point, heâd left her nothing that she could use to make an improvised rope to aid her in escaping out the window. Now she knew why heâd removed perfectly clean bedding.
Heâd taken every precaution, as if heâd done this before, yet heâd said he wasnât a bounty hunter. He was just too damn smart, preparing for all possibilities. And she drew the line at running through town naked even if she could inch her way along the ledge to an open window. But then, sheâd probably fall and die in the attempt, so she wasnât going to try.
Instead, she got into the tub and sank down in it with a dreamy smile. At times when sheâd been on the move weeks would go by before she found a decent watering hole to bathe in. Thereâd been a couple of ponds in the hills by her shack where sheâd gotten water for her and her horse, but they werenât secluded enough to bathe in, so sheâd been riding over to the big lake to the east every few days to bathe and wash her clothes. But it wasnât an ideal bathing experience, especially since she had to ride back to the shack dripping wet.
She scrubbed herself from top to bottom. She couldnât even remember the last time sheâd felt this clean. And her head! The soap that she toted around with her might get her and her clothes clean, but it irritated her scalp something fierce, so sheâd stopped soaping her hair long ago. But merely dousing her head in water when she bathed didnât leave her hair feeling clean. Not like this. Already it was mostly dry, and the slightest shake of her head had her hair floating around it. She even stood up to watch it float in the oval mirror above the shaving stand. And laughed.
She was feeling a little kindly toward Degan for this gift heâd given her. Just a littleâokay, maybe just not annoyed with him for the moment, though she was still wary.
âDid you fall asleep in there?â Degan asked.
Hearing that and her saddlebags slide across the floor toward her brought her back to the hard facts of her situation, that it was time to goâto jail.
Max turned her head toward Deganâs voice. âNo, I was just waiting for my clothes.â But when she saw that the bags hadnât quite made it to her side of the screen, she realized he might try to fix that and quickly yelled, âIâll get them!â
She stepped out of the tub, dried herself fast, and stuck just an arm around the screen to drag the bags back to her. Pulling out her only other set of clothes, she saw her chemise at the bottom of the bag. It was soft, finely made, and delicate, so she didnât wear it often, but in case they confiscated her bag at the jail she wanted to have her best clothes on her.
âI forgot these,â she heard Degan say before Luellaâs underÂgarments came flying over the screen. She just managed to catch them before they landed in the tub of water. Sheâd forgotten, too, that heâd grabbed more than the derringer out of her coat pocket. She put the bloomers on, but she was blushing because Degan had seen how silky they were, had even held them in his hands.
She finished dressing and stepped out of the bathing corner carrying her bags and a clean pair of socks. Deganâs eyes followed her. She didnât have to look at him to feel it. The rest of her clothes had been laid on the stripped bed, her boots on the floor by it. She grabbed the boots and went over to a chair to put them on. She wasnât sitting on that bed for any reason. Just the sight of it reminded her of what a fool sheâd been to try seducing him again. The man was impervious to her charms. So be it. Sheâd rather escape anyway and thumb her nose at himâafter she was gone.
Chapter Fourteen
âI T DOESN â T LOOK SO badly butchered now.â
Max blushed slightly. Deganâs remark about her hair proved he had been staring at her and still was. But she
Heâd taken every precaution, as if heâd done this before, yet heâd said he wasnât a bounty hunter. He was just too damn smart, preparing for all possibilities. And she drew the line at running through town naked even if she could inch her way along the ledge to an open window. But then, sheâd probably fall and die in the attempt, so she wasnât going to try.
Instead, she got into the tub and sank down in it with a dreamy smile. At times when sheâd been on the move weeks would go by before she found a decent watering hole to bathe in. Thereâd been a couple of ponds in the hills by her shack where sheâd gotten water for her and her horse, but they werenât secluded enough to bathe in, so sheâd been riding over to the big lake to the east every few days to bathe and wash her clothes. But it wasnât an ideal bathing experience, especially since she had to ride back to the shack dripping wet.
She scrubbed herself from top to bottom. She couldnât even remember the last time sheâd felt this clean. And her head! The soap that she toted around with her might get her and her clothes clean, but it irritated her scalp something fierce, so sheâd stopped soaping her hair long ago. But merely dousing her head in water when she bathed didnât leave her hair feeling clean. Not like this. Already it was mostly dry, and the slightest shake of her head had her hair floating around it. She even stood up to watch it float in the oval mirror above the shaving stand. And laughed.
She was feeling a little kindly toward Degan for this gift heâd given her. Just a littleâokay, maybe just not annoyed with him for the moment, though she was still wary.
âDid you fall asleep in there?â Degan asked.
Hearing that and her saddlebags slide across the floor toward her brought her back to the hard facts of her situation, that it was time to goâto jail.
Max turned her head toward Deganâs voice. âNo, I was just waiting for my clothes.â But when she saw that the bags hadnât quite made it to her side of the screen, she realized he might try to fix that and quickly yelled, âIâll get them!â
She stepped out of the tub, dried herself fast, and stuck just an arm around the screen to drag the bags back to her. Pulling out her only other set of clothes, she saw her chemise at the bottom of the bag. It was soft, finely made, and delicate, so she didnât wear it often, but in case they confiscated her bag at the jail she wanted to have her best clothes on her.
âI forgot these,â she heard Degan say before Luellaâs underÂgarments came flying over the screen. She just managed to catch them before they landed in the tub of water. Sheâd forgotten, too, that heâd grabbed more than the derringer out of her coat pocket. She put the bloomers on, but she was blushing because Degan had seen how silky they were, had even held them in his hands.
She finished dressing and stepped out of the bathing corner carrying her bags and a clean pair of socks. Deganâs eyes followed her. She didnât have to look at him to feel it. The rest of her clothes had been laid on the stripped bed, her boots on the floor by it. She grabbed the boots and went over to a chair to put them on. She wasnât sitting on that bed for any reason. Just the sight of it reminded her of what a fool sheâd been to try seducing him again. The man was impervious to her charms. So be it. Sheâd rather escape anyway and thumb her nose at himâafter she was gone.
Chapter Fourteen
âI T DOESN â T LOOK SO badly butchered now.â
Max blushed slightly. Deganâs remark about her hair proved he had been staring at her and still was. But she
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