GoldLust

by Sky Robinson

  “Don’t shoot.” He put his hands in the air, but his voice was teasing.

  “Don’t tempt me.” Emma slid her pistol back into its holster and turned her back to him. One foot in front of the other, she started moving up the trail again, needing to get away from James—even though there was that little part of her that wanted to be near him, that wanted to be touched by James again. She was going to ignore that part and do her best to stay away from him.

  Not that there was a good chance he would allow her to ignore him today. He wasn’t the type of person who let things slide. The only hope she had was that he would be too embarrassed about the things he said to her last night…if he even remembered them.

  A few seconds later, James was right behind her. She could hear his footsteps, his breathing. She could feel his masculine presence.

  “Care if I walk with you?” he asked.

  “I don’t own the trail.” Emma didn’t turn around when she answered. Just kept moving forward.

  “I wanted to apologize for last night.” He paused and she didn’t say anything.

  “I didn’t come there with the intention of offending you.” He came with the intention of finishing what they had started the week before, or at least to have a civil conversation about what happened in the mine. But in his drunken stupidity he’d completely screwed that one up. Not surprising. He wasn’t good with women, never had been.

  “Oh yeah?” Her words were gruff, but at least she was still talking to him.

  “I just wanted to…” See you again, make you scream out my name in pleasure. He couldn’t say that without sounding like a complete ass, which would keep him about even with last night. “I wanted to check on you…and apologize.”

  “You mean apologize for calling me a prostitute? And I don’t need anyone checking on me. I do just fine on my own.” Her words were sharp, and not surprising.

  He knew she was independent, capable and smart. It was what attracted him to her, and the reason he should stay away. And he knew she wasn’t a prostitute. Hell, part of him had hoped she was, at least that way he could get her off his mind. He could touch her the way he’d wanted to for the past goddamn week.

  “Yeah, I know you’re not a prostitute and I know you can take care of yourself. I’m sorry.” This wasn’t going nearly as well as James had hoped. “I was just wondering if we could forget all that and be…friends.” Just being friends wasn’t what he wanted from her, but it was a start, and after the way he spoke to her last night, he’d be lucky to get that.

  She stopped and turned around to look at him. She didn’t say anything, but narrowed her eyes as she stared him down. “You want to be friends?”

  “Yeah.” He looked at the ground for a moment, couldn’t take the intensity of her stare. She had every right to be angry with him, but that didn’t make seeing that anger any easier.

  “Then tell me, friend. Why have you always been so rude to me? What have I ever done to you?” Emma put her hands on her hips, but her expression softened.

  Rude? He never thought of his actions toward her as rude, not until last night anyway. Standoffish maybe, but not rude.

  Keeping his distance from Emma, both physically and emotionally, must have come off as rudeness to her. But James had to do something to deny his attraction to her. She was a married woman when he first met her, and she was too much like his mother. He couldn’t let himself end up like his dad.

  Men didn’t know how to raise children. His father did the best he could, but it wasn’t like when his mother was around. His father drank and spent his time wondering when the woman he loved was coming back. James couldn’t let that happen to him.

  “I didn’t mean to be rude.” She didn’t deserve that. She hadn’t done anything wrong. “I guess that’s just how I am.” That was as apologetic as he was going to get. He had good reason to guard himself from Emma.

  She let out a long breath and let her hands drop from her hips down to her sides. “Well, you better start being more pleasant if you want to be friends.”

  “I can work on that.” He didn’t have to be rude to protect his heart. He just had to remember the importance of keeping his emotions under control.

  James wouldn’t repeat his father’s mistakes—he wouldn’t lose his heart to Emma. She didn’t have to be so damn good-looking though, tempting him, making him wish things were different.

  He could have relations with her. Men fucked women they didn’t love in whorehouses all over the country. It was probably where he came up with the stupid idea of offering her money last night, hoping that it could be his easy way out of this situation. But he knew better. There wasn’t going to be an easy way out.

