Chapter Ten

Jessie couldn't seem to shake her bad mood. When the first raindrop plopped onto the brim of her hat, she let out an angry hiss and jumped from her horse.

"Is this punishment, God? I'm sure Langley's not as helpless as he looks!"

She stomped her boot and rifled through the sack on the mule to find her duster coat. She slipped into it just as a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky and thunder rumbled with so much force, it seemed to cause the air itself to shake.

Of course this caused her already uncontrollable horse to spook and the beast took off into the wood, pulling the mule along with it. Jessie shouted for them both to come back but it was pointless and they soon disappeared.

She looked up at the sky and let out a string of curses that would have made even a seasoned outlaw blush and kicked at a rock only to have her foot slip in the mud and send her crashing onto her back.

Instead of trying to get up just now, Jessie simply lay there in the mud and let the rain beat down on her. A part of her wished she could simply sink into the mud and get lost there. She was a coward. Jessie Burke had never run from a single thing in her entire life. But just one near kiss and a few skips of her heart and she had taken off as fast as she could from Langley.

Jessie didn't like to admit it, and probably wouldn't out loud, but he had touched something deep inside of her. The fear that he would let her down, or she would let him down, had sent her legs in a quick rush to get away from him.

Truth was, Jessie had never seen an example of what a healthy and stable relationship of any kind looked like. Her ma and pa had fought constantly. Her ma had always been bringing men into the house and locking herself up in the bedroom with them for a few coins. It had taken Jessie a while to realize what those grunts and groans behind closed doors meant—but she had learned.

Her pa had simply gotten drunk and pretended not to notice that anything was happening except when someone in town happen to mention his wife's infidelities. At those times, he would attack whoever had dared say something and then go home and smack his wife around awhile too. Jessie would hide under her bed or in the barn during their fights and after one truly bad one, Jessie's mama had simply up and left.

Jessie's pa hadn't wanted to stay in that house without his wife and so he'd packed up his nine year old daughter and left home. He had taught Jessie not to care, not to trust and to never stay in one place too long. She'd learned how to lie, cheat and steal. She'd mastered wielding a gun, a knife and a whip. He had taught he well how to run a con and get exactly what she wanted while remaining out of trouble with lawmen.

Jessie had loved that man. She had worshipped the ground he had walked on.

Then three years ago they met Benjamin Gray. That man had ruined everything. Suddenly her father wanted to run bigger tricks. He wasn't satisfied with small time cons any longer. He began doing things that could truly end up with him in trouble. When Jessie had voiced her concern and tried to talk her father into going back to rigging poker games in backwater saloons, he had laughed at her.

With Benjamin Gray at his side, he'd lost what little use he'd had for his daughter.

But still Jessie had stuck around because he had been all she'd had. Then her mistrust of Benjamin Gray had been proven correct. He had talked her pa into tricking a banker out of five-thousand dollars. Then he had killed her pa and taken off with his share of the money.

Jessie's pa had hurt her bad but she was still determined to hunt down his killer. She was going to avenge her father's death and get back that twenty-five hundred dollars that the bastard had stolen from her pa.

Against Jessie found her thoughts going to Langley and she wished that things could be different. Maybe if her mama hadn't been the woman she was, if her pa hadn't done the things he'd done, if they hadn't made Jessie the way she was, she could find a way to pursue her feelings for him.

Jessie had been lying there for a long time. She was covered in mud, soaked to the bone and beginning to shiver. Her eyes were closed but the sound of an approaching horse reached her ears. Had that wild beast actually come back?

The hoof beats came to a stop beside her and she smiled. "You crazy, flea-bitten beast. I've never seen such a coward over a little bit of thunder."

"Well ma'am, I've always been a bit of a coward when it comes to storms."

Jessie's eyes flew open and she stared sheepishly up at the silhouetted man towering over her on horseback. He had his black duster pulled tight around him and his gray hat pulled low over his eyes. Even though his face was shadowed, there was no mistaking that voice or those blue eyes lit with anger.

"Nice to see you again, Langley."

"Uh-huh. I'm sure it is. Can I ask why exactly you're lying on the muddy ground in the rain?"

"I'm not real sure," Jessie, replied, blinking against the raindrops.

"I got your letter," Langley noted.

Jessie quirked her mouth to the side. "And?"

"And I've come to get my mule back. I killed the man whose horse I stole to get that beast and I think it's only fair I get to keep it."

Jessie waved her hand. "By all means, take him. Of course you'll have to hunt him down in this monsoon."

"I already did." Langley crossed his arms over his saddle horn. "He and your horse are at my lean-to next to a warm fire."

Jessie sighed wistfully. A dry backside and a warm fire sure sounded good to her. "So all you're interested in is that mule?"

