Give My Soul to Carol

Somewhere in the Western Territories 1854

Carol rubbed her hands up and down her arms, feeling a chill despite the heat of the day. Marcus was dead and he was starting to smell. Three days she had been sitting here with the wagon. The Indians had killed Marcus and his body was riddled with arrows beneath the sheet she had used to cover him.

She had hidden in a secret compartment that Marcus had built in their wagon, knowing that Indian attacks were commonplace in this part of the country.

She had cried for the first two days after her husband of twenty years had been killed but now she had no tears left. She had cared for Marcus but the relationship was more out of duty than it was passion and love. They had no surviving children having lost three over the course of their marriage and he had had a stern hand and firm beliefs on how a wife should behave.

Carol knew that she would never let herself be tied down and controlled by another man like Marcus. That would prove to be a very easy thing to live by if she died of thirst out here. She took another sip out of the nearly empty canteen in her hand and then pushed the cork back in. Surely someone had to come along soon. The Indians had stolen all the livestock and Carol hadn’t wanted to go wandering around on foot.

She had been munching on hard biscuits for the last couple of days and she was worried that she was going to lose her soft, voluptuous figure if she didn’t get some real food soon. She wasn’t really worried about her figure but after three days in the hot July sun she wasn’t thinking very clearly and her brain had stopped having any serious thoughts at all.

She picked up a rock and threw it at the group of crows trying to land around Marcus’s body. Poor Marcus. A hate filled, firm handed, strict, live by the book man in life was now a rotting, stinking, arrow filled corpse that would very soon be crow dung. She was sure he would find that unacceptable if he had any say in the matter.

She squeezed the angel figurine in her hand a little tighter. It was one of the only personal belongings that she had left. She hadn’t been able to talk Marcus into letting her bring very many and the Indians had destroyed most of what she had brought.

This angel was her most prized possession. It had been a gift from her five year old daughter on the last Christmas that she had been alive before the fever had taken her tiny life.

Carol’s eye lids were feeling gritty and heavy and so she decided to let them slip closed for a while. A small nap wouldn’t hurt anything.

888

Duke saw the wagon in the distance and he saw the crows circling. Looks like them injuns had been at it again. Hopefully they’d left something valuable behind that he could take with him. He was running short on money and supplies and could use some things to sell.

The first thing he saw was the sheet covering what could only be an arrow riddled body judging by the way the sheet was sticking up in the air and a pair of boots were hanging out the end. He cursed under his breath. That meant someone had beat him here and there probably wasn’t anything valuable left.

He guessed it still wouldn’t hurt to just take a look. He led his large appaloosa stallion to the wagon and then jumped down to the ground. He climbed in the back of the wagon and began looking through the tossed around bloomers and dresses, stopping suddenly when he heard footsteps come to a stop at the opening behind him.

He looked over his shoulder and saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen standing there with her hands on her soft hips. Her thin white cotton dress was dirty and sweat stained. The hoops and petticoats had been removed from beneath the skirt and as a result it hung loose and fit close to her body. .She had ripped the sleeves and collar from the dress to offer herself a bit more air in this heat and her skin was darkened from the sun. Her black hair hung limp beneath her wide straw hat and her blue eyes, nearly the color of the coldest winter ice, glared at him. She had her bow shaped lips narrowed into a thin line and the nostrils of her long thin nose were flared.

“What do you think you are doing, sir?” she demanded.

“Stealing from this here wagon.” Duke replied with a shrug as he turned around to face her. “Belong to you?”

“Yes.” the woman replied as she wrapped her arms tight around herself and eyed his walker colt model ’47 fearfully. Duke offered her a smile though he knew this woman had good reason to fear him. He wanted her and he took what he wanted.

“That your man dead out there?”

“Yes.” she replied before swallowing hard. “The Indians killed him three days ago.”

“And you’ve just been sitting here?” Duke asked, wiping his sweaty face on his shirt sleeve.

“That’s right.” the woman said and then she frowned. “Will you take me to a town?”

“Sure.” Duke said with a grin and he saw her step back and he knew she had recognized the gleam in his eyes.

Carol was suddenly certain she had made a mistake in letting this man know she was here and yet…

He was tall she could tell. Much taller than Marcus’s five feet eight inches. He had a long rangy built like the outlaws and cowboys she had seen during her long trip across country with her husband. He was the complete opposite of Marcus in every way, physically. Marcus had been short and stocky and this man was long and lithe. Marcus had always been polished and proper. This man’s clothes were wrinkled and dirty. His dark brown trousers, hugged his lean legs and waist. The gun belt around his hips was cracked and well used and the revolver in that holster looked well used as well. His stomach was flat beneath his stained, off-white, collared shirt and brown vest. He had a black bandana tied around his neck.

Above that neck was a face that made her heart pound at well over one hundred beats per minute. He was all sharp angles and edges. His chin was covered in dark black stubble and a mustache sat above his firm upper lip. Small pale scars covered his cheeks beneath the stubble. His nose was just a little too big as he looked down it at her with eyes that were such a dark brown they could be considered black.

There was something about this man that drew her in. Something about his sheer masculinity that drew her like a moth to a flame. Carol had never been impulsive in her life. Not because she hadn’t had the urge but simply because she’d never been granted the opportunity. Suddenly here the opportunity was. Her controlling husband was dead, there was no one waiting on her or wondering where she was. She could run off and have a wild affair with this outlaw and no one would ever have to know.

Was she completely daft? She didn’t know this man! For all she knew he could be imagining removing that knife from the sheath on his leg and slitting her throat… But then again she knew lust when she saw it and right now his face was dark with that particular emotion.

To allow his advances or to fight them, that was the question. Oh hell, why shouldn’t she have a quick romp with a roaming outlaw? After all she was in her mid thirties and not getting any younger. Might as well have some fun while she still could.

Duke saw the change come over her face and it caused him to take a step back. This was unexpected. Instead of looking scared she suddenly looked determined and eager. He recovered quickly. If this voluptuous, beautiful woman was game then he was too and the best part was he wouldn’t even have to pay the whore for her services.

He motioned for her to come into the wagon and as soon as she was close enough he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. He quickly knocked away her hat and buried one hand deep in her hair as his other hand quickly undid the buttons on the back of her dress. There was nothing gentle about his movements as he yanked on her hair to pull her head back so he could devour her neck.

