River Lady Read online

  “Wesley,” she cried as her body convulsed against his.

  He held her so close she felt as if she might break.

  Then suddenly he pushed her off him. “You certainly changed your tune. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather be with your lover instead of your husband?”

  With a deep sigh, Leah rolled away. “Why is it that men are so agreeable when their male member is standing upright and so disagreeable at other times?”

  Wesley made a noise that was half laughter, half shock. “Where are you off to? Back to Revis? What’s he like when his male member—?” He stopped because Leah swung around to glare at him, and since her beautiful nude body was still a highly unusual sight to him, all he could do was gape.

  “Just because I’m a Simmons and you’re a lordly Stanford doesn’t mean I jump into bed with every man who asks me, and if you ever again insinuate that I’ve been to bed with Revis, of all people, I’ll never speak to you again. Or let you make love to me. Is that clear?”

  He stood, catching her shoulder just as she reached her clothes on the bank. “I’m sorry, Leah. I guess I was just mad about today. The boys told me how you’ve kept away from Revis. But why the hell did you turn me down this morning? If Revis knew you were mine he’d think twice about touching you. Now I can’t protect you, at least not openly. Your little stunt of dumping cornmeal on me cost us a lot.”

  “I knew you wouldn’t understand,” she said heavily. “I refused Revis because he’s a thief and I’m a married woman, so how would it look if you, another thief, walked in and I fell into your arms? Wouldn’t he be suspicious?”

  “Well, I am…” Wesley said.

  “You’re what?” she demanded. “My husband? We don’t want Revis to know that, do we?”

  “No, I meant I’m…I’m a lot better looking than Revis and it would make sense that you’d want me and not him.”

  “Oh Wesley,” she exclaimed, beginning to laugh.

  “You don’t think so?” He was indignant.

  Still laughing, she put her arms around him. “Yes, I do think so. I honestly believe you’re the best-looking man I’ve ever seen.”

  He held back from her. “Better than Revis?”

  “Much.”

  “And my brother Travis?”

  “By far.”

  He grinned at her for a moment before beginning to kiss her.

  As difficult as it was, she pulled away from him. “We can’t stay. Revis will want to know where I am. If we’re both gone he’ll suspect something.”

  “I can handle Revis. I’ll tell him the better man won the lady.”

  “No,” she said as her fingers played along the muscles on his chest. “Please don’t do that. You don’t know him. He’s evil. One night you’ll be sleeping and he’ll slip a knife into you. Please,” she begged.

  With a little frown, he caressed her cheek. “What happened to the little cat who was spitting at me on the way up this mountain? Where’s the woman vowing to never give me anything but what I took?”

  She pushed away from him. The last thing she wanted to do was tell him she loved him. When and if they ever got off this mountaintop and he abandoned her, she wanted to have some of her pride left. And when he walked out she wanted to be able to tell him she didn’t care, that he’d given her a few hours of bed pleasure and that was all she’d wanted.

  She twisted away from him. “Of the two of you, you’re safer. If I stayed with Revis I might end up like Verity, and besides, you said you and your money could get me off from the murder charges.”

  “Is that all I mean to you, Leah?” he asked quietly. “I’m someone whose money you can use?”

  She tried to keep her voice from shaking. What was she supposed to say, that she thought she might lie down and die if anything happened to him? “We were married because you thought we had to be. I was nearly unconscious. I wanted to end the marriage but you refused to oblige me, so legally we’re still attached and because of that and because it was my brother who shot you, I joined Revis’s gang in order to protect you. After all this is over I think my duty to you is finished.”

  “Duty?” he said. “And what about this?” His eyes roamed down her nude body.

  She gave him a lusty grin. “We Simmons women enjoy a tussle with a handsome man. I wouldn’t bed Revis because I think he may be a man who likes pain.”

  He moved away from her. “God, but you’re a cold-blooded woman, Leah. I guess I should feel privileged that you didn’t leave me to bleed to death after your brother shot me.”

  She wouldn’t answer him because all her concentration was on not crying. How much she wanted to tell him she loved him and have him tell her the same thing. But if she told him, he’d probably only laugh at her and say that of course someone of her class would love someone of his high station in life. No, it was better to keep her pride, if not her heart.

  “I have to go now,” she said, turning and beginning to pull on her clothes.

  “Yes, do go,” he said as he walked away from her.

  Leah gave way to silent tears then. The fragile bond between them had been broken.

  Chapter 22

  Leah didn’t sleep much that night, but she cried some, hugged Verity some, and was generally miserable. She wished with all her might that she’d never even met Wesley Stanford. If she’d only listened to her sister and not walked out after him that night at the tavern and leaped on him like a starved animal, she wouldn’t now be in the midst of a den of thieves. Or be walking off the end of tree branches without any clothes on and making a fool of herself. Or spending hours in the strong arms of the man she loved.

  “Damn!” she said aloud as she tossed the blanket off and rolled away from Verity.

  “It’s time to get up,” she said. “And today you’re going to help me cook,” she said on impulse. Perhaps work could give Verity a little of her self-respect back.

  While she was cooking breakfast Wesley entered the cabin, but he didn’t speak to her. In fact he was so cool there was a definite chill in the air.

  “Would you like some breakfast, Mr. Armstrong?” she asked.

  “Not from you,” Wesley snapped just as Revis entered the cabin.

  Leah saw the scowl on Revis’s dark face and knew he was considering Wes’s attitude. “This one’s not as smart as you, Revis,” Leah said smoothly, setting a platter of bacon on the table. “He thought he could have me for the asking and he doesn’t take kindly to being told no. Breakfast is ready.”

  Twice during the meal Leah saw Revis watching Wesley, and to distract him she leaned over his shoulder as she set dishes on the table. Revis must hate someone else coming into his territory and he would hate Wes more if he thought the newcomer was succeeding where he’d failed.

  “When is this job of yours, Armstrong?” Revis asked.

  “Tomorrow morning. They’ll be four miles down the mountain by then.”

  “And what makes you so sure about how fast they’re traveling?”

  “I have my ways,” was all Wesley would answer.

  It was later, as Leah and Verity were clearing the table, that Abe came to his sister.

  “You two have a lovers’ quarrel?” he hissed into her ear.

  “Revis and me?” she asked, pretending not to understand.

  “You and that Stanford fella. You two was lookin’ sparks at each other all mornin’.”

  “I never looked at him,” she protested.

  “Not when he was lookin’ at you. And he watched you ever’ minute. Leah, you two lovebirds is gonna ruin ever’thin’. I ain’t never gonna be respectable if you two get killed. And Revis’ll kill you both when he finds out you’re playin’ him for a fool.”

  “What did Wesley promise you if you helped him?”

  “None of your business. Me and him got a business deal goin’. As soon as he finds out about the Dancer we’re leavin’. All of us. That is, if he’ll still have you. You oughta watch yourself, Leah. You ain’t never gonna get a hu