Reese Read Online Free Page B

She had as little idea how to deal with a gentleman as an outlaw.
    "Here's the hotel." Mary peered up at the graying plank structure. The sign hung by a single nail. The windows were broken, and there were bullet holes in the plank, courtesy of El Diablo and crew. "There's a stable out back. It's clean, with bedding and feed for the horses."
    "Is there bedding and feed for the men?"
    "Of course. I know it doesn't seem like much, but the roof doesn't leak—"
    "Yet."
    "Yet," she agreed. "It's big, so you can all be together but still have separate rooms."
    "And we won't be sleeping beneath the roofs of decent folk."
    Their eyes met. Understanding passed between them. "There is that," she said.
    Reese turned and instructed his men to put away their horses and go inside to choose rooms. Dusk descended in the west, spreading cool shadows across them both. The street, which had been filled with people only moments ago, had gone deserted. Mary shivered.
    "Cold?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Let's step inside. You can tell me what you know about the fellows we've come to fight."
    He threw his reins over the hitching post and stepped through the doors of the hotel. Though Mary would have preferred to go home and get away from the man who made her feel as if her skin hummed during every minute spent in his presence, she had little choice but to follow him inside.
    In the dim light the lobby looked worse than she remembered, and Mary fought the urge to apologize further. This was the best Rock Creek had to offer these days, and there was nothing she could do about that.
    Reese lit the lamp that sat on the front desk. Although dusty with disuse, the wood was fine and, once polished, would gleam again. The guest ledger still occupied the same position it had been in when the last owner, an old man named Grady, hightailed it out of town. How was she going to get this hotel going again if everyone kept running out of town instead of in?
    Mary didn't know, but she'd do it. Her days of running were over.
    Turning away from the lamp, Reese removed his hat and tossed it on the desk. The yellow flame flickered gold across his already golden head. Without even trying, Mary remembered him half-naked and looming over her. She swallowed the scalding lump at the back of her throat and prayed that her red face did not show in the dim light.
    "Sit?" he asked, flicking a finger at the dirty couch parked crookedly in front of the window.
    Mary stared at the small piece of furniture, imagined how close she'd be to him if they both sat on the thing, and shook her head. He shrugged then crossed the room, passing close enough for Mary to catch his scent—horse and man and something else.
    Danger? Temptation? Probably both.
    He appeared ridiculous perched on the tiny, evergreen-shaded couch. His legs were too long, his body too big to be comfortable there, but he leaned back, spread his arms along the top, perched one foot atop his other knee, and stared at her. "Well?"
    "Yes?" Her gaze traveled from his black boot, up his black pants, lit on his black shirt, and met his green eyes.
    "The bandits. Who are they? Where are they? And what do they want?"
    He was back to shooting sharp questions, and that sat just fine with her. "We don't know where they go, and they want whatever they can get for the least amount of effort. Their leader is an old Indian named El Diablo."
    "The Devil?" He rolled his eyes. "Spare me."
    Her lips twitched. "That's what I thought. But that's what they call him. He's collected a bunch of nasty followers. Men no one else wants all gravitate to El Diablo. Indians, Mexicans, Texans too. I even saw some gray uniforms the last time they came through."
    "Confederates?"
    "Former, obviously. Is that going to be a problem for you?" He hesitated, rubbing his chin with his thumb. "Reese?"
    He glanced up, dropping his hand. "No. This isn't about my past; it's about your future. True soldiers of the South wouldn't prey on the innocent."
    "Where