Devils on Horseback: Gideon, Book 5 (14 page)

“Get off me, Blackwood.” She pushed at his arm, surprised by how heavy he was when he was dead asleep. “I said, get off me!” This time she shouted at him, her voice echoing in the room, bouncing off the bright white walls.

He was up in an instant, gun in hand, shirt off. She stared at the wide expanse of chest, the whorls of hair around his flat nipples that led down his stomach to his manly parts. A pink scar stood out on his side, a new one, judging by the look of it. Other scars peppered his skin here and there, but they were years old and whitened by age. Holy God, the man’s beauty made her entire body clench. If she wasn’t so mad at him, she’d ask him to bed her.

“You tricked me.”

He set the gun down gently onto the chair in the corner. “I did no such thing.”

“You gave me something to make me sleep.”

“No, the doctor did. I just carried you here.” He ran his hand down his face. “Jesus, woman, you sure know how to wake up a man.”

She looked at his trousers, and Lord have mercy, his cock was clearly hard as it strained against the fabric. Her body heated, growing wet with need. She tried to shove away the arousal, but it was insistent and powerful. Her frustration overwhelmed her, and her temper let loose.

“I can’t believe I let myself do this. Granny should have stopped me.” She shook her finger at him. “You were not the man to give myself to for my first time! You’re a devil of a man, and I regret the day I crawled into the wagon.”

“What?” His brows slammed together. “What did you say?”

“You heard me. I shouldn’t have done what I did. It’s only caused me trouble and strife since I lay with a man, with you! I could have gone to my grave without knowing how it changed a person to be with a man.” She pointed at his crotch. “That truly is a one-eyed snake, and I wish I’d never known what pleasure it brings.” Chloe stood with some difficulty, her knee screaming in protest. She faced him with her hands on her hips, wearing only her brand-new chemise and a hefty scowl. “I can’t even look at you without wanting to tussle in the sheets with you.”

In seconds, his expression changed from shock to sizzling anger. She realized too late what she had blurted out. Damn sure couldn’t shove the words back into her fool mouth. Oh boy, she had stepped in a pile of horse shit for sure.

“What was that you just told me?” He stepped toward her, and she took a step back. “Did you just tell me your
grandmother
knew you bedded me?”

His voice made her ears hurt, so she clapped her hands over them.

“Oh no, you will hear what I have to say.”

“The folks at the mercantile can hear what you have to say.” She looked around for an escape but found none. He blocked the door with his bulk.

“Not funny, Chloe. Not funny in the least.” He loomed over her. “You tricked me. You and your cackling granny tricked me. I can’t believe I was about to…” His eyes narrowed. “Did you just tell me you were a virgin before we met?”

“No, I never said that.” Oh hell, she hadn’t meant to let that slip.

“Not exactly those words, but you just told me I was the first man you’d lain with.” He tugged at his hair as his face registered a hundred different emotions. “I can’t believe you did that. Jesus, Chloe, I thought I was, I mean, that we had something. It was all a lie. One big fat lie.”

She couldn’t deny it. Heck, she didn’t even have an excuse. Granny convincing her to follow her instincts wasn’t a very strong reason. Chloe could have not gone through with it, but she had. No, she’d gone ahead and done exactly what he accused her of—seducing him because she wanted to. Then again, it had been the right thing to do, no matter the consequences. She’d never known what it meant to be close to another person, to experience such joy and pleasure in his arms.

“It wasn’t all a lie.” She did feel real things for Gideon, emotions she didn’t even know she had.

“What part?” He paced back and forth, looking angrier by the second. “What part wasn’t a lie?” Gideon leaned toward her, his nostrils flaring, his eyes full of fury and pain.

Her hand shook as she reached up to touch him. He jerked back, pulling her heart right along with him. Agony radiated out from her chest, dragging her down into the depths of misery. Chloe could hardly get in a breath as she told herself not to cry.

“What part, Chloe?”

“I-I like you.” It was such a silly thing to say, not even true either. She did more than like him.

He snorted. “Does that excuse what you did? Chloe, I took your virginity. Do you know what that means? It means you just got yourself a husband. A real one this time.”

She stared at him, her mouth open as his words settled in her brain. “Husband?”

“I don’t make it a habit of bedding virgins. If I had, I’d have been married by now.” Gideon leaned in until they were nearly touching noses. “You will marry me.”

It was what she wanted. Her heart did a funny jig at the thought, but when she opened her mouth, something else entirely happened.

“No.”

If she’d thought he looked surprised before, it was nothing compared to his expression now.

