tirade.”

  Angel shook her head. “Just the opposite. I’m supposed to spend every possible minute with you, so I can report your movements to him.”

  Ox looked surprised. “And he thought you would do it without question?”

  “My father may not have a very high opinion of my intelligence, but he’s not that stupid. He used his persuasive powers to make me see you in a bad light. You’re marrying me for my money and supporting a mistress in style on the prospects.”

  “Good Lord! How’s that supposed to make you want to be with me? Seems to me you’d want to kill me.”

  “At the very least, but my father thinks only in terms of power. He figures I should be happy I now have a way to control you.”

  “I don’t get it.”

  “It all has to do with my late husband’s will. With the exception of two trustees to keep track of things and vote my shares, he left his entire fortune completely under my control. I can’t pass that control onto anyone else, even if I wanted to. My father fully expected to get hold of the money when Duncan died, and he’s still furious about it. I think the only satisfaction he gets from the situation is that if I remarry, my husband can’t touch it either. In my father’s mind, if I control the purse strings, I also control the man.”

  Ox raised an eyebrow. “Do I detect Angel’s hand in your husband’s will?”

  Angel was startled. “How did you know?”

  “It sounds like something Angel would do. It’s a rather radical idea, not one a man your late husband’s age would be likely to come up with.”

  “It was Angel’s idea, but Duncan rather liked it. He had Father’s measure by then and knew he had to protect his money for me somehow. Anyway, I’m pretty sure we’ve convinced him ours is a love match.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “Because he tried to blackmail me tonight. There wouldn’t be any sense to it if he thought I was still against marrying you.”

  “Blackmail! About what?”

  “He said if I didn’t cooperate with him, he was going to tell you about the will. When I ran to my room, he locked the door to give me time to think it over.”

  Ox got to his feet and walked to the window. “I hate manipulators who bully other people.”

  “So do I, but I think in this case, it will work to our advantage. I’ll be properly chastised by morning and do as he asks.”

  Ox frowned. “Will he trust you?’

  “No, of course not. I’d venture to guess someone will be sent to spy on me as well. We’ll need to proceed like we’re being watched every minute.”

  “Good point. By the way, how would you feel about another partner?”

  “That would depend on who it was.”

  “Sam asked me if he could buy into the business today. He doesn’t have a fortune to invest, but he sees the possibilities in what we’re doing.”

  Angel nodded. “Angel has said she’d trust him with her life. That’s good enough for me. Besides, he’s almost acting as a partner anyway.”

  “That’s what I thought, too, and to be honest, we could use the money. I’ll tell him next time I see him.”

  “Good,” Angel said, running her finger around the rim of her glass. “In the meantime, what’s our next step?”

  “I think it’s time we became more than an irritant.”

  “I agree. What did you have in mind?”

  “That’s an excellent question; I wish I had the answer. It has to be something pretty dramatic that will hit The Flying T at the heart of its money-making power.”

  Angel gazed into her glass pensively. “If only there were some way to get the mail contract away from them. It’s their one steady source of income. Without it, they’d have to depend entirely on passengers.”

  Ox stared at her. “You know, you may have something there. If we could extend our route north of Silver Springs Gulch, it would be a simple matter of dropping a few hints in the right ears and maybe greasing a few palms here and there.” He took a quick turn around the room as he considered the possibility. “What do you think? Can we manage to put the extra stage on yet?”

  Angel did some quick figuring. It would mean putting off paying Jessie her money for several more months. She squelched her feelings of guilt with the rationalization Jessie wasn’t ready to be on her own yet an
d seemed perfectly happy where she was. “If we put everything we have back into the business, and with the addition of Sam’s money, I think we can.”

  “It might mean losing everything we’ve invested so far,” Ox warned.

  “I’m willing to take that chance if you are. You can’t win a game if you never take any risks.”

  Ox pulled her up off the settee and whirled her around the room. “You’re a genius, Alexis!”

  “Ox, my drink,” she protested laughingly. “If you keep this up, you’ll be wearing it.”

  He took the glass from her hand and set it on the table. “That’s easily taken care of. Damned if you aren’t the best partner a man could have,” he said, and gave her an exuberant kiss.

