that last inch and kissed her. A soft, gentle brush of his mouth on hers. She felt the contact all the way down to her toes. Every part of her body surged toward him, and without knowing what she was doing, she wrapped her arms around his neck and parted her lips.
He obliged her by deepening the kiss, even as he pulled her hard against him. Her breasts were flat against his chest, her belly rubbing his. Their legs touched. But none of that compared to the sweet dance of his tongue.
Zeke kissed with the easy confidence of a man comfortable with a woman in his arms. There were no tentative stops and starts, no apologies. Just a heart-stirring, tingle-producing kiss.
She wanted more, she thought hazily, giving herself up to the sensations flooding her. She wanted to know what it was like to be with him the way sheâd been withâ¦
Alethea did not allow herself to complete the thought. Not only was it dangerous, it was foolish. She wrenched herself from the pleasure that was Zekeâs arms and stared at him.
This man was not trying to win her. Quite the contrary. His carefully designed plan was to disgrace her so she would be forced to leave town. He wasnât her friend or her lover. He was her adversary.
How unfortunate, she thought as she turned and ran toward town. How unfortunate that she seemed to be falling for him.
Chapter Six
Zeke shuffled the cards with familiar ease. Heâd spent hours practicing every day as a kid, had learned to know which cards were most likely to come up next in a well-shuffled deck. Heâd taught himself to read peopleâs eyes, their affectations, to understand when the bet was based on what his opponent had in his hand and when it was a bluff.
Now as he waited for his friends to join him for a friendly game, he found himself wishing he were having dinner with Alethea rather than spending time with Billy, Big John and Evan. She would make him laugh with her views on everything from literature to the weather. She would challenge him and later, when he kissed her, he would feel the pull of an irresistible desire.
There was something about her, he admitted to himself. Somethingâ¦unique. Heâd known a lot of women in his lifeâhe enjoyed women. But none like her. Just thinking about her in his bed was enough toâ
His fingers slipped and the cards went flying. Conversation in the saloon stilled as everyone stared at him. He shrugged, then bent down to retrieve the cards.
âDamned society,â one of the men muttered. âSoon the river will start flowing backward.â
Zeke picked up the last card just as his friends approached the table. Billy settled next to him while John and Ethan moved toward the bar.
âI almost didnât make it,â Billy grumbled. âShe wanted me to stay home and read to the children. Read to them!â He sounded outraged. âI told her that raisinâ our boys was womanâs work.â He lowered his voice and leaned toward Zeke. âYou know what she said to me?â
Zeke shook his head.
âThat if I wanted them to grow into men, Iâd better start payinâ attention to them.â
âIs she wrong?â
âWhat?â Billyâs eyebrows drew together. âWhat do you mean?â
âCan your boys grow into men without your influence?â
âHell if I know and thatâs not the point. Sheâs talkinâ back to me, Zeke. Tellinâ me what she thinks all the time. Like sheâs in charge. Iâm the man. Iâm in charge.â
âWhy do men think they should be in charge?â
Billyâs mouth dropped open. âIt says so in the Bible.â
âIt says a lot of things in the Bible you donât pay any attention to.â
âIs she gettinâ to you?â Billy asked warily. âIs she crawlinâ inside your head and changinâ who you are?â
âNo, Iâm just asking whatâs so bad about your wife
Shauna Rice-Schober[thriller]