Her throaty moans filled the air and Duke fought the urge to just toss her down and thrust himself inside of her. For some unexplainable reason he wanted to take his time with this soft bodied woman who seemed to have bewitched him with those icy blue eyes.

Carol moved her hands to his shirt and began to undo the buttons of his vest. She wanted to see what this man’s skin would feel like beneath her hands. Skin that would no doubt be tight and smooth over his lean muscles.

Fire erupted in the tiny interior of the wagon and clothes were shed in a hurry. Kisses were hungry and touches were greedy. Neither gave a thing to the other, both just taking and taking and taking. As Duke laid her down on a bed of torn dresses he stared at her soft body and knew he had to have her now.

Their joining was anything but gentle but the woman didn’t seem to mind as he nipped at her shoulders and took her as hard as he could. Never before had he gotten so lost in a woman. Her scent intoxicated him. Her fingertips felt like heated brands, marking him with every stroke of her fingers along his back. Her every moan simply made his passion and desire rise.

He felt himself falling over the edge as her cries of pleasure filled the wagon and he was helpless to do anything but cling to her body for dear life. It wasn’t until his pulse ceased thundering in his ears that he realized he had just spilled his seed inside of her. That was something he had NEVER allowed himself to do with another woman. Mainly because he didn’t want some brat showing up one day and saying ‘hey pa, how ya doin?’ but also because he knew what it was like to be a child without a family.

With disgust he pulled himself away from the woman and quickly donned his clothing.

Carol watched him quickly dress himself but she was helpless to do anything but lie there. Her entire body was limp and felt about as useless as a body had ever felt.

“Are you gonna lie there buck ass naked or are you gonna get up and put some clothes on so we can go?” he demanded sharply.

“Go?” Carol asked, finding that her mind seemed to have flown the coop. Though his mean tone had it heading back down to earth.

“You did want me to take you to town didn’t you?” he demanded and she thought back. Had she wanted him to? Yes that’s right she had. Right before she had lost her mind and decided to let the man take her right there inside a ransacked wagon with her husbands dead body drawing crows outside.

“Yes I did.” she suddenly felt shy beneath his gaze that seemed to suddenly be so cold after being red hot moments ago. He turned and stomped out of the wagon, ramming his hat down over his thick black mane of hair as he went.

Carol hunted down some clean underclothes and dress. She decided against petticoats and hoops, deciding that since they would be riding double on horseback those things would just get in the way. The dress was light blue and the neckline was low cut leaving her shoulders revealed before forming long sleeves that were tight around her wrists. The satin bodice was tight and the skirt only slightly flared without her hoops. The ladies back east would disown her if they saw her looking so unkempt but to her it felt good. She didn’t even bother securing her hair in a bun before grabbing the angel figurine from the floor and slipping it in her skirt pocket. Then she placed her hat back on her head and joined the man outside.

She found him standing beside the large gray spotted Appaloosa he had rode in on. He had a cigar hanging off his lip and looked very impatient as he stood with his arms crossed over his chest.

“You ’bout ready?” he demanded crossly and she nodded as she smoothed out her skirt.

“Do you have a shovel so we can bury his body?” she asked as she tilted her head toward Marcus’s body.

“Why, outta respect?” the man asked with a snort. “You just bedded another man within throwing distance of his dead body and you moaned like a whore while doing it, I think he’s just about as disrespected as a man could get.”

Carol felt tears gathering behind her eyes but she forced them back. How could he be so mean? Minutes ago she had thought she’d been seeing and feeling something else as he had taken her to heaven right there in that wagon.

“Would you mind telling me your name?” she asked as he threw himself up into the saddle.

“Nope.”

“So what is your name?” she asked with slight irritation as she waited for him to help her on as well.

“Duke.” he said as he took her by the arm and hoisted her up behind him. She felt her body heat all over again being this close to him. What was wrong with her? Never had she felt this way for a man. Not even the man she’d been married and faithful to for twenty years.

“Nice to meet you, Duke.”

“I think we’re well past pleasantries.” he replied with a snort and she bit her lip awkwardly. He sure wasn’t going to make this easy.

“My name is Carol.”

“Did I ask for your name?” he demanded and she shook her head, though he couldn’t see the movement.

“No I guess you didn’t.” she replied. “Do you really think I’m a whore? Because I’ll have you know I was a married and faithful wife for twenty years” she said matter of factly, feeling an unexplainable urge to defend her character.

“Why don’t we agree to not talk until we make camp tonight? I like to ride in silence.” he asked and Carol let out a harrumph of anger and fell silent. Is this how every man acted after hot, incredible love making or had she just been blessed enough to find a man even more mean than her husband had been?

A/N: I had planned on waiting until this story was finished before posting it but I got this first chapter done and couldn’t help myself, I had to post! I hope you like it and remember this story is going to be much shorter than my others!

Chapter Two

Duke was cursing God, the mother earth and anybody else that man had ever worshipped as he went about setting up camp that night. What the devil had he been thinking when he’d agreed to take this woman to a town? He had never once gone out of his way to help somebody else and he was really beginning to believe that she was some sort of witch that had placed a spell on him.

Bedding her had been unlike anything else he had ever experienced and God help him but he wanted to do it again. And he wanted to lose his mind to her again. He wanted to get lost in her softness and feel her hands on his skin again. He wanted to breath in her scent and this time he wanted to let her on top so her halo of thick raven black hair could surround him.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts as he removed the saddle and saddle bags from his horse to allow the beast some time to rest.

“Can we start a fire?” Carol asked, speaking for the first time since he had told her to be quiet earlier in the day.

“Nope.”

“Why not?” she asked as she lifted her skirts slightly and looked for somewhere to sit down. Duke leaned against the small, wind blown tree they were camped beneath and shrugged.

“Injuns.” he replied as he lit his cigar. “In case you hadn’t noticed, the land is crawling with ’em around here.”

“I noticed.” she said with a shiver. Duke growled and pushed himself away from the tree. He grabbed a saddle blanket and spread it over the ground and then motioned for her to sit. “Thank you.” she said cautiously.