  The current that sizzled between them took them both by surprise. Arms tightened, and lips parted without conscious thought as the innocent kiss deepened into something more. A delicious warmth spread through them both, a molten desire they were powerless to stop.

  When it finally ended, they stared at each other in wonder. “Oh my,” Angel whispered, reaching up to caress the scar that dimpled his cheek.

  Ox caught her hand and kissed the palm before returning to her mouth. Her lips parted in response to the gentle persuasion. Desire rose up hot and insistent to melt Angel’s resolve and dissolve her better sense. All the reasons for not sleeping with Ox disappeared in a flood of intense longing as he swept her up in his arms and carried her the short distance to the bed.

  Angel pulled him close as he lay down next to her and sought the intoxicating sweetness of a kiss. She was rewarded with a moan of pure pleasure as her tongue danced with his. The sound sent ripples of unrestrained excitement thundering through her, intensifying her passion to a fever pitch. The taut muscles of his back felt warm and supple beneath her fingers. Tracing the strong line of his spine down to the waistband of his trousers was an erotic adventure that sent her mind spinning.

  The tiny buttons on Angel’s clothing barely slowed him down. In a matter of minutes, his lips were tracing patterns down the column of her throat and the soft sensitive skin below. He nuzzled the tip of one breast with his lips, sending shock waves of sensation to the pit of her belly.

  It soon grew too intense. Angel pushed Ox over on his back and rolled on top of him. “Now it’s my turn,” she said in a husky whisper, as she unbuttoned his shirt and pushed the material aside. She kissed the hollow of his throat and began her own sensuous journey of exploration. His entire body was superbly muscled. Angel delighted in discovery after delightful discovery as she worshipped it with hands and lips. Never had she imagined a mere touch of her hand on another person’s body could produce such a fever in her own.

  Unable to lie still, Ox slipped his hands inside her blouse and traced the curve of her back, his breathing ragged as she pushed him to his limits. With one fluid movement, he rolled her beneath him and became the aggressor once more. Ox dispatched her clothing with little trouble, tossing each garment aside as he removed it. When she was naked at last, he rose to his feet, shed his pants in record time and rejoined her on the bed.

  Lost in a whirlpool of passion, Ox felt all his dreams had come to life as she shifted and moved beneath him in glorious abandon. At last, he could stand no more and put his knee between hers. “Open for me, sweetheart,” he whispered. “I’ll take us both to heaven.” His mouth found hers again, his tongue delving into the silken warmth eagerly. She wrapped her arms even more tightly around him as her legs parted.

  Ox had the vague impression she was bracing herself, but it held no meaning for him as he entered her body with a single smooth thrust. A second later, he pushed through a thin barrier that had no business being there.

  “What the hell?” He pulled his mouth away and stared down at her in undisguised horror.

  “It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

  “Nothing for me to worry about! Are you crazy?”

  “I want you to make love to me.” Angel wiggled her hips suggestively. “Are you going to make me do it all?”

  Ox gritted his teeth against the nearly overwhelming pleasure her movements caused.

  “Please, Ox,” she whispered. “Someone will do it eventually. I want it to be you.”

  “Oh, Lord—” But the rest was lost as she moved insistently against him, destroying any thought of restraint. After that, he couldn’t have stopped if he’d wanted to.

  It was like nothing he had ever experienced before: wildly passionate, but deeply fulfilling as well. As their bodies shifted and moved together in the ancient rhythms of love, it was as though she reached out and touched his very soul. Her release rocked him to the depth of his being and pushed him over the edge into his own. As he shattered into a million fragments of blind ecstasy, he cried out her name.

  “Alexis!”

  The name slashed through Angel like a sword. For a long agonizing moment, time stood still, then the paralysis lifted, and she wriggled free of his embrace. “How could I have been such a fool?” she cried, scrambling from the bed.

  “What’s the matter?” Ox tried to gather his wits as she hurriedly pulled on her skirt and blouse.

  “I have to go,” she cried, grabbing her cloak.

