Page 56 of New Storm Rising
“No.”
“But—”
“No.”
“Listen, I don’t like them myself,” I told him, frowning at the bulbous, skeletal constructions behind the window glass. “In fact, I despise those things. They’re ridiculous, a hindrance to every woman and maybe even harmful! But in certain social situations, they’re pretty much mandatory. Even if I don’t want to, I’ll probably have to wear them to—”
“No.” The single syllable was cold, hard and irrefutable. Capturing my face in his hand, he forced me to look straight into his eyes. “No corsets. Not now, and not in the foreseeable future. Not as long as I have anything to say about it.”
I felt a tug at my heart. He… Was this what I thought?
Yes!
Yes!
For my sake, Mr Rikkard Ambrose was becoming a feminist!
Beaming broadly, I threw my arms around his neck, hugging him close. “I love you!”
He blinked. “I…feel positive feelings toward you as well.”
“Oh, shut up and kiss me!”
“Mrs Ambrose! We are in pub—mmph!”
“Yes,” I told him, pulling back just enough to whisper against his lips. “We are.”
Grabbing hold of his lapels, I pushed him back against the wall. Not that his feet actually moved so much as an inch, but, heck, that wasn’t the point! I bloody loved this man! And he wasn’t going to escape me before I’d shown him!
“Thank you,” I whispered against his lips. “Thank you for understanding me.”
“Ehem…you are welcome?”
Warmth flooded my heart at the uncertainty in his voice. Did he, even after this, still feel unsure of my feelings? Wrapping my arms even more tightly around him, I pulled him so close not even a scrap of silk would fit between us. We stayed like that for a long while, ignoring everything around us. When we finally parted a little, I didn’t let go. Instead, shifting my lips towards his ears, I whispered, “So…new sheriff? When are you going to let me in on what’s happening?”
He stiffened.
“Don’t move. Just pretend we’re still snuggling.” Placing a kiss behind his ear, I felt him jerk against me. “Shouldn’t be particularly hard, should it?”
For a long moment, there was nothing but silence. Mr Ambrose’s eyes studied me carefully—then, finally, he began to speak.
“Apparently, I wasn’t the only one to make preparations for this conflict. That tub of lard which called himself a sheriff might have been easy to bribe, but competent?”
“Probably not,” I agreed, glancing to where smoke was still rising from the remnants of the prison.
“Indeed. He’s a stupid fool. Gallagher, however…” Mr Ambrose’s stone-hard face darkened. “He’s an entirely different matter.”
I raised an eyebrow, making clear that, in this case, silence was not golden. After another moment of silence, he proceeded to explain.
“Before his elevation to sheriff, Mr Gallagher pursued the profession of bounty hunter. Selling people he captures to the highest bidder is much easier with a shiny star pinned to one’s chest—but that doesn’t mean his methods or efficiency have changed. We shall have to be on guard.”
“Hm…” Frowning, I bit my lower lip. “So, what do you think he will do?”
The crack of gunfire cut through the air from somewhere to the south. Abruptly, Mr Ambrose pulled back, his eyes hardening. “Apparently, we’re about to find out.”
Leaping back, I looked around. “Where did that come from?”
“Where do you think?” Reaching out, he pointed down the road. Above the rooftops, a cloud of smoke was rising. Was it just my imagination, or did it come from the direction of the mine?
