Cooper's Woman (21 page)

“Can't thank you enough,” Percy Hampton said as he halted in front of her. “Now that my partners and I have moved into the vacant mercantile store, business is booming again.”

“You should hire Miguel to run the shop,” Alexa suggested. “My father and I can offer sterling recommendations. He is honest, trustworthy and responsible.”

“Do you think he might be interested?” Percy asked before he sipped his wine. “After I received the telegram from your father, notifying Barrett and me that we both will be providing beef and trained saddle horses for the forts and reservations, I realized we won't have much time left to run the store.”

That's the way Alexa had it figured, too. “Indeed. And why allow Kate's fine education to go to waste?” Alexa purposely massaged her mending arm, silently reminding Percy that she had taken Kate's place as hostage and that his daughter might have died if Webster hadn't decided to put excessive pressure on her father to extort money and favors.

“Together with Kate's head for numbers and Miguel's organizational skills they will make a grand team.” Alexa planted the seed and smiled enthusiastically. “Besides, they get along splendidly and they have known each other forever. In addition, they have great respect and affection for one another.”

“Grand idea, Alexa. Kate has become increasingly restless of late.” He stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I don't think my daughter is going to be satisfied with allowing me to arrange her marriage and see her settled into the position of running a household quite yet. After nearly losing Kate during that fiasco with Webster, I must admit that I've become a bit more lenient and open-minded toward my daughter.”

Open-minded enough to allow Kate to marry a man you probably consider beneath her so-called social class?
Alexa wondered.

Well, she wasn't going to bring up that touchy issue tonight. She had paved the way by encouraging Percy to make Miguel and Kate business associates. They would have to take the next step, if that's what they really wanted. Time would tell if they were willing to stand up to Percy in order to be together.

When Percy wandered off, several citizens dropped by to praise her on organizing the fine party. Alexa sipped her wine—and nearly choked on it when she saw her father step down from a carriage full of unexpected arrivals.

“Dear God!” she squealed as she took off in an unladylike dash across the town square. “Bethany? Is it really you?”

To her amazement and delight, Alexa watched her younger sister alight from the carriage, looking positively enchanting in her gold satin gown. “How…when…why…?”

Bethany chortled as she hugged Alexa close, ever mindful of her mending shoulder. “You sound exactly like Papa when I showed up unexpectedly at his office door. The only difference is that he blacked out when he saw me and we had to use smelling salts to revive him.”

“I was also reeling from the shock of discovering that Kate Hampton, and then Alexa, had been abducted and held for ransom,” Harold defended himself before he dropped a kiss on Alexa's cheek. He stared disconcertedly at her. “We will discuss, at great length, your firsthand involvement in that investigation later, young lady.”

“It was quite exciting,” she said, undaunted, and then gave her father a one-armed hug. “I must confess that I loved every moment it of it. Except for the hostage ordeal, of course.”

“I was afraid that would be the case,” he mumbled.

Alexa turned to face her sister directly. Bethany had become the striking image of their mother. Statuesque and aristocratic. Curly chestnut-brown hair surrounded her bewitching face. Exotic brown eyes that tilted at the corners mesmerized and beguiled. Her full, cupid's bow lips and her dazzling smile were destined to break men's hearts—if they hadn't already. Alexa noted that several men in attendance had stopped to stare at her. Indeed, Bethany reminded her of a fairy goddess in the form-fitting gown that glistened in the lantern light.

“I'm surprised Mother permitted your visit to a place she always referred to as the uncivilized outpost of society,” Alexa said as she clutched her sister's hand and held on tightly. “How did you talk her into letting you visit?”

“Permit?”
Bethany sniffed. “She practically ousted me from Grandmama's home because she said that no matter how hard she tried she couldn't groom the Quinn out of me. She claims I turned out more like you and Papa than she thought possible.” She smiled dryly. “Besides, she didn't want me underfoot any longer. She flitted off to Europe with her latest admirer, who is as much of a lush as she is.”

Bethany surveyed the town square that glowed with makeshift lanterns then she studied the partygoers milling on the lawn. “This is a quaint town. I like it. I believe I'm going to enjoy making my home in this rugged territory,” she said then added, “I'll enjoy it even more because you and Papa are here and I won't be dragged to all those snobbish soirees in Boston that Mama constantly forced me to attend.”

“I hate to burst your bubble, little sister, but Papa's political functions can be stuffy,” Alexa warned her.

“I'll manage,” Bethany replied, with all the naive confidence of an eighteen-year-old who was destined to be wooed and courted because of the potential benefits of her father's social and political status.

