Maybe she really was shy, or maybe she was still a bit off-kilter from passing out. Regardless, it wouldn't be the first time a pretty young woman played weak and helpless to get his attention. Modest behavior was a new thing in Tombstone, though. He wasn't sure what that meant.
Jimmy averted his gaze and she adjusted her top. He offered his hand again and pulled her into a sitting position. Re-opening the bottle of water, he held her head as he offered her another drink. She gulped down several long swigs before drawing her mouth away with a glistening sigh. "Thanks."
The sight of her freshly moistened lips made his mouth suddenly drier than the dust under his booted feet. He couldn't move. His mind imagined his mouth caressing those lips, and tasting her with abandon. He groaned inwardly.
She was far too tempting.
He had to remember his father's advice and avoid women he felt so drawn to that he got stupid around them. Hadn't that gotten his father in trouble? Too bad he couldn't ask his father what he thought if he met this woman. His dad would know a cheat at first glance. "Hurt did that to a man," he'd said.
Once he loosened his tongue, he asked, "I told you my name. What's yours?"
"Sa—I mean Lilly." Her cheeks flamed red.
"What'd you say?"
"Lilly. Lonesome Lilly."
"No, I didn't mean your stage name. What's your real name?"
She pressed her lips together and averted her gaze. So Lonesome Lilly was going to be coy about it, was she?
Well, he wasn't playing that game.
Chapter Three
Still a bit dazed, Sammie didn't answer the handsome cowboy's question. She didn't intend to share her real name with a total stranger no matter how attractive that man might be. Her first impression of him wasn't flattering at all. He seemed entirely too confident and flirtatious for his own good.
She'd seen him gawking at her chest, too, even though he'd tried to hide it. Even when she hadn't caught him furtively staring, she'd felt his eyes roaming over her with appreciation and it irritated her.
But wasn't that the whole idea of her dressing for the part of a saloon girl? To learn how to act sexy and more confident around men? To attract them like gamblers were drawn to cards and whiskey?
How was she ever going to learn to flirt if she never tried? But she hadn't a clue about how to start the flirting process other than what she'd seen in old black and white movies. It was like asking a man to dance. Extremely awkward.
She swallowed hard and tried to muster the courage. If she hadn't felt so queasy from being hungry and overheated, she might try experimenting right now.
After several seconds of debating what to do next, she tossed caution to the wind and decided to act like Mae West. She'd lure him in regardless of her initial reservations. It was now or never, baby. She thought about asking, ‘Why don't you come up and see me sometime?'Mae's most famous linebut it didn't seem to fit their current situation. Plus, it sounded too… forward.
She blinked several times and licked her lips, making sure he saw her dragging her tongue over them before she lowered her voice and batted her eyelashes. "Care to help a girl in trouble?"
"Um, sure." He shook his head as if trying to snap out of whatever had captivated him. Most likely it was her tongue, which was her intention, of course.
He offered his hand. His neck had flushed to a deep shade of red.
She bit the corner of her mouth and tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth.
His throat worked as his eyes fixed on hers.
The fluttering sensation in her stomach made it difficult for her to move. She watched his Adam's apple slide up and down. Oh, my.
"Ready?" His voice sounded a bit hoarse.
She offered a shy grin as she took his hand.
He cleared his throat as his large hand captured hers. This time warmth traveled up her arm on contact. She stared at Jimmy. The intense look in his eyes as he examined her face made her inner core melt. Wow!
He blinked and glanced at their clasped hands with a strange look of fascination on his face, and she wondered if he'd felt the same intense spark, too.
As he peered deeply into her eyes, something warm and real had stroked her soul. What was happening to her ability to remain aloof?
Her breath caught as his thumb gently rubbed the top of her hand. Was it possible to feel so drawn to a man at first sight? And what was up with that intensity in his eyes? It scared her and made her feel so dumb she couldn't speak a word.
The awed look on his face as he watched her told her something incredible had transpired between them. Something frighteningly real. He had to be aware of the sparking chemistry between them. The fearful look in his eyes probably mirrored her own and confirmed that. She shivered.
His terror struck a familiar chord in her heart. If only she knew why. Why did she feel so connected to this cowboy and so afraid of him at the same time?
With a grunt, he glanced away and tugged her to her feet. She pressed her free hand against the front of her corset to keep her body inside the material.
The moment she stood securely upright, the man let go of her hand and stepped back, thrusting his hands in his pockets
Within seconds of standing, fresh white spots danced before her eyes. She clutched her forehead and leaned into his chest. "Ooohh…"
If only she had eaten something that morning for breakfast. The annoying light-headed sensation was getting out of hand. Not to mention embarrassing.
She squeezed her eyes shut and clasped his arms to help steady her trembling limbs. He yanked his hands from his pockets and grabbed her waist. When she opened her eyes, she caught him staring at her again. His gaze traveled from her chest—now pressed solidly against him—and slid up to her eyes. The deep sea-blue color of his irises turned smoky gray.
Again, why so familiar? She scanned his face and eyes. His lashes were incredibly long for a man. Swallowing hard, she held his gaze and tried to decide what to do. Every time he looked at her lips it made her tingle, so she decided to try that with him just to see what would happen. Her eyes strayed to his mouth. His breathing shifted and sounded ragged.
