Give Me Tonight(96)

He dragged a sleeve across his eyes to clear the sweat and dust from them. "I told him once what would happen if he laid a finger on you."

"Are you hurt?"

"No. Hell, he's as soft as the rest of the Johnsons."

Disgust crossed his face. "No wonder they have to hire someone else to do their fence-cutting. They don't have the spine or the strength to do it themselves."

"Soft or not, he managed to do some damage," Addie said, looking at his bruised face. She ducked her head to hide a sudden wave of emotion. "Come on. We'll take you home in the buggy."

"Look at me." His tone was so commanding that she obeyed without thinking. Their eyes met, hers wide with bewilderment, his gleaming with a bright, hot light. Deliberately he held her jaw with one hand and bent his head to hers, kissing her lustily. Shocked gasps and a few whistles came from the crowd, but Addie was too surprised to pull away. Her nostrils were filled with the scent of sweat and dirt, and she tasted blood as her head was forced to his shoulder by the pressure of his kiss. Dizzily she leaned against him, her heart thundering.

She went weak allover, sinking into a well of fire. The only thing she was conscious of was his mouth on hers, his lips burning, demanding, sweet. When he lifted his head, she stared at him blankly, unable to make a sound. The whole town. He'd kissed her like that in front of the whole town.

"Consider that our engagement announcement," Ben said, and gestured for Cade, who was grinning widely, to follow them to the buggy.

May was livid when she heard what had happened, so angry that even Russell took care to walk softly around her.

"Do you understand the position he's put her in?" May demanded, striding back and forth across the par­lor. Ben braced an elbow on the mantel over the fire­place and watched her expressionlessly, while Russell and Addie sat by each other on the sofa, not daring to make a peep. Russell was smoking like a chimney, occasionally glancing at Addie over the end of his ci­gar with a subdued twinkle in his eye.

"Fighting over her in the street," May continued, her voice raising in pitch, "as if she were some prize­ and then . . . and then . . ."

They all knew the and then referred to the public kiss afterward, an incident fast becoming infamous as the town gossips chewed over the story. Ben lowered his head guiltily in a way that made Addie want to laugh. She knew very well it was an act for May's benefit. Ben didn't feel one ounce of remorse for what he'd done.

May pressed her palms to her temples as if to calm a raging headache. "My daughter's reputation is ru­ined. Ruined."

"Mama, no one took it seriously," Addie broke in. "It was just an impulse. Everyone was all stirred up and emotional. It was just the heat of the moment." She ignored the sideways glance that Ben sent her, knowing there was a diabolic sparkle in his eyes. There had been ever since that afternoon. "I'm sure he didn't mean to do it. It just . . . happened."

"He should have controlled his impulse," May said, giving Ben a hard stare, and he nodded respectfully.

"Yes, ma'am."

"And I suspect, Ben Hunter, that you knew exactly what you were doing." She cut him off as he opened his mouth to reply. "Don't try to charm your way out of this. Everyone in this room knows you saw this afternoon as a convenient shortcut to having your way, and you didn't hesitate to take advantage of it. Well, I don't have to pretend I approve of your methods of getting what you want. It was ruthless and inconsid­erate to gamble with Adeline's reputation as you did today, and I hope for her sake you don't make a habit of it."

"I don't intend to," Ben said evenly, and Addie realized that suddenly he was not amused anymore. He was taking May's words seriously, listening to her with a remarkable absence of mockery. He'd always been respectful to May, but Addie would never have guessed he would allow her mother to lecture him like this.

"I'm her mother," May continued. "I have a right to speak my piece, and it's your obligation to listen. There's nothing I can do to stand in your way, and I don't intend to fight the three of you any longer. The important thing is, Adeline thinks you're going to make her happy. I suppose you think that too. But you won't if you continue to treat her with so little consid­eration. She is not to be made a public spectacle, ever again. She is to be treated with gentleness and respect. Her welfare should be considered first, above your own needs. "

As Addie heard May's admonition, she looked down at her hands, her cheeks burning. It was terribly dis­concerting to hear herself being discussed as if she weren't even there. She wanted to interrupt, but there was nothing she could say on her own behalf, or Ben's. Only Ben could calm May's anxiety.

"Her happiness, not to mention her welfare, is my foremost concern," he said. As she saw his steely ex­pression, not even May could doubt what he said. "That's why I want her as my wife."

"You know my objections to a marriage between the two of you," May snapped. "You know I didn't ap­prove of the idea. And so you put us all into an intol­erable situation. It's impossible for me to refuse your marriage now. In fact I have to insist on it."

Ben's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "I'll make her happy."

"You haven't even bothered to apologize for your behavior."