Chapter 24
All I Can Offer
As sheriff, Seth rarely made rounds himself, leaving the task to his deputies. Tonight, he volunteered, taking the west end of town, saving Charlotte’s secluded cabin for last.
The moon and stars shone brightly, but as he turned off the main road onto her narrow lane, the trees overhead blocked out the light, plunging him into near darkness. Visibility was next to nothing, but the mess of branches and thick undergrowth was gone.
When the cabin came into view, the soft glow of a lamp filtered through the tiny gaps in the walls and closed shutters. They wouldn’t keep out the wind and snow come winter.
“She’ll freeze in the first snowstorm that blows down from the Medicine Bow,” he predicted, increasingly determined that she be out of there by then.
The lamp burning meant Charlotte must still be awake.
Perhaps she was in the tub like last time.
He immediately envisioned how she looked that night in the tiny tin tub.
Not made for lounging and soaking, she was trying to make it work.
With her eyes closed, her dark-auburn hair piled on top of her head, and wet strands clinging to her delicate neck, her beauty took his breath away.
When they first met all those years ago, she’d been young and so frightened.
Instead of her nudity, he noticed the terror in her eyes and the whip marks on her back.
The other night, when he’d startled her, the glimpse he had of Charlotte was of a woman with pink-tipped breasts, creamy, flawless skin, and more pronounced curves.
He’d been hard from wanting her ever since.
“Like now,” he muttered as he shifted in the saddle, trying to relieve the ache.
The memory of their kiss, soft and lingering, had stayed with him.
Her curves pressed against him, the taste of her lips sweet and yielding, the warmth of her mouth welcoming, and the fragrant softness of her skin as his lips trailed down her neck.
He had to have her. In a physical sense, yes, but his desire for her went far beyond that.
For years, she’d occupied his thoughts. During his travels, something or someone would remind him of her, and he’d wonder where she was and about her well-being.
That their paths crossed in Omaha and again in Laramie had to mean something.
As he got to know her better and learned of the heartache, injustice, and abuse she’d endured, her resilience amazed him.
She’d earned the loyalty and respect of a diverse group of women, from saloon girls to the community’s elite.
Those who took the time to get to know her saw what he did, her compassion, determination, and quiet strength.
Seth didn’t care what lengths she’d had to go to survive all these years. He also didn’t give a damn about what others thought or how being with her would affect his job. Now he had to figure out how to convince her not to give a damn, either.
As he climbed the two steps to the porch, the once-wobbly and spongy boards were sturdy beneath his feet. George Gleason and his men had been busy.
He rapped on the door. The roughness of the wood under his knuckles and how it still hung crooked told him it had yet to be replaced. He listened for footsteps or movement but only heard crickets and frogs.
Knocking once more, he also called out, “Charlotte. It’s Seth.”
“I’m here.”
He glanced to the left and saw her silhouette in the dim light from the cabin.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Just doing my nightly rounds, as I promised. But I also hoped we could talk.”
“You don’t give up easily, do you, Sheriff?”
“No,” he replied honestly. “It’s late. Why are you out here?”
“It’s warm inside the cabin, and I needed to feed Willow.”
He moved toward her and peered around the corner. A horse softly nickered from its shelter.
“The lane has been cleared, there are new boards on the porch, and you now have a stable. A lot has changed since I was here last night,” he remarked.
He saw a flash of white in the dark as she smiled. “It’s not much of a stable,” she remarked, “but I have kind friends and neighbors.”
“I’m still getting to know them, but the Jacksons seem like good people,” he agreed.
Up close, he noticed her blouse was open at the neck, with several buttons undone in deference to the heat. He watched, mesmerized, as her tongue darted out to wet her lips—a gesture so alluring, it sparked an urge within him to take her in his arms and trace the same path.
The woman was pure temptation. It was only a matter of time before the whole town knew she was alone and unprotected.
Unable to stifle his concerns, he brought up yesterday’s argument.
“Even if they built you a fortress with sturdy doors and working locks, it wouldn’t change the fact that you’re alone. It’s not safe.”
“You’re awfully protective of a woman you hardly know,” she observed, her tone growing sharper.
“I would worry about any woman foolish enough to live alone in the woods,” he replied.
“Foolish?” she gasped, clearly offended. “More like desperate and without options.”
