Duty Bound: Bound and Tied, Book 2 (2 page)

Not only had she let her anger get the better of her, her hand hurt so badly she thought maybe she’d broken it. Her mother’s gentle voice echoed in her head.
It’s much easier to attract flies with honey.
And she’d gone and punched the galoot, ruining any chance she had of convincing him to return the IOU for the ranch. If she wanted this man to give back what was rightfully theirs, she’d have to come up with a better plan.

When KC burst through the front door of the hotel, she nearly ran into the woman in royal blue, who was standing between the staircase and the doorway, tapping a folded fan against her palm, her lips pressed in a thin line. “Surely you have a room. I’ll only be here for a night and I can’t possibly sleep in the street. Look again.”

The gray-haired man behind the wooden counter shook his head, his beard brushing his shirt, making a swishing sound. “Ain’t gonna do no good. I got nothing left. The hotel is full. You’ll have to find someone willin’ to double up.”

“And do you have any women registered here?” Her delicate brows rose up her smooth forehead.

“No, ma’am.”

“Well can you at least store my trunk until I can find suitable lodgings?” She nodded toward the trunk on the floor beside her.

“Sure. It can stay right where it is.”

“Hmph.” The lady turned and marched for the door.

Knowing what a woman like that would be up against out there in the coarse mining town with nowhere to go and it being night, KC couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Not that it was any of her business. The woman was a stranger. And the only other woman in town besides the two-bit whores at the saloon. Besides, KC had bigger worries.

She found herself following the woman out of the hotel onto the dusty street. “Excuse me, ma’am.”

The woman jumped, her hand going to her throat. “Oh, goodness, you gave me a fright.” Her gaze skimmed over KC, and the pretty lady dismissed KC with a flick of her hand. “I don’t have any horses to stable, so be gone.”

KC nursed her fist in her hand, massaging the battered knuckles, trying to make the hurt go away. “I didn’t come out to stable your horses. I heard what you said in there, and I think I can help.”

“I’m not interested.” The woman gathered her skirts and stepped off the porch.

As KC watched her walk away, her head held high, an idea blossomed. If she looked like that and smelled like that, she’d have more of a chance to convince the man called Jake into letting her father keep his ranch. He wouldn’t recognize her as the boy who’d punched him in the jaw. He’d never suspect a lady of such undignified behavior.

KC leaped down from the porch and ran after the woman.

The woman rolled her eyes. “What will it take to get you to leave me alone? I’m tired and only want a clean bed to rest my head on.”

“I told you, I can help you out.”

She stopped and squared off with KC. “How? Are you going to sell me to the highest bidder among the miners? I’m done with men fighting over me, chasing me around and claiming they own me. I only need a place to stay for one night until I can contact my new employer.” When she started to turn away again, KC lost her patience.

“Look, lady, I have a room at the hotel.”

She frowned at her. “I’m not interested in taking your virginity, boy.”

KC grabbed the woman’s arm and dragged her into the shadows next to the building.

She struggled against KC’s hold. “Let me go at once, or I’ll scream.”

When they were fully in the shadows, KC ripped the cowboy hat from her head and let her braid fall down over her shoulder. “Go ahead and scream, maybe I’ll join you.”

The lady stared at her. “You’re a girl?”

“I like to think of myself as a woman, at the ripe old age of nineteen… Yes, I’m a girl!” KC let go of the lady in blue and paced away. “I have a room at the hotel, but they think I’m a boy. It’s safer that way on the trail.”

A smile tipped one side of the beauty’s mouth. “I never would have guessed.”

A jab of anger made KC just a little cranky. “Not everyone can be as pretty as you.”

“Oh, I didn’t say that you aren’t pretty. I bet with a dress and your hair done up proper, you’d be quite lovely. So what do you want for the use of your room?”

KC stopped in front of the woman. “I want to be you.”

“Me?” The woman backed up a step. “You don’t even know who I am.”

“I know enough. You’re beautiful, refined and turn a man’s head. Hell, you even turned mine. I need you to make me look like you.”

KC spilled her story to the woman, forcing back any tears that threatened to well in her eyes at the thought of her little sisters being homeless with winter coming on.

When she’d finished, the woman in the fancy blue dress propped her hands on her hips. “Well, then. Isn’t that just like a man to gamble away his life on a silly game.” She grabbed KC’s hat, pushed the braid up under it and shoved it down hard on KC’s head. “Come on, we have work to do. Not only do you have to dress like a lady, you’ll need some other tricks I know to convince this man to give you back what’s yours. By the way, I’m Rosalyn Smythe.”

