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She wanted to ask why he'd had a sudden shift in attitude. She bit her lower hp. Was it the kiss? Had he been disappointed? Had she shocked him by responding? Did he think she wasn't a lady?
She walked with him to the front door. She held the kitten close, savoring the animal's warmth and the faint rumble of her purr.
"Thank you for her," she said.
"You're welcome." Dark eyes met and held hers. She couldn't read his expression. Justin was such an odd combination of known and unknown. A stranger, and yet—she squeezed her still-tingling lips together—someone she would never forget.
"I apologize for what I said about your mother."
He shrugged. "Goodbye, Megan." He reached for the hat he'd left on the hall tree when he'd first come inside, then stepped onto the porch.
Instinctively, she swept her gaze across the bare garden. In the last lingering illumination of twilight, she didn't see anyone standing around. Thank goodness. Heaven only knew what would happen if her sister or someone from town saw him leaving her house.
"You aren't going to say anything to anyone, are you?" she asked.
He looked at her over his shoulder. Confusion pulled his dark eyebrows together, then his expression cleared and she could read his contempt. "No. I won't say a word. Your precious reputation is safe with me."
He stalked away. Megan stared after him. She thought about trying to explain, but he would never understand. He didn't know the danger of being ostracized. He didn't know what fate she would suffer. So many times she'd started to tell him the ugly secret from her past, but she hadn't. She'd been too ashamed.
So instead of calling him back, she closed the door and locked it, then headed for the kitchen.
"I have some cream," she murmured. "Would you like that?"
The kitten stirred in her arms. The small warmth wasn't enough to banish the ghosts from the past and the chill from her heart, but it was so much better than facing them all alone.
Justin pulled up his collar against the cold night air. As he made his way back to town, he cursed himself for still being a fool. Damn Megan and damn himself for caring. Her precious reputation had always been more important than anything else. Why was he surprised that hadn't changed?
He shook his head in disgust. He hoped her reputation kept her company in bed at night, otherwise she was going to have a long and lonely life. Not that he cared. He was only sorry that he'd wasted his time with her. Going to see her had been a mistake. Kissing her a bigger one.
Suddenly, he laughed out loud. His breath created a small cloud. He slapped his arms over his chest and walked faster. Kissing her hadn't been a mistake, it had been mighty pleasurable. He'd wondered if anything had changed between them. Now he knew it hadn't. The passion, the fire, had still flared, and she'd tasted as sweet as he remembered.
Just thinking about her yielding body pressing against his was enough to make his groin harden. Unfortunately, even the cold didn't ease the swelling. He hoped thoughts of their kisses were bothering her as much as they bothered him. He grinned. It had been worth it, that's for sure.
Justin walked around the back of the Bartlett General Store, then across the muddy street toward the sheriff's office. He had to lock up for the night before he could head back to his hotel room. As he passed the saloon, he heard the familiar sound of music and yells of excitement. No doubt there were a couple of poker games going on inside. He should probably make an appearance, but his duties didn't officially start until the morning.
He paused across the street from the building and stared at it. This saloon was newer and larger than the smaller Golden Landing down the street. He made himself walk toward that one, wondering what it would cost him to go inside.
The old building hadn't changed. The worn sign still needed painting. Three panes of glass had been covered over by boards, so little light filtered onto the boardwalk. Upstairs the windows were dark. The women hadn't started their "hostess" duties yet. It was early and most of the customers hadn't found their way to the saloon yet. Tinny piano music covered the sound of conversations and clinking glasses. Justin knew that in an hour or two the raucous noises would drown out the sound of the piano, and by ten o'clock, the man playing the instrument would give up. He
