“My husband doesn’t want that. He’s a good man. And I didn’t know about the beatings. Or any of it.”

  “Lying is a sin, Constance. Everyone in this town knew. Just like everyone knows Loyal Alsbaugh is in my bed. Like everyone knows Shawna Parsons is sweet on Susan Anderson but will marry Susan’s brother, Matian, instead. She’ll bear his children and never act out on her feelings because everyone knows she’s wrong for having wants. Right? Everyone in this town knows Floyd Rodders sneaks in Cesna’s back door and has at her every time her husband goes off on a hunting trip. Everyone in town knows all sorts of things. I’m done living my life for the comfort of everyone else. Now you need to leave. You’ve said your piece. I’ve said mine. Don’t push your son away. Let him have his dreams. Let him fail if that’s what he needs to do. Have joy at the idea that he may find he loves being a lawman. But let the boy have his own heart. Don’t stifle him until that flame he carries inside burns out and he’s nothing but a piece of meat with legs shuffling around this town because everyone wants him to.”

  She went to her door and opened it.

  Constance licked her lips, but said nothing else before leaving. Verity closed the door in her sister’s wake and hoped it wouldn’t be the last thing they ever said to one another.

  * * *

  But it didn’t matter more than not being silent. She was done living her life for what everyone else thought was best for them. She’d suffered through a marriage far more like a prison sentence. She did her time and now she had moved past it. Oh yes, she knew some of the people in town felt that an unmarried woman in her circumstances was too big a temptation for the married men. As if it was a woman’s fault a man couldn’t honor his promises to his family.

  She did have freedom. More than most. Certainly more than any other unmarried woman in Silver Cliffs. Since her father was dead and she was widowed, she didn’t need a male to tell her what to do. Constance’s husband had tried. He was a good man, she knew. Only trying to do his best in the world he knew.

  But that didn’t mean she would show her belly.

  Not to anyone.

  Never again.

  * * *

  Loyal came back to her place exhausted, but glad things seemed to have calmed down at last. He noted the light on in the mercantile and went to check, wondering if an emergency blip had come in.

  Instead he found Tobin sitting on a cot in the corner, reading. “

  I apologize, I thought Verity was down here. Is everything all right?”

  Tobin sighed. “Not really. Can I talk to you?”

  Loyal moved into the room fully, sliding into a chair near the blip equipment. “Sure.”

  “You know I want to attend lawman training. I sent my application in a while back.”

  Indigo had told him about that. Loyal had approved. They needed young people with the kind of honor and courage Tobin had shown.

  Loyal nodded. “He and I talked about that. I may be able to get the fee waived. Each of us, the commanders, can recommend one student per class to attend on scholarship. You’d have to come to Shelter City, pass rigorous physical and mental tests. But if you do, I’m happy to recommend you for that slot.”

  Tobin’s face lit. “You’d do that? Is it because of Verity?”

  Loyal snorted. “Boy, you’ll find, one of these days, that women can influence your behavior in many ways. But I’ve watched you grow up over the years I’ve come here. You’re resourceful. Over this time with the brigands outside the gates you’ve been brave and clever. And you’re from out here, from the garrisons. There are plenty of boys and girls from the inner core who attend training. But I think it’s important all of the Highway is represented in the lawmen corps.”

  “My mother said some hateful things to my aunt earlier.”

  “About?”

  “About my plans. Saying Verity put the idea into my head. She didn’t. She just listens. She’s a good listener. And she said she’d give me the credits. To attend the training I mean. She’s letting me stay here. What are your intentions with her?”

  “I think that’s between me and your aunt. Did your mother bring that into the argument?”

  Tobin nodded. “She’s headstrong. They say that about her like it’s a bad thing. But she’s got backbone, my aunt.”

  Loyal pushed himself to stand. “That she does. I’ll speak to her.”

