palm up and down. “Goodness. No wonder the ladies like you so much.”
Fargo kissed her to shut her up. He pried at her buttons and stays and soon had her jacket undone and her blouse opened, exposing her mounds. They were full and firm, her nipples like tacks. He pinched one and then the other and she squirmed under him.
“I said not to be so rough.”
Fargo inhaled a nipple. He nipped it then bit it and he wasn’t gentle, neither. She squirmed and sucked in her breath, then pushed on his chest and hiked her hand as if to slap him.
“Damn it. I won’t tell you again. You’re making me mad. Be gentle or get out.”
Gripping her wrists, Fargo pinned them on the quilt. He kissed her lips, her throat, her ear. He bit the lobe and she stifled an outcry and tried to pull free.
“That was the last straw! Let go of me.”
Fargo nuzzled her neck and roved the tip of his tongue over one breast and then the other.
“Didn’t you hear me?”
Letting go of her left wrist, Fargo dipped his hand low over her skirt. She pushed against his shoulders, although not with much force. He looked at her and smiled. “You little bitch.”
“What did you just call me?”
By then Fargo’s hand was up and under. Her cotton drawers had a tie. A flick, and he was where he wanted to be. “I called you what you are,” he said, and cupped her nether mound.
“Oh! Oh God.”
Fargo parted her nether lips with the tip of his finger and rubbed her tiny knob, eliciting a moan. She dug her fingernails into his shoulders so deep it hurt.
“Like that, do you?” Fargo said, and lanced a finger up into her.
Charlotte arched up off the bed, then slowly sank back. She ground her hips to meet this thrusts and uttered tiny bleats of pleasure.
Fargo inserted a second finger. The bed was moving under them, the quilt bunching about their legs. With his other hand he undid his belt buckle and tugged at his pants.
“God, I love that. Don’t stop.”
Spreading her legs, Fargo positioned himself. In a deft move he slid his fingers out, aligned his pole, and impaled her to the hilt. He thrust deep and thrust hard, his knees rocking like steam engine pistons, his mouth on her throat and her breasts.
“Ah! Ah! Ah!” Charlotte cried out, and bit her lip. She gripped his sides and said, “Slower. Go slower.”
Fargo did the opposite. He went faster, ramming into her again and again.
Breathing noisily through her nose, Charlotte raised her legs and locked her ankles behind his back.
“Damn you.”
“Not much longer,” Fargo said.
“No. Don’t you dare. Let me first. If you do and peter out on me I might not.”
Fargo almost said it would serve her right. Gripping her hips, he shut everything from his mind except the exquisite feel of her velvet tunnel. Usually he liked to take longer. Not this time. She clawed and bucked and the next thing Fargo knew he was on the cusp. He shivered and shook and exploded.
His set off hers. Charlotte’s mouth gaped wide and she levered up, and it was a wonder the canopy didn’t crash down on their heads. “Yes! Yes! Oh, God, Yes!” She spurted and spurted.
Gradually Fargo slowed. He pulled out and eased onto his side with his head on his arm.
“Damn you to hell,” Charlotte said.
“You’re welcome.”
“You did that on purpose. I wanted to take our time. We have the rest of the afternoon.”
Fargo rolled onto his back and his hat came off. He put it back on, tugged his pants up, and buckled his belt.
“Say something, damn you.”
“You should have been honest with me.”
Charlotte rose on an elbow and poked him in the chest. “You’re acting awful high and mighty. I had to keep up my act. Sam and the others think I’m a saint and they need to go on thinking that. It’s the only advantage I have.”
“You want the inheritance for yourself.”
“What a stupid thing to say. Of course I do. Anyone with any brains would want the same. You don’t think Sam wants it? Or Tom? Or Charles? They’d kill to get it, the same as me.”
Fargo took note of that. “You didn’t mention Roland.”
“He’s not as greedy as the rest of us. All he’s ever cared about is being out in the woods hunting and whatnot.”
Sitting up, Fargo swung his legs over the side of the bed. “See you around.”
“Wait a minute.” Charlotte grabbed at his buckskins. “Let’s get a few things settled first. Now that you’re working for me I want you to—”
“Sam,” Fargo said.
“What?”
“Samantha hired me, not you.” Fargo stood and adjusted his Colt so it rode on his hip.
“We have an agreement, you and I. Twenty thousand dollars, remember? More money than you’ve probably ever had in your entire life.”
“I never said I’d take it.”
Charlotte sat erect, her breasts jiggling with the movement. “Now, you just hold on. You never said you wouldn’t, either. I took it for granted you accepted. Why else do you think I let you make love to me?”
Fargo cupped himself low down. “You did it for this.” He smiled and made for the door. As he came around the foot of the bed she flew at him, growling like a wildcat. He caught her wrists as she went to rake his face and held firm. She kicked at his knee and he sidestepped. “Enough.”
“You son of a bitch!” Charlotte was nearly beside herself. She drove a knee at his manhood and he twisted so his thigh took the blow. “No one does this to me. Do you hear me? No one.”
Fargo pushed her onto the bed. She immediately began to get back up but he wagged a finger and said, “I wouldn’t.”
“Bastard.”
“Bitch.”
“You don’t dare hurt me!” Charlotte hissed. “I’ll have you arrested.” Her face lit with vicious guile. “That’s it! I’ll tell everyone you raped me. I’ll have you thrown behind bars so you can’t take part in the hunt. All it will take is a scream loud enough to raise the roof.” She opened her mouth wide.
“Go right ahead,” Fargo said. “And while the sheriff is arresting me I’ll tell him about the killers you hired.”
Charlotte froze.
“You’ll have to scream louder than that.”
“What are you talking about?”
Fargo turned and walked to the bedroom door. She called his name and he paused with his hand on the latch.
“I did no such thing. You’re making that up.”
“Am I?” Fargo opened the door.
“You think you’re clever but you’re not. You trust Sam and you shouldn’t. There’s more to this than you can imagine. The truth is, you’re a bumpkin in over his head and it’s going to get you planted six feet under.”
“And you’re a money whore with her tits hanging out.” Fargo shut the door and heard something thud against it. He grinned as he walked down the hall. He’d enjoyed that. But she was right about one thing: he
He could only hope she was wrong about that last part.
