Chapter Eleven
Gray took his time in town before returning to the room around an hour later. He wanted to give Jessie enough space to take a full bath before he went back. He went to the saloon and to the local dressmaker. The woman practically fainted when he entered the shop searching for a dress for Jessie. It was embarrassing to go inside a place like that. He found himself chuckling, thinking about how much joy Luke would’ve gotten from seeing him in a place like that. A twinge of guilt passed over him at the relief he felt not having to constantly watch over Luke. But leaving him behind had been for the best.
Gray knew Jessie wouldn’t buy a dress herself, so he was the one who had to buy her the stuff.
When he returned, he wasn’t surprised to find the bed barricading the door. He easily shoved it open. The bed hardly made a sound as it scraped across the wooden floor.
With a grunt of satisfaction, he entered the room and glanced around. Empty. He walked over to the privacy screen and put the orchid-colored dress he’d bought over the top of the screen for her to grab. When he had first seen the dress, he’d known he wanted to get it for Jessie. It was more elegant than the dresses the other women in town wore, both in color and style. A grin slowly covered his face as he imagined her in it—and a rush of desire overtook him.
She must have heard him moving the bed across the floor to get inside, because her head popped around the corner of the privacy screen. Her hair was still a little damp, cascading around her. The air in the room was thick with tension, and her eyes shot daggers at him.
“You know I said I’m not wearing that.” Her eyes darted between him and the dress hanging over the top of the screen.
He looked at the ceiling and sent up a prayer for patience. He’d anticipated a fight, but he had hoped she might give in since he had made it clear where he stood.
“Doesn’t look like you have much of a choice now, does it, since I have your other clothes?”
“You fucking bastard. I’m not—”
“Either you put the dress on, or I put it on for you,” he reminded her. Though he’d rather be taking clothing off her than putting it on her. But it still might be fun. “Or if you prefer, you can wear nothing at all. But that might draw more unwanted attention than you probably want.”
“You wouldn’t…” she protested.
A mischievous grin covered Gray’s face. He cocked an eyebrow as he took a step toward her. He put his hand on the screen, as if he was going to pull it aside, and he heard a screech from behind it.
“Fine!” she yelled. She let out a string of curses, but her hand roughly snatched the dress. The sounds of rustling fabric soon followed, and soft pulling sounds of laces being drawn together from what Gray guessed was the corset tightening. He smiled to himself, savoring the victory, as he sat on the bed, waiting for her to come out.
It was about time they started asking around town for Casey and Butch. They’d spent too much time eating lunch, taking a bath, and buying dresses, and not enough time doing what they actually came for. He needed to get after it, if his brother stood a chance of going free. At this rate, if Casey had come through town like they thought, they’d still be in the bedroom, and not for the reasons Gray would want.
Jessie stepped out from behind the screen, and Gray’s mouth nearly dropped open in shock before he stopped himself. He knew she was a woman. But he had no idea how much of a woman she was.
Her rosewood-brown hair was almost dry, since he’d taken a while to get back to the room. It flowed just past her shoulders. Spiraling ringlets framed her beautiful face that showed defiance and strength. Her lips were soft and inviting, and he wondered what it would be like to kiss her.
The dress hugged her frame, showing off her breasts that she kept hidden behind the vest. How had she been able to keep her figure hidden so well? He felt himself getting hard just at the sight of her. She was way too damn beautiful to be pretending to be a boy, and he felt like a fool for not realizing earlier she was a woman.
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him, making his eyes snap back up to hers.
Damn, she was even more sexy when she glared at him.
“Much better,” he said. “Although, if the object was for you to go unnoticed, I’m not sure it’s going to accomplish that.”
“No, it won’t.” Her voice was short and clipped. “Not only do you want me to put myself in danger by dressing like a woman, but you pick a dress that will draw so much attention that I’ll be recognized in half a second.”
The anger in her voice made him smile. She was a spitfire. “That, and every damn man in town is going to be staring at you and wanting you for himself.”
She blushed bright red again. He liked how she wore all her feelings on her face. She thought she was good at hiding how she felt, and he figured she was, in certain circumstances. Yet when it came to things like embarrassment, she was completely without practice in hiding it, and that was refreshing. When she was angry, her brows furrowed in a way that made her face look cute. When surprised, her eyebrows shot up of their own volition. She was horrible at hiding her feelings.
The women he normally was with were all very aware of how they affected men. Jessie didn’t seem to have any clue how attractive she was, and he felt a surge of desire at how different she was compared to the women he typically dealt with.
