Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 35908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
“Get off me.”
“I don’t think so. You need to answer some questions.” He kind of liked being on her.
Her chest rose and fell with her rapid breaths and for a second he witnessed a glimpse of fear. She masked it quickly and he saw it from her point of view. A woman, a black woman, trapped beneath the body of a white man in a cabin where no one would help her if she screamed. He felt bad but he wasn’t about to let her move until he had answers. She would just have to come to realize he wouldn’t hurt her.
“So ask so I can finish getting dressed.” Her words were matter-of-fact.
Cy tried desperately to forget how good she felt beneath him. “Who are you?” The question came out harsher than he intended. Still she never flinched. She’s got grit. I’ll give her that.
“Rebecca. Robert’s twin.”
He scrambled off her. “Get dressed.” He wasn’t strong enough to resist the temptation. Still, he was no fool and went to retrieve her gun.
She moved gingerly, her gaze remained locked on him. As she gained her feet, he dragged his gaze up and down her near nakedness. She never asked him for privacy, merely turned her back to retighten her bindings. Once her shirt was back on, she faced him again; her eyes flickered to her gun that he retained. He watched her strap on some knives and realized she wouldn’t be easy to overpower.
“Why are you here?” Her expression told him of her reluctance to talk. “Tell me,” he ordered.
“Robert got injured. He’s laid up in bed.”
That was it. She didn’t elaborate on his injury. Nothing of the sort. Just stated an answer as he’d wanted.
“So you just decided to take his place?”
“We counted on that pay to help the family. Besides, I can do this. I am doing this.”
He shook his head. “Not anymore.”
She’d sat to tie a blue bandana on her head, but shot to her feet at his comment. “What?”
He crossed his arms, fingers still curved around the gun. “I can’t let a girl ride this.”
“You didn’t even know I was one until you came bursting in here. I can do this. I have to do this.”
Her big brown eyes shone with tears he knew—deep in his gut—she wouldn’t shed.
“It’s too dangerous. If they were to find out they were sharing a bunk with a woman…” he trailed off and shook his head. “I can’t consciously put you in that situation.”
“You’re not. This is my decision. They’ll never know.” She took several deep breaths. “Please. You have to let me ride.”
He arched a brow. “I do?”
She took a step closer. “What do you want? I’ll do anything to keep you from pulling me.”
“Anything?” His mind whirled.
A cold glint entered her eyes. “Anything. If it takes me whoring myself out to you, I will. I just have to keep riding.”
He’d be one massive liar if he said he didn’t find her attractive. All that smooth skin the color of rich coffee with a splash of milk in it. Lord, it made his fingers itch to touch. Explore. However, having her feel like a whore? Never.
He stroked his chin as he thought about it. She had a point; he’d not known she was a woman until now. The others didn’t know. Moreover, he admired a woman who would help the family. Times were tough. For some more than others. And he didn’t want Robert to lose his position in the company either. He sighed.
“No need to do that. Can you cook?”
She nodded her gaze still unsure of his actions. He recognized the look; he’d seen it many times.
“Help out with the cooking and I won’t say a word. You’re on your own if they find out. You might want to not do anything like this again in the building.”
Even as the words slipped by his mouth, he knew he was full of shit. He would protect this woman until no breath left his body.
Determination filled her straightforward gaze. “They won’t. No one will catch me unawares again.”
Ignoring the demands of his body, he flipped her gun to hand it over grip first. “Don’t make me regret this.”
“I won’t.”
Problem was. He already did. This just couldn’t end well.
Chapter 3
Rebecca slowed Polaris as she approached the edge of Demon Canyon. Definitely not much in the way to look at visually. Deep in the bottom of the canyon, she glanced around before tucking her chin and rolling up the collar of her coat hoping to combat the wind whipping through the area.
There wasn’t much of anything to Demon Canyon. The complete town lined the road. Heck, she thought Copper Junction, where she lived, was small but compared to this place, it thrived.
Even though there wasn’t much many horses moved along the narrow street, carrying men and pulling wagons. She spied the sign for the General store. Given the coffins out front, she assumed he doubled as the undertaker. Up ahead on her left, swinging in the increasing wind hung a sign she had been on the lookout for.