Tarnished Angel (12 page)

    Camille reached up and patted Willard Kingston's weather-beaten cheek. Charles had said something similar to her just a few nights ago, and now…

    Her unfailing optimism returning, it suddenly occurred to Camille that she could not compete with the very beautiful Devina Dale, but Charles would still continue to come to her, at least for a while. She would not give him up easily, not easily at all.

    Feeling the heat of tears under her eyelids, Camille whispered huskily, ''Willie, now, you see, you have brought tears to my eyes. That will never do, my good fellow."

    Camille turned toward the nearby staircase. It was time to go back to work. "Come, Willie you have been very patient, and it is time for your patience to be rewarded."

    Willard
kingston
smiled, allowing Camille to lead the way.

    "Damn it all, where is he?"

    Scowling, Ross walked to the doorway of the cabin and paused to scan the encroaching darkness. A sound from behind made him turn to the disgusted expression of the bearded man sprawled in the lone upholstered chair in the room.

    "You
goin
' to keep
doin
' that all night, Ross? I don't mind
tellin
' you, you're
makin
' me damned nervous with all that
pacin
'.
Pacin
'
ain't
goin
' to bring Jake back here a minute sooner."

    "What in hell could've happened to him? I told him to keep out of sight while he was watching the Dale house. There's no reason for him to so late."

    "Oh,
ain't
there?" The unexpected question came from a second man who was seated at the table with a tattered pack of cards spread before him. "Jake's close-mouthed, but it don't take much to tell that he's got a woman stashed in that town somewhere. Hell, a man don't usually go
ridin
' off until all hours of the night for any other reason. For the life of me, I can't see why he's
keepin
' her a secret."

    Mack's low snicker broke into
Harry's
speculation, and his toothless grin flashed as he spoke. "Maybe he's, afraid of competition."

    Casting a deprecating glance toward Mack's bearded face and gaping smile, Harry shook his head. "He
ain't
afraid of competition from you."

"Well, who would he be afraid of… you, by any chance?"

    Once more the deprecating glance from Harry, and Mack drew himself erect in his chair. "Watch yourself, Wilson. I
ain't
takin
' that kind of look from nobody, much less a worthless piece of lard like yourself."

    Unable to stand any more of the harmless bickering that masked the real affection his two unlikely henchmen had for each other, Ross walked out into the yard. He had been lucky to run into both Harry and Mack soon after they had been robbed of their claims by the same technicalities of law that had allowed Harvey Dale to take over his father's claim. They had been bitter, too tired to start over from scratch, and it had suited them fine to take an easier route for a while. Despite their slow talk and harmless appearance, Ross knew that Mack and Henry were quick with their guns and dependable in any situation. He also knew he'd be unable to handle the robberies without their help.

    As Ross turned onto the narrow path that led to the pond,
Harry's
low comment carried into the yard, penetrating the twilight and interrupting his thoughts.

    "See what you did, Mack? You got Ross so disgusted with your
troublemakin
' and smart talk that he walked out. Hell, you keep
arguin
' with me that way over
everythin
' I say and
drivin
' him to the pond to cool off, Ross is
goin
' to end up waterlogged. Hell, the way
things've
been
goin
' lately, he might even start to shrink!"

    At any other time the raucous laughter that erupted would have had Ross grinning as well, but he was long past the point of amusement

    Walking down the narrow trail, he strode to the edge of the pool and stared at its
mirrorlike
surface. The sounds of night were growing louder, and he frowned at the shadowed beauty of dusk. An expression of pure disgust moved across his face, and he took a deep breath. What in hell was wrong with him, anyway? He didn't need Mack and Harry to tell him the reason Jake was so long in returning. They weren't in Jake's confidence, but he was, and he knew far better than they why Jake had been detained.

    Ross turned, his eye catching the towel he had thrown over a bush after emerging from the pool earlier in the evening. A small snicker escaped his lips. Hell, Mack was right. He had been using the pool to cure a multitude of ills
latelyhis
frustrations,   tension, the anger that would not cease, and the unnamed driving emotion which had tied him in knots from the moment he had set eyes on Devina Dale.

    If he had been able to travel more freely, he would have found a more enjoyable way of stilling his inner turmoil. Rosie and Jenny Lee always welcomed him warmly enough as long as the price was right. Hell, maybe then he'd be successful in exorcising the memory of hair as light and fragrant as an angel's wing brushing his face, and a soft, feminine warmth that had tantalized him even while he pressed the barrel of his gun against that softness

    Ross felt a familiar tug in his groin, and he did not have to glance down to realize that the agitation now assailing him was of another source entirely. A nice long session with Rosie was truly in order.

    The realization that he could not continue at his present level of disquiet much longer accompanied Ross up the dark trail a few minutes later. The stirring, conflicting emotions his encounter with Devina Dale had stimulated were drawing hatred and need for vengeance to a head inside him. Continuing back toward the cabin, Ross grimaced at the thought of facing Mack and
Harry's
scrutiny. He knew they were not as obsessed as he with retribution, that the monetary gain they continued to receive from Till-Dale payrolls provided all the satisfaction they needed to salve their sense of loss. And he also knew that if it had not been for their loyalty to him, they would probably be just as happy at this point to forget the whole thing. They did not understand that he was close to having Harvey Dale exactly where he wanted him.

