Read Online Between Two Worlds by Stacey Coverstone - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stacey Coverstone
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loud crack caused Delaney to flinch. The horse nickered,
too, and backed up, pulling against the lead rope.
“Sorry, boy,” Gabriel apologized to the horse.
“What the hell’s the matter with you?” Hooper thundered. Before he
could say more, Gabriel aimed the whip at his legs and let it fly. The braided
leather snapped and coiled around the man’s calves like a cobra, slicing open the
fabric of his pants and biting the skin. Hooper screeched and crashed onto his
side, like a tree falling.
With many bystanders watching—Delaney included—Gabriel stood over
him, casting a long shadow on the ground, and jerked the whip. As it unwound it
dug into the meat of Hooper’s leg, peeling off a thin layer of skin, causing him
to yelp like a dog. Gabriel snapped the whip again. “Are you ready to apologize?”
He spoke slowly, with a dead calm, and showed no signs of fear.
Resentment clouded Warren’s face, but he nodded once and got to
his knees. He stumbled to his feet and brushed the dirt off his pants. The torn
material of his pant leg flapped like a tiny flag, and blood dripped from the
open calf wound. Staggering to Delaney, he mumbled, “Sorry ma'am,” but the
apology was far from genuine.
A cheer filtered through the crowd.
She returned a small nod and forced herself to meet the man’s
stone cold eyes. Anger flashed behind them. Under her frontier skirt and
blouse, her body trembled and perspiration dripped down her spine.
Hooper stared her down with his mouth open and his yellowed teeth
grinding together. Limping back to Gabriel, he said, “Satisfied? Now give me my
whip.”
Gabriel shook his head. “You’re not getting this back.”
Warren’s lip curled into a snarl before turning toward his mount.
After he untied the lead rope, he stuck his foot in the stirrup and slung his
damaged leg over the saddle.
Gabriel inched near. In a barely audible voice, he said, “If I ever
hear of you beating this horse again, I’ll personally track you down and show
you what this bullwhip can really do.” With that, he gently patted the horse’s
hind end before Warren reined and trotted the animal down the street.
Delaney walked straight up to Gabriel and couldn’t hold back her
enthusiasm. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, and she was out of breath with
the thrill of it all. “I’m impressed, Gabriel! What a display of courage that
was. You’re a real badass, aren’t you? I have to confess, I didn’t think you
were the type.”
“You know nothing about me, Delaney,” he said, removing his hat
and running a hand through his hair. He replaced the Stetson. “Stick around,
and I might impress you in more ways than one.” He winked and coiled the whip
into a circle and hung it over his arm.
She suddenly saw him in a totally new light. He was the Indiana
Jones of the Wild West. Bravado in a man was very attractive in any century, particularly
when his body was as muscular as Gabriel’s. She sighed as she watched him bend over
and retrieve her bags from the ground. A tingling sensation coursed through
her. She'd nearly forgotten what it felt like to be excited by a real man. He
gently placed the sacks in her hands.
“You were ready to fight that bully for me,” she said, dizzy with
admiration.
“And for the horse,” he reminded her.
She punched his arm and chuckled. “I think I speak for me and the
horse when I say, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“No one’s ever fought for me before,” she repeated.
His mouth formed a thin line. “I know we just met, Delaney, but
I’ll fight a hundred Warren Hoopers for you, if need be. And that’s a promise.”
Her cheeks grew warm, and tingles crept across her neck, down her
arms, and let loose inside her stomach. It’d been such a long time since she’d
felt the kind of physical sensations he stirred in her. It scared and aroused
her at the same time.
Why am I meeting a nice guy now? she wondered. It wasn’t fair, but that was par for
too, and backed up, pulling against the lead rope.
“Sorry, boy,” Gabriel apologized to the horse.
“What the hell’s the matter with you?” Hooper thundered. Before he
could say more, Gabriel aimed the whip at his legs and let it fly. The braided
leather snapped and coiled around the man’s calves like a cobra, slicing open the
fabric of his pants and biting the skin. Hooper screeched and crashed onto his
side, like a tree falling.
With many bystanders watching—Delaney included—Gabriel stood over
him, casting a long shadow on the ground, and jerked the whip. As it unwound it
dug into the meat of Hooper’s leg, peeling off a thin layer of skin, causing him
to yelp like a dog. Gabriel snapped the whip again. “Are you ready to apologize?”
He spoke slowly, with a dead calm, and showed no signs of fear.
Resentment clouded Warren’s face, but he nodded once and got to
his knees. He stumbled to his feet and brushed the dirt off his pants. The torn
material of his pant leg flapped like a tiny flag, and blood dripped from the
open calf wound. Staggering to Delaney, he mumbled, “Sorry ma'am,” but the
apology was far from genuine.
A cheer filtered through the crowd.
She returned a small nod and forced herself to meet the man’s
stone cold eyes. Anger flashed behind them. Under her frontier skirt and
blouse, her body trembled and perspiration dripped down her spine.
Hooper stared her down with his mouth open and his yellowed teeth
grinding together. Limping back to Gabriel, he said, “Satisfied? Now give me my
whip.”
Gabriel shook his head. “You’re not getting this back.”
Warren’s lip curled into a snarl before turning toward his mount.
After he untied the lead rope, he stuck his foot in the stirrup and slung his
damaged leg over the saddle.
Gabriel inched near. In a barely audible voice, he said, “If I ever
hear of you beating this horse again, I’ll personally track you down and show
you what this bullwhip can really do.” With that, he gently patted the horse’s
hind end before Warren reined and trotted the animal down the street.
Delaney walked straight up to Gabriel and couldn’t hold back her
enthusiasm. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, and she was out of breath with
the thrill of it all. “I’m impressed, Gabriel! What a display of courage that
was. You’re a real badass, aren’t you? I have to confess, I didn’t think you
were the type.”
“You know nothing about me, Delaney,” he said, removing his hat
and running a hand through his hair. He replaced the Stetson. “Stick around,
and I might impress you in more ways than one.” He winked and coiled the whip
into a circle and hung it over his arm.
She suddenly saw him in a totally new light. He was the Indiana
Jones of the Wild West. Bravado in a man was very attractive in any century, particularly
when his body was as muscular as Gabriel’s. She sighed as she watched him bend over
and retrieve her bags from the ground. A tingling sensation coursed through
her. She'd nearly forgotten what it felt like to be excited by a real man. He
gently placed the sacks in her hands.
“You were ready to fight that bully for me,” she said, dizzy with
admiration.
“And for the horse,” he reminded her.
She punched his arm and chuckled. “I think I speak for me and the
horse when I say, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“No one’s ever fought for me before,” she repeated.
His mouth formed a thin line. “I know we just met, Delaney, but
I’ll fight a hundred Warren Hoopers for you, if need be. And that’s a promise.”
Her cheeks grew warm, and tingles crept across her neck, down her
arms, and let loose inside her stomach. It’d been such a long time since she’d
felt the kind of physical sensations he stirred in her. It scared and aroused
her at the same time.
Why am I meeting a nice guy now? she wondered. It wasn’t fair, but that was par for
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