One Texas Night (20 page)

He moved his hand over his ribs and encountered Laurel’s long slender fingers resting over his chest.

His head ached as he shifted just enough to see her sleeping beside him. She was so beautiful in the firelight, an angel dropped down to watch over him. He remembered how she’d said she prayed for him. He’d thought no one cared and she’d been kneeling in a chapel somewhere saying his name. The image warmed a heart he’d thought long dead.

As if she felt him watching her, she opened sleepy eyes.

“How are you?” she asked, worry wrinkling her brow.

“A little sore, but healing,” he answered. “Did you sleep here next to me all night?”

“Yes.” She smiled and sat up so she could check each of his wounds. Only the break in skin at his forehead looked like it had bled a little during the night. “I didn’t want to leave you alone.”

“You were right here next to me and I slept through it. What a shame.”

Giggling, she said, “You were in no shape to do anything about it.”

“I’d have died trying.” He winked and then winced at his cracked lip.

“Shut up and take a deep breath. I want to listen to your lungs.”

When she leaned her head against his chest, he took a deep breath and tangled his fingers in her hair. “I’m all right, Laurel. I swear.”

She looked up, firelight sparkling in her tears. “I was so worried about you. I don’t care if we win. I’ll find another way to get free of my father. It doesn’t matter. I just didn’t want to lose you.”

He tugged her against him and held her for a while. “We’ll find a way,” he finally whispered. “I plan on winning, but if I don’t, we’ll find a way. I’ll stand with you win or lose.”

“But you can’t ride. You might fall.”

“I don’t think about how I’m going to fall when I ride. I just think about staying on.” He laughed, then groaned. “I don’t have to make the best showing tonight, all I have to do is stay on and draw third place. None of the bareback rides have been that good.”

He knew she wanted to argue with him. He swore he could almost hear her mind working. But she didn’t say a word. They just lay close, listening to the fire and waiting for sunrise. This was the last day. Tonight it would all be over. She’d stay at the hotel and by dawn tomorrow she’d be on the first train. She’d be off to start her new life in some big town and he’d have money in his pocket until the place sold.

By first light, Rowdy had fallen back asleep. She slipped from his side and put on a pot of coffee to boil, then dug in the bag for bread she’d brought the day before.

When she took Dan a cup of hot coffee, he was hooking up the wagon. “I’m sorry I have no breakfast to offer you but bread. I was in too much of a hurry to think about what we’d eat with it.”

“No problem. How’s Rowdy?”

“Much better. He’s asleep now, but earlier he said he plans to ride.”

Dan nodded. “Tell him to sleep as much as he can today. I’ll be around when he comes into town and make sure nothing happens to him before the rodeo.”

“Thanks.” She glanced up at the sun. “I’ll try to stay until he wakes, then I have to get back before my family wakes and realizes I’ve been out all night. You headed home?”

Dan shook his head. “I’m thinking of riding into town and having breakfast at the hotel.”

Laurel smiled. “I hear it’s good, especially when served by Bonnie Lynn.”

He grinned. “I have no understanding of women, but I think she likes me. She told me last night that I make her laugh and I figure that’s a start.”

“I think she likes you, Dan, even if you don’t understand why.”

He climbed into the wagon. “And as smart as everyone knows you are, miss, you still like that busted-up cowboy in there, don’t you?”

“I do, but we’re just friends. Have been since we were kids.”

“Sure you are,” he said without looking at her.

He waved as he drove away. Laurel sat on the porch and drank the coffee she’d meant for Dan. When she went back inside, Rowdy was awake and sitting up.

She knelt beside him. “How are you feeling?”

“Better.” He rubbed his slightly swollen lip with his first knuckle. “I think I could take a little of that coffee.”

She poured a fresh cup and shared with him.

When it was empty, he set the cup aside. “Lie back down beside me,” he said. “I don’t want you to go just yet.”

She didn’t hesitate as she spread out beside him. They lay in silence for a while, then he said, “I heard what you told Dan.”

“That I like you?”

“Yes. And that we’re just friends.”

He rolled to his side and placed his hand on her middle. “I don’t think it’s true,” he whispered. “I think you feel about me the way I feel about you. Neither of us is looking for love, but we’ve learned to trust each other. And there is something between us, pulling us closer.”

“Maybe,” she protested. “I do like being near you.”

“No,” he answered. “I think it’s more than that even if neither of us wants to admit it. We went beyond just partners the first time you kissed me. What I feel for you is deeper than like.”

“I don’t think so,” she whispered. She couldn’t admit more, not after only three days. Not when she’d be leaving tomorrow and she might never see him again. “When you win tonight, we’ll split the money and go our separate ways. All we can be is partners, Rowdy.”

“No, we’re already more,” he answered as his fingers brushed lightly over the cotton of her blouse. “If your feelings aren’t running deep right now with me touching you, then move away. We may not feel love, but I’m definitely attracted to you.”

He wasn’t holding her, only touching her. His hand slid up between her breasts and began unbuttoning her blouse. “Because if you don’t run, Laurel, I’m going to touch you as no one else has ever touched you. If I don’t, I’ll regret it the rest of my life.” He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers.

“There is no time,” she mumbled as she answered his kiss with one of her own.

The kiss was so tender she wanted to cry. She felt the first button give way to his fingers.

“Make love with me, Laurel,” he whispered against her ear.

She was too shy to say the words, but her kiss answered his question. As they kissed she felt him pulling buttons free, then tugging her blouse from the band of her riding skirt.

When he felt the layer of her camisole, he raised his head. “How many layers do you have on?”

She laughed. “Only one more.”

“Good.” He frowned. “I’d really like to see what I touched last night.”

