Restless Heart (13 page)

He pulled the chemise down until her breasts were thrust above the neckline, like an offering to him.

“Your breasts are beautiful, alabaster topped by the lightest shade of pink.” He bent down and licked one, then the other, sending bolts of pleasure straight to her center. “Delicious.”

Angeline simply watched as his mouth closed around her nipple and he sucked on her, pulling her deep into his mouth. She had never realized breasts and nipples were so sensitive and could bring so much joy when touched by the right man.

His hand landed on the other breast and he pinched the nipple between his fingers. She gasped as his teeth closed
around her, nibbling gently. The combination of his mouth and hand were astonishing.

Her pussy thrummed with arousal the more he toyed with her breasts. He licked, nipped, sucked, and pinched her nipples. Angeline wanted him to do that while he was inside her. The possibility of what it would feel like made her moan.

“Feel good?”

“I want more. I want you inside me.”

He stopped and stared at her in the lamplight, his dark eyes probing. “Are you sure? I mean, Pieter would likely shoot me if he catches me up here.”

“Please, Sam, I can’t wait. Please.” She pulled at his shirt, yanking it from his trousers, then reached for his buttons.

“I guess you’re sure.” He put his hand over hers. “Let’s take this slow.”

“No, I can’t.” She throbbed with need, so wet, moisture trickled down her thigh. “I need you now.” Angeline pulled up her skirt until the slit in her pantalettes was easily accessible.

His gaze darkened as he realized her intent. A quick, fierce mating was what she craved. He finished unbuttoning his trousers and released his cock. It sprang free, hard and seemingly as eager as she was.

She inched closer until she could flip on her back. He rose up on his elbows and landed above her. Angeline had never felt such a burning desire, such an unstoppable need to mate with him.

“Now, Sam, now.”

Angeline wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled. His cock landed right between her legs and he thrust inside her, filling her until he was embedded within her. Sam wasted no time. He started thrusting inside her, faster and faster.

“My breasts, kiss them, bite them,” she whispered.

Sam was like a machine. Never losing his rhythm, he
leaned down and pulled the right breast into his mouth. His sucking mimicked the motion of his cock. Her fingers dug into his back as she felt the now familiar coil tightening inside her.

She closed around him, making him thrust harder, heightening her pleasure until she exploded from the inside out. Sam bit her nipple and her heart stuttered as she found her peak. She scratched at his back, her mouth open in a silent howl of ecstasy. Angeline bucked against him, pulling him deeper inside her.

He buried himself with a powerful thrust, the veins on his neck standing out. Angeline watched him find his own release, his face reflecting the greatest joy. She rode the wave of her bliss as he rode his.

It was over in minutes, but Angeline felt as if she’d been making love for an hour. Her breath came in short gasps and her body virtually vibrated with the force of what had just happened.

He propped himself on his elbow and kissed her. “Amazing.”

She smiled and kissed him. “Definitely.”

They spent a few minutes catching their breath before they rose and washed up quickly, then straightened their clothes. Angeline had told him as much as she could about herself and he’d accepted her for who she was. She loved him desperately. But could she say yes to marry him?

K
aren poked her head into the kitchen. “There’s a man here to see you.”

Angeline’s head snapped up. “What man?”

“I don’t know. He looks kind of scruffy, whiskers and all. Oh, and he looks like he’s been wearing the same clothes awhile. Kinda nervous too.” Karen disappeared from view.

Angeline’s heart simply stopped beating and she started to see spots in her vision. She managed to suck in a breath as her entire body trembled. Her worst fear was coming true too soon.

“Miss Angeline, what’s wrong?” Daniel looked up from his perch on the stool where he was currently shucking peas for dinner.

“I don’t feel well, Daniel. I’m going to get some air.” An-geline’s hand shook so much, it took her three tries to get the backdoor open. She stumbled outside and walked carefully down the steps.

Angeline had to find out who was in the restaurant, but she had to get ahold of her runaway fear first. Josiah was not her legal husband, there was no reason to be afraid. If this man tried anything, she would do what she had to to protect herself.

