Mae stroked Vance's thigh. "Yes. I would tell you."

Vance lifted the tie on Mae's robe. "I need to examine the rest of you."

"He didn't get at the rest of me," Mae said tightly.

"How do you know what he did when you were unconscious?"

"I'd know."

"If you're uncomfortable with me seeing you, I can put up a screen so that you won't--"

"Lord, Vance," Mae said with a sigh. "It's not the way I want you to be looking at me, but I'm not delicate about it. I just don't want you to waste your ti--"

"I've got all night, and there's nothing I'd rather be doing than seeing to you."

"And you call me stubborn," Mae murmured, touched nevertheless.

She helped Vance open her robe. "He handled me a bit rough, but that's the worst of it. If I hadn't bit him, he most likely wouldn't have hit me."

"You should've shot the son of a bitch's balls off," Vance seethed.

"He left his goddamn fingerprints on your arms."

"If I could have and not brought more trouble down on me and the girls, I would have," Mae said forcefully.

"Who is this man?"

"I told you I wasn't going to give you his name, because some night when you've had an extra shot or two, you're likely to go after him."

"I promised you I wouldn't." Vance gently pressed Mae's abdomen.

"Does this hurt?"

"No. And I believe you. That you mean it, at least." Mae covered Vance's hand. "But sometimes we don't keep our promises because of well-meant intentions."

"Does he own the Golden Nugget?"

Mae sighed again. "Lord, you won't give up. I'm sure he doesn't."

She pressed her fingers to Vance's mouth. "And before you ask, I don't know who does."

"You must have some idea."

"I don't think there's but three or four people in this town with enough money or brains to back this kind of operation, but whoever it is is very careful to keep it a secret."

Vance nodded thoughtfully as she closed Mae's robe. Gently, she met Mae's eyes. "You're sure he didn't violate you."

"Yes," Mae replied, her voice suddenly thick with tears. She hadn't expected so much tenderness. Even as a child, when she had led a life that many would have found enviable, especially for the child of a servant, she had not known such care. "The way you treat me makes me feel...special."

"You are." Vance stood, released the leather tie that tethered her holster to her thigh, and unbuckled the belt. She set her holster on the bedstead and unbuttoned her trousers. Then she kicked off her boots and stepped out of her pants. She was aware of Mae watching her as she draped them over a chair. She kept her shirt and drawers on and walked to the side of the bed. "I'd like to stay the night."

"I...why?"

When Mae did not protest, Vance lifted the covers and settled beside her. She eased her right arm over Mae's shoulder, carefully settling Mae against her side. "Because I feel good when I hold you."

Mae wrapped her arm around Vance's waist and rested her uninjured cheek against Vance's chest. "I told Frank to tell you not to come up."

"He did."

"I'm glad you didn't listen."

Vance kissed Mae's forehead, then the corner of her mouth.

She kissed her gently, taking care not to brush the tender areas as she skimmed her lips over Mae's. She stroked her throat with her fingertips, then dipped beneath her robe to caress her breasts lightly. When she heard Mae's breath hitch and felt her tremble she stopped. "I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to--"

"You have the most wonderful touch." Mae held Vance's hand to her breast. "I love your hand there."

"Close your eyes," Vance whispered, softly caressing her again.

She rested her cheek against Mae's hair and breathed in her scent. She continued to hold her, stroking her shoulders, her arms, her breasts, until she was asleep. She lay awake listening to Mae's quiet breathing, absorbing the soothing rhythm of her heartbeat into her own chest. The rage was too potent to let her sleep, but the love would let her rest.


CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

When Mae awakened to the sensation of Vance beside her in bed, she stayed perfectly still so as not to disturb the wonder of the moment. Vance's body was hot and firm, and her fingers glided slowly up and down Mae's arm in a steady, mesmerizing rhythm.

Mae could tell she was awake from the quiet tension that suffused her body. Ordinarily, what Mae wanted more than anything else was for the person in her bed to leave her in peace. Now, she discovered that the presence of this particular woman delivered it to her.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Mae murmured as she fit her body more tightly to Vance's.

"Some," Vance lied. She'd taken far too much pleasure in gently caressing Mae as she'd slept to want to sleep herself. While the human body had always fascinated her in its miraculous construction and ingenious workings, she'd never before felt the kind of excitement that lying next to Mae had stirred in her. Mae's skin was so soft, the curve of her hips and breasts so graceful, the heat of her flesh so enticing that Vance had to struggle not to wake her with the urgency of her response.

