He was actually going to let her just walk right out of his life without swearing at her, shooting her in the back, or threatening to have her thrown into jail.
Esmerelda briefly considered dropping the trunk on her toes. But she was afraid she might break them.
Miss Fine?
Miss Fine. Not honey, or sweetheart, or even Duchess.
Despite Billys cool tone, Esmereldas heart surged with relief at the thought that he was going to finally beg her forgiveness for letting Bartholomew go. Perhaps once he did, she would be able to put aside her own wounded pride and tell him she was sorry for all the mean things she had said to him. He would surely forgive her once she explained that she hadnt had a lot of experience with apologizing, since she was rarely wrong.
Take off your gloves.
Esmerelda dropped both the trunk and the violin case, narrowly missing her toes. She slowly turned, her relief fading when she saw the stranger standing in the middle of the street.
His arms werent outstretched in welcome, but hung loosely at his sides. Despite the casual posture, the tension in his lean, graceful fingers was unmistakable. His lips were faintly pursed, as if poised to blow on the barrel of a smoking pistol.
She realized that he wasnt a stranger at all. He was the man from the Wanted poster shed kept tucked beneath her pillow all those long, lonely weeks. She had both hated and feared him, yet hed still managed to saunter his way into her dreams night after nighthot, feverish dreams that had made her moan in her sleep and kick away the covers.
He was Billy Darling, part legend and all man, wanted by the law and, in her most secret heart, by her as well. Hed been dangerous when shed wanted him, but now that she loved him, he might very well prove deadly.
He hooked his thumbs in his gunbelt, his stance so nonchalant and free of threat that Esmerelda thought he just might draw his gun and shoot her. He had her in his sights all right, but the devastating charm of his smile warned her that he had a much more diabolical fate in mind.
Pardon? she croaked.
I was only suggesting that you might wish to remove your gloves. You can leave them on if you like. His smile took on a wicked slant as he confided, I have heard tell of cowboys who never take off their hats.
Esmerelda drifted toward him, unable to resist the hypnotic allure of that smile. I dont understand. What are you saying?
Billys grin faded, leaving his jaw as stern as shed ever seen it. What I am saying, Miss Fine, is that the time has come for you and me to settle up. Im not running a charitable institution here. We had a deal. He jerked a thumb toward the wagon. Sadie here was a witness to it.
Stirred by the sound of her name, Sadie let out a damning Woof.
Esmereldas heart was beginning to skip every other beat. I havent forgotten our deal, she insisted, although, in fact, she had. Why, as soon as my grandfather arrives
Ah, the duke! Billy drawled. That noble chap whos supposed to come swooping out of the clouds in his fancy carriage drawn by six white unicorns, toss me a handful of diamonds and rubies, and sweep you, his beloved granddaughter, into his arms.
Esmerelda glared at him. His sarcastic description was just a shade too close to some of her more ridiculous girlhood fantasies. Im almost certain he doesnt own any unicorns.
Then theres only one problem. Billy took a step toward her, but she forced herself to stand her ground, her nose quivering like a cornered rabbits. I dont see him anywhere around here. Do you?
Stalling for time, Esmerelda looked frantically around. A cheery light nickered in the window of the sheriffs office, but the street was deserted. Nor do I see my brother, she reminded him.
Billy shrugged. I hired on to find him, not keep him.
She couldnt argue with that. Billy might have given Bartholomew the means and encouragement to go, but in the end, her brother had left of his own accord.
Drawing in an unsteady breath, she tilted her head to study him. He might look every inch the notorious gun-slinger, but beneath that rugged exterior, he was still her Billy. The man who had stood off his own brothers at gunpoint to protect her. The man who had tried to convince her that she hadnt murdered her parents with a single willful act. The man who had pleasured her without a thought for his own satisfaction, then tucked her into his bed as tenderly as a child.
Flooded by a tide of belated remorse, she clutched his arm. Oh, Billy, I said some terrible things back at the ranch. I dont blame you for being angry.
Mr. Darling, he corrected, gently removing her hand from his sleeve. At her disbelieving look, he winked and whispered, Until we get this matter settled, sweetheart, it might be best to keep our association formal.
Her mouth and hand were still hanging open when his face recovered its grave demeanor. Serving in your employ, Miss Fine, has turned out to be a far more costly endeavor than I anticipated. I lost the reward Winstead promised me, and until the scalawag is apprehended, Ill have to spend every minute of every day and night looking over my shoulder. If Elliot Courtney cant convince the judge to grant me amnesty for returning the treasury gold, I may even have to hightail it to Mexico for a while. The way I see it, I at least deserve to be compensated for all my trouble. His expression softened as he reached to cup her cheek in his palm, much as he had that day in his attic room. After all, you are a woman of your word.
Esmerelda might have forgotten their bargain, but she hadnt forgotten what a consummate poker player Billy was rumored to be. He was obviously intent on playing for high stakes, and it was in that spirit of risk that she decided to take her biggest gamble.
Youre absolutely right, Mr. Darling, she said softly, allowing every ounce of regard she felt for him to shine from her eyes. I would never dream of cheating you of what is rightfully yours. Especially not when I promised youshe twined one hand around his nape and drew him down until their breath mingled and her lips were flush against hispayment in full.
In the instant before he called her bluff, she was rewarded by a brief flicker of surprise in his eyes. Then he was ravishing her mouth in a kiss so sweet, so impossibly tender, it might have been their very first. He wrapped his arms around her, lifting her clean off her feet so that all the swells and hollows of their bodies meshed in perfect accord. By the time he lowered her, Esmerelda was dizzy with delight and flushed with triumph.
Sighing in utter rapture, she rested her cheek against his chest and waited for him to murmur all those tender promises shed been longing to hear.
He grabbed her by the hand and began to march down the street.
Wait a minute! Where are we going? Esmerelda had to trot to keep up with his long strides. She cast a frantic glance over her shoulder. Sadie yawned beneath the drooping brim of the bonnet before turning around three times and settling down on the buckboard seat for a nap. My trunk! My clothes!
You wont be needing them tonight.
That resolute prediction sent a shivery pulse of anticipation down Esmereldas spine. Too late, she remembered the hazards of showing her cards too soon. Billy might not cheat, but he never stayed in the game unless he was sure he held the winning hand. She had little time to repent her mistake, for without warning, the door of the brothel loomed out of the darkness before them.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
When the door of Miss Mellies Boardinghouse for Young Ladies of Good Reputation burst open, Horace Stumpelmeyer, the town banker, sprang to his feet, dumping the corset-clad young lady hed paid for the privilege of cuddling on his lap to the Oriental rug.