“You have options, Charlotte.” He pulled her against him, his hand cupping her chin and angling her face up to his. “You have me. Don’t act like we’re strangers. Fate keeps throwing us together. And strangers don’t burn for each other like we do or ignite with a kiss.”
“Seth, I—”
“Hush,” he ordered, lowering his head until his mouth hovered over hers, close but not touching. “I’m going to kiss you. After that, I’m taking you to bed.”
“In this grand plan of yours, do I get a say?” she challenged, although her tone lacked its former bite, and she rose onto her toes as if drawn to his lips.
Her response emboldened him more. “You get to say yes.” Their breaths mingled, and desire sparked between them. If she rejected him, he’d respect her wishes, but he hoped like hell she wouldn’t. When too many seconds passed, he urged her further. “I burn for you. You feel it too—admit it.”
“What I feel doesn’t matter. I’m no good for you, Seth.”
“Charlotte—”
“Please,” she pleaded, her finger featherlight against his lips, silencing his protest. “Being with me will only hurt you in the end, and that isn’t something I’m willing to do.”
Disappointment hit him hard, like a punch in the gut. But if she believed he’d walk away so easily, she was mistaken. He’d never known a connection like theirs; it went beyond the physical. But he had more convincing to do and would stand down for now.
Her next words surprised him, changing everything. “I can’t deny it. I burn for you, too,” she confessed, her voice husky with longing. “So intensely, I feel I might burst into flames. I’ll give you tonight, but that’s all I can offer.”
“We’re meant for each other,” he insisted, his body taut with desire for her. “Until I make you see it, I’ll take you however I can get you.”
His lips claimed hers, and she eagerly opened up to him. Instantly, a fiery passion ignited between them. He pressed her against the cabin wall, his fingers threading in the silky softness of her hair as he deepened the kiss.
Charlotte gripped his shirt in fistfuls, and she hooked her leg around his hip, getting closer.
His free hand curled around it, wanting nothing more than to keep it there, but the warmth of her thigh, with its satiny-smooth skin, brought him to his senses.
Their first time shouldn’t be outside, in the open, where anyone could stumble upon them.
Seth broke the kiss and swept her up in his arms, smothering her whimpers of disappointment with his lips as he carried her to bed as promised. He was relieved to see it was real, with a sturdy frame and soft mattress.
When he set her feet beside it, their fingers found buttons and ties, and their clothing was soon strewn across the floor.
Breathing heavily as they stood naked before one another, he wanted to take a moment and drink in her beauty, but the urge to touch was too strong.
She must have felt the same urgency, her hands sliding up his chest to his shoulders as he traced the curves of her waist.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t wait to have you,” he murmured.
“I don’t want you to,” she reassured him, taking his hand and pulling him down on the bed with her.
Seth moved on top of her, his lips trailing down her neck, leaving a path of fiery kisses as he cupped her breast, weighing the soft fullness in his palm. Charlotte arched her back, pressing herself against him, her breath coming in quick gasps.
His lips replaced his hand and sipped hungrily on a nipple. She cried out, her fingers burrowing into his hair, holding him close as she pressed her breast more firmly against his mouth.
He could have feasted there happily all night, but she had other ideas. She tugged his head up, and her heated gaze met his.
“It’s been a long time,” she confessed.
“I’ll go slow,” he reassured her, pulling at her hold, ignoring the sting to his scalp as he moved to the other breast.
Her fingers tightened with a tug. “You don’t understand. It has been a very long time. Years, Seth. I’ll die if you go slow.”
He didn’t want her to die for damn sure, but he needed clarification. He raised his head and stared down at her in surprise. “Years,” he echoed. “How is that possible?”
“Because I ran a whorehouse?” She shrugged one elegant shoulder. “As part owner, I decided what was on the menu. When I came to Laramie, I decided it would no longer include me.”
He drew away, incredulous. “But that was ten years ago.”
“It hasn’t been quite that long. I’m human and sometimes—”
“You must scratch the itch,” he supplied.
“Must we talk about this now?” she asked impatiently. “I’ll explain later, but what’s important right now is for you to do this at any speed except slow.”
“I can do that,” he agreed, shifting above her, his knee separating her thighs as his mouth covered hers and his tongue swept inside. In response, she wrapped her leg around his hip, opening herself to him.