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  "You can't compare a man havin’ a little fun to girls who get paid to fuck a man to women trying to run a ranch, can you?"

  "Of course I can. I really can't see why a man would spend his hard-earned money on a whore when he has a wife waiting for him at home, but then maybe I'm different than you. That brings us to Belle, and who she is or isn't. From what I hear, Belle is the spitting image of her ma. Besides, if she were out to get something for nothing, why would she come to a godforsaken place like this? I can't imagine anyone wanting a ranch in Montana, where the winter comes straight from the gates of hell and summers are far too short. If her intentions were getting something for nothing, I can think of a lot better places to do it than Larson's Gap."

  "That brings us to you. Why are you here?"

  "Like I said at the saloon the other night, I found myself in this part of the country and didn't like the thought of spending the winter outdoors, since I couldn't afford to rent a room for the whole time. When I asked about a job, I was told to try the Double Bar B. No one told me that you or any of the others around the area were hiring. If a man wants to eat, he has to work and if that means working for Belle Barton, then that's what I intend to do. The bed is nice and soft and the meals are good. As for the work, it's nothing I've never done before. You mentioned the fact that I was a gunslinger, and you're right, but the men I've killed have always drawn on me first. The first one was in East Texas when I was fourteen. After a while, I realized it wasn't a really stable profession. I don't hire my guns out anymore, and I don't shoot people in the back."

  "But what about my cattle?” Jeb asked.

  "What about them? I reckon they're in the same place as the fifty head Belle's lost over the past few weeks."

  "I want to check Belle's herd to see what brands are on them."

  Black nodded. “I think that's a right fine idea. We eat breakfast here at six. I'll be ready to ride with you and any of the other neighbors by seven. We'll start with the cattle that have been moved up by the house, then we'll check out the other ranges. There's nothing here that needs to be hidden and the sooner you and your friends realize it, the better."

  Jeb turned on his heel and started down the steps of the porch. “We'll be here at six,” he called over his shoulder. “I don't want you to move any of them cattle without us."

  "If that's the case, I'll tell Annie to fix extra for breakfast,” Belle replied. “My hands don't ride on an empty stomach, and neither should you."

  The man muttered to himself all the while he mounted his horse. When Black at last turned back to Belle, she was slumped against the doorjamb.

  He stepped toward Belle and took her arm as though to steady her. Once she leaned on him, he escorted her to the porch swing and helped her to seat herself. Even the cool of the evening breeze seemed comforting in comparison to the heat of the argument they'd just had with Jeb.

  "That man has a powerful hate for you,” Black said. “Of course, that whiskey on his breath probably had a lot to do with what he said. Tomorrow ought to be an interesting day."

  "I guess I ruffled a lot of feathers when I didn't sell out when Pa died. Jeb and the others were certain I'd turn tail and run. I just couldn't do that. Pa and Roy worked hard to build up this place; I couldn't let it be split up between Clayte, Pete and Jeb."

  "I can understand. It's good you stood up for yourself. When my ma died, I was too young to fight for our place. It wasn't until I was sure of myself with a gun that I went back and righted the wrong that had been done to me."

  "You own a ranch?"

  "I did when I was fourteen, but I didn't want anything to do with East Texas of the Circle C. I sold it to a friend I'd made when I was growing up. He needed a ranch, and I needed the cash. It all worked out for the best."

  "Don't you miss the land?"

  "I miss my ma and the girls who worked for her more. If I'd run it things would have never been the same. I got a good education growing up there."

  She relaxed against Black's shoulder and allowed him to put his arm around her. “Do I have to guess what kind of an education you got?"

  "It's not what you think. I was a kid, too young to be taught those things. On the day my ma died, I turned thirteen. That night I was supposed to get my first lesson in such things, but that never happened. What Ma and the girls taught me were manners, to speak and read Spanish and to read and respect the teachings in the Bible."

  "Do you still respect those teachings?” she asked, looking up at him.

  "I do, but the Lord probably doesn't like the way I twist them to fit my needs. After the first man I killed, I didn't have a hunger for it, but word got out about how fast I was, and trouble just seemed to follow me. It wasn't until I met up with Ed that I realized my guns could be used for good. Things have turned around since then."

  She snuggled closer to him, and his hand wandered to the soft mound of her breast. As much as he wanted to cup it in his hand, he refrained. He had all winter to win her over and take her to his bed. For now, the swell of her breast against the fabric of her dress was enough to assure him that sooner or later she would be his in every way, especially the ones that counted the most for a man.

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  Chapter Five

  Belle lay awake long after the house was quiet for the night. The events of the last few hours replayed in her head, keeping sleep at bay.

  She was thankful that Black had come to find out who was responsible for the rustling of her cattle, but why did he have to be so damned desirable?

  She let her mind wander back to when they had sat on the porch swing after Jeb left earlier. It had been a long time since she'd sat like that with a man. The last time that she could remember, Ronald had shared the swing and told her how beautiful she was. A girl of sixteen, she fell for his line and allowed him to take liberties that he had no business taking. When she'd told him she was pregnant, he no longer called her beautiful or even came to call.

