Yours Again (River City Series) (14 page)

“I’m
sorry, I didn’t—”

“But
I did.”

He
twisted the angel and the statue separated from the base. Leaning over, she
could just make out the inscription on the tiny stone underneath:

Beloved daughter

Samantha Rose Williams

1880

Chapter 14

Samantha
sat on the edge of her bed in the dark listening to Taos move around his room.
She waited, watching the light that peeked from under the bottom of the door. Taos
had become a complete enigma to her this evening. The man she’d met in the rose
garden hardly bore any resemblance to the hard, unyielding persona he’s been to
this point. She was touched to the core that he’d named his daughter after her,
but what did it mean? Did he still see her as that young gangly girl that was
nothing but trouble? Or did he see her as she was, a woman ready to be loved?

The
jumble of emotions she had toward him were rushing forward and she had no idea
how to slow them down. This man had angered her, frustrated her, and excited
her more than she believed possible! But most of all he’d made her feel alive.
She’d had lots of opportunity to find someone to love in Boston, but hadn’t
even come close. It finally dawned on her why. She was already in love with
Taos—or at least the idea of him. She’d carried him around as her ideal for so
many years, no one could ever compare, and she knew that even if she returned
to Boston without really experiencing all this situation had to offer, that
would still be the case. Maybe she just wasn’t meant to find the kind of love
her mother knew with a man who loved her back, but she wasn’t gone yet.

This
might be one of the last nights she would be this close to him, or have the
chance to find out what it was like for him to really love her. Even if it was
only physical for Taos, she didn’t care anymore. She wanted to feel his muscles
ripple and heart pound as he loved her and held her in his arms. She would
rather go back to Boston with that one experience—no matter how short lived—than
settle for a lifetime of regret.

The
light in Taos’s room finally disappeared. She waited for a few minutes until
all was quiet. It was time. Now or never. Samantha took a deep breath and
slipped through the door. Carefully she tiptoed to the bedside—she could tell
he was still awake. She quickly unbuttoned the shirt and let it drop to the
floor.

“Hey,
what are yo-”

Samantha
clamped a hand over his mouth and flipped back the blanket. She climbed on top
of him and straddled his hips, one knee on each side.

He
didn’t move. Well most of him didn’t. She felt his erection spring to life. For
a moment she sat there feeling strangely powerful. She leaned forward, allowing
her hair to fall across his face, then slowly removed her hand, replacing it
with her lips.

She
trailed kisses down his cheek to his neck and felt his body tense. Slowly his
hands slid up over her backside and around to her breasts. He tweaked and
massaged gently. She arched her back and moaned, rocking her hips against his. Taos
pulled her close to his chest, kissing her long and hard. The power of his
embrace thrilled Samantha. This is what she’d dreamed of, what she wanted. Damn
the consequences. She slid a hand down his chest and into his underwear
clasping his throbbing erection just as Cinnamon had instructed. She felt a
jolt ripple through his abdomen and reveled in the confidence this knowledge
now gave her.

He
lifted her slightly and slid a finger into her warmth, massaging with a gentle
rhythm. Samantha’s thighs tightened and she gave in to the sensation. She
focused as much as possible, trying to match his strokes with her hand. He
leaned her forward and danced his tongue across her nipple, creating an
electric pulse that burned all the way down her body to her very core. She
moved on his hand wanting more. She whispered, “Harder, deeper.”

With
a guttural growl he flipped her over, shedding his underwear, and settled
between her legs. Her body felt as if it had been waiting an eternity for this
and she urged him into her. He was larger than she thought he would be and she
felt a slight burning sensation, which quickly dissolved into pleasure.

Slowly,
then with more urgency, they rocked together in unison as he drove into her,
their bodies covered with a slick sheen as they strained for ultimate release. Faster
and faster, toward the edge of some unknown cliff. Samantha’s groin pulsed in
spasm as the tingling spread down her limbs, firing into the tips of her
fingers. Taos gave one last stroke and released, collapsing onto her.

She
smiled to herself, reveling in the weight of his body as he caught his breath.
After a few minutes he rolled to her side, bringing her with him. She slid a
palm across his chest and he covered her hand with his. She felt his heart
pound just as it had in her dreams. This was wonderful.
He
was wonderful,
and even if this was their only night together she wasn’t going to waste it.

