Brazen (30 page)

"Casey?" John called her name. He'd seen her leave
the hall to look for Michael and Karen the moment their
dance had ended. He'd followed after her to find out
what was going on, under the pretense of concern for
her.

At the sound of John's call, Casey and Michael broke
apart. They stood there for a moment in the moonlight,
staring at each other, overpowered by what had just transpired between them.

John found them and came up to speak to them.

"I take it you're all right," John said. He had witnessed
their heated embrace.

"Casey's fine," Michael answered curtly, irritated that
John had interrupted them.

John ignored Michael and looked at Gasey. "Casey?"

"Everything is wonderful. Karen definitely won't be
causing us any more trouble."

"Good." The fury burning within John was powerful.
He didn't know what he had expected to find when he'd
followed them outside, but it hadn't been the two of them
in a clinch. He'd hoped for a nasty confrontation with
Karen, but it hadn't happened. He could do nothing more
for the time being than play his role of concerned friend.
"I'm glad everything worked out."

"Let's go back in to the dance," Michael said, taking
Casey's arm. He wanted to get away from McQueen. He
didn't like the man meddling in their affairs and paying
so much attention to her.

They started back inside, leaving John behind to follow.

But he didn't.

His anger was too red-hot.

John stood there staring after Casey and Michael, hating them for thwarting his grandiose scheme. Somehow,
he vowed to himself, he would get even.

Right now, though, he needed a drink bad.

John headed for the Sundown.

"Did you see Karen and Michael go outside? And then
Casey follow them?" Anne was saying to Nick as they stood by the refreshment table sipping punch.

"It's going to be interesting to see what happens."

"Aren't you worried? Do you think we should go check
on them?"

"No. Michael is perfectly capable of handling this himself."

"But I don't want Casey to be hurt," she said, worried
about her friend.

Nick appreciated her kindness and concern, but
wanted to calm her. "Karen is a smart, sophisticated
woman, but she's no match for Casey."

"You really think so?"

"If Michael had wanted Karen, he would never have
agreed to marry Casey."

"So they'll be fine?"

"Do you want to check and make sure?"

"Would you go with me?"

They put their cups aside, and Nick led her through the
crowd. They reached the door just as Michael and Casey
returned.

"Where's Karen?" Nick asked.

"With any luck, she's back at the hotel, packing her
bags and getting ready to head back to Philadelphia right
now," Casey said with confidence.

"What happened?" Anne asked.

"Casey helped me convince Karen that we really are
getting married next week," Michael answered.

"Good. Now, as long as neither one of you decides to
back out, there will definitely be a wedding."

"I'm not backing out," Michael said without hesitation,
his gaze lingering on Casey.

She looked up at him and smiled softly, remembering
his kiss. "Neither am I."

Nick and Anne watched the exchange and knew something had definitely changed between them, and it was
all for the better.

Across the hall, Dorothea had been watching all that was
going on. She'd seen Karen and Michael go outside, to
be followed shortly by Casey. When Michael and Casey
returned together and there was no sign of Karen, she
knew things were not good. As quickly as she could, she
left the dance and hurried back to the hotel to check on
Karen. She hoped that they would be on a stage coach
bound for home tomorrow. That thought and that thought
alone made her smile as she went to face what she knew
was a painful moment for her daughter.

Rosalie saw John come into the saloon and go straight to
stand at the bar. She excused herself from the men she'd
been talking with and went to wait on him.

"Evening, darlin'," she said in a husky voice. "The
usual?"

"Yeah and bring the bottle."

"You intend to have some fun tonight?" she asked flirtatiously as she poured him a straight whiskey and set it
before him with the bottle alongside.

He only snorted derisively in answer to her question as he downed the whiskey in one swallow, then poured himself another.

Rosalie had seen his darker moods before, and she
knew better than to press him to talk when he was like
this. She went about her business, keeping an eye on John
in case he needed anything else. She hoped before the
night was over to entice him upstairs, but she knew she
had to let him drink for a while before she even suggested
it.

