Wild Lilly (37 page)

His pupils dilated with hunger, but he laughed and gave her bustle a poke. “Finish packing so I can take you back to my ranch and make sure you scrub all those delicious curves.”

A sigh of longing accompanied her dreamy expression. “Oh, a bath...bubbles...soap.” She grabbed her lemon-yellow shawl and threw the soft fabric over her shoulders.

Paul rubbed his hand over his erection and her mouth went dry. “If you keep talking like that, I may have to flip those skirts over your head and bend you over the chair.”

A hot blush heated her cheeks and she stuck her tongue out at him. “Nothing you say can distract me from my bath.”

Paul began to open his mouth with a dark glimmer in his eyes and she lifted the pile of dresses from the bed with a grunt and thrust them into his hands. “Put these in the wagon, please. I’ll be right out.”

With a grumble about women, Paul left the bedroom.

Peeking around the corner to make sure he was gone, she pulled open a drawer of the massive walnut dresser.

On the bed she tossed her corsets, bloomers, and a couple chemises. For a moment she hesitated, her hand on the top drawer. With a wicked smile, she opened it and lifted the lilac tissue-paper-wrapped bundle inside. She held the bundle to her nose and inhaled the scent of the expensive floral perfume sprayed on the paper.

Inside were two French silk nightgowns her grand-mère had sneaked into her trunks. Little pink bows decorated the white silk nightgown, which shimmered in the fading light. The other gown was red silk with black lace over the bodice and shoulders. Each was utterly scandalous, and the thought of Paul seeing her in them made her nipples hard and a tickle of heat lick over her hungry sex. She held the red one up to her chest and posed in the small mirror, smoothing the black lace over her curves with a sigh. The black lace straps went over her shoulders and the red silk started well below her breasts. She pressed her thighs together against the ache and felt how creamy her pussy was just at the mental image of what the lingerie would do to Paul.

Before she lost her nerve, she wrapped the gowns back into the tissue paper and sandwiched them between her bloomers and chemise. The entire bundle went into a large brown leather suitcase.

The sun was below the horizon now and darkness drew over the land.

There was just enough light to make out the glint of the gold chain holding the Wedgwood lily cameo on the edge of the mirror. She clasped it around her neck, stroking the smooth stone as she thought about her grand-mère. Colette would be utterly thrilled with the life she was leading, and that she was going to make use of the nightgowns.

Tugging the suitcase down the hall, she let out a small scream when Paul smashed into her, slamming a hand over her mouth. “There are men outside,” he whispered into her ear. “At least two of them, with Lee.”

She stiffened against his body, terror freezing her to the spot. He slowly turned and pulled her down to the floor. The front door stood open and she glimpsed movement in the twilight outside. A man in a Bowler hat rode past with a torch in his hand. The light flickered through the windows and cast dark shadows over the furniture.

Paul motioned for her to stay put and he crept over to the bedroom. A few moments later, he came back with a grim face.

“There is another man watching the back of the house. We can’t get out that way.” His hands worked in helpless anger on the butt of his gun.

“Come on out McGregor, and bring Miss Brooks with you,” Lee shouted through the open door in front of the cabin.

Paul hesitated, placed his hand against her face, and blew out a harsh breath. Agony filled his eyes as he stared at her. They shared a gentle kiss and she traced a trembling finger down the side of his cheek.

A strange and harsh odor filled her nose. “What is that?”

“Kerosene.”

Keeping her at his back, they walked out the front door together.

Lee sat on his horse holding a lantern and the man at his side shifted uneasily in his saddle. He spat some tobacco on the ground and watched the tree line instead of meeting her stare.

Lee looked like hell. His hat was missing and he wore the same clothes from earlier. The top two buttons of his shirt were gone and his lips were yanked into a smile so wide it seemed like his face would split in half.

“Why, it’s the whore and the Indian-lover.” Lee cackled and slapped his leg. The man next to him spat on the ground again.

