NotoriousWoman (12 page)

He rode past the front door and dismounted next to the
corral. He took care of the gelding, giving the animal a much-deserved stall in
the barn. After he finished tending to the horse, he stood in the doorway,
leaning against the jamb, staring at the farmhouse. It would be smarter to head
for his bunk. He’d build up a fire in the potbellied stove in no time and heat
up a can of beans to fill his empty stomach.

Staying away from her would be better for his health.

Was that what he really wanted?

No one had ever called him a coward yet when it came to Kate
he wasn’t so sure. He hated how she expected him to dance to her tune. He was
fast becoming helpless to do otherwise.

He should at least say hello. The notion occurred to him
that she might be embarrassed or worse, humiliated that he’d found out about
her indebtedness to Finney. He wouldn’t tell her what Finney had told him or
that he’d paid his last two dollars against what she owned.

He wouldn’t hurt her for the world.

His resistance was wearing thin. Mind made up, he strode the
distance. Standing on the porch, he told himself it wasn’t too late to go back
to the bunkhouse. The ache in his belly wouldn’t give him any peace and sleep
would be fitful. He couldn’t rest without settling the score between them.

He raised his fist and knocked.

She opened the door. The heat from the room surrounded him like
a blanket. She looked at him with soulful eyes. Reflecting the light, her skin
was the color of burnished brass.

He’d never seen a more beautiful sight. Sex play was
foremost on his agenda but he decided to be honest with her for the first time
since they’d met.

“Kate,” he said, croaking like a bullfrog.

“Yes,” she answered, the sound of her voice soothing the
jagged edges of his soul. She raised her chin and fixed him with those dark
eyes.

“Let me love you, Kate,” he said.

Had Kate heard correctly?

Love her? He wanted to love her? She was well aware that he
didn’t mean it as in
I love you
, but that he wanted her body.

Whiskey wafted off his breath and the stink oozed from his
pores. She recoiled, the familiar scent bringing back memories of when her fiancé
had come home in such a state after he’d drunk away all the profits from the
sale of some steers. His lovemaking had lasted minutes. And been less than
pleasurable.

Jake was soused. Probably drank all of Tucson under the
table.

Was that the only reason he’d come to her tonight? Did he
think she would just invite him in and that would be the end of it? Well,
considering that’s exactly what she wanted to do, she wouldn’t blame him.

She took a deep breath, trying to decide what to do. She
clutched her arms to create a barrier between them. “Go to the bunkhouse, Jake.
I won’t talk to you while you’re in this condition.”

He pitched forward, filling the doorway with his broad
shoulders. His eyes burned with that unmistakable fire a man gets when he’s
aroused. “Let me love you,” he shouted.

“Shhh,” she cautioned. “Jolie’s outside with Caleb. Don’t
let them hear you.”

“What are you afraid of, Kate?” He traced a line gently up
her arm.

She slapped him away.

“Please, Kate.”

A sigh escaped despite her efforts to be firm. His eyes
penetrated her defenses and his lips curved up in a lopsided smile.

He knew what he was doing all right. She wasn’t going to
give in this time. Even if every inch of her screamed to let him make love to
her, to be naked with him and do the things she’d fantasized about. Wicked,
naughty, good things. But it wouldn’t mean anything to him and she was deathly
afraid it would mean a hell of a lot to her.

“You’re drunk.” She spat the words and hoped it was enough
to send this amorous foreman on his way.

“Drunk I may be but I’m in full possession of my faculties.”

Kate rolled her eyes. She was immune to such sweet talk.
Disappointment sank deep. She’d been sure Jake was different. It would appear
all men were the same. Drunks. “Let me be the judge of that.”

“I want to make love to you,” he said.

And use her. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Why?” He opened his arms with lovesick abandon.

The adorable quirk to his lip did her in. So did his
heavy-lidded eyes. She suppressed a smile, trying hard not to show how he
affected her.

“That’s better.” He leaned closer. “I love your smiles.”

“I didn’t smile,” she replied sternly.

He shook his head. “You rein in the happiness you’re capable
of, almost like you can’t believe you’ll ever be happy.”

“Go away, Jake. You’re talking nonsense.”

“You want me.” He hiccupped.

She shifted her attention to his muddy boots before her
resistance melted. “Go to bed and sleep it off. You’re not attractive when
you’ve been drinking.”

