haul freight. I thought you intended to keep the Nymph as a floating gambling palace, same as Riley. I don’t need competition from a lady gambler. I let you win to protect my business
here at the Bud. No man would sit down at the table with a woman who humiliates other players. If I’d known you were going
into the upriver trade…” He shrugged, then grinned. “Hell, I’d ’a probably done it anyway.”
Delilah stared at the grinning oaf. In just two meetings, he had succeeded in stripping her of a lifetime of refinement, not
to mention the hard-earned self-discipline she had acquired over the last decade. Now here she sat spraddle-legged on the
floor of a bawdy house. What was happening to her? His congenial expression was intolerable. He’d succeeded in making her
lose her temper, her self-control, everything she prided herself on. She needed to make him pay, but how? Then, noting the
way he looked at her, an idea occurred…
Clint watched the confused expression on her beautiful face. A minute ago she had been all self-righteous anger, enraged
sufficiently to try to kick out his teeth. Now she looked like a lost child. He came up on one knee and leaned forward with
deliberate slowness. She seemed so very fragile and vulnerable that he held his breath, afraid to frighten her, but she didn’t
move.
A part of his brain sounded warning bells. He dismissed them as the aftermath of her blow to his head. With exquisite care,
he placed the lightest kiss on Delilah’s luscious mouth. Gentle, oh so gentle. She closed her eyes. He leaned away, watching
as they opened and she smiled tentatively. God, she was precious. God, he was crazy!
She rose to her knees in a seductively fluid movement and reached out one hand to his cheek, then slipped it to the back of
his head. Grasping a fistful of straw-colored hair, she drew him to her. His lips parted as he prepared to kiss her again
with much more vigor.
She sunk her teeth into his lower lip. And held on.
“Auugh! Godda eh! Leggo! Awww! Daa!” He couldn’t get his mouth to form the curses while she held him in the agonizing liplock.
Abruptly, Delilah released his lip and he snapped his head back. Still a bit groggy from the blow to his skull, Clint lost
his balance and toppled onto his rump again. Blood streamed down his chin, staining his jacket and shirtfront. He pulled a
handkerchief from his breast pocket and pressed it to his lacerated lip.
From the top of the stairs, Eva’s beautiful laughter filled the room. “Clint, honey, let that be a lesson. If you don’t wanna
lose that valuable Southern bottom land, you better keep your fly buttoned when that bitch is around!”
Chapter Four
Theonly thing you need to button, Mr. Daniels, is your lip,” Delilah snapped as she seized the back of the nearest chair and
used it for leverage to get back to her feet. She smirked down at Clint, who remained on the floor with his long legs spread
wide, dabbing at his bleeding mouth. His fancy shirt was ruined. Good. Served him right for his clumsy attempts to win her
over with his charm. Women such as the harlot standing at the top of the stairs might find him irresistible, but she certainly
did not.
Horace looked like a man asked to choose between death by hanging from a long rope or garroting with piano wire. His horrified
eyes took in their new business partner sitting bloodied on the floor and Delilah struggling to stand upright in her fashionable
skirt. Having been raised a gentleman, he took her arm just as she righted herself. It was also a precaution. Considering
the reaction Mr. Daniels elicited from his niece, she might just take the chair and brain him with it if not restrained.
But he could see the gloating satisfaction on her face and thought that she would be content to allow a truce…for now.
Their new associate climbed to his feet while wincing at his swollen and bloody face. Not good. “Mr. Daniels, please
here at the Bud. No man would sit down at the table with a woman who humiliates other players. If I’d known you were going
into the upriver trade…” He shrugged, then grinned. “Hell, I’d ’a probably done it anyway.”
Delilah stared at the grinning oaf. In just two meetings, he had succeeded in stripping her of a lifetime of refinement, not
to mention the hard-earned self-discipline she had acquired over the last decade. Now here she sat spraddle-legged on the
floor of a bawdy house. What was happening to her? His congenial expression was intolerable. He’d succeeded in making her
lose her temper, her self-control, everything she prided herself on. She needed to make him pay, but how? Then, noting the
way he looked at her, an idea occurred…
Clint watched the confused expression on her beautiful face. A minute ago she had been all self-righteous anger, enraged
sufficiently to try to kick out his teeth. Now she looked like a lost child. He came up on one knee and leaned forward with
deliberate slowness. She seemed so very fragile and vulnerable that he held his breath, afraid to frighten her, but she didn’t
move.
A part of his brain sounded warning bells. He dismissed them as the aftermath of her blow to his head. With exquisite care,
he placed the lightest kiss on Delilah’s luscious mouth. Gentle, oh so gentle. She closed her eyes. He leaned away, watching
as they opened and she smiled tentatively. God, she was precious. God, he was crazy!
She rose to her knees in a seductively fluid movement and reached out one hand to his cheek, then slipped it to the back of
his head. Grasping a fistful of straw-colored hair, she drew him to her. His lips parted as he prepared to kiss her again
with much more vigor.
She sunk her teeth into his lower lip. And held on.
“Auugh! Godda eh! Leggo! Awww! Daa!” He couldn’t get his mouth to form the curses while she held him in the agonizing liplock.
Abruptly, Delilah released his lip and he snapped his head back. Still a bit groggy from the blow to his skull, Clint lost
his balance and toppled onto his rump again. Blood streamed down his chin, staining his jacket and shirtfront. He pulled a
handkerchief from his breast pocket and pressed it to his lacerated lip.
From the top of the stairs, Eva’s beautiful laughter filled the room. “Clint, honey, let that be a lesson. If you don’t wanna
lose that valuable Southern bottom land, you better keep your fly buttoned when that bitch is around!”
Chapter Four
Theonly thing you need to button, Mr. Daniels, is your lip,” Delilah snapped as she seized the back of the nearest chair and
used it for leverage to get back to her feet. She smirked down at Clint, who remained on the floor with his long legs spread
wide, dabbing at his bleeding mouth. His fancy shirt was ruined. Good. Served him right for his clumsy attempts to win her
over with his charm. Women such as the harlot standing at the top of the stairs might find him irresistible, but she certainly
did not.
Horace looked like a man asked to choose between death by hanging from a long rope or garroting with piano wire. His horrified
eyes took in their new business partner sitting bloodied on the floor and Delilah struggling to stand upright in her fashionable
skirt. Having been raised a gentleman, he took her arm just as she righted herself. It was also a precaution. Considering
the reaction Mr. Daniels elicited from his niece, she might just take the chair and brain him with it if not restrained.
But he could see the gloating satisfaction on her face and thought that she would be content to allow a truce…for now.
Their new associate climbed to his feet while wincing at his swollen and bloody face. Not good. “Mr. Daniels, please
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