James finally piped in. “Yes, Miss Samson, we really enjoyed your show tonight.”
“Call me Belle, please. Thank you, James.” She turned and said, “Well, I have to be going. It was nice meeting you both.”
James stepped forward. “Miss Belle, I mean, Belle, it’s late and it isn’t safe for a lady to be walking all by herself. Why don’t Trev and I escort you home?”
She shook her head. “That’s mighty kind of you, but I’m staying at the Mayflower Inn. It isn’t that far off.”
Trevor observed the sly grin spread over his partner’s face. He swore he probably sported the same grin himself. Coincidence couldn’t have served them a more pleasing hand tonight. Their captain set things up so that they’d be staying at the Mayflower Inn, too.
Before Trevor could comment, James remarked, “Belle, it just so happens we’re staying at the same inn. So, would you mind if we kept you company on your walk?”
A smile surfaced on her pretty doll face. “Not at all.”
Trevor thought it was high time his charismatic persona cued in. He extended his arm and bowed his head slightly. “Well, Belle, let the escorting begin.”
She took his welcoming arm and giggled timidly. A whiff of her rose-scented fragrance tickled his nose as the passing wind blew her wild black curls toward him. His stomach did a little jerk, and he yearned to dip in closer to take a deeper sniff and touch her beautiful hair. Somehow, he guessed it was silky soft, just like her alabaster skin would be. She represented the embodiment of feminine beauty.
Even though she wasn’t scantily dressed as the other saloon girls, he could tell her curves were plentiful. Her full bosom enticed him, and the hint of cleavage he caught sent his manly urges to full arousal. And when she moved by his side, he sensed her hips swaying in a seductive dance from side to side. Although he adored the part of her that was all shy and demure, he wondered if she hid another part of herself from the public.
Maybe a spitfire of a vixen lay under that timid exterior, and if he played his cards just right, he’d be the lucky guy to unravel the layers of her personality and get the wanton, lustful self she held hidden. Damn, sometimes he loved his job.
* * * *
She wished she could pinch herself now and make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Having two handsome gentlemen escort her home this evening overwhelmed her. She couldn’t help her racing heart and the giddiness that empowered her senses.
With the moon’s light guiding their path, they walked down the abandoned dirt road. Ten minutes passed and they had asked her so many questions about her singing, the saloon, and other things that she lost count. Actually, James asked the probing questions while Trevor just stared at her with a wide, inquisitive smile, as if he assimilated her answers and tried to read her.
She had to admit she liked the scrutiny from both men. Trevor’s dreamy, chocolate-brown eyes bewitched her, and James’s reserved, inquisitive attitude was so charming. His full lips made her wonder how it would feel to kiss them. Her nipples perked, rubbing against her tightly bound corset, making her arousal mount, and her pussy tingled with the thought.
A steamy fantasy stirred in her mind, and she soon envisioned having both men kiss her and undress her. They slowly caressed each part of her hot, exposed body, first her neck, then her shoulders, down to her breasts. Her imagination soared. Her bodice became even more restraining when her breathing turned into deep panting, and her chest heaved to replenish her lungs with much-needed oxygen.
Belle shook her head slightly when her companions weren’t observing, casting the sinful images out. She couldn’t let those wanton ideas overcome her, and being honest with herself, she was actually surprised they even came to mind. She never had such wayward ideas of other men before this, but these gentlemen obviously had an effect on her mind and body she had difficulty controlling.
She tried to focus on the here and now. On the fact that in just a matter of ten minutes, they got to know a whole lot more of her than she got to know of them. Or at least what she wanted them to know.
Her big secret must never be revealed. Too much had been planned out and sacrificed, and the ploy was weaved intricately. She’d risk her life if she must to keep it all hidden.
They arrived at the inn and stood in the lobby downstairs. “Well, Trevor and James, thank you for keeping me company on my walk tonight. It was a pleasure to have gotten to know you both. Or rather you getting to know more about me. I still don’t know much about you two other than you just arrived in town today and that you enjoyed my songs tonight.”
