Gambling on the Outlaw

by Margaret Madigan

  He ran his hand through his hair, pushing it out of his face, then put his hat on, and offered me his arm. “You and the rest of the ladies have a very bright future.”

  At the Office of Mines I filled out the required paperwork, putting the mine in my name as well as Daisy, Nellie, and Lydia.

  “This asks for the name of the mine,” I said.

  “Yes,” the clerk said.

  “I don’t know what to call it.”

  “Most folks just call it after themselves. The Perkins Mine, The Robertson Mine. Like that.”

  “The Caldwell Mine has a ring to it,” Isaac said.

  “No. It’s not just mine, but it would sound silly to call it the Caldwell-Meadows-Templeton-HowlingWolf Mine.”

  “Then what do you want to call it?”

  “The Kiss of Fate Mine,” I said, grinning. It fit. It reminded me of that night with Isaac, and if I hadn’t been out stumbling around in the brush, I never would have fallen into that hole. So it must have been meant to be. If that wasn’t fate, I didn’t know what was. At least that’s how it seemed anyway.

  The clerk smiled. “A mighty good name.”

  “Sure is,” Isaac added.

  After signing the paperwork I cashed in the smaller nugget for a tidy sum of nine hundred and thirty-five dollars. I could only imagine how much the rest of the gold in the mine was worth.

  Out on the boardwalk the air was fresh and still cool before the heat of the day, and the sun was clear and bright. The day was ripe with possibility.

  “What do you want to do with all that cash?” Isaac asked.

  The familiar weight of the money in my pocket reminded me of old times and I had the sudden urge to spend it. Another familiar response to a windfall of cash. When Frank and I had won large jackpots, we’d often splurged. But when we settled in Palmer, and especially after he’d died, I’d rid myself of all the things that reminded me of that life—the fancy clothes and accoutrements. I was settling down into a different life and had no need for those things, so I put it all behind me. With money in my pocket, and feeling the desire to buy nice things, maybe it was harder to put the past behind me than I thought. Still, we needed some things.

  “I think new clothes are in order. For both of us. After that, we’ll take it as it comes.”

  Isaac nodded. “Not that your trousers aren’t fetching in a way, but I’d certainly like to see you in a dress again.”

  I had to laugh. Having me at his side in pants was probably confusing and unseemly. “Then a dress it shall be. We’ll find you something fresher, too.”

  “I’m just fine. There’s no need for you to spend your money on me.”

  I slipped my arm in his, and tilted my head up to meet his eyes. “It’s my money to spend as I choose, isn’t it?”

  “It is. I just don’t know why you’d want to spend it on me.”

  I patted his arm. “Because it makes me happy.”

  He shrugged and escorted me down the street to the mercantile. After some shopping I found a simple dress in blue calico with a scoop neck, elbow-length sleeves, pearl buttons down the front, and V-waist. I preferred the convenience of trousers, but putting on a dress made me feel like a woman again, and I liked feeling like a woman around Isaac.

  The store sold a variety of hats—all festooned with feathers, flowers, ribbons and whatnot, but I chose to stick with my brown felt hat. It was comfortable and practical.

  I dressed in the back of the store and got rid of the dirty, smelly shirt and trousers, then modeled my new outfit for Isaac, who waited in the main part of the store. His eyes lit up when he saw me, and he smiled.

  “That color does you justice. Makes your eyes look even bluer,” he said. I couldn’t help preening just a bit. It made me feel good that he liked how I looked.

  “Your turn,” I said. “Pick out some new clothes.”

  “I can’t spend your money.”

  “As it turns out, you have no choice. If you don’t pick something, I’ll choose for you and buy it without you even trying it on. Even if you never wear it, I’ll have bought it for you. So you may as well get something you like.”

  He was reluctant at first, shooting me a scornful look as the store clerk hovered around him. But eventually he picked out some dark brown trousers, suspenders, a crisp white shirt, and a casual jacket. He kept his hat, too. He looked sharp, and just a little bit roguish with his hair curling at his collar and a few days’ growth on his face. I remembered the tingle of it scraping the skin of my throat and breasts. A shiver of anticipation worked down my spine. Despite my promises to him, I wasn’t ready to give him up. I thought about my plan to pay Clay and Gil off and hoped it would work.

