Chapter 28
Emotional Dynamite
Outside, the darkness of night transitioned into the gray morning sky. Although exhausted, Charlotte remained on edge from the events of the previous evening. Funny how being choked nearly to death had that effect.
Too anxious to sit still, she paced the sitting room of the town-provided sheriff’s residence.
It was a single-level house north of Main Street with running water and an indoor privy, both unexpected luxuries.
It had tasteful, simple furnishings and rugs scattered on the floor, but the bare walls and lack of personal items offered few clues about the man who lived there.
A few books on a side table beside an oversized chair, perfect for reading, hinted at his interests.
She examined each book’s title: a detective novel, Measure for Measure (a lesser-known Shakespearean play about the law and lawyers), and a slim, cloth-bound volume of Laramie’s town ordinances.
The eclectic collection proved what she already suspected: he was a complex man, with hidden depths she had yet to discover. Because what kind of outlaw turned bounty hunter possessed both the patience and intellect to immerse himself in the works of Shakespeare and a legal text?
The outside steps creaked, and Charlotte whirled to face the door. “You should be in bed,” Seth said as he came through the door, looking as tired as she felt.
“I couldn’t sleep. Is Silas behind bars?”
“Yep. He’s locked up tight, and I put my second-most-experienced man on guard, which sadly isn’t saying much.”
“Oh, maybe you should have assigned your first to him.”
“He’s keeping an eye on Sneed. I don’t want him skipping town before meeting with Judge Simpson tomorrow.”
“Why not just arrest him?”
“I want him to believe he has won, and for everyone to witness his reaction when you enter the courtroom—alive and well—especially the judge.”
Their eyes locked, and a current of energy crackled between them. A fierce longing to run to him battled with her better judgment, and she hesitated.
True to form, Seth offered the reassurance she craved. “Why are you standing so far away? Come here, darlin’.”
She hurried to him. Immediately, enfolded in his arms, she felt a glorious sense of safety and security. It was the only place in the world she wanted to be.
With a sigh, she leaned into him, the feel of his broad shoulders beneath her palms grounding her as she curled her fingers and held on. “I’ve had a lot of awful days in my life. Surprisingly, this wasn’t the worst, but it certainly ranks near the top.”
With a gentle tug on her hair, her head fell back.
He cradled her face in his hands, his thumbs caressing her cheeks before he kissed her softly.
“It breaks my heart to think of everything you’ve been through.
I’m sorry your life has been so difficult, Charlotte.
But that’s all in the past. You’ve got me now, and I’m here to stay. ”
Three men had made a similar promise: Carson, Fenton, and a long time ago, as a girl frightened by a nightmare, her papa.
She gazed up into his handsome face, wishing she could believe what he said was true, but life offered no guarantees.
She’d learned that the hard way. Besides, nothing for them had changed.
They were the same people—a lawman and a fallen woman—living in the same small town where judgment and criticism were as common as the sunrise.
No matter how much he insisted it didn’t matter, it did.
But she didn’t want to dwell on any of that right now.
She was with her hero—many times over—a man she’d lost her heart to when he’d rescued her from a mud puddle and tenderly wiped her face.
Who risked his reputation to be with her and insisted on protecting her despite her gentle rebukes.
A man who wanted her regardless of what she’d done in the past. She was in his arms, in a house that wasn’t at risk of collapsing every time the wind blew, and there was a big, soft-looking bed down the hall.
As always, their kisses ignited a fire inside them.
Fingers fumbled frantically with buttons and ties, ripping fabric of no concern in their eagerness.
Lips locked, they moved as one down the hall to his bedroom, tumbling onto the bed half dressed.
When Seth pulled open her blouse, a button popped, and it pinged off the wall and his murmured, “Sorry” lacked conviction.
Charlotte couldn’t care less. She didn’t want apologies.
She wanted him inside her and tore at the button-fly of his denim pants.
When it was open enough to reach inside, her fingers wrapped around his length at the same time he sucked greedily on her nipple.
Their simultaneous groans mingled in the air.
He sucked harder, and she stroked rhythmically until he broke away.
“I need to be inside you,” he said huskily, his eyes ablaze as he gazed down at her.
“I want that so much,” she replied.
They couldn’t look away as he sank into her welcoming heat and wetness. Charlotte bent her knees, cradling his hips between her spread thighs, savoring his fullness. Responding to an ache that surely must rival her own, he moved in deep, steady strokes.
As their bodies moved in perfect harmony, his lips traced the bend of her neck and throat, and her hands roamed his broad shoulders and trailed down his spine.
She arched against him, fingers digging into his muscular backside as he thrust faster, craving more of his intoxicating presence inside her.
