Clint went directly to his hotel, where the desk clerk waved frantically at him as he walked through the lobby.
“This message came in for you, Mr. Adams,” the man said.
“Who brought it?” Clint asked, accepting the piece of paper.
“Don’t know,” the man said, “just some fella. Looked like a ranch hand.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Clint took the message with him to his room and read it there. He was surprised to see that it was from Vance Restin. It was a note of apology and an invitation for Clint to come out to Restin’s ranch the next day. He refolded the message and set it aside, not sure what he was going to do.
After his supper with the Ballard family, he wasn’t feeling too kindly toward Vance Restin, but he had to admit that he was curious about the man. Ben Ballard seemed to have a hard time disliking the man, despite the way he’d been treated.
He had just removed his boots when there was a knock on the door. Removing his gun from the holster hanging on the bedpost he walked to the door.
“Who is it?” he asked.
“It’s me,” a woman’s voice said, “Beth. Beth Ballard?”
Clint opened his door, keeping the gun behind his back.
“Beth, what are you doing—”
“Can I come in?”
“I don’t kno—”
“Before someone sees me?” She seemed very nervous.
“Yes, all right,” he said, “come in.” She slid by him and he peered outside to check the hall before closing the door.
“What’s going on, Beth?”
“Y-you said you were leaving town soon.”
“Pretty soon, yeah,” he said.
“Well, that doesn’t give us much time, then.”
“Time?” he asked. “Time for what?”
“For this.”
She reached behind her, undid her simple cotton dress and let it fall to the floor.
“Beth—”
“Please,” she said, “d-don’t humiliate me by rejecting me.” She lowered her eyes, then lifted them and looked into his. “Don’t you like me?”
She had a lovely body, pale, slender, with breasts like ripe peaches. Her nipples were pink, with wide aureole, and she smelled like she was ready for anything but rejection.
“Beth, of course I like you,” he said. “You’re lovely, but—”
“Are you worried about Ben?”
“I usually stay away from married women,” he said, “especially if I know the husband.”
“You talked with my husband, Clint,” she said. “I know he told you about us. We don’t have a marriage anymore. We’re only staying together for Harry’s sake.” She crossed her arms in front of her. “I haven’t been touched by a man in months.”
“Beth …”
She took a few steps closer to him and dropped her hands.
“When you came across that street to help us, my heart started to race,” she told him. “When you dumped Vance Restin into the street I could hardly breathe. The whole time you were having supper with my family I wanted to jump across the table at you.” She moved closer. “Don’t tell me a woman has never come to your room and offered herself to you.”
“No, it’s not that,” he said. “Yes, it’s happened, but no—”
“So do you think you’re gonna get out of this room without this happening?” she asked.
It had happened to him before—many times, in fact. Women were attracted to a man with a gun. It happened. And except for the ones who really came to his room to kill him – or to help somebody kill him – no, he had not gotten out of the room without it happening.
And to tell the truth, when there was a naked woman in his room, like this – a lovely, vibrant, naked woman who smelled the way Beth Ballard smelled now, he wanted it to happen.
Actually, hours later he thought about the way Beth smelled in his room. Every woman had their own aroma when they were aroused. He’d never encountered one that wasn’t pleasant and didn’t arouse him, as well. Some were more arousing than others.
The odor of Beth Ballard’s arousal was particularly strong. He wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that she hadn’t been excited – or quite this excited – in many months?
At the moment, though, he gave himself up to the naked woman in his rom. Why not? There would be time enough later to think about everything else.
He reached for her, grabbed her by the hips, drew her in and kissed her. She moaned into his mouth and melted against him.
“Oh God,” she said, against his mouth …