Read Online Annabelle Weston by Scandalous Woman - Free Book Online

was off for the rest of the night.”
    The thought of Carly pleasuring another man made him ball his fists. He wasn’t normally a possessive man but he couldn’t deny he wanted her all to himself.
    Alvin grunted as he hefted the ladder. He carried his burden out the back door.
    “ You look very pretty this morning.” Jed raked his gaze over her. It was no exaggeration. She’d piled her honey-colored hair on her head, exposing her neck. Yellow crystal earrings dangled from her dainty earlobes. She still wore the red dress—just as enticing this morning as it’d been last night.
    She crossed her arms over her chest. “You think you can sweet-talk yourself into my good graces? Honeyed words won’t make me swoon, Sheriff.”
    Jed gave up. She was in no mood for mending fences this morning.
    “ Suit yourself.” He pulled out a chair and sat down.
    Carly heaved a sigh. “Water, isn’t that your drink?”
    “ A glass of water will be much appreciated.”
    She sashayed behind the bar and retrieved a stone pitcher. He watched every move, remembering every curve of that body. Picking up a glass drying on a piece of sackcloth, she carried them to his table.
    He hadn’t realized how thirsty he was until he saw the water splashing into the glass.
    “ Obliged.” He picked up the glass and drank it dry.
    She studied him. Was she curious or did she have something on her mind?
    “ Join me,” he said.
    Surprisingly, she sank into the chair opposite him and rested her chin on her fist. “Let me guess. You’re going to say you’d like us to be friends.”
    He chuckled. “I’d like us to be friends.”
    She wrinkled her nose. “You don’t want to be my friend. Friendship is something I’m not very good at.”
    What a strange thing to say. He furrowed his brow and examined her. She was beautiful but her eyes were shaded, like she had secrets she was trying hard to hide.
    “ Lovers, then. If we can’t be friends, we can be lovers.”
    She laughed. “I explained the rules yesterday. As long as your money is good, you can have as much of me as you want.”
    What could he say to that? He didn’t want to refuse her, because he did want to be her lover. But he wanted to be her only lover. Somehow, he didn’t think she’d be too receptive to that suggestion and his pay would never cover the many times he wished to be with her.
    She poured him a second glass. “I suppose I should be grateful you came over to check on me.”
    “ That and another reason. There’s something important I need to tell you.”
    She stiffened, expecting, no doubt, bad news.
    If there’d been any other way to protect her, he would’ve done it. Even in the short while he’d known her, he’d understood how important this saloon was to her.
    “ About the Lonesome… You’re going to need to close up the saloon tonight. I’m imposing a curfew.”
    Her eyes crinkled at the corners and her mouth turned down slightly. “Over a little shoot up?” She shrugged. “Those boys were only letting off steam.”
    “ They came to the wrong town.”
    Carly regarded him with disdain. “And you’re going to stop them?”
    “ I aim to. They’ll be back for the prisoners.”
    “ How will a curfew help?”
    “ I don’t want anybody to get hurt when the shooting starts.”
    She peered over at the missing window and back at him. “Much as I admire your dedication…”
    “ At dusk, everyone needs to be locked in tight.”
    She sat back in her chair. “You’re joshing, of course. How can I run a saloon if I can’t be open at night?”
    “ These men mean to do harm. When they come back, they’ll stop at nothing to free those men from the cell.”
    She glared at him. “They won’t hurt us. Not if they expect to get laid ever again.”
    Jed was exasperated. Didn’t she understand he was trying to keep her safe? “Just do as I say and everyone will be all right.”
    She stood, her hands resting on that curvaceous body. She meant to have her way.