  “Alexis, wait!” He rose from the bed and grabbed her arms. “Don’t be embarrassed. I’m sure it had nothing to do with you. Duncan wasn’t the first old man who couldn’t perform his marital duties.”

  Her beautiful gray eyes swam with tears as she stared up at him. “Oh, Ox, I’m so sorry.” She reached up and touched his scarred cheek. “Forgive me.” With a sob, she turned and ran.

  Two strides took Ox to the door, but it was too late. She sprang into the buggy and headed down the road toward town.

  “Alexis!” he called desperately, but she didn’t even pause for an instant. As she disappeared into the night, the wind-driven rain hit his naked chest like small, icy blades. He slammed the door, stalked across the room and pulled on his pants. What the hell was going on? he wondered, flopping down on the settee. First, she begged him to make love to her, then she ran away like a scared rabbit when he did. Damn it all anyway. The woman was making him crazy.

  As Ox stared broodingly into the fire, he gradually became aware of something poking the bottom of his right thigh. He glanced down and then grimaced as he moved his leg to pick up the rose he’d given Alexis. It lay in his hand like a mangled corpse, the petals as bruised and broken as his heart.

  Chapter 23

  “He’s downstairs asking for you again,” Martha said, carefully arranging roses in a vase by the window. “This time he brought you a present to go with the flowers.”

  Angel glanced up from her book with feigned nonchalance. “Who’s that, Martha?”

  Martha snorted. “Same one who’s been here twice a day for the last week. Who do you think?”

  “It’s only been three days.” She went back to her book. “Tell him I’m still sick.”

  “He’ll know I’m lying, just like he has from the beginning. I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but you can’t run away forever. You’re going to have to face him sometime.” Martha watched Angel for a moment as she pretended to read the page in front of her. “It’s because he’s falling in love with you, isn’t it?”

  “He isn’t falling in love with me.”

  “Oh, no? Then why do I have him under foot every morning and every night, asking about you, bringing you flowers and presents, acting like a love-sick pup?”

  Angel stared unseeingly at the wall for a long moment. “It’s not me he’s falling in love with,” she said quietly. “It’s Alexis.”

  “Balderdash! He’s never even met Alexis.”

  “No, but he hasn’t seen the real me either.”

  “He sees you every day,” Martha said in disgust. “You may be pretending to be Alexis, but there’s far more of you than your sister in this disguise.”

  “It’s fooled my father.”

  “Only because you never relax y
our guard around him. Besides, he’s so blamed arrogant, he can’t see beyond the end of his nose. The children figured you out right off the bat,” Martha reminded her. “I think even Vanessa knows.”

  Angel gave Martha a startled look. “She does?”

  “You forget, Vanessa and Alexis have spent a good many hours together over the years. They share the same interests, which don’t include gardening or gallivanting all over the countryside on a half-broke horse. Even Vanessa is bound to notice something so obvious.” Martha gave her a shrewd look. “Which is all entirely beside the point. We were discussing you being in love with young Treenery.”

  “We were discussing him being in love with Alexis,” Angel said, slamming her book closed.

  “You mean the woman he thinks is Alexis. This charade wouldn’t last two minutes if you and Alexis were to trade back right now. He’d know immediately because it’s you he’s in love with, not the part you play.”

  “Wishful thinking, Martha.” Angel stood up and walked to the window.

  “Is it? He told me Angel was the best friend he ever had.”

  “That’s exactly right. Friend.”

  “But—”

  “Martha, just go tell him I’m not up to seeing him today,” Angel said stonily. “It will all be over soon anyway. I’ve written to Alexis. When she gets back from visiting her friends, we’ll switch back.”

  “She’s taking her own sweet time getting here,” Martha observed. “What if she doesn’t come?”

  “She will.”

  “And you’re going to leave her to face Ox by herself?”

  “Why not? If she’d done that in the first place, we wouldn’t be in this mess now.”

  “Fine. I just hope you don’t live to regret it,” Martha grumbled.

  When the door slammed behind her, Angel’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “Too late,” she whispered, reaching out to touch Ox’s roses. “I already regret it more than you can possibly know.”