don’t want to leave you here in this godforsaken place!”
She blinked at his outburst. “It’s not your business.”
“It became my business the minute I saw you.” Her foot began to swing gracefully back and forth, back and forth, ticking off the time. Asleep with her eyes open. She was self-contained. Nothing showed in her beautiful blue eyes.
“You feel like talking again?” She covered a yawn and sighed. “Go ahead.
I’m all ears.”
“Am I putting you to sleep?”
She heard the edge in his voice and knew she was getting to him. Good.
Maybe a little more would send him on his way. “It has been a long, hard day.” She rubbed the small of her back. “And all this talk does get old after a while.”
His fuse was lit. “You’d like it better if I joined you on the bed, wouldn’t you?”
“At least you could go away feeling you’d finally gotten something for all your gold dust.”
Michael’s heart beat hard and fast. He went to the window, shaking with anger and physical desire. Drawing the curtain back, he looked out. “Do you like your view from up here, Angel? Mud, slapped-up buildings and tents, men drunk and singing barroom songs, everyone fighting to survive.”
Angel. It was the first time he had called her that. For some reason, it hurt. She knew she was finally getting to him. She waited for the rest. He would say his piece, take what he wanted, and leave. That would be the end 77
Redeem.04 7/31/07 11:16 AM Page 78
R
E
D
E
E
M
I
N
G
L
O
V
E
of it. All she had to do was make sure he didn’t take a piece of her out the door.
“Or downstairs?” he said derisively. “Maybe you’d like that better.” He let the curtain drop back and faced her. “Does it give you a feeling of power to have me bidding for your favors every night?”
“I don’t ask you to do it.”
“No, you don’t, do you? You don’t ask for anything at all. You don’t need anything. You don’t want anything. You don’t feel anything. Why don’t I just go on down the hall to that redhead’s room? Isn’t that it? The one you said could take me off your hands.”
So that was it. His pride was hurt. “I just wanted to see you leave town with a smile on your face.”
“You want to see me smile? Say my name.”
“What is your name? I forgot.”
He pulled her up off the bed. “Michael. Michael Hosea.” Losing himself, he cupped her face.
Michael.
The feel of her skin made him forget why he was there, and he kissed her.
“It’s about time.” She moved forward against him, setting him on fire.
Her hands moved, and he knew if he didn’t stop her, he would lose—not just the battle but the whole war.
When she unbuttoned his shirt and slipped her hand in, he jerked back from her.
“Jesus,” he said. “Jesus!”
Stunned, she looked up at him. It came to her with a shock of clear understanding. “How did you manage to make it to the ripe old age of twenty-six without ever having been with a woman?”
He opened his eyes. “I made a decision to wait for the right one.”
“And you really think I’m it?” She laughed at him. “You poor, dumb fool.”
She finally got to him.
Jesus, I misunderstood. This can’t be the one you sent for me.
He could spend the rest of his life trying to make her understand. He 78
Redeem.04 7/31/07 11:16 AM Page 79
F
R
A
N
C
I
N
E
R
I
V
E
R
S
wanted to grab her and shake her and call her all kinds of a fool, and all she did was look back at him with that smile on her face, as though she had finally figured him all out. He was labeled and put in a bin.
Michael lost his temper. “If that’s the only way you want it, so be it.” He slammed out the door and strode down the hall. He went down the stairs, straight across the casino, slapped the swinging doors out of his way and went out. He kept on walking, hoping the night air would cool him down.
Michael…
Forget it! Just forget I ever asked for a wife! I don’t need one
She blinked at his outburst. “It’s not your business.”
“It became my business the minute I saw you.” Her foot began to swing gracefully back and forth, back and forth, ticking off the time. Asleep with her eyes open. She was self-contained. Nothing showed in her beautiful blue eyes.
“You feel like talking again?” She covered a yawn and sighed. “Go ahead.
I’m all ears.”
“Am I putting you to sleep?”
She heard the edge in his voice and knew she was getting to him. Good.
Maybe a little more would send him on his way. “It has been a long, hard day.” She rubbed the small of her back. “And all this talk does get old after a while.”
His fuse was lit. “You’d like it better if I joined you on the bed, wouldn’t you?”
“At least you could go away feeling you’d finally gotten something for all your gold dust.”
Michael’s heart beat hard and fast. He went to the window, shaking with anger and physical desire. Drawing the curtain back, he looked out. “Do you like your view from up here, Angel? Mud, slapped-up buildings and tents, men drunk and singing barroom songs, everyone fighting to survive.”
Angel. It was the first time he had called her that. For some reason, it hurt. She knew she was finally getting to him. She waited for the rest. He would say his piece, take what he wanted, and leave. That would be the end 77
Redeem.04 7/31/07 11:16 AM Page 78
R
E
D
E
E
M
I
N
G
L
O
V
E
of it. All she had to do was make sure he didn’t take a piece of her out the door.
“Or downstairs?” he said derisively. “Maybe you’d like that better.” He let the curtain drop back and faced her. “Does it give you a feeling of power to have me bidding for your favors every night?”
“I don’t ask you to do it.”
“No, you don’t, do you? You don’t ask for anything at all. You don’t need anything. You don’t want anything. You don’t feel anything. Why don’t I just go on down the hall to that redhead’s room? Isn’t that it? The one you said could take me off your hands.”
So that was it. His pride was hurt. “I just wanted to see you leave town with a smile on your face.”
“You want to see me smile? Say my name.”
“What is your name? I forgot.”
He pulled her up off the bed. “Michael. Michael Hosea.” Losing himself, he cupped her face.
Michael.
The feel of her skin made him forget why he was there, and he kissed her.
“It’s about time.” She moved forward against him, setting him on fire.
Her hands moved, and he knew if he didn’t stop her, he would lose—not just the battle but the whole war.
When she unbuttoned his shirt and slipped her hand in, he jerked back from her.
“Jesus,” he said. “Jesus!”
Stunned, she looked up at him. It came to her with a shock of clear understanding. “How did you manage to make it to the ripe old age of twenty-six without ever having been with a woman?”
He opened his eyes. “I made a decision to wait for the right one.”
“And you really think I’m it?” She laughed at him. “You poor, dumb fool.”
She finally got to him.
Jesus, I misunderstood. This can’t be the one you sent for me.
He could spend the rest of his life trying to make her understand. He 78
Redeem.04 7/31/07 11:16 AM Page 79
F
R
A
N
C
I
N
E
R
I
V
E
R
S
wanted to grab her and shake her and call her all kinds of a fool, and all she did was look back at him with that smile on her face, as though she had finally figured him all out. He was labeled and put in a bin.
Michael lost his temper. “If that’s the only way you want it, so be it.” He slammed out the door and strode down the hall. He went down the stairs, straight across the casino, slapped the swinging doors out of his way and went out. He kept on walking, hoping the night air would cool him down.
Michael…
Forget it! Just forget I ever asked for a wife! I don’t need one
Similar Books