“No, Katie. I won’t go.”

“I beg your pardon?” She lifted her gaze.

Jake licked his lips. “And I won’t hurt you.”

While the notion of making love until the cock crowed had
her blood racing, she wouldn’t let it happen. Indulging in carnal instincts
would only get her into trouble.

“Go away before you do something you’ll regret in the
morning.”

He took off his hat and held it against his chest. “If you
won’t let me make love to you, I could use some grub. I missed my supper.”

She should say no.

Jake pushed his way inside.

Kate stepped back and he stumbled into the parlor. An empty
belly was something she could take care of.

“Smells delicious in here, Katie.” He flopped down in Pa’s
chair next to the fireplace. Before she could ask him to wash up, he was
snoring.

Chapter Eight

Jake woke with a start and a crick in his neck. The clock on
the mantel showed it was nearly midnight. The house was quiet. The door to
Kate’s bedroom was closed.

His stomach rumbled. He’d missed out on supper with Kate and
the others and he’d only himself to blame.

Jake got up, his bladder full and his throat dry. What had
he said to Kate? The words had gotten tangled up. He’d tried to explain all
that was inside him but the more he’d tried the harder Kate had fought his
charm.

She was dead set on resisting him. Jake was damned if could
break up the logjam.

He made his way to the front door and opened it. As he
stretched his back, he noticed there was no light on in the bunkhouse. Caleb
had turned in early.

Caleb Purdy had arrived in a fancy buggy, a man of means and
not shy to show it.

Jake had met his boss’s youngest son years ago when the boy
was learning to rope steers. What he lacked in skill he more than made up for
in trying. Now that Caleb was a man, Jake was proud to call him a friend.

He should’ve been here to greet their guest. Instead he’d
gone into town, a man set in his ways if there ever was one.

Jake would make amends. He hoped Kate would forgive him.

* * * * *

After Jake had fallen asleep, Kate had gone outside and sat
on the corral fence, watching the cows they’d brought in that morning. They
milled around, chewing on the wet grass as patches of clouds scudded across the
sky. The bull in his own patch of grass scuffed the ground, snorted and
pranced, showing his superior male prowess. Not unlike some men with whom Kate was
acquainted.

Having Caleb over had done wonders for Jolie’s disposition.
She’d talked a blue streak ever since his arrival. Caleb had listened to every
word. Every touch, every glance had sent sparks flying between the two. Kate
had felt like nothing but a spinster all evening. The least Jake could’ve done
was stick around but he was proving to be unreliable.

Why had she denied Jake when he’d come home? Because he’d
been a slobbering drunk and not fit to be around?

Let me love you, Kate.
It’d been the booze talking,
she’d no doubt. Much as she yearned for him to make love to her, she must wait.
She had to be sure he wasn’t a scoundrel. That he was going to be around by the
end of the year.

A loud crash startled her. It’d come from the barn. What in
the world could have happened? Kate hopped down from the fence and brushed off
her hands.

A woman screamed.

“Damn!” She rushed to the barn. Had anyone else heard? She
saw no signs of Jolie or Caleb. Her breath hitched in her throat as she reached
the door.

Her mind raced with the horrible things that could have
happened. But when she opened the door, the sounds of girlish giggles and manly
responses reached her ears.

Jolie? Caleb?

Kate stopped. The door to the loft was shut but light
filtered between the boards.

“Oh Caleb,” Jolie murmured among the rustling of fabric and
a shuffling of feet.

Oh Caleb?
Had that been desire and pleasure coming
from her little sister? Kate climbed the ladder. Should she be concerned? Why
had her sister screamed? Was Caleb Purdy taking advantage of an innocent girl?

She thumbed the latch and pushed the hatch door up. She
heard giggling and stopped.

What she saw surprised her. She held her breath as her eyes
adjusted to the light. Jolie lay in the hayloft, her blouse unbuttoned and
breasts exposed as Caleb nuzzled her pink flesh. He reached up her skirt and
Jolie moaned and writhed with his touch.

Kate covered her mouth. Her head hurt. What she’d believed
was a budding romance was in fact in full bloom.

“Oh darlin’,” Caleb murmured to her. “You are so beautiful.”

Jolie’s hand threaded through Caleb’s hair and she urged him
up to her lips. They kissed deeply, passionately, pulling away every few
moments to whisper loving words to each other.

