musically gifted, and smart. Perfect in every way possible.” And he meant every word.
She blushed deeply, gazing at the ground. “Oh, thanks for the compliment.”
Glancing at James and seeing the fixated, admiring look in his eyes, Trevor coughed. “James, shouldn’t you be getting ready for work?”
Taking a big breath, James turned to him. “Oh, I almost forgot.” Heading for the stairs, he added, “You two take your time and have fun tonight. Trev, don’t worry about me. With all I have to do this evening, I won’t be back until late in the night.”
Belle’s brow lifted, and a curious look came on. “Oh, that late. What is it you and Trevor do, anyway?”
James’s eyes shifted for just a second. “Oh, nothing much, just some maintenance here and there.”
“Maintenance on what?”
“Anything and everything our boss can think of.” James fidgeted.
Trevor saw his partner falling and jumped in for the rescue. “Ah, Belle, we best be going if we want to make it on time to eat. I’m sure the saloon’s kitchen doesn’t stay open long.”
Still frowning in confusion, she replied, “You’re right, Trevor.” She glanced at James. “Have fun at work, James. Hope the tasks won’t be too tiring.”
James had ascended to midway up the staircase by now. “Oh, no, the work will be pretty fun, actually. Have a nice evening, the two of you.”
Trevor placed his hand on her back and guided her to the door. “Shall we go?”
She grinned and looped her arm in his, gazing into his eyes. “Yes, of course.”
Stepping out the door to the inn, Trevor glanced at her while they walked. Her allure enamored him, and he doubted he’d be able to concentrate on spying tonight. His mind had much more pressing things to consider, like how she actually looked without that dress on.
He couldn’t help gaping while he listened to her sweet words. He never figured Belle knew so much about history, culture, and many other things. It certainly was an unexpected, refreshing delight.
They arrived at Sherry’s saloon twenty minutes earlier and the place had been packed. But lucky for them, Belle knew Sherry, and when Sherry’s daughter saw them come in, she arranged for them to have the first available table the second it became vacant. Within five minutes, they got seats at a corner table where they could talk and enjoy their meals and each other’s company in quiet privacy.
Sitting just across from her at the narrow table, he couldn’t help but admire her beauty up close. The bright lighting in the room allowed him to actually see the finer details of her features and skin. He hadn’t noticed that her mesmerizing blue eyes also had specks of brown surrounding each pupil and that her long, black eyelashes twitched slightly when she batted them. Oh, it beguiled him so.
He also didn’t before note that she had a tiny mole on her face, close to her right ear. Her smile enchanted him. She had perfectly straight, pearl-white teeth that sparkled when she smiled. And her lips, well, he already noticed them the night before, admiring their fullness, softness, and red color. But tonight, having her so close to him and seeing her lips move with every word she spoke, had him leaning in closer so he could register each movement and imagine how it would feel to kiss those enticing, sinful lips.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to remember why he brought her here. Images of James hounding him if he got back to the room with no further lead on their mysterious neighbor–saloon singer urged him on. James could be a real pain in the ass when he wanted. And when James obsessed on a case, Trevor knew James wouldn’t rest until all the loose threads had been resolved. James was so sure Belle was the notorious, ruthless outlaw.
He had his doubts, but his dubiety shouldn’t be the issue here tonight. The fact remained Belle could very well be Wild Isabelle LaRue, and they needed to extinguish or prove that theory soon before another train robbery occurred under their surveillance.
The captain sent them down here to check out the past robberies, and if LaRue was really behind them all. But he also expected him and James to prevent any further robberies from happening, thus the reason he got them the expressmen’s jobs on the train.
They’d be protecting the safe and all its valuables on the train. Them and only them. And if all the rumors about LaRue’s cunningness and ruthlessness were true, they had to be alert and observant constantly.
He heard she could outsmart any man and that she and her posse loved to walk around among the town people, posing as regular folks. This way they could get all the information they needed on the local lawmen and the train workers before they committed their heists.
Yes, that sounded logical. And now as he stared at the gorgeous saloon singer before him, he thought that just maybe James had been right and she could very well be Wild Isabelle LaRue. She could be working him right at this very moment without him even realizing it.
Coughing to clear the lump of air that lodged in his throat as he pondered over his dilemma, he thought it high time for the investigating to begin.
“So, Belle, you haven’t yet told me how you got the job at Eden’s Paradise. You came to town a few months back, didn’t you?”
She looked behind him, and her brows furrowed slightly as her face took on a serious tone.
She remained silent a few seconds and then replied, “Yes, I came to town about two months back.” She took a breath and continued. “I guess getting the job at Eden’s Paradise was pure luck. I was passing by and heard they were looking for a singer and, well, I went in and asked for the owner or manager.
“That’s when Mr. Petry asked me to sing in front of the crowd. Not many people were in the saloon at the time, so I didn’t mind trying out then. He liked my singing and Sally did, too. I think it was her coaxing that convinced him to hire me on the spot.”
Returning her gaze back at him, she finished with, “That’s about it.” She took a sip of her water, peering intently over the rim at him. He saw assertiveness in her stare. Mmm, he liked it.
Placing her glass down, she smiled and nodded while leaning forward. Her cleavage teased him as the front of her bodice dipped with her body. When she took a deep breath and her mounds lifted, then sank, his eyes opened wider of their own accord, and he hoped she hadn’t noticed. All his resolve and probing focus went out the window when his manly urges surfaced, taking over his body and brain. His breathing became shallow with the tightening of his throat, and he fidgeted, trying to regain his breath and hide his erection, which he knew could be visible if she peeked at the crotch of his pants.
When he saw her gaze come to rest there, he knew he had been caught.
It was now or never. All her planning and plotting she had been obsessing about all day long and she had yet to get anything out of him. She certainly hadn’t expected to be so dazzled by him, or that they would see eye to eye on several issues. And according to him, she and James also had the same philosophy on life. How interesting.
These handsome, mysterious men just kept surprising her. Maybe that was the reason why she completely forgot about her ploy. Maybe. Or maybe it had to do with his bewitching stare. She couldn’t help gazing into his dreamy brown eyes and getting lost.
She caught Greta ogling him several times when they first got here. Sherry’s daughter had been overly hospitable this evening, going out of her way to get them a table quickly. She had never done that before, especially not in five minutes flat, a world record for her, no doubt.
And after they were seated, she kept glancing over at him while she served other tables. Could she be any more obvious? Frankly, she found it outright rude of Greta to behave in such an unladylike manner. She had half a mind to get up the next time Greta ogled him from afar and tell her to stop it. That was no way for a young lady to behave.
But the fact Trevor hadn’t even noticed her made her think twice before doing it. She’d look pretty foolish getting up out of the blue and going over to reprimand the young lady. Why, it’d look like she was jealous. Jealous? Her? Never.
Taking a sip of water, she stared at him and decided it was time she forgot about Greta and got down to the business at hand. And that was finding out who Trevor and James really were and the real reason they came here.
She leaned forward and gave him a warm smile. She noted his eyes fixed on her bosom then, and when she saw the bulge of his manhood rise in his pants, well, she knew she had him.
Ordinarily, she felt uncomfortable when men leered at her at the saloon. In fact, it repulsed her, but she
