hot, wet, sticky romp that left her moaning from another climax as he emptied himself into her.
Jonas kissed her after he’d begun to breathe normally again. Touching her face with reverence, petting and soothing her, settled something inside him too. He cared for her in the aftermath, using an old handkerchief from her nightstand to clean between her legs. Fetching her a drink if she needed one. He always returned to the left side of her bed and gathered her into his arms, patiently waiting until she found the spot on his chest that perfectly fit her head.
She never had allowed herself the luxury of snuggling and falling asleep with a man…until Jonas.
Her hair spilled across the pillows and he reached for it. Toying with the strands, twirling sections around his fingers, smoothing pieces away from her face. He’d done this from their first time together, proving that he enjoyed touching all parts of her, not just the obvious ones.
The man had a sweet side as wide as the Yellowstone River.
Ruby knew by the preoccupied way he stared into space he had a matter on his mind.
After a bit he said, “So Silas intends to court Miss Thompson, the schoolteacher.”
“This came about at Doc’s tonight?”
“Nope. Guess he’s been workin’ toward it for a few months. Was the first I’d heard of it.”
She ruffled her fingers through the hair on his chest. “Do I hear disapproval?”
“Not sure yet. I like that she laughs off his charm. She also ain’t put off by his fightin’ nature. That worries me some. But at least since she’s been getting medical trainin’ with Doc he’ll have someone to patch him up after he finds trouble.”
“Maybe she’ll be a reason he stops fighting.” What she meant was: hopefully Silas would have someone besides his brother looking after him.
“This wasn’t the first time she’d tended to him; they were all familiar like.” He kissed the top of Ruby’s head. “Neither did she let on that you were the one who brung Silas to Doc during the blizzard.”
“Sounds like you admire the young schoolteacher.” She paused. “Or maybe you’re jealous? Wishing you’d thought to court her first.”
Jonas went still beneath her. “There’s only one woman I’m interested in courtin’ and she’s turned me down every damn time I’ve brought it up.”
This was a sore point between them. Jonas wanted to thumb his nose at the locals and let everyone know they were together.
She disagreed. She wouldn’t put his job in jeopardy, nor have people questioning his character because they thought so poorly of hers.
TJ Louis, the deputy previous to Jonas, had been forced to leave his post after he’d fallen for one of Ruby’s girls. Jonas could argue all he wanted that it wasn’t that TJ had taken up with a whore; it was that he’d knocked her up and was living with her without the respectability of marriage that had aided in him losing his job.
But Ruby knew better. Big Jim, the other part-time deputy, had questioned whether TJ would show “poor judgment” enforcing the law in other instances. Big Jim and his wife were god-fearing, morally superior, judgy do-gooders who’d ban every activity except for church and daily bible study groups if they had their way.
As far as Ruby knew, Big Jim and Jonas got along well enough. But that’d change the moment Big Jim realized that his fellow lawman had spent the past two years secretly fucking the madam of the local whorehouse. Jonas hadn’t even told his brother he’d gotten close with Ruby, mostly because Ruby forbade it. She’d seen this scenario play out too many times, with family relationships broken beyond repair due to disapproval, and she couldn’t live with that for him.
So her only option was to live without him.
But the more time they spent together, the harder it was to watch him leave in the morning.
“Please tell me your silence is because you’re rethinkin’ that no courtin’ stance,” Jonas said softly.
Ruby sighed. “My answer hasn’t changed. But I’m wondering how things will change for you when Silas is paired off.”
Jonas took his time before answering. “I’d likely need to find a new place to live. That cabin is small for bachelor brothers. Be mighty cramped with three of us.”
“Surely your brother wouldn’t kick you off the land you both own.”
“That land has never felt like mine.”
“Why not?”
“I come to work in an office; Silas works on the range.”
It wasn’t bitterness she detected but his resignation. “You’ve mentioned a few times that