  I insisted we both buy one more outfit, thinking about the traveling we still had ahead of us, and had the clothes sent back to the hotel.

  We spent the rest of the day as if we didn’t have a care in the world. As if we were normal people visiting Virginia City, and not a star-crossed couple—one bound and determined to kill his nemesis or die trying, the other with people depending on her and now a mine to deal with, and a jilted suitor with a devil of a temper.

  We wandered the boardwalk and shopped the windows of all the stores, then bought a picnic lunch and found a pretty place at the edge of town to share it. The city had put aside a public space for walking and enjoying the outdoors. I was familiar with the parks in St. Louis where the spaces were green with trees and flowers, but this was the desert. Still, the walking paths were paved in cobblestones and the rest of the grounds were planted in flowering cactus and hardy trees. Several benches provided spaces to rest and take in the city below.

  As we ate and talked I managed to make Isaac smile—a real, happy smile—and even heard him laugh with abandon. It was a joyous sound, and I wished with all my heart I could spend the rest of my life anticipating it.

  Near midafternoon the weight of our need to plan got heavier until it dampened the cheer of the day. We both fell into awkward silence, neither of us willing to broach the subject. I certainly wouldn’t be the first to break the day’s spell, so I waited for him to do it.

  “Beth.”

  I sighed and the brightness of the day’s fantasy dimmed, until it was just another day. I was determined to get it back.

  “Can’t we just have the rest of today?”

  His smile was apologetic. “We’ve still got the evening, but we need to talk about tomorrow.”

  “Fine. I assume you’ve worked out your plans.”

  “I have. We shouldn’t go back the same way we came. We risk running into your bounty hunter. If we head to Carson City, then down the west side of the mountains, we should avoid running into anyone we don’t want to.”

  “It’ll add a couple of days of travel. Who knows where the posse or Carrington will be by then?”

  “I’m sure we’ll catch up to them one way or another. I’d just rather it be on my terms than by surprise.”

  “Fair enough. Now, can we just enjoy this evening before we have to face everything we have to face?”

  He looked like he wanted to say no, like he wanted to discuss the details of his plan more thoroughly. As far as I was concerned, it could wait until the morning. With the extra days of travel, we had plenty of time to explore them.

  I scooted closer so my leg touched his, then reached for his hand. It was large and masculine, and dwarfed mine, and I used my thumb to smooth the dark hair on the back of it. Maybe I was just torturing myself wishing for something he wouldn’t give me, but he’d already admitted he cared about me so what would it hurt to steal this evening—this night—to have for later? I’d stash the memories with the ones of Frank so I could take them out every now and then and comfort myself with them.

  Unless I could talk him into something else.

  ~Isaac~

  Spending the day with Beth was the best day I could remember for years. If I was honest with myself, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d actually been so happy. I
didn’t even recognize my own laugh, it had been that long since I’d heard it. Beth was a tonic—a beautiful, feisty, funny remedy for my life. Just being with her made me doubt everything, which only meant I needed to get away from her that much faster. That was easier said than done seeing as she was real and right in front of me. Clay Dearborn seemed far away and unimportant.

  After a day of shopping and strolling the boardwalk and park of Virginia City, we went back to the hotel for supper. She walked close, with her arm in mine, leaning her body into me with no concern for propriety. Her little weight nudging and bumping me as we walked was a comfort, like a foundation to build on. We may as well have been the only people in town, and that was fine with me. I didn’t care a hoot what anyone thought. We wouldn’t be there much longer anyway. And after sundown, when the saloons and casinos came to life, there would be plenty of other couples just like us.

  Back at the hotel, we found a table in the dining room. A bath and clean clothes made a big difference in the way the waiter treated us.

  I ordered a rare steak and a potato. Beth ate a lamb potpie. We shared apple pie for dessert.

