Black Conley Page 2

  "I get your drift. Are you any good with that gun?"

  He laughed heartily. “I would have thought that once I told you my name, you would have figured out who I was. It worked for them fellers in town. Had the bartender shaking so hard he could hardly pour me a glass of whiskey."

  She nodded. Black Conley wasn't exactly what she'd expected him to be, but she knew about him, all right. From the stories she'd heard, he'd killed over thirty men and all of them in fair fights. She'd thought he would be older and more hardened, yet his brown eyes told her that it was possible a little boy still rested behind them. He didn't use the offensive language most men used when they came here looking for a job. To be truthful, he sounded like an educated man.

  So why was he here on her doorstep, offering to work as a ranch hand? For that matter, why was he out here in the middle of nowhere when his guns could make him more money in one of the bigger frontier towns? In thinking about it, she knew if he was as good with his guns as the papers said, he was exactly what she was looking for.

  "I do know who you are, Mr. Conley. Come on in. I can't offer you whiskey, since I don't allow it in the house, but I can get you a cup of coffee while I heat you up some of the stew we had for supper. It looks like you could use a good meal."

  He agreed and followed her into the house. Once inside, she could get a better look at him. The long black hair framed a dark-skinned face, with brown eyes that any woman could easily drown in. His background could be anything from Mexican to Comanche, considering he said he came from Texas.

  "If you take this job, my rules are simple. Like I said, I allow no whiskey at this ranch. If you want to drink, do it on your own time and do it at the Purple Moon in town. If you come home so drunk you cause a disturbance, you're fired. Do your work during the day and at night, if the girls aren't otherwise occupied you can take a poke at them, but not for free. They're working girls, and what they do at night brings money into the coffers of this ranch. Another thing; I pay a good wage, and I expect loyalty in return. What goes on here stays here."

  "Fair enough. My ma's rules were pretty much the same. ‘Course, she didn't have too many men who would come to the ranch for anything other than the girls. How much do your girls get for a night? I came here to work, but nighttime entertainment might not be such a bad thing."

  "Depends on the customer. The stage driver gets his for two bucks a roll, while the passengers pay four. As for you, I would imagine we could work out an arrangement where you could get yours for, let's say, a buck and a half."

  "It sounds fair to me. A good roll never done anyone any harm, just so long as it doesn't get in the way of what a man has to do during the day. I saw you eyeing my guns before. Any reason why you're so interested in them?"

  She ladled the stew into a bowl for him before replying. “Guess there is. I was thinking of putting out an ad for a hired gun. I've been having a lot of trouble with rustlers. Of course, I'm certain I know who's behind it. I just need proof. I need someone who is willing to find out just what's going on and use his guns if necessary. I'm losing the cattle on the range that borders the Diamond A. Clayte Adamson wants this ranch and he wants me. If he's the one stealing the cattle, it would certainly answer a bunch of questions."

  "I take it you don't want him."

  "That's right, I don't. Him and my pa had some harebrained idea about the two of us getting married and putting the ranches together. I set my pa straight the first week I was here. Clayte was harder to convince. About a month ago he lost his wife, and he was sniffin’ around two weeks later. He had the nerve to suggest we get married in order to combine the ranches and give his seven brats a mother. That's about the same time I started losing cattle. It wasn't hard to put two and two together, and I came up with four and not some other number."

  Black's smile was unnerving. “I take it you told him what he could do with his offer, and did so in no uncertain terms."

  "You bet I did. He's probably still nursing the burns from the coffee I dumped over his head."

  "Like I said, I need a job for the winter and I came here to work. You can depend on me doing a good work for you; just don't get in my way while I'm doing it. If I ain't mistaken, you need my guns more than you do my skills at ranchin'. I'll make certain you get both. I can live by your rules, Ma'am, and I can take care of that little problem. I won't kill the bastard, but I can make him wish he'd never messed with your or the Double Bar B. Just point me to the bunkhouse and I'll stow my gear as soon as I take care of my horse."

