For a moment, John the Baptist preened his tail feathers. “Go on, mimic away,” he said, blinking his black eyes. “It doesn’t bother you that I’ve known a few painted ladies in my lifetime, does it?”
“No, it doesn’t bother me at all,” Roman answered, and chuckled. “Every male in the world, even a feathered one, craves a little wenching now and then.”
“Mr. Montana!” Theodosia exclaimed. “If you don’t mind—”
“Mr. Montana!” John the Baptist repeated. “You see, Miss Worth, I suffer the unfortunate affliction of impotence.”
“Aha!” Roman shouted, and threw back his head to let out a great burst of laughter. “I knew it! The old guy just doesn’t have it in him! I tried to tell you, but you—”
“Very well, you were correct, Mr. Montana. There now. Does my admission please you?”
He watched the rise and fall of her bosom. Dr. Wallaby had not had the chance to hold those big, full breasts. Nor had the scientist slid his wrinkled hands over her shapely white calves.
Theodosia remained a virgin, innocent of any man’s touch but his own.
And yes, for some reason he didn’t bother to ponder, that pleased him very much.
He retrieved his hat from the bed and walked into the corridor. “We’ll spend the night here in Wild Winds and head out for Kidder Pass in the morning. Get your things together. I’m going to get us another room.”
“Don’t you mean two rooms?”
He slid his hat on. For the life of him, he couldn’t stop smiling. “No, I meanone.As your bodyguard, my job is to stick to you like your own shadow. And that, Miss Worth, means we will be sleeping in the same room night… after… night… after… night.”
“And create ascandal?We aren’t married, Mr. Montana.”
He gaped at her. “It didn’t bother you to advertise for a lover. You even offered to pay him. And now my staying in your room is scandalous?”
She began to gather her belongings. “I should not have to explain my objections to you. If you would deliberate upon them, you would realize the vast difference between my ad and your staying in my room.”
To be fair, he did what she suggested and took exactly one and a half seconds to think. “Sorry, I can’t seem to realize those vast differences. Guess you’ll have to explain them to me.”
She slipped her gloves into her bag and closed it. “I do not plan toenjoythe physical attentions I must receive from the man I choose to father the child. However, I already enjoy the attention I receive from you. That, of course, makes our staying together scandalous.”
He could find no sense at all in her explanation, and for that reason he realized it made perfect sense to her. “We still need to stay in a room together. And I think you know I’m right.”
She did know. Indeed, after what happened this afternoon, she was afraid to stay alone. “But you will sleep on a pallet on the floor. And you must promise me, Mr. Montana, that you will do nothing to arouse me.”
Laughter rumbled in his chest. “And if I give you my word, how do you know I’ll keep it?”
She looked directly into his sparkling blue eyes. “Because I trust you. If you say you will do something, you will do it. If you say you won’t, you won t.
Her answer silenced him.
“Mr. Montana? Do you give me your word?”
He realized he had to give her some sort of reply. But since she trusted him, he wouldn’t swear not to touch her. He had every intention of touching her.
Only after a long moment did he think of what his promise would be. “I give you my word, Miss Worth, that I won’t throw my hat on your pillow ever again.”
With that, he vanished down the hall.
Ten milesout of WildWinds, Roman stopped beside a grove of majestic live oaks that, because of the long, thick Spanish moss that draped from their branches, resembled wizened men dressed in gray robes. Beneath the rustling trees, winecups, sleepy daisies, and patches of bluebells created a dazzling rainbow of burgundy, yellow, and blue.
“Oh, Mr. Montana, thank you ever so much!” Theodosia exclaimed as she stopped her wagon.
“For what?”
“How sensitive of you to reflect upon my fondness for wild flowers and choose this particular spot for our picnic.”