“I was just tired of watching you look around like a goddamned dog hunting for a place to squat.”

“You’re charming.” Carol said dryly as she sat down and spread her skirts out around her.

“You’re the first person to say so.”

“I was lying.”

“I figured you was.” he replied as he tossed her a sack. She looked inside and curled her nose.

“Jerked beef?”

“We’re fresh outta steaks and taters.” he sneered as he stretched out on his bedroll and stared up at the darkening sky, filling with stars. Usually this was when he felt the most at peace. But right now with that damned enchanting woman sitting feet from him he felt anything but peaceful.

“Why are you so mean?” she asked suddenly.

“I’m actually being real nice.”

“Really?” There was disbelief in her voice and he grinned as he nodded.

“Yep. I haven’t killed you yet and I even brought you with me.” Carol snorted and he heard her hunting through the jerked beef for the piece she wanted.

“You wouldn’t really kill a woman or leave one to die out here.” she argued and he looked over at her, just barely able to make out her face in the dying light. His eyes locked with hers.

“Yes I would.” he vowed and he saw her shiver as she quickly averted her gaze.

“I guess I should feel special then.” she replied quietly. Duke just grunted and rolled onto his side, offering her his back. “Don’t you want some of this?” she asked, shaking the sack and Duke shook his head.

“Nope.” Carol sighed and seemed to give up on conversation and for that he was grateful. What was the woman thinking calling herself special? There wasn’t a damn thing special about her. She was just damn beautiful and he had a moment of weakness and decided to help her. Curly would kill him if he was still alive to find out.

The old outlaw had found him as a baby after his mama had tossed him in a ditch. Curly had raised him and taught him how to be cold and ruthless. How to take what he wanted and not care about anyone else. Duke had failed in that regard today.

It wasn’t completely his fault.. Hell this woman had to be just a bit touched in the head to have thrown herself at him like that. And damned if she wasn’t the best lay he’d ever had. But special? No she wasn’t special. He refused to even acknowledge that possibility.

It wasn’t too late to fix his mistake. He could wait a few hours, let her fall fast asleep and then take off in the night and redeem himself in the eyes of the dead outlaw who had raised him. He grinned as he closed his eyes. That sounded like a plan to him.

888

Carol wasn’t sure what caused her to wake up. The blackness of night pressed down on her from all sides. Not even the moon and stars offered any light behind the thick clouds covering them. She heard a sound off to the left and then she heard voices whispering. She could tell instantly that these were Indians and fear and panic gripped her heart.

She was about to jump to her feet and take off running when a strong hand clamped around her mouth and firm lips pressed against her ear.

“Don’t move and don’t make a sound.” Duke whispered. Carol nodded and he removed his hand. “You stay.” he ordered and she was helpless to do anything but nod again and then she heard him slip off into the night.

Was he going to save her or was he going to abandon her to these Indians. With him it seemed impossible to tell. He had already told her that he would murder a woman or leave her to die. She believed him too, despite the look that had been in his eyes in that wagon when he’d been inside of her.

She heard the whispering voices getting closer and she shivered and wrapped her arms tighter around herself, struggling to keep from crying out loud.

Suddenly in the quiet of the night, Carol heard the sound of a brief struggle, followed by the sound of someone choking on something wet. Cries of alarm went up followed by yells and shouts and more sounds of a scuffle. The commotion lasted less than a minute but it was the longest minute of Carol’s life and then she sat there in the black darkness and waited.

Had Duke killed them or had things gone the other way around? She wanted to call out for him but was afraid to. She felt a relief fill her when she heard boots approaching her. Indians didn’t wear boots did they?

“Duke?” she whispered fearfully. “Is that you?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” he replied tensely.

“Are they dead?”

“They ain’t alive.” he snapped.

“Where did you learn to move that quietly?” she asked and she was able to make out his shadowy figure as her eyes adjusted to the darkness and he sat down on his bedroll.

“A man learns what he has to out here on his own.”

“You saved my life.”

“Just go to sleep.” he said with a grunt as he curled up on his bedroll. Truth be told her nerves were still humming too quickly for her to be able to sleep. And she didn’t like being so far from his protection. Call her crazy for wanting the mean, dangerous man to hold her but that is exactly what she wanted.

Instead of standing, she crawled across the ground to him and curled up against his back. She felt him stiffen.

“What the hell you doin?” he demanded gruffly.

“I’m scared and it’s growing colder.” she replied truthfully. Duke merely grunted and she realized he wasn’t going to hold her. She wrapped her arms tighter around herself and scooted closer to him desperate for whatever warmth he could provide.

888

Duke waited until he knew she was sleeping and then gave in to the temptation that proved to be too strong to ignore. He had never before held a woman in his arms as she’d slept. He rolled over and pulled her against him, cursing when he realized that she was indeed cold. He used the toe of his boot to hook the edge of the saddle blanket and pull it to them, covering them both.

She moaned in sleep and cuddled up into his embrace and he felt a tug in his chest which he quickly dismissed. This woman was not special, it was just cold and they were sharing warmth. His arm was burning where one of those damn injuns had managed to stab him but right now he didn’t care. He put his nose in her hair and let himself drift off to sleep, his plan of taking off in the night completely forgotten.

A/N: Hope you all are enjoying this story! Only a few more chapters to go i promise. I had planned for this to only be about 3 but now that i’m writing it it is taking on a life of its own. It still will be rather short compared to the others in this series.

Chapter Three

Carol awoke the next morning and the first thing she realized was that she was trapped in a warm, iron tight grip. Strong arms were holding her close to a rock hard chest and she could feel the beating of a heart against her head.

She twisted her neck so she could look up at Duke’s sleeping face. Sometime in the night he had turned and taken her in his arms the way she had wanted him to. His face looked softer somehow when he slept. He looked peaceful and just as content as she felt.

This was insane. Her husband had only been gone for days and yet she no longer missed him. She wasn’t even that sad anymore. No more sad than she would be for anyone that died. Somehow Duke had taken over her thoughts. He was mean, callous, cold and rude but his touch was like fire and he had risked himself to save her life. No doubt as quietly as the man could move, he could have easily slipped away unnoticed.