Knowing she had such a powerful effect on him made her warm and tingly all over. To her surprise, flirting gave her an even headier feeling than standing up too fast had done. The fact that she'd captured his undivided attention created a powerful yearning in her chest. For the first time she understood what it was like to have a man want her, and she was hooked.
What she never anticipated was that she'd want him, too.
Her stomach fluttered as she gripped his shoulders tightly enough to turn her knuckles white. The masculine scent of his cologne permeated her senses, making her lightheaded all over again. She wanted to bury her face in his neck and cling to him. To hold on tight and never let go. He felt so safe, and warm.
His barely restrained passion heated her skin. Though less than a minute had expired it seemed like hours.
Maybe she was wrong. Could the stirring in her blood be from a hormonal surge, or even overexposure to the sun? A slight tremble inched up her spine as she examined his mouth again.
Somehow her hands had climbed up his chest and her wrists now draped over his shoulders. Her fingers had entwined behind his neck. Her face hovered so close to his that his breath tickled her forehead and she could smell the mint-fresh scent of his breath.
She wondered what it would be like to kiss him. To brush her cheek against the light stubble on his jaw and engage his lips in an urgent kiss. She imagined gently pressing her mouth against his lips until his lips parted and his mouth locked on hers. Though she'd never initiated a kiss before, she wanted to now.
Memory of an earlier time when she'd been as close to a guy zipped through her mind. But back then she'd been just a child and so had he. Well, they hadn't been exactly kids. He'd been sixteen, and she barely thirteen. She recalled him looking younger than his true age. Plus, if she remembered correctly, he'd been quite overweight. A
nd yet his lips had looked very similar to this man's. That was so long ago, and she'd lived in another state on the opposite coast. He couldn't possibly be the same person.
Yet her racing pulse and shallow breathing when he drew close had felt the same way back then, just like it did now. What if this man kissed her? Would she let him?
Jimmy grinned and tightened his arms around her waist, pulling her closer still. He mumbled in a husky voice, "Care to dance, sweetheart?"
She blinked and snapped out of her fantasy. Horrified that she stood clutching the man in the middle of the street and staring all gaga at him like a high school girl with a crush, she pushed away from him. After emitting a delicate cough, she waved him off. "Sorry, I didn't mean to grab you like that. I just… I felt a bit dizzy again."
Jimmy's eyes sparkled as a smile spread across his face, revealing straight, white teeth. He stepped back and stuffed his hands in his back pockets, enhancing his well-defined muscles. He offered another teasing grin. "No problem, honey. You can hold on to me like that any time you want."
What a tempting invitation! But who was she kidding? No way could finding a decent man be this easy. He must be playacting his role with her, or maybe he was a flirt with all the girls. Though she could swear the interest in his eyes seemed real enough. She needed to respond in her role, but how?
An ache rippled through her as he backed even further away. While tempted to spend more time with the man, she quashed that dangerous thought. She had to let him go… for his own good and for hers. She'd known that when she first laid eyes on him that morning as she headed over to the Shady Lady's Closet that he was too hot for her. In fact, he was too handsome for his own good.
Besides, she'd structured her activities down to the minutest detail for her remaining five months at her current post. She didn't have time to develop a serious relationship, tempting as it was. A relationship right now could even damage her aspirations for her career, or worse, she might get irrevocably hurt.
Yet somehow the cowboy had managed to seep into the hard wall of her heart, even if only for a moment, and the exposure unnerved her like the scraping of sensitive skin. Would she ever be ready to open her heart to a man? Or was she destined to shy away from every opportunity that tapped on the solid door of her heart?
Despite her concerns, she needed to get back in control of her emotions, even if it meant using her physical assets to accomplish that end. She never should have broken her own rule and softened her heart around him. Now she'd pay for her mistake.
Flirting with men was fun, even encouraged. Toying with her emotions was not.
After mentally berating herself for slipping, she forced an air of indifference and adjusted her boa to expose her cleavage rather than covering it. She mentally retreated into her saloon girl persona and waved the lace fan under her chin as she leaned close enough to give him an eyeful. "Thank you so much, my dear, handsome man. How much do I owe for your assistance?"
Jimmy flushed and opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. Though he tried to hide it, she saw his attention slip several times to the area below her chin and once it dipped even lower. Was it wrong for her to enjoy making him so uncomfortable? She could see how women could easily get hooked on that type of behavior.
He tipped his hat and flashed another winsome, yet wary smile as he offered her the rest of the bottled water. "You don't owe me anything, honey. Here, take this."
A saucy smile pulled at her mouth and she walked her fingers up his chest like the itsy bitsy spider. If this forward behavior didn't make him run away, she didn't know what else she could do short of kissing the man.
"You sure I can't offer you a good time, honey? I'm free for awhile. I think you'd really enjoy it." Oh. My. Goodness. She did not just say that. Now she was getting too much into her role. She even sounded like a loose woman.
He cleared his throat and cast his gaze down for a moment, shifting his feet like he felt uncomfortable. Good. She had him right where she wanted him now.