Trevor took her hand, caressing her palm while he stared at her. “Well, how about you have dinner with me tomorrow evening? You can ask me anything you want to know about me then.”
Shivers of excitement surged through her with the gentle pressure his fingertips put on strategic areas of her palm. The smile in his gaze and lifted eyebrow tempted her to jump out with “Yes,” but she needed to show some restraint even though her legs became weak with his heated fingers on her hand. She turned to James whose eyebrows creased as he glared at his friend. James seemed to be slightly irritated.
Trevor added, “James will be busy tomorrow night preparing for work. He has a lot to check out before we’re ready to start working at the end of the week.” He glanced at his friend. “Isn’t that right, James?”
The crease between James’s brows disappeared, and his eyes took on a humorous look a few seconds after that. “Yes, there are many things that need to be looked into. And, unfortunately, I’m the only one who can check them out. So if you wouldn’t mind keeping my friend company tomorrow evening so he isn’t in my way, I’d surely appreciate it, Belle.”
Her sixth sense screamed to her that there was more to it than that. Some secret message had just been communicated between the gentlemen about her. But what it could be baffled the hell out of her. An air of mystery surrounded these handsome men, and her curiosity to find out exactly what they were up to made her decide.
“All right, James, if you need to concentrate on your work, then I guess I’ll accept your invitation to dinner, Trevor. Tomorrow’s my night off, and it would be nice to spend it enjoying your company and a good meal.”
The widest smile spread over Trevor’s face. “Well, that’s great.”
“There aren’t many saloons in Fort Smith that offer food, so Sherry’s is probably our only choice.”
“Okay, then Sherry’s it is. Will seven o’clock be a good time to go?”
She started to head to the stairs as she replied. “Sure, I’ll meet you in the lobby tomorrow at seven, then.”
Trevor and James followed her to the stairs, and this time, surprisingly, James took her hand and kissed it, then grinned. “Have a wonderful night, Belle, and thanks for helping take him off my hands tomorrow evening. I’ll get a lot of work done this way.”
Oh, James’s shyness seemed to have vanished now, and she liked the daring side he displayed. Her hand tingled where his full, fervid lips caressed her skin.
“I’m looking forward to spending time with you, Belle, and getting to know you better.” Trevor mimicked his friend’s actions by gently taking her other hand and brushing his lips over it.
Heat rose to her cheeks as she giggled and then replied, “Good night, boys.” She skipped up the stairs hoping they didn’t catch her blushing.
My, but those two were charmers. A girl could get used to all their attention quite easily.
When she stepped on the second-floor landing, the images she had earlier of them undressing her and caressing her body suddenly came back to flood and occupy her thoughts. Her heartbeat escalated envisioning their curious hands roaming over her arms, her abdomen, her breasts. Her body heat rose as did her breathing, with every passing second and further arousing detail of the vision.
Tomorrow night would certainly hold mystery and temptation in its midst. Trevor Kent oozed manliness, and for some unexplainable reason, danger. A part of her feared what she was
getting herself into. She might just be walking into the lion’s den tomorrow evening. But another part of her, a part she now seemed to have little control over, anticipated their date.
Her face broke into a wide grin at the thought of what could happen then.
Oh, the possibilities.
Chapter 3
James was still in shock. Trevor surprised him twice in less than an hour. His partner usually stood on the side and let James lead in their cases. More often than not, he’d add his two cents when a suggestion came to mind. But tonight, his friend was on a roll. His quick mind and genius ideas had James in awe.
“So you liked my plan, huh?” Trevor grinned smugly.
“Yes. At first I didn’t, but then I figured it out.” James chuckled.
“Do you think you’ll be able to break into her room without anyone seeing you?”
“I can’t believe my partner I’ve worked with for over five years would even ask me that.” James frowned.