Her hand was shaking as she lifted it and ran her fingertips along his strong jaw. He didn’t awaken but he did moan and lean his face into her touch. That was when she noticed the blood on the sleeve of her dress. She knew it wasn’t hers and suddenly his fight with the Indians came back to her. She looked down at his arm and saw the deep six inch long gash down his bicep. His sleeve was covered in blood and the wound was still seeping. It was a good half an inch deep along his arm and looked very painful. Why had the man not said anything?

She sat up quickly and tried to inspect his wound more closely.

“What the devil are you doing?” he growled groggily as he rubbed at his face and jerked away from her.

“Your arm! Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?”

“Why would I tell you?” he countered and she suddenly felt hurt as she looked at his dark eyes.

“Because…. No reason I guess.” she replied with a sigh. “You need that sewn shut.”

“I’m fresh out of needle and thread.” he replied as he stood up. “Unless you’ve got some stuffed in your bloomers.”

“Fresh out.” she replied dryly as she too rose to her feet. She was caught off guard when Duke laughed. It was a nice sound. Kind of raspy while being deep and throaty at the same time.

“I’ll get it took care of in town. We’ll be there today.”

“Oh.” Carol mumbled, unable to explain the disappointment she felt in her gut. She wanted adventure. She wanted to be impulsive and live on the edge. She had been sheltered and controlled her entire life. She knew that with Duke she would have that adventure she craved, however she doubted the man would agree to keep her around.

She watched him as he went about saddling his horse. The cut on his arm didn’t even seem to slow him down and she marveled at that. Marcus had been the type of man to lay about in bed for a week after stubbing his toe. Okay, so perhaps he hadn’t been quite that dramatic but he hadn’t been far from it either.

“Are you coming?” he demanded as he stood beside the waiting horse. She nodded and placed her hand in his to let him help her. She would swear that a bolt of lightning struck them both as a shock filled her body and she could tell by the narrowing of his dark eyes that he had felt it too.

Suddenly his hands were everywhere on her body at once and his mouth was devouring her own. She let out a wanton moan, not caring if he thought her a whore. She wanted him and she wanted the way he made her body come alive.

She was only faintly aware of him propelling them both backward and then she felt the rough bark of the tree pressing against her back. Her hands were fumbling and shaking as she struggled to undo his gun belt and free him from his pants. His hungry mouth was on her neck and her bare shoulders nipping and licking and setting her on fire.

She felt him lift her skirt up on her hips and pull her bloomers down before sliding her up the tree and then claiming her right there in the wide open beneath the green leaves and morning sun.

She felt his body tense as she was sent over the edge and called out his name. As she came back to earth, trembling in his arms and resting her head on his shoulder she heard him breathing rapidly. She could see his pulse beating rapidly in his neck.

“Are you a witch?” he asked huskily as he buried his face in her dark hair. Carol frowned.

“Why do you ask?” Duke shook his head as if coming out of a daze and unhooked her legs from his waist. He pulled her bloomers back up and let her dress fall before quickly sliding back into his pants and hooking on his gun belt.

“We have to get going.” Carol nodded as she slid her hair behind her ear. She had seen tenderness in his eyes moments ago, she was sure of it. He might like to act like he didn’t care but something inside of him did. Something inside of him felt the same crazy pull to her that she felt to him.

She allowed him to help her up onto the horse behind him and that’s when she saw the bodies lying dead mere feet from where they had slept and made love. There were five of them and each had either had their throats slit or their hearts pierced.

“You managed to take on five Indians in the pitch dark?” she gasped as she wrapped her arms tight around his waist.

“Yes.”

“You saved my life…. Why did you do that?”

“Are you complaining?” Duke grumbled because he lacked any better answer. He refused to admit the truth of why he had saved her instead of leaving her because the truth was he had cared . Care was a dirty, disgusting word and he had made a real effort in his life to never care about anyone. How had this soft, beautiful woman gotten under his skin so quickly?

It didn’t matter. He would take her to town and leave her there and he would never think about her again…. Or at least that was the plan.

888

Carol frowned as she looked around her. Town wasn’t really a town. It was a dusty street with a saloon, livery, mercantile and hotel. None of these buildings looked as if they would stand up to a strong gust of wind.

“There’s no doctor here.” Carol stated as she watched Duke pay the man at the livery money to feed his appaloosa a decent meal.

“So?” Duke asked as he turned to look at her and she pointed at his arm.

“You need medical attention.”

“No I just need to be sewn up. I’m sure I can find somebody that knows how to sew.”

“You’re joking?” Carol exclaimed and Duke shook his head.

“When I joke I smile.” he countered. “Do you know how to sew?”

“Yes but I’m not sewing your arm!” she refused sternly as she felt her stomach roll at just the thought.

“Yes you damn well are. I got cut open saving your deliciously round backside, the least you can do is sew my arm up for me.” Carol tried to look behind her at her backside. Was it really round? And was it really delicious? Duke chuckled as he put his arm around her shoulders.

“Where are we going?” she asked as he led her down the road.

“To get some needle, thread and whiskey…. You’re about to get a crash course in outlaw doctoring.”

Carols first lesson in outlaw doctoring was something she knew she would never forget. They had carried their supplies to a rickety bench beside the saloon and he had removed his arm from his sleeve before pouring some of the whiskey on it. Carol had watched as his muscles and tendons in his neck had bunched and his jaw had popped from being clenched so hard.

Then he had handed her the needle and thread and told her to pretend he was a throw pillow. Throw pillow her ass! He had downed a long swallow of whiskey and then gritted his teeth as she had begun to sew. She had to admit it made it easier that he remained silent the entire time. He never once cried out or yelled. He drew in several sharp breaths and grunted once or twice but showed no other signs of the pain he was in.

“That was good work, doc.” he had said once she was done and he had slid his arm back in his ripped and bloody sleeve. “Come on and I’ll buy you a beer.”

Now Carol was sitting inside a saloon full of crusty, dirty men all leering at her and vying for her attention. Several scantily clad saloon women lounged about at tables and sneered at her.

“You sure are a pretty thing.” A man with shockingly bright red hair breathed as he approached her. Two other men came up beside her and nodded in agreement.

“What you say we go on upstairs for just a bit.” one of them added with a smile that revealed rotten teeth.