  “This has been the perfect day,” I said. Full and satisfied, I leaned back in my chair.

  “It’s not over yet.” She winked.

  My body reacted to her suggestion. How could it not? The memory of our last night together was still fresh enough that the hope of another heated my blood. Traveling with her, sleeping next to her on the ground with her body pressed to mine, had been torture. I’m sure she’d felt the evidence of my desire as my cock pressed into her back, but she’d honored my wishes and behaved.

  Today my defenses were weakened. After spending days with her—and especially today—I wanted nothing more than to feel her warm body under mine. To be inside her again, to feel her kisses, hear the sounds she made when she was lost in pleasure—and to give her that pleasure—made me hard with anticipation. Suddenly that was all I wanted from the rest of the night.

  “Not by a long shot,” I said.

  Her eyes went wide, and then she grinned. “Well then, let’s get to it, cowboy.”

  God. I had a feeling I was in for it. I’d given her permission and by the looks of her, she was raring to go. So was I. My body ached for her and the only sound I heard was the rush of blood making a hurried trip south.

  After we paid our bill, she took me by the hand, lacing her fingers with mine, and led me to the stairs. Too narrow for us to walk side by side, she took the steps ahead of me, which gave me a perfect view of her round little bottom swaying back and forth, just begging to be touched. I reached up and gave it a boost, hurrying her along.

  “Hey there,” she said, swatting at my hand, but peeking over her shoulder and giggling at me. She purposely slowed down and exaggerated the sway of her hips even more.

  That was enough. Two could play that game. I grabbed her from behind, spun her around, and flung her over my shoulder. She squealed and laughed, kicking as I took the steps two at a time. The more she did that, the more I wanted her.

  When we got to the room, I put her down long enough for her to scrounge the key from her reticule and unlock the door. Inside I slammed the door and I couldn’t get my hands on her fast enough. She dropped her things and I pushed her against the closed door, eager to get a taste of her. I kissed her lips and they were as soft and sweet as I remembered. The flavor of the wine she had for dinner lingered there and only added to my feeling of being drunk on this woman.

  While I kissed her lips like a man with a fever searching for a cure, I hiked her skirts up. I needed to feel the silky skin of her thighs. I couldn’t wait for them to be wrapped around me, so I hitched her leg up and hooked it around my waist. She tipped her head back and groaned, baring her long, pretty neck. I reached down and nipped her clavicle, then kissed and licked my way up her neck to that spot behind her ear. When I kissed it she writhed against me and I smiled against her skin. That was the spot all right.

  I took her earlobe between my teeth and teased, then sucked on it. I thought she’d melt if her whimper was any indication. I found her ankle at my low back and while I paid more attention to her neck I caressed the length of her leg, lightening my touch as I passed over her thigh, just to tease her. But the surprise was mine when I kept going to discover she wore no undergarments. Her bottom was deliciously naked under my fingers. It was my turn to groan. The sound got lost in her hair, but I heard her chuckle.

  She shoved me and I staggered back a couple of steps. With a devilish look, she unbuttoned her dress, one slow button at a time. I was left hanging somewhere between mesmerized and blinded by desire. By her smile, she knew exactly what she was doing. When she was done, she shrugged out of the dress and it fell to the floor leaving her naked.

  I swallowed past the dryness in my throat. By God, she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on.

  She closed the distance between us and started undressing me. I moved to help her, but she slapped my hands away.

  “Let me,” she said.

  First she pushed the suspenders off my shoulders. Next, she unbuttoned my shirt. I looked down to watch and noticed that despite her confident vixen act, her fingers trembled. So she was drowning in desire as much as I was. I leaned in to kiss her forehead.

  “You’re beautiful,” I whispered.

  She laughed. “You’re distracting me. I need you to be naked.”

  “A goddess,” I added.

  She looked up at me, desire still in her eyes, but some kind of worry there, too. “Don’t tease me, Isaac. I love you. I can’t help myself, as much as I’ve tried. I know you don’t want me to, but I do. I want a lifetime with you, but if this night is all I get, then I want it to be memorable. Perfect. Don’t flatter me into thinking you love me, too.”

