Chasing Rainbows Page 27

  She knew Jake had meant to proceed slowly. That had been her intention as well. But their good intentions were abandoned as a sudden, burning urgency fueled them both. His mouth slanted hungrily over hers. She met his kiss with open, aching yearning, thrusting her tongue against his own, moving her hips to the same hot, ardent rhythm of their kiss. She fumbled with the buttons of his pants as his fingers tugged at the waistband of her skirt. Soon all of their clothing had been discarded, flung randomly across the room.

  Annie discovered that there were definite advantages to making love by the glow of a kerosene lamp. Not only could she smell, hear, and taste Jake, she could now watch his reactions to her caresses. And that was empowering indeed. Following his lead, she touched him the way he had been touching her, lightly running her fingertips over his skin and then following the path with her lips. His muscles quivered and jumped just the ways hers had, and his erection grew firmer and harder with each passing second. She kissed him everywhere, from the coarse sunburned skin of his neck to the tight velvety skin of his ribs to the flat rippled lines of his stomach, then on to the powerful, thick muscles of his thighs.

  Jake let out a low growl, filled with both approval and satisfaction, then he pulled her tightly against him, pressing her hips against his own. “Mmmm. Where did you learn that, Annie?”

  “From you.”

  “Did you, now?” The gentle praise fell against her skin like an audible caress. “That’s good, darlin’. That’s very, very good.”

  He leaned down and nuzzled her neck, then moved lower still, flicking his tongue against the tight pink bud of her nipple until it went hard and stiff against his lips. His narrow hips matched the rhythm of his tongue, moving in a tight circle that ground firmly against her pelvis. Annie writhed beneath him, instinctively arching her back and uttering a soft moan of desire. Her blood raced through her veins like liquid fire. A small cyclone seemed to build within her belly and spread down to her thighs, creating a yearning chasm of need and desire, an aching emptiness that only Jake could fill.

  He moved his hand between her legs, cupping her with his palm. He gently traced the tender pebble hidden beneath the folds of her velvety skin, then slipped one long finger inside her. As he stroked in and out, Annie felt herself leaning into his hand, shamelessly thrashing beneath him, wanting more. The sheets tangled beneath her back, and her breath came out in hot, gasping pants against his ear. She dug her nails into his skin, filled with neither grace nor delicacy, just blazing, blinding need.

  Jake removed his hand and rose on his knees above her. He drove into her with a groan of aching satisfaction, his erection hard and thick. Each swift, sure thrust answered the hollow need that had consumed and inflamed her. As she lifted her hips to match the rhythm of his strokes, a quivering tension built in her belly and spiraled through her veins. Need and desire blended into a sense of overwhelming urgency. She pressed her mouth tightly against the nape of his neck, stifling her cries of pleasure. Her hands moved wildly over his back, cupping his buttocks and stroking his thighs, molding her body against his own.

  Annie arched her back and gasped. The sparks that had been kindled within her belly suddenly exploded. Hot, driving spasms of pleasure shot up her spine and raced down her legs. She buried her mouth against Jake’s shoulder to keep from crying out, tasting the salt and sweat on his skin. His body stiffened above her, then a shudder ran through his frame as with a final, deep thrust he poured himself into her.

  His elbows abruptly buckled, and he collapsed on top of her. As Annie roused herself from her dazed, sated wonder at their union, she became aware of several things at once. The way Jake’s short, ragged breathing matched her own. The mingled, slick perspiration of their skin and the heady, potent scent of their lovemaking. The tangled mass of sheets beneath her back. The way the kerosene lamp cast odd shadows across the ceiling. And finally the weight — the heavy, rock-solid, pure muscle weight — of Jake’s body on top of her own.

  “Jake?”

  “What?”

  “I can’t breathe.”

  “You always so particular, darlin’?” She heard the grin in his voice as he shifted off her.

  She rolled onto her side and curled up contentedly in his arms. They lay together in silence for several minutes, listening to the pounding of their hearts. “Why do I feel so good right now?” she asked.

