The Wicked West Read Online Free PDF Page B

only darkness.
    Hale stalked across the room and looked out. There was Lily’s window, and there was light behind it, but she’d drawn the curtains closed. Only thin strips of lamplight showed at the edges. She’d shut him out.
    She’d shut him out.
    Panic spun through him.
    The panic made no sense, of course. He’d vowed to be done with her. Likely she’d vowed to be done with him, too. But there’d been no hesitance in her the night before.
    Had that brief encounter been all she’d wanted from him? That hardly seemed likely. He hadn’t offered her even a moment of pleasure in return for her attentions.
    “Damn,” he muttered. That was it, then.
    Hale swallowed hard, darting a glance toward the disapproving wall of drapery. He’d left her there, on her knees, used and defiled and unfulfilled. Of course she was done with him. She likely hated him.
    Though he turned and moved away from the window, he couldn’t keep his back to it for long. Soon, Hale found himself pacing from his dresser to the window and back again.
    He’d behaved abominably. Cruelly. And she was such a tender thing, whatever her husband might have taught her. What if she was curled up in bed, crying right now?
    Hale’s secret desires had always been balanced by a genuine goodwill toward people, or so he’d hoped. Now his heart twisted at the thought that he might have hurt Mrs. Anders deeply.
    Despite his intention to avoid her, he couldn’t very well leave her alone after callously ignoring her the whole day. He had no choice but to see her.
    This time when he reached her door, he knocked, almost hoping she wouldn’t answer. A long minute passed, and he was thankful for the darkness that hid him from others’ eyes. If anyone saw him entering her house at this hour, any future gossip would carry more weight.
    He counted to ten and was starting to turn away when the door opened.
    “Sheriff Hale,” Lily breathed, her soft accent drawing a flush to his skin. Or maybe the flush was caused by the sight of that familiar dressing robe.
    “Ma’am,” he answered, tipping the brim of his hat down.
    “Will you come in?”
    “I really…” His words died when she swept the door open and bowed her head to him. Her lovely hair was still up, bound tightly with pins. He wanted her to take it down, and she would, if he asked her. Hale’s legs moved him inside. She closed the door.
    “Your hair,” he said, the words slipping out before he could stop them. “Take it down.”
    When her hands moved immediately to do as he asked, Hale realized what her obedience meant. She might have been angry, but she wasn’t done with this. Not by far. She drew out one pin.
    “Wait.” Her hands froze. “Mrs. Anders, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…I only wanted to be sure you were all right.”
    “I’m fine,” she said. Her eyes flashed up to meet his for a moment. Her lips parted. “More than fine.”
    Anticipation shivered through him, but he tried to tamp it down. He was only here to check on her. He cleared his throat. “But your curtains…”
    “What do you mean?”
    “You left them shut tonight.”
    Lily nodded. “You told me to close them. I didn’t wish to displease you in any way, Sheriff Hale. Not tonight.”
    “Oh. I see. You had me worried.”
    She bit her bottom lip, flushing a deeper pink. “I’m so sorry.” A thick lock of her hair, freed by that one pin, fell to her shoulder. “I didn’t mean to upset you. Forgive my thoughtlessness.”
    “It’s really no—”
    “Let me make it up to you, Sheriff,” she interrupted on a rushed whisper. “Please.”
    “There’s no need.” His words sounded muffled in his ears, probably because his throat was trying to stop them.
    “Please. I need to.”
    He meant to say no. He really did. But she’d stop if he told her to, and suddenly that was the last thing he could bear. And Lily was reaching up to free the rest of her hair. It slipped down in a slow fall, curving around her neck as