Samantha
rubbed a hand across his chest, feeling it tighten at her touch. He almost
growled and hugged her to him again, kissing her deeply. The fuse between them lit
once again and Samantha was carried away again by his touch. They kissed,
touched and loved the night away in each other’s arms, and Samantha knew she
would never regret this night as long as she lived.

Taos
lay awake long after Samantha had finally drifted off to sleep.
What in the
hell was that
? She hadn’t said a word after they made love, or before, and
the few words during were more direction, not discussion. He heard her sneak
into his room and thought about telling her to get back in her own bed until
that shirt of his hit the floor. The moonlight on her naked body was irresistible,
and there was no way he could have told her no at that point even if he wanted
to. Which he didn’t.

  He
enjoyed every single second of loving her tonight, but now he wasn’t all that
sure he wanted to deal with the outcome. He’d done everything in his power to stay
away from her since that first night, and truth be told he had about reached
his limit in the rose garden. It was all he could do to hold her without taking
advantage, and he swore if she crawled into his bed again he wasn’t holding
back. And he didn’t. Not the first time, or second or third. He’d have never
guessed she would be such a natural at loving, and now that he knew there was
no way he was keeping his hands off her. But why now? Why tonight?

Samantha
hadn’t been herself all day, and most of her anger seemed to be directed at
him, until the lights went out. He had told her more than he’d ever told anyone
about Sharisse. Did she just feel sorry for him? Her hair spilled across his
chest and Taos pulled the blanket a little higher to cover her bare shoulder.
Samantha snuggled into his chest perfectly as if she belonged there, and it
felt like she did.

He’d
wondered what it would be like to make love to her since he’d tied her up and
held her close on the ride home in the rain, but his imagination didn’t hold a
candle to reality. It had been a very long time since he’d felt any kind of
emotion attached to sex and it was powerful. Maybe too powerful.

He
hadn’t made her any promises and she hadn’t acted like she expected any. The
idea that she was tricking him into marriage or whatever seemed ridiculous now.
She’d wanted this, he could tell, and she’d given herself body and soul
tonight. No demands, no expectations. He loved every second, but it worried
him. Was she really saying goodbye?

The
only thing he could do now was follow her lead. She could come to him at any time,
and he hoped this wouldn’t be the last time, but if it was he’d have to be
happy with that.

Taos
sighed. Morning would come soon enough. For now he wasn’t missing a minute of
her in his arms.

Chapter 15

The
next week passed in relative calm. Samantha and Taos hadn’t talked about that
night, though she could tell he wanted some kind of explanation. She wasn’t
about to tell him she didn’t have one, even though it was the truth.

Sometimes
he would pass her in the hall and every hair on her body would lean toward him.
He was so close, yet stayed just out of reach. He seemed to go out of his way
not to touch her, and it was sending her into fevered wanting she’d never
experienced. She went to sleep each night thinking of the events of the day,
then dreaming of his soft lips and warm touch. She thought that night would get
him out of her system and allow her to look forward to going home. But just the
opposite had happened. She wanted to stay here with him so badly it ached.

She’d
awakened this morning and sat in her bed for almost an hour before the sun came
up. She wondered what he thought of that night. He hadn’t avoided her, in fact
quite the opposite; he seemed to be around the house quite a bit more. He
didn’t say much, but he listened to her talk about Tommy or his brothers or
even the weather. Maybe he was waiting on her to give him some kind of signal.

The
letter crossed her mind for the thousandth time as she dressed. The nagging
doubt refused to fade, and not knowing for sure left her in limbo expecting
John Lawson to jump out of the shadows any minute. The time had come to clear
the air.

She
paced the parlor most of the day and now sat in a large leather chair. Every
possible scenario played through her mind. She practiced her speech until she
knew she had the perfect words. Not overly confrontational, just questioning. He
might be able to offer a good explanation. It was a glimmer of hope and she
clung to it. If the conversation went well, who knew what would happen? Maybe
this would break down whatever barrier still stood between them.

Footsteps
thundered through the house, jolting her upright. Samantha’s heart froze in mid-flip
as Taos appeared in the doorway. In two strides, a giant tower of anger was
within a foot of her. Her thoughts had focused on him most of the afternoon,
but she never pictured their meeting starting like this. Air blew from his
nostrils like steam and the vein on his forehead vibrated a warning. He gritted
his teeth; his lips curled into a snarl.

“I
just want to know why.” Eyes of blue ice glittered.