She wanted more. She wanted to never stop touching her.

"You deliver some kind of personal service," Mae joked lightly, stretching to carefully kiss the corner of Vance's mouth.

"Only to you." Vance turned on her side and studied Mae's face in the early morning light. The unblemished portions of her face were beautiful. Pale, delicate skin over fine bones. Her bruises were even uglier in daylight, however, and fury tangled with tenderness. Vance shivered and lightly skimmed her fingertips over Mae's jaw. "How do you feel?"

"If I don't count the aches and pains, I've never felt better in my life."

Vance laughed. "I think my question has to do with those aches and pains."

Mae stroked the hair from Vance's forehead and kissed her softly.

"I've never opened my eyes next to anyone I've loved before. That's all I can feel right now."

Vance jerked and drew a swift breath. "Mae."

"Oh, I know women like me aren't supposed to have feelings like tha--"

"Don't, now." Vance stopped Mae's words with a kiss, mindful of her injuries even as she slicked her tongue hungrily inside the moist recesses of Mae's mouth. The dam she had not known she had erected to hold back her wants and needs was crumbling, and she was helpless to stem the rush of desire. She yanked her mouth away from Mae's, panting. "I'm aching for you." Shuddering, she closed her eyes. "So much."

"No need to stop," Mae whispered. She found Vance's hand and drew it inside her robe to her breast. When warm, strong fingers closed over her nipple, she whimpered.

"I'll hurt you," Vance groaned. "You don't know what I'm feeling."

She rested her forehead against Mae's, her eyes tightly closed. "I never thought to want anything, anyone, the way I want you. Even if you weren't injured, I'd be afraid."

Mae laughed quietly even as her body quickened. "Oh, sweetheart.

You think your touching me with caring will hurt me, ever?"

"I think if I do what I'm wanting to do right now, it might."

"Well then, why don't you do what I want you to do?"

Vance opened her eyes, her head thick with arousal. Mae's breast lay heavy in her hand and her green eyes shimmered, inviting her to touch, to take. Still, she had enough reason left to know she couldn't.

Not when the price of her pleasure would be Mae's pain. "I want to.

I don't know how good I'll be at it, but I'll do my best. But not until you're well."

"Oh, I think you'll do just fine," Mae said. The slow play of Vance's fingers over her breasts was nearly enough to carry her over, but she resisted the heavy swirl of passion between her thighs because there was something else she wanted more. "But just this minute it isn't you touching me I want."

Vance tensed. "I...I've never. With anyone."

"Mmm. I remember." Mae opened the top button on Vance's shirt.

Then she started on the second. "I've been thinking about that. How much I like being the first to touch you."

"I'm not...I wish..." Vance stilled Mae's hand. "I wish I were as beautiful as you. That I could be as pleasing to you as you are--"

"For a woman so smart," Mae said, tears brimming on her lashes, "you're just plain stupid about some things."

Vance grinned. "That's what I've been trying to tell you."

Mae parted Vance's shirt, exposing her small, perfectly formed breasts. "I can't but think of you and my knees go weak." She smoothed her hand across Vance's chest, tracing breast and nipple and scar tissue as if all were priceless gems. "I see that handsome face of yours and I get tight inside, needing you to touch me, wanting you to take me places no one else ever has." She looked into Vance's eyes, circling one red fingernail around Vance's nipple, then squeezing until Vance arched and groaned. "You're just exactly the kind of woman who pleases me."

"I can't think what with wanting you to keep touching me."

Vance's voice was tight, strained, nearly as tense as her body, which trembled with barely contained excitement. "I have this terrible need for you somewhere inside me."

Mae moaned softly. "Oh, I know. I know because I feel it, too."

She rested her cheek between Vance's breasts. "Hold me."

Vance circled Mae's shoulders and pulled her near, telling herself that this would be enough for now. Desperately hoping that her body would not betray her. She feared that Mae's embrace alone would be enough to ignite the powder keg of arousal that simmered so near to brimming over. She felt so close to slipping over the edge that the slightest brush of Mae's fingertips caused dangerous ripples of pleasure to dance along her thighs. She groaned and clenched her jaws tightly.