“No thank you.” Carol replied with a shake of her head as she looked down into her untouched beer. Duke was sitting at the bar, after having refused to join her at the table and his back was to her.

“Look at that boys, a polite little whore.”

“I’m not a whore.” Carol argued and the first man snorted.

“Sure you are! You’re in a saloon ain’t ya. No proper lady would come into a place like this.” He grabbed her by the arm and jerked her to her feet. “Now come on upstairs.”

“Let go of me!” Carol exclaimed as she swung her fist but one of the other men caught it and then laughed as he pulled her up against him. She gagged when she felt the proof of his lust poking into her stomach.

They were too strong, despite how hard she fought against them they were pulling her toward the stairs. The few other men in the saloon were laughing and the whores were giggling behind their hands. Carol screamed for Duke, though she could no longer see him because of the men all crowding around her.

Suddenly she heard the cocking of a revolver from behind them and she knew from the way they stiffened that they heard it too.

“Step away from that woman.” Duke’s voice was full of venom and ice. The three men turned and the red haired one kept her in front of him like a shield.

“Why should we? She belong to you or something?” he sneered.

“Yes she does.” Duke replied, his eyes never looking at her. Carol felt her heart skip a beat. Damn but she had lost her mind. Her life was in danger. Dukes life was in danger and yet all she could do was swoon like a school girl because he had called her his.

“That’s funny.” Rotten teeth sneered as he ran his finger along her collar bone. “I don’t see your name written anywhere.”

“Maybe it’s in a secret place.” Red hair said slyly as his hand ran up her ribs and caressed her breast through her dress causing her face to pale and bile to rise in her throat.

Duke moved too quickly for her eyes to follow his motions as he fired off three shots and Carol felt fell to the ground as the three men collapsed and brought her down with them.

Suddenly the bodies were shoved aside and she felt a firm hand close around her upper arm and hoist her to her feet. She looked up into Duke’s dark eyes and saw the amber sparks of flame that lived inside them.

The urge to kiss him came over her and she was certain she saw him leaning toward her for just a fraction of a second before he released her suddenly and turned and walked away.

She spared a glance at the dead men surrounding her and then lifted her skirts and chased after him.

“Duke, stop! Where are you going?”

“Away. I’m not really the stick around in one place type.” he replied. “Besides I probably wouldn’t be very welcome to stay now.”

“You killed those men.”

“Yes I did. Would you have rather have went upstairs with them?”

“No!” she exclaimed as she all but ran to keep up with his fast strides. “Would you stop for five seconds!” He stopped so suddenly that she ran into his back.

“What?” he demanded without turning around. Carol walked around him so she could look up at his tense face.

“I want to say thank you for everything you’ve done for me.” she said and then she blushed and bit her lip. “ Everything. “

“I don’t’ like being thanked for things.” he said as he shifted his feet.

“Noted.” Carol said with a nod and the next words were out of her mouth before she had time to think about what she was saying. “Take me with you.”

“What?” Duke exclaimed as stared down at her as if she had lost her mind.

“Take me with you.” she repeated. She wasn’t sure why she was asking. Maybe it was because she felt a pull to the man or maybe it was because she didn’t want to give up the way he brought her body to life. Perhaps it could simply be as simple as he was the only face that she knew she could trust around here. Whatever it was, Carol knew she had to leave this town with him. She simply could not let him leave her behind.

“Why the devil would you want to come with me?”

“Because I…. I want adventure. I want to run wild and live on the edge.”

“The edge?” he asked with half a grin.

“Yes.”

“The edge of what?” Carol shrugged and looked around.

“I don’t know…. We’re good together, Duke, and I’m not ready to give that up yet.” He stared hard at her for several long moments and there was a war of emotions in his eyes, as if he was fighting some huge internal battle.

“I guess we better find you a horse.”

“I believe three just became available.” Carol said with a bright smile as she practically bounced with excitement. Duke grinned.

“You might just be alright.”

A/N: As you can tell this story is just pouring on out of me! Should have it done in no time! I hope you all are enjoying it :)

Chapter Four

Carol certainly got what she had asked for from Duke during the next weeks. They rode for miles everyday. He taught her how to play poker and drink whiskey. The first time he had robbed a wagon family she had nearly had second thoughts about coming but he hadn’t actually harmed anyone and they had needed the money. She had gotten caught up in the excitement and the thrill. The way her heart raced and her palms became slick with sweat. The sense of victory that would fill her after a job well done.

He taught her to shoot a gun, something that Marcus would have said was far beneath a lady of her breeding and she truly began to learn who she was and what she was capable of during her time with Duke.

Though all of these things paled in comparison to the heat and fire every time they lay together. It was still hot and rough and there was nothing gentle in the way he took her but it lit her blood on fire. She was losing her heart to this rough outlaw and she was loving every single second of it.

That was until the rainy day nearly two months after she began riding with Duke when she realized she was very late for her cycle. Since she had not been intimate with Marcus in the months before his death, she knew the only man who could be the father was Duke. Every day since then had been torture as she had fought to keep her secret.

Duke was frying eggs at their camp one morning when Carol’s nose breathed in their scent and her stomach rebelled. She ran away from the smell and lost her last meal on the ground beside the river. As she remained crouched there by the flowing water, her stomach rolling and her body trembling, she wondered what in the world she was going to do. Duke did not seem like the fatherly type. Truthfully Carol had not thought she could get with child any longer. She and Marcus hadn’t managed to do so in nearly twelve years but just a few times with Duke and she had a life growing inside of her.

“You okay?” Duke’s voice came from behind her. There was the tiniest hint of concern in his words but mostly just curiosity. She nodded but didn’t stand and didn’t look at him.

“I’ll be okay.” she said, waving her hand to dismiss him.

Duke frowned and turned and walked away. She wasn’t acting like she felt very good the last couple of days. She had seemed tired and she’d been getting sick to her stomach every morning. Duke thought hard about what could be wrong with her as he poked at the fire with a stick.

God knew he hoped it was nothing serious. He was kinda starting to like the woman… Okay that was an understatement, he had fallen pretty hard for the woman. Not that he would ever admit that to anyone…. Truthfully now that he had admitted it to himself he felt a little trapped. He tugged at the collar of his shirt and looked over at her from the corner of his eye.