Alexa had learned her lesson five years earlier when she became infatuated with a smooth-talking adventurer who plied her with flattery and seemingly devoted attention—then spent his evenings tumbling around in another woman's arms, just as Elliot had done. Alexa had been humiliated and hurt deeply back then. However, her deep abiding feelings for Coop taught her that she hadn't been in love with the suave adventurer. She'd simply been swept off her feet by her idealistic and romantic expectations.

“Alexa, I am so terribly sorry about your ordeal.”

She pivoted to see Ambrose Shelton staring miserably at her as he stepped down from the carriage. The persnickety gentleman she remembered had become humble and apologetic.

“I'm recovering nicely, Ambrose,” she assured him. “No need to fret on my account.”

“I have been fretting nonetheless.” He gestured to Ben Porter, who moved up beside him and looked every bit as contrite and remorseful. “We had no idea that Rose Brantley was discreetly pumping us for information about Webster's government contract renewal. Not to mention other matters of state that she passed along for a price. We were both fools to think that she was merely an interested citizen who liked to keep updated on politics and territorial improvement projects.”

“I feel awful about this!” Ben burst out as he clutched her hand and pressed a kiss to her wrist. “Can you ever forgive us?”

“Please forgive them and be quick about it,” Harold inserted as he shot both men a withering glance. “They have apologized to me so many times this week that we barely have had time to tend to important business.”

Harold's countenance changed as he drew Alexa aside. “As for you, young lady, Mr. Cooper explained your extensive and active participation in the investigation. Although he praised your effective techniques and tireless effort—”

“He did?” she cut in.

“Yes, he did. He is very thorough and no-nonsense. I like him.” He paused a moment then wagged his finger in her face. “You took your involvement much further than you initially indicated. You made a nervous wreck of me, Lexi.”

“I'm sorry if I stretched the truth and worried you, but I discovered my true calling,” she insisted. “I seem to have a natural aptitude for investigation and I intend to pursue it.”

“I was afraid you were going to say that,” Harold groaned. “Do I have to suffer through another ransom demand in the future? If so, I strongly oppose your chosen profession. It is going to take some getting used to.”

Alexa smiled in satisfaction. “Although you aren't necessarily pleased, I thank you for acknowledging my right to make my own choices.”

“Something Mother refused to do,” Bethany inserted sourly.

“I'll use another name so no one will extort money from you because of our family connection,” Alexa promised her father.

Harold hugged her gently. “I said I wouldn't object to your lifestyle, Lexi, but that doesn't mean I won't worry about the dangers you might encounter.”

He turned to his younger daughter. “And don't think I'll allow you to go into business with your sister. At least not immediately. Someone has to become my social planner and hostess until I get the hang of it.”

Alexa noticed her sister's pleased smile. She obviously yearned to accept responsibility. She was eager to do something,
anything
besides live with Mother's unreasonable expectations. As for Alexa, she was thrilled to pass on her obligations as her father's hostess.

Of course, now she was jobless and that was unacceptable. She would drive herself crazy if she didn't have a purpose.

“Introduce me around town, Lexi,” Harold requested as he linked his elbows around his daughters' arms. “I've been encouraged to run for public office so I might as well get to know more voters.”

Beaming with pride and contentment, Alexa introduced her family to her new acquaintances. The celebration turned out splendidly, though she hadn't expected to enjoy herself quite so much. Later, however, when the lanterns on the town square were extinguished and everyone retired for the night, loneliness greeted her at her hotel room door.

Alexa stared at the bed, wishing desperately that Coop were here with her. A wave of emptiness swamped her when she laid her head on the pillow. Where was Coop? she wondered as tears flooded her eyes. Did he think of her at all? Did he miss her, even a little?

Odd, she mused as she swiped at the tears. Now that she had her freedom and her father's blessing to make a life for herself it seemed a Pyrrhic victory. She needed Coop back in her life, wanted him in her bed. Maybe she should resort to Webster's tactics of taking Coop hostage and forcing him to agree to her terms.

The deliciously wicked thought made her smile. She fell asleep, not the least bit surprised that Coop had the starring role in her wild, erotic fantasies.

C
oop strode into his office in Albuquerque then scooped up the pile of mail that had been slipped under the door. More than a week had passed since he'd wrapped up the Webster/ Thomas case. He'd eagerly taken another assignment that had him riding the rails to the Santa Rita Copper Mines and Silver City to catch a trio of thieves who had been preying on prospectors.

Unfortunately he'd resolved the situation more quickly than he would have preferred. Now forbidden thoughts and whimsical dreams of Alexa tormented him. Damnation, where were the time-consuming, complicated cases when he needed them? Now he was back in his office that fronted his modest two-room apartment, with nothing but time on his hands and an unforgettable woman on his mind.

Life just didn't get much worse than this.

A wary frown furrowed his brow when he heard a rustling noise coming from his sleeping quarters. Drawing his six-shooter, he shouldered his way through the door. His jaw practically dropped off its hinges when he saw Alexa, dressed in a silver gown, standing before him like an illusive dream shimmering just beyond his reach—the same way she'd been the whole cursed week.

