Lover's Gold (9 page)

Suddenly he tensed, his ragged breath held against the sound he had heard. Elaina strained to listen, but heard only her labored breathing and her heart pounding against her ribs. Morgan rolled away from her and glanced around, searching the wooded hillsides for the source of the sound. After helping her sit up, his hands a little shaky, he pulled her chemise back over her breasts and the bodice of her dress up a bit impatiently; then he buttoned the closure. In a daze, she watched him straighten his own clothes and, after lifting a gentle hand to her cheek, moved into the cover of the surrounding bushes.

Elaina felt numb, disoriented, devastated by the intensity of her emotions. She tried to rearrange her garments, but her fingers trembled so badly she had little success. How could she have let this happen? She’d only meant to kiss him, just wanted a tiny taste of passion before succumbing to a lifetime of duty. She’d had no idea what being with a man like Morgan could do to a woman. The power he could wield, the all-out control. She shuddered to think how close she’d come to losing her virtue.

Until Morgan arrived, she’d spent most of her time working in the hotel, doctoring, and trying to figure a way of putting her family’s name aright. Two years ago, she’d agreed to Henry Dawson’s proposition. From that time forward she’d been considered Chuck Dawson’s girl. She’d never been exposed to the passions other girls her age had experienced. She hadn’t had time.

She watched Morgan speaking with two small boys across the clearing on the other side of the stream, and silently thanked him for his gunman’s instinct for survival. He’d headed off what could have been a nightmare of embarrassment. As it was, her only embarrassment was how she would face the tall man again. She rolled her eyes skyward and said a silent prayer of thanks to God for saving her from herself, then asked Him to give her the courage to face the handsome stranger.

Her prayer was answered as Morgan strolled nonchalantly back to where she sat disheveled on the blanket, still a little shaky. As he ran a hand through his wavy dark hair, his blue eyes assessed her.

Elaina felt mortified by what she’d done, tom between demanding an apology and begging his forgiveness. Instead she took a deep breath, faced him squarely, and willed him to understand. “I don’t know what to say to you.” She swallowed hard. “I’ve never done anything like that. It seemed so innocent at first. . . .” Her voice trailed off and she glanced away.

Morgan looked down at the girl on the blanket and breathed a sigh of disappointment and relief. Still feeling more than a little unsettled, he helped her to her feet. Thank God he’d spotted the boys before they’d spotted him. The whole of Carbon County would have been talking about him and the McAllister girl by noon tomorrow. He hadn’t meant to push her—at least not yet. But she had seemed so innocent—and so willing—he’d been unable to control himself.

“I told you once before, Miss McAllister, what would happen if you tried that again. I won’t apologize for my actions, but I won’t hold you responsible for yours, either.”

Elaina didn’t know whether to be mad at the man or grateful for his candor. As she thought of what had happened, her face burned crimson. He’d seen parts of her no man had, touched her as no man had. It couldn’t be right, yet somehow it seemed so.

As they headed back toward town, Elaina worked up her courage, curiosity outweighing her better judgment. “I know I shouldn’t ask this. I mean it isn’t a proper thing for a lady to ask a gentleman, but—”

“So far, Miss McAllister, nothing you’ve done has been quite the proper thing for a lady, but that hasn’t stopped you yet. Go ahead and ask.” He sounded a little gruff, and she wondered if he was angry with her. He’d taken the reins, and she admired the way he controlled the mare with the same strong hands he’d used on her. The thought made her blush again. It seemed her cheeks had been burning ever since Morgan’s arrival.

“Well, Miss McAllister, I’m waiting.”

“I think it’s time you called me Elaina.” That brought a grin and a shake of his head. Elaina thought how handsome he looked when he relaxed.

“What’s your question, Elaina?”

She squared her shoulders. “What happened out there today . . . is it always that exciting? What I mean is, I never feel like that when Chuck kisses me.” Maybe there was hope for her and Chuck Dawson yet. Maybe she just hadn’t let him go far enough. Somehow she didn’t think so.

Morgan took a long time answering. “Well . . . Elaina, sometimes, with certain people, it just happens that way. I can’t exactly explain it, but thank you for the compliment. Apparently you and your intended have experimented very little.”