  “It’s called afterglow, darlin’.”

  “Hmmm.” She thought for a moment but didn’t quite agree. What they had shared seemed much deeper than pure physical pleasure. She felt as though Jake had stripped her bare and touched her very soul. To walk away from each other tomorrow and leave everything they had shared behind seemed the worst sort of gratitude for the gift they had been given. With that in mind, she ventured hesitantly, “Jake?”

  “What?”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  He stroked the bottom of her foot with his big toe, then leaned over and planted a soft kiss on her shoulder. “You can ask me anything, darlin’. I’m your humble servant.”

  “Anything?”

  “Anything.”

  Annie screwed up her courage and, before she could change her mind, blurted out, “You think you’ll ever get tired of drifting and maybe want to settle down in one place? Put the past behind you and start over?”

  Jake tilted his head down to meet her eyes, a slight smile playing about his lips. “That’s the closest thing to a marriage proposal I’ve ever received.”

  “I’m not talking marriage,” she quickly assured him, although in truth the thought hadn’t been far from her mind. “I just thought that maybe you and I could partner up. I’ll need somebody to take care of things and watch the tables at the hotel. Someone I can trust. If things don’t work out, you’d be free to go.”

  “You might already have a game-room manager.”

  “If I do, I’ll fire him,” she swore recklessly. “What do you think?”

  He let out a weary sigh, gave her shoulders a light squeeze, and closed his eyes. Annie stiffened, bracing herself for his rejection. But Jake stunned her by replying instead, “I think, darlin’, that might just be the best offer I’ve ever had.”

  She sat straight up, her heart swelling with joy. “You mean you’ll do it?”

  He opened his eyes, regarding her sternly. “On one condition.”

  She caught her breath. “What’s that?”

  He pulled her tightly to him and flipped her on top of his chest.

  “I get twenty percent of the take.”

  Annie’s eyes widened in horror. “You’ll get five percent and not a penny more.”

  He let out a shout of laughter. “By God, a woman after my own heart. Ten percent, Annie, and that’s final.”

  “All right, ten percent. But you’d better be worth it.”

  Jake smiled his slow, lazy smile. “My dear Miss Foster,” he said, “I’m worth fifty.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  The sound of bustling wagons, horses racing up and down the street, and men shouting excitedly back and forth woke Jake the next morning. His first thought was that something was wrong, but as he listened more intently, he heard the benign sounds of vendors opening their shop doors, dogs barking, and children laughing and playing as they headed off to school. There was a little extra noise and commotion, but that wasn’t unusual. Some towns just started the day louder than others.

  He turned his attention to the woman who lay curled up next to him in bed. Annie’s back was fitted snugly against his chest, and her derriere was pressed tightly against his hips. Her body was warm and silky soft, her breathing low and steady. Despite the lateness of the hour, she was still fast asleep. Jake couldn’t blame her for being tired. They had made love all night, and neither one of them had fallen asleep until just before dawn.

  She murmured something in her sleep and shifted slightly against him. As she moved, her long wheat-gold hair spilled over her pillow and swept across his chest. Her bottom pressed
warm and inviting against his groin. Jake felt himself grow hard, wanting her almost as badly as he had last night. He traced his fingers lightly over her breasts, contemplating waking her up and making love to her again.

  As though sensing his intentions, Annie stirred, mumbled a word or two, then twisted around and moved slightly away. Jake smiled and softly kissed her shoulder, deciding to err on the side of gallantry and let her sleep.

  His gaze moved around the room, which was flooded with brilliant morning sunshine. Annie had clearly been embarrassed last night by the mess, but Jake had liked it. The disarray had provided him a true glimpse of Annie, for the possessions that filled it were uniquely hers. Mixed in with the assorted lace and finery from Miss Angelique’s were her worn boots, ragged flannels, and oversized denims. Her new crinoline petticoats sat on a table beside her guns and holsters. On a separate table, her three most cherished possessions were proudly displayed: her copy of Winston’s Guide, her worn advertising circular for The Palace Hotel, and the old tintype of her and her sister Hannah.

