Whirlwind Groom (22 page)

She studied him thoughtfully. “Thanks for telling me.”

“Cody Tillman, one of Riley's ranch hands, is relieving me for meals and your shooting lesson, but since I have no other help right now, I can't make the trip, either.”

She looked as if she didn't understand how this affected her. “Cody's at the jail now, watching over that snake who tried to hurt you. I don't want you to worry that he can escape.”

She said slowly, “I'm not worried.”

He had to admit she didn't appear concerned, but his mind still wasn't settled about the issue. “Come hell or high water, tomorrow I'm getting that lowlifer out of Whirlwind and away from you.”

“Davis Lee, I know you will. I know you'd never let him hurt me again.”

“You can bet on it.” But what about himself? Did Josie know she could trust him not to peel her naked the first chance he got, though that was exactly what he felt like doing?

The cream-and-honey taste of her, the feel of her magnolia-smooth skin against his tongue and his hands, had only whetted his hunger for her.

Since he'd held her half-naked in his lap, the thick, dark throb of desire in his veins had become relentless. The woman turned him inside out, but he wanted more than her
body. He wanted her to confide in him. He refused to be caught unaware again, the way he had been with Betsy. He would do everything in his power to make sure he found out what he needed to know about Josie. Before it was too late to protect his heart.

So yesterday he had wired his cousin, Jericho Blue, who was in Houston. Catherine had gotten word from the Ranger a couple of days ago saying he thought his business there would be concluded this week.

Being as Davis Lee still hadn't heard from the sheriff in Galveston, he asked if Jericho could spare the time to ride to Galveston and ask around about Josie. He knew it would be a day's ride to the port and out to the island. It would probably take at least a day for Jericho to locate the sheriff or someone who might have pertinent information.

His cousin's reply had been quick. He would do what he could, though it would be at least three days before he got back to Davis Lee. In the meantime, Davis Lee hoped Josie would tell him on her own why she had come to Whirlwind.

He walked to the targets; she had graduated from hay bales to tin cans. While he picked them up and put them into a burlap bag, Josie emptied her gun and cleaned it. He moved back to her, cans clanking against his leg. “Ready?”

“Not yet.”

“Something wrong?”

“I'm not sure.” She smiled, wondering how to broach the issue of his manner. While not distant, he was nonetheless different with her. She wanted to know why. “Thank you for the length of calico you sent this morning.”

“You're welcome.”

“You didn't have to do that.”

“I wanted to. Your dress was ruined the other night. Now you can make a new one whenever you have time.” He paused. “If you'd rather have a different color or something, Charlie said you could swap it out.”

“I love the small black vines and the red, green and blue flowers, but you needn't feel—”

“It shouldn't have happened.”

His taut words fostered suspicion. Surely he didn't feel responsible for her attack or anything related to it? He'd been quiet all evening. And just as he had yesterday in her hotel room, he'd been careful not to touch her, not to crowd her, not to get within a foot of her. So excruciatingly careful that she wanted to scream.

“I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Davis Lee, but you have to stop buying me things.”

“Why?”

“It might be viewed as improper.”

“Rumor has it we're already involved.”

“I guess so.”

His gaze searched her face. Was that uncertainty in her eyes caused by him or something else? “Are you okay about keeping the cloth?”

She nodded, looking solemn and intent. As if she had something important to say.

“You're still planning to stay in Whirlwind, aren't you?”

“I…haven't decided yet.”

He didn't like that her hesitation caused a snag in his gut. “I hope you won't let what happened the other night make you leave.”

She shook her head. “I think I'm safer here than anywhere else.”

He arched a brow. “You do? Why's that?”

“Well, I know the sheriff.” She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “He's pretty quick on his feet and he's got a knack for taking care of people.”

The flirty, sweet smile she gave him hitched up his pulse, made him want to pull her to him. Instead he turned to leave, expecting her to follow.

“Davis Lee?”

He glanced over his shoulder, stopped when he saw she hadn't moved.

