Slocum and the Warm Reception (6 page)

At that moment, Slocum didn't think about anything but her. He didn't care if the front door of the stable was opened and half the town marched inside. He didn't even care what this woman may have done in the past. He'd known plenty of killers and plenty of thieves. According to many lawmen out there, he was worse than either of those things.

“Simple pleasures,” he said with a grin. “Can never have too many of those.”

Spreading her legs even wider, she reached down to grab his cock with both hands and guide it toward her wet mound. “I cannot agree more,” she said. Slocum fit perfectly into her pussy, and with a little thrust, he was fully inside her. Once again, Vivienne leaned back and propped herself up with her elbows. She watched him intently as he started pumping in and out of her. The expression on her face was almost as enthralling as the rivulets of sweat tracing little glistening lines down the front of her naked body.

Having started on his knees between her thighs, Slocum now lowered himself on top of her. Vivienne's legs wrapped around him. Her skin was smooth and her muscles were taut as bowstrings as she drew him in and held him there. Her muscles weren't the only things that were tight. Once again, Slocum was brought to the brink of a climax when he felt just how firmly she enveloped him when he drove inside her.

When she grabbed hold of his arms with both hands, Vivienne was breathing in quick gulps. Slocum tried to move, but she urged him to stay put. He recognized the flush in her cheeks and waited until the last possible second before easing out and then pounding into her again.

“Oh my God!” she shouted. Judging by the look on her face, the outburst was as much a surprise to her as it was to Slocum. She watched him with wide eyes as Slocum bucked between her legs until she climaxed. When her orgasm came, she lay back and spread her legs as wide as she could. Vivienne turned her head and gripped the slip beneath her back as if she were trying to pull up the stable's floorboards. Eventually, the pleasure receded and she began wriggling out from under him.

Slocum moved to the side and was almost immediately shoved back toward the slip that marked their spot on the floor. “Where do you think you're going?” she asked with a wicked glint in her eye.

“Nowhere. I just—”

“Damn right, nowhere,” she said. “I'm not through with you yet.”

Slocum wasn't done with her either, but wasn't about to put a stop to whatever she intended on doing. Instead, he allowed her to roll him onto his back so she could straddle his hips and look down at him. Grinning from ear to ear, she bent at the knees and squatted down until she was low enough to reach for his cock. “That's it,” she purred as she fit the tip of his erection between her pussy lips. “Right where you belong.”

Vivienne eased all the way down, taking every inch of him inside. Slocum placed his hands upon her legs and let out a breath as she started to ride him. At first, Vivienne moved slowly. Then, she put her hands upon her knees and started bouncing faster. The feel of her wet lips gliding up and down along the length of his shaft was similar to the way her mouth had felt when she'd sucked him. Eventually, she brought herself all the way down so she could situate herself into a slightly different position.

“Considering this reception,” Slocum said, “I'm amazed you're not regarded more fondly by the men I've spoken to.”

“Men?” she grunted. “What men? All I've seen since I got to town were worried little hens flinching every time they heard news about that killer—Ellis Jaynes—and some boys dressed in their daddy's clothes pretending to be hard men. You're the first hard man I've met in this town.”

Slocum wanted to make a wisecrack about her choice of words, but was diverted almost immediately by the sight of her on top of him. Vivienne sat astride his hips with her legs tucked in on either side of him. She placed her hands flat upon his chest and rocked slowly back and forth. Her breasts swayed to the rhythm of her body and her hair drifted lazily as she closed her eyes and savored the hardness sliding in and out of her.

Before long, Slocum could no longer hold back. He placed his hands upon her hips, a spot he already knew so well, and massaged her smooth flanks. Reaching around, he cupped her tight little ass and started pumping up into her. Vivienne took a deep breath and held on to it as she accepted him inside. Although she ground against him and wriggled every now and then, she was clearly enjoying the fact that he'd taken complete control. Eventually, she straightened up and placed her hands upon her own breasts to rub them as Slocum drove every inch of his cock between her legs. From there, she leaned back and reached behind to grab his legs for support.

From that angle, Slocum was treated to a generous view of her proud breasts and erect nipples, which were now pointed directly at the stable's roof. Her stomach rose and fell as her breathing became faster. She even pumped her hips in a quick rhythm to match his thrusts.

Soon, Slocum felt his own climax approaching. It swelled inside him like a gust of wind and he knew it would be powerful when it hit. He didn't have to wait long for that moment, and when it happened, he snapped his head back and gripped her hard enough for his fingertips to dig into her flesh. While he hadn't meant to be rough with her, Vivienne didn't seem to mind. She sat upright again and then placed her hands once more on top of his.

“I've had to wait a long time to feel that good,” she said.

“Well, just give me a few moments to catch my breath,” Slocum replied. “I'll make sure you won't have to wait nearly as long for the next go-around.”

She curled up beside him with a hand resting upon his chest, patiently waiting for Slocum to regain some wind as a contented grin drifted across her face.

