illegal brothel, my possessions sold to pay city fines, and all my girls scattered to the winds. All but Alice. She stayed and had the good sense to grab all my jewelry before Alexander got them. The day I was to be released, a letter arrived stating if I didn’t leave St. Louis, my sister was dead.
“ So I left. I ran like a coward. I lost everything because I believed a man could care about me.” She sucked in a shuddering breath. “But I won’t make that mistake ever again.” Not even with you.
With each word he stiffened against her, his hands fisted, his gaze downcast.
There. Now he knew. Just as she’d feared, he was disgusted.
And now he could go.
“ Are you done?” His words were tight, angry.
She nodded and climbed to her feet . “There’s not much else to say, is there? I understand you’ll want to leave now. I don’t blame you, and I won’t hold hard feelings against you for judging me.” How could any decent person not judge her?
“ What?” He jumped up, his hands flaying in the air as he paced. “Not much left to say? Well, I could say that sometimes you make me so damned angry I could spank your beautiful ass.”
Spank ? What was he— beautiful ass ?
He turned and marched toward her. “Why do you have to be so stubborn? Why do you have to keep degrading yourself?”
“ I—I don’t. I’m just telling the truth.”
He leaned in close, bracing his arms on each side of her, his palms flat against the oak table. His voice softened, though his expression became strained.
“ When are you going to stop trying to push me away? Because I’m not leaving.”
“ Why?” Tears filled her eyes, her throat nearly closing with the ache to cry. “Why do you care about me?”
He blinked. Then stared at her, searching, his gaze devouring. “I don’t know. I just do. And I can’t stop.”
“ You will.” She wouldn’t let herself believe otherwise. It would hurt too much when he walked away.
“ No. I won’t.” His eyes darkened, then focused on her mouth. He cupped her cheek, his thumb caressing her bottom lip. “I can’t stop. I’ll never stop.” Those words were nothing more than a whisper as his lips replaced his thumb.
The kiss was slow at first, slow and deep. He licked into her mouth, not aggressively, almost as if he was asking permission. His tongue slid against hers, teasing, retreating, inviting her to play.
And oh, God, she wanted to.
He tasted like cinnamon and whiskey, smelled like leather and musk, surrounded her, filled her senses. She wanted to get closer, to wrap herself in his heat. Stay here forever.
Slidin g her arms around his neck, she buried her fingers in his thick hair. He groaned and gripped her tighter, pulled her closer.
Warmth exploded in her belly, pooling then flowing like warm honey through her. He nibbled down her jaw, nuzzled her neck, his breathing rough and ragged, his whiskers prickly on her skin, his breath hot, moist.
He pulled back, dropping quick kisses on her chin, her nose, her eyelids.
“God, you’re so beautiful.” He put her at arm’s length. “But I don’t want you to think I just want sex. I mean I do, but I want more.”
“ More?” What did he mean? Her lust filled brain couldn’t make sense of his words. And the silly hopeful answer that materialized—that he might mean a respectful life—well, she couldn’t let herself go down that path again.
“ Yes, more. I want to take you back to Fort Hayes with me. I think we—”
“ No.” She shook her head and backed away. He didn’t mean it. Couldn’t mean it. “You just need sex. Afterward, you’ll regret asking. Because underneath it all, you’re a decent man, and decent men don’t care about whores.” No one cared about whores.
He reached for her, but she pushed his hands away.
“Damn it, Eden.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I hate that you have no faith in yourself or me. I hate that you carry not only your sins but your mother’s. I
“ So I left. I ran like a coward. I lost everything because I believed a man could care about me.” She sucked in a shuddering breath. “But I won’t make that mistake ever again.” Not even with you.
With each word he stiffened against her, his hands fisted, his gaze downcast.
There. Now he knew. Just as she’d feared, he was disgusted.
And now he could go.
“ Are you done?” His words were tight, angry.
She nodded and climbed to her feet . “There’s not much else to say, is there? I understand you’ll want to leave now. I don’t blame you, and I won’t hold hard feelings against you for judging me.” How could any decent person not judge her?
“ What?” He jumped up, his hands flaying in the air as he paced. “Not much left to say? Well, I could say that sometimes you make me so damned angry I could spank your beautiful ass.”
Spank ? What was he— beautiful ass ?
He turned and marched toward her. “Why do you have to be so stubborn? Why do you have to keep degrading yourself?”
“ I—I don’t. I’m just telling the truth.”
He leaned in close, bracing his arms on each side of her, his palms flat against the oak table. His voice softened, though his expression became strained.
“ When are you going to stop trying to push me away? Because I’m not leaving.”
“ Why?” Tears filled her eyes, her throat nearly closing with the ache to cry. “Why do you care about me?”
He blinked. Then stared at her, searching, his gaze devouring. “I don’t know. I just do. And I can’t stop.”
“ You will.” She wouldn’t let herself believe otherwise. It would hurt too much when he walked away.
“ No. I won’t.” His eyes darkened, then focused on her mouth. He cupped her cheek, his thumb caressing her bottom lip. “I can’t stop. I’ll never stop.” Those words were nothing more than a whisper as his lips replaced his thumb.
The kiss was slow at first, slow and deep. He licked into her mouth, not aggressively, almost as if he was asking permission. His tongue slid against hers, teasing, retreating, inviting her to play.
And oh, God, she wanted to.
He tasted like cinnamon and whiskey, smelled like leather and musk, surrounded her, filled her senses. She wanted to get closer, to wrap herself in his heat. Stay here forever.
Slidin g her arms around his neck, she buried her fingers in his thick hair. He groaned and gripped her tighter, pulled her closer.
Warmth exploded in her belly, pooling then flowing like warm honey through her. He nibbled down her jaw, nuzzled her neck, his breathing rough and ragged, his whiskers prickly on her skin, his breath hot, moist.
He pulled back, dropping quick kisses on her chin, her nose, her eyelids.
“God, you’re so beautiful.” He put her at arm’s length. “But I don’t want you to think I just want sex. I mean I do, but I want more.”
“ More?” What did he mean? Her lust filled brain couldn’t make sense of his words. And the silly hopeful answer that materialized—that he might mean a respectful life—well, she couldn’t let herself go down that path again.
“ Yes, more. I want to take you back to Fort Hayes with me. I think we—”
“ No.” She shook her head and backed away. He didn’t mean it. Couldn’t mean it. “You just need sex. Afterward, you’ll regret asking. Because underneath it all, you’re a decent man, and decent men don’t care about whores.” No one cared about whores.
He reached for her, but she pushed his hands away.
“Damn it, Eden.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I hate that you have no faith in yourself or me. I hate that you carry not only your sins but your mother’s. I
Similar Books