  "We haven't used the bunkhouse in years. This place has six bedrooms and I usually only have four to five girls working for me at any given time. Right now there's only four, so I have an empty bedroom. As soon as you get your horse stabled, come back up to the house and I'll get you settled."

  He nodded and left the warmth of the kitchen. She couldn't miss his tight ass and the broadness of his shoulders. She wondered what he would be like in bed.

  Where did that thought come from? I must be losing my mind. The last thing I need is a man in my bed. Ten years ago I promised myself never again to be taken in by a sweet talking man. I refuse to go back on my promise.

  Belle's mind drifted to the years she spent in the East with her Aunt Mable. She'd been but five years old when her mother died. Her father knew he couldn't run a ranch and take care of a child at the same time, so he wired his wife's sister to come out and get Belle. In Aunt Mable's home, she'd received the love and attention she deserved as well as a good education.

  She'd been sixteen when Preacher Martinson's son, Ronald, came sniffing around her aunt's door. Ronald had been handsome and when their meetings turned sexual, he assured her that there was nothing wrong because they were in love and as soon as her aunt agreed, they'd be married. He'd known the right way to seduce her, and she'd been ripe for the picking. In the months that they experimented with sex, she'd been transformed from girl to woman. When she told him she was carrying his child, he denied that it could be his.

  As soon as news of her condition became public knowledge, Preacher Martinson and the good women of the town branded her a whore. It was then that her aunt sent her to a convent not far from their home. There, she'd abided by the strict rules of the nuns and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, who was taken from her within hours of the birth. She prayed that her child had been given to a loving home.

  Once she left Ohio, she came back to the Double Bar B and her father, vowing never to let another man touch her that way again. She'd kept her vow, and wasn't even tempted by the sweet-talking men from the East who wanted her more than they did the other girls.

  So why did Black make her drawers wet when he took her hand to shake it? Just the thought of him sleeping down the hall from her was enough to make her change her mind and reopen the bunkhouse. Of course, she knew she wouldn't do that to him. The bedroom wasn't being used, so why heat another building all winter? She'd just have to make certain the man kept his distance from her and occupied himself with the other girls.

  Once she told Black where his room would be and watched him walk toward the barn, she went upstairs to tell Kate about the new man. “That stranger who just rode in is here for a job. He's a gunslinger. Can't say I'm upset about him coming here. I gave him the room across from yours. You being forewoman here, I thought you should know."

  "A gunslinger, you say? What's his name?"

  "He calls himself Black Conley. I've heard of him. Seems he's killed over thirty men, and all in fair fights, if you can believe what they write in the papers."

  "Black Conley,” Kate replied, the name rolling off her tongue as though she was contemplating it. “I have heard of him. His ma ran an operation like this in East Texas. I should know. One of the women I worked with in Nevada worked there for a while. He might be interesting company for tonight."

  "Thought you were dog-tired."

  "Things change, especially when Black Conley comes calling. I'm sure you gave him a deal on being with each
of us. I think tonight will be on the house, though. You know, sort of a welcome to the Double Bar B."

  Belle nodded her head. “All I ask is that you girls keep him busy. I don't want him getting any crazy ideas about me. I'm sure you understand what I mean by that."

  "I get it, Belle, but somehow I think this one has you interested. You really should try it. If you don't, you won't ever know what you're missing,” Kate teased. “I'm certain you'd like it a lot better when you're getting paid for it."

  "I like it a lot better when I'm the one taking the money and handling it for you girls. I don't want any part of the other, thank you."

  * * * *

  After learning where he would be bunking, Black left the ranch house with a smile a mile wide on his face. He didn't care about the other girls. The one he wanted was the boss. She was just about the prettiest thing he'd seen in a long time. Her long white-blond hair was styled into the latest fashion, and her green eyes were ones that any man could die and not mind once he'd seen them. It was no wonder her neighbor wanted her in his bed. Any man would have to be a fool not to want to call Belle Barton his own.