“Damn it,” she breathed against Paul’s back. “He knows about the land I gave to the Comanche.”

“What do you want, Krisp?” Paul kept his hands over his guns.

“What do I want? I want my bitch wife back, I want this land, and I want you dead.” The wide grin stayed on Krisp’s face.

“’Fraid I can’t help you with any of those things.”

A man came around the corner of the house, pouring liquid from a big metal can against the foundation.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help myself. I’m gonna burn you and your little whore alive.” Krisp said this in a conversational tone, as if he were talking about the weather.

The man with the kerosene dropped the can and backed away. “Hey now, you didn’t say ’nuthin about killin’ no one!” He darted back around the house, running from them.

“Get back here, you yellow-bellied coward!” Krisp screamed. The man next to him began to inch his horse away. Krisp turned in his saddle and pulled his gun, keeping it trained on Lilly and Paul but snarling at the other man. “I’d stay right there if I was you.”

His eyes got wide and he nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Krisp waved his lantern back and forth. “You drove me to this. Your hand is the one holding the whip that brought us to this point!” His face grew frightening shadows in the moving light. “I tried to be nice, but you had to go and trick my wife into leaving.”

“Your wife left on her own,” Paul replied in a calm voice, inching his way toward the steps.

“Lies! You’re nothing but a bunch of dirty liars!” Krisp held the lantern in the air. “You should burn in holy fire.”

The man next to him seized the opportunity to try to ride away. Krisp turned his gun on the other man lighting-fast move and shot three times, hitting the man twice in the back before pointing the barrel back at Lilly and Paul. The other man’s horse continued to run as the man’s body flopped in the saddle.

“Oh, God.” Lilly clutched her hands into the back of Paul’s shirt, watching Krisp calmly put the gun back in its holster.

“Lee, I’ll give you the land! Please, just let us go.” Lilly tried to step forward, but Paul placed his body in front of hers.

Krisp pursed his lips and stroked his mustache. “Wish I could believe you, really do. But you’re just a lying whore.” He cocked his arm back to throw the lantern.

“No!” Lilly screamed and tried to push Paul off the porch.

Quicker than she could believe, Paul had his gun out and shot at Krisp. Her push messed up his aim and the bullet missed.

Instead, it caught the chamber of the lantern in Krisp’s hand and blew the oil and flame all over his wrist and forearm.

Krisp watched the fire crawl over his arm with a bewildered expression before he began to shriek in pain. He rolled off his bucking horse and onto the ground, trying to put the flames out. They crawled up his sleeve and covered his right arm up to his neck, glowing bright in the darkness of the prairie night.

Not even pausing to think, Lilly leapt off the porch and began to kick dirt on Krisp. Paul joined her with a curse and they smothered the fire as it ate away at the side of Krisp’s face. His shrieks of agony made her want to throw up.

They managed to extinguish the flames as Krisp passed out from the pain.

“We should let him die,” Paul said in a savage whisper.

She gagged at the smell of burnt flesh that came from the man at their feet. “We should, but we won’t.”

With cold eyes, he inspected the charred mess that was Krisp’s arm and shoulder. The flames had made it all the way to Krisp’s jaw. They could see the skin was raw and blistered, even through the coating of dirt.

Krisp began to come to and screamed hoarsely. Lilly felt nothing but revulsion as she watched him writhe in the dirt. If things had gone Krisp’s way, it would be she and Paul who suffered a horrible death by fire.

“We should probably get him to a doctor.”

Paul made no move toward his horse. Lilly gagged again at the smell coming off Krisp. Mercifully, his groans faded off as he passed out again. Could she live with herself, knowing she killed a man in cold blood? Even if he was an utter bastard?

“I don’t want his death to taint our life together.” Ignoring the groaning man at their feet, she curled against Paul,. He looked down at her and she shivered. In the dim twilight, his eyes were unbelievably bitter. “Please, Paul,” she whispered and touched his cheek with her fingertips.

