That was no excuse. Neither was the fact that she had derived so much enjoyment out of the experience. She knew better, knew what was acceptable behavior and what wasn’t. Besides, it was absurd to even think of Angel as someone she might have a future with. He was unpredictable, dangerous, a loner. If he wanted her, it was only for the moment, and Cassie knew how that sort of thing ended up. Saloons all across the South and the West were filled with women who had given in to passions of the moment.

She couldn’t imagine what he must think of her now, after she’d acted like an old maid starved for the tiniest crumbs of affection. She supposed the best thing she could do was to pretend nothing had happened. And he’d said it wouldn’t happen again. He probably wanted to forget about it as much as she did — but she knew she never would. When she was old and gray and had grandchildren about her— hopefully — she’d still remember Angel’s hand on her breast.

Staying in the house worked well to avoid Angel, until he showed up at the door late that afternoon with his saddlebags slung over his shoulder.

“I’ve thought it over,” were his first words as he walked past her into the foyer. “I’m moving in.”

She stared after him incredulously. “What?”

He kept on walking, stopping only when he reached the bottom of the stairs to glance back at her. And as if he weren’t shocking the hell out of her, he said, “Put me in whichever room is closest to yours.”

Cassie didn’t move from the door. She’d thought this first meeting with him again would be awkward, but he’d managed to make her completely forget about last night.

“That’s out of the question,” she told him emphatically. “You can’t—”

“Just do it,” he cut in just as emphatically, but relented enough to explain. “Slater has left town. Until I hear he’s out of Texas or dead, I’m not taking any chances. I want to be able to hear you snore.”

“What?”

His lips twitched slightly because her eyes had grown so round. “Just a figure of speech, lady, but you catch my drift. If you need me, any time of the night, I want to be close enough to know it.”

Her face brightened at the double meaning she heard in those words, unintentional on his part, she was sure — which made it all the more embarrassing. “This is highly improper,” she felt compelled to point out.

“Proper doesn’t come into it when protection is called for. If I didn’t think you’d faint at the suggestion, I’d be moving right into your room. So don’t mention proper to me again, all right?”

Embarrassment turned to anger as she nodded curtly and headed for the stairs. “Follow me,” she said, passing him, her voice as stiff as her back was, her hands fisted on her skirt to raise it the bare minimum so she could mount the stairs.

She led him to the room next to hers, which did happen to be empty. She’d been using it as a sewing room.

“Maria is an excellent housekeeper, so the bedding should be clean. If you need anything, you can usually find her in the kitchen. I’ll inform her now of your move.”

“You’re taking this too hard, lady,” he said in an agreeable tone, now that he’d gotten his way. “You won’t even notice I’m here.”

Like hell she wouldn’t.

Chapter 15

Cassie wasn’t taking any chances on having another carriage ride with Angel like the last one. Having the supplies she needed to buy delivered would require paying extra, but that was a minor irritation compared with enduring Angel’s proximity again. Telling him there was no need to accompany her to town had been a waste of time. He took his role as her self-appointed protector very seriously.

Riding her horse, of course, required wearing the durable divided skirt that she used on the range, as well as the short, shapeless deerskin jacket that went with it. Her stylish Eastern clothes didn’t suit a Western saddle, nor did hairpins. Her gun belt did, though. For once it didn’t look quite so ridiculous resting on her hip.

She hadn’t given her casual appearance a thought, however, until she found the folks of Caully staring at her as if they didn’t recognize her. Having Angel at her side drew even more attention. And she got to see firsthand how people reacted to him. They gave him a wide berth. Whatever premises he entered quickly vacated. Store owners and clerks wouldn’t meet his eyes, hoping if they ignored him he’d just leave.

Cassie shouldn’t have been surprised. Despite what had happened the other night, Angel still made her uncomfortable, too, particularly when he was silent, which he’d been since they’d left the ranch this morning. She’d left her carriage at home for that very reason. Yet she still found herself embarrassed on his account at the way folks treated him.

Upon leaving the general store, she got up the nerve to broach the subject. “Does it bother you that you make people nervous, Angel?” It was getting easier to say his name without blushing.

