Jackson narrowed his eyes on Lola's with an equal amount of disdain as her biting tongue.<br/><br/>"You know damn good and well I am not playing at anything, Lola," he snapped before he shoved the last bite of steak in his mouth and chewed in anger.<br/><br/>He swallowed and continued, "I just finished chasing that snake, Jeb Blackwell, across Arizona and Nevada for the past six weeks.  Finally caught him in Tumbleweed, nowhere and dragged his ass back to Carson to collect the reward.  I'm tired and dusty and just want to feel the soft flesh of a woman beneath me for a change."<br/><br/>Jackson softened his stare at her for a moment before continuing, "I am trying to respect your wishes about Abby, and Layla seems eager and willing.  If you would like I can take my money down to Trixie's, catch the drip and never darken your door again."<br/><br/>Lola's reputation for a good time and clean women was a rare mark in the west and Jackson liked being able to be with a woman that did not require a visit to the doctor immediately following.<br/><br/>Before Lola could rebut Jackson shoved the tin plate her direction and excused himself from the booth and made his way to the stairs.  He paused half way up them as a pass of guilt waved over him.  He looked back at Lola with a half hearted attempt at an apologetic look before he continued up the last few steps.<br/><br/>He turned the corner and ran into the lad that left his gear outside Layla's door.  He thanked the boy with a quick rub on his head and started down the hallway.  He caught sight of Abby's door and his blood boiled at the thought of her laying with the dark stranger.  He paused long enough to shove the idea of entering her door out of his mind.  The urge was overwhelming to barge in and throw the stranger out window and have Abby to himself, but he figured he had tested the limits of Lola's patience enough.<br/><br/>He walked to Layla's door and turned the knob to enter.  He kicked his gear just inside by the wall and looked up to see Layla already in the bath with one leg propped on the side of the porcelain claw footed tub and an inviting smile on her face.  His groin twinged at the sight of her milky white skin glistening from the water, that caught the light from a solitary oil lamp that burned in the room.  Jackson closed the door behind him before he loosed his gun belt and began to undress.  I streak of dull pain shot through his shoulder as he took his shirt off.  He revealed a welted scar that reminds him of the bloody shoot out so many years ago.  A blade width scar was visible down his side as well that extended over his lower four ribs to his hip.  With every remaining article of clothing he removed his excitement began to grow which conversely pushed the thoughts of Abby and the stranger, Lola, and the past few weeks from his thoughts.  As with most males, the primal urge to lay with a woman generally ruled over all else, and Jackson was not foreign to that concept.<br/><br/>He lowered himself in the tub between her legs and sighed as the hot water soothed the aches and he leaned back against her ample breasts.  All thoughts vanquished from his mind as he laid there fully erect and pleased with the touch of a woman's skin to his.