Read Online Beauty and the Bounty Hunter by Lori Austin - Free Book Online
Authors: Lori Austin
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good at learning languages, and she made up for her lack of vocabulary with a flair for invention, adding a few words that sounded like Spanish but weren’t anything at all.
Her skirt twirled, revealing more leg than was proper. Her feet were bare; she’d tied a piece of red string around one ankle. Several of the men couldn’t take their eyes off it.
Another thing Alexi had taught her—some men liked legs, some breasts, so it was best to give everyone a peek at everything. If they were to survive, people such as Alexi—and Cat—needed to use each gift they’d been given.
Though few could drag their eyes above her neck, she’d let her hair fall over her too-light-for-a-Mexican-peasant eyes, and she kept her distance from the fat man with the knot on his head. From what Cat had observed of the fellow so far, she should have hit him harder.
Cat glanced at Alexi, gibbered louder, waved her hands, which served the dual purpose of distracting attention from her face even more and making her breasts jiggle enticingly beneath the thin cotton blouse. One of the men choked; another muttered, “Holy hell.”
She thought Alexi managed, just barely, not to smile.
The lawman shook his head hard and dragged his gaze from Cat’s chest. “Why didn’t you come out when we called?”
Alexi pushed his way through the crowd until he stood at Cat’s side. “I’m afraid she doesn’t speak English.”
“None?” The leader of the posse sounded skeptical.
Alexi grabbed Cat by one wrist and yanked her close. “No need,” he murmured, running his palm across her bare shoulder.
Cat shivered. Good Lord, those hands.
Alexi brushed his thumb along the soft skin at the crook of her elbow, and Cat planted that elbow in his stomach. She proceeded to give him a piece of her furious Spanish mind. If they weren’t careful, she’d end up in jail or worse.
Alexi, who had turned his back to the others, rolled his eyes and smirked, but he let her rant on. They both understood that the more Spanish she spoke, the less Cat O’Banyon she appeared.
“What’s she sayin’?” whispered a heretofore silent man. Considering his high-pitched voice, Cat understood his reticence to speak.
“How should I know?” muttered the lawman. “This is Missouri, not Texas.”
Alexi winked at Cat, then turned. “I doubt very much you’d want to hear the translation.”
The leader’s gaze narrowed. “I say we do.”
Alexi shrugged. “She says you are the sons of swine to barge into a lady’s tent. She believes your mothers were…” Pausing, he tilted his head. “Well, I should not repeat that in the presence of a lady.”
“
She
said it,” one of the others pointed out.
“Nevertheless,” Alexi continued. “Something about how you will die. Blood, sweat, pain, your intestines ina fire.” He waved one hand. “It all blends together after a while.”
The men shuffled and murmured. Cat was certain she heard one of them say, “Witch.” She tensed. Being accused of witchcraft didn’t happen often these days, but it happened. And it always ended badly.
For the witch.
“What good is she if she can’t speak English?” the lawman asked.
“Ah, but, gentlemen.” Alexi glided in behind her, then dipped one hand down the front of Cat’s blouse, boldly cupping a breast and thumbing the nipple until it peaked and drew every eye, every thought, in the room. “She is so very good at everything else.”
Cat gritted her teeth and waited for the men to leave. Unfortunately, Alexi was giving them a performance for free that they couldn’t find outside a raree-show for several dollars.
He kept his hand down her shirt, palm around her breast, thumb just brushing the nipple. She wanted both to elbow him again and to lean back against his shoulder and sigh. It had been so long.
However, it hadn’t been long enough that she could overlook an audience.
“
Vete
,” she muttered.
Alexi put his mouth to her ear, as if he were nuzzling
Her skirt twirled, revealing more leg than was proper. Her feet were bare; she’d tied a piece of red string around one ankle. Several of the men couldn’t take their eyes off it.
Another thing Alexi had taught her—some men liked legs, some breasts, so it was best to give everyone a peek at everything. If they were to survive, people such as Alexi—and Cat—needed to use each gift they’d been given.
Though few could drag their eyes above her neck, she’d let her hair fall over her too-light-for-a-Mexican-peasant eyes, and she kept her distance from the fat man with the knot on his head. From what Cat had observed of the fellow so far, she should have hit him harder.
Cat glanced at Alexi, gibbered louder, waved her hands, which served the dual purpose of distracting attention from her face even more and making her breasts jiggle enticingly beneath the thin cotton blouse. One of the men choked; another muttered, “Holy hell.”
She thought Alexi managed, just barely, not to smile.
The lawman shook his head hard and dragged his gaze from Cat’s chest. “Why didn’t you come out when we called?”
Alexi pushed his way through the crowd until he stood at Cat’s side. “I’m afraid she doesn’t speak English.”
“None?” The leader of the posse sounded skeptical.
Alexi grabbed Cat by one wrist and yanked her close. “No need,” he murmured, running his palm across her bare shoulder.
Cat shivered. Good Lord, those hands.
Alexi brushed his thumb along the soft skin at the crook of her elbow, and Cat planted that elbow in his stomach. She proceeded to give him a piece of her furious Spanish mind. If they weren’t careful, she’d end up in jail or worse.
Alexi, who had turned his back to the others, rolled his eyes and smirked, but he let her rant on. They both understood that the more Spanish she spoke, the less Cat O’Banyon she appeared.
“What’s she sayin’?” whispered a heretofore silent man. Considering his high-pitched voice, Cat understood his reticence to speak.
“How should I know?” muttered the lawman. “This is Missouri, not Texas.”
Alexi winked at Cat, then turned. “I doubt very much you’d want to hear the translation.”
The leader’s gaze narrowed. “I say we do.”
Alexi shrugged. “She says you are the sons of swine to barge into a lady’s tent. She believes your mothers were…” Pausing, he tilted his head. “Well, I should not repeat that in the presence of a lady.”
“
She
said it,” one of the others pointed out.
“Nevertheless,” Alexi continued. “Something about how you will die. Blood, sweat, pain, your intestines ina fire.” He waved one hand. “It all blends together after a while.”
The men shuffled and murmured. Cat was certain she heard one of them say, “Witch.” She tensed. Being accused of witchcraft didn’t happen often these days, but it happened. And it always ended badly.
For the witch.
“What good is she if she can’t speak English?” the lawman asked.
“Ah, but, gentlemen.” Alexi glided in behind her, then dipped one hand down the front of Cat’s blouse, boldly cupping a breast and thumbing the nipple until it peaked and drew every eye, every thought, in the room. “She is so very good at everything else.”
Cat gritted her teeth and waited for the men to leave. Unfortunately, Alexi was giving them a performance for free that they couldn’t find outside a raree-show for several dollars.
He kept his hand down her shirt, palm around her breast, thumb just brushing the nipple. She wanted both to elbow him again and to lean back against his shoulder and sigh. It had been so long.
However, it hadn’t been long enough that she could overlook an audience.
“
Vete
,” she muttered.
Alexi put his mouth to her ear, as if he were nuzzling
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