She took several deep breaths and straightened up. The first thing she would do was go find the sheriff. He had already proved he would stick up by her. He was a fair man—it was time to start standing up for herself.

With more fortitude than she knew she had, Angeline went back up the steps and looked inside to find Marta at the counter, frowning.

Angeline threw her apron inside. “I have an emergency, Marta. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Before the older woman could respond, Angeline closed the door. She marched down the street toward the jail and this time she felt more anger than fear. It was high time she stopped feeling as if she were a rabbit being chased by a wolf.

Angeline was about to become the hunter instead of the prey.

By the time she got to the jail, she felt even stronger, more able to defend herself. She opened the door and stepped in to find Sheriff Henry Booth at his desk with a mug of coffee. He smiled when he saw her. Then his expression changed when she stepped inside.

He rose to his feet, a tall, lanky man with silver hair and wide shoulders. His blue chambray shirt was covered by a black leather vest with a shiny silver star on it. A dark brown hat was perpetually perched on his head.

“Miss Angeline. What’s wrong?”

“There’s a dangerous man in the restaurant.”

“At least you decided not to use a rolling pin on this one.” His brows rose and she managed not to blush.

“What happened to that particular, ah, suitor?” She had meant to ask him before now. She’d thought about the sound of the rolling pin on the man’s head many times.

“He woke up with a hell of a headache, pardon my language. Said something about an angel kicking his ass, pardon my language again. We found his horse over by the saloon
and that cowboy rode on outta here.” Booth watched her carefully. “Told me he’d never come back this way again.”

“I’m glad he was well enough to leave, but I don’t regret protecting Alice.” Angeline kept her shoulders back and her spine straight. That night in the darkness of the restaurant, she’d found true courage and she wouldn’t be ashamed of it.

“I’m glad you did protect her. She’s a good girl, even if she has a sharp tongue. Now what makes you think this man in the restaurant is dangerous?” The sheriff didn’t appear to disbelieve her, but he wasn’t exactly running out the door to arrest anyone either.

“He’s unkempt and suspicious and, unfortunately, I’ve had some troubles with men, um, following me.” Angeline didn’t quite want to admit her not-really husband had sent a bounty hunter after her. “He’s already asked for me and I think he means to do me harm.”

“He’ll do no such thing while I’m the law in Forestville.” The sheriff picked up the gun belt hanging on a nail behind his desk. “Let’s go see what this fella thinks he can do.”

They left the jail side by side and hurried down the sidewalk toward the restaurant.

Angeline was grateful Sheriff Booth didn’t ask for any additional details. She should tell him everything, but that would have to wait until later. For now she needed to get back to the restaurant before the bounty hunter found her first.

Sam walked out of the general store with a box of penny nails. He needed to finish the table he was making for his father before another job came his way. Fortunately, his father was taking an afternoon nap so he could make a quick trip to the store.

He was turning toward home when a flash of blue caught his eye. His mouth dropped open when he realized it was
Sheriff Booth sprinting down the sidewalk with Angeline. Sam knew immediately something was wrong and she could be in danger. Her loco husband might have sent another hired gun after her.

Sam dropped the nails and ran. He kept her in his sights, following the shiny gold of her hair, which sparkled in the sunlight each time she went between buildings. They had a good head start so they arrived at the restaurant before he did.

When the sheriff pulled his gun and walked in with Ange-line at his back, Sam ran harder, his heart lodged somewhere near his throat.

Sam arrived a minute later, his breathing as labored as his heart rate. The sheriff was walking toward the door.

“Henry, what’s going on?”

The older man glanced up at Sam and tucked his gun back in its holster. “Darned if I know. Miss Angeline said someone was going to hurt her so I came over here, but turns out she knows the fella.”

“She knows the fella?” Sam repeated as if the sheriff were speaking a foreign language. “What do you mean?”

“Said something to him about he wasn’t supposed to be here and scolded him a bit for scaring her.” The sheriff shrugged. “She said she was okay and now I’m leaving.”

Sam was completely confused. He rounded the corner into the restaurant to find Angeline staring at a stranger. Instead of being afraid, she looked sad.

