“They’ll be finished before we get—” But he closed the space between them, and Betsy couldn’t think of any reason she shouldn’t be in the arms of the best-looking lawman in the country.
With one hand he gathered her hair off her shoulders, bunching it to cushion her head against the tree trunk, but beyond that, he didn’t seem to know exactly what to do. He paused, his eyes on her lips. Evidently he was determined, just not practiced. He leaned forward and brushed his mouth against hers. Betsy hummed as the warmth in her chest rushed through her veins and chased the cold out of her fingertips. It was a good start, but they had to go. There was too much going on to stand around and—
He kissed her again, and she had to hand it to him, he was a quick learner. She plumb forgot anything else besides the feel of him holding her—his strength, his tenderness. He kissed her like he was a man on a mission, and if his mission was to make her head spin ’til she wasn’t sure which direction the mountain was slanted, he was doing a fine job.
He groaned like something was troubling him. She tried to pull him closer, but that rope kept getting between them, and no matter how she wiggled, she couldn’t get him to drop it. He released her hair and wrapped both of his arms behind her. Good thing for the tree, or she might not be able to take this standing. Her legs were as stable as soaked white oak splits on basket-making day, too weak to hold her up. Her arms rested heavily on his shoulders.
His hands moved to her shoulders and skimmed up her arms until he had her wrists. His kisses slowed as he brought her hands behind the tree and held them there. Gradually, Betsy became very aware of the contours of her body and how they fit against him, but two other thoughts niggled at her brain.
One, no matter how good of a man he was, she really didn’t like the vulnerability of her position, hands pinned behind her, especially considering that they were alone.
And two, that blamed rope really seemed to be getting in her way.
He wasn’t kissing her anymore, but looking over her shoulder as he fiddled with something.
It was the rope, and it was wrapped around her wrists.
“Are you trying to tie me up?” She started to step forward but found herself securely held against the tree.
“Not trying, my dear. Succeeding.”
“What?!” Her heart was already racing, so it didn’t take long for her to get worked up. She struggled to get her hands free from his grasp, but with them pinned behind her back, they had no strength. Before she knew it, they were bound tight—tighter than a gentleman ought to bind a lady, in her opinion.
“We don’t have time for this,” she said. “I told you we have to hurry if we want to catch them.”
“We aren’t going anywhere, and if I thought you’d listen to me and go back to town, then this wouldn’t be necessary.”
“You did this on purpose?”
Of course he did. From the time she’d knelt beside him, he’d known what he was doing. Those smoldering looks, those white-hot kisses—he’d fooled her and fooled her good. Strapped across her belly and rumpling her already bulky overcoat were three lengths of the rope. If only she could get her hands free, she’d slap the handsome clean off his face.
“You should be ashamed of yourself.”
His eyes glinted and a dangerous smile emerged. “I might feel really bad if it weren’t for this.” He held Pritchard’s hood before her eyes. “You went through my things and stole this, didn’t you?”
“Technically it belongs to the City of Pine Gap. If it was obtained during official—”
“No excuses. I’ve already wasted too much time.”
“Wasted?!” She stretched against the ropes, praying for the strength of Samson to break the ties and rip this man in two. Regrettably, God did not honor her request. Instead He let the blackguard wander off in the woods and return on horseback.
“Stop thrashing about.”
How dare he sit up there so proud! If it weren’t for her help, he’d still be trussed up, looking like a fool. Like she was now.
“Remember, a hero always comes back for his lady,” he said.
“Don’t bother.” She turned her face away to let him know the conversation was over, but when he rode off without another word, she found more to say. “Don’t bother because I might just catch pneumonia, get frostbite, die, and get eaten by non-hibernating bears, all because you left me.”
He wasn’t coming back. She stomped her foot, the only other option of protest being to bang her head against the tree. He was a tight-hearted, conniving pig, and she was portraying him so graciously that half the women of Kansas City were probably in bed dreaming of him at that very moment.
If they only knew.
Chapter 28
“Should’ve known not to trust Bo to do anything while intoxicated. It’s embarrassing you got out so fast,” said a masked man.
Joel wasn’t about to admit how he escaped. For the first time, he worried what they might do to Betsy if they found out. Or more likely, what they’d think. He didn’t want to be held responsible for another woman’s sullied reputation.