A Lady of the West Read online

  She was still exhausted from the bone-crushing journey, as they had only arrived in Santa Fe the day before. Moreover, they had been invited to a party at the governor’s house that night. She needed both to rest and to escape from Roper’s company. “It’s getting late, Major. We need to return to the hotel to get dressed for the party.”

  The Major checked his watch and scowled. “Damn. I need to see someone this afternoon. Roper, escort the ladies back to the hotel. Garnet, you come with me.”

  She inhaled to voice a protest, then let her breath out with rueful acceptance. For whatever reason, fate was conspiring against her in her efforts to avoid Roper. All she could do was be so gracious that no one would suspect how his presence disturbed her.

  His eyes gleamed dark green as he took her elbow in his right hand and Emma’s in his left, as if he knew of her discomfort and enjoyed it. Celia danced along behind, beside, and in front of them, her bright presence masking Victoria’s silence. Emma made the usual small talk, leading Victoria to wonder if no one but Roper saw her agitation. Did she hide it so well, even from Emma?

  The hotel was three stories tall, and the Major had booked their rooms on the top floor so they wouldn’t be bothered by the coming and going of the other guests. Emma and Celia shared a room next door to Victoria’s room, and beyond that was the Major’s. Victoria was devoutly thankful that there was no connecting door. She had slept better in the hotel room than she had since the day she’d been married.

  Emma and Celia entered their room first, and Victoria firmly disengaged her arm from Roper’s grip.

  “Thank you for your escort, Mr. Roper,” she said in polite dismissal as she retrieved her door key from her bag.

  “You’re very welcome, Mrs. McLain,” he replied in solemn tones. He took the key from her and opened the door, then put his hand on her back and forcefully ushered her inside.

  Victoria whirled to see him shutting the door and locking it again, from the inside. Her heart lurched as she faced him. “Please leave, now, and I won’t say anything about this.”

  He took off his hat and ran his hand through his dark hair. “About what, Mrs. McLain?” he asked softly.

  “About—this. Forcing your way into my room.”

  “Have I touched you? Insulted you? Kissed you?”

  Her heartbeat was even faster now. Her palms were damp, and she put her hands behind her back. “No,” she whispered. Something occurred to her, and she lifted her chin. “You’re doing this for revenge, aren’t you? Because I—I accidentally intruded the other night in the barn. I apologize, Mr. Roper. It was completely unintentional.”

  A corner of his mouth kicked up in a little smile. “You sure got an eyeful, didn’t you? But you must have liked what you saw, because you didn’t leave, you stood there until the end.”

  She blushed painfully, and he gave a low laugh. How could she explain that she’d been frozen, unable to move? She couldn’t tell him how pain had lanced through her or how fiercely jealous she had been.

  “I’ve got a deal to offer you,” he said, watching her intently. “I won’t say anything around the ranch about you watching me with Florina if you’ll give me that kiss you’re so terrified I’ll take.” He knew the risk he was running by being in her room, but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have her to himself for just a few minutes. Let her start getting used to the idea that there was something between them, and accustom her to his lovemaking.

  Now she went pale, and for a minute she felt as if she might faint. “You—you want me to kiss you?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I do. I’ve never had a lady kiss me before. I want to know if you taste any different, if your lips are softer.” He looked as if he were wickedly enjoying her agitation. “I want a long, slow, mouth to mouth kiss.”

  “I’m married!”

  He shrugged. “So?”

  So, indeed? She looked at him wildly. Did all men feel that way about the marriage vows? Her husband had broken his easily enough. Kissing Roper wouldn’t be infidelity in act, but it would be in spirit. She thought of the distasteful way the Major had put his mouth on hers, but the thought of kissing Roper like that wasn’t distasteful at all. It was deeply, primitively exciting and it frightened her because she should never even think such a thing, let alone act on it.

  “I can’t,” she whispered.

  He smiled again, and she shivered. “Oh, I think you can,” he murmured, slowly advancing. “Just think of what the men would say if they knew you had watched. They’d get a real hoorah out of it, and they’d laugh every time they saw you.”

  She backed up a step. “Mr. Roper—”

  “Jake.”

  “You don’t know what you’re asking of me. I—”

  “I think I do.” He moved again, his hand shooting out to catch her arm and prevent her from retreating further. “I’m asking you to kiss me the way a woman kisses a man. Nothing else. Just a kiss.”

  She couldn’t believe how hot his hands were. If he were that warm all over, what would it feel like if he—She jerked her thoughts to a standstill, appalled at herself. She stared up at him.

  “That’s all?” she whispered. “Just a kiss.”

  “That’s all.”

  “It’s blackmail.”

  “Yes.”

  It was sinful and she knew it, but sin has been sweet from the beginning of time. The temptation to taste him was so powerful she was shaking with it, and it was forbidden. She was a respectable married lady; she should cleave only unto her husband—

  —who cleaved unto any cheap slut who would have him.

  She felt paralyzed, mesmerized. His eyes were glittering down at her, so close that she could see the tiny golden striations around the black iris, blending into forest green tinged with blue. She could feel his breath on her face and knew that, sin or not, she was going to let him kiss her.

  His left hand slid around the small of her back and urged her closer. Immediately Victoria’s hands flew up to clutch his biceps in faint alarm and protest, but she said nothing. The swell of his muscles under her palms left her unwillingly beguiled and weaker than she wanted to be.

  He pulled her closer, inch by inch, until their bodies touched. Victoria inhaled a quick breath, shattering inside at the powerful intimacy of this simple contact. He was so warm and hard, his muscled body supporting hers; he held her so close that she could feel the buttons of his shirt digging into her breast, the buckle of his gunbelt cutting into her abdomen, and his strong thighs rubbing against hers through the fabric of her skirt and petticoats.

  Her heart was slamming painfully against her rib cage as she waited, then he bent his head. His mouth, warm and firm, touched hers for a moment, then lifted. Was that all? She felt faint with relief that it had been as uncomplicated as that, though still very improper.

  He frowned down at her. “Not like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “That wasn’t the kind of kiss I want.”

  She stared at him. “What other kind is there?”

  He looked momentarily startled, then his eyes narrowed. It was possible, he realized. Women like her thought they should endure rather than participate. McLain certainly wasn’t a man to make her realize she should enjoy it. Roper was going to enjoy making this aspect of her education about life in the West his responsibility.

  He cupped her jaw in his right hand. “Open your mouth this time,” he ordered.

  She looked aghast. “Open my—”

  He quickly took advantage of the opportunity and covered her parted lips with his own. She made a quick sound of panic in her throat and tried to jerk away from him, but he locked his arm around her waist.

  Victoria stared up at him with wide, frightened eyes. She sensed violence in him, as if he wanted more from her and was determined to get it. He had said just a kiss; had she been a fool to believe it would stop at that? She pushed against his arms in a futile effort at escape.

  His right hand tightened on her jaw and