The Gambler (20 page)

"Really." Her expression was absolutely earnest. "But I'm a very good shot," she assured him rapidly. "Jude taught me."

"I'm certain he did."

She was watching him point-blank, with her mesmerizing eyes such a deep emerald shade that he felt he would drown in their wide depths.

"Are you flirting with me again?" she asked, her voice low and husky.

The way Raven saw it, he had two options. He could drag her into bed and satisfy the raging lust that consumed him. Or he could demand that she leave the room right now. He did neither, but sat in rigid, characteristic self-control. "Yes, Miss Fergusson, I am flirting with you."

"Oh," she breathed. "And how am I supposed to react?"

"You might smother me with kisses." God, what a stupid thing to say! "I didn't mean it, Charm," he said quickly before she could back away. "It's just that you're so..."

She stared at him, waiting.

"So..." Irresistible. Dangerously alluring. "You're fun to flirt with."

"I am?" For some reason he thought she'd quit breathing. "Why?"

It would be wise not to answer, he knew. "Because you're beautiful and charming and innocent."

She scowled. "I stabbed you with a stick."

Raven tried to grin, but it didn't quite work. It seemed hot in the room and rather stifling, as if something were consuming all the air. "I didn't mean that kind of innocent. Oh. You mean that I haven't..." She winced, seeming to work very hard to find the proper words. "I haven't..."

He watched her struggle and would have helped if he could, but there wasn't a single word he could come up with that wouldn't make the ache in his lower body burn even brighter.

"That I haven't..." she repeated.

"Charm?" he said, trying to clench his teeth while still maintaining self-control. "I think I need something to eat. Right now."

She stared at him, as if not understanding his plea for mercy from her suggestive admission, but he could not tolerate even her innocent stare a moment longer.

"Could you get me something?" he asked.

"Definitely," she whispered and escaped the room with whatever dignity she could muster.

It didn't take Charm long to return with his breakfast. It seemed Widow Worth had already served the morning meal to those who were inclined to sit at her table.

"Can you feed yourself?" Charm asked, staring over the two plates at the man who was presumed to be her husband.

Raven could imagine her feeding him, sitting close to his side, with her thigh pressed up against his. "Yes. I think that'd be safest... wisest," he corrected quickly. "I can manage with my good hand."

Charm released a shaky breath, not sure if she was more relieved or disappointed. That uncertainty worried her as she handed him his share of the meal. Rounding the bed, she sat in the room's solitary chair and did her best to concentrate on her breakfast. Finally, when her plate was empty, she could find nothing more to occupy her attention and raised her gaze to Raven.

He was staring at her.

"What?" she asked, startled by his dark gaze.

"Go back to Jude, Charm."

She watched him watch her, feeling ridiculously warm.

She should ran out of there and never look back. But he was wounded and it was her fault. "It wouldn't be right. I mean, not until I know you're going to heal."

His voice was very low when next he spoke. "If I was any better than the men Jude warned you against, I'd insist that you go."

"But?"

"But I'm just a man."

Charm curled one hand into a loose fist but couldn't quite contain her smile. "You look..."—words were not her forte—"better." Shockingly, frighteningly alluring, would have been more honest.

She watched him swallow and realized that he looked pale as he tightened his fist around the handle of his fork. "Better than what?"

Better than anything. "Better than... yesterday."

He opened his mouth to speak but paused for a moment, as if changing his mind about which words to use. "You need a new gown."

"Oh." He always managed to surprise her. She glanced down at her battered, scarlet dress, trying to hide her bewilderment. "Perhaps I can repair it."

He actually winced as his eyes strayed to her low neckline. "It's not that. I just..." He drew a careful breath through his mouth. "I think maybe we'd both be better off if you wore something more... concealing."

"Oh." Her face flamed. She could feel the heat of it and shifted her gaze quickly off to the side. "I don't usually dress like this, except when Jude's gambling."

"To distract the opposition?" he guessed. She nodded. "Well, I'd say that'd..."—he nodded in turn—"that'd work all right. But maybe... um... if I want to stay alive, and you don't want to kill me, maybe you'd better make this a little easier on me."

