Ana Leigh (31 page)

Chapter 31

Brimstone

R
ose was utterly miserable. The weight in her chest seemed to be getting heavier, rather than easing with the passing of time. It was impossible to make any rational decision when her treacherous memory kept reminding her of his engaging grin, the sound of his warm chuckle.

Time and time again in the past two weeks, Rose had questioned why she was doing this to herself. In the final scheme of things, did it matter if she might love him more than he did her? So what if he thought he loved her out of gratitude? At least she’d be with him.

So why prolong being away from him? Though she’d believed it was good to get away and clear her mind, she hadn’t realized how much her heart had a say in it. All she was accomplishing was denying herself the pleasure of being with him, of seeing him, of tasting his kiss. Oh, how she longed for just the touch of his hand. Hadn’t she learned by almost losing him that every shared moment was a gift to be cherished—not forsaken?

She had come to understand why he hadn’t told her he was a Texas Ranger sooner, but it hurt, to think he hadn’t trusted her enough to be truthful with her.

Rose stood up and put on her apron, thinking aloud. “Could it be because he’d intended from the beginning to leave me when it was over?”

She’d just see about that! Like it or not, he was stuck with her. Tomorrow she was heading back to Calico. She’d rather be miserable with him than without him.

Rose went to the mirror to pin the bow on her hair. “But if he
really
loved me—”

“He does, darlin’.”

She spun around and there he was, climbing through the window. The familiar grin. The irresistible mischief in his eyes. And in that instant the yoke of doubt lifted, shattered by the pulse-pounding certainty of their love.

She gloried in that certainty as he walked over to her and cupped her face in the warmth of his palms. His gaze devoured her lovingly.

“I’ve told you in a dozen different ways, Rosie. But if you want, I’ll say it again. I’ll shout it to the world. I love you.”

Then he kissed her, and she came alive again, a Sleeping Beauty awakened by the kiss of her prince. Lord, how she loved this man! It had seemed forever since she’d felt the thrill of his touch, the warmth of his love. Any doubt, any reservation, any misconstrued notion she might have harbored became meaningless.

When breathlessness forced them apart, he held her for a long moment, reacquainting their senses and bodies to the feel of each other. To the peace of mind of being together, their hearts beating as one.

“Rosie, why did you leave?”

The moment shattered, returning her to reality. She stepped away and stared at him with eyes widened in shock.

“You can ask me that? Have you forgotten how you lied and deceived me from the time we met? You were practically on your death bed before you admitted to me that you were a Texas Ranger, and not the drifter you pretended to be.”

“Rose, I had to do that. I was undercover.”

“What does that mean—a license to lie? It only proves my point: lawmen can’t be trusted. I don’t know if I can ever trust you again.”

For the first time, she saw him angry. “You know, Rose, you’ve got a couple of pretty twisted values: you could trust me when you thought I was an outlaw, but you can’t now because I’m a lawman. So Sturges was a son of a bitch, and you’ve met up with a couple of rotten lawmen. Well, for evey
one
you can name, I can name ten decent ones, including my dad, uncles, and cousins. Rangers like Will Grainger, marshals like Pat Garrett, and sheriffs like Ben Morgan. The West is dotted with the graves of honorable lawmen who have died bringing law and order to this country. I’m damn tired of listening to you ridiculing them.”

“Don’t you try to put me on the defensive, Zach MacKenzie. I’m talking about you and me—truth and trust between
us
.”

“Then believe this: there’s a simple explanation why I wasn’t entirely honest with you. In the beginning I couldn’t tell you—I was working undercover. Then it became too late because you were going to marry Rayburn, and he was my prime suspect.”

“So you didn’t trust me.”

“Why should I have trusted you? I had Will Grainger’s life to consider. Secondly, you were adamant about marrying a rich man.
And
you sure as hell made no secret how much you hated lawmen. And for your own good, it was better you didn’t know the truth: if those bastards suspected you knew anything, they’d have tortured you to get it out of you. All I could do was warn you away from Rayburn, but you wouldn’t listen. You thought I was doing it out of jealousy.”

“I figured out for myself why you kept the truth about Stephen from me. It was one of the doubts I had to come back here and work out alone.”

“I have to know, Rosie: are you unsure . . . that you love me?”

“How could you ever think that? If I didn’t love you, nothing you said or did would have hurt me.”

“I’m sorry, honey. I never meant to hurt you. And I tried like hell not to fall in love with you. Reckon I failed at both. I almost went crazy when I woke up and you were gone.”

“I always intended to go back, Zach. Didn’t Em tell you?”

“She told me, but I didn’t know . . . I couldn’t understand why you left.”

She shook her head in helplessness. “It made sense at the time. I just needed to get away from everyone and settle it all in my mind. Everything had been so hectic. I was hurt that you’d lied to me about your past, and wasn’t even sure how you’d feel about me when you recovered. We’d gone through a lot together, and I thought you might have convinced yourself that you were in love with me. My leaving would give you a chance to think it out, too.”

He snorted. “You’ve got that right, Rosie. I did a lot of thinking—
thinking
that I’d go out of my mind before I could get out of that bed and come after you.”

His expression sobered, and he raised his hands to her cheeks. “Rosie . . .” The words seemed to catch in his throat. “Rosie, how could you do that to us?” Heartache glimmered in his eyes, tears in hers.

Sitting down, he pulled her down on his lap. “I want you to listen carefully—and believe—everything I’m about to tell you, because it’s probably the longest speech I’ll ever make, and talking about myself’s never come easy to me.

“Something happened to me when we were running from that gang. I always had a pretty cavalier attitude when it came to my own death. But when I actually believed I was going to die, all I could think about was not wanting to leave you. The night you said we’d have the rest of our lives together, that your life would have no purpose if I died, was when I quit feeling sorry for myself. I thought about what your grief would be like. Your pain. And that thought just about broke my heart. That’s what kept me going, honey.”