  He'd just have to bide his time. The stories he heard in town could prove wrong. Just looking at her, he could tell she wasn't some tight virgin who didn't know the pleasure of being with a man. Somewhere along the line someone had done her wrong, and she wasn't about to fall into any man's arms. That was all right by him. She said there were four whores working for her, and trying each of them could probe to be an interesting pastime for the long winter nights ahead of him. Sooner or later he'd melt the ice that Belle had around her heart and when he did, he was certain she'd prove to be a more interesting companion than any of her whores.

  He knew if he'd stayed in her kitchen any longer, the bulge in the front of his pants would have given her a clue as to his intentions.

  Once his horse was stabled, he realized that his hardon wasn't about to go away any time soon without getting some relief. A quick hand job behind the barn would take care of it until the lovely Miss Belle could be persuaded to let him get into her bed. He prayed it wouldn't take him long to get into her pants, since he didn't relish jacking off any more than he did sticking his cock into the other girls. They'd give him relief, but it wouldn't be the one he wanted, and therefore not the same. He didn't give himself to a woman unless she was special, and Belle was damned special in his book. Paid companions were all right for a night or two, but a woman like Belle was what he wanted for a lifetime and at twenty-nine, he decided that lifetime should be a hell of a lot longer than it would be if he continued working as a U.S. Marshal.

  He shook his head in disbelief at his thoughts. He had no right to think about happily ever after with a woman. In his line of work, he was much better off sticking with whores. They expected no more than what he paid them to give him. He knew he still wanted Belle, but on his terms, not hers. She would grace his bed and it would be because she wanted to, not because she was paid to. Once he satisfied his curiosity about her, he'd be free to go on to the next assignment, once this one was finished.

  Maybe it would have been different if she hadn't been wearing those tight-fitting pants and a shirt open far enough for him to get a good look at her breasts. She was a fine woman, a fine woman indeed.

  After getting the relief he craved, Black made his way back up to the house. He'd grabbed his gear and was more than ready to spend the night in a real bed. It would be a novel experience, since he'd been sleeping under the stars for most of the summer as well as the trip from Laramie to Larson's Gap. Why should he waste money on a hotel room or even one at a boarding house when he had the open range as his bedroom? Of course, such sleeping conditions didn't allow him the pleasure of a woman. When the need arose, which was quite often, he'd hightail it to the nearest town and visit the whores who plied their trade above the saloon.

  Belle was in the kitchen sipping her coffee when he returned. “I waited up for you. I wanted to make certain you got your horse stabled. Morning starts early around here, and I wanted to let you know that you'd be riding with the forewoman, Kate."

  "Much obliged, Ma'am,” he replied, aware of her staring at the front of his pants. Had she noticed the bulge that he'd gotten rid of behind the barn? If so, was she sorry to see it gone? Was she thinking about slipping into bed with him tonight? If that was her plan, he'd be more than willing to accommodate her.

  She didn't say anything that would give answers to his questions; instead, she led him to the staircase in the parlor and up to the second floor. “I'm going to bed for the night as well, so we might as well go up together. Once I do, I'll be turning out the lights. Wouldn't want you to get lost.” As they walked down the door-lined hallway, he expected to hear couples enjoying an evening of sexual delights. To his surprise, the silence was almost deafening.

  He thought about what it would be like. Listening to the love sounds coming from behind the closed doors transported him back to when he'd been a young boy. Then he'd been on the outside, listening without being able do more than wonder what such delights would be like. Even though he knew what the girls did behind those doors, he still wished he could watch. Hell, he'd wanted to participate.

  Especially with Salina. She was a feisty little Mexican gal who got kicked out of her Pa's house for fucking one of his vaqueros. She'd made her way to Texas and his mother's place. There she'd plied her trade, and made damn good money doing it. Just thinking about her made him swell for the second time tonight. She was to have been his present on his thirteenth birthday.

