To Love a Stranger (32 page)

“The bastard,” Chad snarled. “Why didn’t you ask Pierce for the money? He wouldn’t have refused you.”

“Pierce made it perfectly clear that he wanted nothing to do with me. My pride wouldn’t allow me to ask him for money.” She twisted her hands in her skirt. “I vowed to stay out of his life no matter what. I can raise my baby—” She clamped a hand over her mouth, realizing what she had just said.

Chad’s eyes narrowed. “You’re expecting Pierce’s child and you married Willoughby?” His voice held a wealth of contempt. “What kind of woman are you? What would you have done had I not come along when I did?”

Zoey reached in her pocket for her gun. “I had this. I would have killed Willoughby before I let him touch me.”

“Wouldn’t it have been easier to ask Pierce for help?”

Her chin tilted defiantly. “I am fully prepared to take care of myself, and that includes raising my
child. I forced Pierce once, I won’t do it again.”

Disgusted, Chad shook his head. “You would rather have gone to jail for shooting Willoughby? Women, they’re more bother than they’re worth,” he muttered. “I take it my brother doesn’t know he’s going to be a father. Never mind, I already know the answer.”

Suddenly Zoey looked so dejected, so utterly defeated, that Chad thought it best to save further questions for later. “Tell you what. I’ll move my things from the room and find some other place to sleep. We’ll finish this discussion tomorrow. I’ll arrange to have food sent up to you so you won’t have to leave the room. You’ll be safe here.”

He picked up his saddlebags and turned to go. “Don’t open the door to anyone but the maid until I return tomorrow.”

“It isn’t right to turn you out of your room.”

“I can sleep anywhere. Besides, I need to make arrangements to send you back to Pierce.”

Zoey bristled indignantly. “Sending me back to Pierce will solve nothing. He’s going to resent me for trapping him.”

“Perhaps, but that’s my brother’s child you’re carrying. Get some rest. I’ll return in the morning.” He opened the door, stepped out into the hall, and pulled the door shut behind him.

Zoey stared at the closed door. She knew Chad was angry with her. He didn’t seem happy about getting involved in her problems. She couldn’t blame him. Nothing could change the fact that she was Willoughby’s wife. He had every right to demand that she return to him, and the law would back him up.

Sighing dejectedly, she lay down on the bed and closed her eyes. She wanted Pierce, desperately, and it hurt to know he didn’t want her. She would love him always; that would never change. She regretted mentioning the baby to Chad, but it had been a slip of the tongue. She hadn’t wanted any of the Delaneys to know. As much as she loved Pierce, she wanted him to want her for herself. Exhausted from the long days of travel, Zoey fell into a fitful sleep.

Pierce rode into Butte several hours behind the stage. He was dirty, tired, and hungry. Putting physical comfort aside, he wanted to begin his search for Zoey immediately. Common sense told him Willoughby would stay at the best hotel in town, and that sounded like a good place to start.

Chad flung his saddlebags across his horse’s withers and walked him to the Claymore Hotel. He wanted to keep tabs on Willoughby, to see what he would do when he found Zoey missing. He could summon the law, and that could present problems. Chad had no idea how all this would be resolved, but he knew he couldn’t abandon Zoey to Willoughby. Not while she carried Pierce’s child.

Lost in thought, Chad accidentally bumped into a man who attempted to enter the hotel at the same time he did.

“Sorry, mister,” Chad said, giving the man a brief glance.

The man merely grunted, but something about the set of his shoulders made Chad turn and give him a hard look.

“Pierce?! My God, man, you couldn’t have turned up at a better time.”

Pierce straightened his weary form and stared with disbelief at his brother. “Chad? You’re a sight for sore eyes, brother. What are you doing in Butte?”

They clapped one another on the back and then exchanged a hearty bear hug.

“I’ve been in a lot of places since I left the ranch. Butte is just one of them. We need to talk, Pierce. There’s a saloon around the corner. We can talk privately there.”

Pierce followed Chad to the saloon, more than a little confused by the surprising turn of events. They found a table in the rear of the room and ordered drinks.

Chad waited until after their drinks arrived to ask, “What brings you to Butte, Pierce? You’re a long way from home.”

“I’m looking for my wife. Zoey and Willoughby left Rolling Prairie together, and I want my wife back.”

“It’s taken you a long time to decide that.”