  She couldn't fall into that trap again.

  Getting up, she lit the lamp beside the bed and went to the dresser to search for the toy the woman at the shop had called a dildo. It had been a long time since she'd last used it, but tonight she needed some sort of relief.

  She'd been embarrassed when she realized that the way Black's hand caressed her breast had made her drawers wet. She'd prided herself on control, and tonight her body had betrayed her.

  As she touched the wooden object hidden under the clothes in her dresser drawer, she thought about the man sleeping just down the hall from her. It was be so very easy to slip out of her room and into his bed. Instead of the hard wooden cock, she could have the real thing. From what Kate told her, Black's cock would be hard, but it wouldn't be unyielding.

  Rather than dwell on things that went against her grain, she took the dildo from the drawer and returned to bed. Self-gratification would be much less complex than going to Black's bed and becoming involved in a loveless relationship just to satisfy her wanton needs. It was all right for the girls since that was their trade, but not for her. When she gave herself to a man, it would be because she truly loved him. She could hear her aunt screaming at her. Sex should be for love and not lust, Isabel. Men lust after whores and unfortunately, even though I tried to raise you right, you have become as bad as the girls who ply their trade down at Dirty Gertie's place. I can only pray the nuns can teach you what I couldn't.

  The memory prompted another one. She had been sent to the convent within days of learning of her pregnancy so as not to embarrass her aunt or Ronald any further. She was the outcast, the fallen angel. While she went to the convent and spent the better part of every day on her knees on the stone floor praying for her salvation, he was free to deflower another young girl and then deny the act if the girl suddenly found herself in a family way.

  She shook her head to rid herself of the horrible memory, accompanied with thoughts of Ronald. He was probably living in sin somewhere, but she wasn't about to fall
into that trap again. When her body called for relief, the little wooden toy would take the place of a man who used her only as a receptacle and then threw her away at the first opportunity.

  She made her way back to the now cold sheets. After pulling up her nightdress and turning down the lamp to a soft glow, she concentrated on her favorite fantasy.

  As usual, she started by cupping her breasts in her hands and manipulating her nipples in the same way that Ronald had done so many years ago. Instead of the dream lover who appeared behind her closed eyelids, the man was Black, and his large, calloused hands were doing wonderful things to her breasts.

  The sensation traveled down her body until it reached her woman's soul, causing her to move her hands lower to stroke her clit. Once her juices began to flow, she put her fingers into her cunt until she ached for the relief that only the dildo could provide.

  She slid the hard object inside her, imagining Black hovering over her, ready to send her to the heights of passion with his cock. She knew the dildo wasn't the same as having him inside her, but at least it perpetuated the dream that she'd formed in her mind.

  * * * *

  Black lay in bed, the memory of Belle's breast against his hand fresh in his mind. Even thinking of her made his cock swell until it was downright painful. He had two options when it came to taking care of that hurt. The first was to go down the hall to Belle's room and take her here and now, but he didn't approve of rape. The woman had to be willing, and he had yet to find a paid companion who wasn't ready to take his cock inside her. The second was to jack off into the piss pot that sat beside the bed.

  The first option seemed like the best, and yet he refused to take Belle against her will. She was a beautiful woman, and deserved much better than him. He could easily go to Kate's room and offer to pay for satisfaction, but that option just didn't seem right tonight. He wanted Belle, and no other.

  Rather than lie on the bed and be miserable, he pulled on his pants, boots and shirt and made his way to the door. He didn't light the lamp, since the light of the full moon was enough to illuminate the room.

  Once in the hallway, he made his way toward the stairs. He would go out behind the barn for the release he craved and then come back to bed.

  As he passed Belle's door, he could hear her moaning softly. He couldn't help but wonder if she was dreaming, and if he was in that dream. If so, was he fucking her and bringing on the moans of pleasure that were coming from behind the closed door?

  "Black,” she called. He stopped dead in his tracks. “Oh, Black."

  Her voice sounded as though she was in distress. Unwilling to allow her to continue in the nightmare, he opened her door and stepped into the room.

  To his surprise, a soft light showed him her naked body lying on the bed with her hands between her legs, manipulating an object that looked like a man's cock. She was so lost in her sexual passion that she didn't even hear him enter the room.

  He smiled at the scene he'd just witnessed and backed out the door, closing it softly. At least he wasn't the only one who was going to be jacking off tonight. He'd heard about women who got sexual pleasure from such objects as the one he saw Belle using, he'd just never seen one before.

  It pleased him to think that when she was in the midst of pleasuring herself, it was his name that she called. In the past he'd had women who fell in love with him and wanted him in their beds, but not as quickly as Belle seemed to.

  As he went down the stairs, he started to think about the woman herself. She wasn't a virgin, because if she was, she wouldn't know about such things as dildos and how to give herself pleasure. There had to have been a man in her past who had taken her to the heights of pleasure.

