An Unlikely Lady by Rachelle Morgan Read Free Book Online

and it isn’t as if she’s hard on the eyes. I doubt she’d have had any trouble finding a husband.”
    Rose made a sound of disgust, leaned back in her chair, and folded her hands over her stomach. “You think I didn’t try convincing her of that? When she showed up on my doorstep, I told her she should find herself a good man, settle down, have a couple of young’uns . . . she looked at me like I’d asked her to drink poison.She was bent on workin’, so I figured she’d be safer here, where I could watch out for her, than in back in one of those camps.”
    As much as he hated to admit it, Rose was right. Honesty was a grown woman, fully capable of making her own decisions. If she chose to make her living this way he supposed she was a lot better off doing it here than in some filthy camp with a bunch of desperate miners.
    Jesse frowned. Maybe that’s what bothered him: why would a woman who made her living off men choose to work in a dying town that saw so few of them?
    â€œYou’re awful curious about a girl you’ve only known a night,” Rose remarked. “You aren’t thinkin’ on stealin’ her away, are you?”
    Jesse’s head snapped up. “Hell, no!” Just the thought of getting involved with another woman sent a shudder down his spine. “I just wondered why a girl as pretty as her would choose this kind of life, that’s all.”
    â€œMost of the men who show up at my place don’t care why. They only care how soon and how much.”
    She had a point. He’d never given any thought before to what made women turn to whoring; why concern himself with it now? So it still nettled that he couldn’t recollect spending the night with a woman as lusty as Honesty. He should count himself lucky that memoryloss was all he’d suffered for his moment of weakness. Greater prices had been paid for smaller follies—Miranda had taught him that lesson well.
    Yep, best he put the little firebrand upstairs out of his mind and start focusing on the person he really wanted. Deuce McGuire.
    Chair legs screeching across the floor cut through his thoughts as Scarlet rose. “How about some biscuits and gravy, Mr. Jones? You’ve probably worked up quite an appetite—”
    â€œIt’s Jesse—and thanks for the offer, but don’t go to any trouble on my account. In fact, I think I’ll see how my horse is faring this morning so I can be on my way.”
    â€œSo soon?”
    â€œI’ve been here longer than I planned.” He got to his feet, reached into his pocket, and tossed several coins atop Rose’s ledgers. It was twice the amount she charged, but he figured she could use it more than he could. “In case I don’t see you again, take care of yourself.”
    â€œYou, too, Jesse. I hope you meet up with your friend.”
    â€œOh, I will. You can count on it.”
    He’d not sleep until he did.
    Twelve dollars. Honesty stared in despair at the pile of coins, gold nuggets, and bank notes she’d dumped across her bedspread. That wasall she had to show for three months of hard scraping, conning, and outright cheating. At this rate, she’d never get to Galveston. She’d be lucky if she got out of Colorado.
    Her fingers went to the ring around her neck. For a moment she swore she could still feel the heat of Jesse’s fingers brushing her skin. She closed her eyes and her mind filled with images of him as he’d been last night, lying in the tub wearing nothing but soap suds and a smile . . . standing in a ray of red-gold sunlight, all slicked and bronzed and glorious . . . sprawled across her stomach in drugged oblivion . . .
    Oh, God. She still couldn’t believe she’d fallen asleep in his bed. What had she been thinking? She hadn’t been thinking, and that was the problem. Never, in all the times she’d forced herself to