by Connie Mason
“So I am right!” Teresa exulted, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Forget Kitty, she’s a slut. No decent woman would chop off her hair. I’m going to tell Papa Bert that Kitty is an imposter, that she hoodwinked you into believing she was his daughter.”
“You’ll do no such thing!” Ryan shouted, losing what temper he had left. “There’s been no mistake. Kitty is Bert’s daughter.”
Teresa scooted over until she was seated so close to Ryan that he could feel the heat of her body pressing against him. He tried to move, but she wound her arms around his waist and held him fast.
“I’m better than Kitty,” she whispered into his ear. “We never completed what we started when you were here before. I want you, Ryan, surely you know that. If you were honest you’d admit that you want me.” She preened for his benefit. “I’m prettier than Kitty, and better in bed. Give me a chance, Ryan. I’ll come to your room tonight and show you how happy I can make you.”
Ryan had suspected that Teresa was no innocent, and her words just now proved it. He wondered if Bert knew his stepdaughter was sexually active. He was sorry now that he’d begun that mild flirtation with Teresa. He’d had no idea Teresa would pursue him with such tenacity, or demand an intimate relationship when he returned.
He was still pondering the precarious situation he had gotten himself into with Teresa when she surprised him by pulling his head down and lifting her lips to his. There was no way to avoid Teresa’s kiss. Her full red lips were attached to his like glue as she pressed herself against him. Their mouths were still locked together when he happened to glance over Teresa’s shoulder and saw Kitty standing on the threshold. Her eyes were wide and filled with pain as she stared at them with a look Ryan could only describe as horror.
* * *
Kitty hadn’t expected to be greeted by an intimate display between Ryan and Teresa when she left Bert’s room. She gasped and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the two entwined on the sofa, their lips locked in a passionate kiss. She’d wanted to turn away, to run, but something perverse inside her had made her stay after hearing Teresa tell Ryan to expect her in his room tonight. She’d been somewhat heartened when Ryan hadn’t verbally encouraged her, but then they had kissed, and she knew Ryan wasn’t averse to having Teresa in his bed.
Kitty knew Ryan had seen her, and she turned abruptly toward the stairs, wanting the privacy of her room to nurse her heartache. She didn’t see Ryan disentangle himself from Teresa and sprint after her. He caught her at the foot of the stairs.
“It’s not what it seems, Kitty.”
Kitty put her hands on her hips and said combatively, “I’m not blind. I knew immediately that you and Teresa had been … were still… intimate. I have no right to interfere in whatever you two have together. I’ve never had delusions about our relationship. You made me no promises and I asked for none. I’m just wondering if Teresa knows you’ll never marry her.”
“What’s this about marriage?” Teresa asked as she sidled up beside Ryan and pressed herself against him.
“I said you’re whistling in the dark if you think Ryan will marry you,” Kitty repeated.
“Surely you’re not stupid enough to think he’ll marry you,” Teresa hissed.
“Enough!” Ryan blasted. “You both know how I feel about marriage, and that’s all I’m going to say on the subject.”
Kitty gave Teresa an I-told-you-so smile. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to my room to rest.”
“Supper is at seven,” Teresa called after her. “You do know how to eat with a knife and fork, don’t you?”
Kitty didn’t bother answering as she gave them her back and marched up the stairs.
Teresa put her arm through Ryan’s and all but pulled him away from the staircase. “Why do you concern yourself with Kitty? A woman who consorts with outlaws has to be a wh—”
“Don’t say it, Teresa,” Ryan warned. “Kitty is Bert’s daughter, that’s all you need to know about her.” He removed her arm and roughly flung it away. “I’m going out to the bunkhouse to visit the hands. I’ll see you at supper.”
“You’re going to see a lot more of me,” Teresa muttered as she stared after him.
Kitty wore one of her two good dresses down to supper that night. It was light blue linen and quite fetching, with puffed sleeves and a square neckline that showed just a hint of pale breasts and the shadowy cleft in between. She wasn’t looking forward to sharing a meal with Teresa and Ryan, but she didn’t want to impose upon the cook by asking to have her meal sent up to her. Since she planned to leave fairly soon, she figured she could put up with Teresa’s insults for the time being. As for Ryan, it was going to be a long time before she learned to live without him. Love wasn’t so easily disposed of.