Trevor lifted his hands. “Oh, I forgot. How stupid of me to ask.”
“Yes, it’ll be a snap.” His brow furrowed once more. “And while I’ll be hard at work investigating, you’ll be having the time of your life with beautiful Belle.”
Trevor’s brow rose in amusement. “Ah, partner, this is no time to be jealous. You know you’re the best at breaking in and snooping, and I’m good at covering for you when you do.”
James poked him in his chest as he replied, “Yes, but this time you’ll be with Belle, not trying to distract some Indians.”
Trevor smugly rubbed his nails on his cotton shirt to polish them and then gazed at them. “What can I say? My job can be hell at times.”
James punched him lightly in the arm. “Stop gloating, Trev, or I’ll go up to her and tell her that I actually really do need you at work.”
His rebuttal to Trevor got him wondering. They never found out what her room number was. It’d be awfully hard to break into her private quarters if he didn’t know where exactly she stayed James glanced at the counter. No one stood on duty, but there was a bell on the counter.
“That reminds me.”
He strode over to the front desk, placed his bag on the floor, and slammed his open palm down on the bell. It rang loudly, and within a minute, an elderly gentleman with a receding hairline and a beard came out from a closed door in the corner.
“Howdy, cowboys. Welcome to the Mayflower Inn. How can I help you all?”
James leaned on the counter. “Our boss reserved us a room here a few weeks back. Our names are James Sanford and Trevor Kent.”
While the man opened and flipped pages in his book, he stared at them as if he assessed them. Then he spoke in a curious voice. “Is this your first time in our humble town?”
“Yes, sir. Our employer got us jobs here and we just got in today,” Trevor responded.
Once the man got to the last filled page in the registry book, he let go of the paper and leaned his elbows on the countertop, grinning. “Well, you’ll love our fine town, gentlemen. Everyone who has stayed at my inn has said so in one way or another.” He put on his spectacles hanging from a cord around his neck and then pointed with his finger down the page. “Let’s see. Ah, here we are. You have room twenty on the second floor. The bathroom is just a door away.”
James looked at Trevor, then added, “Sounds mighty fine. Um, we were wondering if you’d be kind enough to tell us in what room Miss Belle Samson is staying in. You see, my friend here just met her tonight and got himself a date with the pretty lady tomorrow evening. He said he’d pick her up at her room but forgot to ask for her room number before she left.”
The man chuckled, glancing at Trevor. “Well, fella, aren’t you the lucky one. Miss Belle sure is a pretty lady. And it ain’t no surprise you’d forget somethin’ like that. She kinda has that effect on the fellas around here. She has a beautiful voice, too. You should catch her singin’ down at Eden’s Paradise when you get a chance.”
“Oh, we did. That’s where we first started talking with her.” Trevor placed his bag on the floor and leaned on the counter also.
“I see.” He closed his book after checking off their reservation. turned around, and got their keys. “Well, you boys certainly have luck on your side, ’cause it so happens her room number twenty-two is next to yours. You’re neighbors.”
Trevor glanced at James and gave him a sly smile. James looked away, fearing he’d break into a smirk, as well. He extended his hand. “Well, thanks so much for all your help, sir.”
Accepting James’s handshake, the old man replied, “The name’s Melvin Burr. If you folks need anythin’ else, just let me know. The missus serves up breakfast at seven sharp in the dinin’ room in the mornings if you’re interested. Her bacon and eggs are really good.”
“Well, Mr. Burr, that sounds quite tempting. I think we’ll do just that since we have a big day ahead of us and need all the energy we can get.” Picking up his bag, James marched to the stairs with Trevor on his tail.
“Just call me Melvin from now on. We look forward to seein’ you for breakfast then,” the old man shouted while they ascended the stairs.
When they got to the second floor, they headed over to their room, passing hers. Opening their door, James stared into the darkness. He could only make out part of the front of the room. Using the limited illumination from the hallway wall lamps as his source of light, James walked over to the table next to the door and felt his way to a set of matches next to the oil lamp. He struck one, lighting it.
