Gideon, Robin - Desire of the Phantom [Ecstasy in the Old West] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Online Free Page A

her body to press against him.
    Who was he? Though she tried to pay attention to what was happening inside the bedroom, the presence of the man was so overpowering she could think of nothing else. She realized as she stood there, feeling the heat of his body seeping into her own, he had saved her from being caught by Jonathon Darwell. She hadn’t heard Darwell approach with the judge and Andy Fields, but the stranger had, and he’d carried her out onto the balcony—lifting her as though she weighed nothing at all, though Pamela was most definitely not a small woman—so she wouldn’t be discovered.
    The Colt .44 was still in its holster at her right hip, close to her right hand. Pamela knew she could try to draw the weapon, but what good would that do? She could not possibly shoot her way out of the mansion. There were far too many armed guards. Even if she could make it to the grounds, she’d still have to get over the stone wall. Once the shooting started, she wouldn’t be able to climb over unnoticed, as she had when she’d entered earlier.
    As disturbing as those questions were, Pamela could not ignore the fact that a man she did not know, one she had not really seen, was holding her closely pressed to his body. She felt the heat of his left palm against her ribs, touching her just beneath the rise of her breast . Because her back was pressed into him, she could tell that his stomach was flat and hard, his chest broad and powerful. From the beginning she’d realized her captor was a tall man.
    “Just be calm,” the stranger whispered, bending slightly so that his lips were against Pamela’s ear.
    When he straightened again, Pamela felt his pelvis against her backside. Was it intentional? She could not tell, though the touch of him was most disturbing.
    Again, she grabbed the stranger’s left wrist and pushed down on it. But he pushed against her, pressing her even more tightly against him. His hand came up even higher on her ribs, now pressing against the taut lower curve of her breast.
    “Don’t fight me or we’ll both swing from a rope,” the stranger whispered, his lips brushing Pamela’s ear as he spoke. “I’m not going to hurt you, but you mustn’t fight me.”
    Pamela closed her eyes and released his wrist. He was right, of course. There wasn’t anything to be gained by fighting him, with the exception of putting some distance between her body and his.
    Ignore him, she thought, struggling mightily to con vince herself it was possible. Listen to what Jonathon Darwell is saying. He’s your real enemy.
    Inside the bedroom, Jonathon Darwell sat at his desk. The judge and Andy Fields were seated on the oversized sofa. Each man held a drink from the bottle of fine cognac sitting on the table. Darwell was saying something about how good it was they were finally able to get away from the festivities long enough to be able to talk privately for a few moments.
    As Pamela struggled to concentrate on what was going on in the bedroom, something behind her caught her atten tion. A faint breeze had swirled over the balcony, bringing the edge of a midnight-black cape into her peripheral vi sion. Her gasp of surprise was silenced by the hand still clamped over her mouth.
    The Midnight Phantom!
    She tried to turn in Phantom’s arms, but he held her tightly. She tilted her head, trying to look over her shoulder, not wanting to believe that her worst fears were true. At first the hand over her mouth prevented her from looking back, then her captor relaxed his hold and allowed her to turn just enough to look up at him.
    “Yes, it’s me,” he said, smiling.
    He wore a flat-crowned black Stetson, pulled low, and beneath that, a black mask over his eyes and nose. In the pale moonlight, when he smiled, Pamela could see that his teeth were strong, even, and very white. There was a dim ple in his left cheek and in his chin a faint cleft. He wore a black cape that apparently came down to his ankles, and beneath that,