Echoes of the Heart (28 page)

           
Her
nails gouged his skin.
 
White lights
flickered behind her eyelids while she gasped her pleasure.
 
He kept stabbing harder and faster then
covered her mouth with his to muffle her cries.
 
His body convulsed and he groaned aloud.

           
She
could not believe it could get any better; transported to a place never
existing before she had met this man.
 
She glowed from moisture covering her skin when he eased her to her feet.
 
Cash’s hair clung to his forehead and neck
and he glistened with sweat.
 
Lifting her
chin, he leaned down and kissed her, softly rolling his lips over her own.
 

           
He
released her mouth and looked into her eyes.
 
A devilish glint sparkled when he lifted his eyebrows.
 
“You know, Rae; just once I would like to
take you in a bed.”

           
She
chuckled.
 
“It might be nice.”

           
Cash
buttoned his trousers and poured water in the basin to dampen a towel so she
could dab her face.
 
He splashed water
through his hair and over his face and chest then reached for his torn shirt
and roughly dried himself.
 
He reached
for her torn bloomers and tossed the clothing into the stove.

           
He
grabbed a shirt from the peg near the door, hastily dressed then folded Raeden
into his arms.
 
She basked in his
nearness.
 
She had missed him.
 
His hand drifted down the length of her hair
then gave her rear end a gentle squeeze.
 
“So where are those pants that show off you cute little bottom?”

           
She
smiled up at his face.
 
“I thought you
didn’t like them.”

           
“Oh,
I liked them all right, along with every other man in town.”

           
He
reached for her cloak, hung it on a peg and lifting her into his arms, walked
to the desk and sat down holding her in his lap.
 
She placed an arm around his shoulders the
other flat on his chest.
 
He looked into
her eyes.
 
“I have missed you.
 
What is new in your world of fashion besides
those breeches?
 
Any word from New
York?”

           
“It
can wait.
 
First, you must tell me about
your trip to the Black Hills.
 
Rumor has it the Cheyenne
murdered a prospector.”

           
Cash
explained every detail, easing the apprehension she’d felt.
 
They talked the better part of an hour before
John’s footfalls echoed his approach.
 
Raeden stood but Cash remained seated when he entered the room.

           
“Hi,
Rae, haven’t seen you around.”

           
“I’ve
been working at home.”
 
She wondered if
he guessed what they had been doing.

           
“Guess
you’ve probably worked up a lot of new stuff.
 
I heard about your latest riding get-up.”

           
Cash
gave her a wink.
 
She reached for her
cape.
 
“I’ll let you two talk
business.”
 
She glanced at Cash on her
way toward the door.
 
“I’ll wait outside
if you want to walk me back.”

           
“Sure,
I will only take a minute.”

           
She
stepped out the rear entrance and approached Rabbit’s stall.
 
The filly whinnied softly and trotted toward
her outstretched hand.
 
Raeden scratched
under her forelock while Rabbit nuzzled her neck and softly snickered.

           
When
she turned, Cash stood in the doorway looking baffled and shaking his
head.
 
“I’ve never seen her take to a
woman before.”

           
Raeden
gave him a snide grin.
 
“I’m not just any
woman.”

           
Cash
chuckled.
 
“I guess I deserved
that.”
 
He walked her to the store.

***

They met for lunch
the next several days.
 
Raeden enjoyed their
time together though found herself becoming edgy.
 
Their stolen kisses left her wanting.

Dressed for the
ride home she looked up and saw Cash walking her direction as she prepared to mount
Arte.
 
He grabbed her hand.

           
“Come
with me, Rae.
 
I’ll ride you home later.”

           
Hand
in hand, they jogged to the back stairs of the hotel and he hustled her inside
his room.
 
Within a second of the door
closing, they began stripping, climbed into his bed, and made love twice.

           
Wrapped
in each other, Rae sighed.
 
“I knew it
would be nice in a bed.”
 
She stretched
her arms over her head like a lazy cat.

           
Cash’s
brows drew together, and he rose on one elbow to stare into her eyes.
 
“Spend the night with me, Rae.”

           
Raeden
jumped up.
 
“Oh, my God, what time is
it?
 
I have to get home, they will
worry.”

Reluctantly, Cash
dressed and escorted her to the store to pick up Arte, with Rabbit trailing
behind.
 
Grasping the reins, he eased
them over Arte’s neck then attached a lead rope to his halter and tied it to
his saddle horn.
 

After mounting
Rabbit, he reached over for Raeden and scooped her up, placing her before him
in the saddle then rode out of town toward the house.

“I like to ride
this way.
 
How about you?”

           
Raeden
leaned back into his body, and his arms tightened around her waist.
 
“I could get used to it, I suppose.”
 
She ran her hand along his thighs and chills
ran through his body.
 
Maybe he should
abduct her and return to his bed.

           
“You
had better stop, if you want to get home.”
 
He lowered his face to nestle in her hair.

           
“Maybe
they will be asleep and you can sneak into my bedroom.”