“Jonathan, I told you to leave. You can’t stay here.”

Sam took stock of the stranger. He was young, likely no more than twenty, with short dark hair, at least three days’ worth of whiskers, unkempt but serviceable clothes. It was his eyes, however, that drew Sam’s attention. The man looked completely, hopelessly in love with Angeline. Sam’s stomach clenched.

“I can’t just leave, Angeline. Everything I expected, wished
and hoped for just got taken away from me. I’m lost without you, without our future.” The man, obviously named Jonathan, was pleading with her.

Sam felt like punching him.

“You’ve got to find your own path. I can’t tell you where to go or what to do, but I know you
can’t stay here
.” Ange-line sounded firm and unshakable, very different from the sweet, soft-spoken woman.

He wanted to clap for her.

He also wanted to drop to his knees and ask her to marry him again, to mark his territory so this stranger would leave her alone.

Sam stepped into the room and the stranger noticed him. The man’s lips curled back into a sneer. He pointed at Sam.

“I see your Indian is still here, sniffing around your skirts.”

Sam couldn’t have been more surprised if the man had slapped him. How the hell did he even know who Sam was or that he and Angeline were linked?

She snapped her gaze to his and her expression changed to guilt. Sam’s heart dropped to somewhere near his feet. What hadn’t she told him? He thought they’d been completely honest with each other about everything, including the man she’d run from. This was obviously not her husband because the kid was barely shaving.

“Angeline, what’s going on?” Sam was disappointed to hear his voice was husky, full of the dark emotions swirling around inside him.

“I, uh, ran into an old friend a while ago.” She sounded shaky and nervous. “I asked him to keep quiet about seeing me and he left Forestville.” She turned back to Jonathan and narrowed her gaze. “He was supposed to leave and not come back.”

The younger man had the balls to kneel in front of her like a penitent in front of a preacher. “Angeline, darling, I love you. I have since you were five years old. I can’t just leave.”

Obviously there were things Angeline had not shared with Sam, not the least of which was that she already had a beau who was obsessed with her. Not that he blamed the man—Sam was a little obsessed himself—but the fact remained she had hidden that tidbit of information. As well as the small detail that this Jonathan had been here in town to see her a few days earlier.

Sam’s temper began bubbling up from the slow simmer it had been at. “You heard her, now get out.”

“I’m not talking to you, Indian.” The stranger looked up at Angeline, pleading with his entire body. “Please, please, tell me you still love me.”

She looked at Sam and he could see the pleading was wearing at her. That was all it took for Sam’s temper to boil over. He grabbed hold of the kid by the collar and dragged him out of the restaurant. Fury drove him to ignore the other man’s protests and feeble attempts to stop him.

Sam made it outside and dragged Jonathan out into the street. The dirt wasn’t mud, but it was wet enough to leave dark smears on the man’s already dirty clothes. He let the kid loose and stepped back, fists up. His anger at Angeline mixed with his love for her, coming together to make him into a man ready to defend his future.

The kid glared at him and rose to his feet. He wasn’t small by any means, at least as tall as Sam. Not overly muscular but solid. It was apparent, however, that Jonathan had never been in a fight before in his life.

Sam’s grin was positively feral.

“You ready to fight me for her, kid?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the sheriff leaning against the side of the restaurant, watching them. Henry would make sure nothing got too out of hand, but had the common sense to stay out of the way when two bucks were battling over a doe.

The younger man brushed off his clothes and stared warily
at Sam’s fists. “I’m not going to fight you, Indian. She will choose me because she’s always chosen me.”

“Ha! You think so? Then where the hell were you when she married the bastard who beat her?” Sam’s anger turned to fury.

Jonathan had the decency to look guilty. “I didn’t know about it. She didn’t tell me.”

Sam clipped the kid on the jaw, sending the younger man staggering back with wide eyes.

“Then she doesn’t love you. She ran because there was no man to help her, to save her from that fucking monster.”

“Sam, please stop.” Angeline stood on the steps, hugging herself while the two men who loved her fought in the dirt for her. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”