Teresa had arrived in the dining room before Kitty and was seated at the head of the table. Kitty couldn’t help being impressed with Teresa’s vibrant beauty. Her lustrous hair floated around her shoulders like a dark cloud, and the violet dress she wore enhanced the satiny texture of her pale skin. Her dark eyes kept shifting to the doorway, and Kitty knew she was waiting for Ryan to appear. Ignoring Teresa, Kitty slid into one of the two places where silver and china had been laid out.
“I’m sorry you had to witness that intimate scene between me and Ryan this afternoon,” Teresa said, sounding not at all sorry. “Ryan and I became… close during his previous stay at the ranch.” She batted her long eyelashes. “I’m expecting a proposal. I know Ryan is against marriage, but I have so much to offer him he can’t possibly refuse.”
“Like what?” Kitty asked dryly, amazed at Teresa’s audacity.
“Until you arrived I was Papa Bert’s only heir. This ranch and all his worldly goods would have been mine after he passes on.”
Kitty grit her teeth. “Aren’t you merely Bert’s stepdaughter?” she asked sweetly.
“I am all he had until you came around,” Teresa bit out. “You can’t fool me. I will never believe you’re the real Kathryn. You’re an imposter, and I intend to make Papa Bert accept it. It should be obvious to everyone that the real Kathryn is dead. No outlaw’s whore is going to steal what is mine.”
Kitty started to rise, determined to leave this horrible place before she did something she’d be sorry for. She was halfway out of her chair when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. Were you going someplace, Kitty? I hope not, for I’m starving, and I’m sure you are too.”
“Kitty and I were just discussing …”
“We were discussing the fact that Teresa thinks I’m a whore,” Kitty said, cutting off Teresa’s words. “For your information, I don’t give a damn what that uppity bitch thinks. She can go to hell and take you with her. Only a mule-headed jackass would stay here, and I ain’t no jackass.” She glared at Ryan. “As for you, Mr. Delaney, Teresa thinks you’re gonna marry her, but I say you ain’t got the balls to marry anyone.”
Ryan made a gurgling noise in his throat that could have been either a suppressed laugh or an angry growl. “Kitty, for the love of God, watch your mouth!”
“How dare you!” Teresa sputtered. “I’ve never…”
“Yes you have and we both know it,” Kitty charged. “I ain’t gonna apologize. I was prepared to be friends with Teresa, but I can see now how wrong I was. I’ll make my peace with Bert and move on. Teresa is welcome to Bert’s money and property, I never wanted anything from him.” She picked up her fork. “Can we eat now? I’m famished.”
As if on cue, Rosita bustled in from the kitchen and began setting dishes on the table. Kitty dug in with gusto. The food was delicious, and she wasn’t about to let Teresa spoil her enjoyment of it.
“Your table manners are atrocious,” Teresa chided as she daintily picked at her food. “But what could one expect from someone raised in the gutter?”
“Will you two stop bickering?” Ryan gritted out from between clenched teeth. “For Bert’s sake you should try to get along.
Although Kitty is Bert’s natural daughter, he’s not going to abandon Teresa. I brought Kitty here so Bert could see his daughter before meeting his maker. I’d advise you both to settle your differences and let the old man die in peace.”
“Of course you’re right, Ryan,” Teresa said sweetly. “I’ll try not to be judgmental of Kitty. But I do wish she’d watch her language.”
“Kitty can speak as well as you or I,” Ryan claimed. “The rough language doesn’t surface unless she’s angry.”
“Don’t apologize for me, Ryan,” Kitty said testily. “I’m not looking for trouble. I’ve had enough of that in my lifetime. I can behave if Teresa can. It’s not like I’m going to be here forever.”