The light was enough for them to take in their surroundings in detail. James was pleasantly surprised. The room looked pretty clean and crisp. The beds had dark-brown blankets, and the table in the corner of the room had two chairs to sit on. A bureau in the other corner was big enough for them to store their clothes in.
Trevor tossed his luggage bag in the corner of the room and collapsed on the bed. The wooden foundation made a squeaking sound with his movements. “Ah. I’m glad this day is almost over. I’m exhausted.”
James didn’t crumple to the bed like Trevor. Instead, he sat on it slowly because of fatigue and his stiff back and leg muscles. It was sturdier than Trevor’s bed because the wooden support didn’t squeak when he put his full weight on it. It absorbed the shock in silence. He stretched his aching legs out before him and lay back, resting his head on the feather-stuffed pillow, which leaned on the wall.
The soft pillow and wool-stuffed mattress molded to his body comfortably. Being cramped on the train for so long had left his muscles tense, and, now, as his tendons in his calves relaxed, the tension rolled off of him with every deep inhale he took.
“I have to agree with you, Trev. This feels so good.”
They rested in silence for a few minutes. James kicked off his shoes and massaged his feet through his socks when voices caught his attention. They came from the other side of the wall. Her wall.
“Do you hear that, Trevor?” He sat up and put his ear to the wall.
Trevor stood up and did the same thing as James while he squinted in concentration. “It’s coming from Belle’s room.”
Although James couldn’t hear what was being said, he could tell Belle wasn’t alone in the room. At least two other men were in there with her.
“I think she has two guys with her.” Trevor obviously thought the same thing.
“Probably members of her gang.” James nodded. “Can you make out what they’re saying?”
“No, but they seem to be talking low, secretively.”
“Well, if they are part of her gang and they are conspiring on their next heist, they’d be talking softly like that.”
“Maybe, or maybe she is living up to her nickname, and they are keeping her company tonight, and she doesn’t want Melvin any wiser to her secret activities,” Trevor rebutted.
James’s mind wandered, imagining what exactly transpired in there. When she giggled, he thought maybe his friend’s hunch could be on the mark.
&nbs
p; What he wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall in Miss Belle Samson’s room tonight.
* * * *
When she opened the door to her room, Belle intended to undress and just sink into her warm bed to sleep. But the moment she closed the door, a voice said, “You’re finally here.”
Practically jumping out of her skin, she spun around to see someone turn up the light in the oil lamp on her bureau. As the light spread to the perimeter, she was able to release the air that stuck in the knot in her throat.
Realizing John and Mat had paid her a visit, she slumped her shoulders in relief and sighed. “Ah, you gave me a scare.”
Mat sat on the chair next to the bed. “Sorry, but we had to keep it dark in here. The light can be seen from the space under your door. No one could know we’re here.”
“How did you get in?”
John glanced at the window. “Through that. Your room is on the other side of the inn, and no one could see us sneak in.”
She walked over to the window and stared out. “It’s pretty high. You could have gotten hurt.”
“No, we’ve climbed more dangerous things before. Come to think of it, you were with us most of the time when we did, remember?” Mat piped in.
She laughed at the ridiculous look he gave her. “Of course, how stupid of me to say that. Still, why did you risk getting in contact with me? Wasn’t I supposed to be on my own for this one, and when I got any leads, I’d get in contact with you?”
“Yes, that was the plan or, rather, your plan.” John nodded.
“So what’s so important you would risk my cover?”
“We found out some important news today and thought you’d want to know.” John picked up the oil lamp and started blowing on it lightly, observing the reflective, flickering light bounce from one side of the wall to the other.
“Well?” How she hated it when he started something and then stopped midway, leaving her hanging.
John laughed as the light almost went out when he blew a bit too hard.
Frost, Jessica - The Good, the Bad, and the Naughty Page 3