She was an amazing woman. Strong, beautiful, smart, witty and with the capability of living life just like he did. With no regrets and no reservations. She was willful to a fault and so damn sure all the time that she was right. Stubborn, pig headed and amazing in bed (or any other place he took her at), but now she was sick and though he was hiding his concern from her, it was eating him alive. Curly had been right. Caring about someone was nothing but a pain in the ass.

She joined him minutes later and he sat down on a rock and pulled her into his lap.

“Sure you’re okay?” he asked as his lips and tongue traced paths on her neck. She shifted and pulled her throat away from his hungry lips.

“I’m not feeling up to that.” she said regretfully and Duke stood quickly and sat her back down on the rock alone. He had wanted to hold her but he couldn’t simply hold her without taking her… That would seem too soft. Too tender. Soft was something he would never allow himself to be. Soft men ended up dead. Curly had taught him that lesson very quickly.

“We’ll be coming into a town today.” he stated.

“A real bath?” Carol asked wistfully and Duke nodded.

“Yep and a real bed.” he added with a wink. He had expected her to at least smile but instead she just continued to stare into the small fire and it was clear her mind was miles away. He wanted to ask her what was wrong but that would be too personal so instead he asked if she wanted eggs which, she quickly refused.

He ate quickly, put out the fire and loaded up their belongings. He saddled her brown mare and his appaloosa and lifted her up into her saddle. He was startled by the quiet this morning. Carol was a talker. She liked the meaningless chatter that had always annoyed Duke, but he had found himself enjoying it when it was her voice constantly rambling… .Now the quiet without it was nearly more than the man could stand.

Later that day the rain started falling and of course it started falling as they were coming down a cliff line covered in loose rocks and shale. Duke wanted to have Carol get on his horse but he didn’t want her to think that he cared about her well being. He looked over at her face as the rain soaked her hair and caused wisps of the black waves to stick to her skin.

“This weather really turned.” Carol said loudly to be heard above the roar of the rain.

“That tends to happen in the summer.” Duke replied. “Keep your mare right behind my horse.” he ordered and she seemed more than happy to obey.

The wind kicked up another notch and the rain was blinding. Duke wanted to stop but knew they couldn’t on this ledge. This ground was weak and could break free at any time and it was a long drop to the bottom. He felt his stallions hooves slip a little and he gentle shushed the animal to calm it. But when the beasts hoof slipped again he stopped suddenly and Carol’s mare rammed into him. Duke turned just in time to see the mare sidestep and slip on the edge of the rocky ledge. His eyes locked with Carol’s just as the mare went over and Carol jumped. Her hands manage to cling to the rocky edge though her body was slammed against it violently.

“Carol!” Duke yelled above the wind and rain and he jumped from his stallion and grabbed her hands. He hit his knees to brace himself and hoisted her back over, dragging her against the rocks. He knew she would be covered in cuts and bruises but he figured it was better than the alternative which would have been plunging thirty feet onto a bed of jagged rock, just like the poor mare had.

He pulled her to safety and moved away from the edge of the ledge, wrapping her tight in his arms and simply holding her for a long while. She was trembling against him and clinging to his shirt. Suddenly she cried out in pain and gripped her stomach.

“What’s wrong?” he demanded and she folded in on herself and sobbed loudly.

“No! No! Not again!” she cried.

“Not again what?” Duke demanded as fear overcame him. She looked and sounded as if she were dying right here in his arms.

“I’m losing it.” she cried as she trembled against him.

“Losing it….” Realization dawned on Duke. The sickness. The fatigue. The lack of bleeding that women were supposed to have every month. Carol had been with child and now she was losing that child.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were with child when I found you?” he demanded accusingly. This life wasn’t a life for a woman with such precious cargo. It was her own damn fault she was now losing that baby.

“Because I wasn’t.” she hissed as she looked up at him. It took a moment for her words to sink in. A long moment to process what she had just revealed to him. His child…. She had been carrying his child…. It was his child that she was now losing as she again folded in on herself and cried out with pain.

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me?” he exclaimed as he stood quickly and dropped her onto the ground. He didn’t want to touch her deceitful, lying body for one more second. “I never would have had you on this cliff, Carol! I never would have had you taking these risks!”

“Because I didn’t think you would want the baby.” she admitted as she fought to get to her feet.

“So you just took the choice away from me, huh?” he asked with a snort of disgust.

“Duke, please!” she said as she reached for him and he pulled away. She grimaced and folded her arms around herself. “Please, Duke, it hurts so bad.” Duke saw the cuts on her body, he knew she would be bruised.. .Not to mention the pain she must be in as she lost their child…. Their child. If ever a man felt trapped and confused he sure felt it now. A baby? A small part of him was thankful she had fallen but another bigger part of him was mourning the loss of something he had never even really had.

He took pity on her in that moment. She looked so fragile, weak, pale and bone deep sad. The small part of him that Curly hadn’t managed to turn cold and mean came alive in that moment and all he could think of was comforting the woman. Even though she had misled him and hidden the truth… Clearly she was paying for that now.

He wrapped his arm tight around her and led her to his stallion. He hopped on and pulled her up behind him.

“Hold tight to me now.” he ordered and her arms closed around his waist like a vice. They rode in silence, save for Carol’s sobs, and reached town within an hour. Duke led her gently into the hotel and up to a room. There was already a warm fire burning and Duke had asked for a warm bath to be brought in which would arrive momentarily.

Without a word spoken he helped her out of her wet, blood covered clothes and wrapped her tight in the blanket from the bed. He laid her down and she looked at him with a sadness and regret that had his heart aching for her.

Suddenly that trapped feeling began clawing at his gut. Like some kind of wild stallion was inside of him fighting to get loose from a rope that was tightening more and more around his neck.

“I’ll be back.” he muttered before quickly leaving the room. Duke found himself at the saloon a short time later, nursing a whiskey bottle. What the devil was this emotion trying to bubble up inside of him? What was this pull in his heart toward that damn woman?

He took a large swig of the whiskey bottle in his hands as the answer came crashing down on him. He wasn’t even willing to give the emotion the justice of naming it. There wasn’t any point since he’d never own up to or admit to such a crazy thing!