    Devina Dale was the key. Once he had that key…

    Slowing to a stop as he reached the yard, Ross squinted into the darkening distance. No sign of Jake yet,
dammit
.

    His expression grim, Ross turned toward the cabin, an unconscious decision made. One way or the other, he'd have Harvey Dale where he wanted him before the month was out, or he'd die trying.

    Jake Walsh drew his horse to a halt behind the deserted miner's shack. The onset of twilight limited his vision as he scanned the area, and he hesitated a moment longer.

    Satisfied that there was no immediate threat, Jake dismounted   silently and tethered his horse. Drawing his gun, he walked carefully around the north side of the building, scrutinizing the growing shadows with great caution. He approached the door with a silent step, his light brows drawing together in an uncharacteristic frown as he grasped the handle. In a lightning-quick movement, he pushed the door open and stepped immediately aside to flatten himself against the outside wall of the shack.

    Silence was the only response to the slam of the door as it
snappped
back against its hinges, but Jake paused a moment longer. The sound was still reverberating in the stillness when a high-pitched voice sounded hesitantly from within.

    "Who… who is it? Who is there?"

    A smile turned up the corners of Jake's lips in the moment before he stepped into the doorway of the shack. He did not need to squint into the dimness within when he heard the scramble of footsteps. Instead, he held out his arms to catch the warm body that threw itself against his lean frame.

    His heart pounding, he lowered his head to meet the lips raised to his, his mouth covering their fine line with barely suppressed hunger. His hands moved against the petite proportions of the woman in his arms, smoothing the curve of her back through the coarse cotton garment she wore. His kiss deepened, separating her lips even as his hands moved to cup the curve of her delicate buttocks, to fit the warm feminine delta against his aching groin.

    A light sound of discomfort sounded against his mouth, registering in the back of his mind even as he crushed her closer, pressed his kiss more deeply. He heard the sound again, belated realization dawning in his mind. He was being too rough; he was hurting her.

    Drawing back with reluctance, Jake raised his hand to the smooth cheek so close to his. He stroked the fragile cheekbone, ran his fingers against the curve of the small pointed chin. His voice held a hoarsely apologetic note.

    "Did I hurt you,
darlin
'?" When there was no immediate response, he whispered more softly, "Lai Hua, did I hurt you?"

    The dark eyes that met his were bright with emotion.

    "No, the sound I uttered did not reflect my pain, Mr. Jake. It reflected only my need."

    Her simple response touching him deeply, Jake took a few,   short steps into the shack, carrying her easily with him. Straining to see the features he knew so well, Jake felt desire flare inside him. Still holding her securely with his one arm, he turned to survey the room. His eyes took in the blanket spread on the floor nearby and the unlit lantern resting beside it.

    Releasing Lai Hua, he knelt to light the lantern. He reached out in a quick movement and pushed the door closed, turning to curve his arm around Lai Hua's knees to drawn her down. He felt her sweet breath brush his cheek as he lowered her to the blanket beside him.

    "No… no, Mr. Jake. You must not light the lantern. It is for my use alone, so that I may return in safety through the darkness. We must not use the lantern here. Someone will see and discover us."

    "No one will see the light, Lai Hua. The door is closed and the windows shuttered."

    "But…"

    "I want to see you, Lai Hua."

    Closing his arms around her, Jake stifled Lai Hua's protests with the driving force of his kiss. Yes, he wanted to see her when he made love to her.

    Pressing her down on the blanket, Jake covered Lai Hua's mouth with his, a low groan escaping him as her lips parted to allow him the freedom he sought. His fingers worked quickly, familiarly at the closure of her jacket. His hand moved hungrily against her bared flesh, cupping a small breast, a thrill shooting up his spine as the swollen crest brushed his fingers.

    Frustrated by the hindrance of clothing, Jake pulled his mouth from Lai Hua's and released her long enough to strip away her coolie jacket and baggy pants. He tossed her clothes to the floor. Then, kneeling at her side, he paused for long moments to consume her doll-like beauty with his eyes.

    His mouth suddenly dry, Jake was struck by the thought that his first glimpse of Lai Hua had stirred none of the passion that now shook him. He had been struck with only one thought when he had first seen her working behind the counter in the general store: Another Chinese woman working where she was not wanted.

    He had had little use for the people of Lai Hua's race, and he was uncertain when he had begun to look at Lai Hua in another way. He supposed it was the moment when she first looked up into his face and spoke to him. Her unusual beauty, her soft   manner, had touched him in a way no other woman had before. He had never seen a woman so small, so very perfect in every detail. Smooth skin without flaw, almond-shaped eyes that glimmered with intelligence, a round face that
enchanced
the delicacy of her features. And her mouth… He remembered watching her mouth as she spoke, the manner in which her fine lips formed her words. He remembered his pleasure at the clear, bell-like quality of her high-pitched voice, the almost musical tone in which she spoke.

    He had held the list of needed supplies in his hand, and she had taken it from him with a small nod. She had turned and removed the articles from the shelves with quiet efficiency. He remembered his surprise that she was able to read English. He remembered watching the lines of her petite body as she stretched to reach the supplies. He remembered the way the light overhead had reflected on the ebony sheen of the hair bound so neatly at the back of her neck. He remembered the first time he had loosened that carefully tended knot and run his fingers through the silk that spilled loose from its confines. It had been only minutes before the shock of his discovery that Lai Hua was a virgin. It had been only minutes before she was a virgin no more.