“Did you just say no?”

“Yep, I said no. I ain’t marrying you because you think you have to.” She shook her head even as her heart cracked, and she knew he was slipping through her fingers. “No husband that’s forced is gonna ever love his wife.”

Gideon’s harsh breathing filled the room as he stared at her. She held her ground, unwilling to be shackled to a man who felt obligated to make her his wife. Chloe never expected to marry for love, but she would not marry because of a man’s guilt.

“I can’t believe you said no.”

“Well, believe it because I said no. We need to get moving since we wasted the whole night here in this town.” She sat on the side of the bed, trying to ignore him.

“The doctor said you have to rest a couple of days.” He stood over her, attempting to intimidate her with his size.

“I don’t care what the damn doctor said. I’m leaving whether or not you like it.” Her knee was sore, hell, her whole body hurt, but she had gotten up on both feet. She’d work out the kinks and be right as rain in no time. The doctor was a fool.

“A horse fell on you yesterday, Chloe. You need to recover.” He put his hand on her arm.

She shook it off. “I need to find my family. You can either help me or get out of my way.” Chloe wanted to hit him, push him, get him out of her line of vision. If she didn’t, she might do something stupid like tell him she changed her mind about marrying him. His scent surrounded her and she could hardly think straight for being distracted by this intense, intelligent man who had changed her life.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.” He frowned at her as she hobbled across the room. It took great effort not to show him how difficult it actually was.

“Good thing you don’t have to think about it, then. It’s my decision, Blackwood.” She managed to pull on her dusty clothes, wishing she had time to at least brush off the dirt. No time to worry about vanity—pursuing her family was more important.

“You are an infuriating woman.” He was gritting his teeth hard enough she thought she saw sparks coming from his mouth.

“I don’t even know what that word means.” She sucked in a breath as the skirt slid up her bruised thigh. Closing her eyes, she pictured the girls and Granny and ignored the pain as best she could.

He fussed like an old woman as she finished dressing, hovering behind her and huffing. She was nearly ready to run away, pain and all. Heading for the door, she saw her neatly stacked belongings. The sight stopped her in her tracks. He’d taken care of her and their things. He truly was a good man, and he had offered to marry her, which meant he was an honorable man.

Chloe knew she owed him her life and a good deal of respect. He could have left her days ago, but he didn’t. She sighed from the bottom of her toes, then decided to do the right thing even if she didn’t want to. “Will you carry our things downstairs?”

“You’re crazy.” He sounded angry, but he still picked up their things and opened the door. “I am only doing this because I know you will leave without me. You’re a stubborn woman, Chloe Ruskin.”

“I reckon I’ve heard that a time or two.” She did not want to talk about her faults, however plentiful they were. “Let’s get a move on.”

She made her way out the door and to the top of the stairs. There was nothing to hang on to, just an open set of stairs to the lobby. She leaned against the wall and stepped down slowly as if she were a toddler learning to use her feet. Gideon pushed past her, set their things on the floor below, then came bounding back up the stairs two at a time.

“You are going to send me to an early grave.” He picked her up and carried her the rest of the way down the stairs.

Chloe was grateful he’d done it, but she wouldn’t tell him that. It would give him too much satisfaction.

“I could’ve made it.”

He snorted. “Not if you wanted to leave today.”

“Hmph. You’re turning into a bully again.”

“I’m trying to take control of our situation because right now it’s a rogue cannonball and I have no idea where it’s going to hit next.” He set her gently onto a wooden chair in the corner, then piled their things on the floor beside her. “Now sit here while I go see about getting you a new horse.”

She wanted to tell him to stop being bossy and ask her instead of telling her, but he was out the door before she could.

“Your husband is a patient man.” The desk clerk couldn’t have been more than eighteen, with wide dark eyes and floppy brown hair. He stared after Gideon as if he’d seen the second coming of Jesus.

“And you’re an idiot.” She ignored his gasp and focused on the door, willing Gideon to come back so they could leave Westville.

Her family was waiting for her to save them, and she couldn’t let them down.

Gideon had to stop himself halfway to the livery when he realized he was actually stomping down the road. Stomping! Chloe had reduced him to this, a babbling man acting like a spoiled child. He never stomped or was impolite to women or slept with virgins either.

That last thought gave him pause, and he had to literally force himself to breathe a few times. He’d been right to want to marry her, and the fact he’d been her first made him that much more determined to become her husband. Who would have thought a trip to Nate’s would land him in the middle of nowhere with an unwilling bride and some nasty kidnappers to chase?