“This is ridiculous,” she said. “If you don’t want us to draw attention, this isn’t the way to do it.”
She was probably right, but he’d gone too far to back down now. They were going through with it. If people in town were looking at her, they wouldn’t be looking at him, and his chances of getting caught could go down because of that.
“You’ll survive, Red,” he said.
“I should put my other clothing back on.” She was trying to reason with him, but there was no turning back now.
“No. When Casey is in town, then I will think about it.”
“So then, what would the plan be?” she asked.
He shrugged noncommittally. “Well, for now you stay in that dress. Then when we find Casey or Butch, you can change back, depending on what we want to do. Honestly, if you were to talk to them like that, they’d tell us everything we want to know.” She was so beautiful that he had a feeling men would bare their souls to her. Maybe that was something they could use to their advantage.
Almost as soon as the thought formed, he brushed it aside and anger mounted. He didn’t like the idea of other men trying to be with her. His jealously surprised him, and he frowned. He’d never been affected by a woman’s beauty to the extent that he was by Jessie’s. He didn’t want to use her beauty to get to Casey or Butch.
She crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, holding firm that she wasn’t going to go out in the dress.
They stared at each other in a standoff, neither one of them wanting to back down. Finally, after a silence that seemed to stretch on forever, she threw her hands out and asked, “What now, then?”
He grinned, pleased that he had won again. He was always going to win, of course. And it would be easier if she learned early that he always got his way.
“You’re the one who insisted on coming,” he reminded her. He wanted to know what she’d done to be so well regarded by everyone here in Virginia City, despite the fact that Kid Aaron mostly stayed in Bozeman. “Show me what you got,” he goaded her.
He opened the door and gestured for her to go through first. His mother had raised him to have manners, but he also didn’t want to let her out of his sight. She brushed past him with her head held high in pride, the scent of roses wafting in the air as she walked past.
She walked like she’d been wearing elegant dresses her whole life. Where had she learned to hold herself with such poise? It seemed as if she had come from a family of means, having taken to it so quickly. He suddenly felt all too different from her. He had never had such a life of luxury and ease. She wasn’t living that life right now, while she was on the run, but if she was used to that lifestyle, he wondered if she might want to return to it one day. And that wasn’t a life Gray had ever had. Or wanted.
Dismissing the thought, he kept up with her pace as they made their way out of the inn.
“What now, then?” he asked, repeating her earlier question.
She glanced over at him, an irresistibly devastating grin covering her face as they walked. When his eyes met hers, his heart turned over.
“You’ll see,” she said mysteriously. She was sure of herself, and anticipation grew in him as he smiled back, wondering what she was going to do.
The sun had started to set at this point, a soft glow lingering over the streets as they walked. Gray wasn’t sure where they were going, but Jessie was walking confidently toward a line of buildings across from the inn.
His attention quickly fixed on men whose heads turned when Jessie walked through town. It seemed like every man was looking at her and trying to talk to her.
They arrived in front of the general store a few buildings over from the inn, and his curiosity increased. The saloon was the best place to ask about Casey. What was she doing?
A man was sitting in a rocking chair next to the entrance of the general store, and he jumped up at the sight of Jessie, scrambling to open the door before she got there.
The man was older, with a white beard and a weathered face from working in the sun all day. He took off his hat as he opened the door, gesturing for Jessie to walk through. “Ma’am,” he said politely.
She hesitated for a second, the moment so short that he was certain the older gentleman hadn’t caught it.
With a soft smile, she cast her eyes downward and fluttered her eyelashes.
“Thank you, sir,” she said, walking into the store.
Before Gray could follow, she was inside, and the man walked in after her, slamming the door in Gray’s face and leaving him outside.
He blinked dumbly at the door in his face. Did that really just happen? The men in town were so struck by her beauty that they didn’t even see him. Why didn’t she question the man about Casey? He was obviously so infatuated by her that he would’ve told her anything she wanted to know. It probably didn’t help that men in the West weren’t used to seeing women much at all—especially a beautiful one. The women who did come west were usually married off quickly.
Ripping the door open, he followed the pair inside.
The building was lined with wooden shelves that held dry goods like sugar and flour. A shopkeeper stood at the front of the store, an older woman in a plain dress with an apron tied around her waist. Her hair was pinned and kept under a bonnet, and she was wiping down a counter that held a display of jewelry. The woman’s gaze followed Jessie, openly admiring her as she walked.
Gray stayed a respectable distance away, but kept his eyes on Jessie as he made his way over to a shelf that had canned items on it. He started gathering a few cans of meat to take with them on the trail. Since they were there, he might as well stock up.
