The Good, the Bad, and the Naughty (11 page)

“If you’re worried about Sam, don’t be. He isn’t gonna be back until later today. It’s only me and Mat until then,” John said.

“Good. The last thing I want is the sheriff to know I’m here.” She sighed with relief.

Mat corrected her. “No, you don’t want him knowing you’re in Fort Smith and that you’re the saloon girl singer at Eden’s Paradise.”

She pointed her finger at him. “Don’t start acting smart, Mat. I have no time for that. Besides, if he knew you both were my accomplices, you’d be in just as much trouble as I’d be.”

“True, so what’s your hurry?”

“I have to get back to town to get ready for the show. But I needed to talk to you both before I did. I need your help.” She huffed.

“Oh, now you need our help,” John piped in.

“Why are you giving me a hard time? You know I need to be on my own on this out there. Having you two as my sidekicks would bring too much attention to us, and if people like the sheriff there started asking questions, then my whole secret operation would be exposed. Besides, you need to keep Sam busy here, so he isn’t on to us. You know he is our biggest problem at the moment.”

“You’re right.” John leaned on the backrest of his chair. “So what help do you need from us?”

“Well, remember those two men you told me about the night before yesterday, Trevor Kent and James Sanford?”

“Um. What about them?” Mat responded.

“Well, as luck would have it, they’re staying in the room next to mine at the Mayflower Inn.”

Mat slapped his leg. “Darn. Talk about a coincidence.”

“Yes, but don’t get too excited, boys. I think there’s more to them than just being the new expressmen. They are way too smart to be just that. And I’ve tried to get information out of them, but they aren’t squealing.”

Both John and Mat sat to attention then.

“How exactly did you try to get stuff out of them?” Mat asked, squinting with suspicion.

Without giving away her whole seedy, bawdy, sexual, heavenly experience she had with the two irresistible men, she replied, “That doesn’t matter. What matters is I’m suspicious.”

John got up huffing. “Well, that’s it, Belle. If you’re suspicious, then it’s time to get out of there before it gets too dangerous.”

How dare he tell her to quit now when they were that close?

“What? No, I’m not.” She frowned.

Even Mat came to John’s defense. “Belle, he’s right. If you’re right, which you usually are, then it could get dangerous.”

“No, I can handle things.” She shook her head vigorously.

“What if they know who you are and know the real reason why you’re in town?” they asked at the same time.

Now her patience was running thin. “I don’t think they know. At least not yet.”

This time, only Mat asked, “How can you be so sure?”

Her voice raised an octave with her frustrations. “Just because. That’s all.”

“Okay, then what do we do now?” Mat asked.

She began to pace as she ironed out the last thoughts in her mind. “Well, I’ve invited them both to Eden’s Paradise to hear me sing this evening. I want you two to go into their room and check it out.”

They stared at each other. “All right, Belle. We’ll do it your way, but if we find something, anything, that proves your suspicions are right, then we’re gonna call in reinforcements. We won’t wait for your call on it,” John said while crossing his arms over his chest.

As much as she wanted to argue with them, she couldn’t. They were right. If James and Trevor were who they suspected, then nothing she could say would save them. Her heart almost broke at the thought.

* * * *

James’s ears perked and his heartbeat quickened when he thought he heard her voice. He raised his head searching through the crowd for her. To his disappointment, he realized it was someone else, a saloon girl serving a customer a couple of tables away.

They came in five minutes ago and luckily found a table before the real crowd came in a few minutes later. The place was packed. Unfortunately, their table stood closer to the exit door than the piano and stage in the saloon.

Trevor glared at him. “Relax, James.”

“I’m relaxed.” He frowned back.

“Oh? Well, you could have fooled me. You haven’t sat still for one second, and you just jumped right now.”

“No, I didn’t,” he refuted.

“Yes, you did.”

James heaved. “Okay, okay. This waiting is driving me crazy.”

Trevor swirled the whiskey in his glass. “Me, too.”

James stared at him keenly. “Since I had to go check out the train station today, we didn’t have a chance to talk about what happened last night. But I’ve been thinking about it a lot.”

“Me, too.” Trevor paused, just staring to the side. “What do you think?”

“Think about what? What happened or if I think Belle is Isabelle?”

“Both.”

James took a deep breath and started. “Well, last night was amazing. Out of this world amazing. She’s so beautiful.”

Trevor’s eyes glazed over, and a serene smile spread over his lips. “Mmm, beautiful, desirable, all woman. You just want to hold her in your arms and…”

Then his face took on a serious look laced with a tinge of disappointment. “But unfortunately I guess this means there’s a good possibility she is LaRue.”

“You think it, too?” James’s heart hurt at the thought.

Trevor opened his mouth to say something when a female voice interrupted, “Well, look at who we have here?”

James’s attention ripped over to the lady standing beside their table. A smile spread over his face. “Sally, howdy.”

She leaned against Trevor and wrapped her arm around his shoulder in a too-welcoming way. As she dipped in, her cleavage caught James’s eye for a second until he quickly diverted his gaze back to her face. She then smiled in an alluring way, winking at him. She obviously saw him peeking and didn’t mind one bit.

“Nice to see you makin’ Eden’s Paradise your home, fellas.”

“We came to see Belle sing again,” Trevor responded.

Her brow lifted. “Belle? Yes, I figured that you would. She’ll be comin’ down in a minute. In the meantime, what can I get you boys, in drinks, that is? Anythin’ else, well, that comes extra.”

She winked at James again, and when James didn’t react, she threw her head back laughing.

Trevor looked at him, turned to her, and responded for them both, “We’ll just have two whiskey shots, Sally.”