The conversation was taking a decidedly embarrassing turn, but Elaina persisted. “I’ve never felt much of anything for Chuck. I never encouraged him, and I think he was a little worried about his father. Henry would be furious if Chuck took liberties with me before the wedding.”

“Why did you encourage me and not him?” he asked.

It was Elaina’s turn to pause. “Just once,” she finally told him, “I wanted to see what it was like to experience passion. Besides, I didn’t intend to do more than kiss you, Mr.—Dan, but somehow I couldn’t help myself.” She faced him squarely. “That’s the way a man seduces a woman, isn’t it?”

Morgan shook his head in disbelief. God, what had he gotten himself into? Still, he admired her honesty. It was rare that a woman had the courage to experience life to the fullest. It made him want her all the more.

“Yes, Elaina, that’s how a man seduces a woman. If those two boys hadn’t come along when they did, you wouldn’t have to ask any of these questions. You’d know the answers.”

Elaina turned crimson from head to toe and sat quietly for the rest of the trip home. A blue jay swooped down from a passing sycamore screeching his anger at their intrusion, and the mare shied, throwing Elaina against Morgan’s muscular shoulder. His arm went around her instinctively, steadying her. He held her a little longer than necessary, then let her go.

There were still questions she wished to ask, things she wished to know, but she knew it would be Chuck Dawson, not Dan Morgan, who would teach her. The thought saddened her more than a little.

Chapter 6

I
T WAS TIME
to check Morgan’s wounds again.

Elaina had put it off as long as she dared. Burning with embarrassment, she’d avoided him, stayed away from him as much as possible, but she knew sooner or later she’d have to face him.

All business, she knocked on the door, opened it at his command, and strode briskly into the room. Pale eyes, mocking and amused, swept her from head to toe. She could feel the blush creeping up her neck and cursed herself for being powerless to control it. She wished she could summon Doc Willowford to finish her task, but it might arouse the doctor’s suspicion—and maybe Chuck’s, too.

“I came to check your wounds,” she told him, her voice even, her eyes meeting his unwaveringly in spite of her fluttering heart. She held her head high as he rose from his chair by the window.

“I wondered if you were just going to let me lie up here and wither away.”

“Mr. Morgan. I had no intention of letting you wither away. I’m certain your wounds are healing just fine. You had no need for my services before now.”

His voice, as mocking as his eyes, teased her mercilessly. “How can you be so certain? I’ve missed you these past few days. I’d gotten used to you being around.”

She smiled, pleased at his words in spite of her efforts not to be charmed. “Sit down on the edge of the bed and let me take a look.”

He did as she instructed, removing his shirt on the way. Forcing her gaze away from his curly black chest hair to the spot where the jagged scar marked the smooth bronze skin beneath his collarbone, Elaina tested the wound with gentle fingers and felt the corded muscles bunch. “It’s mending beautifully,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t notice the tremor in her hand. “You had an excellent doctor.”

“I’m sure of that,” he agreed a little too easily.

She ignored the gentle caress in his voice. “Now let me look at your leg.”

“This is the best part.”

Her blush returned to destroy her control. “You’re such a damnable rake, Dan Morgan!”

Grinning broadly, he started to unbutton his pants. “You sure you’re up to this? You never know what can happen with a hired killer like me—especially with my breeches off.”

She clamped her teeth together and turned around. “I’ll wait till you get out of them and pull the sheet up.” She heard the rustle of cloth, the clank of his broad belt buckle as it hit the floor, and suddenly wished she’d called for Doc Willowford after all.

“You can turn around now,” he told her.

Morgan lay propped up in bed, the sheet pulled to his waist, one long, sinewy leg and a wide, muscular chest bared to her view.

“Oh, God,” she whispered, not realizing how it must sound.

He chuckled softly. “You are a gem, Miss McAllister, an absolute gem.”

Ignoring his laughter, she checked the leg as dispassionately as possible, found it healing ahead of schedule, then turned to leave.

“If you’ll give me a minute to get dressed, there’s something I want to give you.”

She paused at the door, careful to keep her back to him. At the sound of breeches sliding over tough, muscular legs, she twisted the folds of her skirt. His hand on her shoulder turned her to face him.

“What is it you have for me?” She asked, swallowed hard and tried to ignore the light eyes watching her.

“These.” He held up two stiff squares of paper in one long-fingered hand.

“What are they?”