Jessie was sure she saw him grin before his lips pressed into a tight line. "What else should I be interested in? Surely not the woman who ran off in the middle of the night and left me with nothing but what few belongings I had in my saddlebags."

"No, not her," Jessie agreed. "But maybe me."

Langley thought about telling her no—he really did. He had taken off after her once he'd read her note and it hadn't been hard to find her as she'd fought to keep both the mule and the palomino under her control. Neither animal seemed to like her. Langley knew that she needed a smaller horse—one that would be gentler and more respectful of her but he also knew she'd probably hit him for saying so.

Langley had followed her for hours. She'd been too caught up in her temper and her thoughts to notice him. When the rain had started, Langley had fallen behind her to set up camp. When her horse and the mule had come into his camp without their rider, he'd decided to go find her.

"If I take you back to my camp then I'm gonna be needing some answers."

"What kind of answers?" Jessie asked suspiciously.

"Whatever kind I want."

Jessie sighed. "Fine."

Langley hopped from his horse and they both slipped and slid on the muddy ground as he helped Jessie to her feet. Jessie positioned herself in front of him on the horse and Langley felt his blood heat as her backside rubbed against him. He had a feeling that she'd be able to feel his reaction to her but thankfully, she said nothing.

What Langley didn't know was that Jessie couldn't have spoken if she had wanted to. Her entire body was tense and overly aware of each and every sensation that Langley's touch and nearness gave to her.

His strong, firm legs were wrapped around hers. She could feel his arousal pressing against he and his lean arms were brushing against her breasts in her wet clothes as he held the reins.

Jessie was wondering what the hell had happened to all the oxygen in the air. Breathing was becoming difficult. Each and every movement of the horse caused their bodies to move and slide together.

Jessie was incredibly thankful when they rode into his camp. She leapt from the horse and wiped her hands on her pants. "How did you manage to set up a camp before the rain hit?"

"I ain't a helpless kitten," Langley assured her as he unsaddled his horse. "I followed you all morning and then I saw the clouds gathering so I decided to set up camp. Your horse and the mule found me."

Jessie didn't reply. Instead she pulled off her duster coat and hung it up on a branch near the fire. Langley's camp was dry thanks to his lean-to and the pines he'd chosen for cover.

Langley had been pouring fresh brewed coffee into the tin cup in his hands when he caught Jessie's movements from the corner of his eye and his gaze became fixed on her.

The rain had rendered her white blouse transparent and she wasn't wearing her vest. Nothing about her torso was left to his imagination. The swell of her breasts, the dusting color of her nipples, the tightness of her stomach and the gentle swell of her hips were all on clear display for him.

Langley quickly sat her cup on a rock and went to the mule. He pulled his blanket off and walked to Jessie. He wrapped the blanket tight around her and Jessie frowned. She glanced down at herself before flushing bright red.

Langley went back to pouring coffee, though his hands were shaking. They sat together in that lean-to, sipping coffee and enjoying the dry. It was a long while before Jessie finally spoke.

"I suppose I owe you an apology," she mumbled, picking at a blade of grass beside her foot.

Langley shrugged. "I'd settle for an explanation." He was gripping his cup tightly and fighting the urge to bury his fingertips in her thick mane of hair.

"I just figured it'd be best to end things now before we get more attached to one another and wind up hurt."

"I wouldn't hurt you, Jessie. It's not in my nature to hurt those I care about," Langley assured her. "And don't flinch when I say I care about you, dammit. I'd think by now it's pretty obvious that I care."

"You shouldn't," Jessie warned. "I don't know how friendships are supposed to go and I'm bound to hurt you before it's over."

Langley swallowed hard. "I was hoping for a bit more than friendship."

Jessie's violet eyes widened. "Like what?"

Langley realized that being a coward wouldn't get him anywhere so he took a deep breath, reached out and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. His fingertips lingered on her soft cheek.

Neither said a word. Langley moved in closer, keeping his hand upon her skin. Jessie tilted her head and gazed up at him. Their breath mingled, their eyes slid closed and their lips brushed.

It was the tiniest of kisses. Barely more than a brushing of skin against skin. And yet it shook them both to the core. Langley pulled his lips from her mouth and pressed an achingly tender kiss to her brow that made Jessie feel like crying.

"Now tell the truth, Jessie," Langley whispered against her skin. "Tell me what makes you think we'd be hurt."

Without taking the time to ask herself why she was opening up, Jessie found herself letting out all the sordid details of her childhood and her time alone with her father. She had never opened up to anyone about the pain she'd felt growing up.

When she finished Langley scooted in closer to her and wrapped his am tight around her shoulders. She took comfort in his touch and allowed herself to be weak by laying her head against his chest—there wasn't anyone else around to see.

"I've never had anyone I could count on," Jessie admitted.

Langley kissed her cheek. "You do now."