I sat down on the edge of the bed in a huff. I didn't want to be a shrew, but really, it was our wedding night! I thought about Banning. Where would he go that was no place for a lady? I was going to find out. Rising, I went to the door and peeked out. I quickly shut the door behind me and went downstairs, careful to ensure I didn't run into Wiley. Seeing him through the plate glass window of the hotel, I followed him, although I kept a substantial distance between us. The main thoroughfare was several blocks long but it was impossible to lose him.
After two blocks, he crossed the street and entered a building. The sun had set low enough now where it was hard to tell from this distance. I approached and the sign above the door read Belle's. Surprise and hurt combined in my chest. Wiley left me to go to a brothel! He'd barely even kissed me and went to find another woman to be with. Did he find my kisses that repulsive?
This thought fueled my motivation, but knowing I couldn't walk through the door, for I would surely be removed, I passed the building and took the dark alley around to the back. There I found the back entrance, which appeared to be off the kitchen. Going to the door, I opened it and stuck my head in. Several women dressed in just corsets and petticoats or gauzy robes sat at a round table eating.
Before I could duck out, one of the women called to me. "Looking for a job? It's all right, we sure don't bite!"
"Only if you want us to." Another woman giggled.
I'd heard my brothers speak of such places, even of the women within, but I'd never been to one in person. I stepped into the room and shut the door behind me, all four of the ladies looking me over. I tried not to shift or squirm under their very thorough inspection. The room was warm from the stove and had a distinct smell of onions and cloying perfume. "Actually, no." I cleared my throat. "I'm looking for...for my husband."
All of them laughed. "Honey, you tracked your man here?" The one with the long blonde ringlets asked.
I nodded.
"He left you at home?" She eyed me carefully. "Is there something wrong with you? You know how to please him, don't you?"
"Yes, ma'am, you please him well enough and he won't come a wandering." This was said by a raven-haired woman with the largest bosom I'd ever seen. If Wiley wanted breasts of her size, I couldn't compete no matter how skilled at bed sport I became.
"Well, I...I mean..." Heat flooded my cheeks.
"Are you this unsure in bed?"
For some reason, that question altered my mood. I went from unsure of myself and disappointed to downright mad. "It's our wedding night and he's visiting a woman named Ethel. Is she here, for I'd like to pay them both a little visit."
All four women froze in place. "Your...I mean...." It was the blonde's turn to sputter. Then she grinned. "Take these back stairs here and take the, let's see, the third door on the right."
"Thank you," I replied with a small smile.
"You a virgin, honey?" the black haired woman asked.
I glanced up the back staircase and back at the woman, offering her a small nod.
"You want this man in your bed?" she asked.
Did I? Wiley's strong jaw and big hands came to mind, the feel of his hard thighs beneath my bottom, his kisses. I nodded again.
She crooked her finger at me. "Let Delilah tell you how to keep your man in your bed."
I glanced at the others and with their smiles and words of agreement, I tentatively approached Delilah and she told me some things, some things that had my eyebrows rising in surprise and my nipples tightening beneath my dress.
> A few minutes later I was much more educated. Before I went upstairs, I remembered the reason for Wiley's departure.
"Ladies, do you by any chance know a woman by the name of Sheila Carter?"
Another two minutes later and I was sent upstairs, the ladies urging me on. As I reached the long hallway, I took a deep breath. Third door on the right. One, two, then I leaned in and listened. Nothing. What if I had the wrong room? What if some naked man opened the door? What if the naked man was Wiley?
That thought had me knocking. A moment later, there stood Wiley. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open at the sight of me. This lasted for about a second before he stuck his head out into the hallway, looked left and right, then tugged me into the room, slamming the door behind him.
I could see nothing of the large room around his bulk. "What the hell are you doing here?" he growled. His gaze raked over my body. "Did anyone touch you? You weren't pawed or bothered, were you?"
"You're worried I've been touched by another man when you're here in the arms of another woman?" I asked.
The man had gall.
I heard a feminine chuckle behind me and when I stuck my head around Wiley's large body to see who it was, I saw red.
"You!"