He pressed them into her palm. “Two tickets to the circus. You said you’d never been there, remember?”

“The circus!” She held the tickets up to the light and smiled. “I’ve always wanted to go. Mama said it was too dirty. And Papa never went against Mama. I sneaked out of the house to go once, but Mama caught me and locked me in my room.” She laughed again, her voice melodic, and clutched the tickets to her breast as if they were the dearest present she’d ever received.

“I thought maybe you’d let me take you.” Morgan had never seen her react so spontaneously, with such utter joy, and the sight disarmed him completely. She looked like a little girl, her big eyes sparking and cherubic in their delight. Suddenly his grand scheme to get her alone and finish the seduction he’d started on their last outing dissolved into nothing more than a wish to take a young lady to the circus.

“You could consider it my way of making amends.” Her look of joy dissolved as quickly as it had appeared, and she handed the tickets back to him, dropping her hands to her sides. “That’s very kind of you, Dan, but . . .”

“But after the other day you don’t trust me.”

She sighed resignedly. “I guess you could say that—or maybe I don’t trust myself.”

Her candor always amazed him. Her sable hair shone in the morning’s rays, and the pink of her excitement still brightened her cheeks. Looking at her, he was suddenly willing to pay any price to get her to accept his invitation.

“I’ll make you a promise. If you’ll let me take you to the circus, I won’t let either of us do anything we might regret.”

She eyed Morgan suspiciously.

“Have I ever lied to you?” He avoided touching her cheek as he ached to do. She looked as skittish as a colt, and he knew that any sudden movement might scare her away. “I don’t know. Have you?”

He smiled wryly. “Not that I know of, but then, I don’t remember everything I’ve said.”

His honest answer surprised her. Lord, how she’d love to go to the circus. And Morgan had never really forced her to do anything. Surely she could trust herself, if not him. She just wouldn’t let him get her alone.

“Chuck would be furious if he found out.”

“Then we won’t tell him. Hazleton’s far enough away so that no one will recognize either of us. I’ll give you money to hire a buggy, and you can pick me up at the edge of town. We’ll be back before dark.”

She licked her lips and twisted the folds of her skirt.

He held up the tickets. “They have tigers and elephants. Have you ever seen an elephant, Elaina?”

“You’ll give me your word you won’t try anything?”

“My word of honor.”

“Do gunmen
have
honor?”

“This one does.”

She grinned broadly and snatched the tickets from his hand. “Then, Dan Morgan, I accept your most gracious offer.” Holding up the tickets, she whirled around, her lightheartedness contagious.

“You won’t be sorry, I promise you.” His voice sounded husky.

Elaina sobered at his words. “I hope you’re right, Dan Morgan. Truly I do.”

At the edge of town, Morgan climbed aboard the rented buggy. As he settled his lanky frame beside her and took the reins from her hands, Elaina smoothed her pink cotton frock out of his way. The day was lovely. Sunny and warm, with gentle breezes that lifted locks of her heavy hair from the nape of her neck.

Morgan looked ruggedly handsome in his usual crisp white shirt above snug black breeches. His black hat covered most of his dark hair, but the wind caught several strands above his collar. His smile looked so genuine that Elaina managed to push thoughts of their last day together to the back of her mind, but it was difficult to keep them there.

A light slap of the reins on the horse’s rump and the mare swung into a gentle trot. Morgan’s gaze seemed playful, sparkling with mischief. “From the looks of your smile,” he teased, “I think someone has been neglecting you far too long. I don’t think Dawson properly appreciates you.”

“I’m afraid neither of us has much time for this sort of thing.” Hearing Chuck’s name brought the hint of a frown, but she quickly subdued it. Today she was going to the circus. Nothing could keep her buoyant spirits down.

“That’s too bad. A beautiful woman like you deserves to enjoy lots of days like this.”

She smiled impishly. “Well, I’m certainly looking forward to this one.”

Morgan kept the buggy moving at a brisk pace all the way to Hazleton. He questioned himself only briefly as to why he was escorting Elaina McAllister to the circus. He was just thanking her for tending his wounds, he rationalized. After all, he’d probably be dead if it weren’t for her. Besides, this outing would bring him one step closer to bedding her. Whatever the reason, today was a beautiful day, and the girl in his company was even more beautiful. He, too, deserved a day of pleasure once in a while.