Read Cera's Place for Free Online Page B
Authors: Elizabeth McKenna
reflection come up behind her. Her eyes widened in disbelief when he placed his hands on either side of her body, trapping her against the bar rail.
Feigning indifference, she turned around to face him. Earlier in the day, his eyes had appeared the indigo blue of a stormy sea, but now they reflected a dull black. It was impossible not to see the aching weariness in them.
The scent of soap mixed with leather and tobacco filled her nose. If the price of his recent bath included a shave, he had wasted his money. A fine line of dark stubble covered his chin and cheeks. She tried to resist the urge, but her eyes sought out the red scar running down his brown face.
Hoping to make up for that slip of rudeness, she asked, “Are you feeling better, Mr. Tanner?”
“Better?” His eyes narrowed slightly in confusion.
“Your headache, is it gone?”
He nodded, understanding. “Yes, thank you for asking. I’m better now.”
Taking one of her hands, he placed it next to his eye, where the scar began. He moved her fingers down his cheek over the raised path, stopping at the corner of his mouth. Then, he dropped her hand and placed his back on the bar rail.
“Are you better now?” he asked in a low voice.
Cera shook her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stare. It’s just…how did you get…?”
He ignored her question, though the corner of his mouth lifted into a half smile.
“Do you find something funny?” She sidestepped into his arm, thinking he would move and let her pass. Instead, he held firm, shifting his body back into alignment with hers.
“Oh no, there’s nothing funny going on here.” He closed the distance between them to a mere inch, but when Cera stiffened, he stepped back.
“Well, what are you doing here, Mr. Tanner? Is there something you need?” She tried to sound exasperated.
Jake’s laugh held little humor. “Miss Cera, I have no idea what I need, but I did come here for a reason. Call it an experiment, if you will.” With his finger, he lifted her chin and then pressed her lips with his. When he released her, he sighed. “That was better than I remembered it to be.”
He looked into her eyes one last time before walking out into the night. Cera let go of the breath she had been holding. She knew what he needed, but she was pretty sure she needed it more.
Chapter 4
Early the following morning, Cera hummed a made up tune as she crouched behind the bar, checking on supplies. When she stood, she found Ginger and Mary Beth grinning like a set of Cheshire cats.
Annoyed at their smug expressions, Cera scowled. “What? Don’t you have chores to do?”
“We want to know what happened last night,” Mary Beth demanded. “Every last detail.” Her blond ringlets danced, as she bounced impatiently on the balls of her petite feet.
Cera’s eyes narrowed. “Last night? You were working last night. Have you gone dumb on me?”
“You’re the one playing dumb,” Mary Beth replied, pointing an accusatory finger at Cera. “Ginger told me about your late-night visitor.”
“She did, did she?” Cera frowned at the voluptuous redhead. That one would have made an excellent Confederate spy. Nothing ever got past her.
Ginger held up her hands defensively. “I happened to see you and the Captain standing toe to toe right here in this spot. Seems like you were lusting after each other, that’s all.”
Cera clicked her tongue in disgust. “A man swaggers in here and I fall at his feet with my skirts hiked around my waist. Is that what you’re thinking?”
“Well, it’s what I wanted to do with him,” Ginger admitted with a wicked smile. “There’s no shame in it.”
“Leave Cera alone you two,” Sonya scolded, descending the stairs and joining them at the bar. “Ever since that good-for-nothing Conrad left her for that big hipped hussy, she hasn’t shown the slightest interest in men. She needs our encouragement, not teasing.”
“Why thank you, Sonya, for reminding me of
Feigning indifference, she turned around to face him. Earlier in the day, his eyes had appeared the indigo blue of a stormy sea, but now they reflected a dull black. It was impossible not to see the aching weariness in them.
The scent of soap mixed with leather and tobacco filled her nose. If the price of his recent bath included a shave, he had wasted his money. A fine line of dark stubble covered his chin and cheeks. She tried to resist the urge, but her eyes sought out the red scar running down his brown face.
Hoping to make up for that slip of rudeness, she asked, “Are you feeling better, Mr. Tanner?”
“Better?” His eyes narrowed slightly in confusion.
“Your headache, is it gone?”
He nodded, understanding. “Yes, thank you for asking. I’m better now.”
Taking one of her hands, he placed it next to his eye, where the scar began. He moved her fingers down his cheek over the raised path, stopping at the corner of his mouth. Then, he dropped her hand and placed his back on the bar rail.
“Are you better now?” he asked in a low voice.
Cera shook her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stare. It’s just…how did you get…?”
He ignored her question, though the corner of his mouth lifted into a half smile.
“Do you find something funny?” She sidestepped into his arm, thinking he would move and let her pass. Instead, he held firm, shifting his body back into alignment with hers.
“Oh no, there’s nothing funny going on here.” He closed the distance between them to a mere inch, but when Cera stiffened, he stepped back.
“Well, what are you doing here, Mr. Tanner? Is there something you need?” She tried to sound exasperated.
Jake’s laugh held little humor. “Miss Cera, I have no idea what I need, but I did come here for a reason. Call it an experiment, if you will.” With his finger, he lifted her chin and then pressed her lips with his. When he released her, he sighed. “That was better than I remembered it to be.”
He looked into her eyes one last time before walking out into the night. Cera let go of the breath she had been holding. She knew what he needed, but she was pretty sure she needed it more.
Chapter 4
Early the following morning, Cera hummed a made up tune as she crouched behind the bar, checking on supplies. When she stood, she found Ginger and Mary Beth grinning like a set of Cheshire cats.
Annoyed at their smug expressions, Cera scowled. “What? Don’t you have chores to do?”
“We want to know what happened last night,” Mary Beth demanded. “Every last detail.” Her blond ringlets danced, as she bounced impatiently on the balls of her petite feet.
Cera’s eyes narrowed. “Last night? You were working last night. Have you gone dumb on me?”
“You’re the one playing dumb,” Mary Beth replied, pointing an accusatory finger at Cera. “Ginger told me about your late-night visitor.”
“She did, did she?” Cera frowned at the voluptuous redhead. That one would have made an excellent Confederate spy. Nothing ever got past her.
Ginger held up her hands defensively. “I happened to see you and the Captain standing toe to toe right here in this spot. Seems like you were lusting after each other, that’s all.”
Cera clicked her tongue in disgust. “A man swaggers in here and I fall at his feet with my skirts hiked around my waist. Is that what you’re thinking?”
“Well, it’s what I wanted to do with him,” Ginger admitted with a wicked smile. “There’s no shame in it.”
“Leave Cera alone you two,” Sonya scolded, descending the stairs and joining them at the bar. “Ever since that good-for-nothing Conrad left her for that big hipped hussy, she hasn’t shown the slightest interest in men. She needs our encouragement, not teasing.”
“Why thank you, Sonya, for reminding me of