  Instead, he'd found his mother beaten to death and instantly become a man without ever taking a woman. He had taken the girls to Mexico and his grandfather's ranchero. His mother's death had made him well aware of the danger that surrounded the Circle C where the girls were concerned. Like his mother, he knew that these women and their safety were his responsibility.

  Once in Mexico, he had not been allowed to be with Salina. She'd left to go back north to the life she enjoyed shortly after their arrival. Instead, he had lost his virginity to a beautiful girl on the same night she lost hers. Neither of them had had the experience to show the other the pleasure of sex. For that he was sorry; for the experience, he could never feel sorrow.

  "Looks like you could use a little relief,” Belle said, glancing down at the crotch of his pants.

  His thoughts of the past dissolved, and he looked toward her. “Guess I could at that.” He reached out to grab her hand, but she backed away.

  "Kate is waiting for you in your room. Earlier she said she was dog-tired, but when she heard Black Conley was here, she perked right up. This one's on the house, sort of a ‘welcome to the family’ present, you might say."

  Black concealed his disappointment the best he could. “Thanks, Belle. I'll see you bright and early in the morning."

  "You bet you will. We start here with breakfast at six and we hit the saddle by seven. Hope you're up to it. It doesn't matter what goes on at night; during the day, I expect my hands to be up and ready to ride as soon as I am."

  Black turned from the woman who was to be his boss, afraid he wouldn't be able to hide his disappointment.

  As soon as he entered the room, he noticed a scantily-clad woman lying on the bed. “You must be Kate."

  "Don't sound so disappointed, Mr. Conley. I'll give you a good roll."

  Her voice carried the hint of a Spanish accent and on closer inspection, he saw she was as dark-completed as he was. For a moment it was as though Salina was in his bed, waiting to give him his birthday present.

  "Is there a problem with me being here? I'd hate to think that you didn't want me after all I've heard about you."

  "Where would you have heard about me?” He stood rooted to the spot, looking at her.

  "About ten years back, I worked with an old whore in Nevada. It was my first job, and I was green as grass. Salina took me under her wing and said she was repaying a favor to the first woman she ever worked for. When I
asked her about it, she told me that she worked for your ma and even though you were a kid, she wished she'd been able to give you a good roll for your thirteenth birthday present. Of course, we both know why she couldn't. I'm pleased to see that you've turned into a man. I'm anxious to see if you're half as good as they say you are."

  "What else did your Salina say about me?"

  "Ah, so I've piqued your curiosity. She said that you were a good kid, but every now and then you needed to be spanked. Do you still like to be spanked?"

  Her question caught him off-guard. Without waiting for him to answer, she got up from the bed and came over to him.

  Expertly, she took off his shirt and unbuttoned his long johns. As she ran her hand over the mat of hair on his chest, his thoughts of home and Salina disappeared. This woman was well trained, but of course, she'd had the best teacher available. He hardly felt it when she slipped the top of his long johns down around his waist.

  Once his chest was exposed, she began kissing his nipples and then sucking on them, with occasional love bites. These were the things he usually did to women, not the other way around. The feeling was one that was alien, and yet brought his cock to life. Even though he knew what was coming next, it surprised him when she unbuttoned his pants and reached inside the flap of his long johns to grab his cock.

  "Ah, this is one of the best cocks I've had in a long time. I think I'd like to play with it for a while before I allow it to enter me."

  As though she had a calf by a rope, she led him to the bed by holding him firmly in her grip. Once there, she pushed him down to a sitting position. “Take off your pants,” she ordered. “How do you expect me to give you a good fuck when you're fully clothed?"

  "I-I didn't..."

  "Of course you did. You just thought it would be Belle in your bed. Well, you can get that damn fool notion out of your head here and now. You can enjoy the rest of us, but Belle is off-limits. Now, let me help you with your boots so we can get down to business."