If it wasn’t true, it might even have been funny.

Frank was waiting for him in the doorway of the stable. The big old German had his arms crossed and a frown on his face.

“I heard you came back into town. What happened to my horses?”

Gideon considered telling the man to go to hell but thought better of that choice. He was the only man in the small town with horses to buy. “Lightning hit a gopher hole and snapped her foreleg. I had to put her down.”

Frank closed his eyes. “I raised that horse from a filly.”

Gideon finally understood what Frank was upset about and felt bad he’d been the one to end the horse’s life. “She was a good horse.”

“She was the last I had from her dam, a mare my father gave me when I was a boy.” Frank sighed and wiped his eyes with grimy hands. “I suppose you’re going to be needing another horse for your wife.”

“If you have one. She’s not going to sit still for long.” Gideon didn’t have much money left, but he had the letter of credit from the bank. “I can go down and get the money, but it’d be easier to write you a voucher to cash at the bank.”

Frank turned and walked into the stable. “I’ve got one more mare that might be the right one.”

Gideon followed him, again grateful for the good folks of Westville. He’d never needed friends more.

Chapter Nine

Chloe thought she’d stare a hole through the door of the hotel waiting for Gideon to return. She couldn’t get far by walking, that was for sure. The clerk kept watching her with his piggy eyes. If she wasn’t alone and unable to run, she would have given him a piece of her mind for acting like an ass. Helpless was not an easy state for her to accept.

When the door opened and Gideon walked in, her traitorous heart did a little pitty-pat, then a somersault. The man ought not to look so good, bound to give a lovesick fool like her a fit of the vapors to catch a glimpse of him. He even had a basket on his arm that smelled a lot like biscuits. “I’ve got food for the trail. Frank had another mare. If you’re ready, we can go.”

If she was ready? She hadn’t wanted to even come to Westville, much less be drugged and spend the night. He had done it because she was injured, but the deception by the doctor and Gideon still stuck in her craw.

“I was ready yesterday.”

He ignored her barb and scooped her up in his arms, his strength surprising her again. They emerged onto the street, and she shaded her eyes against the sun, then her breath caught. Standing there saddled and ready was the most beautiful paint she’d ever seen. Milky white with warm dark brown spots.

“She’s beautiful.”

“That she is. Frank charged me twice what she was worth.” Gideon helped her into the saddle gently, taking care to put her foot in the stirrup so slowly she almost kicked him to hurry up.

“I’m not going to break, you know.”

His head snapped up, and she saw more than annoyance in his expression—she saw hurt. Through all her anger and self-pity, she’d hurt him. Big, strong man that he was, Gideon had feelings just like everyone else.

“I’m sorry,” she blurted.

“Done is done, Chloe. Let me go get our things and we’ll be on our way.” He walked away, taking her heart with him.

They set off at a much slower pace. Gideon refused to go any faster and once threatened to hold the reins of the paint, who was named Bella, until she stopped complaining about how fast they weren’t going.

Even through her complaints about the pace, Chloe was very sore, and every bump on the trail reverberated through her. After an hour she was grateful he had insisted on such a pace. If she’d been trotting or, God forbid, galloping, she would be crying in pain. As it was, she was uncomfortable, but it wasn’t unbearable. She could rest later, after they found her family.

The silence between them bordered on uncomfortable, and she shouldered most of the blame. She needed to apologize to him, not yell then blurt a hurried sorry. Chloe knew she should have said yes to Gideon’s marriage proposal, but her pride had stopped her. That particular fault usually muddied the waters, as much as she wanted to overcome it.

“I came from nothing, you know.”

He didn’t turn to look at her. “I know.”

“You had tutors and money and you talk fancy. My daddy could’ve been one of your daddy’s sharecroppers.” She wanted him to see why they shouldn’t marry. “We ain’t from the same social circles.”

His laugh was more of a rusty, painful sound. “Social circles? Hell, Chloe, I don’t think there are any more of those.” He shook his head. “Just because I grew up in a different type of house doesn’t mean we’re different in here.” His fist pressed against his chest.

He was right, and she knew it, but she held on stubbornly to the idea they were too different. “You talk better, you’re smarter and you’re sure richer than me.”

“I’m not rich, Chloe. I own part of a restaurant, and I’ve saved some money, that’s all.” He finally turned to look at her, and she saw naked longing in his expression. “Money is nothing. Love is what’s important.”

She couldn’t look away, couldn’t catch her breath. “What do you mean?”

