visited one
of the other saloons, and…I went upstairs with a gal there."
"How
nice." She struggled to get off his lap. "I really don't need to hear
this. I need to finish packing my things."
"Will you just
shut up a minute and let me finish?" He dropped his voice. Damn, it was
hard getting this part out. "She was fine until my shirt came off. I
promised the scar wouldn't rub off on her. She said problem was I'd be rubbin'
it all over her." He closed his eyes. "Looked at me like I was some
monstrosity. So I left there and…went lookin' for someone to bring in." He
opened his eyes again. "Nobody dares look at me like I'm some freak when I
got my peacemaker out. I get respect then, by God."
"Oh,
Rafe." Sparkle reached for his hand and entwined their fingers.
"Damned fool
Nebraskan, out to get his head blown off. Just like you said. But a big man,
all the same. Not some plug-ugly a woman won't let near her."
Sparkle had been
ready to leave town that very night. She'd decided to let him speak his peace,
then ask him to see her to the depot. Say her farewells to Ruby Ann and Brenda,
give back the wedding band, set off to make a fresh start in yet another cow
town. She'd never expected this story, or the tenderness it inspired. She slid
her free arm up around his neck and spoke gently.
"You don't
need to prove you're a man. Deep down, you know you don't have to prove
anything, don't you?"
He released her
fingers. "Knowin' it and livin' it are two different things."
She said nothing
for a long moment, then rested her hand on the front of his shirt, silently
willing the scar and everything beneath it to heal.
Rafe instantly both
stiffened and relaxed. His muscles went rigid beneath her fingertips, yet he
closed his eyes and let a small sigh escape his lips. Sparkle had never seen
anyone react in quite that way. He seemed to both welcome and deplore her
gesture. "I'm sorry." She drew her palm away. "Does that
distress you?"
Rafe's eyes were
still closed. He groped for her hand and put it back against his chest.
"Naw, it's just that for a long time now, I thought no gal would ever want
to touch me like that. Especially not one who knows." He hadn't opened his
eyes. "You are touchin' me right over it? Can't always be sure about what
I feel there."
"Yes, I am.
Can you feel this?" She turned her face and leaned closer, pressing her
lips to his. They'd kissed several times, but he'd always initiated contact.
This time she kissed him, and his response was immediate. Both arms wrapped
around her waist and he pulled her back with him onto the mattress. He groaned
as his mouth and tongue took total possession of hers.
His hand slid along
her ribcage to cup one breast. The nipple puckered under his rough palm.
Sparkle had nothing beneath the thin cotton robe. If he undid the buttons, he
could have her naked in half a second.
And suddenly she
wanted that. She was dying to feel his hands on her bare skin. Hadn't she
wanted it, longed for it, even back in the hall earlier? Hadn't that been the
true reason she hadn't covered herself when he'd torn her dress? Hadn't some
wicked part of her yearned for his hands to reach out and claim her?
Admit it,
Sparkle. You want him. You've always wanted him, in the most unladylike way
possible.
She tore her lips
from his and stared into his eyes, which were open now and burning into hers.
"Would…would you lock the door and take your gun off?"
She didn't have to
ask twice. She blew out the lamp and they silently disrobed. Sparkle slipped
beneath the covers first and waited, her breath catching as Rafe stripped off
his jeans and she felt the mattress dip.
His voice was husky
with emotion when he spoke in the darkness. "Free mare ain't the same
horse once she's saddle broke, darlin'. You're offerin' somethin' only one man
can ever take from you. If I take it, nobody can ever give it back. You
understand that?"
"Yes."
"Most times
the gal wants it to mean somethin'. Reckon this time I want it
of the other saloons, and…I went upstairs with a gal there."
"How
nice." She struggled to get off his lap. "I really don't need to hear
this. I need to finish packing my things."
"Will you just
shut up a minute and let me finish?" He dropped his voice. Damn, it was
hard getting this part out. "She was fine until my shirt came off. I
promised the scar wouldn't rub off on her. She said problem was I'd be rubbin'
it all over her." He closed his eyes. "Looked at me like I was some
monstrosity. So I left there and…went lookin' for someone to bring in." He
opened his eyes again. "Nobody dares look at me like I'm some freak when I
got my peacemaker out. I get respect then, by God."
"Oh,
Rafe." Sparkle reached for his hand and entwined their fingers.
"Damned fool
Nebraskan, out to get his head blown off. Just like you said. But a big man,
all the same. Not some plug-ugly a woman won't let near her."
Sparkle had been
ready to leave town that very night. She'd decided to let him speak his peace,
then ask him to see her to the depot. Say her farewells to Ruby Ann and Brenda,
give back the wedding band, set off to make a fresh start in yet another cow
town. She'd never expected this story, or the tenderness it inspired. She slid
her free arm up around his neck and spoke gently.
"You don't
need to prove you're a man. Deep down, you know you don't have to prove
anything, don't you?"
He released her
fingers. "Knowin' it and livin' it are two different things."
She said nothing
for a long moment, then rested her hand on the front of his shirt, silently
willing the scar and everything beneath it to heal.
Rafe instantly both
stiffened and relaxed. His muscles went rigid beneath her fingertips, yet he
closed his eyes and let a small sigh escape his lips. Sparkle had never seen
anyone react in quite that way. He seemed to both welcome and deplore her
gesture. "I'm sorry." She drew her palm away. "Does that
distress you?"
Rafe's eyes were
still closed. He groped for her hand and put it back against his chest.
"Naw, it's just that for a long time now, I thought no gal would ever want
to touch me like that. Especially not one who knows." He hadn't opened his
eyes. "You are touchin' me right over it? Can't always be sure about what
I feel there."
"Yes, I am.
Can you feel this?" She turned her face and leaned closer, pressing her
lips to his. They'd kissed several times, but he'd always initiated contact.
This time she kissed him, and his response was immediate. Both arms wrapped
around her waist and he pulled her back with him onto the mattress. He groaned
as his mouth and tongue took total possession of hers.
His hand slid along
her ribcage to cup one breast. The nipple puckered under his rough palm.
Sparkle had nothing beneath the thin cotton robe. If he undid the buttons, he
could have her naked in half a second.
And suddenly she
wanted that. She was dying to feel his hands on her bare skin. Hadn't she
wanted it, longed for it, even back in the hall earlier? Hadn't that been the
true reason she hadn't covered herself when he'd torn her dress? Hadn't some
wicked part of her yearned for his hands to reach out and claim her?
Admit it,
Sparkle. You want him. You've always wanted him, in the most unladylike way
possible.
She tore her lips
from his and stared into his eyes, which were open now and burning into hers.
"Would…would you lock the door and take your gun off?"
She didn't have to
ask twice. She blew out the lamp and they silently disrobed. Sparkle slipped
beneath the covers first and waited, her breath catching as Rafe stripped off
his jeans and she felt the mattress dip.
His voice was husky
with emotion when he spoke in the darkness. "Free mare ain't the same
horse once she's saddle broke, darlin'. You're offerin' somethin' only one man
can ever take from you. If I take it, nobody can ever give it back. You
understand that?"
"Yes."
"Most times
the gal wants it to mean somethin'. Reckon this time I want it
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