Sullivan (26 page)

"You don't want me here," Ethel said in a low voice, as if someone might be listening. "People will talk..."

"Goodness gracious, I don't care one whit about gossip," Eden said adamantly. "If you want the job, it's yours." She handed the dirty dishes back to Ethel. "Starting immediately, if you're willing."

Ethel took the dirty dishes with a smile and headed for the counter.

Chapter 17

"This time she's gone too far," Cash seethed. "Can you imagine Ethel cooking and changing sheets and doing laundry? What a waste!"

Sullivan tried not to smile, but he couldn't help himself. Taking in one of the saloon girls and effectively reforming her was so like Eden, he shouldn't be surprised.

Four of them sat in the hotel lobby—Rico, Jed, Cash, and himself. Nate was already in position on the third floor, outside Eden's room. Thank goodness Rico wasn't taking the evening watch. Sullivan knew he'd have no trouble sneaking past Nate, when the time came. Rico was another matter.

"That woman of yours..." Cash began, his finger shaking in Sullivan's direction.

"She's not
my
woman."

Rico muttered something in Spanish, his voice so low no one would have a prayer of hearing the words. Since Sullivan had an idea what was being said, he didn't ask the kid to speak up. Or to speak English.

"Well, you brought her here," Cash accused.

Sullivan raised his hands in surrender. "Fine. Blame me if you want, but I can't see that Ethel's retirement is such a catastrophe. There are still two girls working in the saloon, and you can 't tell me you won't be able to find a new woman to take Ethel's place."

The idea seemed to sooth Cash. "Someone new would be nice. Ethel was getting a little clingy. Maybe when this is all over I can make a trip to San Antonio to see about bringing someone else in. But I still say that woman of yours, that... that Eden, is nothing but trouble."

"That's my sister you're talking about," Jed snapped.

"Senora Sullivan..." Rico began. When Jed and Sullivan glared at him, he nodded in silent apology and began again. "Eden is a sweet girl," he said, flashing a wicked grin. "And she is also very pretty. We do not see enough of the beautiful senoritas in Rock Creek. Since Sullivan does not want her anymore and claims so convincingly that she is
not
his woman, maybe I will ask her to walk with me one evening, or if she will allow me to escort her to the next town social...."

"Not you, too." Cash groaned in dismay.

"That's my
sister
you're talking about," Jed said again, his voice rumbling. "And she's too good for any one of us, I can tell you that. You keep your fancy ideas to yourself, Kid."

Rico gave Sullivan a quick glance. His dark eyes danced, and his mouth worked into a crooked grin. Hell, the kid knew everything.

Eventually everyone would know. Jed wouldn't like it, but at the moment Sullivan didn't care what the surly man thought. He'd likely have to fight for Eden; he'd likely lose one of his closest friends. And since he didn't have many friends left, that would be a real sacrifice.

But right now all he could think about was Eden. She was upstairs in her bed, right this minute. Had she fallen asleep yet? Did she know he would go to her tonight?

"I'm going to take the early morning watch," he said, standing slowly, "so I'd better get to bed."

Rico grinned. "The man needs his rest."

Sullivan cut a sharp glance to the kid. No one else seemed to notice.

* * *

Eden burrowed into the pillow. She needed to sleep. She needed rest to prepare herself for the day to come.

But her mind was spinning with thoughts of the children, and Ethel, and plans for the hotel, and Sin. Mostly she thought of Sin.

She lay on her side and faced the window. Soft moonlight lit wafting clouds in the sky. They needed rain, and it looked like they might get it, soon. Maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day...

"Are you asleep?" The whisper startled her, made her jump, but a smile quickly crossed her face. She knew that voice.

"No." She rolled onto her back and looked up at the figure by the bed. "How on earth did you get in here without me hearing you? I didn't even hear the door open and close!"

"It's what I do."

She smiled and scooted to the side, making room for him on the bed.

He sat down and reached out to touch her, his hand on her neck and in her hair. "Are you sure about this? About us?"

"Very," she whispered. "Aren't you?"

He rocked his fingers gently and hesitated before answering. "No. Sometimes I think your brother's right. None of us is good enough for you."

The very notion irritated her. Not good enough? How could he think that? "So, how should I fall in love? Tell me what's required. Perhaps I should ask Jedidiah to compile a list of suitable candidates, and then the three of us can decide together. We can draw up a list of pros and cons and debate the worthiness of each candidate as if we were choosing a horse."

"That's not what I meant," Sin said lowly. "I just want you to be safe and happy."

She sat up and moved closer to him. "Let's not argue, please," she said, reaching out to touch his cheek. "I don't even like
pretending
to argue. Do you really think I could be happy in Georgia now? Do you think I could ever walk away from you? Lock me in the safest house in the world away from the ones I love, and I'll wither and die." She came to her knees and faced him, feeling his body heat mingle with hers. "I love you most of all."

Sin kissed her, hungry and deep, and slowly worked her nightgown up and over her head. He tossed the nightgown aside and laid his hands on her breasts, around her waist, on her bare bottom. He pulled her tight against him and held her closely as they kissed.

He'd come to her room on bare feet, so all they had to do was remove his shirt and denims. Eden sighed as he held her, his bare chest against her breasts, his arms around her.

"I never knew I could feel like this," she said breathlessly.

"Me, either."

"Do you think it will always be so wonderful for us?"

Sin hesitated, pressing his lips to the side of her neck, kissing her there while he pondered the question. Eden held her breath.

"Yes," he finally answered. "I do."

There was no rush tonight, no urgency. They kissed and touched and whispered, first sitting on the bed, then lying side by side, face-to-face, and as close as humanly possible.