“I fell in love with you sometime in the last few days, and I’ll be damned if I can stop how I feel. You’re infuriating, annoying, stubborn and the most beautiful creature I’ve ever laid eyes on.” His jaw tightened with what looked like anger. Odd for a man who’d just told her he loved her.

He loved her.

The silence hung between them, heavy and full of unsaid emotions. It was her turn to speak, her turn to blurt her feelings for him, but she couldn’t make her mouth work and her tongue ceased responding to her. Her heart nearly cracked when he looked away.

This time the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It was painful.

* * * * *

The sun set behind them, illuminating the trees and brush in shades of orange and pink. Gideon hadn’t spent such a miserable day on a horse in years. He was in tatters, both emotionally and physically. Chloe had worn him down to a pitiful nub in need of a love he’d obviously never receive.

Zeke would’ve punched him.

Heck, he could’ve punched himself for being pathetic. It was high time he forgot about Chloe and her strange notions and focused on getting her reunited with her family so he could escape. Gideon squared his shoulders, shaking off the cloak of sadness he’d been carrying.

If Chloe didn’t want to marry him, that was that. He wouldn’t push her anymore, and he sure as hell wouldn’t get lost in the emotional tangle with her any longer.

As if he was finally seeing clearly again, he spotted something on a bush on the side of the road. It looked a lot like a ribbon.

“Chloe, look there to the right. Is that a ribbon?”

She peered at the bush. “It looks like it. If I could get off this horse, I’d go look myself.” She shifted and hissed through her teeth.

Gideon needed to find out exactly how much pain she was in, but that would have to wait until later. He rode over and dismounted in front of the bush. To his delight, it was a scrap of blue ribbon again. Despite his own situation, the sight of it made him smile.

He held it up for Chloe to see. She whooped loudly, startling a few birds from the trees, and a squirrel chattered at her. That small piece of ribbon healed whatever rift had opened between them. Or perhaps since they’d picked up the scent of their quarry, it allowed them to set aside their problematic relationship for now.

Of course eventually they’d have to deal with the fact he’d said he loved her. Of all the things to say, it wasn’t what he expected to come hurtling out of his mouth.

Although he fought with his inner turmoil, they rode onward, scanning the bushes for any more clues. Chloe made small noises the longer they traveled. He didn’t push her to stop, because he knew she’d refuse. The woman would probably ride with a broken leg and a bullet hole if it meant she’d be two feet closer to her family. He called a halt when it grew too dark to see anything, and for once she didn’t argue.

After setting the bedrolls down, Gideon carefully picked her up from the saddle, and she moaned softly.

“That’s not the kind of noise I want to hear now.”

Her laugh ended on a gasp. “Just set me down, you big oaf.” She bit her lip hard, and he thought he saw blood, but it was too dark to tell.

“I’m going to start a fire, then get some coffee brewing.”

“Sounds mighty nice.” Her voice was surprisingly weak.

Gideon gathered wood for a fire and got a blaze going in the inky darkness. After he poured water from a canteen into the pot, he threw in coffee beans and set it on the fire to boil. He returned to check on Chloe. She lay on her back, staring at the stars. He knelt beside her and cupped her cheek.

“I think you’re tougher than any soldier I ever met.”

“Is that a compliment? Or should I be insulted you compared me to a man?” She sighed against his hand. “Is the coffee ready yet?”

“Pushy wench.” He held up the canteen. “Water?”

“No, I need something a little stronger.”

“Fair enough.” He tucked the blanket around her, thankful she couldn’t see him blush at the way he took care of her. When had he turned into such a coddler?

After a meager dinner of biscuits and coffee, she fell asleep still wearing her boots. Gideon made her comfortable, then spooned up behind her. He fell asleep almost as soon as he closed his eyes, holding Chloe to his heart.

Chloe woke cocooned in Gideon’s warmth, his arm wrapped around her stomach. For a few precious seconds, she held on to the feeling. The moment was perfect, and then she tried to shift a tiny bit closer and the pain hit her. Stars swam in front of her eyes as she struggled not to cry out. Her knee throbbed in tune with her racing heart, although it wasn’t the reason she wanted it to be racing. She must have made some kind of noise, because Gideon was awake in an instant.

“What’s wrong?”

She shook her head, unable to even speak.

He flung back the bedroll and glanced down at her knee. His expression told her what she wanted to, or didn’t want to, know. His lips compressed as he continued to stare; then, when he looked back at her, it was as if he was yelling at her with his eyes.

“We’re going to have to get the swelling down, or you aren’t riding anywhere.”

