Texas Rose TH2 (6 page)

She panicked. "If you won't leave, then I will. I'll find room in the ladies' cabin." Evie swung around to make her escape.

Before she could open the door, Tyler was in front of her. He leaned against the panel and crossed his arms over his chest in imitation of her earlier stance. "You're employing me to take care of you, Miss Peyton. I would be lax in my duties if I left you open to attack by those bullies. There are no bars on the ladies' cabin doors."

"I didn't do anything," she answered defensively, backing away from Tyler's dominating pose.

He smiled. "Let us come to an understanding now, Miss Peyton. You can lie to your brother. You can lie to every Tom, Dick, and Harry who crosses your path. But you can't lie to me."

Evie studied this problem, which entailed studying the man who blocked the door. He was too cocky by far, and the laughter in his dancing eyes was sorely irritating. But she remembered the heat of his kiss and the press of his body against hers too well. She hadn't lived this long by being a total fool.

"What makes you think I'm lying?" she asked evasively.

"Let's just say a little bird told me. And that same little bird will tell me again. You lie beautifully, Miss Peyton. That lovely little face of yours never reveals a thing—when you don't want it to. That was quite a masterful performance tonight. You wouldn't happen to be an actress by any chance, would you?"

"Nanny wouldn't let me even perform with the girls at school. She said acting isn't for ladies." Evie straightened her skirts and took the room's only chair. With a graceful move that kept her petticoats covering her, she lifted her foot to examine her ruined shoe.

She was good, very good. Not even a protest. Tyler removed his shoulders from the door and checked the bolt. "Well, I wouldn't recommend what you did tonight as being healthy for your career, either. From now on, I'd prefer you'd stay in your room when I tell you."

"But he was cheating. Even Daniel noticed it. I couldn't let him keep on cheating. You might have lost our tickets or worse."

"I make my living by gambling, Miss Peyton. I had no intention of losing. You just made a long night shorter. And much more entertaining." This last Tyler added as an afterthought. He would have skinned Dorset of his last dollar if it had taken him all night and day, but it would never have been as much fun as watching Maryellen Peyton at work.

"He was cheating. I was just getting even for it. Why did you take his watch? I don't think it's nice to rob a man of his last possession." Removing her shoes, she cast the room's lone bed a furtive look.

Tyler stepped to the lantern and drew out the watch, snapping it open and examining the contents with an air of satisfaction. "Because it was my daddy's watch. This is my mother's portrait." He handed it to her so she could see. "It's all I've got left. Vandals destroyed the family portraits after she died. This is the only one that survived."

Evie examined the miniature of a lovely blond woman in pink satin. She was the picture of delicate Southern womanhood. She threw Tyler a glance as she returned the watch. "She's beautiful. Did she die during the war?"

"They all died during the war. My father, my brothers, most of my neighbors. There are times when I think I died with them. But that's another story. You can have the bed. I'll go down to the main cabin and see if there's any interesting games going on. I'll lock the door from the outside. That way you'll be safe until I'm back."

He was already combing his hair in the mirror and reaching for his coat. Evie shook her head and tried to put everything together, but she was too tired to think. Tyler Monteigne was turning out to be a man of more facets than she had imagined, even putting secret agents and Pecos Martin aside. But if he thought his sad story would persuade her to allow him to stay with her, he picked the wrong woman.

"I'm sorry about your family, Tyler. Will you be safe in the cabin? Dorset won't come looking for you there?"

Tyler examined his crumpled cravat and threw it aside. His mouth wore a wry grin as he turned to her. "Your brother's inadvertent brilliance of feeding beer to a man drinking whiskey ought to keep Dorset sleeping it off for a few more hours. I'll be most discreet when I return. You needn't worry."

Evie didn't know whether she blushed at Tyler's words or at the sight of his open shirt. Tugging on his coat had loosened the linen, and she could see a portion of his chest and a slight curl of brown hair there. The sight did strange things to her insides, and she looked away.

"If we had my luggage, there would be blankets and things you could use. How will you sleep?"

"The same way I always do. Lightly." Tyler leaned over and kissed her hair.

She jumped, startled, but he was on the way out the door before she could do anything.

* * *

Evie woke to the sound of furious shouts and soft snores. Since the latter were closest, she glanced around in search of the source.

Tyler was rolled up in the spare blanket on the floor, the other pillow from her bed beneath his head. His hair was rumpled for a change, and she was quite certain he had no shirt on. She could see a glimpse of bare shoulders and back where the blanket fell off. He was as golden-brown there as he was everywhere else. She wondered what it would be like to touch him. The thought was very tempting. He had such wide shoulders, and they bulged intriguingly. Her gaze drifted down to his blanket-covered hips and stopped. What if... ?

She wasn't given a chance to wonder long. As the noise outside grew rowdier, Tyler stirred. With a practice swipe, he rubbed the hair out of his eyes with the back of his arm while reaching beneath his pillow. The blanket fell back, and he was on his feet with revolver in hand before Evie could follow his intent.

He wore trousers. Stifling an irrepressible giggle of disappointment, Evie reached for the robe that had been shoved into her valise last night. Tyler Monteigne without his shirt was more man than she could deal with at this hour of the morning.

Without a word, he grabbed the shirt he had flung over the chair and pulled it on. Not bothering to fasten it, he eased open the door, taking in as much of the scene below as he could from this angle. Evie could see the tension in the muscles of his back as they stiffened against the linen. She wished she'd had more time to see the other side of him.