“Because you felt sorry for me?” she asked.

“Because I
love
you! Dammit, Rose, aren’t you listening to anything I’m saying? Your love got me through it.”

She stood up and walked over to the window. For a long moment, she remained silent. Then she turned and smiled slyly. “Well, were you?”

As always, he understood her perfectly. “I’d never have let you marry that son of a bitch, Rosie.”

“I’ve already figured that out. But that’s not what I asked you, Zach. No secrets, remember?”

He couldn’t hide his grin. Getting to his feet, he walked slowly toward her. “
You
are a witch, Rose Dubois. A seductive, soul-stealing, redheaded witch.” He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. “Whom I adore.”

Leaning into him, Rose slipped her arms around his neck. “Yes or no, MacKenzie?”

“You know damn well I was jealous. But I was right about Rayburn, wasn’t I?”

He kissed her so soundly she felt it all the way down to the tips of her toes.

“Now I have a question for you. Do you still hate all lawmen?”

“I met one I’m crazy about,” she teased.

“Is that right?” His cocky smile made her glow. “I bet he feels the same way about you.”

“Well, I don’t think it will do me any good. I understand Sheriff Morgan is a confirmed bachelor.”

“Lady,” he groaned, “you’re eating me alive. You burrow under a man’s skin and just kept chewing. How do you feel about Texas Rangers?”

“I think the Texas Rangers are very courageous and admirable, but I’ll be honest with you, Zach: I’m going to be miserable married to one, wondering if the man I love will be shot and killed in the line of duty.”

“I figured as much. The Tait gang was my last assignment. I didn’t reenlist.”

Rose’s happiness bubbled over. “Do you mean it, Zach?”

“I mean it. I did my duty and upheld the family tradition. But you and I have a much more urgent problem to settle. If I don’t make love to you soon, I’m going to burst. Let’s go to bed, Rosie.”

She looked sorrowful. “I have to go to work now.”

He groaned. “You have to go to work!” Grasping her by the shoulders, he stared down at her. “Tell me, Rose, since I gave up the Rangers, are you giving up the Harvey Girls?”

“We’ll talk about that as soon as I get back.” She gave him a quick kiss and headed for the door. “I’m late, Zach. I must go.”

He caught her as she reached the door, and turned her around to face him. He cupped her neck in his warm palm and tilted her head back. “Forget about it tonight and stay here with me.” His kiss was long and persuasive. “Rosie, it’s been so long. I need you,” he whispered, between soft kisses to her face and eyes.

“I need you, too, Zach,” she said, yearningly. “But I’ll only be gone for a couple hours. I’ll come back as soon as the train pulls out, and we’ll have all night to make up for lost time.”

“Lost time is lost forever, love. This is here and now. Let’s not lose any more time than we have already.”

His kisses became longer and hotter, his stroking tongue sending exquisite shivers spiraling through her. “Don’t make me beg, Rosie,” he whispered. “I can’t look at you now without wanting to make love to you.”

She curved into him instinctively, and he traced down her spine and rested his hands on her derriere, then crushed her against his throbbing, swelling erection. She sucked in an ecstatic gasp and closed her eyes.

“Feel my need, Rosie. Feel what you do to me. Two more hours is an eternity.”

She knew he
would
stop if she insisted. But the damage was done. His every kiss—his every erotic plea—had escalated her passion beyond any hope of walking away from him now.

“Rosie?” He waited expectantly, with the look of a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar waiting to hear his punishment.

A wisp of a smile tugged at the ends of her lips. “It would be an eternity for me, too, my love.”

He pulled her to him. “Rosie, I love you. I love you,” he murmured.

His kiss was so tender she didn’t realize she was crying until he gently brushed the tears off her cheeks. Then he picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bed.

“This is so irresponsible of me,” she murmured as he removed her clothing. “Inconsiderate, unforgivable, and . . . and . . .” He laid her on the bed, then lowered himself to her.

“And so-o-o divine,” she murmured before his mouth captured hers.

“What time is it, honey?” Zach asked.

Rose rolled over and looked at the clock. They’d been together for over two hours.

“It’s seven o’clock. The dinner train’s come and gone. What am I going to tell Mr. Billings?”

“So long, it’s been good to know you,” he said.

Rolling back, she leaned on his chest, her silky hair feathering his cheek as she gazed down at him. “That’s not funny, Zach. I’m going to miss him and the other girls. In addition, since Sheriff Bloom and most of the outlaw element have moved on to greener pastures, Brimstone isn’t such a bad town now. There’s a new sheriff, and he seems to be a pretty honest man.”

“A kind word about a lawman coming from the mouth of Rose Dubois? I never thought I’d live to see that day.”

She dipped her head and kissed him. “You look much better than the last time I saw you.” Her gaze automatically swung to the ugly wound on his shoulder. “How does it feel?”

“A little stiff, that’s all. In another couple of weeks you won’t even know it’s there.”

“I’ll always know,” she said solemnly, and lightly traced her fingers over his thigh. “And this leg wound?”

“Never felt as good as it does right now, honey.” He wove his fingers into her hair, pulled her head down, and stroked her lips with his tongue. “You’re all the medicine I’ll ever need, Rosie.”

She parted her lips in a sigh, and their mouths found a fit. It was meant to be a quick, light kiss, but as always their hunger for each other controlled the moment. Pressure deepened, emotions intensified, light banter became sighs and groans, and desire became a floodtide.

Afterward, Rose eased herself out of his arms and sat up on the edge of the bed.

“What are you doing, Rosie?”