He scanned her once again until his perusal made her tingle. "I'm sure I would, Ma'am, but I'm not that kind of guy…"
Huh? Did he just insult her? Did he think she was that kind of girl? Didn't he know she was pretending with him? Now she was getting irritated.
"I'm not dignifying that statement with a comment." She sighed and licked her dry lips. She accepted the bottle. "I suppose it's best that I finish it off."
He nodded and released the bottle, then took a step back.
As she drained the container some water spilled from her lips and trickled down the front of her corset and between her breasts. She heard his intake of breath and knew what had captured his attention… again. Man, he was pitifully easy to stir up. Oh, the sense of power that gave her…
She dipped her head and suppressed a giggle, determined to set her annoyance aside. She supposed it should bother her that he kept looking at her chest, but for some reason it didn't. She actually liked the untoward attention because of the power it gave her over him. Flirting was becoming more fun than she'd ever imagined.
"Lilly…" His voice sounded rough as he brushed his hand against her arm and slid downward until his fingers touched the center of her palm.
The intimacy of his touch made the ground move beneath her feet. Dusting her broomstick skirt with her free hand, she pretended she hadn't noticed and shook him free. She turned her back on him. Sucking in a shaky breath, she released it slowly and mentally pleaded with him not to touch her again. She had to maintain control.
Glancing over her shoulder, she waved the tips of her fingers and giggled flirtatiously. He couldn't know the effect he had on her. He'd probably figure she was acting within her role, but she didn't want to chance him knowing the truth.
"Don't forget to stop by and see me sometime. Bye now, handsome man." She blew him a kiss as she did her best Mae West imitation.
He stared back, his face now devoid of pleasure. His expression looked more troubled than aroused as he opened his mouth.
She turned and sped away from him before he said something that might hurt her feelings. For some reason she felt extra touchy today.
Strolling around the corner, she headed to the Six Shooter hoping to catch at least part of the 1:30 gunfight. Unfortunately, her dramatic fainting spell meant she had missed the entire performance at the OK Corral.
Finding a trash container, she tossed the empty bottle inside. Reaching into her tiny pink purse, she pulled out money to purchase a ticket. The woman at the window gave her a brief nod and let her in without paying. "Show's almost over, hon. Go on in."
Thrilled it hadn't entirely ended, Sammie entered the courtyard and sat on a bench perched in the grassy area on the side of the lot that was shaded by a massive tree.
She smiled and watched as an old man with tattered leather chaps and an evil smirk lifted a smoking gun to his lips. He blew on the tip of his pistol before flipping it around and expertly sliding it back into its holster.
An older, balding man dropped his tattered cowboy hat and propped his boot on the dead man's back. He poured what looked like whiskey into his mouth. He spilled half the contents of the bottle onto his conquest. A menacing laugh erupted from the man's lips, followed by a sneer at the crowd as he played the mean Outlaw.
Suddenly appearing from around the corner, a clean-cut sheriff entered the scene and announced in a comical stage voice similar to Dudley Do-Right's, "You've seen your last day, Outlaw! Now stick'em up."
Sammie couldn't help giggling as she observed the obviously staged scenario. Must be she stumbled upon a comedic routine intended to humor the audience rather than realistically portraying the Wild West.
Old Man stood frozen, the whiskey still dripping from his beard. His free hand shook as he reached for his pistol. Before he could spring it from its holster, the young sheriff shot Old Man dead. Within seconds red blood oozed from the actor's vest and spread just like a real gunshot wound. He slowly sank to the ground and displaye
d a dramatic death that'd put anyone in Hollywood to shame.
The crowd hooted and whistled as they offered a round of applause to the actors. Sammie joined in; glad she hadn't missed the entire show. Hopefully she'd get good enough at acting to be in a live performance before she transferred to another post.
Maybe she would be in a scene where she'd be rescued by a handsome Vigilante named Jimmy. He'd sweep her off her feet and carry her to safety. She couldn't help giggling at the thought. In her dreams…
As she turned to leave, she came face to face with that very cowboy who had monopolized her thoughts. Every bit as handsome as Heath Ledger, only with straighter hair, she shivered when she sensed him trying to capture her attention. His probing eyes made her want to sprint away and fall into his arms at the same time. Why did he have to be so ridiculously attractive and smell so wonderful? It made it that much harder to brush him off.
Forcing herself to meet his gaze, she glanced up and locked her attention on him. For the first time she noticed how his hair rested on his collar. Her fingers itched to touch it, so she clutched her hands behind her back.
Yeah, he was gorgeous, which made him all the more dangerous as far as she was concerned. Something deep inside told her she could lose her heart to a man like Jimmy. And while she longed for that very experience, she feared it at the same time.
He stared at her like he wanted to say something but didn't know how to start the conversation. His neck slowly reddened until it looked almost sunburned. For a moment she considered that he might be shy like her. It made her insides tremble.
What if they were more alike than her first impression had dictated? She didn't want to know, because that made him even more appealing. She struggled enough as it was to appear disinterested.
"Can I interest you in some grub, honey?" His voice was soft as he nodded toward the food stand on the other side of the lawn.
The Shy Captain Page 3