She
tried to gather her wits, but they insisted on behaving like naughty children
playing hide and seek. The practiced speech fled, leaving her mind grasping for
a thought, any thought. A little tremor tickled up her back as she searched for
a reason that might explain his anger. Did he know she had found the letter? Had
he finally seen the ledger? Did he know she was aware of his deception? Her
only option appeared to be to play stupid and hope she could regain some
clarity of thought while he explained.

“Why
what?” She stepped back.

“You
knew what they meant, and you just had to destroy them.” He tore his gaze from
hers in disgust and stared at the wall, his cheek twitching. “I want you out.” He
pointed a finger at her. “I want you out now.” He turned and took the stairs
three at a time.

Samantha
gathered her skirts and hurried after him. She rounded the doorway of her room
just as he threw open the doors of the armoire. He grabbed fistfuls of her clothing
and flung them onto the bed. “What are you doing?”

To
think she was going to give him the benefit of the doubt! He was the one who
wrote the letter, doubted her and her motives. How could he be so angry that
she’d found it? She should be the one angry with him.

He
continued to open drawers and add to the pile.

She
walked directly in front of him. “I said,” her voice was a shrill siren,
“what
are you doing?” She grabbed a lacy garment from his hand.

“Helping
you pack.” He hissed.

“I’m
not leaving.”

“Yes
you are.”

“No,
I’m not.”

He
turned a cold smile on her. “I’d say that in this case,
lady,
size matters
and yes, you are leaving.” His long arm reached around her again. “Right now.”

Samantha’s
skin turned cold, then flashed hot as her anger built. “What did I supposedly
do?” She stepped out of the way as he cleared out one drawer after another,
tossing the items behind him in the general direction of the bed.

He
ignored her and looked around the room for something to put the mountain of
clothes into.

A
smile played at the corner of her mouth as he stalked around the room,
frustrated.

“I
didn’t bring a suitcase, you know.”

“Then
I guess we only have one option.” He whirled and tugged on the window sash. It
groaned, then slammed open with a loud bang, jarring the glass. She watched,
stunned, as he hefted two arms full of garments and tossed them out the window.
She stared at his heaving chest as a wayward thought crossed her mind, and she
immediately acted on it.

He
flinched with pain and stopped in his tracks. “Let go!”

She
held on tenaciously to the small tuft of chest hair that poked out of the neck
of his shirt.

“Not
until you sit down and tell me what the problem is.” The calm of her voice
amazed her, given the situation. She had hold of Goliath by a few chest hairs
and she wasn't about to let go. It certainly seemed to be working better than a
sling shot at the moment.

The
power gave her a heady feeling and she tugged a little harder. “Now, what is
the problem?”

He
leaned his face toward hers. “The roses.”

“What
roses?”

“In
the kitchen.” He spat the words with all the venom of a rattlesnake.

“I
don’t know anything about any roses.” She emphasized each word.

“I’ll
just bet you d- Ow!” He grabbed for her wrist as she gave the hairs a final
yank. She turned and ran out the door.

The
sunlight streamed in through the back door and spilled across the kitchen table.
A large pitcher filled with roses sat in the center of the table. She caught
her breath as she noticed several stems of the white roses had red stripes. Her
jaw dropped. She turned back toward him just as the pain flashing across his
face changed to anger.

Hot
tears sprang to her eyes, and she stilled her trembling lips with the tips of
her fingers. “Taos, I didn’t—”

He
turned away from her as a small body slammed into his thighs.

“’scuse
me.” Tommy scooted around Taos and ran to Samantha. “Did ya like ’em?” His face
was beaming with a smile that went from ear to ear.

“You
did this?” She knelt down in front of the boy.

“Yeah,
you said that they was your favorite flowers and all. So I brought some in for
you.” He frowned at her teary expression. “You like ’em, don’t you?”

She
clasped his hand and smiled. “Oh, I love them. Thank you.” She kissed his cheek
and he ducked his head and grinned.

“Son?”
Taos’s voice was quiet.

Tommy’s
back went ramrod straight. “Yes sir.”

“You
know you’re never to pick those roses.”

The
boy hung his head and whispered, “Yes sir.”

Taos
placed his hand on Tommy’s shoulder and turned him around. “You know the
rules.”

The
small head bobbed up and down as his son stared at his shoes.

“You
know you have to be punished.” More bobbing.

“Oh
Taos, you can’t.” She put her hand on his sleeve. “He didn’t realize.”

He
shrugged her off. “He has to own up to his mistakes.”

“Well,
this is hardly . . .”