           
“Jesus,
Rae, what are you trying to do?
 
I am not
made of steel, you know.”
 
If she went on
much longer, he would be a basket case.
 
No matter how many times he had her, it never seemed to be enough.
 

           
“Well,
you said you wanted to spend the night with me.”

           
“Don’t
tempt me, if you know what is good for you.”
 
The little devil.
 
He could see
she would make this difficult.

           
“I’m
not tempting, I am offering.”

           
“In
that case, you should have stayed in my bed.”
 
Perhaps he should take her up on her offer.

           
All
thoughts of a tryst in her bedroom halted at the sight of the lighted house
when they approached.
 
Just as well.
 
It would be far too complicated if they spent
the night together in his bed or hers, obligated to marry after such a reckless
action.

           
Before
reaching the house, Cash slid his arm up from her waist and fondled her breasts
while he kissed the back of her neck.

           
Mike
and Diane stood on the porch at their approach.
 
“There you are, Rae.
 
We became
worried.”

           
Cash
eased Raeden down from the saddle and untied the lead rope, handing it to
Raeden.
 
“It became late, so I thought I
had better escort her home.”

           
Raeden
passed him a longing glance, making a lump in his throat form as he gazed into
the dark green eyes reflecting in the soft light from the lamp on the porch.

           
“Thank
you for seeing me home, Cash.”

 
         
“My pleasure, good night
everybody.”
 
He raised the tip of his hat
before reining Rabbit in the direction of town.

***

Cash scanned the
room as he sauntered into the saloon for a glass of whiskey to release the
tension, built up from the ride home with Raeden.

           
While
nursing his drink, the aroma of heady perfume rose to his nostrils when Angie
walked up beside him and placed an arm around his back.
 
“Hi, darlin,’ haven’t seen you around for a
while.”

           
“I’ve
been busy.”
 
He found himself wishing she
would leave him alone with his drink.

           
“I
suppose you came in for some reason other than to drink.”
 
Her blue eyes shot a lascivious stare.

           
Cash
thought of Raeden.
 
He had no desire to
be with Angie.
 
“Not tonight, Angie.
 
I’m tired.
 
Just stopped by for a quick shot before retiring.”

           
Her
cheeks pinked and her eyes turned to slits while she dropped her hand from his
back.
 
“It’s the little bitch you’ve been
fawning over, isn’t it.”

           
“That’s
enough, Angie.
 
If I didn’t know better,
I would say you’re jealous.”

           
“Jealous
of such a creature?
 
You have to be
kidding.”
 
She turned and stomped to the
card table and leaned over a player to whisper in his ear.
 
After the hand played, the player rose from
the chair and walked up the stairs with Angie.

           
He
chugged the rest of his drink and tossed a coin on the bar before turning to
leave.
    

Lying in bed, Cash
inhaled the fragrance clinging to the bed linens where Raeden had lain.
 
The more he had of her, the more he
wanted.
 
She had stirred the ashes of his
extinct affections.
 
How long could he
fight it?

He would think
about it later.
 
For now, he had plans to
speak with Senator Wilcox when he arrived in Pierre.
 
The Cheyenne
needed his help, and he would do all in his power to voice their cause to any
man in the White House who would listen.
 
The battle within regarding Raeden did not compare to the political
warfare ahead.
 
For now, he needed to
sleep.
 
Closing his eyes, he fell into a
deep restful slumber and dreamed of Raeden nestled against him.

Thirty-five

           
Cash
sat at his desk reading the telegram from Senator Wilcox regarding his arrival
in Pierre.
 
He had time before the second session of
Congress convened to make a visit.
 
His
expected arrival would be the end of November, if the weather remained stable.

           
He
leapt from his seat at the sound of gunfire, grabbed a rifle and raced out the
door in the direction of the blasts.
 
It’s the bank!
 
John charged in from the opposite direction
just as the door opened exposing the three men they had seen in town a few
weeks before.

           
Each
man had a hostage, a gun to their head while they walked out on the planks,
satchels over their shoulders.
 
“If
anyone tries to stop us, we’ll kill them all.”
 
They edged toward their horses, Cash and John lowered their guns.

           
One
of the man’s eyes looked wild as they flicked from side to side.
 
“Okay, Marshal, if you want them alive you’d
better do as I say.”
 
He paused, getting
no answer, he yelled.
 
“Do you hear me?”

           
The
man speaking, the tallest of the group, had a growth of dirty beard and his
clothes dusty from riding.
 
A scar ran
along his forehead and dark hair hung below his hat in greasy clumps.
 
All three wore dusters over their clothing.

           
“I
hear you.
 
Why don’t you let them go and
we can talk this over man to man.”

           
“No
more talking, just do as I say.”
 
They
reached their mounts.
 
“Now you and your
sidekick toss your guns into the water trough over there real careful
like.
 
I’d like nothing better than to
shoot you where you stand.”
 
His eyes
flared and his face grew taught.