Chapter Sixteen

 

 

 

 

SUNLIGHT DANCED ACROSS HER closed eyelids. Sighing, Hope stretched, the bedsheets warm against her skin.

She froze. Against her skin?

The night came back to her in a rush. The Chinese festival. Jake’s kiss. Returning to the hotel. And then....

Heat suffused her at memories of and then. Well, now she knew what pleasure was.

She turned to gaze at the space beside her, a space empty of him. After the second time, he’d murmured he would leave once she fell asleep. She’d tried to keep her eyes open, wanting more than anything for him to stay, but in the end sleep had claimed her.

A knock at her door had her leaping from bed. Belatedly remembering her nakedness, she dragged on a robe, blushing a little at how revealing it was. Throwing open the door, her smile dimmed when she saw Margaret.

Margaret’s eyebrows shot up somewhere about her hair line. “Well, I can see for myself your evening went well.”

Cheeks hot, Hope found her tongue was tied. She hadn’t even realised today was one of the days Margaret was to work, her thoughts too full of Jake.

Margaret laughed huskily. “And I don’t need to ask for any detail. That smile says more than enough.”

Good God, she was acting the greenest of girls. Arranging impassiveness on her expression—or, at least, she hoped she did—she said, “Margaret, I have decided we shall take a day off.”

Margaret’s smirk fell. “Oh.”

What could have caused— Lord, last night really had scrambled her brain. “You will, of course, be paid at your usual rate.”

Closing her eyes briefly, Margaret nodded, and then the smirk returned. “Now that’s out of the way, if you want to talk....” She waggled her eyebrows.

“No.” Damnit, would she ever stop blushing? “I don’t need to.”

“But do you want to?”

Slowly, she shook her head. “I...wish to keep it to myself. For now. I— I may change my mind later.”

“Well, I’m here, should you wish to.” Margaret looked her over. “I would suggest you go back to bed and join the man who put that smile on your face.”

“Oh, he’s not there,” Hope said thoughtlessly.

Margaret raised a brow. “Well, I would suggest you drag him back.”

Raising her chin, Hope willed the heat to fade from her cheeks. Where was her composure? All her life, she’d been reserved, never speaking more than necessary. Now, she gave away every thought with both words and the confounded blush on her cheeks. This was intolerable.

Oblivious to Hope’s internal castigation, Margaret shook her head, still wearing a grin. “Remember what I told you about preventing a baby, and enjoy that man. Lord knows no one else is.” And with that, she gave a jaunty little wave and left.

Closing the door, Hope cupped her elbows. Even with Margaret knowing, she couldn’t find it within herself to care. Maybe she had always been reserved, but she’d never been a prude. She was glad she’d taken action, glad she’d found pleasure, and glad it had been with Jake. She loved his wicked grin, the one he directed at her and no one else. She loved how he caressed her name, how he called her darlin’ in his gravel-rough voice. She loved his dark eyes, and how they grew darker when he raked his gaze over her, when he leaned closer, when he kissed her lips, her breasts, her....

She covered her cheeks with her hands. She’d never blushed so much in her life.

Another knock sounded at her door, this one firmer than Margaret’s. A stupid grin wreathed her face, and her heart started a reckless pound in her chest. She knew that knock.

The door opened and Jake stood on the other side. His gaze raked over her, taking in the thin robe she wore and that she wore nothing else. A growl rumbled from his chest and his eyes darkened, as they had last night when he’d taken her knees in his hands and... Whatever she greeting she had been going to give promptly flew from her head as an urgent throb started inside her.

Entering, he shut the door with his booted heel and six feet of determined male stalked her across the room. “You’d better be headed in the direction of that bed, darlin’” he said, his voice like gravel.

The backs of her thighs met the edge of the bed. Falling backwards, she propped herself on her elbows and, lust coursing through her, she gave him a wicked smile of her own.

With a groan, he followed her onto the bed, covering her, and she wrapped herself around him as he took her mouth with his.

 

***

 

“DID YOU COME FOR a reason?”

Pausing his gentle stroke against her arm, a lazy smile crossed Jake’s face. “Well, darlin’, I’m thinking we both know the reason we came.”

Hope ducked her head, a furious red burning her cheeks. Lord above, but he loved the way she blushed. Bending his arm behind his head, he chuckled. “No reason, darlin’. Couldn’t keep myself away.”

They lay in her bed, tangled together after another demonstration of pleasure, her robe in a sad state of disrepair while he remained almost completely clothed. They’d been in such a whirl for each other, they’d only moved aside what was necessary, such that he still wore his boots. Damn, what was it about her that made him barely lower his trousers before he were on her?

Pushing up, she straddled him as she gathered the fabric of his shirt in her grip. “You’re wearing too many clothes.”

Weren’t that the God’s honest truth. Grin tugging at him, he sat up. “Well now, darlin’, we can’t have that.” Smoothing his suspenders over his shoulders, he helped her pull his shirt over his head. Placing her palms against his chest, she pushed him gently and he obeyed, lying back against the bed. He watched her as she examined him, her eyes turning heavy-lidded as she splayed her fingers over his chest, digging lightly into his skin. “Darlin’, you keep doing that and you’re going to get yourself in trouble.”

Her lips quirked. “What sort of trouble?”

Hands tightening on her thighs, he said, “The kind we both like.”

Her gaze flew to his. He offered a bland smile, but lust coursed through him, tensing his muscles and hardening his cock. An answering lust flared in her eyes, but she lifted herself off him, tucking herself into his side as his arm curled around her.