Closing his eyes, he grabbed her hand and pressed it to his lips. “You know he won’t thank us for this.”

“I know. But I’m not asking you to do this for him. I’m asking you to do this for us.”

Paul started toward the cabin. “Let me get a blanket to wrap him up in, and we’ll take him into town. He isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and the sheriff will be interested in tonight’s activities.”

***

A knock sounded on the door to Paul’s bedroom. Quickly fastening the last button of her lilac dress, Lilly moved to the small brass-bound mirror by the window and checked her hair. “Come in,” she called out as she pinned her last damp curl in place. She had slept for most of the morning and now the afternoon sunlight shone on the polished wood floor. Paul had left while she slept and the housekeeper filling a tub with heated water had woken her.

Paul opened the door and a pleased smile curved his lips. “You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Peace and joy filled her soul as she gazed at him. He was so handsome in his black suit and Stetson. The color made his blue eyes glow, and the smile that lit his face when he gazed at her caused her heart to thump. His black cowboy boots shone and the white shirt set off his tan. He held a large green-and-cream box in his arms.

Tossing the box onto the rumpled blue quilt atop the bed, he strode across the room to wrap her in his arms. He leaned down and nibbled at her jaw. His lips moved softly over her skin and brushed her own, the scent of him filling her nose. She stroked her mouth against him, a purring moan escaping her as his hands cupped her breasts and gently squeezed. He deepened the kiss, opening her mouth and stroking at her tongue with his. Joy filled her heart and mixed with the heat of his touch.

“I love you,” Paul whispered, pressing against her.

“I love you,” she sighed back as his clever fingers traced over the tip of her hard nipple behind the silk of her corset. Heat rushed between her legs and she felt herself grow damp.

He rubbed the scruff of his cheek against hers. “I have a surprise for you. I-I hope you like it.”

Tracing her finger tips over his lips, she couldn’t help but smile at the hint of worry in his eyes. “Really?” She peeked over his shoulder at the box. “For me?”

“Yeah.” The rough calluses on his palm stroked against her skin. “I figured with all the ugliness of the last few days, you could use something to brighten your day. I can’t imagine anyone else doing it justice.”

She pulled him into her arms, resting her head on his chest. “The only thing I need to make me happy is you.” He chuckled as she stole another look at the box on the bed.

“Open it,” he urged and sat her down on the bed next to the box.

Fiddling with the top, she gasped at the flash of peach silk. Nestled under the expensive-looking cream tissue paper lay the gorgeous gown they had seen in Hartford. “Oh, Paul.” She swallowed past the lump in her throat.

“I hope you like it. Remember when you were waiting for me at the park in Hartford? Well, I wasn’t buying a toy for Owen, I was buying this dress.” He shifted from one boot to another and his voice grew gentle. “I thought you might like it for a wedding dress.”

The seed pearls embroidered into the bodice gleamed in the sunlight. “My wedding dress.” Now a tear did escape and he made a distressed noise.

“We can get you another dress if you don’t like this one.”

He reached to take the box from her and she snatched it back. “Get your hands off my dress.”

His broad shoulders relaxed. “You like it?”

Setting the box down, she gently cupped his rough face in her hands. “I love it.” The kiss she gave him left no doubt about her pleasure.

“Lunch is waiting for us downstairs.” His fingers began to work the buttons going down the back of her lilac dress.

The soft brush of his lips over the pulse of her throat made her pussy clench. “Is it?”

He laughed at the breathless sound of her voice. “Yeah. Funny thing is, I’m not really hungry.”

“I think we need to work up an appetite first,” she admitted in her throatiest voice.

She squeezed the head of his swollen cock through his pants; now it was his turn to gasp.

Her feet lost contact with the floor as he lifted her against him. Long, hard, demanding, his kiss was filled with all the love and passion she could ever desire.