  James bent down to pull a log off the trail.

  He couldn’t fall for Emma, but they could be friends, hopefully friends that fucked.

  He had needs, and she had needs. It was as simple as that. He had seen her needs clearly while they were in his mine together, but for some reason she denied herself, denied him. He just needed to convince her that they could work out a compromise, and being friends was the first step.

  “Okay then.” She held out her hand to him. “Friends.”

  “Friends.” He shook her hand and could feel the attraction zap straight to his cock with the simple touch. He looked into her eyes and could see that she felt it too. This being friends business wasn’t going to last for long.

  Chapter Five

  Emma rolled over and stared up at the stars in the endless night sky. She was trying to find a comfortable position on the cot so she could get some sleep, but it wasn’t exactly the lack of comfort that was keeping her awake. She’d gotten used to sleeping on the firm, narrow cot. That wasn’t new, wasn’t difficult anymore.

  It was the howling of wolves someplace near that was most disconcerting.

  Wolves were sneaky, hunted in packs and left even an armed person in danger. You can’t shoot what you can’t see coming, and if there were too many of them, she could be in some serious trouble.

  Emma searched the darkness, listening to the yipping and the snapping of twigs moving uncomfortably close. There was really no reason to even pretend sleeping was an option, so she pushed the blanket off and stood to throw another log onto the fire. Sparks flew into the black night air and the circle of light increased its diameter a little, but not enough for any comfort.

  She had no shelter tonight. Her tent was being repaired and even with the new rent money Emma didn’t want to spend enough to buy another one. The mine shaft should have been deep enough to at least hide in by now, but she hit solid rock only two feet down and had to start over in a new spot this afternoon.

  Crawling into a dirty hole and piling some logs in front of it would be a very desirable option compared to sleeping under the stars tonight. It would at least keep the wolves out. Bears could get into just about anything, but they traveled alone and could be taken out with a shot or two. They weren’t nearly as smart, or nearly as dangerous, as a pack of wolves.

  Emma hated wasting wood, but she grabbed two more pieces and threw them in. The wolves were out there and coming closer.

  Emma took her pistol from its holster and aimed it into the darkness, in the direction of a loud snap.

  “You’ve got to stop pointing that thing at me.” James’ deep voice came through the darkness.

  “What are you doing here? You scared me half to death.” She pointed her pistol at the ground and relief flooded through her. Emma never thought she would be this happy to see James, but his presence was definitely welcome tonight.

  “I heard the wolves up here and thought I would come and check on you. That’s what friends do, right?”

  Her pride wanted to rebuff his offer of protection, but the howling started up again. She definitely felt safer with him there. “Thank you.”

  Emma sat on one end of her cot. “Would you like to sit?” She motioned to the section of cot to the left of her.

  “Sure.” He sauntered ove
r in her direction, not seeming at all worried about the wolf pack. Then again not much scared James.

  His eyes focused on hers and held an intensity Emma found unnerving. Almost as unnerving as the wolves.

  “I don’t have any coffee made right now, but if you’re thirsty I can put some on.” Emma suddenly became the domesticated hostess when he appeared. What the hell was wrong with her? She didn’t even have extra coffee to share.

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m fine.” He stared out into the dark night, listening, his rifle resting across his legs, his hand on the barrel. There was a casual, relaxed look about him, but Emma knew there was nothing casual or relaxed about James.

  Something snarled. Straight ahead. Close.

  The hairs on the back of Emma’s neck stood on end and every muscle in her body tensed.

  James got up and moved toward the sound of the growl. “Stay behind me,” he ordered.

  Emma wasn’t in a position to question anything. She moved toward James as a huge wolf jumped from the darkness right at them. Emma dropped to her knees in the dirt and screamed as James fired a single deafening shot.