What he needed to do was cut and run. It had been a fun ride with Carol Brown but that ride was over. Damn he had almost lost himself in the biggest possible trap. That L word he refused to name! And a child? It was definitely time to get the hell out of town.

He threw some money down on the bar to pay for his whiskey. With that liquid courage in his blood numbing his senses and what little grasp he had on right and wrong, he strode from the saloon and toward the livery.

It wasn’t until he was standing in front of his horse that he realized his saddlebags were up in that hotel room with Carol. He kicked the wooden wall and then cursed as he jumped around in pain.

For a second he considered taking off without his saddlebags but quickly changed his mind. All his money, his few belongings, everything he had was in those saddlebags, including his spare guns. He couldn’t just leave them behind.

Duke squared his shoulders. He could do this. Just go up to the room, get his stuff, tell the woman it had been fun and then ride off over the horizon. He could do this….. Nothing to it.

A/N: As you can see the same lessons that Duke was always teaching to Marston are the lessons that Curly taught to him. I suppose you could say it was a vicious cycle… I hope you all are enjoying this story. Probably 2 chaps left and an epilogue. Then we’ll be moving on to Langly’s story!

Chapter Five

Carol’s body was still sore and the hot water of her bath had stung terribly on her cuts and scrapes. She wrapped her blanket tight around herself and she stood before the fire. She had asked the women who had brought her the bath water to find her some clean clothes to put on but they hadn’t shown up with them yet.

Carol walked to the full length mirror in the corner and stared at her reflection. She had scrapes across her cheek and she pulled the blanket back enough to see the bruise and deep gash on her collarbone. Her entire body looked this way. Bruises covered her stomach and cuts lined her legs.

She had very nearly died today and if not for Duke she would have. But she had lost the baby… She hugged herself tight and wiped away a tear. It was not the first time this had happened to her. As a matter of fact she had lost every child she had ever carried. Ten- eleven now- she had lost before her stomach had even had time to begin to round and three she had lost after they’d been born.

Two had died as babies but her tiny Olivia had lived to be five before the fever had taken her. Yes Carol Brown knew a thing or two about loss. Somehow though this loss hurt in a new way than the other losses of her unborn children had. Perhaps it was because this child had been created out of love… God knew she loved that rugged outlaw.

She crossed the room slowly on her sore legs and pulled her angel figurine from the pocket of her dress.

Tears filled her eyes as her heart broke in half when she realized that the wings had been snapped off… No doubt they had broken when she had fallen over the ledge. She let out a loud wail of pain and anger. Anger that this was happening to her. She had lost her baby and now she had lost the one reminder she had of her dead daughter.

The door flew open and she gasped when Duke barged in with his gun drawn.

“What are you doing?” she gasped as she grabbed at her heart in hopes of slowing it down.

“I heard you cry out… I thought someone was hurting you.” he replied awkwardly as he slid his gun back into his leather holster. Carol shook her head.

“It’s just my heart…” she replied sadly. “It’s broken.” She looked away from him and down at the broken angel in her hands as she moved to the bed and sat down on the edge of the feather tick mattress.

“Yeah well I was just coming to….”

“I’ve had this angel for a long time.” Carol said interrupting him. Duke felt an urge to go to her when he heard the sadness in her voice but he fought it. He was leaving after all. “It was a gift from my daughter when she was five.”

“I didn’t’ know you had a daughter.” Duke replied, finding that his voice had a mind of its own.

“I don’t.” she said as she stared down at the wingless angel in her hands and wiped away a tear. “She died when she was five, only a few months after she gave me this. In total I have lost fourteen children… Fourteen! Of course eleven of them were never born and the other three I just didn’t get to keep very long.”

Duke lost all control of his body as he moved across the room and took a seat beside her. He wrapped his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder.

“Aren’t angels supposed to have wings?” he whispered and she nodded as she sniffed.

“It broke when I fell today…”

“I’m sorry.” Duke mumbled though the words shocked him. He had never uttered them before in his life.

“Sorry for what?”

“For having you on that ledge… Carol if I had known I never would have had you out there…” he laid his hand over her stomach while fighting to swallow around the emotion clogging his throat.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” Carol replied softly. “I just didn’t know how.” Duke reached out and took the angel from her hands.

“I’ll get you another one I promise.” he vowed, all earlier plans to leave her forgotten.

“It can’t be replaced” she countered with a shake of her head. He offered her a small half smile and pushed her wet hair behind her ear.

“I’ll get you another one just the same.”

Carol’s heart caught in her throat when she looked into his dark eyes. Love.. She saw love. He looked at her so tenderly. He had never looked at her that way before. His hands were gentle as they cupped her face and his lips as soft as velvet as they passed over hers in a touch as soft as a whisper.

“Are you hurting?” he asked gently, his thumb tracing the cut on her cheek.

“Yes.” she managed to gasp. “My whole body hurts.” She felt her body tremble as he slid the blanket from her and laid her down. He stood and removed every article of his own clothing and Carol wanted to argue. Her body couldn’t handle the rough way he liked to make love right now. She was hurting and sore…..

But all arguments died on her lips when his mouth gently began to kiss every single cut, scrape and bruise on her skin. His hands were as gentle as velvet as they massaged her sore muscles and took away the aching in her bones.

He braced himself over her and was looking deep into her eyes as he slid inside of her. Carol felt a tear slip down her cheek as he pressed gentle kisses along her temple and jaw. His every movement was slow and easy. Gentle and soft. It was tender but strong and she knew her heart would forever be his.

She felt him stiffen as she herself went over the edge and she was faintly aware of him calling out her name. He had never done that before. He continued pressing gentle kisses against her shoulders and hair as he moved off of her and laid down beside her. He pulled her body against his and buried his face in the dark waves of her wet hair.

Carol reached down and grabbed the blanket covering them both. She felt fatigue sinking into her deliciously sated body. Duke chuckled when she yawned.

“Tired?” he asked and she nodded as she snuggled against him. “Go to sleep then.”

Carol felt her eyelids growing heavy and knew that she was going to be falling asleep very soon.

“I love you, Duke.” she whispered as she drifted off.

Duke felt as if he’d just been punched in the gut. She loved him? Him! A no good, rambling, murdering thief who had been determined to leave her not too long ago.