  Tobin swallowed. “Thank you. For the recommendation I mean. And the advice. She cares about you. A lot. Don’t . . . don’t ruin it.”

  He headed around the back of the building and up the stairs to her place. To Verity’s small home. She was in her front room, looking out the windows. Smoking a cigarette.

  He’d never seen her smoke before.

  “How are things?” She asked without turning around.

  “Better out there than in here I wager.” He moved to her, his front to her back. He took the cigarette from her fingers, drew the smoke into his lungs and gave it back. “Didn’t know you smoked.”

  “I don’t. Mostly.”

  “I hear you had a set to with your sister. That why you’re smoking?”

  “I want to come with you when you leave.”

  He paused. “That’s what you and your sister argued about?”

  “No. Not in so many words.”

  “Why did you argue then?”

  She turned, leaning against the wall, looking him over slowly.

  Heat banked in his belly at this Verity. Bolder than usual.

  “We argued because Tobin wants to be a lawman. She accused me of trying to steal him from her. Accused me of not getting married and popping out babies for Jackson because I was too busy whoring it up and being a general bad influence on all the good men of Silver Cliffs. I want to come with you when you leave.”

  “Because your sister is a fluffy-headed idiot?”

  “Because I’m in love with you. Because I want to be with you. Because I want to see the world outside Silver Cliffs and I want to do so with you.”

  “You can’t just toss out that you love me because you had a fight with your sister.”

  She rolled her eyes, her movements dangerous as she stalked past him and into her kitchen. “I’m quite exhausted with people pretending they can tell me what I think or what my motivations are.”

  “That what you think I’m doing?”

  Perceptive eyes looked him over again, dangerously narrowed. His foolish, foolish cock liked it. Liked the air of danger flowing from her, tautening their interaction. He wanted to fuck her so badly his hands shook a little as he fisted them to keep from reaching for her.

  “I think I told you several things. First that I wanted to go with you when you left. I’ve been quite clear since you first came to Silver Cliffs that I have wanted to see the Highway and everything beyond the walls. We talked about it before, though you avoided it at the time. I also told you I loved you. And if you didn’t know that, you’re a fool.”

  “Why are you telling me now?”

  “You’ll be leaving soon. Right? The brigands are gone or you wouldn’t be back here. The threat level would still be on lockdown and it’s not. Your job is out there. You’ve been here a week already.”

  He leaned close, taking her cigarette again and handing it back. One of her eyebrows rose slowly.

  “I can’t just take someone with me in my escort vehicle. That’s not how it works.”

  “That’s what you choose to say right now? Do you think I’ll wait around for you to flit around from garrison to garrison? Being satisfied with the small bit of you I get?”

  “If I said the first thing that came to my mind you’d kick me in the cock.”

  “And what’s that then? I’ll give you amnesty. For now.”

  “That you’re dangerous and sexy and you make me want to bend you over this chair, flip your skirt up and shove my cock deep inside your cunt.”

  “Hm.”

  He satisfied himself with imagining what she’d feel like when he did get her drawers down and his cock into her. “As for the rest.” He scratched his beard. “I may be leaving Silver Cliffs to run my transports, but I’m not leaving you. There are no others I’m flitting to. It’s you. I’ll be back. For you. Always.”

  “Which means what?”

  He couldn’t help his grin and he took a step closer. She gave him a raised brow but didn’t move back.

  “It means I love you too. Scary woman.” He closed the last bit of distance, sliding an arm around her waist. “I’m sorry you had a fight with your sister. I’m sorry she was hurtful. I spoke with Tobin. I said I’d recommend him to the program for a scholarship spot. I can do one student per annum. He deserves the chance.”

  Her anger lifted and she stubbed out the cigarette, throwing her arms around him. “You did? You will?”

  “Yes and yes. It’ll be up to him to pass or fail once he gets in, but otherwise, I’m happy to help.”

  He flicked open the bodice of her dress, drawing a fingertip back and forth over the nipple he exposed.

