Lawless by Emma Wildes Read Free Book Online Page B

ground when he offered it for her. At the time it hadn’t seemed like a moment of salvation, but now…well, she wasn’t just sure what to think.
    “He saved me from those men,” she acquiesced with a small shiver over what might have been.
    “Yes, miss, it sounds to me like he did just that.”
    “I’m grateful…and he says he’s going to take me home.”
    “If Cal said it, it’ll happen.”
    That was a relief, but she’d already reached that conclusion herself. Despite his warning, she trusted him anyway.
    “Have you known him long?” She dared the question, even though her body ached with fatigue.
    “Since he was little more than a boy.”
    “He said he’s from Texas.”
    “Not for a long time. Cal has no home. He doesn’t want one, as far as I can tell.”
    She thought about her parents’ comfortable ranch and the old, stately home where her grandmother lived in Boston. “How could anyone feel that way?”
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    Lawless
    Gabe gave her a keen look. He smoothed his shaggy beard with his fingers, the other hand holding his flask. “I doubt he’s willing to risk it. Putting down roots, now that makes a man vulnerable.”
    “I could see where that would be a problem for him.” Her tone was dry. “Vulnerable is not the first word I think of when Cal Riker comes to mind.”
    Her rescuer’s friend took a long pull from the flask. He swallowed and gave a small cough. “His reputation is well-earned, but take my word, miss, he has his reasons. Just know you’re safe with him. Now, get a good sleep. If I know Cal, he drove you pretty hard and you could use it. Goodnight. We’ll both be right outside if you need anything.”
    If she hadn’t been about as tired as ever in her life, she might have protested taking his bed, but it felt soft and warm and after removing her shoes and stockings, Laurel crawled under the blankets, closed her eyes and sank into oblivion.

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    Emma Wildes

Chapter Five
    The faint splash of water went right through him.
    In a direct downward spiral, right to his unruly cock. Rifle in hand, Cal eased along the bank to his usual spot, right behind a trio of fledgling aspens, the slender stems affording him a good view but pretty decent cover, the delicate leaves fluttering in the breeze above his head. For the past three days he’d crouched in the same location and both endured and enjoyed the duty of guarding Laurel while she bathed in the small stream by the cabin. If she had any idea he was there, she’d probably die of mortification, but he was also sure she would never agree to let him openly watch, so he took the easy route. There was no way on this green earth he’d ever let her go anywhere alone, but if she was naïve enough to think so, he wasn’t going to argue. There were all sorts of dangers, from bears and cougars to the two-legged kind. The cabin was pretty secluded, but some drifter could come along and there were certainly still unfriendly Indians around.
    It was habit to scan the surroundings—an ingrained sense of safety he didn’t think about—even with the distraction of the naked woman waist-deep in the water. Everything was quiet, the morning growing warm for early fall, though he knew from experience the water in the stream was pretty damned cold. Laurel shivered, and there was no way he could keep his avid gaze from fastening on her bare breasts as they swayed with her movements.
    The young lady had a set of very gorgeous tits—that was for sure. Not too large, beautifully shaped and firm with pink nipples that at the moment were tight and pointed from the chilly water. Cal stifled a groan and shifted position uncomfortably when she soaped her hands and ran them over those luscious curves. The throbbing of his erection, confined by the material of his pants, was pretty hard to ignore.
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    She was hard to ignore in general. Gabe had ridden off the morning after