A Lethal Lady

What the hell was going on, why was the sheriff kissing her, how did it come to that, were questions Rouse asked herself she lay in the man's arms. Because of the impact of being kissed, she was in a trance, she couldn't even move. She could: even assimilate the fact that she was being “kissed”.

When she realised that the sheriff was actually placing his lips on hers, she reacted, her inner voice immediately told her separate him and get away from him. Rouse shuddered in Tom's arms, and with that she managed to shake him off. Seconds later, he slaps him with a slap that could be heard even in the deepest cave in the desert.

“What the hell do you think you're doing? -She looks at him with an altered expression, her chest heaving up and down. Rouse was irritated, but she also felt a strange sensation running through her body.

Tom looked at the blonde after she gave him that painful slap, her cheek was flushed, and the ferocity of her gaze told hi she was furious. But her eyes couldn't lie to him, that mysterious glimpse of her gaze gave the sheriff an unsettling whirl inside him.

-He's a bastard, he’s trying to make a pass at me, does he think I'm a whore? -If you want to get someone into your bed, then go to the saloon, or find Hilary, who's dying to have s* with you.

Rouse walks past the sheriff, who hadn't said a word. And what could he say, the truth is that at that moment he couldn't get a single word out. That kiss had simply been an impulse, but an outburst, which apparently stirred up a lot of things inside him.

-Don't you ever lay a f*****g hand on me again, Mr. Wesley,” the blonde threatened before leaving the room.

The sheriff heard the door slam, yet he continued to stand there thinking about what he had done. Well, it was stupid of him to kiss her, there's no reason for him to do it. Tom runs both hands over his face, he had made it all worse. What was he thinking? He asked himself internally.

He looked at the bathtub with the water half full, surely it was already freezing. For being so reckless, he wouldn't even by able to take a decent bath.

-With a demon,” he denies, taking off his overcoat.

[.]

Closing the door, Rouse expels the air from his lungs. Holding the doorknob, the blonde recalls what had happened in th room.

She feels the flesh of her lips with her fingers, the memories of a moment ago coming to her out of nowhere. Tom's lips pressing gently against hers, the possessive way he held her chin and the pressure he put on her waist to keep her where he wanted her.

It was the first time a man had ever held her like that, it made her feel different, she wanted. Rouse bites her lips lightly, she could still taste Tom's scent in her mouth, what the hell was happening to her? The brunette lowers her hand and reaches down her body, suddenly clenching her jaw tightly.

I'm not here for this bullshit, I'm not going to waste my time getting soft, especially not with that man.

She looks at the door behind her, then walks down the corridor. She was soaking wet, she needed to get out of those wet clothes.

[.]

The next day, the pain Rouse felt was enormous. Yet she was still on her feet working in that damn hotel, all to pay off th idiot sheriff. If it wasn't for the fact that he had to get the hell out of town, he wouldn't be doing any of it.

Rouse was just about to leave the room of the sheriff's right-hand man when the person occupying the room walked in. She stops when she sees him standing at the door frame.

Excuse me, I didn't know you were here.

-Don't worry, I was just leaving. I've put everything in order.

Thank you, Miss.

With your permission’ Rouse looked at the tanned blond for a second, and then made a pretense of leaving.

Rouse, right? -She stops a short distance away from him.

Yes," she answers, looking up at him.

It was very suspicious that the sheriff's right-hand woman was staying at the hotel as well, what were her intentions? For him, he could not find any justification as to why. He distrusted this guy, Rouse sensed that his stay in that place was due to her.

-Am I interrupting?

Tom's voice interrupted the battle of glances between Harry and Rouse, the blonde looked towards the door and fixed hi gaze on the sheriff, who maintained an expressionless look. But at the same time so intense and overwhelming.

-Sheriff, everything is in order. The lady was just leaving” the blond quickly excused himself.

-Really? -He sharpens his gaze, but focuses it solely on Rouse.

The blonde frowns, feeling as if shes doing something wrong, purses her lips and glares at Tom. She needed to make this man understand that he couldn't try to intimidate her, his absurd tactics would do him no good.

Yes, I was just leaving. With your permission.” She says goodbye to Harry, but not to Tom.

Rouse passes the sheriff, giving him a sly look of resentment. He continues down the corridor without even looking back. He thought there was no point in doing so.

Tom watches Rouse walk away from the room, and immediately notices something about her that makes him look at her carefully. She wasn't walking well at all, in fact, she was limping a little on both feet. Did she...

Sheriff, is something wrong? -His partner's voice brought him back to reality.

“Why were you alone with the lady? -He asks deadly serious.

-I, well, it's just that when I came into the room, she was here.

Harry was her right-hand man and highly trusted. He could not distrust him; he would be very stupid not to believe him. However, the way she found him watching the blonde seemed a little disturbing.

He knew exactly how far this woman would go to get what she wanted, and it would cost her absolutely nothing to seduc his right-hand man into helping her escape from the village.

Harry, I know the lady is very pretty, but you must be careful not to fall for her wiles.

-Chicanery? What are you talking about?

That she can seduce you with her feminine charms," Tom steps toward him. And with them she can get you to do what st wants, so you'd better watch out for Miss LeRoy.

The sheriff was just a few feet away from Harry, and no matter how hard he tried to soften his voice, he couldn't do it. In truth, his tone of voice was quite stern with a hint of warning in it. He even dared to think that it sounded more like the voice of a jealous man wanting to keep whoever it was out of Rouse’s way.

I'll, I'l be careful, Mr. Wesley.

-All right, I'll g0 to Joy's ranch. Keep an eye on the lady.’ He turns away.

Ves, sir.

-And Harry..." He pauses, lowering the doorframe. At a safe distance.

And with those words, Tom left the room at his right hand. He would now have a word with the sanctimonious lady. Rouse wrung the sheets in the soapy water, but with every movement his rib screamed for him to stop. The pain was unbearable, and there was still so much to do and so much to do before she had the day off.

If only she hadn't made so many mistakes, she wouldn't be in so much trouble with that sheriff.

-Damn the day that I...

He's here! -Rouse rises to her feet at the sound of Tom's voice, but that movement cost her far more pain than before. “What does he want now? -He had to be on his guard every time he heard the man's voice. Have you come to question m Or are you going to kiss me again without my consent? Anything can be expected from you.

-1 don't want you seducing my right hand, you stay away from him. Do you understand? -Rouse’s eyes grew wider than usual at her tasteless command.

-Are you calling me a harlot? -She took a step towards him, forgetting her ailments for a moment.

Ym simply warning you not to apply your wiles against Harry, just because you want to leave town. Because they won't work, and they won't work on me either.

Rouse’s chest was rising and falling in an unnatural way, now it was true that she had reached her limit with that sheriff. I was insulting her to her goddamn face. What the hell did he think he was doing?