Taos
heaved a frustrated sigh. “I have to.” He turned an almost pleading look on her.
“I will not raise a boy that doesn't accept responsibility for his actions.” He
struggled to convince her and himself at the same time.

“It’s
okay, Sammy. I know’d I would get in trouble.” A small toe kicked an imaginary
rock. “Sometimes it’s worth it though, like you said.”

He
smiled up at her then turned back to his father. “Well sir, I’m ready.”

He
straightened his small bony shoulders and headed out the back door toward the
barn, like a proud martyr.

Taos
slid his palm across his hairline. He could feel Samantha’s eyes look right
through him. He refused to meet her gaze and followed his son out the door. Taos’s
boots shadowed the small footprints in the dirt, his one stride eating up five
smaller ones. He stopped just outside, put his hands on his hips, and stared
into the opening of the barn as his mind searched for a solution.

He
couldn’t punish the boy for wanting to make her happy, but he had to do
something. No real damage had been done, but the rules were in place for a
reason. It was the principle of the matter. The boy had to learn how to get
along in this world without making a mess of things. You did that by following
the rules, not by bending them.

He
wouldn’t be doing Tommy any favors by letting him think that rules didn’t apply
to him. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a little proud that Tommy knew he
would be punished and stood ready to take it like a man. He didn’t lie, or try
to make an excuse. That had to say something for what the boy had learned
already. He hadn’t done such a bad job of raising him . . . so far.

A
lacy stocking tumbled past his foot, and Taos looked back over his shoulder at
the house. Dresses, stockings and all manner of frilly unmentionables tumbled
haphazardly on the ground around the house. His gaze climbed to the window and
rested on a white petticoat flapping in the breeze from the windowsill like a
flag. A hand reached out, grabbed the garment and slammed the window shut.

He
chuckled to himself.
At least Darren and Charlie weren’t around to see this.
The smile faded as he stared at the window. She had every right to be mad as
hell. Seeing those roses felt like a stake through his heart. She knew what
they meant and so did everyone else. Picking them felt like desecrating his
baby’s grave, and he’d wrongly assumed Samantha to be at fault. He deserved to
be tossed out that window and a lot more. He should have known she would never
have destroyed those roses, but he wanted to think the worst. That she didn’t
care. Why else would she come to him, love him so thoroughly, and then act like
it never happened? Being angry seemed the only way to stay halfway sane around
her.  

Everything
about her drew him deeper and deeper: the sound of her voice, the music of her
laughter, the light in her smile. He left every morning with the sweet scent of
her in his mind and willed the sun to set faster just so he could get back to
her once again. For a week he’d fought a constant and relentless battle to keep
himself safe, distant, in control of the situation. She must think him crazy,
one minute following at her heels like a puppy and the next throwing her out of
his house.

The
last thing he wanted her to do was leave, and she’d dug her heals in and
refused. Thank God. She could have just up and left at any time, still might. The
realization sent a chill through him, and his mouth went dry.

If
Tommy could take his punishment like a man, then so would he. No matter what
she did or said, he would take it. He deserved it. Taos stared at the dirt and
tried to arrange in his mind how to deal with Tommy, which was suddenly the
least of his problems. A horse whinnied behind him and his head snapped up. He
hadn’t even heard the rider approach.

Charlie
rested a forearm on his saddle horn and grinned. “Did it rain women with those
clothes, or just the clothes?”

Taos
turned and strode into the barn with his face burning, Charlie’s laughter
ringing in his ears.

More
than an hour later, Tommy and Taos strode through the back door. Darren and
Charlie were well into their meal.

“Straight
upstairs, mister.” Taos pointed and Tommy took off like a shot.

“You’re
not even going to let him eat dinner?” She looked at Taos like he was the grim
reaper.

He
shook his head.

She
snatched up the empty plates and set them on the shelf with a bang. “I’m sure
you’re too upset to eat, too.”

“You’ve
already fixed dinner.” He watched her carefully as he sat down. “We can’t let
it go to waste.” He reached his fork toward one of the steaks.

Samantha
grabbed the platter from his reach and opened the back door. Jimbo whimpered
and wagged a hopeful tail. She dumped the steaks in front of the dog, who fell
on them, gulping large mouthfuls. The platter thudded back onto the table and
Samantha headed toward the stairs.

“Why
did you do that?” Taos kept his voice calm.

“You
didn’t want it to go to waste.”

“What
am I supposed to eat?”

“You’ll
just have to chew on that beef jerky heart of yours.” She disappeared, and her
door slammed a moment later.