“I admit I’ve been a stubborn idiot, but I’ve finally come to my senses. Zoey belongs to me. I’ve got to find her before …” His sentence fell off and he stared moodily into his drink.

Chad knew exactly what Pierce was thinking. “Willoughby hasn’t touched her.”

Pierce’s head jerked up. “What? How do you know?”

“Because I just left Zoey. She’s stashed away where Willoughby can’t find her.”

Pierce shot to his feet. “How? Where?”

“Keep your pants on, brother. Zoey is married to Willoughby. Did you know that? I saw them getting off the stage and followed them to the hotel. I managed a moment alone with Zoey and she asked me for help.”

“Of course I know Zoey married Willoughby, but it isn’t legal. I never signed our divorce papers. Zoey is still my wife and she’s going to remain my wife.”

A cynical smile spread over Chad’s handsome features. “Changed your mind about women, huh? Zoey is your problem now, Pierce. I’ll tell you where to find her, and you can take her home where she belongs.”

Pierce’s relief was so profound that at first he failed to comprehend everything Chad had said. Then it dawned on him. “Aren’t you coming back with us? Let the past go, Chad. It’s time to return home.”

Chad’s mouth thinned and his eyes reflected a soul-deep bitterness. “I’m not coming home. I can’t forget what happened there. I was responsible for four deaths, Pierce, and I can’t seem to run fast enough to escape it. I’ll tell you where to find your wife, then I’m heading out of town.”

“Dammit, Chad, listen to reason.”

“Forget reason. It’s too late for that. Do you want to know where to find Zoey or not?”

“You know I do.”

“Then go to her. She needs you. You’re going to be surprised by what she has to tell you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s best if it comes from Zoey. You’ll find her at the Cow Town Hotel, Room 129. It’s just around
the corner. Get her out of town before Willoughby turns the city upside down to find her.”

“I don’t know how you managed this, Chad, but I’m damn grateful. Are you sure I can’t convince you to come back to the ranch with us?”

“Positive.” He clipped a hand into his pocket. “Here’s the key. You’ll probably find her sleeping. The room’s paid for.”

Pierce swallowed the rest of his whiskey and pocketed the key. “Keep in touch, Chad. Let us hear from you from time to time.”

Chad nodded curtly and rose to leave. “One more thing, Pierce, take a bath before you go to Zoey. You stink.” His laughter followed Pierce out the door.

Pierce took Chad’s advice. He visited a bathhouse, shaved, and changed his clothing before heading over to the hotel. He found his way to Room 129 with no difficulty or interference. He stared at the door for several moments before fitting the key into the lock and turning the knob. The door opened noiselessly and he slipped inside. A single lamp cast a nimbus of light throughout the room.

Pierce softly closed the door, turned the key in the lock, and tiptoed across the room. He noticed the tray of half-eaten food first, then her dress, which lay neatly folded across the arm of a chair. Finally his gaze settled on Zoey. She was curled up on the bed, sleeping soundly. She didn’t awaken when he shed his clothing and slid into bed beside her. When he took her into his arms, she murmured his name and slid naturally into his embrace.

Zoey felt his warmth beside her and thought she was dreaming again of Pierce. Wanting him so desperately always produced dreams that shattered before the light of morning. But when she felt his lips upon hers, drawing her into his heat, she knew this was no dream. She opened her eyes and whispered his name.

Pierce …

Z
oey jerked upright, reaching out to touch Pierce before he disappeared into the land of unfulfilled dreams. “What … How … Dear God, am I dreaming?”

“Not dreaming, love. It’s really me.”

“What are you doing in Butte?”

“Looking for you. It’s a small city, after all. I just bumped into Chad.”

Zoey’s vision blurred, but her gaze remained intent upon Pierce’s face. “Then you know I married Samson Willoughby. But I couldn’t … couldn’t let him … Not after being loved by you.”

“You don’t have to explain, love. Cully told me everything.”

“Cully? You’ve seen Cully?” Excitement colored her words. “Is he all right?”

Pierce pulled her into his arms, stroking her back to calm her. “Cully was wounded while trying to escape Willoughby’s man. By some miracle he made it to Delaney land. He was recuperating when I left. I have every reason to believe he’ll make a complete recovery.”