He cocked a brow when she draped herself seductively on his bed. He noted the sling on her arm and the provocative smile playing on her lush lips. Desire and longing hit him like a runaway freight train. He had to brace against the doorjamb for support. Bumfuzzled, he glanced around his room. For a trained observer it certainly had taken him long enough to realize Alexa had placed vases of colorful flowers on the round table, washstand and end tables on each side of his bed.

He glanced speculatively at the door, then at the window. “How'd you get in here?”

“I told you before that I'm not without my resources.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Delivering flowers.”

“I can see that. Is this your new occupation and you're practicing on me?” he teased.

She smiled in tolerant amusement. “No, I brought them to butter you up.”

He eyed her suspiciously, but he became hopelessly sidetracked when his hungry gaze roamed over the full swells of her breasts then descended to the trim indentation of her waist—and drifted up again. “Why do you need to butter me up?” he questioned, completely preoccupied. “Did you accept an assignment for me without consulting me first?”

Her grin grew wider and her blue eyes twinkled mischievously. “In a manner of speaking, yes. You're very good at these guessing games.”

“I pride myself in being a good detective, princess. I'm used to putting two and two together.”

“A very good detective indeed,” she purred as she crooked her finger at him. She patted the empty space beside her on the bed. “Let's see if you can solve this puzzle.”

Like a dutiful puppy, he sat on the very spot she indicated. Then, to his astonishment, she grabbed two sets of cuffs from inside her arm sling and secured his wrists to the bedposts. He was still staring incredulously at her, wondering why he'd fallen for that fake-injury-trick when she'd made him use it in Questa Springs recently.

“Damn but you're sneaky,” he said as he watched her discard the sling.

She beamed in delight. “Thank you for the compliment. I'm trying to polish my skills of subterfuge and ingenuity in my investigative work.”

“I've seen you in action already. I'm impressed. Now let me go.”

“Thank you…and no.”

He glanced around curiously. “Where's Miguel? Surely he didn't allow you to come alone.”

“He's too busy managing the mercantile store in Questa Springs to bother with me.”

Coop arched a surprised brow.

“I caught Percy at a weak moment and got him to agree to hire Kate and Miguel to run the store.”

“Nice going,” he complimented.

Her smile faded and all playfulness vanished as she stared intently at him. “I want a job.”

“No one is stopping you from getting one,” he replied. “In fact, I raved to your father about your skills and techniques so he wouldn't put up any resistance when you declared your independence and resigned from hosting his stuffy parties.”

“So he told me. And thank you for that.”

“You're welcome. I also met your sister. Extremely attractive, by the way. But then so are you. Bethany is a lot like you in temperament, too, I noticed. I hear your mother kicked her out. Later rather than sooner, as in your case.”

Alexa nodded. “As it turned out, Mother didn't care much for either of us. It took Bethany a little longer to realize she was every bit a Quinn, because she was without Papa's daily influence in her life. But her true colors came shining through and now she is Papa's social director and party hostess.”

She stared determinedly at him. “Now, about my new job.”

“What job is that?” he asked as he lay abed, his wrists secured to the bedposts.

“I'm prepared to buy into your detective business,” she negotiated.

“No,” he flatly refused. “Besides, you couldn't afford my price. Not even with all of your daddy's money.”

Alexa stood up and circled to the foot of the bed. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared him down. “It's because I said I loved you. That's why you headed for the hills before I regained consciousness, isn't it? That's why you are denying me employment now, isn't it?”

He shifted awkwardly and glanced away, refusing to meet her unblinking stare. “I knew you were riding an emotional seesaw after your ordeal. I didn't hold you to what you said.”

“Why? Because you didn't share my feelings and that was the easy way out?” she fired at him.

“We both know you didn't mean it,” he retorted. “You said yourself that you tried hard not to care about me. I know why you don't want to.”

Alexa cocked her head and arched a delicate brow. “Really? I can't wait to hear this. Why do you think I didn't want to fall in love with you?”

“Because we lead different lives. We come from different backgrounds,
princess,
” he said emphatically. “My tumbleweed lifestyle takes me all over creation while you attend high society's most envied functions.” He inclined his head toward the modest furnishings in his compact home. “Your family owns a sprawling palace and I reside in this cramped space.”

She flicked her wrist dismissively. “That is neither here nor there. I am applying for a job as your coinvestigator.”

“I'm not hiring you,” he said unequivocally.

“No?”

“No, it won't—”

His voice dried up when she stepped onto the foot of the bed then sank between his legs. “I'm not finished negotiating,” she informed him. “You don't have to pay me. I'll work for nothing if I can use your body for pleasure…at my whim.”