Kate’s stomach lurched and she shut the door, taking care
not to make a sound. So many concerns tumbled through her mind. She should
break this up. Caleb was too old for her sister. He would break her heart. Then
she heard her sister’s laughter, her delight in being loved and giving love
back.

Had Kate become so coldhearted to deny her sister what every
woman yearns for?

“I love you,” she heard Jolie say.

She
loved
him. What did a girl that age understand
about love?

Kate was quickly ashamed of herself. If those two caught her
standing here listening, old Mort would return with a vengeance. She stumbled
backward and landed on the ground.

Jolie and Caleb together? She should have guessed. The way
they’d kissed…this wasn’t the first time.

Why hadn’t Jolie confided in her? Kate had become so
controlling her own sister kept secrets from her. Kate bit her bottom lip. She
admitted to herself she would probably have forced her sister to abandon Caleb
Purdy’s attentions for the sake of their ranch.

Was she really so selfish? Would she deny her sister her
heart’s desire?

Guilt riddled her insides. She would have.

Kate heard squeals and then a fit of giggles. She shuddered.
She was about to lose her sister but her sister would gain happiness and a
family, something Jolie had always made clear she wanted—a notion Kate had
ignored.

She closed the barn door and ran smack into Jake. She
clutched her nose, which had jabbed his chest, and rubbed away the sting. Aware
of his heat and his strength, her body betrayed her and her nipples tightened,
her heart pumped erratically and her legs wouldn’t hold her.

“What’s going on?” he asked. His hair was mashed where he’d
slept.

“Nothing.”

Jolie screamed Caleb’s name.

He peered over her shoulder. “Sounds like tomfoolery.”

“I reckon that’s what it is.” She stepped around him and
started for the house. Much to her dismay, he followed.

Jake chuckled, which irritated her. “It’s not nice to
snoop.”

She stiffened. “I wasn’t snooping. I heard a crash and
believed Jolie was in trouble.”

“Is that so?”

She lifted her chin. She couldn’t bear his teasing right
now.

Jake stuck to her. “I wondered how long it would take Caleb
to bed your sister.”

She quickened her step. “I don’t think you are funny. This
situation is a disaster.”

“You’re wrong, Katie. Loving and getting loved back isn’t
anywhere near being a disaster.”

“Apparently this has been going on for a while,” she stated,
her voice cracking. She was distraught because of the confidence her sister had
denied her. “I suspected they’d been seeing each other for some time from the
way Jolie greeted him when he arrived.”

“So what’s the problem?”

Kate blinked back tears and sniffled. “What am I going to
do?”

Jake laughed. “Purdy won’t take long.”

She punched him in the arm. “That’s not what I meant.”

“You aren’t going to do anything,” Jake said. “You’re going
to let Jolie have her happiness while she can.”

He walked away.

If Jolie could find happiness, why couldn’t she? The man she
wanted was right in front of her. Seeing Jolie in the arms of her lover only
made Kate want all the more to be in Jake’s embrace, naked, sweating,
whispering sweet words.

If she gave in to him, she would have the happiness she
craved. He’d made no promises but he had come back from town wanting her. It
would have to be enough.

“Jake, come back.”

Jake stopped in his tracks.

“How about a cup of coffee? We need to talk about what you
said before you fell asleep.”

He wheeled on his boot heel and grinned.

Kate peered up at him. His hair needed a comb, badly. His
shirt was wrinkled but didn’t hide his hard-muscled body.

He couldn’t be more handsome if he tried.

Jake surveyed her. “I’d like more than a cup of coffee, if
it’s all the same to you.”

She smiled because it was so like Jake. She led the way. He
was like a helpless pup following. And twice as eager.

Moths were beating themselves up against the lantern hanging
from the porch post. She removed the light, opened the front door and went
inside. As she filled the coffeepot, Jake straddled a chair.

Had he meant what he said?
Let me love you, Kate.
As
much as she wanted to believe he meant more than in the physical sense, how
could she be sure? Was she that desperate for affection? Coldness swept through
her. She felt so alone. Vulnerable. She hated to feel like that. Hated that she
was reaching for something that seemed completely impossible.

Jake rested his arms on the back of the chair and watched
Kate move around the kitchen. He wanted a taste of those lips. He wanted to
make love to that body. There was no doubt in his mind she would let him.

Leave it to Purdy to prime the pump.

