kiss me this minute, Adrien, I’m going to think there’s something wrong with you.”
He was looking at Jeannette helplessly, when suddenly Samantha grabbed his head and pulled his face down to hers. She had to do the kissing herself. It was a disaster. Adrien was repulsed. He kept his hands at his sides. His lips were stone cold. There was absolutely no feeling in him.
Samantha let go of him slowly, and he stood back, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. She was not shocked. She wasn’t thinking about him. All she could think of was the time she had wasted loving and wanting him.
“You bastard!” she raged.
“Samantha—” Jeannette began, and Samantha turned on her.
“You Judas! If you had just told me the truth! I told you last night that I loved him, and you had probably guessed before. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“ Chérie , this is not…something we can admit to,” Jeannette said helplessly.
“You could have told me! You knew how I felt.” Tears sprang to Samantha’s eyes, and she couldn’t stop them. “I would have been hurt, but at least I would still have my virtue. And now I don’t—because you had to lie to me and play matchmaker instead. You served me up on a platter to that devil, Jeannette.”
“Samantha, I am so sorry,” Jeannette said sincerely. “I could not know that Hank Chavez would take advantage of you. You must believe that.”
“It’s too damn late for either of us to be sorry.”
“What is this about Hank?” Adrien finally spoke up. “What have you done to him?”
Samantha started to laugh hysterically. “Oh, God, it’s just like you to think I’m the villain.”
Adrien pivoted around and stalked away, and at that moment Samantha didn’t know which of the two men she hated more.
“Samantha—” Jeannette tried again.
“No!” Samantha snapped, and headed for her horse, throwing back at her friend, “There’s nothing you can say that will help now, Jeannette. I’m returning to town, and I sincerely hope I don’t see either you or your brother again before I leave here.”
Samantha rode off then, her anger and bitterness burning hotter than ever. When she reached town, she changed hotels, moving to the best Elizabethtown offered.
She spent the rest of the afternoon brooding. What could she do about Hank Chavez? She had quickly understood that she hated him more than she hated Adrien. She couldn’t let Hank get away with what he’d done, get away with seducing her and then mocking her. No matter how much she might have hurt him, he had had no right to hurt her so badly.
It was not the loss of her virginity that was eating at her, keeping her anger aflame. That had been hisrevenge, simple and over with. Hank had felt she deserved it for having hurt him, and perhaps she could even forgive him for that. After all, she knew what hurt was. And though she wished it had not happened, she shamefully admitted that she had found pleasure in their union. Somehow, her body had responded.
But Hank’s parting taunts had truly shamed her. She could not stand his knowing what a fool she was. Hank knew that she would never have the man she loved.
Had loved . Samantha felt only pity for Adrien now. She was disgusted with herself. That she could be so stupid! That she had belittled herself, always thinking that it was her fault if Adrien didn’t notice her.
All that ate at her. That was why she wanted so desperately to get even with Hank. Only she didn’t know how. She didn’t know the first thing about tracking a man. She could hire someone else to do it, but she didn’t even know how to find the sort of man who would hunt another down.
There was nothing she could do except hope that she would meet up with Hank again one day. And there was a way to make that a possibility—by posting a reward. Wanted, alive . And she did want him alive, so that she could see him horsewhipped for the despicable bastard he was.
In order to post a reward, she
He was looking at Jeannette helplessly, when suddenly Samantha grabbed his head and pulled his face down to hers. She had to do the kissing herself. It was a disaster. Adrien was repulsed. He kept his hands at his sides. His lips were stone cold. There was absolutely no feeling in him.
Samantha let go of him slowly, and he stood back, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. She was not shocked. She wasn’t thinking about him. All she could think of was the time she had wasted loving and wanting him.
“You bastard!” she raged.
“Samantha—” Jeannette began, and Samantha turned on her.
“You Judas! If you had just told me the truth! I told you last night that I loved him, and you had probably guessed before. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“ Chérie , this is not…something we can admit to,” Jeannette said helplessly.
“You could have told me! You knew how I felt.” Tears sprang to Samantha’s eyes, and she couldn’t stop them. “I would have been hurt, but at least I would still have my virtue. And now I don’t—because you had to lie to me and play matchmaker instead. You served me up on a platter to that devil, Jeannette.”
“Samantha, I am so sorry,” Jeannette said sincerely. “I could not know that Hank Chavez would take advantage of you. You must believe that.”
“It’s too damn late for either of us to be sorry.”
“What is this about Hank?” Adrien finally spoke up. “What have you done to him?”
Samantha started to laugh hysterically. “Oh, God, it’s just like you to think I’m the villain.”
Adrien pivoted around and stalked away, and at that moment Samantha didn’t know which of the two men she hated more.
“Samantha—” Jeannette tried again.
“No!” Samantha snapped, and headed for her horse, throwing back at her friend, “There’s nothing you can say that will help now, Jeannette. I’m returning to town, and I sincerely hope I don’t see either you or your brother again before I leave here.”
Samantha rode off then, her anger and bitterness burning hotter than ever. When she reached town, she changed hotels, moving to the best Elizabethtown offered.
She spent the rest of the afternoon brooding. What could she do about Hank Chavez? She had quickly understood that she hated him more than she hated Adrien. She couldn’t let Hank get away with what he’d done, get away with seducing her and then mocking her. No matter how much she might have hurt him, he had had no right to hurt her so badly.
It was not the loss of her virginity that was eating at her, keeping her anger aflame. That had been hisrevenge, simple and over with. Hank had felt she deserved it for having hurt him, and perhaps she could even forgive him for that. After all, she knew what hurt was. And though she wished it had not happened, she shamefully admitted that she had found pleasure in their union. Somehow, her body had responded.
But Hank’s parting taunts had truly shamed her. She could not stand his knowing what a fool she was. Hank knew that she would never have the man she loved.
Had loved . Samantha felt only pity for Adrien now. She was disgusted with herself. That she could be so stupid! That she had belittled herself, always thinking that it was her fault if Adrien didn’t notice her.
All that ate at her. That was why she wanted so desperately to get even with Hank. Only she didn’t know how. She didn’t know the first thing about tracking a man. She could hire someone else to do it, but she didn’t even know how to find the sort of man who would hunt another down.
There was nothing she could do except hope that she would meet up with Hank again one day. And there was a way to make that a possibility—by posting a reward. Wanted, alive . And she did want him alive, so that she could see him horsewhipped for the despicable bastard he was.
In order to post a reward, she
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