“Will Miss Margaret be attending you soon?” Unable to stop touching her, he dragged his fingers up the curve of her waist and then reversed down to her hip. Up her ribs, down to her hip.

Her lips rubbed against the skin of his shoulder as she shook her head. “I’ve given her leave to take a day. I…didn’t wish to work today.”

Amusement tugged. “Didn’t you?”

“No.”

Lips brushed the top of her head. “Wait here.” Pushing from the bed, he shrugged back into his shirt.

“Where are you going?”

“I’ll be right back.” He brushed a kiss against her brow and before she could protest further, he’d left. Not ten minutes later he returned, bearing a tray laden with bread, jelly, cheese and ham, and a pot of what smelled like coffee. Arranging a kind of picnic on the bed, he handed her a full cup.

Raising a brow, she said, “Breakfast?”

“You need your strength, darlin’. I ain’t done with you yet.”

Ducking her head against yet another blush, she sipped her coffee.

Companionable silence rose between them. A small smile played about her mouth as she ate the food he’d brought her, and a curious pride swelled his chest that she was eating something he’d prepared, that he’d provided for her. Surreptitiously he watched her, her tongue catching a stray crumb, the movement of her throat as she swallowed. Lust curled in his belly, and he wondered if she would mind if he suggested they left the rest of the meal until after.

His gaze drifted to her neck. The scar there was faint but jagged. Guilt tugged at him. Christ, he should tell her. “Can I ask?” he said instead.

She paused, that small smile fading. Slowly, she nodded.

“What did he do?” he asked, as gentle as he could manage.

“It was just before I turned thirteen.”

Gaze on her, he didn’t say a word, but guilt and apprehension were an unpleasant swirl in his gut.

Eyes downcast, she continued. “He— They— One day, I had a family. The next, he and his gang had taken them.” She swallowed. “I don’t know why they came. My father had a cattle ranch, but we weren’t wealthy. Not like my uncle.”

“In Sacramento.”

She nodded. “They…They came, and they… My brothers tried to fight, my sisters too, but we weren’t— It wasn’t enough. One of them held me down and the knife—” She exhaled slowly. “When I woke up, they were gone. And I was the only one left.

“It took me three weeks to travel to Sacramento. I couldn’t talk, but I made it, and my uncle took me in.” She met his gaze, and determination burned in her pale eyes. “I need to find him, Jake. I need to make him pay. I need vengeance for my family.”

Christ, he had to tell her. He had to— “I ran with Callihan. For a month, when I was seventeen.” His jaw worked. “I should have told you.”

Her lips parted, a soft puff of surprise. Jaw set, he watched her for reaction.

Nothing. Her face was completely expressionless, and apart from that small exhalation, she had not responded at all.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before.” His hands clenched on the bedspread. “What can I do?”

Folding her hands in her lap, she said nothing.

Frustration gripped him. “Don’t look at me like that. Not like before. Not with nothing in your eyes. You were smiling and now—” He smashed his fist against the bed. The plates jumped, crashing into each other. “Goddamnit!”

Dispassionately, she watched his emotion.

“Do you want me to go?” he finally said.

Slowly, she shook her head.

Agony consumed him as the silence between them stretched.

“I knew,” she almost whispered.

Time froze. “What?”

“I knew,” she repeated, her voice strengthening. “I knew you rode with Callihan.”

She knew? She knew, and she never said— “How?”

“It was in the report my secretary compiled on you. It was one of the reasons I chose you.” She met his gaze. Emotion rioted, so much he couldn’t pin any of them down. “Why did you ride with him?”

He raked a hand through his hair, feeling as if a hundred pounds weighed him down. “Because I was seventeen, and an idiot. Because the war had ended, and I didn’t know if I were a hero or a villain. Worked out the difference pretty damn fast. Weren’t more than a month afore I ran off from the gang, and it was sure I was Callihan would come after me, like the bogeyman he is, but somehow he let me be, and it were then I dedicated myself to finding men like him, finding the bad men and bringing them to justice and— Christ, Hope. I wish I’d started with him. I wish I’d borne him to the law, but I didn’t, and... Your family...” Jaw working, he looked away.

A wealth of silence from her. “Do you have anything else you should tell me?” she finally said.

“No.” He met her gaze. She was pale, paler than normal, her eyes huge. “Darlin’…”

With that one word, she broke, and his heart broke along with her. Great racking sobs tore from her and she collapsed in on herself, her shoulders shaking.

“I don’t know why I’m crying,” she gasped. “I knew, Jake. I knew you ran with him.”

Hauling her into him, he crooned against her temple. “Darlin’. Darlin’, shh. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” In his arms she felt fragile, small, with a thousand concerns weighing her low. But he knew her strength, knew her determination. “We’ll get him, darlin’. You and me. We’ll get him. I’ll find him for you.”

She dug her forehead into his shoulder. “I know.”

“And if, when the time comes, you need me to do it, I will.” He would. For her.

Shakily, she exhaled, her breath a wash over his skin.

His arms tightened around her, his own chest a mess with emotion. He’d held this burden so long, pushing it aside time and again, and now it was gone. Determination took its place. He’d never been able to bring Callihan to justice, had given up, but this woman had never backed down. He would follow her, and he would help her, and when it was done, when she had vanquished Callihan, he would continue to stand by her, for as long as she would let him.

He was hers. From this day to his last day.

He was hers.