She brought over two cups brimming with brew. Coffee was the
last thing he wanted. Her arm brushed against his shoulder as she set one of
the cups in front of him. She pulled out a chair and put the other cup down.

Before she could sit, he grabbed her wrist. She stiffened
and resisted. He puckered up anyway.

At first her eyes rounded like saucers. A shadow of fear
darkened her gaze, a reluctance to yield to all she was feeling.

Without warning, she twisted out of his grasp, grabbed him
by his shirt and pulled him to her. Jake didn’t have time to react before her
sweet lips crushed his in a bruising kiss.

He came up for air but she showed no mercy and plastered him
with more kisses. She acted desperate, lost, drowning, as if his kiss was the
breath she needed to live.

Her desire was overwhelming, intoxicating. Suddenly, he was
drowning too, dragged under the heavy water by a current they were both
powerless to resist.

He held her by the shoulders. “Whoa, Kate. You’re taking
this way too fast.”

“You never objected before,” she replied tartly.

There was no denying Kate once she set her mind to
something. He pulled her closer, holding her against his chest. He felt her
heartbeat against his, one rhythm pounding, stampeding. Her hot, wet tongue
probed his ear.

“Hold on,” Jake said. He let her go and sat up.

Kate straightened and peered at him with concern. “Did I
hurt you?”

He snorted. “Not likely.”

Her gaze raked him from head to toe and settled on his
crotch. There’d be no hiding the bulge in his britches from the likes of her.
“I can fix what ails you,” she said.

Her fingers found the top button of his shirt and unbuttoned
it. She stroked the tangle of hair on his chest. He was close to abandoning all
sense and letting her have her way.

Jake didn’t doubt her enthusiasm or, and this was important,
her ability. Normally he would welcome a frisky female but with Kate he
couldn’t let her take charge.

“You gotta let me lead,” he said, covering her hand with
his.

Her dark eyes grew darker. Her mouth thinned into the pinched
look she got when she was fixing to go into a temper. She jerked her hand out
of his grasp. “What the hell for?”

“A man likes to think he wears the britches.”

“Who says you don’t?”

“You do. Every time you crack that whip. Every time you give
out orders.”

“I don’t understand you, Jake Madden,” she said with
annoyance lacing every word. “What is it you want from me?”

Jake stood up, putting some space between them. A roll in
the hay would satisfy him mightily. Her too, for that matter. She sure could
kiss and he wanted badly to kiss her more. He picked up his hat from the floor,
dusted the brim off against his knee and settled it on his head.

“Appears you and I have a difference of opinion when it
comes to a woman’s place.”

“My what?” Her eyes shot daggers.

He’d made a mistake. “My place, then. I won’t be kept by a
female.”

“You’re drunk.” She nearly choked on the words.

“I’m as sober as a judge.”

“Then get out.”

He obliged. Much as he hated to disappoint a lady, he
couldn’t give in to her spitefulness.

He stopped at the front door. “Nothing would please me more
than to make love to you, Kate.”

She tightened her hands into tiny fists. The color drained
out of her until she was alabaster white. “Don’t give yourself too much
credit,” she said with fury. “You’re only fair to middling when it comes to
lovemaking.”

“Is that so?” Jake prepared to duck in case she tried to
knock him out like she had in the bunkhouse. He wasn’t going to let her take
out her frustration on him.

Instead Kate yelped and, her shoulders hunched, stomped out
of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Jake walked out on the porch, stiff and more tired than he’d
reckoned. And with a whole bunch of guilt beating him up inside. He’d hurt her.
Not his intention in the least. To his way of thinking, he’d been honest about
what he wanted from her. She hadn’t seen it his way.

The light went out in the hayloft. Purdy and Jolie were
bedded down for the night. He suspected Kate’s poor attitude had a lot to do
with Jolie’s affections for a man Kate believed was their enemy—and because of
a no-account she’d been set on marrying.

Jake had wanted to kiss and make up when he got back from
town. He’d wanted to love her like no man had ever loved a woman.

Tonight he’d sleep alone. Without a second glance at the
homestead, he headed for the bunkhouse.

* * * * *

Jake wouldn’t have believe it if he hadn’t seen it with his
own eyes. General greeted the morning spry, clear-eyed and without any trace of
what’d ailed him. “Well, I’ll be doggone. Appears those salts did what they
were supposed to.”