Jessie’s smile beamed as she approached the older women behind the counter, like they were old friends. He stiffened, wondering if this woman was someone who might get Jessie away from him.
“Good evening, ma’am,” Jessie said as she walked forward, keeping her voice pleasant.
The woman smiled back readily. “What can I help you with, ma’am?” she asked, pausing her wiping.
“I’m wondering if you can help me find a few things for when I prepare to leave?” Jessie asked, and pointed in the direction of the many shelves that lined the walls.
A soft smile covered the older woman’s face. “Of course. What do you need?”
They made idle chitchat as they walked down the aisles, picking up an assortment of items as they walked. Gray’s attention started to turn away from them as he grew impatient. What were they doing wasting time in a store when they should be in the saloon looking for Casey?
The woman introduced herself as Beth, and she and Jessie continued to talk about their dresses and clothing options in town. After a few moments, Gray’s impatience nearly got the better of him. Jessie went to the counter to pay for a few items, and Gray added his to her pile, annoyance radiating off him. He kept silent, though. The older woman eyed him, but didn’t pay him much attention.
Jessie cleared her throat after paying and leaned in over the counter before speaking quietly. “Honestly, Beth,” Jessie said, her eyes searching the older woman’s, “I’m in town because I’m trying to find my brother-in-law.”
Grays attention snapped back to the conversation in earnest now. Finally, she was going to ask someone about Casey.
“He ran out on my sister the day after their wedding, and I’ve hired this man to help me find him.” She gestured toward Gray dismissively, and he gave the older woman a curt nod as her gaze landed to him.
“Oh my,” the older woman gasped. “How terrible. Your poor sister must be absolutely distraught.” Her gaze traveled over Gray in disapproval, like he was the one who had run out on Jessie’s fictitious sister.
“Very distraught,” Jessie said, her hand covering Beth’s on the countertop. Beth covered Jessie’s hand with her other in silent support.
He was impressed by how quickly Jessie had gained the trust of this woman. She’d put Beth at ease with pleasantries and gained her trust before asking about Casey. She’d made the older woman like her before moving forward with questions he desperately wanted answers to.
“I was wondering if you’ve seen him,” Jessie continued. “His name is Casey Woodson, and I heard he’s in the area.”
Recognition instantly appeared on Beth’s face and Jessie quieted, waiting for the older woman to confirm it. Hope rose in Gray’s chest, and he held his breath in anticipation. Son of a bitch—did this woman know Casey?
“Your sister shouldn’t be tied up with the likes of him.” The older woman removed her hand from the top of Jessie’s, and she looked around the store as if to check if others overheard. The other man who had followed Jessie in had left already, gone back to sitting outside on the front porch. They were alone.
Lowering her voice to match Jessie’s, Beth said, “He’s been in town the past few days, staying at the Wagon Wheel Inn.” Gray’s heart beat fast, and his hand drifted toward his gun reflexively. But as quickly as his hopes had risen, her next words dashed his idea of finding Casey. “But he left yesterday.”
Jessie sighed. “Thank you,” she said. “I had hoped we’d catch him, but it looks like we are too late.”
She looked genuinely disappointed. Gray wanted to reach out and comfort her, but the woman’s next words stopped him.
“He left all his stuff at the Wagon Wheel, I hear. So I think he’ll be back in a couple days.”
When they returned to the room, Gray was dead tired. His limbs felt heavy from exhaustion, and he looked forward to sleep and a bath.
Jessie didn’t seem to feel the same, though. As soon as they entered the room, her body went stiff and she crossed her arms, prepared for a fight again. He didn’t want to get into it with her, so he removed his boots and hat, and crawled into bed fully clothed. He almost let out a moan of pleasure at being in the bed, it felt so good.
As fun as it would be to have another row with her, he wanted sleep more.
“If I was going to try something, I’d have done it on the trail, before we got this far,” he said, trying to make her less uncomfortable.
She uncrossed her arms and glared at him from across the room, fists balled at her sides. “You should have the decency to sleep on the floor.”
He chuckled. He was not going to pass up the opportunity to be in a bed just to save her pride.
“We’ve been on the trail with one another for days. No use in being shy. I’m not going to try anything. Sleep on the floor if you want, but I’m going to enjoy the bed. First one I’ve seen in weeks.”
She looked at the bed for a long time before making a decision. He could see the thoughts crossing over her face like she was doing the math—judging the size and the likelihood of them touching.
Reluctantly, she got into the bed and started making a pillow wall between them.