  The variety of items showed two distinct sides of Annie, both of which he loved equally. Loved. The word stopped him flat, even as it casually slipped through his mind. Had he fallen in love with Annie? The realization wasn’t as shocking as he might have expected, for in truth, he had been drawn to her from the first day they had met. He loved her guileless beauty, her self-assured femininity, her unconquerable spirit, her reckless independence, and her sweet sentimentality.

  He loved the way she made love, the way she melted into his arms with such innocent sensuality. He had had lovers with more practiced expertise, but never had he been with a woman who moved him the way Annie did. She stripped him of all his defenses and cynicism, demanding as much from him as she gave of herself. The finer points of lovemaking could be taught, but not something like that. Miss Annabel Lee Foster was a rare find, indeed.

  He thought about the offer she had made him last night, inviting him to run the gaming room in her hotel. He had accepted readily, for the suggestion suited him on many levels. First it was an excellent business opportunity. He could make as much money by taking a percentage of the games as he could earn by traveling from town to town. He would bring in the players and keep the games square: no holdout devices, loaded dice, dealing from the bottom of the deck, or marking cards. Jake had no objection if some fool tinhorn set himself up to be grazed by a professional — as long as the game was honest and he earned a percentage of the action.

  Second he would be firmly in position when the Mundy Gang finally did show up. And Jake had no doubt whatsoever that they were going to show up. The gang was sticking too close to their trail for it to be a mere coincidence. He believed Annie truly thought the boys were dead, but that obviously wasn’t the case. For whatever reason, they weren’t about to let her ride away from them. A day of reckoning was on the way, and by the looks of things, it was going to happen sooner rather than later. And when the boys finally did appear, Jake definitely wanted to be there — preferably with Sheriff Walter Pogue and a band of deputies by his side.

  And last, most important, staying on at The Palace gave him a good excuse for staying close to Annie. The thought of spending the rest of his life with her was an amazingly enticing one. If The Palace Hotel was anywhere near as grand as Annie claimed it to be, the resort would likely grow and flourish along with the towns of Cooperton and Abundance. Hell, he and Annie might even add to the population with children of their own one day. His hand moved to Annie’s belly. It was flat now, but the thought of filling it with life and watching it swell was undeniably appealing. Annie would make a fine mother, strong and kind. And the thought of holding a squirming, squalling infant of his own seemed surprisingly proper and natural.

  Catching the rapidly escalating train of his thoughts, Jake shook his head. It was far too much heavy thinking for a man to do without at least a cup of coffee in his hands.

  He placed a light kiss on Annie’s shoulder, then eased himself out of bed. He quietly gathered his belongings, dressed, and stepped out into the hall.

  “Good morning, Mr. Moran.”

  Jake turned to see Peyton VanEste, closing and locking the door to the adjoining room. His expression was flat and pleasant enough, but there was a slight leering glint in his eye. VanEste had probably heard every sound they made last night. While Annie had not been loud, neither had she been a silent partner to their lovemaking. The fact that she had purred and moaned with pleasure at his touch had made it all the more exciting for Jake.

  On second thought, VanEste looked entirely too pleased with himself, Jake noted. He had instinctively disliked the man before, but now he knew why. Something about him reminded Jake of the hospital rats he had encountered during the war, that cowardly breed of men who were the bane of the Confederacy. They constantly claimed illness or injury and spent as much time as they could moping around in a hospital bed, eating the best of the Army’s food, and generally doing whatever they could to avoid putting themselves in the line of fire.

  Jake gave the man a cool nod. “Mr. VanEste.”

  “Quite a commotion outside this morning.”

  “That so?”

  “Although I’m sure that neither you or Miss Foster knows anything about it.” There it was again, that overblown wink that made Jake want to shoot out VanEste’s eye.

  “What are you talking about?” Jake asked, his tone as thin as his patience.

  VanEste smiled pleasantly. “Why, nothing, nothing at all.” He put on his hat and fastidiously adjusted the brim, then nodded in farewell. “Good day, Mr. Moran.”