He was scanning the street in both directions, so he didn’t look at her. “Why should it?”

“It must make it hard for you to get to know people.”

He glanced down at her then, his black eyes revealing nothing. “Who says I want to?”

She shrugged, letting it rest. But his answer left her unaccountably sad, which in turn made her annoyed with herself for trying once again to discern his feelings. He probably didn’t have any. He was probably as stone-cold dead inside as his eyes made you think he was. And why should she care if that was so?

His eyes were scanning again, a habit she associated with his profession. But she noticed they stopped more than once on the Last Keg Saloon down the street. He probably wanted a drink, but wasn’t willing to leave her alone long enough to get one. Or maybe he wanted something else. Most of the saloons in Caully had a number of women who worked both upstairs and down.

The thought put a dour expression on Cassie’s lips and made her tone excessively prim. “I’m finished for today. I’m sure I can get home without being ambushed or anything like that if you have some things you need to do in town.”

“I did want to ask around about Slater, since his friend, Sam, couldn’t say where he’d head to, but it can wait till I’m alone.”

He looked at her again to say it, so he didn’t see the man who rode around a corner behind him just then. Cassie did, and her mouth dropped open. Speak of the devil, and he was riding right in their direction.

“Actually — I forgot something — in the store,” Cassie said quickly. “We need to go back inside—”

“Go ahead. I’ll get the horses.”

“No!” She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him back into the store. “I need your help to pick—”

She was cut off again, but this time by the shout that came from behind them. “Hey, you!”

Angel turned so fast, Cassie was jerked around with him. And there was nothing she could do now to keep him from noticing Rafferty Slater, who was stopping his horse only a few feet away from them.

“You Angel?” Rafferty asked once he had dismounted and stepped up onto the boardwalk. Angel just nodded. “I heard you was lookin‘ for me.”

“And who might you be?”

“Rafferty Slater.”

Had Cassie thought Angel’s eyes never showed emotion? Now they blazed with such satisfaction that she was filled with dread, knowing why. But unexpectedly another, more powerful feeling joined it, a need to prevent and protect. She’d never experienced anything like it, and it was utterly ridiculous. There was no one less in need of protection than Angel. But her emotions didn’t take that into account.

For someone who wasn’t the impulsive sort, Cassie let her emotions guide her right into the fire. “I’m challenging you to a gunfight, Rafferty,” she said, moving forward. “I believe you know why.”

Angel let out an expletive. Rafferty stared at her blankly for a moment before he started laughing. Cassie really wished people would take her and her Colt a little more seriously.

“You got one second to make yourself scarce,” Angel told her.

She spared him the briefest glance just to determine if his expression was as furious as his tone. It was, so she looked back toward Rafferty while she tried reasoning with Angel.

Amazingly, under the circumstances, she did it with calm and logic. “I think you should let me shoot him. I swore I would if he ever touched me again.”

“So swear something else. This one is mine.”

“But I’m the one he accosted the other night,” she reminded him.

Angel didn’t address that; he just said, “Go back in the store, Cassie.”

“You aren’t listening to me.”

“Damned right. Now get!”

With an order like that, and with an arm shoving her behind him to help her on her way, she should have gone, but she didn’t. She wrung her hands, racking her mind for another way to prevent the showdown that was coming, but Angel wasn’t going to oblige her with enough time to think of something.

“I don’t usually do this, Slater,” he said as he tucked his slicker back out of the way, “but for you I’m making an exception. Where do you want it, out in the street or where you’re standing?”

Rafferty didn’t look impressed or the least bit intimidated. He grinned and spit out a sliver of wood he’d been chewing on.

“I’d a stuck around the other night if I hadn’t had a belly full of rotgut. But I’m sober now, and don’t much like the idea of you doggin‘ my trail. The street’s fine with me, friend, but you ask me, the little lady ain’t worth your dyin’ over.”

“So who asked you?”

Rafferty merely chuckled and extended an arm, indicating Angel should proceed him into the street. Cassie found Rafferty’s confidence appalling. She’d been right to worry about him, and as Angel stepped off the boardwalk, she saw why. Rafferty had had no intention of facing Angel in a fair fight. He went for his gun the second Angel’s back was to him.