Longarm 397 : Longarm and the Doomed Beauty (9781101545973) by Tabor Evans Page A

you? Maybe even to your folks’ front door?”
    She considered this, folding her upper lip over the brim of her coffee cup. Finally, with a fateful sigh, she set the cup down and picked up the bundle. She untied the sleeves of the buckskin mackinaw, making a face. “Smells like sweat,” she sniped, then opened the coat and picked up the blue jeans. “Too long.” She draped the jeans over her knee and picked up the plaid flannel shirt. “Way too big.”
    â€œThe sleeves and cuffs you can roll up. I threw a rope in there—you can use that to keep your pants on. There’s gloves there, too. Even some extra wool socks.”
    â€œThought of everything didn’t you?” she said coolly.
    Longarm hiked a shoulder.
    She pressed her lips together and shot him a snide look. “I suppose you’d like to put them on me, too?”
    â€œYou’re a big girl. I figure you can dress yourself.”
    â€œI’ve seen the way you’ve looked at me.”
    â€œNow, I can’t help that, can I? You’re damn nice to look at.”
    â€œYou’re a big, lusty man—aren’t you, Deputy Long? I suppose there wouldn’t be anything to stop you from having your way with me out here. There wouldn’t be much I could do. Would there?”
    â€œNope.” Longarm threw the last of his coffee back. “There’d probably be damn little you could do, except maybe kick and scream. But if I wanted to take you, I’d take you.”
    He ridged a brow and narrowed an eye at her. “Now, I don’t mind you assuming the worst from me. I figure your experience with rough men has allowed you that. And make no mistake, I am a rough man. But I’m one of the ruffians on your side, and if you can’t see that, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
    He glanced at the sky. “The sun’s gonna be up soon, and we need to get our tails on the trail. So, if you don’t go back behind those rocks and put those clothes on real quick-like, I will put them on you myself and throw your pretty little ass into the saddle.”
    He stood and kicked dirt and rocks on the fire. “And, yes, I’d probably enjoy it!”
    She gasped, picked up the clothes, clutching them and the coat to her breasts, and glaring at him over her shoulder, walked haughtily off into the rocks.
    â€œWomen!” Longarm raked out to himself as he began rolling up blankets and gathering gear. “Try to save their damn hides and they think you only want a piece of ’em . . .”
    While he worked he glimpsed her head moving around behind the rocks as she dressed, tossing her hair across her naked shoulders. She met his glance once with a cool, defiant one of her own.
    When he’d gathered up both of their saddles and saddle blankets, he walked past the rocks behind which she was dressing. She gasped, and out the corner of his eye he saw her clutch the coat to herself even though she was wearing the oversized shirt he’d brought her.
    â€œDon’t worry—I’m not after your precious body,” he groused and continued over to the horses. He couldn’t help adding as he threw the blanket over the coyote dun’s back, “Not yet, anyways. Maybe I’ll be requirin’ payment a little later on.”
    â€œI wouldn’t doubt it a bit,” she said, throwing her hair out from the collar of the big mackinaw.
    When he’d helped her into her saddle, neither meeting the other’s gaze, he stepped into his own saddle and led the string down the narrow gorge and into the broader canyon beyond. He checked both ways carefully, to make sure no riders were about, then reined the claybank eastward along the valley, in the opposite direction from the camp in which the dead men lay, likely just now being pecked by crows and mountain jays.
    As the sun rose, Longarm led the way along the valley until it intersected with another, then