Fear clawed at him again. It was like a wild animal raging to get out. Trapped. He was trapped. She loved him! He had just made love to her… Not bedded her. Not laid with her. Not any of the things he had done before with any other woman. No he had made love to her. It had been tender and amazing and it could NEVER happen again. Being soft.. Falling in love… Risking so much of himself to this woman was not something he could do.

Curly had taught him well and Duke had forgotten for awhile but he wasn’t forgetting anymore. Falling in love, settling down, having a family… those were all things for weak stupid men, not a man like him. He would never be that kind of man.

He waited until she was sleeping and slid out of the bed. He quickly pulled on his clothes, ignoring the ache in his chest and the hole in his stomach. Why had she had to say she loved him and ruin it all? He grabbed his saddlebags and then paused at the door. He sighed as he removed his sack of money and tossed it on the table. She would need that. Without another backward glance he walked out and closed the door silently behind him.

888

Carol knew something was wrong the moment she opened her eyes and Duke wasn’t around. The sun was already beginning to rise out the window and the room felt cold…. It felt as if she had just lost something very very important.

She stood quickly and wrapped the blanket tight around herself as dread settled deep in her stomach. There was a dress lying of the chair and she knew the ladies must have been in the night to give it to her. But where was Duke?

That was when she saw the leather sack on the table. Duke had always kept his money in that sack. She grabbed it in a shaking hand and opened the tie around it to see that it was indeed full of money. In that instant she knew…. She knew that if she went to the livery his appaloosa would not be there. Duke was gone.

Carol fell to her knees on the floor as she stared in disbelief at the bag. How could he do this? How could he just leave her? How could he just abandon her? She loved him! She needed him! And he loved her too, she had seen it in his eyes as they’d made love last night.

Sobs wracked her body as she thought back on all of her time with Duke. She would never be the same now that she had known him. She was forever changed. Surely as much as she loved him and with the amount of love she had seen in his eyes last night he would come back to her. She just had to stay here and wait for him….. He would realize his mistake and come find her.

And if he didn’t…. If he didn’t then there would be a tiny piece of her that she would never get back because she had given it to Duke that day at the wagon all those months ago.

888

Duke tried to tell himself the pain he was feeling had nothing to do with the woman he had just left behind. The sun was dawning and it was a new day. From now on he was going to be different. He was going to go back to living the way he had before Carol, only now he would be even more soulless than he had been before.

He told himself this was because he had once again turned off and buried his heart but he knew that wasn’t the truth. The truth was he would be soulless from here on out because he had lost his soul. He had given it to Carol the second that he had looked into her icy blue eyes.

He pulled his hat low and continued on his way. He had almost thrown away his freedom… He would never make that mistake again.

A/N: And now we can see the reason duke was so jealous of marston when Marston found Rose… At first Duke had been happy that Marston had left Rose and hee didn’t care about the woman but then Marston did what Duke hadn’t been able to bring himself to do… Marston had gone back to the woman he loved. Dukes fear and the mantra that Curly had constantly taught him proved to be too much for him to overcome. There will be an epilogue and then this story is complete. I hope you all have enjoyed it so far :)

Epilogue

Epilogue

Marston and Rose’s guest room: Dakota Territories, 1880 (26 Years Later)

Duke listened to Carols’ soft breathing as she lay sound asleep against him. He had been sleeping but dreams of the past had caused him to awaken. God what a fool he had been back then. To walk away from her, from this, he must have been out of his head.

Her soft body fit against his perfectly. Every inch of her was made for every inch of him. He could finish her sentences and he was sure she could hear his thoughts most of the time. And that was after mere days of reconciliation. His heart broke when he thought of what they could have had if he hadn’t run away. Maybe he could have given her a child and just maybe their child would have made it. Maybe they would have had a home or maybe they would have just lived their lives on horseback, roaming from town to town and getting the most out of every single second they had.

He slipped from the bed and pulled on his trousers. Without buttoning them he walked over to the frosty window and looked out at the night. He hadn’t deserved her forgiveness but that stubborn, loving woman had given it to him anyway.

He was so lost in his self hating thoughts that he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt her arms wrap around his waist and her body press up against his back. Her lips kissed his bandage free shoulder and he trembled beneath her touch.

“Are you okay?” Carol whispered and he nodded as he covered her arms with his.

“Yes. For the first time in a long time I can say, yes I’m okay.”

“You looked like you were pretty deep in thought.” she said and he turned in her arms and kissed her forehead.

“Bad dreams.”

“About?”

“A monster.”

“What kind?”

“Me.” he said softly and he saw her blue eyes widen in the moonlight. “There was an angel in my dreams too.”

“I’m no angel, Duke.” she countered and he smiled as he pushed some of her graying hair behind her ear.

“Who said I was talking about you?”

“Duke, I’m serious. You know the kinds of jobs I’ve had over the last couple of decades.” Duke stiffened just a little.

“Yeah, I know.” he replied as he closed his eyes. “But you’re still an angel to me.” he added as he opened his eyes and looked deep into hers.

“And you are my strong hero, Duke. You saved my life back then.. First at the wagon then from the Indians and the cliff….. But it was more than that. You taught me who I was. You gave me more in those few months together than I had ever experienced in my entire life.”

“I don’t deserve you.” Duke said huskily as he hugged her as tightly as his broken shoulder would allow.

“No you don’t, but you have me anyway.” she replied with a teasing smile.

“I wasted a lot of time.”

“That doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters is the here and now, and right her and right now I’m the happiest woman in the world.”

“I have a confession to make to you.” Duke said as he led her back toward the bed.

“What’s that?” she asked with a smile that deepened the lines around her eyes while it made their blue depths sparkle.

“Do you remember what you said to me while you were drifting off to sleep in the hotel room all those years ago?” He saw her frown and look down at his chest.

“Yes, I remember.” she whispered. She hadn’t said those words to him since they’d been reunited. Not a single time.

“There was something that I meant to say… Something I should have said.”

“What?” Carol asked as she looked back up at him with a tear hanging from her long lashes.

“I love you, too.”

A/N: There you have it; the end! You all know i couldn’t end it on a bad note! I am far too much of a hopeless romantic to ever end a story on a bad note! Thank you all for reading! Now we’ll move on to Langly’s adventure!