A tense silence ensued as the meal continued. Kitty chewed the last morsel of pie on her plate and sat back, replete. “Rosita is a wonderful cook,” she said. “Beans and biscuits cooked over a campfire become monotonous after a while. Especially when I’m doing the cooking.” She scraped her chair back. “It’s been a long day.” Head held high, she made a hasty exit.
“I think I’ll turn in, too,” Ryan said, “after I look in on Bert.”
“I’ll see you later, Ryan,” Teresa said in a tone ripe with promise.
Utterly exhausted, Kitty prepared for bed. The day had been long and eventful. She’d met her father, discovered that her stepsister hated her, and learned that Teresa and Ryan had been, and probably still were, lovers. Tonight Teresa was going to join Ryan in his room so they could take up where they had left off. God, it hurt. But she could expect no less from a man who claimed marriage was for fools and had promised her nothing but passion.
Even if Ryan did change his mind and marry, she wasn’t the kind of woman he would want for a wife, Kitty reflected. She had too many shortcomings and wasn’t polished enough for polite society. She was sure her father would feel the same way once he knew how she’d lived the last six years of her life. She’d always known that having a home and real family was out of her reach. She wasn’t good enough. Her former life would always be there to haunt her, marring her happiness.
Kitty pulled back the covers and sank down into the feather mattress, sighing in pleasure. This kind of comfort had only been available to her in her dreams. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. She didn’t know how long she’d been asleep when she heard the distinct click of a door latch and the whisper of footsteps across the floor. She jerked upright and reached for the gun she kept under her pillow, a trick she’d learned from her lawless past. She aimed it at the shadowy figure moving stealthily toward the bed.
“Stop! There’s a gun aimed at your gut.”
A rumbling chuckle reached her from across the room. “I believe you would shoot,” Ryan said. “But I hope you won’t find it necessary.”
He moved into the beam of moonlight streaming through the window, and Kitty’s trigger finger relaxed. “What are you doing here? I almost shot you,” she said, shaken by the close call. She could have killed Ryan.
“I didn’t expect you to sleep with a gun beneath your pillow.” He chuckled again. “I should have known a wildcat like you would be prepared for any eventuality.”
“What do you want, Ryan? It’s late. Shouldn’t you be with Teresa?”
“The hell with Teresa. I just came from Bert’s room and decided to see if you were all right. It didn’t occur to me that Teresa would turn vicious. I saw no signs of it when I was here before.”
“I can’t blame Teresa for disliking me. She thinks I’m going to usurp her place in Bert’s affections and fears I’m a rival for yours. She wants me gone.”
“That’s hogwash! I don’t have any feelings for Teresa. We had a mild flirtation but it went no further. I don’t care what she said, I never bedded her.”
“You don’t have feelings for any woman,” Kitty said with conviction. “You don’t have to lie to me, Ryan. I don’t care who you take to your bed.” Lies! All lies.
“Kitty …” He perched on the edge of the bed and curled his fingers around her narrow shoulders. “I don’t want to see you hurt. I’m concerned about you and care what happens to you. I think you can be happy here, but not if I’m going to cause trouble between you and Teresa. Perhaps I should leave. I’ve completed my mission, there’s nothing to keep me from returning home.”
“Nothing,” Kitty said, choking on the word. Did Ryan expect her to beg him to stay? “I won’t be staying long myself.”
“Dammit, Kitty, don’t let my leaving influence you. You belong here. I don’t.”
“I can’t help the way I feel,” Kitty whispered. The scorching heat of his hands on her shoulders and his drugging scent made it difficult to forget anything about Ryan Delaney. Not his kisses, not the way his hands and lips felt on her body, not the pleasure that male part of him brought her when he thrust inside her. “Go away, Ryan.”
“I’m here because I thought you might need me. It’s tough being among strangers. I just wanted you to know that you can always depend on me for as long as I’m here.”
“How long is that?” she asked softly. “A day? A week? Two weeks? What exactly are you offering?”
“I… damn, I’m bungling this badly. I don’t know exactly … that is, damn, I care about your future. I admire you. Few women would have survived the kind of life you were forced to live. Your fortitude, your courage; you not only endured but prospered. And … dammit, I still want you. I thought once we reached the ranch the attraction would die of natural causes.” He shook his head. “Nothing has changed. I still want you.”
