The Lawman (The Willow Creek Series #1) (7 page)

“Took you home with him! Whatever for?” Edna jumped to conclusions and was in a tizzy within moments. She was mumbling to herself, wringing her hands and talking about having Morgan booted out of his position as town marshal. Normally, Abigail wouldn’t have cared but since she’d had time to cool off, her ire at Morgan wasn’t as severe as it had been. Hearing this woman spout off about having Morgan lose his job, however, was her fault entirely.

She stood, walked to the cell door and reached through, trying to get Edna’s attention. “Don’t worry, Edna. He was a perfect gentleman, I can assure you.”

Edna stopped pacing and turned to look at her. “Are you sure?”

Abigail smiled and nodded her head, laughing to try and lighten the mood. “Yes. I used one of the spare bedrooms. He didn’t want me to have to sleep here in the cell on that old cot.”

“Oh.” Edna actually looked disappointed for a moment before she scoffed. “Well, I’m surprised. Morgan hasn’t ever been overly kind to anyone, especially me. He’s a horrible, vile, wretched man. Why, I think he purposely tries to annoy me most days.”

He probably does
. Abigail kept that comment to herself and smiled. “He was nothing but kind, Edna, so don’t go worrying about how I was treated. Why, when he found out my husband to be wasn’t here to greet me he said he’d marry me!” The moment the words were out of her mouth, Abigail regretted them. She didn’t know why she said it other than to dispel Edna’s aggravation at Morgan, but when Edna looked at her, she could see a change come over the woman. It was like watching the sun burst through the clouds and brighten a once gloomy day. Edna perked right up, smiling before clasping her hands together. “See, I knew the marshal was a kind and decent man. I’ve been telling everyone in town that he is and no one will believe me. Why, you just wait until they hear of this! They’ll all see.”

Edna left in a swirl of petticoats, pulling the door to the jail closed behind her. Abigail wasn’t sure exactly what happened, or what changed Edna’s mind where Morgan was concerned, but trying to figure it all out would do her no good anyway. She was still locked up, Morgan was still not letting her go and she really had to use the privy. She glanced at the pot under the small bed and grimaced. “I really do hate you Morgan Avery.”

The moment she said his name, he opened the door to the jail house and walked in. He had the audacity to smile at her and her temper flared at the smug look on his face. “It’s about time. Do you have any idea how hellish my day has been?”

“Not really but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.” He approached the cell, removed the key in his pocket and unlocked the door.

“Are you finally going to let me go?”

He grinned and held the door open for her. “Nope. You’re coming home with me.”

“What ever for?”

The look on his face promised things that made her insides quiver. She hesitated before stepping out of the cell, staring him in the eye as she stopped in front of him. She raised an eyebrow, sucked in a breath large enough her breasts rubbed against his chest. “Have you come to some accord about our arrangement, then?”

Chapter Five

Abigail refused to speak to him all the way back to the house. She was angry with him again. Not that he could blame her. Telling her he’d like to try out the merchandise first hand before marrying her sent her into a tizzy. Add in the fact left her locked up all day and hadn’t even made it back in time to grab her lunch and the woman had been fit to be tied. Seeing the basket on the floor by the cot eased his mind though. Someone had remembered she was there. Who that person was left him more curious than it should have. Was it one of the men in town? And if so, which one?

He’d ridden back into town with every intention of discussing this marriage business with her. He still wasn’t sure if she was serious about it or not. One minute he thought she was, the next he laughed it off as her just teasing him. But every time he thought of it, he could picture himself married to her. Then reality settled in and he pushed the notion away. What did he need a wife for? Especially one as prickly as this one could be. She was too outspoken, too prone to tantrums. It was hard to tell what she’d do if pushed to it.

He called her name again, only to have her ignore him and quicken her pace.

When they arrived back at his house, Abigail climbed the stairs and went straight to her room, slamming the door behind her. Morgan realized leaving her in the jail all day wasn’t the smartest thing he could have ever done. She was mad at him again.