  Jake watched him walk downstairs and exit the hotel. Their brief conversation bothered him more than it should have. There was a smug satisfaction in the reporter’s attitude, as though he knew something but wasn’t letting on.

  Jake left the hotel and stepped outside, struck by the level of commotion and excitement that filled the street. A current of energy seemed to sweep through the townspeople, and the air was filled with the buzz of news. Groups gathered and stood in the street, chattering excitedly among themselves. VanEste moved among them, a pencil and pad of paper in his hands, taking notes. Judging by their raised voices and vivid gestures, their conversations were filled with a combination of outrage, indignation, and pure thrill.

  Jake glanced toward the jailhouse. The sheriff and a group of six deputies were making a final check of their arms in preparation for saddling up. He strode across the street and joined the group that had gathered around the sheriff and his men, watching as they assembled their posse.

  “The sooner we get after those boys, the sooner we’ll bring ’em back,” the sheriff growled, clearly growing impatient with the deputies, who were lagging behind, wasting time kissing their wives and children good-bye. “Now, saddle up, men, and let’s get a move on.”

  Jake turned to the man beside him. “What happened?” he asked, although he had a sinking suspicion that he already knew.

  “The Mundy boys,” the old-timer replied. “They plum cleaned out the bank. Rode off with nearly five thousand cash.”

  “When?”

  “Early this morning, about daybreak.”

  “They bust in?”

  “Hell, no, nothing that clean. Them boys are getting mighty dirty. Word is, they found out who the teller was, followed him home, then broke into his house just before dawn. Nice young fella too, with a wife and three little ones at home. Couple of them boys in the gang stayed with the man’s wife while the others dragged the teller back to the bank. They told him that if he didn’t open the bank and unlock the safe, they’d kill his wife and kids. The teller let them into the bank, of course. What choice did he have?”

  “How did he know it was the Mundy Gang?”

  “Pete Mundy flat out told him who he was. He held his gun to the teller’s face and said, ‘You unlock that safe now, mister, or your wife’s gonna feel a breeze through her skull. Pete Mundy don’t miss when he fires his gun.’ Said
it just like that.” The old-timer shook his head and made a clucking noise with his tongue. “Them boys are getting mighty cocksure of themselves. Mighty reckless. It’s one thing to bust in and rob a bank clean, but it’s another to hold a gun to a fella’s wife and kids. Now, that’s downright uncivilized. I wouldn’t mind a bit if the sheriff brings them in. Let them get their necks stretched and we’ll see how they like it. Maybe that’ll teach ’em not to go around robbing banks and threatening folks.”

  Jake thanked the man and moved away, heading toward the stable to ready their horses. So the Mundy Gang was still on their trail. On their trail? Hell, they were almost riding neck and neck. He considered telling Annie that the gang had hit the town but abruptly decided not to. She was convinced that the boys were dead. Hearing otherwise would only shake her up. No sense worrying her now, when they were just miles away from Cooperton. There would be plenty of time to sort things out once they arrived.

  A skinny, long-limbed boy of about twelve with copper-colored hair and a face full of freckles greeted him at the stable entrance. At Jake’s request, the boy brought out Weed and Dulcie. Jake tossed his saddle over Weed’s back while the boy adjusted his cinch and bridle. Once Weed was ready to ride, Jake turned to Dulcie.

  He found the mare pushing her nose into Annie’s saddlebags. Jake flipped open the pocket that Dulcie had been poking and discovered that it was filled with a stash of maple candy. He fed a piece to the greedy mare, then turned and passed a piece to the stable boy as well. While the horse and stable boy munched contentedly, Jake heaved the saddle up on his shoulder, then settled it on Dulcie’s back. As he did, a slim white piece of paper drifted from the pocket that contained the candy and fluttered to the floor.

  The boy picked the paper up and passed it back to Jake. Jake glanced at it and froze. He read it through a second time, just to make sure he hadn’t read it incorrectly. Unfortunately the words, although written in a rough, almost illegible scrawl, were quite clear.