the mirror. Their gazes held, and temptation beckoned. He could have her. Here. Now. On this bed. No one would blame him.
Except for himself.
Reese tore his gaze from hers and shoved his feet into his boots. "Come on," he said. "I'll walk you home on my way to the church."
She nodded, docile for a change. She hadn't said much of anything since he'd pointed out she might have to kill someone if he taught her how to use a gun.
He gave a snort of amusement and opened the door for her. Mary had guts; he'd give her that much. More courage than any man in this town.
Together they descended to the kitchen, where Rico had taken over for Jed. A single glare from Reese had the Kid snapping his big mouth shut before he nodded politely to Mary.
Reese would no doubt be in for some teasing from Rico and Cash, lectures from Jed, silence from Sullivan, and glares from Nate for his behavior tonight. No matter what he told them, they would think he'd taken the amazing Miss McKendrick to his bed.
And while he shouldn't care what they thought as long as they did their jobs, he didn't want them thinking any less of her because he appeared unable to keep his brain out of his pants whenever she was around.
Outside, she kept her distance, creating no opportunity for him to put his hand against her back, as a gentleman should. He couldn't say he blamed her. He hadn't acted like much of a gentleman. More like a beast. But she'd waved off his apology, and he wouldn't offer another. The best apology would be to make certain he never touched her again.
Maybe he should teach every able-bodied person in Rock Creek how to use a gun. Then he and his men might be able to leave more quickly. Reese glanced at Mary and remembered the taste of her skin, the scent of her hair.
As each hour passed, leaving sounded better and better.
They reached her porch. Reese paused, clasping his hands behind his back, out of temptation's way. Mary kept hers behind her back too. Temptation seemed a familiar foe to them both.
"Good night, Reese. Think about what I asked, won't you?"
He nodded. She might be on to something with her "more women" defense. He would think on it while he sat in the steeple. Better than thinking about his lips at her neck and his tongue between her breasts.
"Night," he ground out before he turned and practically ran to the church. Only when he reached the room with the bell did he glance down. She still stood outside in the darkness.
The need to go to her hit him so hard he leaned his head against the cool stone wall. By the time he lifted it again she was gone.
"She gets to you." Sullivan lurked in the shadow of the bell.
Reese straightened from the window, pulled out a cigarette, and cupped his hands to light it against the wind, taking his time as he thought about what to say.
He blew out a long stream of smoke, lifted one shoulder, then lowered it. "I've been without a woman a long while."
"She's not that kind of woman."
"They're all that kind of woman."
Sullivan snorted. "Now you sound like Cash."
"You better watch the insults."
Reese offered Sullivan a cigarette, then a light. Sullivan was the closest thing Reese had to a friend, mainly because the man liked to chat less than Reese did.
Sullivan blew a line of smoke out the window, watched as it disappeared on the wind, then turned the glowing cigarette about in his fingers like a worry stone.
"Spit it out," Reese growled. "I know when you've got somethin' gnawin' at your gut."
Sullivan peered at him from between the long dark strands of his hair. "What you could have with her might replace what you lost."
Reese stiffened. This was a direction he did not want to take. "What do you think I lost?"
"I dunno." Sullivan held up a hand, palm outward. "And you don't want to tell me. That's fine. I've got things I'm not tellin' you, either. That's why we all get along so well. We accept one another for who we are now and to hell with what went before."
"Is there a point to this
Except for himself.
Reese tore his gaze from hers and shoved his feet into his boots. "Come on," he said. "I'll walk you home on my way to the church."
She nodded, docile for a change. She hadn't said much of anything since he'd pointed out she might have to kill someone if he taught her how to use a gun.
He gave a snort of amusement and opened the door for her. Mary had guts; he'd give her that much. More courage than any man in this town.
Together they descended to the kitchen, where Rico had taken over for Jed. A single glare from Reese had the Kid snapping his big mouth shut before he nodded politely to Mary.
Reese would no doubt be in for some teasing from Rico and Cash, lectures from Jed, silence from Sullivan, and glares from Nate for his behavior tonight. No matter what he told them, they would think he'd taken the amazing Miss McKendrick to his bed.
And while he shouldn't care what they thought as long as they did their jobs, he didn't want them thinking any less of her because he appeared unable to keep his brain out of his pants whenever she was around.
Outside, she kept her distance, creating no opportunity for him to put his hand against her back, as a gentleman should. He couldn't say he blamed her. He hadn't acted like much of a gentleman. More like a beast. But she'd waved off his apology, and he wouldn't offer another. The best apology would be to make certain he never touched her again.
Maybe he should teach every able-bodied person in Rock Creek how to use a gun. Then he and his men might be able to leave more quickly. Reese glanced at Mary and remembered the taste of her skin, the scent of her hair.
As each hour passed, leaving sounded better and better.
They reached her porch. Reese paused, clasping his hands behind his back, out of temptation's way. Mary kept hers behind her back too. Temptation seemed a familiar foe to them both.
"Good night, Reese. Think about what I asked, won't you?"
He nodded. She might be on to something with her "more women" defense. He would think on it while he sat in the steeple. Better than thinking about his lips at her neck and his tongue between her breasts.
"Night," he ground out before he turned and practically ran to the church. Only when he reached the room with the bell did he glance down. She still stood outside in the darkness.
The need to go to her hit him so hard he leaned his head against the cool stone wall. By the time he lifted it again she was gone.
"She gets to you." Sullivan lurked in the shadow of the bell.
Reese straightened from the window, pulled out a cigarette, and cupped his hands to light it against the wind, taking his time as he thought about what to say.
He blew out a long stream of smoke, lifted one shoulder, then lowered it. "I've been without a woman a long while."
"She's not that kind of woman."
"They're all that kind of woman."
Sullivan snorted. "Now you sound like Cash."
"You better watch the insults."
Reese offered Sullivan a cigarette, then a light. Sullivan was the closest thing Reese had to a friend, mainly because the man liked to chat less than Reese did.
Sullivan blew a line of smoke out the window, watched as it disappeared on the wind, then turned the glowing cigarette about in his fingers like a worry stone.
"Spit it out," Reese growled. "I know when you've got somethin' gnawin' at your gut."
Sullivan peered at him from between the long dark strands of his hair. "What you could have with her might replace what you lost."
Reese stiffened. This was a direction he did not want to take. "What do you think I lost?"
"I dunno." Sullivan held up a hand, palm outward. "And you don't want to tell me. That's fine. I've got things I'm not tellin' you, either. That's why we all get along so well. We accept one another for who we are now and to hell with what went before."
"Is there a point to this
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