  “You still thinking about kicking me in the cock? Because I’m going to need it in a breath or two.”

  Her annoyance melted . . . a bit . . . replaced by a smirk. “That so?”

  He leaned in, licking up the line of her throat, biting down when he got to a part he liked best.

  Her spine relaxed as she gave over to him. Satisfaction roared through his system. His. Verity Coleman was his woman and he meant to have her. Again and again.

  “You make me want to rut. No one before you has done that to my control.”

  Her fingers dug into his muscles as she held on. Held on as he licked over her collarbone. She made a sound, a near whimper as he pinched her nipples. Not too hard, but nearly. She arched into him and he let go long enough to back up, spin her.

  “Ass out. You’d best hold on to the table. Good thing there’s nothing on it.”

  He bent to pull her skirts up, flipping them to expose her legs. He pulled the drawers down quickly, one handed, as he unbelted his weapons holster and then unbuttoned his trousers, freeing his cock.

  “You make me so hard, Verity.” He teased her for a moment, his weight against her to keep her in place as he did. Gripping his cock at the root, he teased over her, through slick folds.

  So wet and hot. No matter if she’d been angry at him moments before or not. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. A tussle was all right now and again. Especially because his woman was sexy when she was fired up. But he didn’t like that she was upset. Didn’t like that her sister had said those hurtful things. Didn’t like that she’d doubted him for even a moment.

  Or that he may have given her a reason to doubt.

  “In,” she whispered, pressing herself back against him has he teased the fat, blunt head of his cock against that sweet-hot entrance to her pussy.

  “Like this?” He pressed in an inch or so, but pulled back.

  She groaned and then snarled when he moved away.

  He grinned, glad she couldn’t see it and get back on her kick Loyal in the cock line of thought.

  He wrapped the rope of her braid around his fist, guiding her head to the side, kissing her hard and fast as he thrust into her in one hard movement.

  Her gasp of delight was so sweet as he sucked it down, licking over her lips, biting and kissing.

  He fucked her as he’d wanted to all day. Deep and hard. Each sound she made, a soft squeal, a guttural moan, he made her feel. He brought from her.

  Standing straight, he looked down and watched himself disappear into her body over and over. Loving the carnal way she left him slick and dark. Loving that he was the only man who had this view. That she was his and he hers.

  He wasn’t ready to come yet though so he changed her angle with his free hand. Grabbing her hip and moving her, canting her hips, staying deep.

  She swayed a little though, circling him deep inside. It was his turn to gasp. His turn to nearly lose his mind and groan at how good it was.

  That space between him and climax shrank to a razor’s edge.

  Not ready yet. Not ready to be done.

  He pulled out, swallowing her sob of disappointment. He grabbed her, pulling her to the floor with him, laying over her body, kissing her hard, kissing her soft, trailing his lips down her throat.

  He loved the way she sighed, utterly satisfied, when he took a long lick of her pussy. Loved the way she slid her fingers through his hair and tugged him closer.

  “Get what you want, darlin’,” he murmured against her clit.

  “Give it to me.”

  Smiling, he did.

  He nibbled, sucked and licked until she writhed beneath him. Until she sucked in a breath and blew out his name on a moan, coming on his lips in a hot rush.

  While she was still gasping for breath he got to his knees and pulled her up, turning her body away from his as he lifted her to balance over his lap, arms braced on the floor.

  So slick and hot, he slipped back in on a sigh before he bounced her a few times, finding a rhythm he wanted. One she responded to, tightening around him.

  Instead of moving himself, he moved her. Bouncing her back against him over and over, drawing close to orgasm slowly but surely. Committing every sensation of her body around his, the way she sounded, her scent, to his memory. He’d be back, as he said. Eagerly. But while he was gone he wanted to call this moment up, remember what waited for him in Silver Cliffs.

