Free Eden's Sin by Jennifer Jakes Page A
Authors: Jennifer Jakes
intimate his cock hardened despite the fact he was mad enough spit.
He plante d his arms on either side of the doorway. “Yes?”
She took a deep breath. “I just … I truly could have been a respectable lady, you know.”
The melancholy in her voice gut-punched him. If she only kn ew what respectable ladies were really like.
“ Ladies are not always what they seem. So you’re probably better off as you are. Or would be if you’d learn to trust just a little.”
Oh, he heard the irony in that, yes. When was the last time he trusted anyone?
She gave a brittle laugh. “The last man I trusted pushed me down a staircase and left me to die.”
His gut twisted. Had he heard her correctly?
“What?” His hands fisted. An image of her lying broken and bloody at the bottom of a stairwell filled his mind. Red-hot anger pulsed through him. Who did that? Who could have hurt her so? “What happened?”
She gave a false smile. “Well, obviously I lived.” She brushed aside a single tear, her flippant answer not fooling him one bit.
Christ. No wonder she didn’t trust men.
“Eden—”
“Good night, Major.” She started pushing the door, pushing him away again.
This isn’t your fight. Let her be.
“Fine. Good night.” He waited until he heard the lock click before shuffling down the porch stairs, but the wrenching sob he heard stopped him cold. He turned and saw her shadow slide down the glass pane of the door. Her agonizing cries splintered his heart. He placed his hand on the knob, hovering. Should he knock? Go back and gather her into his arms? Hell, was she crying because he’d offered to pay her?
He blew a long breath and scrubbed his hand over his whiskers. Shit. This was his fault.
“ Eden?” He knocked on the glass pane. “Let me in.”
“ No.” Her voice shuddered. “I’m fine. Just go.”
Her shadow moved, skirts rustled, then the lantern went out.
“Eden?”
Nothing. Silence. Oh, he’d bet his horse she was still there, choosing to ignore him, closing out the world, holding in the pain.
Shaking his head, he started toward the street, his steps less than certain. He glanced back at Devil’s Gate. Should he go back? Make her let him help?
No, let her be.
He quickened his stride, putting distance betwee n himself and the woman tying him into knots. He felt like he’d been on an unbroken bronc for hours, racing down a mountainside, blind. Drunk. Wild. His legs felt like wet rope. His guts twisted like he’d just been through a battle. Hell, he had.
All because of one beautiful woman with clear, green eyes.
He ducked into his tent and stripped off his coat and hat. Dropping onto his cot, he ran his fingers through his hair.
Weren’t they a pair? Both surviving by keeping everyone at bay, protecting what was left of their pride, their hearts. Yeah, he recognized it in her, as if looking into his own soul. Didn’t mean he liked it. He didn’t need all these memories and feelings stirred up. Best if he just left her the hell alone. In a week or so he’d be gone anyway, back to Fort Hayes where he could control his life.
He pulled off his bo ots and socks and flopped back onto his pillow. Ump. Reaching beneath his hip, he pulled his beaten harmonica from his pocket. Damn thing didn’t even play anymore. He really should throw it away. He blew a quick run, letting the sour notes bring back sour memories. Pain . That’s why he kept it. To remind him of betrayal. To remind him that people lied. That love lied.
He swallowed hard and stared at the once shiny metal.
A sick thud started in his head. Fear fighting to stay forefront as memories flashed.
Coreena on their wedding day.
Coreena telling him she was pregnant.
Coreen a’s suicide.
He heaved a long sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. Women couldn’t be trusted not to break a man’s heart.
He’d be a damned fool to give Eden another thought.
A damned fool…
***
“ Good morning, Major.” Corporal
He plante d his arms on either side of the doorway. “Yes?”
She took a deep breath. “I just … I truly could have been a respectable lady, you know.”
The melancholy in her voice gut-punched him. If she only kn ew what respectable ladies were really like.
“ Ladies are not always what they seem. So you’re probably better off as you are. Or would be if you’d learn to trust just a little.”
Oh, he heard the irony in that, yes. When was the last time he trusted anyone?
She gave a brittle laugh. “The last man I trusted pushed me down a staircase and left me to die.”
His gut twisted. Had he heard her correctly?
“What?” His hands fisted. An image of her lying broken and bloody at the bottom of a stairwell filled his mind. Red-hot anger pulsed through him. Who did that? Who could have hurt her so? “What happened?”
She gave a false smile. “Well, obviously I lived.” She brushed aside a single tear, her flippant answer not fooling him one bit.
Christ. No wonder she didn’t trust men.
“Eden—”
“Good night, Major.” She started pushing the door, pushing him away again.
This isn’t your fight. Let her be.
“Fine. Good night.” He waited until he heard the lock click before shuffling down the porch stairs, but the wrenching sob he heard stopped him cold. He turned and saw her shadow slide down the glass pane of the door. Her agonizing cries splintered his heart. He placed his hand on the knob, hovering. Should he knock? Go back and gather her into his arms? Hell, was she crying because he’d offered to pay her?
He blew a long breath and scrubbed his hand over his whiskers. Shit. This was his fault.
“ Eden?” He knocked on the glass pane. “Let me in.”
“ No.” Her voice shuddered. “I’m fine. Just go.”
Her shadow moved, skirts rustled, then the lantern went out.
“Eden?”
Nothing. Silence. Oh, he’d bet his horse she was still there, choosing to ignore him, closing out the world, holding in the pain.
Shaking his head, he started toward the street, his steps less than certain. He glanced back at Devil’s Gate. Should he go back? Make her let him help?
No, let her be.
He quickened his stride, putting distance betwee n himself and the woman tying him into knots. He felt like he’d been on an unbroken bronc for hours, racing down a mountainside, blind. Drunk. Wild. His legs felt like wet rope. His guts twisted like he’d just been through a battle. Hell, he had.
All because of one beautiful woman with clear, green eyes.
He ducked into his tent and stripped off his coat and hat. Dropping onto his cot, he ran his fingers through his hair.
Weren’t they a pair? Both surviving by keeping everyone at bay, protecting what was left of their pride, their hearts. Yeah, he recognized it in her, as if looking into his own soul. Didn’t mean he liked it. He didn’t need all these memories and feelings stirred up. Best if he just left her the hell alone. In a week or so he’d be gone anyway, back to Fort Hayes where he could control his life.
He pulled off his bo ots and socks and flopped back onto his pillow. Ump. Reaching beneath his hip, he pulled his beaten harmonica from his pocket. Damn thing didn’t even play anymore. He really should throw it away. He blew a quick run, letting the sour notes bring back sour memories. Pain . That’s why he kept it. To remind him of betrayal. To remind him that people lied. That love lied.
He swallowed hard and stared at the once shiny metal.
A sick thud started in his head. Fear fighting to stay forefront as memories flashed.
Coreena on their wedding day.
Coreena telling him she was pregnant.
Coreen a’s suicide.
He heaved a long sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. Women couldn’t be trusted not to break a man’s heart.
He’d be a damned fool to give Eden another thought.
A damned fool…
***
“ Good morning, Major.” Corporal