Relief shuddered through Zoey. “Thank God. I’ve been so worried. Willoughby wouldn’t let me see Cully after the wedding. The only reason I married him was because he said he’d hurt Cully if I didn’t.”

“I know. Can you forgive me, love?” Pierce asked, tilting her chin so he could look into her eyes. “I’ve been such a fool.”

“I’m the fool, Pierce, but it’s too late for regrets. I’m married to a man I despise.”

“It’s not too late, love. I never signed the divorce papers. I destroyed them. Your marriage to Willoughby isn’t legal. You’re still my wife.”

Numb with disbelief, Zoey stared at Pierce. “You destroyed them? I … I don’t understand. Why didn’t you let me know? Why did you go on letting me think we were no longer married?”

“You have every right to be angry. It was difficult to toss aside old prejudices. Once I came to grips with my feelings for you, I realized how much I needed you. I wanted to come for you, but didn’t know how you felt about me. Had I any idea Willoughby was causing you trouble, I would have come to your aid immediately. If you needed money for the taxes, you should have asked me.”

“I guess we both acted stupidly,” Zoey confessed. “I didn’t want to burden you. I promised myself I’d never force you into anything again.”

Her head rested against his chest as he held her tightly against him, savoring her warmth, her special scent, the way her body fit his so perfectly. Zoey was his; he was never going to let her out of his sight again. When she lifted her head to smile at him, her lush lips were too great a temptation.
Too many weeks had passed since he’d held Zoey in his arms like this.

Zoey snuggled against the heat radiating from his body. His eyes were darkly brilliant as she lifted her face for his kiss. Then she tumbled into the promise in his passion as his mouth claimed hers. She clung to him, consumed by the hunger of his kiss, by the hardness of his body, his strength, the way his hands were skimming over her body, possessing her utterly by touch alone.

She felt her nipples pucker under his expert touch, felt swirling pleasure begin in the pit of her stomach as he pulled her shift over her head and stroked the hardened tips. When he sucked and licked the aching peaks, she whimpered and arched into the molten heat of his mouth.

“You’re mine, Zoey,” he whispered raggedly. “You never belonged to Willoughby. I was mad to let you go. I want you, Zoey. I want to love you until neither of us has energy left to move.”

Pierce stroked and caressed her gently. The feel of her skin, so hot and smooth and flawless, made him shudder with desire. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaled her sweet scent, and let the pleasure of having her in his arms consume him.

He spread wet kisses along the side of her neck, teased her earlobe with his tongue, and whispered words as arousing to her as the magic of his touch.

Zoey moaned as she reached out to caress him, needing to touch him everywhere. She stroked his chest, his shoulders, his neck, loving the play of rippling muscles beneath her fingertips. She moved restlessly against him, needing to get closer to his
incredible heat. Then slowly she blazed a trail of fire with her lips across his chest, continuing downward to his stomach. She heard him take a deep breath and hold it, enormously pleased by his response to her mouth and hands on his flesh.

Then she found him, cupping his erection in her hand and rubbing the warm crown of his thick shaft against her cheek, thrilled by the strength of his need for her. She ran her mouth over his hard length, felt him shudder and saw his stomach muscles jerk spasmodically. Then her lips parted over him, her tongue flicking out to sample the smooth, velvety texture.

Pierce howled with pleasure, then gnashed his teeth to keep from spilling immediately. He wanted to love her slow and easy, but Zoey was making it difficult for him to control his raging hunger. The uninhibited way she responded to him aroused a fever of passion inside him. He shook with the need to thrust inside her, to feel her heat close around him, to have her take him high inside her. And once he was as far as he could go, he wanted to bring them both to shuddering release.

“No more, love,” he said, disengaging her mouth. “We don’t want to end this too soon.”

As he crawled over her, his mouth took possession of hers. He kissed her endlessly, using his tongue, lips, and teeth to nip and tease. She was gasping from lack of air when Pierce’s mouth left hers and roamed lower, licking and sucking her nipples into stiff peaks. Zoey responded with a driving ardor that matched his own, moaning and twisting beneath him. Then his mouth took a downward path, across the ivory softness of her
belly, hovering over the tight nest of curls at the top of her thighs.

He nudged her legs apart, his mouth finding the sweet moistness there as he thrust his tongue inside and tasted her. He heard her breathless cry of ecstasy, heard her call his name as he lifted her buttocks, raising her up so he could push his tongue even more deeply inside her.