After a long day spent in the stables and a longer night in his rented room, Slocum drifted off to sleep in a lumpy bed that was too small to share with anyone. Vivienne wasn't upset when she left him that night. On the contrary, she politely came up with a short list of reasons why she couldn't stay and Slocum wasn't offended in the slightest.

Bright and early the following morning, Slocum woke up and walked downstairs for some breakfast. The saloon wasn't open for business quite yet, but the owner was already cleaning up the place. He was more than happy to whip up some griddle cakes and coffee for him. The meal tasted like it had been made by a barkeep instead of a cook, but there were plenty of griddle cakes to be had with more than enough butter and syrup to give them some flavor. When his belly was full, Slocum tipped his hat to the barkeep, settled his bill, and carried his saddlebags to the stable.

Vivienne was there, but so were the liveryman and the town's head lawman. Marshal spoke to the other man in hushed tones, casting a few stern glances in Slocum's direction before leading the other man outside and out of earshot.

“What's that about?” Slocum asked as he went to his horse's stall and picked up his saddle.

She had her sleeves rolled up and was using a pitchfork to pile hay into a corner. Even with her blond hair tied back and dirt smudging her face, she still stirred something inside him. Using the back of her hand to wipe some sweat from her forehead, she replied, “There's been some trouble in town. I'm surprised you didn't hear.”

“Between the ruckus we caused and the sleep I fell into afterward, I didn't hear much.”

“You might want to keep your voice down about that.”

“Why?” Slocum asked. “Still worried about your reputation?”

If he'd been talking to anyone else in her situation, he might have watched his tongue before saying something like that. But Vivienne was a free spirit, and even though he didn't have trouble believing she'd committed a sin or two, she seemed to have a good handle on things. When she heard him say that, however, a wince tugged at the corners of her mouth that made Slocum wish he'd been a little more cautious with his words.

Slocum placed a hand on her shoulder and said, “Sorry if I struck a nerve. I really haven't heard much of anything since I saw you.”

She smiled. “I didn't hear much about it until I left your room last night. And even then, I only heard because it involved some folks I know rather well.”

“In a town this size, I'd imagine you know just about everybody.”

“That might be true if they wanted to know me.”

Once again, Slocum felt bad for sticking his foot in his mouth.

“One of the stable hands was killed. Cut up pretty bad,” she continued. “Sheriff thinks it may have been in a fight.”

“Is it anyone I might have seen while I was here?”

“Maybe. His name is Derrick. Came to town less than six months ago all the way from Boston I think. He was always nice to me. Of course, he always wanted something more than just a how-do-you-do, but that's not uncommon.”

“A woman looking like you must get used to that sort of thing.” Slocum was glad to see the tired smile his compliment brought to Vivienne's face. The smile disappeared just as quickly as it had come when the sheriff and the liveryman stomped in through the front doors.

“Where were you last night?” Marshal asked. “Couldn't find hide nor hair of you.”

“Didn't know I was on such a short leash,” Slocum replied.

“Long as you're in my town, you'll be on any leash I please. For now, just stay put. Will I be able to find you in the same spot as before?”

It took every bit of restraint Slocum could muster to keep from knocking the lawman onto his ass. It took even more to keep from glaring at the sheriff in a way that would betray what was truly running through his mind. After a few tense moments, Slocum nodded and said, “Yeah. Same place.”

“Good. I'll want to have a word with you soon.” With that, the sheriff turned sharply around and headed outside.

The liveryman looked Slocum up and down, sputtered a few halfhearted syllables, and then rushed to catch up to the sheriff.

Their footsteps were still fading when Slocum turned back to his horse and continued strapping the saddle to its back.

“Well,” Vivienne said, “at least we can spend a little more time together tonight since you'll still be here and all.”

“Sorry, but I must be moving along.”

“But . . . he just said you were to stay put.”

“I heard what he said,” Slocum replied. “Don't mean I have to abide by it.”

At first, Vivienne seemed shocked to hear such a thing. Then, a little grin flickered across her face. “He's the sheriff. You're just gonna tell him one thing and then do another?”

“I suppose . . . if that's what you want to call it.” After cinching in the last strap, Slocum nodded and said, “On the other hand, I don't suppose there's any other thing to call it. I tried to help by bringing that dead robber to him and damn near got tossed into jail for it. That sheriff of yours is a strutting little jackass who's too wet behind the ears to know how to get his job done. If he had any sense at all, he would have organized a posse to go after that Ellis Jaynes fella a long time ago. Instead, he sits back and waits for someone else to bring a killer down. For all we know, there's already more men hiring on new gunhands to terrorize the same stretch of road.”

“If he'd formed a posse now to check on that,” Vivienne asked, “would you have joined?”

“Probably. Too many times, I've been the only one that seems concerned about bringing a killer to justice or protecting those who were hurt by men like Jaynes. It ain't my lot in life to just ride around and do jobs for men who are too damn lazy, stupid, or cowardly to get their own hands dirty. I'll lend a hand where I can and help when it's needed, but I ain't about to do your sheriff's bidding and I sure as hell ain't gonna set aside my business just because some little asshole with a badge pinned to his shirt tells me to.”