She wasn't sure why his words made her feel giddy, but she was quite certain it was a bad sign. Dangerous. This flirting stuff was very scary. Or
was
he still flirting? She wished she knew. "I'm afraid I don't have any money to buy a new one."

"I do." He said the words very quickly, as though unable to spew them out fast enough. When he grinned in self-deprecating humor, she could not help but do the same. "I'll pay," he said, more slowly now.

"I can't take your money."

He raised his brows at her. "Afraid of owing me, Lucky Charm?"

"Maybe," she admitted softly.

His smile widened. "I can't say I'm not the kind that wouldn't usually take advantage of that. But in your case I won't. Promise. I owe you that much at least."

"I..." She lowered her eyes. "I can't."

"Please." His tone was throaty and quite desperate, and when she glanced up, he laughed out loud, as if he found his own weaknesses rather comical. "For my peace of mind," he said, "and continued survival."

She couldn't help but smile back. "All right."

"And I'd like to pay for..." He touched his petticoat bandages. "Replacing these."

Now, that was going too far, becoming too personal. She opened her mouth to object, but he raised a hand and interrupted. "Please, go on. Buy what you need. Take your time." He drew a heavy breath, which sounded weary. "Believe me, little Charm, the more layers between us, the safer I'll feel."

Raven paced the rented room, flexing his chest and lifting his arms to test the tightness caused by his wound.

To his surprise, Widow Worth had sent up the noonday meal without prompting. He'd eaten it with relish, finding his appetite unimpaired by his small, inconvenient injury. In truth, however, it wasn't inconvenient at all. Nothing less than a blessing really, for look what it had accomplished. Charm's acquiescence.

He paced again. Lying in bed had caused him to stiffen up and become lazy. He could afford to do neither, for though his little Charm had indeed been quite charming of late, she was apt to change at any moment, making it necessary to have all his wits and strength.

Thunder rumbled, drawing Raven's attention to the window. The sky was dark, swollen with ominous charcoal clouds. Charm had been gone for several hours. He frowned now, stopping beside the window, well out of sight from the street. What was taking her so long? Perhaps he'd been a fool to encourage her to go. Perhaps she would flee.

Worry suddenly twisted in his gut, but the sudden rap of footfalls on the stairs startled him from his thoughts. In a few quick strides he was in bed. He lay on his back with his mother's small ring resting atop his petticoat bandages and the blankets just so, exposing some of his chest and abdomen as he waited.

The footsteps reached the landing. Raven closed his eyes, hearing her approach. Charm had returned. Not that he cared on a personal level, of course. He imagined how she would look by his bedside, how her eyes would shine down at him, and her impish mouth would purse in that so serious expression of hers. Not that he cared on a personal level... of course.

She opened the door quietly. He heard the soft shuffle of her feet as she turned to close it behind her, carefully, so as not to wake him. Although Raven would have liked to surreptitiously watch her, he didn't dare chance it, for she was a bright girl, not one to take undue risks with. So instead he moaned quietly and pulled his eyelids up as he reached achingly for his chest with his right hand.

"I didn't mean to wake you." Charm stood by the door, holding a plate of food and a brown paper package he assumed contained her old dress. She looked repentant, but Raven had little enough time to notice her expression for his attention had latched onto her new dress and the priceless treasure stashed inside it.

Good God, she might just as well have kept the red thing. He swallowed hard, realizing with half his mind that he was forgetting to act ill and was staring as if she were a succulent leg of lamb. For a moment he hoped she hadn't noticed, but when his head cleared, he found that her eyes had gone wide and she had already raised one arm, as if to ward him off.

He closed his eyes with a great effort, cursing himself as a thousand kinds of fool. Though they both remained as they were, Raven could feel hot desire diffuse him. Why had he thought a simple change of attire would affect his ardent feelings for her? She was irresistible, no matter what she wore, for though the new gown rose modestly to her throat, it did nothing to calm his desire. In fact, the gentle way in which it hugged her breasts and waist only made him want to do the same, and he'd come too far to take such a foolish risk. He clenched his teeth and kept his eyes resolutely closed, hoping she'd relax.