  From what he'd heard since arriving at the Double Bar B, it hadn't happened in Montana. Roy said that she'd been raised in Ohio. Had someone there taken the one thing a woman cherished and if so, why had she come back to Montana instead of enjoying the life of a married woman with a loving husband?

  Once out at the barn, he did his business, then pulled a smoke from his pocket. Leaning against the building, he enjoyed the cigarette, all the while watching the window he knew belonged to Belle. The light burned until at last he saw her get out of bed. The nightdress that had been bunched up around her breasts now covered her completely as she made her way to the washstand across the room from the bed. He smiled at the vision he could see from this vantage point. If she knew just how visible she was from the barn, she'd invest in curtains. Of course, she certainly didn't expect to see anyone to be outside watching her every move.

  From just beyond the barn, he heard horses approaching and quickly stubbed out his cigarette. He stepped back into the shadows and watched Jeb and two other men dismount.

  "It looks quiet to me,” one of the men said.

  "Well, I ain't taking any chances,” Jeb replied. “Check the corral to make certain their horses are still there. I wouldn't put it past that bitch to move our cattle before we have a chance to check things out."

  Black heard the men go to the corral and count the number of horses that were there.

  "It looks like they're all there,” the third man observed. “I don't know why you dragged us out of bed on this wild-goose chase. You don't really believe that Belle is behind the rustling, do you?"

  "Clayte says she is, and that's good enough for me. I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't want her to make off with our cattle just because she knows that we suspect her."

  Black's anger began to boil. He wished he had his guns with him, but that would only perpetuate the rumor that he was here as a hired gun.

  "Something I can do for you boys?” he asked, stepping from the shadows.

  All three men turned to face Black. “Just making certain that you and Belle aren't making off with those cattle of ours that you stole,” Jeb replied.

  "Makes sense,” Black commented. “I tell you what, why don't I go up to the house and get a coat? Once I do, I'll get my horse saddled and ride up to the canyon where we took the cattle with you. That way you can see for yourself that those women aren't trying to cheat you."

  "It suits me, but what were you doing out here anyway?"

  "I needed to take a piss and have a cigarette. Never did like smoking in the house when everyone else was asleep. I was taught better than that."

  Without further comment, Black went up to the house to retrieve his coat.

  "What's going on?” Belle asked when he entered the kitchen. “I thought I heard voices."

  "You did. Those neighbors you invited for breakfast didn't want to be late. They showed up to make certain we didn't take their cattle out under the cover of darkness. I told them that I would ride up to the canyon with them and keep watch on the herd tonight. There's nothing for you to worry about. Just go back to sleep."

  Before he could turn toward the stairs, she put her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. She had no idea what her hardened nipples pressing against his chest were doing to him. If she weren't careful, he'd take her right here on the kitchen floor and explain his actions to anyone who came in and found them together in such a position.

  "Be careful,” she whispered.

  "I will, but for now I have to go out and keep an eye on those yahoos who think you're up to something."

  He disentangled her arms from his neck and hurried upstairs to get both his coat and his guns. When he returned to the kitchen, she was still standing there, looking like an angel in her white nightdress and her hair hanging loose around her shoulders.

  "Tell Annie I'll have a powerful hunger by the time I get back in the morning. I'm looking forward to a good breakfast."

  The tears in her eyes surprised him. “Why are you crying?” he asked, taking her in his arms to kiss their salty wetness from her cheeks.

  "I told you I'm scared, and with good reason. It's hard telling what lies Clayte has been putting into the heads of Jeb and the others. They're likely to shoot first and ask questions later."


  "I'm not worried about getting shot. None of them are good enough with a gun to get the draw on me and besides, they're all so drunk they couldn't shoot straight anyway."

  She tipped her head slightly so that her mouth was perfectly aligned with his. Without restraint, he leaned over and kissed her. Instead of the indignation he would have expected, she accepted his kiss and returned it with a passion he didn't think possible from someone who had known him for such a short period of time. Maybe he wouldn't have to wait for an entire winter to get into her bed.

  "I'll see you in the morning. Don't worry. I can take care of myself, especially when the men I'm up against are dead drunk and already arguing among themselves."

  "They're all drunk?"

  "Yup. I figure Jeb started making the rounds and had a few drinks with each of the others. I take it they're Pete and Zeek. They're bound and determined that you and the girls are going to cut out their cows from our herd and run them off by morning. It won't hurt me none to ride nighthawk."

  "Maybe I should get dressed and go with you."

  He cupped her chin in his hand and raised her head so that he could look into her eyes. The urge to kiss her was one he couldn't deny. Pulling her into his arms, he covered her mouth with his. Feeling her supple lips beneath his made him want to forget the men who were waiting for him. The way Belle responded to his kiss told him she was his for the taking.

  "Are you comin’ or are we leavin’ without you?” Jeb called from beyond the kitchen door.

  Reluctantly, Black tore himself away from Belle and headed toward the door. He certainly didn't want to add any more fuel to the anger these men had building within them.