He locked up the house, climbed the stairs in the dark, and walked down the hall to her door. The latch apparently hadn’t caught when she slammed it because it wasn’t closed now. A small shaft of light illuminated the hallway enough for him to see without falling.

Reaching the door, he pushed it the rest of the way open and whished he wouldn’t have. Abigail was in the process of undressing and what little sunlight was streaming through the window was enough for him to see clean through her shift. She turned, saw him standing there, and unlike what most women would have done—scrambled to cover themselves—she propped her hands on her hips and glared at him. He could tell her bravado was tinged with embarrassment. Her neck went all funny with red splotches and her cheeks flushed pink.

“Do you mind?” she asked. “This is my room after all. You don’t see me barging into your room seeing you in your drawers, now do you?”

He grinned and leaned his shoulder against the doorjamb. “Well, for starters, I wouldn’t object to you doing so, although I’m known to not wear my drawers more often than I do, so I can’t promise what you’d see. As for minding seeing you like that? Not at all. Continue to undress if you wish.”

She huffed out a breath, crossed her arms under those perky little breasts and scowled at him. “What do you want?”

He opened his mouth to answer but found it hard to get a word out. Seeing her standing there with the light coming through her shift was too much of a distraction. He could see her nipples, the dark areolas pressed against the fabric and begging him to cross the room and take them into his mouth right through the cloth. Her shapely thighs drew his eye to the thatch of thick hair between her legs. Damned if just seeing her there didn’t cause his cock to throb and make him want to demand she marry him. If he married her she’d be all his. That luscious body his to command every night until the day he died. He almost said as much but then remembered how easy she was to provoke. Being married to her would be the best of heaven and the very worst of hell. Arguing every day until he was ready to just saddle his horse and ride away and loving her every night until he begged her never to leave him. It just wasn’t worth the headache.

Focusing his gaze back on her face, he straightened. “I just wanted to apologize to you. I didn’t mean to be gone all day. Tomorrow, you’re free to go.”

Her eyes widened and a puzzled look stole over her features. He thought a hint of fear clouded her face but it passed so quickly he decided he imagined it. Telling her goodnight, he pulled her door shut, walked to his room and started undressing.

The more he thought of her the more he wished he could just forget about her completely. His life was fine, if not a little dull, before she’d come to town and now, two days later, all he could do was think about her. She consumed his thoughts and every time he looked at her his body ached to take her. To claim her as his and give her his name. If he didn’t someone else would. He knew that without even thinking too hard on it. The men to women ratio in Willow Creek was severely lopsided. Abigail Thornton wouldn’t have to worry about being unmarried long and the idea of her in someone else’s bed caused a hint of unease to settle like an ache between his shoulder blades.

Tossing his shirt to the corner, he sat down on the bed, removed his boots and sat staring at the door. He needed to make up his mind where Abigail was concerned. Either ask her to marry him all proper like or just forget about her, head to the saloon and slake his desire with one of Miss Angelina’s girls. It had been that way for years, there was no reason to expect more now just because he had a pretty little thing in the next room over.

Thinking of her lying in bed on the other side of the wall, he groaned, flopped back on the bed and closed his eyes. “If I don’t get her out of my house, I’m going to go mad.” Images of her half naked came unbidden to him then and he groaned, his cock once again stirring. Reaching down to adjust himself he shook his head and vowed, come morning, Miss Abigail Thornton would be nothing but a memory. He’d see her ensconced into the hotel by noon and out of his life forever.

* * * *

Abigail hesitated, her arm outstretched. What started as a well thought out plan seemed a bit over the top now. She chewed her bottom lip and debated on forgetting the whole thing. An inhaled breath calmed her nerves somewhat. She reached up, unbraided her hair, tossing the long locks over her shoulder, and reached for the doorknob.

She opened the door without knocking.

And got a tantalizing view of Morgan’s naked backside. “So, today is a no drawers kind of day, I see.”

Morgan spun on his heel, pants dangling from his hand. He looked shocked to see her if the expression on his face was any indication. Abigail let her gaze roam the length of him, from his wide shoulders, his strong chest with its dusting of fine dark hair, to his flat belly. When she directed her gaze to his cock, she smiled when it twitched. He was semi-hard and growing by the second.

