Page 6 of A Soft Kiss in Summer
“He does make time for me,” she said, her cheeks turning pink as she glanced up at him.
Edwin scowled.“And when did he—”
Violet cut him off.“—Josiah asked me to marry him not even three days ago.”She gave him a blinding smile while squeezing his arm—hard.“Isn’t that right, honey?”
Josiah’s confusion only lasted as long as it took Edwin to sputter out a string of words he had trouble hearing as he rambled them off so fast, but they finally registered.
Violet just told this man he was her fiance.
She gave his arm another squeeze hard enough to hurt when her nails poked into his skin while continuing to smile up at him, but he could see the fear in her eyes.
He heaved a breath before blowing it out.Why was this woman dragging him into her drama?
Her eyes were glistening.The fear he’d seen moments ago still shining in them.She was stuck.He knew it.She knew it, and for reasons he didn’t even want to examine at the moment, he blew out a breath when her nails dug into his flesh deeper and said, “That’s right, sweetheart,” knowing he’d probably live to regret them.
Violet smiled at him so blindingly he was dumbstruck as she leaned her entire body into him, her breasts cradling his arm, and turned her head to look at Edwin.
“I’m sorry you traveled so far for nothing, Edwin, but as you can see, my hand in marriage is already spoken for.”
Edwin’s scowl was still in place and directed at him.The man’s chest was rising quickly, his breathing heavy, his lips growing more pinched by the second.“When are you set to be married?”he asked.
“Oh!”Violet was quick to say, “We haven’t set a date yet.It’s just been so sudden, you know.”
Edwin continued to stare while looking at Violet and gave her a smug smile before straightening his spine.“Well, in that case, I still have a chance to win your hand.”
Violet jolted.“Win my hand?”
“Yes.”Edwin ran his gaze over him again and nodded.“I can prove to you I’m the better man, Violet.”
“But I—”
Edwin held up a hand to stop her words.“I won’t be swayed.”He glanced down the road before pulling a pocket watch from his coat.The sun caught on the shiny gold and glinted brilliantly as he turned it, reading the time before snapping the cover shut and sticking it back into his pocket “I’ll be at the boarding house until you come to your senses and marry me like we always planned.”
He turned and walked away without another word.When he stepped through the gate at Mabel’s boarding house, Violet let out a whoosh of breath and let go of his arm.“Oh, man.”
“Not exactly the words I’d use,” he said.
She grabbed her head, her fingers digging into her curls.“What have I done?”
“Well…” He turned and put his back to the pole he’d been leaning against and shoved his hands into his pockets.“It looks like you just dragged me into a love triangle I wasn’t even aware I was in.”
She at least had the decency to look remorseful when she looked up at him.“I’m sorry, Josiah.He was being so persistent and I just—panicked.And you were standing right here, and…” She shook her head and mumbled to herself for a few moments.“What am I going to do?”
“You’re going to convince him to go home and leave me out of it.The last thing I need is a jealous man watching my every move.Been there and done that and don’t intend to have a repeat.”
He straightened and headed for the door to the jail.“You better go devise some plan to get rid of him because I know from experience, that white lies tend to grow out of control.”
He left her there on the sidewalk and threw himself into his desk chair, wishing for the hundredth time he’d gone to Missoula himself instead of sending Rufus Clemmons.He’d deputized the man enough times he probably needed to be put on a regular salary, but the town just couldn’t afford it.Luckily for him, Rufus seemed to like the position and did it for no other reason than it made him feel special.
A peek out the window showed him Violet was still on the porch, but she only stayed a few minutes before heading back across the street toward the store.
The swish of her skirts drew his attention to her wide bottom and tapered waist.If things weren’t as they were, having a woman like Violet Campbell to call his own wouldn’t be any sort of hardship.Hell, he’d probably enjoy it, truth be known.As unpredictable as he was learning she was, he could only imagine what sort of bed-play she’d be into.
Images of all those dark auburn curls spread across his white sheets while her porcelain skin gleamed in the noonday sun coming from the window filled his head.His mind’s eye traced her imaginary form from her plump, kissable lips to her full breasts, where he knew he’d find rosy pink nipples drawn into tight little points begging for his attention.
When his imaginary gaze reached her wide hips, he had to lower his hand and adjust himself.Images of her naked and rolling around on his sheets were enough to make his cock take notice the moment he wondered if those curls between her long legs were dark auburn or a fiery red.
He ran a hand over his face and pushed the thoughts away.He hadn’t had a woman in an embarrassingly long time and taking himself in hand wasn’t the sort of thing one did on the job so he busied himself with what little work he had to do and pushed thoughts of Violet Campbell out of his head.