She put her hand under his chin, tilting his head up slowly, “Comin’ right up, sweetie.” Then she blew him a kiss and walked away in a sultry gait while glancing over her shoulder at them.

Trevor gazed at James with a lifted brow. “What the hell was that?”

James shook his head and snorted. “You’re asking me? I haven’t got a cl—” Before he could finish his sentence, pain surged from his ankle up to his shin. “Ouch! Why did you kick me?”

Trevor put his finger to his mouth. “Shh, stop talking and look.” He pointed with his chin. “She’s coming down the stairs.”

James glanced over his shoulder just in time to see her descend in the epitome of elegance. She wore a pearl-blue gown that cascaded straight down to her shoes. The collar was all the way up to her neck with overflowing ruffles. The tight fit accentuated every curve of her breasts, waist, and hips.

His memory catapulted him back to last night with her naked on the bed, her long, gorgeous legs and her pussy that made him whimper in need to touch them once again. He imagined her full, soft breasts with her taut nipples erect, screaming for attention. He didn’t have the satisfaction of touching, fondling them last night. Trevor did. But seeing his partner touch them, pinch them, lick them, aroused him just as much, if not more.

Trevor let him read the note she left them when he awoke this morning. Now, it spurred his eagerness for the evening to come to an end so they could head back to the inn to continue where they left off last. Tonight, he planned on fondling, licking, suckling her breasts while Trevor watched, and he hoped to do far more than that.

* * * *

Where were they? Her gaze scoured the room as she descended the stairs, but because the place was packed, she couldn’t see much. Had they come? Or had they stayed at the inn? God, she hoped not. Mat and John would be breaking into their room anytime soon. The last thing they needed was to get caught before they could find out what the handsome, secretive men were up to.

When she got to the end of the stairs, Jesse greeted her, much to her disappointment. “Miss Belle, you look beyond pretty tonight. You look like a princess.”

“Thanks.” She forced her smile and headed to the bar while he followed.

She rolled her eyes upward and silently sighed in frustration. “Jesse, I’m running late. I’ll be going up in a little bit. I want to drink something to soothe my throat. So I don’t have time to talk. Sorry.”

Glancing from side to side, she tried to search for them while she walked to the bar. Jack had already set her a glass of water on the bar.

How considerate
.

He was one of the few men in the place who respected her, acted like her older brother. Unlike the pervert Jesse who never left her alone and looked at her like he owned her body and wanted to touch his property like he saw fit. She shivered in disgust
.

“All right, I’ll talk to you after your show then,” Jesse replied from behind her.

“Sure, that’ll be fine.” She looked back to nod.

He waved to her. “Good luck, Miss Belle.”

“Thanks,” she said while taking the seat at the bar that was reserved for her. Sally stood near there waiting for Jack to get her order ready. She had the freakiest grin Belle ever did see.

“Why are you smiling like that, Sally?” Belle asked, frowning.

Sally looked at the bar. “Nothing. Just nice to see the boys got to finally talk to you the other night.”

“You saw?” Her cheeks heated.

Sally’s smile widened. “Sure did. Saw them waitin’ for you outside and that they talked to you for quite some time. Ain’t that so sweet.”

Belle couldn’t help but smile herself. “They were so kind.”

Sally slid closer. “I also saw them escortin’ you home, too.”

“They’re staying at The Mayflower Inn, too. They wanted to keep me company. That’s all.” Belle lost her breath then.

Sally laughed. “I’m sure they did. So which one caught your fancy?”

Belle was at a loss for words. “Uh.” She wanted to scream,
Both of them!
but didn’t dare. Instead, she replied, “We’re only friends.”

Sally threw her head back, laughing. “Belle, the look those boys have whenever your name comes up, they ain’t interested in only friendship with you, honey. They want much more.”

Playing coy, she responded, “Really?”

She nodded. “Yes siree.” Then she leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Maybe you don’t need to decide. At least not just yet. Sometimes two is better than one.”

“What?” Belle’s eyes sprang open as she darted her gaze at Sally.

As Sally picked up her tray, she nodded with more emphasis this time. “You heard me, honey. You heard me.” Then she handed the tray over to Belle.

“Why are you giving me this?” Belle asked, confused.

She pointed to the door. “There are a couple of gorgeous men who were askin’ for you before. They are waitin’ for their drinks.” Then she laughed deep in her throat as she walked away to serve another table.

Suddenly, Belle’s spirits soared and so did her awkwardness. The tray shook in her hands as she tried to walk over to them without spilling their drinks. When they were finally in view, she saw them staring at her with big smiles. Her heart warmed at the sight. Then it lurched with the thought that Mat and John were now searching their room. If they found what they looked for to prove their guilt, then that was it. It would all end here before it even got started.

Taking a deep breath for reassurance, she steeled her emotions and walked over to their table with a smile. “Howdy, boys. Sally told me two handsome customers were in need of some whiskey.”

She laid the tray on the table and picked up one glass, placing it beside James. James gently stopped her hand from moving while he stared up at her with those gorgeous green eyes that made her lose her breath and swoon.

“Not really, but I can think of something else that I’m dying for,” he whispered, then lowered his voice even more, though she could still hear him. “To kiss your beautiful, red lips.”

Trevor grinned and whispered next. “We missed you, pretty lady. We were looking forward to seeing you when we woke up this morning.”

She also missed them, but she couldn’t stay any longer. The feelings that began to build in her heart for them made her weak. They clouded her judgment. Even now standing beside them, her mind wandered. She needed to be on stage in just a few minutes, but all she could think of was sneaking out with them and heading somewhere isolated so they could be alone.