"I want to touch you," she whispered. Without waiting for his response, she wrapped her hand around his manhood. He moaned as she raked her exploring fingers along the hot, velvety length.

He rolled her onto her back and hovered above her, blocking out the moonlight as he lowered his mouth to hers. She spread her legs to bring him closer, arched her back to press herself to him.

Sin lowered his mouth to her breasts, suckling as he placed his hand between her legs. She quivered as he drew a taut nipple into his mouth and slipped a finger inside her. Ribbons of pleasure fluttered through her body.

She would be content to touch and kiss all night, to give up sleep completely and pass each and every night just this way.

Sin's head moved lower to kiss her belly, his tongue circling her navel. Everything Eden was and wanted were wrapped up in this man and the way he made her feel. It was everything they talked about, lust, love, need. His hands reached beneath her and grasped her hips. "I want to taste you," he whispered, and then he moved lower to lay his tongue on her in an intimate way that sent her soaring, her back lifting off the bed.

He held her hips and made love to her with his mouth, gently at first and then insistently. She grabbed the sheet and balled her hands into fists as she shattered, arching off the bed, crying out softly as the intense pleasure shot through her body like a bolt of lightning.

Sin worked his way back up her length slowly, kissing and touching as he worked his way up her body. Her heart beat so hard she was afraid it would come through her chest. She couldn't breathe, and her legs quivered.

Sin seemed not to be in a hurry. He took his time, beginning again as if he'd just come to her bed. She didn't think it was possible, but soon she felt the beginning waves of passion, of need, flitting through her body again. She reached for him with her hands and her mouth, her entire body. She craved this and more.

When Sin barely brushed his manhood against her, touching the flesh where she throbbed for him and then moving away, she rocked up slowly to bring him closer.

She wrapped her legs around him and lifted her hips, taking his head in her hands and looking him in the eye. "I want you inside me," she whispered, "now."

He plunged to enter her, to fill her completely. She moved against him and met his fierce thrust with one of her own. He rocked his hips, and again drove forward to be completely sheathed inside her. Again climax shattered her. She felt Sin's own response as he held himself deep inside her and shuddered in her arms. Their mouths met, their muffled cries lost in a long, ardent kiss.

Sin's body collapsed over hers; the kiss turned gentle, and Eden melted against the bed.

"I will never be able to move again," she whispered. "I have nothing left. No energy, no breath, no working muscles."

Sin laughed softly in her ear. "How am I supposed to pretend not to like you tomorrow? How am I supposed to look at you and pretend not to want you?"

"It won't be easy." She threaded her fingers through his hair. "I think we should just go ahead and tell Jedidiah the truth."

"He won't take it well." Sin rolled off of her, but kept her close in his arms.

Eden snuggled against his shoulder. "It doesn't matter. No one's ever going to take you away from me. Not even Jedidiah."

Sin speared his fingers through her hair. "I do need you," he whispered. "Scares the hell out of me sometimes, because I've never needed anyone before, but that doesn't make it any less true."

Eden smiled against Sin's shoulder. "I love you," she said, not caring at the moment that Sin wasn't ready to say the words himself.

His body tensed slightly.

"You shouldn't be afraid of love," she whispered. Knowing what his life had been like, she couldn't hold his reticence against him. It was up to her to show him that love wasn't frightening, that it was more wonderful than he'd ever imagined. She snuggled impossibly close. "I'm never going to let you go. What we have is too good."

"Right this minute," he said breathlessly, "I'll agree with you. As for tomorrow... We'll have to wait and see." He sounded almost solemn.

She placed her leg over his and drifted toward sleep. "Sin?" she whispered.

"Hmm?" He was almost asleep himself.

"I won't stop loving you tomorrow. Or the day after that, or the day after that, or ever. I'm not the kind of woman to give my heart or my body on a whim."

"I know that."

"We should tell Jedidiah tomorrow. I'll make a custard pie for lunch. That'll soften him up a little."

"I don't know that a custard pie will balance out having me for a brother-in-law," he said with wry humor. Still, she detected a note of real apprehension in his voice.

* * *

It was still dark when Sullivan rose from the bed, dressed, and left a sleeping Eden behind. It was harder to leave her than he'd imagined, and he gave her one last glance before cracking open the door to see where Nate was positioned. As he had been a few hours earlier, Nate stood at the top of the stairs.

Sullivan slipped through the door and down the hallway, remaining silent, staying in the shadows, becoming a shadow. Nate never moved.

In his room, he sat on the side of the bed to put on his boots. He'd fought battles, he'd faced death, and he'd faced hate. Why was he scared half to death of what a woman was doing to him?

He and his wife had nothing in common. Nothing but the sex. That was great, but would it really last? Sinclair Sullivan feared nothing, but he was truly afraid that one morning Eden would wake up, take one look at him, and be horrified by what she'd done. By then there would be a baby, maybe two. Hell, there might already be a baby. The thought of the blood he'd cursed every day of his life flowing in another body, the body of a child, gave him chills.

He relieved Nate and positioned himself outside Eden's door, where he sat for several hours. The sun came up, and he heard Eden stirring inside her room, heard the kids in their own room, opening and closing drawers and talking about the day to come in their high, excited voices.

Hell, he was even beginning to think of those kids as
his
.

What would he and Eden be like ten years from now? Twenty years? She'd still be taking in strays of one kind or another, and he'd still be hiring his gun out on occasion, if he didn't get himself killed somewhere down the line. There would be other children, theirs and more strays, and women like Ethel. And men like himself.

If he'd been the one kicking ass in Webberville, instead of getting his ass whupped, would she have fallen in love with him? Or would she have thought herself in love with some other poor sap? How much of what she felt stemmed from her obvious need to heal and care for every wounded creature she ran across?