“KC Masterson.” KC held out her hand, and the lady’s slim, delicate fingers curled around hers.

“Oh my, first thing we have to work on is that name.” Rosalyn hooked her arm through KC’s and marched her back to the hotel.

At the desk, Rosalyn held her head high. “This young man has kindly offered to give me his room. Please see that my trunk is delivered immediately.”

KC grinned as the hotel clerk’s jaw dropped. By the look in his eyes, he assumed the woman would be sleeping with a boy. KC’s chest swelled with pride. To be seen with such a woman on her arm made her wish she was a man…er, boy. She could imagine the delicate skin beneath the dress and the fine fingers trailing across her body.

Shocked at her thoughts, KC glared at the clerk and followed Rosalyn up the stairs.

Once inside the room, Rosalyn removed her hat and set it on a small table. Then she unbuttoned her fitted traveling coat and slipped it off, exposing a crisp white blouse with buttons that traveled up over the swell of her breasts to her chin. She worked her way out of several of them until the smooth white skin of her chest shone through in the light from the candle on the bedside.

“Well?” She grabbed the hat from KC’s head and flung it onto the bedpost. “You won’t be needing that.” Her fingers threaded through the braid all the way up to KC’s scalp. “Lovely, your hair is thick and beautiful. Once we wash it, it’ll be easier to work with.”

“I cleaned it a week ago.”

Rosalyn sniffed a strand. “The only male that would be attracted to that smell is a bull in rutting season. We wash tonight. Now, off with the rest. We can’t fit a dress over your dungarees, and I need to see your figure. Hopefully we’re close in size.”

KC’s fingers clutched at the collar of her shirt. “You want me to take my clothes off?”

“Honey, I’ve seen so many women naked, you won’t be showing me anything new.”

“Are you a…?”

“Whore?” Rosalyn smiled. “No, sweeting. But I once operated an exclusive boarding house for women who catered to men.”

KC’s eyes widened. “A bordello?”

Rosalyn’s brow furrowed. “Not exactly. We had a high-class staff and very wealthy patrons with a wide variety of tastes. One of our side businesses was providing instruction to ladies who wanted to learn how to keep a man’s interest.”

KC clapped her hands. “Perfect. That’s exactly what I need. If I can catch the thief’s eye, I might have a chance of convincing him to forgive my father’s debt and let him keep the ranch.”

“That’s the idea.” Rosalyn crossed her arms over her chest and gave KC a pointed look. “We have very little time to work with. I suggest you remove the clothes posthaste.”

Her cheeks flaming, KC unbuttoned her long overcoat, sliding it down over her arms. She’d never been naked in front of a stranger, only her mother and sisters. Her body burned with embarrassment as she removed her vest next.

“At this rate, you’ll never win your ranch back. Here, let me.” Rosalyn reached for the buttons on the shirt, flipping through them at a speed that had KC’s head spinning. Before she could utter a squeak of protest, Rosalyn had KC’s shirt off and tossed over her saddlebag.

Then she tipped her head to the side. “I assume you have breasts under that wadding?”

KC’s cheeks flamed at the mention of the bands of cotton wrapped tightly around her breasts. “Of course.”

“Well then let’s see them.”

KC crossed her arms in front of her. “I can’t.”

“Oh, please.” Rosalyn reached for the end of the strip of linen and pulled hard, spinning KC round and round until the material whipped away from her skin.

Her breasts sprang free, the cool air pebbling her nipples into hardened peaks.

Unabashed, Rosalyn plumped them. “Oh, yes, these are quite lovely. Any man would want to get his hands on them.” Her palms cupped them and lifted.

A bolt of awareness sliced through KC, centering on Rosalyn’s touch and arrowing downward to the nether region between her thighs. Her body warmed instantly, moisture trickling from her core. No one had ever touched her there. And damned if it didn’t feel wickedly wonderful.

“Yes, indeed. Quite lovely.” Rosalyn’s tongue slid across her lower lip and her fingers tightened around KC’s nipples. She sucked in a breath and let her hands fall to her sides. “Is it warm in here?”

“Yes, yes, it is.” KC ran for the window, ready to throw it open when she came to her senses. She stood half-naked in a room with a strange woman. Keeping her back to Rosalyn, KC breathed deeply, covered her chest with her hands and faced the other woman. “I’m not so sure about this after all.”

