Page 38 of Charlotte's Reckoning
“We have a deal,”he agreed.
A rare grin nearly split her face. “When do we leave?”
“You’ll need time to prepare, so Monday is too soon, I suppose. The first of the month should do.”
She framed his face with her hands and told him earnestly, “You won’t regret this, Fen. Thank you.”
Her father wanted more for her as he oversaw her studies, his dreams for her far loftier—to become a judge or the first female senator. He’d mentionedthe presidency once then reined in his pie-in-the-sky notions. Never had brothel madam or frontier-town saloon owner passed his lips, but she pushed her disappointment aside for now and celebrated, at long last, getting off her back.
“Should we shake on it?”she asked, staring up into his handsome face.
“Partners like us don’t seal bargains with a handshake, Lottie.”
“Charlotte,” she quickly corrected.
“You mean Madam Charlotte, don’t you?”Dipping his head, he took a nipple between his lips and sucked hard. He released the stiff peak with a loud smack before he moved to the other breast and gave it the same treatment. “I think I need to add something else to the contract. As folks in the flesh-peddling business, we should honor our deal with a celebratory fuck.”
“Partner to partner?”
“In a year,”he reminded her.
“I agree to everything except—”
“Good god!”he roared. “What now?”
“Any upstairs girls who work for me get 30 percent, no less, and that’s nonnegotiable, or we have no deal.”
“Fine. By getting free pussy from you, I’ll be saving a hundred bucks a week.”He flipped onto his back, and his hands encircled her waist. Lifting her until she straddled him, he brought her down as he thrust upward. He sat up, arms surrounding her as he buried his face in her breasts. “I’d have paid ten times as much for it, so I’ll consider it a win.”
“That’s one thousand dollars! You’ve been undercutting me all this time. Who’s been robbing who blind, Mr. Sneed?”
“For crying out loud, woman. We’re going to make a killing as the best damn saloon and brothel in Laramie. Hell, in the whole territory. So, quit yer squabbling over a few bucks and fuck me.”
He leaned back, propped on his elbows, and watched as she rode him, arms raised, lifting her hair so he could see all he had bargained for. He enjoyed the show for about ten seconds then flipped her, driving into her hard. Charlotte wound her limbs around him, digging her heels into his backside, urging him onward.
Fen was right. He did indeed have an impressively proportioned cock, but that’s not why she beamedat the ceilingas he brought them both off. Her smile was for the distinctive scent that surrounded him. Not his cologne, the spicy aroma of tobacco, or the sweet yet pungent bourbon he favored. It was the irresistible smell of freedom, which, tonight, was the greatest aphrodisiac in the world.
Chapter 9
Next Stop, Laramie!
Fenton had several loose ends to tie up before starting his new career as a saloon owner. One required a trip to New Orleans for what he said was“family business.”He didn’t elaborate; he just said he’d be back as soon as he could.
Left in the dark, Charlotte’s imagination ran wild. He had never mentioned family. In fact, he’d never spoken of anyone other than himself, which wasn’t unusual. A man’s favorite topic was often him.
She knew he traveled frequently, but she had never thought about where he went or why. As a client, what he did outside the parlor house was not her concern. Could he be married? But surely he wouldn’t venture off to the frontier accessible only by stage and leave a wife and children behind. It bothered Charlotte enough that she asked him about it. She got a terse response. “Nothing that concerns you.”
She disagreed. As partners, what affected him would also affect her, especially if he had to return to New Orleans. He became outright nasty when she pressed him further.
“Is this what I have to look forward to—you turning into a nagging bitch?”he snapped. “If that’s the type of partner you’ll be, it’s not too late to reconsider our arrangement because I enjoyed it a helluva lot more when only sweet words came out of your mouth, which otherwise only opened to suck me off or scream while I fucked you.”
How much that stung must have shown on her face because his voice dropped to a milder tone and his expression softened—the closestto an apologyFenton Sneed ever came. “What’s this really about, Charlotte?”
“We, uh…never discussed it, and you, uh…never said,”she stammered before blurting out, “You’re not married, are you?”
“Why would you think that?”he exploded.
“Men seeking their pleasure outside of marriage isn’t exactly an uncommon occurrence,”she said pointedly.
