LITMIR.BIZ

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levered herself onto an elbow, raked the disheveled tendrils of golden hair away from her face and said, “Yesterday. And thank you for coming to my rescue. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful earlier. Being mauled, tackled and pounded on the head made me testy.”

      Jonah was on the move in one second flat to determine if she did indeed have a knot on her head or if she was using the ploy to gain his sympathy. Sure enough, his fingertips skimmed over a noticeable swelling. Switching directions, he grabbed the pitcher from the commode, dribbled water onto a towel and placed the compress against her head. She winced slightly at the contact, then brushed his hand away to hold the wet cloth against her injury.

      She stared him squarely in the eye again. “Why did you tell those men that I was your wife?”

      “Damned if I know,” Jonah replied flippantly. “It just sort of popped out of my mouth. It seemed a legitimate reason to demand that they keep their distance from you.”

      She cocked her head and studied him for another long, contemplative moment. “You don’t like me very much, do you, Mr. Danhill?”

      “It’s Jonah. And no, I don’t,” he said candidly. “But don’t take it personally. I don’t like anyone very much.”

      His plainspoken comment caused the corners of her Cupid’s bow mouth to curve upward, and Jonah felt another unwanted jolt of attraction sizzling through his unruly body.

      “I’m not particularly fond of men in general,” she admitted. “Most of them seem to harbor ulterior motives. It has been my experience not to trust what they say until I see what they are willing to do, and determine how far they are willing to go to get what they want.”

      Jonah decided Maddie’s insight was right on the mark. But natural suspicion made him wonder if this quick-thinking female was simply trying to get on his good side by agreeing with his wary approach to life.

      “Half of the men I know try to flatter me while they court me for my inheritance. The other half seem intent on stealing it outright,” she added, then frowned curiously at him. “My money is in a safe place, I hope?”

      “You’re lying on top of it,” Jonah informed her. “Whether it’s yours or not, I stuffed it under the mattress.”

      She got that determined look on her face again as she leaned toward him. “I am telling you the truth. Didn’t I own up to the fact right off that I lied to the hotel proprietor in order to enter your room?”

      Jonah scoffed. “An honest liar. That’s a new one.” He flashed her a sardonic glance. “My faith in your integrity and sincerity is growing by leaps and bounds.”

      She jerked up her delicate chin and thrust back her shoulders in offended dignity. Jonah’s attention immediately dropped to the full swells of her breasts and he cursed himself inventively for becoming distracted.

      “Fibbing to the hotel manager is the only thing I have lied to you about. And that is the truth,” she declared. “I am the innocent victim here!”

      “I’ve heard the same claim of innocence from every lying, cheating criminal I’ve hauled to jail,” he said cynically.

      “I am not a criminal,” Maddie maintained. “How many times do I have to tell you that my sister and I are victims before you believe it?” She huffed out a frustrated breath. “If you weren’t so pigheaded you might be able to figure that out…!”

      Her voice trailed off as she grabbed her aching head. She continued in a softer tone. “Name your price for escorting me home, Jonah. In addition to paying you in cold hard cash I’ll even promise to be nice to you during the journey.”

      He crossed his arms over his broad chest and stared her down. “Given that decent folks are rarely nice to me—except when they want something—and the scoundrels I encounter curse me to hell and back, that might serve as incentive. But I’m not inclined to tramp through West Texas.”

      Her perfectly arched brows lifted quizzically and she smiled impishly at him. “Why not? Don’t you like the scenery?”

      “I like it fine. It’s just that—”

      An abrupt knock rattled the door. Jonah strode over to retrieve the tray of food Charley provided.

      “I’ll settle up with you later,” Jonah promised as the man craned his neck around the door to check on Maddie’s condition.

      “Glad to see you’re feeling better,” Charley said compassionately. “I know Mr. Danhill was dreadfully worried about you.”

      Jonah rolled his eyes in annoyance while Charley poured on the fatherly charm and Maddie left him basking in a radiant smile. Hard-hearted though he was, even Jonah felt himself responding to Maddie’s dazzling expression.

      Definitely trouble, he reminded himself. If a man wasn’t careful and vigilant he could become intoxicated by those whiskey-colored eyes and bewitched by that smile.

      Jonah planned to be damn careful and vigilant.

      When Charley exited, Maddie levered herself upright to dive into her meal like a woman who had been on prison rations for days on end. She was halfway through her steak before she remembered Jonah had been about to tell her why he found West Texas distasteful.

      “Why don’t you like my part of the country?” she asked curiously.

      He shrugged impossibly broad shoulders, swallowed a bite of fried potatoes and said, “Long story.”

      Exasperated, Maddie tossed him a withering glance. “I realize you are a man of few words, but you’ll have to do better than that.”

      “Why do you care?” he asked between bites.

      “Because I’ll be traveling with you,” she said matter-of-factly.

      He glared at her. “I have not agreed to go.”

      Maddie smiled confidently. “But you will. You didn’t want to rescue me from those thieves, either, but you did because that’s simply the kind of man you are.”

      Jonah set aside his fork and glared flaming arrows at her. “Look, lady—”

      “Maddie,” she corrected, flashing another charming smile.

      He ignored that. “I’m no do-gooder. I do what I’m paid to do, which is fight outlaws and renegades. I have personal reasons for avoiding your part of the country. I don’t want to discuss them, I’m not going and that’s that.”

      Maddie finished her meal, set aside her plate and surged to her feet. The room careened around her momentarily, but she inhaled a steadying breath, then reached beneath the mattress to locate the money. She felt Jonah’s intense gaze drilling into her, but he said not one word as she sorted the banknotes from his clothing. She noticed the moccasins among his belongings. A reminder of the past he’d been forced to leave behind, no doubt.

      She stuffed the money inside the bodice of her soiled dress—save a few dollars to compensate Jonah for the meal and his assistance. Resolved to the inevitable, she pivoted toward the door. “Goodbye, Jonah. I hope your shoulder heals without complication.”

      “Where are you going?” he demanded gruffly as she clamped her hand around the doorknob.

      “Out of your life.” She tilted her head at a dignified angle. “I have obviously misjudged you. My mistake. The past six months have taught me to cut my losses and get on with life. I have learned that I have no one to depend on but myself. Dealing with you has reinforced what I already knew and simply allowed myself to forget while facing all this emotional turmoil.” She drew herself up, inhaled a determined breath and said, “I will handle this myself, as usual. Rest assured that I won’t inconvenience you again.”

      And then she walked from the room and left him sitting on his bed with his plate on his lap.

      Maddie had finally accepted the fact that she was wasting precious time trying to elicit Jonah’s

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