Rosalyn smiled. “You felt it too, didn’t you?”

KC shook her head. “Don’t know what you mean.”

Rosalyn’s fingers flicked a few more buttons loose on her own blouse, exposing the swell of her breasts. A knock on the door stilled her hands.

KC dropped to the floor and slid beneath the bed.

Rosalyn laughed. “We have to work on your confidence as a woman.”

Rosalyn flung the door open and swept her hand to the side. “Set the trunk against that wall.” She stood in front of the bed to keep the clerk from spying KC beneath the mattress.

Another man followed the clerk into the room, carrying a pitcher and basin. He set it on the washstand and gulped.

Even from KC’s narrow view of what was going on, she could see the lust in the men’s eyes as they stared at Rosalyn’s cleavage. Not that KC could blame them. She’d been equally captivated by the exposed skin.

Good Lord, what had she gotten herself into? She was lusting after a woman, for goodness’ sakes. A woman! Surely that was all kinds of sinful.

After the men left the room and Rosalyn closed the door, KC climbed out from under the bed and stood, her heart racing and her breathing erratic, her hands covering her naked breasts. “Teach me how to do that, please.”

Rosalyn’s pretty brows arched. “Do what?”

“Turn a man’s head.” KC stared at the beautiful woman, her gaze dropping to Rosalyn’s cleavage, her mouth dangerously dry. “Heck, show me how you turned
my
head. I never knew a woman could be so…so…”

With a slow, sensuous smile, Rosalyn closed the distance between herself and KC. “So desirable?”

KC gulped. “Y-yes.”

“Let’s start here.” Rosalyn pried KC’s hands from her body and pushed them to her sides. “You have beautiful breasts, KC. Don’t be afraid to show a little.”

A nervous giggle bubbled up and overflowed. “A little? This is more than just a little.” Her eyes widened. “You don’t expect me to march in and strip for the man, do you? I mean, there’s convincing…and there’s crazy.”

Rosalyn’s low chuckle did nothing to calm KC’s racing pulse. If anything it made her body even warmer, wrapping her in an intimate moment with the other woman.

“Honey, you only show enough to make them want more. Lesson one: an artfully clothed woman is much more enticing than a naked harlot.”

Mesmerized by Rosalyn’s voice, KC nodded. As the words sank in, she frowned. “But I’m not artfully clothed.”

“Lesson two: artful clothing begins at the foundation.” Rosalyn slipped her fingers inside the waistband of KC’s trousers and loosened the buttons. With a flick of her wrists, the trousers fell down KC’s legs, pooling around her ankles and boots. “You have all the right attributes. All you need is the proper framing.”

“What do you mean attributes?” KC asked, her words a breathy whisper, her body on fire with every touch of Rosalyn’s hands. Her mind kept telling her this was immoral, but she couldn’t back away, couldn’t leave, couldn’t stop the fall over the cliff of righteous behavior into the chasm of wicked, evil lust.

No wonder men had such a difficult time remaining faithful to their wives. With women like Rosalyn willing to satisfy their every need…

Rosalyn stepped closer still, her hands rising to cup KC’s breasts. “We’ll start with your breasts.”

“My breasts?” KC’s mind whirled with the sensations shooting through her body, angling downward to the center of her womanhood.

“A man would be completely captivated by these full, luscious mounds, tipped by rosy, pink cherries. He’d salivate for the chance to pluck the fruit right off the tip.” Rosalyn bent to take one of KC’s nipples into her mouth, sucking it gently between her teeth. “Mmmm…lovely.” Her tongue flicked the pebbled peak.

KC’s back arched, pressing her breast deeper into Rosalyn’s mouth. “A man will do that?” She closed her eyes, her body swaying toward Rosalyn.

“Oh, yes, and more.”

“More?” KC’s nipple tingled and bursts of fire burned through her veins. “So this is passion?”

“It’s only the beginning.”

“I don’t think I could handle much more than this.” KC stared down at the top of Rosalyn’s dark head. “Has anyone ever died doing this?”

Rosalyn laughed and straightened. “No, honey. It’s quite natural to feel the way you do.”

“But I feel as though I have the vapors.” Her knees wobbled, barely able to support her.

Rosalyn’s fingers cupped KC’s cheeks and she stared into her eyes. “Breathe, KC, breathe.”