Focusing her attention back to his face, she entered the room fully, shutting the door behind her. “What? No witty retort? I’m disappointed.”

It took him a few seconds to respond but he dropped the pants by his feet and smiled. “I can think of better things to do at the moment than talk, Abigail.”

“What are you waiting for, then?”

He hesitated, apparently trying to see if she was serious before deciding she was and crossed the room with three large steps, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. His tongue invaded her mouth, one hand pressed to the back of her head to keep her where he wanted her. Abigail sagged against him, her body flush against his strong muscular frame. Her skin burned where they touched and her shift was a barrier she didn’t want at the moment. She should have taken it off before entering the room.

Morgan broke the kiss long enough to bend and wrap an arm under her knees and carry her to the bed. He wasted no time joining her. Laying half on top of her, he locked eyes with her. “You sure this is what you want? Because I swear if you’re playing with me I’ll lock you in that jail until you rot.”

Abigail grinned and arched her back, pressing her breasts into his chest. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

He smiled, lowered his hand and dragged the tail of her shift up her legs, baring her from waist down to his hungry gaze. His fingers teased her inner thigh, tickling a path to her center before delving into her moist heat. Abigail parted her knees and sucked in a harsh breath, her eyes fluttering closed before she gasped when he impaled with her two fingers. “Sweet heaven…”

“That you are,” he said. “Untie your shift.”

Abigail did as asked and pulled the material apart. Her breasts now bared, Morgan lowered his head, teased her nipple with the tip of his tongue and worked his fingers inside of her until she was squirming on the bed.

Walking into Morgan’s room had been an impulsive idea after he said she was free to go the next day. Fear had skated along her spine until she was weak with it. Now, lying across his bed with his fingers and mouth playing her so deliciously, Abigail wondered why she hadn’t made a move at breakfast when he kissed her and pressed his erection to her backside.

Opening her eyes, she watched him suck her breast into his mouth, his lips closing around her nipple again. “Don’t tease me all night, Morgan. It’s been too long.”

Rising, he lifted her leg, slid between her thighs and lowered himself to lie against her. She felt the head of his cock press against her and raised her hips, staring at his face as he slid in.

He moaned deep in his throat, his eyes fluttering closed briefly before he looked down at her and angled his hips in such a fashion that with every push, Abigail felt a small wash of pleasure trickle from her center and explode to every nerve ending.

She’d thought earlier that morning that Morgan kissed like his world was ending. He fucked in the same manner. Mindless, hard pounding thrusts that forced a gasp from her throat before she had to grab him, hold on, and ride wave after wave of sweet torment.

He took her breast again, his mouth closing over her nipple and sucking as he continued to push inside of her. She was half delirious and shaking by the time she felt the tingles start racing in laps down her legs and her stomach clenched. “Morgan…” The smile on his face when she whispered his name was one of pride and determination. The pace of his thrusts grew faster, the force behind them almost bruising and Abigail was thrown into a maelstrom that caused a scream to burst forth and ring in her ears as lights sparked off behind her closed eyelids.

He slowed his pace, the angle at which he pushed inside changed and Abigail could only lay there and moan as each listless intrusion sent aftershocks chasing each other through her limbs. She forced her eyes open and the satisfied look on his face was evident. He was pleased with himself.

“Warmed up yet?” he asked.

Abigail raised an eyebrow. “Warmed up?”

He grinned, leaned down and sucked her bottom lip into his mouth. “Mmhumm… I haven’t even begun to love you yet, Miss Thornton.”

“Good lord…” Abigail’s eyes fluttered closed as Morgan continued the easy slide and retreat, his cock filling her completely before slipping away. His hand caressed her hip, his lips tickling a path across her throat and neck. Sweat formed on her skin as the minutes ticked away. By the time her limbs were shaking and she felt her stomach clench with impending release, Morgan was breathing heavily, his thrusts becoming harder. He mumbled something against her hair, his fingers biting into the flesh at her hip.