John's frustration and anger did not abate as he continued to drink. He was a man who was not used to being
denied. He always got what he wanted.

He took another deep swallow of liquor as he thought
about Casey.

How dare she treat him this way?

How dare she pick Donovan over him?

His plans were ruined.

Women!

He hated them.

His thoughts grew blacker.

John lifted his gaze and found himself staring in the
mirror behind the bar. In the reflection, he watched Rosalie move around the room and flirt with the other men.
Tonight, even she had the power to enrage him.

John splashed more whiskey in his glass.

Rosalie returned to John's side some time later.

"Feeling any better?" she asked, giving him a smile.

"What do you think?" he snarled.

She was a bit surprised that he hadn't mellowed yet. "Do you want me to make you feel better? We can go
upstairs right now."

John stared at her for a moment. He hated her for being
such an enticing woman, and he hated himself for his
weakness in desiring her. "Let's go."

His curt answer wasn't what she expected, but she
wanted him so badly that she didn't think there was really
anything wrong. He seemed upset, but she knew just how
to pleasure him. She'd make him forget whatever it was
that was troubling him.

John grabbed the bottle, then took her by the arm, directing her almost forcefully toward the staircase.

Bill, the bartender, was watching, and he didn't like
what he saw. He knew Rosalie loved John McQueen, but
he personally had no use for the man. "Miss Rosaliyou gonna be all right?"

"I'm fine. You take care of things down here for me."

"I will."

Rosalie turned her full attention back to John as they
started up the steps.

"John you're hurting me," she told him quietly, trying
to pull away without making a scene.

"That's not all I'm going to do to you."

She heard what sounded like a threat in his tone, but
told herself he had no reason to be angry with her, so
there was nothing to worry about.

John didn't release her until they were at her bedroom
door. He let her go and waited as she opened it. She went
in ahead of him and started to light the lamp on the bedside table.

"Don 't" he ordered.

"Why?"

He shut the door and locked it.

"I want it dark in here." He wanted her to be nameless
and faceless as he thrust within her.

"I like the way you think," Rosalie said, thinking he was
being romantic.

That notion quickly changed when John came to stand
by her. He put his bottle of liquor on the nightstand, then
roughly pushed her down on the bed and fell upon her.

"John what is it? What's wrong?" She was shocked by
his actions.

He kissed her to silence her, but it wasn't a passionate
kiss. It was a kiss meant to punish. After freeing himself
from his pants, he pushed her skirts aside and stripped
her undergarment from her. He mounted her.

Rosalie stiffened. She tried to resist, but there was no
stopping him.

John thrust inside her, wanting to hurt her. He enjoyed
her pain. For right now, there in the darkness, she was
Casey and he was punishing her.

Until that moment, Rosalie had believed they loved
one another. Occasionally, John had been a little rough
with her, but nothing like this. She almost felt as if she
were being raped. She tried to twist away from him, to
push him off her. He proved too strong, though. He kept
her pinned to the bed, dominating her as he sought his
release.

When at last he achieved the ecstasy he sought, John
shuddered violently. He thrust all the more savagely into the depths of her body. Then he collapsed on top of her,
panting from the exertion.

Rosalie couldn't believe what had just happened.

"Get off of me!" she demanded in disgust, pushing at
his shoulders to try to dislodge him. She felt violated.

John was in no mood to listen to her. He raised himself
over her and backhanded her across the face. "Shut up,
woman. Nobody tells me what to do!"

He grabbed his bottle of whiskey and slugged down
another long drink.

Rosalie was beyond shock. Her cheek was hurting from
his blow, and she tasted blood. She was actually frightened by the change in him. She found herself wishing she
kept a gun in the nightstand so she could defend herself.
She was helpless before him, and she didn't like being
helpless. Her only hope, she realized, was that he would
drink himself into a stupor so she could slip away from
him.