“I know something's wrong. Is it me? Is it that you can't look at me now, after what that man did?”

“No!” He dropped the bag with a clang of metal and reached her in two strides. “Why would you think such a thing?”

“You've been acting uneasy around me.”

“It certainly isn't because of anything you did, Josie.” He hated that he had put pain in her green eyes.

“So, if it's nothing I did…” She wrapped her arms around herself. “You're being so careful not to touch me.”

“Honey, I damn near took you—” He broke off, gritting his teeth against the urge to haul her to him and kiss her until their legs gave out. “You can trust me.”

“I do.” She took one step, bringing her body within an inch of his. Her honeysuckle scent drifted around him, teasing and tempting. “Right now, you're about the only man I do trust. I think you're feeling guilty about what happened between us the other night. You don't need to.”

“I should've had more control.” He clenched his fists so he wouldn't reach for her. “You never have to worry about me doing anything you don't want.”

“I know that,” she said quietly.

She sounded completely sure of herself, of him. And he couldn't mistake the trust shining in her eyes. “Good.”

He exhaled a sigh of relief, which jammed right back in his throat when she said, “Are you saying that I don't need to worry about you touching me again?”

“
Do
you worry about it?” He stilled at her choice of words. Hell. “Because if you do—”

“No, I don't! And I don't want you to, either. I'm more worried that you'll
never
touch me again.”

“Josie.” He briefly closed his eyes against the painful confusion on her face. “You went through hell the other
night and I put my hands on you. All over you. That was not what you needed.”

“It was, Davis Lee.” She flattened a palm on his chest. “I
needed
you to touch me that night. I wanted you to. I still do.”

“You had a real jolt, hon. I want you to know you're safe with me.”

“I
do
know it.” Her eyes were earnest, pleading with him to believe.

“Yeah?”

She nodded.

Relieved, his gaze caught on a wisp of her hair blowing gently against her neck, right below the tender patch of skin behind her ear.

“So it's okay that
I'm
touching
you?
”

He glanced down, saw her hand still on his chest. “Yes.”

Her tongue slicked across her lower lip. “Then maybe you could touch me, too? Just put your hands on my waist, like we're dancing?”

“Okay.” He settled his hands there, her body heat warming his palms, her small waist taut beneath his touch.

She laid her free arm along his forearm, stroking his bicep. “You can tell I'm not in the least afraid, can't you?”

“Yeah.”

“Do I look like I'm ready to skedaddle?”

He chuckled, his arms sliding around her waist and pulling her close. “All right, I understand.”

Her green eyes sparkled as she smiled up at him. “I'm not made of glass, you know.”

He hoped that was an invitation because he took it that way. He bent his head and she met him, her arms going around his neck as his lips touched hers.

His chest felt strange, warm and light at the same time. She smelled luscious, felt so damn good against him. The same ruthless, reckless lust that had hooked into him the
other night grabbed hold and he lifted his head, cautioning himself to go easy. “Better now?”

“I'd say we're finally seein' eye to eye,” she said on a dreamy sigh.

The heat inside him spiked. He wanted to kiss her again, do more than that, but he wouldn't. Trying to hold on to his one remaining thread of common sense, he eased back enough to see her face, but kept his arms around her. “Since I told you what's on my mind, why don't you tell me what's on yours?”

Her spine went rigid. He saw panic in her eyes the split second before she shuttered them against him. “What do you mean?”

“Honey, we both know something's going on.”

“It's…just the attack.”

He lifted her chin. “Josie, it's been between us since the day I confronted you in the alley.”

She closed her eyes and when she opened them, they were dark and stormy. The turmoil on her face looked as if it were causing her physical pain. “I just can't talk about it yet. Give me a little time?”

“How much time?” Irritated, he dropped his arms and stepped back. “I want to know why you really came to Whirlwind.”

She swallowed hard. “Davis Lee—”

“Why's it such a big secret?”