  The animal howled, limped a couple steps and fell onto the dirt. That was close, too close. If James hadn’t come to protect her, if he wouldn’t have been here, Emma would probably be dead right now. Instead the big, furry body of the wolf lay lifeless just a few feet away. Blood streaked down his gray chest and he didn’t move. Emma didn’t like to see death, but it was better the wolf than her.

  “Don’t scream.” James growled the words. “They can smell fear. Just point your pistol and get ready to shoot. Stand up and put your back against mine. Watch your area and shoot anything that comes close.”

  She took a deep breath. “Okay.” This was no time to panic, she had to be ready to defend herself, to at least do her part in defending them.

  James’ back was hot against hers even through the layers of clothing, but the solidness of his muscles against hers gave her some confidence. Emma’s finger rested on the cold metal of the trigger, ready for when another wolf came. And one did, from her side this time. She pointed her pistol at the huge ball of fur and fangs that came flying in her direction, pulled the trigger once, and then again.

  The sound was deafening, and her aim was good. Not as good as James’, but good enough to send the wolf limping in the other direction. Emma let out a breath, but it wasn’t time to relax yet.

  The growling and yipping continued. How many more would come after them? She held her breath and waited.

  Instead of another direct invasion into their space, the howling and yipping got quieter. It sounded as if the wolves were moving away.

  Maybe they scared them off. Emma’s heart pounded, her hands ached from gripping her pistol so tightly.

  Neither Emma or James moved. They held their position, back to back. Still. Steady. Waiting.

  “Are they leaving?” she asked in a shaky voice when it seemed obvious that they were.

  “They’re definitely moving away,” James replied quietly, his focus still on listening for signs of danger.

  Emma waited a minute before she spoke again. The sounds of the wolves now echoed eerily in the distance. “Will they stay away?”

  “Probably.” James took his rifle from his shoulder and let the barrel point toward the ground. “We won tonight.”

  Her entire body started to shake now that the danger was no longer imminent. The adrenaline disappeared and emotion took over. Emma could have died. Most of the time this adventure of searching for gold in the wilderness was invigorating, enlivening, but times like this weren’t much fun at all. She swallowed hard and let out a long breath, trying to force her body to relax again.

  “Will you…stay here with me?” She shouldn’t ask it of him, but Emma didn’t want to be alone. Not tonight.

  “Will you tell me why you walked away from me in the mine?” His eyes searched hers.

  She didn’t want to talk about it, didn’t want to have to explain herself to James. Hell, she wasn’t sure she understood it all herself, but she wanted him to stay even more than she needed to hide her feelings for him.

  “Yes.” She would do just about anything to not be alone tonight. If she had to explain herself to James, that was a small price to pay for her safety through the night. Tomorrow she would make sure she dug a mine out at least big enough that she could sleep in it to make sure she could keep herself safe, make sure she didn’t need anyone’s help.

  James moved over to sit on the cot again. He kept his rifle close, propping it against a sapling right beside him.

  “Why did you walk away from me?” He looked her in the eye, gave Emma a glimpse of how hurt he really was by her actions. Guilt settled in the bottom of her gut.

  “I knew it was a bad idea. You and I getting together like that. We’re too different. You’re too traditional for a woman like me.” She stood near the dancing flame, but kept her distance from James, kept from making too much eye contact.

  “What do you mean too traditional?” His eyes narrowed and his voice took a defensive tone.

  “Let’s lie down.” Emma spread a blanket on the dirt, close to the fire. She lay down on the edge of the blanket closest to the fire and faced the flames. She couldn’t look James in the eye while they had this conversation. She didn’t want to see the intensity of his stare any longer, and she hoped he would just drop the subject.

  He lay down beside her, not touching, but she could feel his presence. His strong muscles were close enough to protect her, his breath warmed the top of her head, and just being near James started the warm, tingling sensations between her legs.

  “So, what’s too traditional about me?” His words were low and soft and, thank God, the subject was one that would keep her thoughts somewhat on the right track. It was suddenly the lesser of two evils.

