Love by Dawn by Therese A. Kramer Page A

Large
breasts . Her lips were red as cherries and
they smiled. Large breasts. But it was her full figure that reminded him
of... Bullshit! No way in hell would he let this whore remind him
of that sassy-mouth kid! Well, yes, she
did but.... He frowned and squashed the butt into the table. He was
here to forget that chit and forget her he would!
    “A beer!” he snapped, “with a whiskey
chaser.” If she heard the irritation in his voice, she didn’t show
it. Her cherry lips widened into a sensuous smile.
    “Right away, handsome,” she purred and walked
away rotating her hips provocatively.
    The whiskey burned a line of fire from his
pallet straight to his gut. Blake played a few hands, but his mind
was not on the game. Finally, he threw down his cards and invited
the prostitute upstairs. By then he’d had a few drinks and was a
little tipsy. He heard Lulu giggle helping him into the room. Being
without a woman so long, he discarded his clothes quickly as did
the prostitute, sensing his urgency. They joined and Blake climaxed
with Casey’s name on his lips. If the soiled dove was disappointed
with his eagerness and another woman on his mind, he didn’t give a
damn, he paid her handsomely and that seemed to have pleased
her.
    “Hey, cowboy, are ya stayin’ long. I wouldn’t
mind servicing ya again.” She purred into his ear as she licked it.
“Ya gotcha woman you’d like to forget, I assume. I can make ya
forget her.”
     
    Her hand roamed lower making him gasp, not
from delight, but annoyance. Blake grabbed it and rasped, “Sorry,
Lulu, but I’m here only for the night.”
    She licked her painted lips that were now
smeared and sighed. She purred, “Well, handsome, don’t’cha forget
me the next time ye’re a passin’ through.”
    He sat up and rubbed his temples. “Yes, I’ll
do that,” he lied.
    Sated, Blake returned to the motel, picked up
the package and entered the room. A lantern burned low on the night
table and the woman he couldn’t rid his mind of lay sprawled on the
bed. His shirt came to her knees and she looked lost in it. How he
envied that shirt.
    He should have walked away.
    Maybe he should have had a few more
beers.
    He definitely should not stand there
gapping.
    If he was smart he would
have left, but at that moment, he was not reasoning with his head.
Not the one on his shoulders, anyway. Blake was annoyed that one
side of the comfortable bed was going to waste. The idea was
tempting and there was no brother around to be his conscience; the
notion only lasted a split second. Damn
him for giving his word!
    It could be worse, egged that annoying voice . You could be sleeping next to Hunter in the hoosegow if
Casey screamed. So much for a good night’s sleep!
    Shit! Since when did his conscience start
reprimanding him?
     
    Casey heard Blake come in and feigned sleep.
He stood close enough for her to smell beer and, and... perfume!
She wanted to throw her other boot at him. A moment later she
heard,
    Thump! Thump!
    Boots.
    Thunk.
    Gun belt.
    A short silence, with many more swearwords,
then she heard him disrobe and sneaked a peek causing her to
swallow a gasp. He was standing nude with his back to her.
    Oh, dear, would he join her in bed?
     
    He reached for the afghan on the rocker and
when he reclined on the rug, she didn’t know what to feel first,
but she was certain it wasn’t relief.
    But she did believe once Blake was out of her
life, she would be better off.
    Better off than
what? egged the voice in her
head.
    Than this! was her answer.
    Was her conscience right? Of, course it
was!
    Her brother’s life was what
mattered most. After they found a new beginning, then she’d find
time to worry about her happiness. Somehow, without the handsome
cowboy, she doubted her life would be complete. She hated to admit
it, but he made her body come alive with only a simple touch, or
the way he looked at her. Then there was his kiss. A kiss she’d
never forget. But forget it she would!