Vivienne approached him and took hold of his shirt so she could pull him down and plant a kiss onto his lips. When she was through, she said, “You don't care for lawmen very much, do you?”

“As a general rule, not as such. After you run across so many crooked ones, it spoils you on the rest. There have been a few that were good enough, but they seem to be in the minority.”

“I know what you mean. I guess our sheriff isn't much for impressing. Do you think he's crooked?”

Now that the saddle was in place, Slocum checked his gear. Next came the saddlebags, which he draped across the animal's back, where they belonged. “I haven't seen anything to make me think he was crooked. I'd say he was just in over his head. No,” he corrected himself. “More like too ignorant to know he was in over his head. Either that or proud. Whichever it is, I don't make it a habit to suffer men like that. If I had nothing else to do, I might stay just to see how this pans out. Since I've got my business to tend to, I suppose this means we'll be parting ways.”

“Whatever you think about the sheriff,” Vivienne said in a soft tone, “I would have liked you to stay for a while.”

Slocum led his horse from the stall and took a peek out the front door. Since there were no lawmen in sight, he figured Marshal was blowing his smoke in the privacy of his own office. “You could come with me,” he offered.

“I could . . . what?”

“Come with me. I'm headed to Mescaline, but you could catch a stagecoach or a train to wherever you like. Doesn't seem like you have much keeping you here apart from a lot of folks who don't think very highly of you. Trust me, I've been plenty of places filled with them that don't want me there. It's not worth your time to be in a place like that as opposed to . . . well . . . anywhere else.”

“It's not that simple,” she said.

“Actually, it is. Most things in life boil down to some pretty easy notions. Go or stay. Do or don't. It only gets complicated in the execution, but every now and then some things really are just a matter of making a decision. The hardest part is in going against everything that's come before. Why are you staying here?”

After not a lot of consideration, she replied, “Because it's where I wound up.”

“You may be surprised how many folks have the same answer to that question. If you don't like where you're at, find somewhere else to be. That line of thinking has been serving me well for a number of years.”

“I guess it simply doesn't serve me well enough to leave just yet. Thanks for the offer, though.”

Slocum let go of his reins so he could step up to her, wrap his arms around her, and draw her close for a long, lingering kiss. As much as he wanted to stay with her at that particular moment, he let her go so he could collect his reins and push open the stable's door. “If the day comes, you don't need me to pick up and go.”

“I'll keep that in mind. You'd best go before the sheriff comes back around to collect you.”

Now that he was outside, Slocum climbed into his saddle and said, “He can watch me go and wave good-bye, as far as I'm concerned.”

“If he asks about you, I'll say I don't know why you left or where you went.”

“Tell him everything I told you. If he needs to find me so badly, all he needs to do to ride to Mescaline. Somehow I doubt he'll find the time to go so far out of his way.” Then Slocum flicked his reins and got his horse moving toward the street. There wasn't any movement through Davis Junction at that moment, so he stood out like a single bump on a log as he made his way toward the edge of town. Since there weren't any trains approaching or leaving the station, every step the horse took echoed down the street and rattled between the dusty buildings.

As was often the way, Slocum felt himself leaning in more than one direction. One part wanted to just get out of town and continue with his life at his own pace. He'd stepped in and cleaned up a small mess for the sheriff, and that was just fine.

Another part wanted to take his time in leaving Davis Junction so he could be certain the sheriff
saw
him going. Granted, that was a petty part of himself that he wasn't very proud of, but it was there all the same. Marshal just struck him as one of those people who figured he deserved to have most everything handed to him on a platter and that folks would just step in line and do what he told them because they didn't have a choice. Respect had to be earned, however. Slocum knew that much after years of experience and fighting to earn his fair share. Good men chose the rough path and did their best to ride it while lending a hand to others along the way. They didn't puff out their chests and act like the lord of the manor. By riding slowly enough to make certain the sheriff or his deputy caught sight of him, Slocum would be making a statement. If possible, he might even be able to add to that statement by riding off with the lawman hollering like a crazy man at his back.

Thinking about watching that brought a wicked grin to Slocum's face. Of course, if he did everything that he'd thought about while grinning that way, he would have found a permanent home behind a set of bars a long time ago.

The final part of him was tempted to steer his horse back to the stable, put it up for another night, and see what he could do to help the sheriff clean up whatever mess Ellis Jaynes may have left behind. There was something to be said for the Good Lord having a reason for putting a man in a certain place at a certain time. Plenty of men had stepped up to help him in times of need, and it was only proper that he should return the favor whenever he could.

“Slocum!” the sheriff shouted from somewhere behind him. “Get back here!”

Slocum sighed and weighed his options one last time. He was just beginning to favor helping the sheriff when Marshal hollered, “You'd best be moving that horse to more suitable accommodations so you can plant your ass back into that room you rented! Otherwise there'll be hell to pay, damn it!”

“Some men never learn,” Slocum grumbled as he snapped his reins and tossed a wave over his shoulder. “It always pays to be neighborly instead of a strutting, squawking asshole.”

Slocum left Davis Junction and didn't look back.