  “You think a woman should stay inside and cook and clean and stay away from the adventurous things in life.” He held tight to all the things Emma disliked about being a woman.

  “Yeah, well those things are a hell of a lot safer than coming out here and playing with the bears and the wolves.”

  He had a point there. She had been attacked by animals twice now. The first one was her husband’s fault, trying to get closer to get a photo of the bear cubs for an article he was working on.

  The stories had it that wolves seemed to be attracted to women and children, so if that was true she was always going to be in more danger from them. This wasn’t a safe place, but safe was not very interesting. She wanted to feel as if she was really living, and being in the wilderness of Alaska was the only place she found that.

  Emma blew out a long breath. “I can’t be the woman you want, so why waste our time?”

  “You got something better to do?” James reasoned.

  She didn’t have anything to do right now. She could enjoy James’ body, satisfy her own, but that wasn’t smart. Emma couldn’t have anything to do with James. “Yeah. I’d like to find some gold.”

  James grunted at her last response, but didn’t say anything. She could feel that he rolled over onto his back, further away from her, but she didn’t turn to look at him. Instead she watched the mesmerizing dancing flames and tried to forget about the feelings James brought out in her.

  She was right. They were not a good match.

  * * * * *

  When James woke up it was still dark. The dim glow of morning made it so he could see the outline of trees and mountains. He had Emma curled up in his arms and a goddamn hard-on. She was still sleeping, but as she did, she wiggled and moaned his name.

  Emma wanted him. It was perfectly clear. But her sensible nature kept her from taking what she wanted. He would give her time, wait until she came to realize she could just take what she wanted from him and not worry about the rest of the stuff that rattled around in her head.

  But right now he had to get out of there. Had to get away from her before he did something else stupid. Something
that would ruin his chances to be with Emma even more than he already had.

  James walked into the trees. Away from the temptation of the soft sexy Emma, but his cock still pressed uncomfortably against his pants. He had to do something about it.

  He could go into town and pay a woman to fuck him, but he wasn’t interested in that, and he didn’t have the time.

  Instead, he undid his pants, released his cock from the clothing. The morning air was cool against his exposed skin, but not enough to cool the blood surging with need for one damn woman. James wrapped his hand around his cock. He leaned his forehead against a tall tree and closed his eyes, letting images of Emma flood his mind.

  His hand worked up and down his cock slow and easy, the way he would fuck her. She was so damn good looking. Perfect breasts, long legs and that round ass tempting him every damn day. Yeah, he’d fuck her good, make sure she had to come back for more.

  He moved his hand faster, rubbing himself out, getting closer and closer to the end, and James couldn’t help but let out a deep groan. It wasn’t going to take long to get Emma out of his system. His hand was rough compared to the soft wetness Emma’s pussy would hold, but that didn’t matter today. Her soft cunt wasn’t an option.

  Blood rushed to his dick, his balls tightened, so close to release. James gripped tighter, moved faster, stroked himself hard. His whole body tensed and the tingling started up his back as he worked his cock.

  “Aaggghhh.” He hoped she couldn’t hear his groan, but it didn’t matter when every muscle in his body strained. Release, finally, and the white seed shot through the air, spurt after spurt until he finished.

  Soon enough he would be shooting it into Emma’s sweet wetness. He would convince her that they could be good together, at least in that way.

  His body relaxed, but it didn’t cure the need for Emma. He knew it wouldn’t. It never did.

  Chapter Six

  Two Weeks Later

  Emma sat on the couch in her house and flipped through a book impatiently. She only made this trip back to town to get her tent from the man who was repairing it and was supposed to be in and back out to her claim in one long day. But Opal asked her to stay for dinner and offered to cook because she wanted to discuss some business. Emma was pretty sure she didn’t want anything to do with Opal’s business, but her errands in town had already taken longer than expected. Hiking in after dark wasn’t an option. Emma would hear Opal out, see what kind of business the woman had in mind.