“Who said it was?”

He gave her a pointed look, nettled by her sidestepping. “If it isn't, then why don't you tell me? Don't you care that it makes me wonder if you're involved in something bad?”

“I can't help what you think.”

“You can, but you won't. I'm going to find out what's going on and it would be better if you were the one to tell me.”

“Or what?” Apprehension sprang up inside her and her voice rose. “You'll throw me in jail?”

“Do you think I won't?” His voice was low and dangerous.

Her stomach churning violently, she gave a disbelieving laugh. “You have no cause.”

“General provocation.”

He shot out the term so fast, she wondered if there were such a thing. “You can't arrest someone for that.” In response to his stoic look, she said tentatively, “Can you?”

“Tell me what I want to know.” He took a step toward her, a fierce light in his eyes. “Tell me my trust in you isn't misplaced.”

She turned away from the accusation in his blue eyes. She had come to Whirlwind with a straightforward plan and now it was a maze of secrets and emotions she'd never expected.

Davis Lee moved up behind her, closing in tight the way he had the night in Penn's office. His voice was rough, edged with anger and disappointment. “I've been patient, Josie, but the time has come for you to tell me.”

“I can't.”

“I told you about Rock River. Is it asking too much for you to tell me something, just one thing?”

It wasn't, but she didn't answer.

“After what happened Saturday night, I thought you would, but you didn't.”

“Why are you bringing that up?” she cried, pivoting to face him. “That man was horrible—”

“And just a minute ago,
when I was honest with you,
I hoped you'd confide in me, but no.”

Everything inside her stilled. Guilt steadily chipped away at her. Davis Lee
had
been honest with her; he deserved nothing less. But she couldn't do the same.

Feeling as if the ground were crumbling beneath her, she
asked in a choked voice, “Why is it too much to ask that you let me tell you in my own time?”

“Because I don't think you plan to tell me,” he said baldly. “All you've done is put me off.”

“Well, all
you've
done is press me.” She brushed past him and started for town. The thought of telling him she'd come here to kill Ian had her questioning her loyalty to her family. “I thought you had feelings for me.”

“Don't play that card,” he said tightly. He followed, snatching the burlap bag full of cans off the ground and catching up to her. He didn't touch her, but his body was very close. Too close. “You'd better change your mind about talking, and quick.”

Her temper sparked by his demanding tone, she snapped, “I won't.”

She walked faster, but his long legs easily kept him apace with her. They reached the edge of town. She cut between two houses, angling for the steps at the end of the Whirlwind Hotel's veranda.

“I guess I'll just have to find out your reasons for myself.”

“By doing what?” she asked hotly, alarm racing along her nerves. If she told him she had come here to kill Ian, he'd be able to stop her—either through persuasion or coercion. What had started out as a quest for the justice her family deserved had become more about Davis Lee. That was wrong, wasn't it?

“All you need to know is I plan to keep a real close eye on you.”

She faltered on the bottom step and looked sharply at him, saw the determination in his narrowed eyes. All the panic and frustration and fear that had been building inside her exploded into anger, made her voice tight. “Why don't you leave me alone?”

“Clear the air and things will be fine.”

“I'm going in.” She managed to get the words out, feeling cornered, suffocated.

“You're making this a lot harder than it has to be.”

“Go away,” she said through gritted teeth.

“If you change your mind, you know how to find me.”

“I want you to leave me alone!”

“Your call, sweetheart.”

She stomped up the steps and to the hotel's front door. From the corner of her eye, she saw Davis Lee stalk down the street toward the jail.

Josie made it to her room on anger alone, but as soon as she got inside, it drained out of her. She leaned back against the closed door. She stood in the deepening shadows for a long time, trembling and fighting a sense of drowning as she stared at the wedge of hazy light coming through the window. If he really cared about her, he would trust her.
Why should he?
argued a more rational part of her mind.
You haven't told him anything about the pain Ian and his brothers had caused, the justice they had escaped.