She turned her head away from him, too embarrassed to look at him. “I’m not—” She couldn’t even say the words. Her body curled away from him.

Forgetting about the camisole, he gripped her shoulder and pulled her back. “Not what?” he asked.

“I’m not the kind of woman men want. I’m smart. I can keep books, but that’s about all.”

He swore and she felt his anger, not at her, but at what she believed. Finally, he calmed down and tugged her chin so that she had to look at him. “Look, Laurel, I don’t care if you can count and, as for being smart, I’ve begun to question that since you started hanging around with the likes of me. And about being the kind of woman men want, I can’t speak for all men, but you are exactly what I want.”

“You do? How?”

He sat up and shoved his hair back, then winced at the pain. He took a long breath and said, “I thought you would have figured it out by now, but I’ll explain so that there will be no misunderstanding between us.” He met her gaze and held it. “I want you in my arms. I want you in my bed. I want to be so close that we share air and so deep inside you I forget there is a world other than with you.”

“Oh,” she said, sitting up to face him.

He laughed. “You know for a smart girl, you surprise me. Or maybe I’ve had too little practice to get my feelings across. I don’t suppose you want the same thing?”

She raised her chin. “I might. What did you have in mind?”

He glanced at the sun coming in the open door. “I would say we do everything right here, right now, but your father will be sending a hunting party for you any minute. How about we start now and finish tonight at the hotel? I don’t want to be interrupted.”

“All right.” She could feel her nerves jumping. “What do we do first?”

“Unbutton that undergarment,” he said, smiling a dare. “I think we could call that a start.”

She sat perfectly straight and unbuttoned her camisole. Her gaze never left his eyes.

“Now pull it apart, darling, if you don’t mind.” His voice was lower.

She tugged the thin layer of cotton open an inch at a time and saw only pleasure in his dark gaze.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered. “Beautiful.”

She closed her eyes as he raised his hand and covered one breast. His other hand slid to the back of her neck as he gently laid her down on the straw bed. When his fingers closed around her and tightened, she let out a cry of joy. He lowered his mouth over hers and caught her next moan of pleasure.

“This is how we’ll start tonight,” he whispered. “Only the door will be locked and we’ll have all night. I don’t want to hurry loving you. We need to take our time getting to know each other.” He kissed his way down her throat without turning loose of her breast.

When all thought but what he was doing to her had left her mind, she felt him move away and she protested.

“It’s begun, darling. There’s only one way this is going to end and I plan to make sure you enjoy each step.” He stared at her as if she were a work of art. “We’d better stop now while I can. When I ride tonight I won’t be thinking of the pain. All that I’ll be dreaming of is having you all alone.”

He leaned and kissed the tip of her breast, then pulled the cotton back in place. “You surprise me, Laurel.”

“How?”

“I didn’t think you’d love a man’s touch.”

“I don’t. I love your touch and it is quite possible I may never find another’s of any interest.”

He grinned, satisfied with her answer.

She sat up and buttoned her clothes.

Watching her hands, he thought about how fine and beautiful they were. He liked her hands. Hell, he almost said aloud, he liked everything about her.

Lost in his thoughts he realized she’d been talking. He only hoped he hadn’t missed something important.

“I’ll pack and leave my trunk at the hotel. Bonnie Lynn will watch it for me and tell no one. As soon as you ride, I’ll find the buyer and have him meet us at the hotel. He said he could bring ten percent in cash and have the rest deposited wherever we like.”

He smiled. “You’re sure I’ll win. You’ve planned everything.”

“I’m betting on it.”

“And if I don’t?” He had to know what would remain between them if tonight didn’t go as planned.

“Then I’ll go home as if nothing has changed and pick up the bag when I’m in town alone.” Her blue eyes met his. “It may take me a few hours, but I’ll meet you under the cottonwoods before midnight.”

He knew what she meant. What was going to happen between them would happen. At the hotel, or beneath the stars. It would happen.

He stood. “Until tonight,” he said as he kissed her. The need to whisper that he thought he loved her built inside him, but he couldn’t—wouldn’t love her. Love had killed his father and he’d never allow himself to crumble. Better never to love than to let it eat you away inside if love is lost.

At the door, he stopped her one step before the sun reached their faces. “Tell me you need me,” he whispered against her ear.

“I need you,” she answered.

He brushed a kiss into her hair. “Tonight, wait for me. I’ll be there in time for a late supper.”

He waited for her to answer, then smiled, guessing she wouldn’t say the word until he did and as long as he didn’t use the word love he could walk away if that was still the way she wanted it after their night together.

Chapter 10

Laurel sat in her tiny office and sharpened each of her pencils to a fine point, then lined them up neatly. If Rowdy won tonight, she wouldn’t be coming back. For as long as she could remember this house had been her home. They’d moved here the summer before her father went to New Orleans and brought back a new wife. It had always been a cold house. Her stepmother’s mood swings and her father’s temper made it impossible for any housekeeper to stay more than a few seasons.

All she’d ever felt in this place was alone. She knew she wouldn’t spend one day of her life to come missing it.

“You about ready to go?” her father said from the doorway.

“More than ready.” She stood. “All is in order and up to date.”

“Good.” He smiled. “That schooling of yours was worth the money.”

She didn’t answer his almost-compliment as they walked to the parlor to wait for her sisters.

“You know that place over the creek, the Darnell Ranch?” he asked as if making conversation.

The attempt was so rare, it surprised Laurel. “Yes, I ride over there now and then.”

He nodded, only half listening. “The sheriff tells me it’s up for sale. I’m thinking of making Darnell’s son a rock-bottom price. He’s been gone so long he’ll have no idea what it’s worth and once I offer I’d be surprised if anyone tried to top me.”