talkin’ about? Four, five months, camping in the wilderness. Snakes, wolves, Injuns . . . cholera. Dust blowing in your face sunup to sundown, and no privacy for calls of nature. You ready for that?”
Her cheeks reddened at his plain speaking. “I-I have to be. I have no choice.”
Nigh could see she was close to tears, but wasn’t about to let up. “ Why? Who are you running from?”
Panic-stricken eyes stared back at him. Unconsciously she began to toy with the plain gold band on her left hand. “N-no one. I don’t understand what you’re getting at.”
The raised voices of two men at a nearby table caught his attention. Jumping to his feet, he tossed down a few coins to pay for his meal. He hauled Brianna from her chair, barely giving her time to snatch up her gloves, before heading for the door. Behind them dishes crashed to the floor as the two men began to fight. Shocked, she turned to watch, but Nigh jerked her roughly out into the hotel lobby.
“Where are we going?” she asked as he towed her through the crowded room.
“Somewhere where we can talk.”
At the foot of the stairs she balked, but he pulled her up the stairs behind him, down the hall to her room. He held out his hand. “The key.”
“I thought we were going to talk.”
“We are. In there. Now give me the key.”
She glanced up and down the hall, her words a harsh whisper. “We can’t. It would cause a scandal.”
Nigh thrust his face close to hers, slitted eyes as cold and unbending as the metal key he demanded she give him. “You know a single soul in this town?”
“No, but—”
“But nothing. You intend to live here?”
“No.”
“Then why in thunder should you care what these folks think? I could force you into that room, screaming, and have my way with you, and no one would lift a finger. They have their own problems, ain’t going to pay no mind to yours.”
Blushing from head to toe and bristling with anger, Brianna drew herself up and glared at him eye to eye. “Whether or not anyone else cares how I conduct myself, I do!”
“Fine. Behave as proper as you want, just give me that key. I said we were going to have a talk and I meant it, but not out here where every saddle bum with an itch for gold can hear us.”
“No. I-I have no way of knowing what may have happened while I lay unconscious last night, Mr. Nigh, but I don’t intend to tempt fate by being alone in my room with you again.”
Damn the woman! It wasn’t fate that had suffered the temptation of hell last night, and won—for her benefit.
Before she could make a move to resist him, he flipped open her cloak and felt at her waist for a hidden pocket or purse. His face was so close to hers, she could smell the coffee on his breath.
“Stop it! You hear me?” she said, struggling to break free.
“You always this stubborn?” He pushed away her protesting hands. “Ain’t no surprise to me some man found it necessary to beat you. Been tempted to do the same more’n once since I met you and, dammit, I might yet!”
Chapter Nine
Terrorized by Columbus Nigh’s anger, Brianna froze. Taking advantage, he plunged his fingers deep into a side pocket of her skirt and withdraw the key he had felt through the fabric, ignoring the self-loathing he felt for using her fear against her. Throwing the door open, he shoved her inside.
“Now start talking,” he said, leaning against the closed door.
Afraid to go near the bed, even to calm the cat whose hair had risen on his back at the tension charging the air, Brianna sat down in the chair by the window. She kept her eyes on her lap, smoothing her skirts, and arranging the folds, hoping to give some semblance of calm. “I thought you wanted to talk to me.”
“You know what it is I want to hear. Get to it.”
Refusing to look up at him, she continued fussing with her skirts. Then she drew the cloak tightly closed over her bosom and folded her hands demurely in her lap.
Nigh crossed
Her cheeks reddened at his plain speaking. “I-I have to be. I have no choice.”
Nigh could see she was close to tears, but wasn’t about to let up. “ Why? Who are you running from?”
Panic-stricken eyes stared back at him. Unconsciously she began to toy with the plain gold band on her left hand. “N-no one. I don’t understand what you’re getting at.”
The raised voices of two men at a nearby table caught his attention. Jumping to his feet, he tossed down a few coins to pay for his meal. He hauled Brianna from her chair, barely giving her time to snatch up her gloves, before heading for the door. Behind them dishes crashed to the floor as the two men began to fight. Shocked, she turned to watch, but Nigh jerked her roughly out into the hotel lobby.
“Where are we going?” she asked as he towed her through the crowded room.
“Somewhere where we can talk.”
At the foot of the stairs she balked, but he pulled her up the stairs behind him, down the hall to her room. He held out his hand. “The key.”
“I thought we were going to talk.”
“We are. In there. Now give me the key.”
She glanced up and down the hall, her words a harsh whisper. “We can’t. It would cause a scandal.”
Nigh thrust his face close to hers, slitted eyes as cold and unbending as the metal key he demanded she give him. “You know a single soul in this town?”
“No, but—”
“But nothing. You intend to live here?”
“No.”
“Then why in thunder should you care what these folks think? I could force you into that room, screaming, and have my way with you, and no one would lift a finger. They have their own problems, ain’t going to pay no mind to yours.”
Blushing from head to toe and bristling with anger, Brianna drew herself up and glared at him eye to eye. “Whether or not anyone else cares how I conduct myself, I do!”
“Fine. Behave as proper as you want, just give me that key. I said we were going to have a talk and I meant it, but not out here where every saddle bum with an itch for gold can hear us.”
“No. I-I have no way of knowing what may have happened while I lay unconscious last night, Mr. Nigh, but I don’t intend to tempt fate by being alone in my room with you again.”
Damn the woman! It wasn’t fate that had suffered the temptation of hell last night, and won—for her benefit.
Before she could make a move to resist him, he flipped open her cloak and felt at her waist for a hidden pocket or purse. His face was so close to hers, she could smell the coffee on his breath.
“Stop it! You hear me?” she said, struggling to break free.
“You always this stubborn?” He pushed away her protesting hands. “Ain’t no surprise to me some man found it necessary to beat you. Been tempted to do the same more’n once since I met you and, dammit, I might yet!”
Chapter Nine
Terrorized by Columbus Nigh’s anger, Brianna froze. Taking advantage, he plunged his fingers deep into a side pocket of her skirt and withdraw the key he had felt through the fabric, ignoring the self-loathing he felt for using her fear against her. Throwing the door open, he shoved her inside.
“Now start talking,” he said, leaning against the closed door.
Afraid to go near the bed, even to calm the cat whose hair had risen on his back at the tension charging the air, Brianna sat down in the chair by the window. She kept her eyes on her lap, smoothing her skirts, and arranging the folds, hoping to give some semblance of calm. “I thought you wanted to talk to me.”
“You know what it is I want to hear. Get to it.”
Refusing to look up at him, she continued fussing with her skirts. Then she drew the cloak tightly closed over her bosom and folded her hands demurely in her lap.
Nigh crossed
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