man, Marshal Long!”
“Ma’am-“
“Please don’t call me that. I think our friendship has grown much too close for such formality, don’t you?”
Considering how enthusiastically she was squeezing his pecker, Longarm supposed she was right.
“Now, where are those buttons…” murmured Janice.
“Ma’am—Janice—you can’t be thinking of-“
“Ah, there they are! Now, don’t make a scene, Marshal. Just sit still, and I’ll take care of everything.”
That was what Longarm was afraid of.
He glanced toward the bar. Senator Padgett and Julie Cassidy were deep in conversation with several men standing there—other horse owners, Longarm guessed. They weren’t paying any attention to what was going on at the table they had left. Nor did anyone else in the room seem to be looking in the direction of Longarm and Janice.
She was opening the buttons of his fly with practiced ease. This wasn’t the first time she had reached into a fella’s pants, Longarm thought. Then he was beyond thinking much of anything as her nimble fingers freed his organ and closed around the throbbing, rock-hard pole of flesh.
Janice’s tongue darted out of her mouth and licked over her lips. “Nice, very nice,” she whispered in his ear. I’d dearly love to have that big ol’ thing inside me right now, Custis. I suppose we’ll just have to make do, though.” Her palm slid up and down his shaft with maddening slowness.
Longarm tried not to gulp. “You’d best be careful,” he managed to say, “or you’re liable to get more than you expect, ma’am. I mean Janice.”
She purred like a cat and said, “Oh, I expect it, all right. In fact, I crave it, Custis. You just go ahead and give it to me any time you’re ready.”
“Lordy!” he muttered. He had run across some brazen women in his time, but Janice Cassidy took the cake. He couldn’t believe what she was doing to him … just like he couldn’t believe he was letting her do it in the middle of this racetrack clubhouse.
He felt his climax approaching inexorably. Janice must have felt it too, because with her other hand she plucked a lacy handkerchief from the bosom of her dress, and got it under the table without any wasted motions. Yep, definitely not the first time she had done this, Longarm decided. He put the palms of his hands on the table and pressed down hard as spasms rippled through him. Janice had the handkerchief in place to catch his seed as it jetted out. Longarm drew a deep, ragged breath as she used the cloth to wipe him clean and squeeze the last of his juice from him. She had sure as hell drained him. A pulse was hammering in his skull, and he was light- headed.
Janice tucked him back into his pants and said with a smile, “See, I told you you’d remember me.”
“I don’t reckon I could ever forget that,” Longarm gasped out.
“Button yourself up discreetly, Custis,” she said as she put the handkerchief away in her bag.
“Yes, ma’am.” He was a tiny bit annoyed with her superior attitude. She probably thought that she had him right where she wanted him now. It would be mighty nice, he told himself, to get this sweet little honey onto a soft mattress between some cool sheets and bring her to a screaming, shuddering climax Maybe one of these days … If not for those damned counterfeiting plates!
He sighed. “I’ve really got to be going now. I’m sorry, Janice.”
“No, that’s all right,” she told him. “You go ahead and do your duty, Custis. I’m not sure what it is, mind you, but I’m certain it’s important.”
“It’d have to be,” he muttered as he finished fastening his pants. He pushed himself to his feet.
“Remember what I told you about coming to see us.”
“Yes, ma’am. I mean Janice.”
Senator Padgett turned away from the bar and started toward the table, Julie Cassidy on his arm. They increased their pace a bit when they saw Longarm standing up.
“Leaving us so soon, Marshal?” asked Padgett as he and Julie returned to the table.
“Got to catch a train,” Longarm said. He shook hands with Padgett and then smiled and nodded at Julie. “Be seeing you, Miss Julie.”
“I hope so,” she said, and he caught the undertone of desire in her voice. She might be a lot cooler on the outside than her sister, but Longarm had the feeling that the fire burned just as hot inside.
He gave the senator and the twins a smile and a casual wave and started toward the door of the clubhouse, fishing out a cheroot as he went. His teeth clamped down on the cylinder of tobacco as he stepped out of the cool dimness of the building into the late afternoon heat.
Leon Mercer was walking toward him, pausing every couple of steps to drag his shoe on the ground. The man was frowning darkly and muttering. Longarm grinned as Mercer came up to him. “Step in something, Leon?”
“This is a racetrack, Marshal,” Mercer said. “There are horses all over the place. How could one help but step in something occasionally?”
“That’s mighty true,” agreed Longarm. “That’s why it pays to watch where you’re going.”
“Indeed.” Mercer gestured at the clubhouse. “Is the senator still inside?”
“Yep.”
“Good. Some journalists want to talk to him about the tariff bill Congress will be considering in the fall. I’ll get him.”