  When he let himself fall into her, again, that act of homecoming was poignant. Life altering. Beautiful. It grabbed him with sharp claws and didn’t let go. Nor did he struggle to be free.

  He helped her to stand and noted her smile before he bent to kiss her again.

  “I’m hungry. And a little dirty now. What say you let me scrub your back and then I’ll make a meal for a change?”

  One of her brows slid up. “If you think I’m giving up on the idea of leaving with you because you pleasure me so well, you’re a fool,” she called on her way to the bathroom. “You can still scrub my back and make supper though.”

  He sighed, but followed her anyway.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  She’d reached her limit.

  Interesting.

  After Constance had left, she’d paced the length of her living room until she’d hunted down the cigarettes she’d kept in her kitchen for the rare occasions she wanted to smoke one. She considered a quick belt of some liquor, but she needed to think.

  Needed to decide just exactly what she wanted. What she needed and what she could live with.

  She wanted Loyal.

  She needed him too.

  She didn’t want to live without him.

  So that was the first important thing.

  She would continue to support Tobin. He needed that and she wanted it. So her sister would have to live with it.

  She wanted out of Silver Cliffs with its too tight expectations on her behavior.

  If she stayed, what then? Eventually she’d give in to those expectations. She knew that. It would be harder as each annum passed. As each planting season began, as the snow melted, as harvest came and went, she’d be pressured. And loneliness would be part of that choice. A man like Jackson Haldeman would be a fine husband. More than likely he’d let her have her way in most things. He was nice to look at. Seemed interested in her, but there were other women in Silver Cliffs and she’d eventually have to choose a probable future with a good man over whatever she could have the times Loyal rolled into the garrison for a few stolen days here and there.

  Right now it was one thing to live for those times each annum when Loyal and his crew came to Silver Cliffs. But it wasn’t enough. She couldn’t live with not enough. Not anymore. If she was selfish for wanting it, so be it. But she’d spent several years trying not to fall in love with Loyal and had failed. The last times he’d been in Silver Cliffs, ever since that first kiss, she’d been tumbling head over heels.

  It was far too late to regret it. Though she didn’t. He was a man worthy of her love. He was exciting and interesting and protective. He was also incredible in bed and seemed to enjoy her company.

  He made her feel confident. Like she could tackle any problem. Sexy and smart too. Seeing herself through his eyes had made her everyday life harder in many ways. Made it more difficult to ignore the itch to be gone. The desire to see what was outside.

  Tobin had been right that it was time to bring the issue up with Loyal.

  But when she had . . . well. He’d gotten all hot and bothered by her attitude. She smiled to herself as she brushed her wet hair out and then twisted it all into a long braid.

  He’d gone out to the kitchen to begin their meal after they both cleaned up. He hadn’t said much but the way he’d touched her underlined his words of love.

  But more needed to be said. She squared her shoulders and headed out.

  “Take a seat at the table. I poured you some wine.” He worked, chopping herbs as a pan heated on the grill top.

  “So they’re gone then? The brigands?”

  “We sent scouts out to check the ones down on the Highway. Looks like a few escaped from up here and they left. They’ll lick their wounds. But you held them off. Not only that, but you’re well fortified and you had the guts to blow your own bridges and preemptively attack them. They’ll move on to easier targets.”

  “So you’re leaving for sure in the morning then?”

  He eased the meat into the skillet, smiling at the sizzle, tossing in some spices before he turned to her.

  “Not immediately, but yes tomorrow.” He handed her a sliver of fruit. “I will be back. The trips will be more frequent for the next season or two.”

  “It’s not enough. I want to be with you all the time.”

  He opened his mouth but they were interrupted by a knock on the door. He opened it, admitting Indigo and Marcus.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt. But you wanted to talk when we got back.” Marcus looked to Verity. “Evening, Verity.”

  She nodded to both men, smiling. Relieved they were all okay. That they’d been in Silver Cliffs when the brigands had chosen to attempt an attack.