Her hand settled on his thigh then moved steadily upward. When he groaned in sweet torment, she grinned gleefully.

“You're considering it, aren't you? Admit it, Coop.”

“I cannot believe you would stoop to these underhanded tactics, just to get a job,” he said, his voice thick with undeniable desire.

Her fingertips glided boldly over the fabric covering his arousal. “I want what I want,” she told him, unabashed. “If it's information for a case, I will be persistent. If I want
you
then I will be relentless. I'm not settling for less than the best.”

She straddled his hips then bent to brush her mouth over his sensuous lips. She was starving to death for a taste of him. She was putting her pride on the line, just to be with him on any terms. But she wasn't taking no for an answer. If nothing else, she would be his secretary, his janitor, whatever she needed to be, as long as she could be a part of his life.

“I'm not riding an emotional high at the moment, Coop. I still love you,” she admitted softly. “You don't even have to love me back. Just let me into your life.”

Then she kissed him for all she was worth, aching to convince him to hire her, to become her lover. Whatever he could spare. She was that determined to be a part of his life because anything less was a meaningless existence.

“Let me go, Alexa,” he commanded hoarsely.

“I don't think I can. I tried but life just wasn't any fun without you.”

He smiled. “I meant unlock the cuffs.”

She shook her head, sending the curly blond tendrils into a frothy cascade over her shoulders. “Nothing doing. I intend to be extremely persuasive and persistent.”

She unbuttoned his shirt to brush her fingers lightly over his muscular chest. She skimmed her lips over his nipples and felt him arch instinctively toward her. She trailed her hand over the band of his breeches then slipped her fingers beneath the fabric.

She glanced into his vivid evergreen eyes and saw hungry need flickering in his gaze. If nothing else, she knew that she still had the power to excite him. It was a start, she encouraged herself. In time, he might even come to love her—a little.

“Say it, Coop,” she whispered as she stroked him intimately. “Say you'll hire me.”

“I can't. I love you too much, damn it,” he said, and then groaned in pleasure.

Alexa's hand stalled and she glanced at him, startled. “You love me?”

“I just said so, didn't I?” he muttered grudgingly. “And thank you so much for dragging that out of me.”

She smiled, extremely pleased—yet confused. “You love me but you won't hire me?”

He nodded his tousled raven head. “I can't bear to see you hurt. It nearly killed me when you were kidnapped. I sweated blood when I heard Denton shoot at you that night in the canyon. The thought of losing you nearly drove me crazy. It also brought back too many terrifying memories from my youth. I couldn't live with the torment if I couldn't protect you from harm while we're working together.”

She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him thoroughly, adoringly. “If I'm with you, learning to be as reliant and skilled as you are, I'll be fine,” she assured him confidently. “Just give me a chance, Coop. I delight in working with you.”

He shook his head again. “Not without a marriage license to go along with it,” he insisted. “Your father probably won't approve of me, but I want the whole forbidden fantasy or nothing at all.”

Pleasure sizzled through her and she smiled impishly. “I suppose you want Daddy's money, like my previous suitors.”

“No. Fact is, princess, I might not live like royalty but I do have a tidy nest egg of bounties and salaries I haven't taken time to spend. It's you I want.”

“Good, because I purchased Elliot's ranch and hired Selma Mae Fredericks to handle the household duties while we take our cases. Since that set me back a bit, I was hoping I could sign an IOU to buy into your business.”

Coop strained against the cuffs to kiss her hard and hungrily. “You drive one hell of a hard bargain. But okay, you win. Partners. We'll headquarter at your new ranch. Now let me go.”

“Permanent partners?” she prodded as she spread a row of featherlight kisses over his neck and cheek.

“Absolutely.” He moved suggestively beneath her hips. “Turn me loose so we can seal this deal.”

She discarded her gown then unlocked the cuffs. Coop lay there admiring her shapely body and the irrepressible spirit reflected in her smile. He marveled at his inability to tell her no after spending a week telling himself he could live without her if he really tried. But he had only
existed,
going through the paces, finding not one ounce of enjoyment without her.

When she leaned down, the peaks of her breasts caressing his chest, Coop couldn't think of one single reason why he shouldn't give into her on any issue.

“I'm crazy about you,” he murmured as he glided his hands over the curve of her hips then took his sweet time touching every glorious inch of her body. “I realized I was in serious trouble the night I discovered you had cleverly duped me with that Mr. Chester disguise.”

“That was also the night I realized my feelings for you had become entirely too personal,” she whispered back. “I'm crazy about you, too, Coop. Love me for the rest of my life.”

He rolled her to her back and braced himself on his forearms to stare adoringly at her. “I'll love you for the rest of mine and forever after, princess,” he vowed faithfully before he offered all that he was to the woman who held his heart…