Chloe should’ve protested, but for the first time since she’d been injured, she agreed with him. Her knee felt three times its normal size and hurt something powerful.

“I hear water nearby. I’ll be back shortly.” With a quick, hard kiss, he rose, shirtless. If she hadn’t been in agony, she would have appreciated seeing him half-naked again. Her fingers itched to touch the whorls of dark hair, the warm skin stretched across taut muscle and bone.

He yanked on his boots, then ran into the woods beyond. She had a moment to admire his form before he disappeared from view. Chloe rolled on her back and tried to bend her knees. One worked just fine, although it was sore, the other refused to bend. That would make it mighty hard to walk, much less ride.

She managed to sit up, although sweat rolled down her skin by the time she got there. Who knew such a simple thing would be such a big chore? She pulled back the blanket to get a good look at her knee, which was a rainbow of colors from an angry purple, to green and blue. The swelling was there, but it wasn’t as large as it felt. She touched the edges, and her fingers left an impression.

Chloe wondered if she should panic now.

“What are you doing?” Gideon reappeared out of nowhere and knelt beside her, his brow furrowed. “Were you going to try to walk?”

She snorted at the thought. “Not hardly. I was taking a gander at what’s paining me.”

He didn’t look as though he entirely believed her. “I found a creek about a hundred yards away. The water is cold enough it must be fed by some hills with snow runoff.” He put his arms under her knees. “This may hurt a little.”

She closed her eyes against the pain as her legs hung from the knee down from his arm. She’d felt worse than this before, but it was bearable, but only just. If Gideon wasn’t there holding her, she didn’t think she would be doing as well.

The sound of the water grew louder as he walked, slow as molasses, of course. He stopped, and she opened her eyes. The creek was about eight feet across, with gently rolling rich green banks flanking the stream. It was a little slice of heaven. The sun was just starting to rise, painting a pinkish glow on the surface of the water.

He set her on the grass and glanced at her. “You know I never… Never mind.” He fingered the leather of her skirt. “This really is good quality.”

Chloe didn’t know what he was doing or what was happening, and that made her nervous. She was about to open her mouth and say something terrible when he reached for her buttons. Now she just watched, as if it wasn’t her he was undressing. She had always been responsible for taking care of others, and now Gideon was showing her what it meant to have someone else take care of her. It was an eye-opening experience, and as she watched him undress, with his chocolate curls a breath away, she recognized what she was feeling was love. She truly did love Gideon.

He was the man for her, and now that she had stupidly said no to his proposal, she changed her mind. However, she was too proud to tell him that and decided to wait until he asked her again. If he asked her again.

What an incredibly foolish decision in a sea of foolish decisions.

Instead of telling him how she felt, she just sat back and allowed him to take off every stitch of her clothing until she was buck naked on that grass. She wanted to cover her exposed tits with her arm, but he distracted her when he stood up.

Not only did he have a very prominent erection in his trousers, but he started taking off the rest of his clothes too. Chloe had wanted this moment since she had seen him that first time walking around their wagon with his broad shoulders, blue eyes and soft-as-feathers curls. Now he undressed in front of her, showing her exactly what she’d refused. She forgot all about her knee and the pain as he revealed his body.

His cock had always seemed large to her, but as it sprang free from the confines of his trousers, it looked enormous. It pulsed with its own energy, standing proudly in a nest of dark curls surrounding his balls. They were large too, but not overly so. His erection twitched when he noticed her stare.

Her hand shook with the need to touch him, to feel his satin-coated steel. As she reached out, he closed his eyes. Her fingers grazed up and down his staff, which was soft and hard at the same time, such an amazing combination. Then she shifted her weight, and pain ripped through her.

Gideon immediately dropped to his knees and gently took her into his arms. He murmured apologies while he held her close.

“I’m sorry.” He sounded as if he was the one in pain.

“I did the touching, not you.” Chloe blew out a breath. “I can’t seem to help myself around you is all.”

With a strangled chuckle, he kissed her forehead. “Now let’s try that cold water.”

Chloe had taken cold baths, even washed up in mountain streams, but nothing prepared her for just how frigid that creek was. It was like liquid snow washing over her. She gasped as her feet sank into it, then her lower legs.

She nearly ran for shore when her pussy and behind were submerged. Every inch of skin turned into a giant goose bump. She shivered as Gideon made sure her legs were under the water.

“You don’t need to worry about my stick anymore. It’s now a twig.” His teeth were gritted as he carried her into the deeper current.