Longarm and the Colorado gundown

_{“How hard it was for me to keep from laughing before. In that wagon. When you were riding so stem and serious and trying not to admit that you had a tent pole stuck behind your fly.”}

_{“You ...T}

_{“Have I shocked you, Longarm? I apologize. Sort of.” She gave him an impish grin and squeezed his elbow. “But I couldn’t not see a thing that huge, could I?”}

_{“You aren’t....”}

_{“Everything I seem to be? No. But I’m not everything I once was either.”}

_{“Now I’m more confused than before,” he admitted.}

_{“I only brought it up so I could explain, dear Longarm. You see, the gentleman on the coach may well have remembered me from before. And I did indeed use a great many names. And do a great many things that I probably shouldn’t have done. It is entirely possible that he has fucked me in the past, Longarm. Or wanted to and couldn’t afford me then, which is somewhat more likely since I don’t remember him at all. I was expensive, you see. I was the very best if I do say so myself. Now all of that is behind me. Now I am an investor and sometimes a saloon keeper and gaming-hall proprietor. But nobody, Longarm, nobody ever comes into my bed nowadays except by invitation.” She squeezed his elbow again. “You are a lovely man, Longarm. Consider yourself invited.”}

_{“I dunno about bein’ a lovely man,” he said with a chuckle, “but I’d sure have t’ say that I’m a lucky one.” Leah smiled and came onto her tiptoes to give him a brief hint of what her invitation entailed. Her mouth found his, and her tongue darted and flickered. She tasted faintly of mint and perhaps other spices as well, and her scent was that of spring wildflowers. There was no way to -judge her figure, hidden as it was behind the padding of a gown stiff enough and heavy enough to withstand the rigors of hard travel. But her body was certainly plenty warm enough. Longarm’s erection was returning at double strength.}

_{“Later,” she whispered huskily into his mouth. Then, the promise delivered, she pulled away. She drew the veil back over her pretty face and once more seemed a remote and proper gentlewoman.}

_{The sudden gusts and eddies of sensation this woman could cause or as quickly withdraw were positively disorienting. Longarm felt himself sway unsteadily, and might actually have staggered a bit if it hadn’t been for Leah’s grip on his elbow. Then she was gone, walking ahead of him up the path toward the platform and the other travelers just as prim as prim could be.}