She finally got settled, and her scent brushed past him. She smelled of roses from the bath, and it was intoxicating. He liked that smell compared to the filth and dirt that he was used to experiencing with Luke when they were on the run. And to how he must smell right now.
After a few minutes of silence, he asked the question he was dreading hearing the answer to.
“How do I know you’re not going to sneak away in the night?”
He looked over at her in the darkness and saw a flash of guilt pass over her face. The light from the moon coming in through the window allowed him to see her expression. She didn’t look directly at him, choosing instead to look up at the ceiling. How on earth had this woman remained a successful bounty hunter for so long?
“I, uh—I won’t…” The hesitation in her voice almost made him laugh. She didn’t exactly sound convincing. “I told you I was going to help with Casey, so I will.”
He looked at her, not believing a word of it. He sighed and got out of bed. She sprang out of bed as well, on the opposite side, keeping the bed between them.
Sighing, he walked over to his saddlebag and pulled out a length of rope. As he turned to look at her, her eyes flashed in stormy defiance as she watched him hold the rope.
“No!” She pointed her finger at him as if getting onto a small child for doing something she disproved of.
It would have been comical if he wasn’t so tired.
“You know how this goes. Either you allow me to put this on you, or I will bind you the hard way. All I want to do is sleep, but I have to know you aren’t going to disappear on me in the middle of the night.”
Her chin thrust out in defiance, and she continued pointing at him. “I’m through playing your games. Let me go. You don’t need me to talk to Casey. You can do that on your own.”
“That’s true, but you’ve been useful. If he isn’t here, I might need you to help me find him. I also don’t want you running off to go after Luke while I’m here in town.”
“No. I won’t go after Luke; I already told you I believe he’s innocent.”
She started to walk toward the door, but he stepped in front of it and put his hands up to block her.
“So this is going to be the fun way, after all?” he asked, taking a step forward.
Without another word, she lunged across the room and took him by surprise as she swung a fist at his face.
His reflexes were quick from years of fighting, which helped him narrowly evade her punch. He hooked his foot behind her leg, and she tripped face-down onto the bed.
He jumped on top of her before she could flip over and fight, straddling her back with both of his legs. She thrashed out with surprising strength, but he was able to grab her arms before she could buck him off. Putting all his weight on her, he tied her hands behind her back and flipped her over to face him. He tied the other end of the rope to his belt buckle so she wouldn’t be able to get away without waking him.
“Just let me go!” she yelled. “I’ll scream, and someone will break into the room to help!”
“If you scream, I’ll be forced to keep you quiet.”
She opened her mouth anyway, seemingly willing to take the risk of his empty threat.
With no time to think, he put his mouth on hers. The feeling of her soft lips against his sent a jolt of longing through him, and he was suddenly aware of her soft body under his. It had been way too long since he’d been with a woman.
The kiss was unlike any other he’d ever experienced. Her lips froze at first, before they slowly began to kiss him back and a small sigh escaped her lips. Her kiss was timid, betraying her innocence as his mouth moved over hers.
He felt himself getting hard and forced himself to pull away from her. He felt guilty at forcing a kiss on her, especially since she was clearly inexperienced. But it was all he could think of doing to prevent her from screaming.
As he broke contact with her lips, he pointed his finger back at her like she’d done to him earlier. Her lips were swollen and wet from his kiss, and he groaned.
“Every time you scream, I’ll just have to kiss you.”
“You wouldn’t.”
It was an accusation. One that he felt the need to prove incorrect. She was becoming too bold, thinking his threats were empty. Kissing her would be a fun one to fulfill, at least—and if it didn’t go past that, it would be fine.
He leaned down as if to kiss her again, and her eyes got wide and she reared back, trying to sink further into the bed.
“Fine! I won’t scream!” The fear in her voice stung his pride, but he’d let it slide for now. She didn’t really know him that well, so to be tied up and kissed in a bed probably was terrifying.
He was only inches away from her lips again and thought about kissing her anyway. Her breathing was fast, her chest rising and falling. Her breasts pushed up against the fabric of her dress in the most seductive way.
He wanted her.
“Good,” he whispered. Even though he wanted her, he wouldn’t force anything on her that she didn’t want herself, and getting intimate with her would be a mistake. She was the very person he couldn’t trust—someone who had strong motivation to turn him and Luke in.
He felt a shiver run through her body. The fear left her eyes and was replaced with a mixture of confusion and desire.
His lips formed a solid line in frustration, and he got off of her and lay back down on the bed, closing his eyes.
“Good. Now go to sleep.”
After what felt like hours of tossing and turning, he was finally able to doze off.