"Are you feeling poorly?" Her voice came eventually, and when he finally allowed himself to open his eyes, he found that she was watching him with gentle but wary concern.

"No," he said. Looking into her emerald gaze, he paused just long enough to let her think he was lying as he kneaded his left arm with his opposite hand. "I'm feeling fine."

"Are you sure?" She took a single step forward.

Where on earth had she found that gown? Perhaps she
was
a lucky charm, for in a town this size it seemed highly improbable that she would find something ready-made that would fit so well. Too well! He forced his eyes closed again, but still he could visualize her. The dress was green, very much like the color of her eyes and fit her with the casual intimacy of a cotton glove. This wasn't good.

"Raven?" Her tone sounded concerned as she stepped closer. "Should I call the doc?"

"No." He said the word a bit faster than he'd planned, the sharp reminder of kerosene pushing him to speak. "I'm certain the feeling will return to my arm."

She looked pale. "Your... arm?"

"You worry too much. I'm healing well. Just tired."

"Are you certain?"

“Definitely. Of course. Don't worry." He opened his eyes slowly, hoping he looked weary and not allowing his gaze to stray immediately to her. "Where did you find the gown?" He hadn't meant to ask exactly that, but the words were out now.

She shuffled her feet nervously, warning him not to look at her yet. But there was little else to see in the room, so he made his eyes fall closed again and wondered if it was time to pray for strength. He had two options; he could keep his control, and probably, in the end, gain a fortune. Or he could throw in his hand and seduce the girl. Maybe. If she didn't kill him first. Still, even considering possible death as a side effect to one of the options, it was a hard choice. One best made with his eyes closed.

She cleared her throat. "Do you like it?"

Raven's eyes almost popped open with surprise, not only because of her words, but because of her tone, which was husky and quiet. Damn it all if she wasn't testing her wings, flirting with him, teasing him. He clenched his teeth, careful not to let her notice his tension as he lifted his lids.

Her radiance filled the room like a light that drew his eyes. "It's very nice," he said with just the correct amount of casualness. Thank God he was covered with a blanket or she would realize just how nice it was.

"I found it at the mercantile," she said, her tone nervous. "It just needed a few alterations."

He could imagine where. Across her breasts. God help him. "Good." He was beginning to sweat.

One of her fists clenched and unclenched while her other still held the plate. "I suppose I might just as well discard the old one."

He nodded, though he couldn't help thinking it a shame to never see that scandalous scarlet gown on her again.

"Does your chest hurt?"

Raven drew a deep breath. He must remember to play this game well, for a fortune depended on the roll of the dice. "You've no reason to feel responsible for this. It was my own greed that caused my plight."

"Greed?"

He watched her eyes. Her heavy lashes were dark but sprinkled with a deep cinnamon color, as was her hair, which was pulled up in a heavy knot at the back of her head. It was dappled with the evening's first drops of rain and very shiny. "I was promised a great deal of money if I returned you... I mean, if I returned
Chantilly
to her aunt. I fear I gave little thought to
your
feelings." He expelled a soft sigh and narrowed his eyes. "I was raised as a pauper among the wealthy. In the past there has seemed nothing more grand than being affluent. It never occurred to me that you might already possess everything you wish for. Jude is a lucky man."

He noticed that her right hand searched unconsciously for a pocket, but there seemed to be none in the new gown. Somehow, that knowledge allowed him to breathe easier. No pockets, no hidden weapons. He hoped.

"Why?" Her voice was very soft.

"Because." He paused, trying to remember his line of thought. The world somehow seemed very still. As if there was not another human inhabitant within a thousand miles. "He has your trust. And your love."

Utter silence held them as Raven's heart thrummed steadily against the framework of his ribs. It seemed every fiber of him was trilling with excitement.

"I..." Her lovely lips parted, but for a moment she said no more, merely staring at him, as if lost in some thought she refused to share. "I brought your supper."