Kitty’s mouth fell open. She had no idea Ryan admired her, and his words left her speechless. She’d always known he wanted her, but wanting and loving weren’t the same.
“You’d better leave, Ryan, before we both make fools of ourselves. We’re in Bert’s house now. The rules are different here.”
His hands slid down her arms, brushing the sensitive sides of her breasts. She exhaled sharply, her body responding automatically to his touch, remembering the pleasure of their loving.
“You’re right, of course,” he replied, but he seemed in no hurry to remove his hands or to leave.
Her mind rebelled, but her heart soared when he lowered his head and kissed her. She knew this shouldn’t be happening. Kissing Ryan always made her want things she had no right to. When he deepened the kiss, using his tongue to pry open her lips, she moaned and succumbed to the temptation of his mouth. Then she felt his hands beneath her nightgown, shoving it up as he skimmed her thighs, higher still, until he found that warm, moist place between her legs.
Somehow Kitty found the strength to push Ryan’s hands away. “We can’t do this, Ryan. I know how babies are made. We’ve been lucky so far, why push fate?”
Ryan backed away and shook his head as if to clear it. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. I didn’t come here for this. I just wanted to be sure you’re all right. Something seems to happen to me whenever I’m with you. I reckon it’s time for me to move on. Good night, Kitty.”
Kitty said nothing. When she heard the door latch firmly behind him, she whispered into the darkness, “You’re a damn coward, Ryan Delaney.”
Ryan returned to his own room in a daze. He didn’t know what had gotten into him. He’d always prided himself on his restraint when the situation called for such measures, but with Kitty he behaved like a callow youth. He couldn’t imagine what Kitty had that made her irresistible to him.
Ryan’s room was dark when he entered. He didn’t bother lighting the lamp as he undressed in the dark and crawled into bed.
“What took you so long?” Teresa whispered into his ear as she pressed her silken body against his.
Ryan let out a curse and leaped out of bed. “Dammit, Teresa, are you mad? What are you doing in my bed?”
“I told you to expect me,” she purred seductively. “Come back to bed. You won’t be disappointed.”
He fumbled in the dark for his denims, then struck a match to the la
mp. He glowered at her from beneath slitted eyes. She was stretched out naked on the bed, all pink and white and flushed with excitement. Ryan reined in his lust and looked away. “I don’t think Bert would appreciate me ruining his daughter.”
“Obviously you had no such qualms with Kitty,” Teresa charged. “You won’t be ruining me, Ryan. I lost my innocence long ago. I know how to pleasure a man. I had many beaus in San Francisco. One in particular taught me to enjoy sex, and I’ve found I can’t live without it. I’ve been searching for the right man for a long time, and at last I’ve found him. With you I could be faithful.”
“Marriage isn’t for me, Teresa. I’m perfectly content with my life as it is. I have no intention of taking a wife … ever.”
“It’s Kitty, isn’t it?” Teresa charged. “You want her because you think Papa Bert will leave her his fortune. I’m not stupid. I know you’ve bedded her. A woman can tell these things.”
“I told you, I’m not the marrying kind. Turn your sights to someone more inclined to make an honest woman of you than I am. I suggest you leave so I can get some sleep.”
“We’re not finished yet, Ryan Delaney,” Teresa contended as she rose from the bed and flounced out of the room as naked as the day she was born.
“As far as I’m concerned we are,” Ryan muttered beneath his breath as he closed and locked the door.
He removed his denims and fell into bed, wondering what in the hell Kitty had done to him. A few weeks ago he wouldn’t have hesitated to give Teresa what she wanted. He would have bedded her and felt no guilt when it came time to leave. It was how Rogue Ryan operated. But after Kitty, Teresa no longer appealed to him. He had this terrifying thought that no woman would ever satisfy him like Kitty O’Shay Lowry.
He groaned in frustration as he recalled everything about Kitty he lusted after. Her delicious taste. Her responsive body. Her unique scent he found so alluring.
Everything about her spelled danger.
