it. The first night I made it quite clear that I was looking for work and that I didn't do anything with my guns anymore except maybe scare people. As far as I'm concerned, it's best if you folks and Belle are the only ones who know the real reason I ended up in this town."
"You'd better rethink that, son. Annie is over at the house right now persuading Belle to tell the girls about you. We both talked it over and it's only right. Those girls work their asses off in more ways than one for the Double Bar B. They deserve to know. Trust me, no one else will have any idea what the real reason in that you're working for Belle this winter."
Even though the idea hadn't appealed to Black at first, it was starting to grow on him. He couldn't work with these women—or play with them if the need arose—without them knowing what his real assignment in Larson's Gap was.
"Guess you got a point, Roy. If breakfast and dinner was any indication of the kind of cooking Annie can do, we'd better get over there before those gals eat it all up."
* * * *
Belle went up to her room to wash up and change. It surprised her to see the dress Annie laid out for her to wear. It wasn't unusual for Annie to do such a thing, but the dress her friend chose for tonight was certainly not something Belle would have chosen. The neckline was dangerously low. She was certain to give Mr. Black Conley a good look at her breasts if she wore it.
Rather than put on the dress Annie selected for her, she went to her closet for something more suitable, only to find the remainder of her wardrobe had suddenly disappeared. Belle knew what Annie was up to. She should, Annie had tried to set her up with enough men in the ten years since she'd come home. She wondered what Annie had against seeing a woman without a man in her life.
Out of defeat, Belle put on the dress and fussed with the neckline in the hopes of making it less revealing. Unable to pull it any higher, she brushed out her hair and secured it away from her face with a ribbon the same shade of blue as the dress.
It surprised her to see Black exiting his room when she stepped into the hall. When had he come upstairs? She certainly hadn't heard him. Maybe what everyone was saying was true and he was part Indian.
"Good evening, Miss Barton,” he said as soon as he saw her. “Roy told me that you all dress up for dinner. I was surprised to see this suit laid out on my bed. I trust it was from one of the gentlemen on the stage. I will have to thank Annie for her kindness when I get downstairs."
Belle assessed the suit. It hadn't been left by anyone other than her father. The last time she'd seen it was when she'd packed away the clothes that were hanging in his closet and had Roy take them to the attic. It was evident that Black filled out the suit and shirt much better than her father did. His broad shoulders ran in a line down to a narrow waist and hips. Without his guns and with his hair slicked back, he looked absolutely handsome.
"The suit belonged to my father. I must thank Annie for bringing down the trunk containing his things. It will be much easier for you to have more than one change of clothes."
Black nodded. “May I have the honor of escorting you to supper, Miss Barton?"
The tone of his voice coupled with the formality of his speech took her completely by surprise. “Ah, yes, you may."
He took her hand in his and tucked it into the crook of his arm as though he was a fancy gentleman escorting a lady to one of the dances she'd attended when she lived in Ohio. In all the years she'd been on the Double Bar B, no one had treated her in such a way.
His close proximity brought a shiver of delight to her nether regions, and she willed the sensation to subside. It certainly didn't help that he was looking at the mounds of her breasts like a hungry man eyeing a steak.
"I'm not the main course, Mr. Conley,” she said, her voice only loud enough for him to hear.
"The more the shame. You are a
"You'd better rethink that, son. Annie is over at the house right now persuading Belle to tell the girls about you. We both talked it over and it's only right. Those girls work their asses off in more ways than one for the Double Bar B. They deserve to know. Trust me, no one else will have any idea what the real reason in that you're working for Belle this winter."
Even though the idea hadn't appealed to Black at first, it was starting to grow on him. He couldn't work with these women—or play with them if the need arose—without them knowing what his real assignment in Larson's Gap was.
"Guess you got a point, Roy. If breakfast and dinner was any indication of the kind of cooking Annie can do, we'd better get over there before those gals eat it all up."
* * * *
Belle went up to her room to wash up and change. It surprised her to see the dress Annie laid out for her to wear. It wasn't unusual for Annie to do such a thing, but the dress her friend chose for tonight was certainly not something Belle would have chosen. The neckline was dangerously low. She was certain to give Mr. Black Conley a good look at her breasts if she wore it.
Rather than put on the dress Annie selected for her, she went to her closet for something more suitable, only to find the remainder of her wardrobe had suddenly disappeared. Belle knew what Annie was up to. She should, Annie had tried to set her up with enough men in the ten years since she'd come home. She wondered what Annie had against seeing a woman without a man in her life.
Out of defeat, Belle put on the dress and fussed with the neckline in the hopes of making it less revealing. Unable to pull it any higher, she brushed out her hair and secured it away from her face with a ribbon the same shade of blue as the dress.
It surprised her to see Black exiting his room when she stepped into the hall. When had he come upstairs? She certainly hadn't heard him. Maybe what everyone was saying was true and he was part Indian.
"Good evening, Miss Barton,” he said as soon as he saw her. “Roy told me that you all dress up for dinner. I was surprised to see this suit laid out on my bed. I trust it was from one of the gentlemen on the stage. I will have to thank Annie for her kindness when I get downstairs."
Belle assessed the suit. It hadn't been left by anyone other than her father. The last time she'd seen it was when she'd packed away the clothes that were hanging in his closet and had Roy take them to the attic. It was evident that Black filled out the suit and shirt much better than her father did. His broad shoulders ran in a line down to a narrow waist and hips. Without his guns and with his hair slicked back, he looked absolutely handsome.
"The suit belonged to my father. I must thank Annie for bringing down the trunk containing his things. It will be much easier for you to have more than one change of clothes."
Black nodded. “May I have the honor of escorting you to supper, Miss Barton?"
The tone of his voice coupled with the formality of his speech took her completely by surprise. “Ah, yes, you may."
He took her hand in his and tucked it into the crook of his arm as though he was a fancy gentleman escorting a lady to one of the dances she'd attended when she lived in Ohio. In all the years she'd been on the Double Bar B, no one had treated her in such a way.
His close proximity brought a shiver of delight to her nether regions, and she willed the sensation to subside. It certainly didn't help that he was looking at the mounds of her breasts like a hungry man eyeing a steak.
"I'm not the main course, Mr. Conley,” she said, her voice only loud enough for him to hear.
"The more the shame. You are a
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