walked. After all of the cigar smoke at Cooper’s, fresh air appealed.”
I crossed my arms, wanting to touch him but following his Joe-cool lead. “So you’re one of Cooper’s poker buddies now, huh?”
“Does that bother you?”
“A little. I don’t trust him not to whip out his handcuffs and haul me off to jail at any moment just because he feels like it.”
“You want to know what bothers me?”
“What?”
“You screaming your head off today and scaring the hell out of me.”
I grimaced. “Sorry about that. Mona really freaked me out.”
“I’m not talking about your verbal reaction to Mona.”
“What are you talking about then?”
“The panic I saw in your eyes.”
“I thought I was hallucinating.”
“When I saw you, I wanted to do this.” He reached out and captured my elbow, tugging me into the shadows with him where he enfolded me in his arms. “But I couldn’t. Not with an audience. That’s what really bothered me.”
I leaned my forehead against his chest. The faint odor of cigar smoke mixed with his cologne soothed away the day’s rough edges, taking care of what the tequila hadn’t. “I definitely could have used some of this right about then.”
He lifted my chin, tipping my head back. I tried to see his face, but the shadows were too deep.
“Then you sat there in your chair, trying to hide your trembling.”
“God, don’t remind me. I felt like such an idiot for overreacting,” I said.
His mouth touched mine, gentle, soft, slow; his lips caressed mine, taking their time. My heart rolled over and splayed out like a good puppy, vulnerable, smitten, his to treasure or crush. That couldn’t be good. I moaned.
He pulled back. “I’ve been waiting to do that all day.”
“Was it worth the wait?”
“I don’t know.” He walked me backwards until I was pressed against the side of the house. “I’m going to need to try it again to tell.” Capturing my wrists together in one hand, he held them hostage above my head against the siding. His eyes glittered from the feeble light coming through the back door window. “Now what’s this about me being short, little woman?”
I smiled up at him. “My new boss has several inches on you.”
“I noticed.” His lips moved along my jaw, teasing me with feathery kisses. “He looks familiar. I’ve seen him somewhere before.”
My body swayed toward him, wanting more contact. “Maybe you saw him visiting Jane before I came to town.”
Doc had been living in Deadwood about eight months before I moved up from Rapid.
“No,” he said. “Somewhere else.”
“I think he’s from the eastern side of the state.”
His free hand glided along the back of my neck, his body pressing mine into the house. “I don’t want to talk about your boss anymore.”
“So shut me up then,” I said, wrapping my leg around his thigh.
He obliged, plundering my mouth, the easy warmth between us now a sizzling fervor.
“You taste like tequila,” he said when his lips blazed a trail across my cheek. His hand slid down my neck, his palm covering my breast. “I want to drip lime juice on my favorite parts, sprinkle on some salt, and start licking.”
My head swooned and not just in a lovesick way. I had a feeling the tequila I’d downed while talking to Betty Boop was catching up with me, and Doc’s kisses weren’t helping my ability to remain vertical.
Doc let go of my wrists and stepped back, slipping free of my leg hold. “We shouldn’t do this here.”
“I know.” Groaning, I slid down the wall, aching. “The kids might hear us.”
“And your aunt.”
“She’s on a date.” I peeked up at him. “We could sneak upstairs to my bed.”
“It squeaks.”
“How do you know that?” He hadn’t been in my bedroom yet.
“I heard it the other night when you were talking to me on the phone,” he said.
“You were paying attention to the bed’s springs?”
“I was imagining you naked on it.”
“Really? What
I crossed my arms, wanting to touch him but following his Joe-cool lead. “So you’re one of Cooper’s poker buddies now, huh?”
“Does that bother you?”
“A little. I don’t trust him not to whip out his handcuffs and haul me off to jail at any moment just because he feels like it.”
“You want to know what bothers me?”
“What?”
“You screaming your head off today and scaring the hell out of me.”
I grimaced. “Sorry about that. Mona really freaked me out.”
“I’m not talking about your verbal reaction to Mona.”
“What are you talking about then?”
“The panic I saw in your eyes.”
“I thought I was hallucinating.”
“When I saw you, I wanted to do this.” He reached out and captured my elbow, tugging me into the shadows with him where he enfolded me in his arms. “But I couldn’t. Not with an audience. That’s what really bothered me.”
I leaned my forehead against his chest. The faint odor of cigar smoke mixed with his cologne soothed away the day’s rough edges, taking care of what the tequila hadn’t. “I definitely could have used some of this right about then.”
He lifted my chin, tipping my head back. I tried to see his face, but the shadows were too deep.
“Then you sat there in your chair, trying to hide your trembling.”
“God, don’t remind me. I felt like such an idiot for overreacting,” I said.
His mouth touched mine, gentle, soft, slow; his lips caressed mine, taking their time. My heart rolled over and splayed out like a good puppy, vulnerable, smitten, his to treasure or crush. That couldn’t be good. I moaned.
He pulled back. “I’ve been waiting to do that all day.”
“Was it worth the wait?”
“I don’t know.” He walked me backwards until I was pressed against the side of the house. “I’m going to need to try it again to tell.” Capturing my wrists together in one hand, he held them hostage above my head against the siding. His eyes glittered from the feeble light coming through the back door window. “Now what’s this about me being short, little woman?”
I smiled up at him. “My new boss has several inches on you.”
“I noticed.” His lips moved along my jaw, teasing me with feathery kisses. “He looks familiar. I’ve seen him somewhere before.”
My body swayed toward him, wanting more contact. “Maybe you saw him visiting Jane before I came to town.”
Doc had been living in Deadwood about eight months before I moved up from Rapid.
“No,” he said. “Somewhere else.”
“I think he’s from the eastern side of the state.”
His free hand glided along the back of my neck, his body pressing mine into the house. “I don’t want to talk about your boss anymore.”
“So shut me up then,” I said, wrapping my leg around his thigh.
He obliged, plundering my mouth, the easy warmth between us now a sizzling fervor.
“You taste like tequila,” he said when his lips blazed a trail across my cheek. His hand slid down my neck, his palm covering my breast. “I want to drip lime juice on my favorite parts, sprinkle on some salt, and start licking.”
My head swooned and not just in a lovesick way. I had a feeling the tequila I’d downed while talking to Betty Boop was catching up with me, and Doc’s kisses weren’t helping my ability to remain vertical.
Doc let go of my wrists and stepped back, slipping free of my leg hold. “We shouldn’t do this here.”
“I know.” Groaning, I slid down the wall, aching. “The kids might hear us.”
“And your aunt.”
“She’s on a date.” I peeked up at him. “We could sneak upstairs to my bed.”
“It squeaks.”
“How do you know that?” He hadn’t been in my bedroom yet.
“I heard it the other night when you were talking to me on the phone,” he said.
“You were paying attention to the bed’s springs?”
“I was imagining you naked on it.”
“Really? What
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