  Her eyes shined with the sincerity of her words before she bent to finish the last buttons of my shirt.

  I tucked a finger under her chin and lifted it so I could see her eyes again. “There’s no place I’d rather be right now, and I’m honored to have your affection. But…”

  Somewhere deep in my heart a feeling stirred that I didn’t really recognize, but suspected was something akin to fondness, or some other equally terrifying emotion I couldn’t afford.

  Her expression turned hard. “No buts. Not tonight. Don’t ruin it.”

  “Sure,” I said, smoothing a lock of hair behind her ear.

  This couldn’t be easy for her. I hadn’t ever tried to fool her into thinking we had a future. Hell, it was hard for me, too. I’d never cared for a woman. Not like this. I’d fawned over Hannah, but by comparison that had been a childish infatuation. The thought of finding Beth now only to leave her hurt more than I thought possible.

  “Good,” she said, her expression softening again. “So, where was I?”

  She started on the buttons of my pants and all our troubles faded in my thoughts. All that was real was right now. Me and Beth.

  She kneeled to finish the last button, then tugged my pants down to my ankles. I kicked them off. I expected her to stand, but she looked up at me with mischief in her eyes.

  My cock jumped at the look. She took it in her hand, stroking the length of it. I closed my eyes and lost myself in the feel of her fingers wrapped around me, of the tightness of her hand and the friction.

  When she took me in her mouth I grunted in surprise. The warm wetness and the suction just about did me in. I buried my fingers in her hair, and I couldn’t stop my hips from bucking. But I didn’t want to come in her mouth. We had all night, and plenty of time to love each other over and over, but I wanted to bury myself deep inside her. That was the warm wetness I wanted most.

  “Beth,” I said. My voice was a hoarse whisper.

  She looked up at me, a sweet wickedness in her blue eyes. Releasing me, she licked circles around the end of me before standing.

  Jesus. I couldn’t wait long enough to even get her to the bed. She made me feel like nobody ever had. Grabbing
her around the waist, I hoisted her up and seated myself right between her legs. She gasped her surprise, but then let out a long, low groan as she wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled me into her.

  I moved my hands down to her bottom. Small, round, and smooth, it fit perfectly in my hands and made it easy to hold onto while I pulled out and plunged back into her. She matched my rhythm, throwing her head back so that her long hair tickled my hands.

  I took a sweet little nipple between my lips, compressing it, rolling it with my tongue, licking circles around it. It firmed into a hard nub. She moaned and arched her back, forcing her breast closer. I switched to the other one, paying it appropriate attention. My release began to build low in my balls. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold on.

  I licked a path between her breasts, up the side of her neck, and to her lips. Her hands moved from my shoulders into my hair, where she fisted it, adding the tingle of pain to the building pleasure. She kissed me hard and, sliding all the way down the length of me, she used her legs to hold tight. I was buried as deep as possible inside her. Then she swiveled her hips, grinding herself against me. My mind felt like it would explode, and my cock almost did. It took all my self-control not to come.

  I didn’t have to wait long, though. She tensed and held her breath, then cried out. I felt her muscles squeezing me, so I pulled out and drove in hard one more time, letting go as I did. Her body—soft, tight, warm, wet—was a perfect fit for mine. As I hit my climax, I thought this was where I wanted to be. I wanted to spend my life with this woman, sharing her bed and her love, and whatever else life brought. I couldn’t even remember what my excuses for not being with her were anymore.

  She rested her head on my shoulder. “That was amazing.”

  I let her body slide down mine until her feet hit the floor. “Darlin’, we’ve still got a whole night full of amazing ahead of us.”

  …

  The next morning I woke more relaxed than I had in months, Beth’s body still tangled with mine. I watched her sleep in the morning light. She looked like an angel, and then I remembered the previous night and corrected myself: angel by day, devil by night. When I stretched, she shifted next to me, yawning.