His words of praise brushed her skin, driving her to new heights of pleasure.
Then his mouth claimed hers once more, their kisses more urgent, as their passion reached a fever pitch.
Charlotte cried out, arms and legs enveloping him as she soared to a stunning climax.
Seth tensed then shuddered, as he found release, and she felt the warm rush of his essence inside her.
As it had each time they’d been together, a familiar knot of anxiety tightened in her chest because she lacked the necessary protective supplies.
It did little good to close the barn door after the horses had escaped, however.
Other than making plans to get what she needed in town as soon as possible, she put those worries aside.
When he withdrew and stretched out beside her, he kept them connected in a tangle of limbs and linens.
“Sleep,” he whispered, his lips brushing her temple.
She tried. Wonderfully sated with him by her side, should have been enough for her to drift off.
But with more challenges to face come morning, Charlotte couldn’t silence her mind.
So, she lay drinking in their closeness while watching the shadows cast by the bedside lamp slowly move across the wall.
“The judge is going to rule in your favor.”
Charlotte startled at the sudden rumble of his voice in the silence. She pushed up on an elbow and looked down at him. “I thought you were asleep.”
“I have too much on my mind.”
“Me, too,” she sighed, settling once more. “I never asked. Did you catch the bank robbers and recover the money—some of which is mine?”
“I did. I always get my man—or woman,” he said, his arms flexing to give her a little squeeze.
“When the judge awards you the Red Eye and all of Sneed’s funds, I don’t want you going back.”
Silence encompassed the room for several heartbeats before she admitted, “I’m not sure I want to. I’m considering selling and living a quiet life anywhere but in that cabin.”
His lips brushed the top of her head. “Think hard about living that life with me.”
As her mind raced with the possibilities, both good and bad, the bad mostly for him, she heard his breathing slow and deepen.
Wasn’t that like a man to light a stick of emotional dynamite and then fall asleep?
***
“Charlotte?”
Quietly spoken, her name dragged her from a very pleasant dream. Not yet ready to wake—hadn’t they just fallen asleep?—she rolled over, trying to find a way back to it.
“Darlin’, I need to tell you something before I leave.”
The last word penetrated her somnolent brain, and her eyes popped open. Seth sat on the edge of the bed fully dressed. She rubbed her forehead, a slight headache forming.
“I feel like I just closed my eyes. What time is it?”
“Early. You can sleep a while longer. Court isn’t until 9 a.m., but I wanted to let you know Mr. Bennett will bring you.”
She sat up, holding the sheet to her bare chest when it slipped. “Where will you be?”
“I have a few things to follow up on before court.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t have time to explain. But, if they pan out, they’ll strengthen your case.”
He tipped up her chin, and his lips brushed hers gently. The kiss, soft and sweet, rekindled her desire despite her lack of sleep. Wanting more, she tangled her fingers in his hair to keep him close.
“Don’t tempt me,” he murmured huskily. “I have to go.”
“Oh, all right,” she sighed, snuggling down under the covers of his comfortable bed. Suddenly, she remembered something and sat up. “I have nothing to wear to court.”
His gaze shifted to her purple dress draped over the footboard. He must have laid it there because she remembered it being tossed on the floor.
“I can’t wear a Miss Charlotte gown to court!” she protested.
“Why not? Aren’t you the Miss Charlotte claiming ownership of the Red Eye Saloon?”
“Yes, but… This is serious business.” She flung out her hand to the low-cut satin gown. “Besides, it’s missing a button.”
“Lucky for you, there’s a needle and thread in the kitchen drawer.”
She crossed her arms and huffed a little laugh. “He thinks I can sew.”
“You grew up on a farm in Virginia. Can’t you?”
She wrinkled her nose, forgetting how clever he was. “Yes, I can.”
He flashed a grin at her admission. “You could wear your cloak, but it’s going to be hot; the cicadas are already buzzing.”
“Lovely. I’ll be a sweaty madam in a faded cloak.”
“There’s no time to get your other things. I’m sorry. But you’ll look beautiful in anything. Now, I really must go.”
She wasn’t fishing for a compliment but now cast her line for reassurance. “You’ll be there when I arrive, won’t you?”
“Absolutely. I’ll be right behind you the entire time. And win or lose, afterward, you’re stuck with me.” He gave her this promise with a wink, then he was gone.
She leaned back against the pillows, not to sleep. It was far too late for that. Instead, she did what she often did—stared at the ceiling. Worry gnawed at her, and the desperate hope for something, just once, to go her way.
“I’d love to be stuck like glue to you forever, Seth Walker,” Charlotte sighed.
Luck had always eluded her, but perhaps her time had come.