John put the bottle back on the nightstand and began
thrusting deep within Rosalie again. He needed mindlessness. He needed a release for his pent-up lust for
Casey.

Desperate to escape from him, Rosalie knew what she
had to do. She reached out and grabbed the whiskey
bottle off the nightstand, then with all the power she
could muster, she hit him over the head with it. The bottle
shattered, but her assault had the effect she'd hoped it
would. John collapsed, unconscious upon her. In complete disgust, Rosalie shoved him off of herself and got up. Whiskey was everywhere, as well as broken glass, but
she was free of him.

After lighting the lamp, she checked to make sure he
was still breathing. Satisfied that he would wake up with
only a headache, she got cleaned up and then dressed.
She checked her cheek in the mirror and applied some
makeup to the spot where John had hit her. Then she
hurried downstairs. The farther away from him she got,
the better.

Nick walked Anne home after the dance. When they
reached her house and started up the path, Anne gazed
up at the night sky. It was a clear night, and a canopy of
stars twinkled high overhead.

"Are your nights this pretty in Philadelphia?" she asked
with a sigh.

"No-and neither are the women," Nick answered, gazing down at her in the starlight.

"You always have the right line ready, don't you?" Anne
asked with a grin.

"That wasn't a line," he told her seriously. "That was
the truth."

"I'm supposed to believe you?" Her eyes widened.

"Yes," he said softly as he took her in his arms. "1 don't
lie:"

Nick kissed her.

A sigh escaped Anne at the touch of his lips on hers.
Nick's kiss was everything she'd fantasized it would be. It
was gentle and cherishing and exciting all at the same
time.

Nick had kissed many a girl in his day. He liked Anne
and had had a nice time with her tonight. He had planned
to kiss her good night and ride back to the ranch. He had
not expected to be caught up in the wonder of Anne's
kiss.

It was a simple kiss.

A gentle kiss.

But the power of it startled Nick.

He drew back, staring down at her in the darkness and
seeing the same look of wonder on her face. He didn't
say a word. He just kissed her again, wanting to make
certain that he wasn't imagining anything, testing himself.

The second kiss passed the test with flying colors.

Nick drew Anne close as his lips moved over hers hungrily, devouringly.

For a moment, Anne was caught up in the wonder of
his embrace. His kiss was pure heaven, and she wanted
nothing more than to be in his arms, but she knew the
truth. Nick would soon be traveling back East to the life
he loved. She was only a diversion for him while he was
in Hard Luck with Michael.

Summoning all her inner strength, Anne denied herself
the pleasure of Nick's kiss and moved away from him.

"Good night, Nick," she said quietly. Then before he
could speak or try to kiss her again and render her momentary show of strength useless, she hurried inside and
closed the door.

Nick stood there staring after Anne. He couldn't remember the last time a woman had simply said "good
night" to him and left him that way. He smiled as he stared at the closed door. He wanted to go after Anne and kiss
her again, and his reaction surprised him.

Anne was a very special woman.

Nick turned and walked away.

Inside the house, Anne stood leaning against the door,
trembling. Nick's kiss had excited her as no other man's
ever had. She wondered how she was going to bear it
when he left Hard Luck and went back to Philadelphia.
She wondered, too, if there was any way she could make
him stay.

Michael and Casey drove slowly on the trip home from
the dance.

"Did you have a good time?" Michael asked as they
drew up before the Bar T ranch house.

"Yes, I did. What about you?"

He climbed down and walked around to her side of
the carriage to help her down. "There was one thing I
didn't enjoy."

"Karen?"

"No."

His response surprised her as he reached up and put
his hands at her waist to lift her out of the carriage.

"It was John. I didn't like him interrupting our kiss," he
answered as he lifted her down. He didn't release her, but
held her close and captured her lips in a sweet-soft
exchange. Michael ended the kiss, then stepped back and
walked by her side up to the porch. He remained on the
walk as she mounted the steps. "Good night, Casey."