you up.”
“Am I supposed to thank you?”
Slowly she started to spread the ointment over the wound. “It wouldn’t be out of line.”
“You’re joking,” he grumbled.
“No.”
She wound a smaller bandage around his leg. Her breasts grazed his knee as she reached around his leg to wrap the bandage. The touch sent a thousand prickles down her spine. It was one thing to nurse a man when he was out cold, but quite another when he was awake and staring at her.
She stepped back, her cheeks flushed. Lord, but she was acting like the silly girls she used to watch giggling by the schoolhouse.
The marshal saw the color in her cheeks. “You don’t make sense.”
“What do you mean?”
His gaze bore into her. “You shot me and then took better care of me than most doctors.”
She felt color creeping up her cheeks. “I’m not a cold-blooded killer, Mr. Baron. If you’d told me you were a marshal, I wouldn’t have shot you. And the idea of hanging for murder doesn’t sit too well with me.”
“There’s more to it than that.” He captured a stray curl of hers between his fingers.
Caught off guard, she didn’t know how to react. He was out of line, still slightly feverish, and yet shewanted nothing more than to close her eyes and rub her cheek against his callused hand.
“You know, from the moment I first saw you, I’ve wondered what your hair would look like down.”
The rawness in his voice stunned her. No man had ever made her feel more alive.
“If I were healthier, I’d want you in this bed with me.” His voice was like raw silk.
The idea of lying beside him made her core tighten. She moistened her lips. A lady likely would be outraged and would tell him to mind his manners. But she didn’t know the first thing about being a lady.
“Do you know what I’d do to you if you were beside me?”
Ellie couldn’t speak as her cheeks flamed. The thought that this man wanted her scared and excited her.
He chuckled. “I’ve never seen a whore blush.”
Whore. His bluntness shattered the moment.
Embarrassed and ashamed, she pulled away. She was acting like a whore. Anger nipped at her insides. What had she thought? That he’d wanted more than just sex. Her romantic notions were beyond foolish.
Men like the marshal took what they wanted and then moved on. She’d seen his kind a thousand times.
“What’s wrong?” he said. “A tumble would do us both good.”
She’d never felt cheap before, but she did now. “No thanks.”
He looked genuinely confused by her shift in demeanor. “I’ll pay, if that’s what’s bothering you.”
“Keep up that kind of talk, mister, and I just might shoot you again.”
N ICK HAD NOT wanted to fall asleep, but he did shortly after Ellie had changed his bandage. He didn’t wake until midday. Sweat covered his body, but his mind had cleared and his fever had broken.
His entire body hurt. He wanted nothing more than to lie in bed. He needed sleep. He needed to take it easy.
But as he lay staring at the door that separated his room from the rest of the cabin, he was very aware of the silence. He didn’t hear Ellie or the baby.
He’d spoken to Ellie—said something that had made her mad—but for the life of him he couldn’t remember what it was.
Alarm kicked his senses into high gear. Could Ellie have left with the baby?
He tried to reason the thought away. But an overwhelming sense of unease gripped him.
And then he remembered that when he’d been feverish, he’d offered to buy an hour of her time. She’dnot been pleased. Damn. What the hell had gotten into him?
“Ellie!”
Nothing. He waited another beat and then shouted louder. “Ellie!”
Again nothing.
Where the devil had she gone? “Ellie!”
Rose started to cry as if she’d been startled awake. He hated waking the child, but the sound of her cries offered a measure of relief. If the baby was here, Ellie would be close and she would come running at the sound.
When he
“Am I supposed to thank you?”
Slowly she started to spread the ointment over the wound. “It wouldn’t be out of line.”
“You’re joking,” he grumbled.
“No.”
She wound a smaller bandage around his leg. Her breasts grazed his knee as she reached around his leg to wrap the bandage. The touch sent a thousand prickles down her spine. It was one thing to nurse a man when he was out cold, but quite another when he was awake and staring at her.
She stepped back, her cheeks flushed. Lord, but she was acting like the silly girls she used to watch giggling by the schoolhouse.
The marshal saw the color in her cheeks. “You don’t make sense.”
“What do you mean?”
His gaze bore into her. “You shot me and then took better care of me than most doctors.”
She felt color creeping up her cheeks. “I’m not a cold-blooded killer, Mr. Baron. If you’d told me you were a marshal, I wouldn’t have shot you. And the idea of hanging for murder doesn’t sit too well with me.”
“There’s more to it than that.” He captured a stray curl of hers between his fingers.
Caught off guard, she didn’t know how to react. He was out of line, still slightly feverish, and yet shewanted nothing more than to close her eyes and rub her cheek against his callused hand.
“You know, from the moment I first saw you, I’ve wondered what your hair would look like down.”
The rawness in his voice stunned her. No man had ever made her feel more alive.
“If I were healthier, I’d want you in this bed with me.” His voice was like raw silk.
The idea of lying beside him made her core tighten. She moistened her lips. A lady likely would be outraged and would tell him to mind his manners. But she didn’t know the first thing about being a lady.
“Do you know what I’d do to you if you were beside me?”
Ellie couldn’t speak as her cheeks flamed. The thought that this man wanted her scared and excited her.
He chuckled. “I’ve never seen a whore blush.”
Whore. His bluntness shattered the moment.
Embarrassed and ashamed, she pulled away. She was acting like a whore. Anger nipped at her insides. What had she thought? That he’d wanted more than just sex. Her romantic notions were beyond foolish.
Men like the marshal took what they wanted and then moved on. She’d seen his kind a thousand times.
“What’s wrong?” he said. “A tumble would do us both good.”
She’d never felt cheap before, but she did now. “No thanks.”
He looked genuinely confused by her shift in demeanor. “I’ll pay, if that’s what’s bothering you.”
“Keep up that kind of talk, mister, and I just might shoot you again.”
N ICK HAD NOT wanted to fall asleep, but he did shortly after Ellie had changed his bandage. He didn’t wake until midday. Sweat covered his body, but his mind had cleared and his fever had broken.
His entire body hurt. He wanted nothing more than to lie in bed. He needed sleep. He needed to take it easy.
But as he lay staring at the door that separated his room from the rest of the cabin, he was very aware of the silence. He didn’t hear Ellie or the baby.
He’d spoken to Ellie—said something that had made her mad—but for the life of him he couldn’t remember what it was.
Alarm kicked his senses into high gear. Could Ellie have left with the baby?
He tried to reason the thought away. But an overwhelming sense of unease gripped him.
And then he remembered that when he’d been feverish, he’d offered to buy an hour of her time. She’dnot been pleased. Damn. What the hell had gotten into him?
“Ellie!”
Nothing. He waited another beat and then shouted louder. “Ellie!”
Again nothing.
Where the devil had she gone? “Ellie!”
Rose started to cry as if she’d been startled awake. He hated waking the child, but the sound of her cries offered a measure of relief. If the baby was here, Ellie would be close and she would come running at the sound.
When he
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