To her surprise, Tyler gave a piercing whistle. A moment later, he stepped back and Benjamin pushed Daniel through the door. They slammed it and threw the bar while the commotion continued out on the dock.

"Evie!" Daniel glanced in horror from his sister's state of undress to Tyler in his unfastened shirt.

He missed the other man's lifted eyebrows at this new name, but Evie didn't. She gazed swiftly at the soft V of curly hair on Tyler's chest, then turned to her shocked brother. "Don't be silly, Daniel. Now look what you've done." She tightened her robe and swung her feet out of bed. "Benjamin, I hope you brought Mr. Monteigne a clean shirt. Maybe then he can be persuaded to put it on properly."

Benjamin grinned and leaned against the door as he watched Daniel square off against the man eyeing him askance. Keeping a cautious gaze on Daniel, Tyler aimed his words at Evie. She'd let her loose braids down around her shoulders, but she was wearing half a dozen petticoats beneath her morning robe. He couldn't see as much of her as she of him.

"Evie, is it? Have you any more secrets to unveil before the boat moves out, Miss Peyton? Or is it Peyton? I thought we'd reached an agreement last night."

That took some of the wind out of Daniel's sails. He threw Evie an apologetic glance.

"The name is Peyton, and you may continue to call me Maryellen, Mr. Monteigne." She drew out the word tauntingly. "Now if you will all excuse me, I would like to dress. No thanks to a certain someone, my gowns are all rumpled no matter what I wear."

Daniel put his fists down and shoved them in his pockets. Tyler looked as if he might scalp her.

Ignoring her command, he turned to Ben. "I take it that's Dorset out on the dock."

"He turned the inn upside down at daybreak. Me and the boy here came down the back way." Benjamin turned to Evie. "Your trunks are all loaded, ma'am. You'll just need to tell a porter which ones you want in the room." He turned an inquiring look to Tyler. "Shall I have your bags sent up here, too? Dorset's telling the captain he can't leave until the sheriff has searched the boat."

"The captain will throw him overboard before he allows that. I can hear the boiler warming up now."

Evie watched Tyler throw Daniel a considering look. Apparently knowing when to walk away, he shrugged his shoulders and gave up any thought of sharing the elegant stateroom.

"I'll join the two of you downstairs, and we can leave the lady to her ablutions," he said.

Before Evie had time to express relief, Tyler turned in her direction. "You and I are going to have a long talk as soon as we get some food in us. Don't take too long."

Evie threw the pillow after him as he closed the door.

Chapter 5

"Maryellen" Peyton was smiling brighter than the Mississippi sun when Tyler saw her next. The New Orleans-bound steamboat had left the dock and Dorset behind and churned safely down the river, so his companions apparently felt safe to emerge.

He watched in fascination as she maneuvered the ruffled train of her totally inappropriate pink gown along the promenade deck, alternately entertaining Daniel who sat in a chair near the cabin, and the male passengers who stopped to hear her sparkling conversation—or watch her bustle as she paced the deck.

Not liking the way several of the sharks were eyeing her, Tyler sauntered up and appropriated her arm with a casual possessiveness that caused several men to stand back out of range and brought "Maryellen's" attention on him with a frown.

"There you are, my dear. I'd wondered where you'd got to. Daniel, if you'll excuse us, I'd like a minute or two alone with your sister." Without waiting for anyone's consent, Tyler led the way to the Texas deck.

"Mr. Monteigne, you're determined to be rude this morning," she replied, guiding her gown and petticoats carefully up the narrow stairway.

"Since we're supposedly newlyweds, no one should object to my wanting to be alone with my bride." Tyler found a place out of the wind where they could watch the scenery go by. New spring leaves made a hazy glow of green along the riverbanks, and sunlight danced over the muddy waters.

"Well, now, that was an embarrassing tale to tell that man last night. Daniel isn't at all pleased with these arrangements." Evie popped open her matching parasol with secret delight.

She'd always dreamed of traveling on a paddle wheeler with a handsome man at her side. This had to be the epitome of all her dreams. That the man was probably madder than two wet hornets didn't concern her in the least. The thought of sharing a room with him did make her quake slightly, but she was bound and determined not to let him know. She turned her most devastating smile on him.

Tyler beamed an equal smile, flashing a healthy set of white teeth. "You're asking to be kissed, Miss Peyton. I'll be happy to oblige, but you must be aware that we have an audience."

Miffed that her best weapon was neatly parried by his equally formidable one, Evie blithely turned to watch the scenery. "This is a business arrangement, Mr. Monteigne. Let's keep it that way. What did you wish to see me about? Did Daniel not pay you adequately for your services yesterday?"

Tyler chuckled and leaned against the upper cabin wall, shoving his coattails back as he put his hands in his pockets. "On the contrary, I paid him a percentage of my take for last night's performance. You two were very convincing. Have you been working together long?"

Evie swung around in puzzlement. "Working together?"

"As shills, my dear. There isn't a con man or a gambler in the business that wouldn't pay good money for your services. I can't think why else the two of you would be traveling without benefit of family or servants."

Evie smiled sourly and looked him up and down, assessing the gold chain displayed across his discreet chocolate brocade vest, acknowledging the well- tailored fit of his fawn frock coat and trousers. Today he even wore a light-colored Stetson to keep the sun from his eyes. He looked every inch the professional gambler that traveled these rivers.