Call It Destiny (26 page)

It was a long time
before Jake stirred lazily against the sweetly limp form entwined with his. Heather moved protestingly but didn’t open her eyes. She nestled her tousled head into his shoulder and invited the smoothing movement of his hand with her tantalizingly curved hip.
 

„Cold?“ he asked huskily.

„Umm.“

„Does that mean yes or no?“

„Umm.“

He smiled to himself and waited another few minutes, enjoying the feel of her leg as it lay trapped between his muscular thighs. She was so soft and capable of such passion. What had he ever done to deserve his present contentment?

The answer to that question slammed into his head with uncomfortable certainty. He’d fought for it. Harder than he’d fought for anything in his life. And he’d confronted a worthy opponent. If Heather hadn’t surrendered tonight there was no telling where the fighting would have stopped.
 

A wave of irritation made him move, forcing him up to a sitting position. Heather murmured a catlike protest, this time opening her eyes.

„Getting ready to kick me out so soon, Jake?“

He scowled. „I’m not going to kick you out.“

„Of course you are. You have your reputation to consider, remember?“ She teased him with her eyes as she patted a small yawn. „Don’t worry, I understand completely. Can’t have the entire staff gossiping about us, can we?“
 

„I don’t want them gossiping about you, honey.“

She grinned. „Jake, the staff has always gossiped about me. I’ve been giving them stuff to talk about since the day I was born!“

„Well, not anymore,“ he declared roughly.

„Then you are going to kick me out?“ She traced the line of his mouth with a copper-tipped finger.

„I’m going to walk you home before anyone realizes you’ve stayed too long.“

Her eyes lit up with love and humor. „Are you going to be a tyrannical sort of husband, Jake?“
 

The word
husband
paused for a moment in his head and Jake examined it closely. Very seriously he looked down at Heather. „I’ll try to be the best possible husband, honey. I’ll take care of you, look after you.“
 

„In other words, you’ll be a tyrant.“ She rolled over so that her nude body flowed along the top of his.

„We’re going to be partners, Heather,“ he corrected carefully, not sure what to make of her teasing.

„With you being the senior partner?“

„I want us to work together. You know that.“

„And you also want a home.“

His hands tightened around her bare waist and the gray depths of his eyes reflected the extent of his yearning. „I want a home with
you,
Heather.“
 

„Your wish is my command,“ she murmured softly, dipping her head to kiss him lightly.

„Heather, what made you come here tonight?“

„You know the answer to that. I love you. And I want a home with you. I’d marry you regardless of whether or not the Hacienda came with the package.“

„I know that,“ he whispered thickly, realizing he’d known that since the first time he’d made love to her. He tried to find the words to communicate the unsettled driving message in his mind, knowing that he had to get it across but not at all certain how to do it. „Honey, I’ve got to talk to you.“

„So talk.“ She dropped another delicate kiss on his cheek.

„I should be taking you home.“ He didn’t know how to tell her what he was feeling but he sensed it might take some time. They really didn’t have time tonight. Nor did he have any champagne or roses or a romantic setting. He wanted to tell her in the right way. He wanted it to be perfect.

„If you’re determined to take me back to the cottage, I suppose I’d better put some clothes on. If one of the security people saw me dashing naked through the rain there’s no telling what sort of talk would be going down tomorrow. Your reputation would be in tatters!“
 

He sensed the reluctance in her as she pulled away from him and began scrabbling around on the floor for her clothing. Wonderingly he put out a hand and threaded his fingers through her sensually tossed hair as she bent over to pick up a shirt. When she swung a quick amused glance at him he caught his breath at the love shining out of her hazel eyes.

„Heather,“ he started in desperation, „I didn’t want it to be like this. I didn’t want surrender….“

„I know,“ she responded simply. Then, before he could find the rest of the words, she was on her feet, tugging on her silky panties and the narrow-legged jeans.

Slowly he sat up, dazed by the emotional turmoil seething inside him. Never had he felt such conflicting frantic sensations. „I wanted… I didn’t want a victory.“ Painfully he searched for the words.

Her eyes softened. „Better get dressed, darling, unless
you want to be the one who walks naked back through the gardens.“
 

He obeyed slowly, aware of the new tension in himself as he tried to sort it all out. He had to get this right.

„Heather, you won’t regret this marriage. I swear it.“

She was already at the door. „I know I won’t regret it. How could I?“

„Honey, I’m trying to explain – “

„Oh, look, it’s stopped raining. We won’t get soaked preserving your image.“ She had the door opened and was peering out into the darkness.

Jake paused by the desk, opening a drawer and automatically removing the object inside. He caught up with Heather just as she stepped out into the night. Urgently he grasped her arm, aware that he had to say the rest of the words now, tonight. He had realized he didn’t want victory the moment he’d seen her standing at his door this evening. He only wanted her. He just hadn’t known how else to go about the task of ensuring her surrender.
 

No, damn it, he hadn’t wanted her surrender.
What a lie, Cavender.
There was nothing else it could be called. Well, he’d had no choice, had he? He’d wanted an honest relationship, based on honest bonds. He’d longed for something real and solid between them, not ephemeral fantasies. His approach had all been for the best.
 

She’d surrendered so sweetly, he thought in shock as they walked silently back through the grounds. And he’d taken everything she had to give. He’d never had a woman who gave as completely of herself as Heather did. And she didn’t seem to be bitter or resentful about the way he had pushed her until she’d given in.

A woman as passionate and headstrong as Heather should be railing at him, screaming her anger and frustration, trying to punish him for lacerating her pride. If the situation had been reversed he’d have….
 

No, there was no way the situation could have been
reversed. He would never have been able to find the courage to surrender.
 

Surrender. The word was going to haunt him. He didn’t like the taste of victory, Jake discovered. He wanted to give as much to Heather as she had given to him. Only that kind of mutual surrender could satisfy him.

„Heather, listen to me, I want to explain something. Something very important….“

The quickly moving storm clouds fled through the night sky, slipping past the moon. The pale light caught the length of the gun barrel just as the man crouched in the shadows beside Heather’s front door raised the weapon and fired.

12

Heather never saw
the man or the gun. One moment she was walking beside Jake, pleasantly aware of the feel of his hand on her arm, and the next she was plunging headfirst into the carefully tended shrubbery on her left. The propulsion power came from the hand with which Jake had been guiding her and it was followed by the full force of his body.
 

The unmistakable crack of a gunshot exploded in the darkness just as Jake shoved her forward. Heather felt the impact of something slamming into Jake even as he slammed into her, covering her body with his own.

„Jake!“

„Shut up,“ he hissed, his hand clamping over her mouth. She nodded quickly to show she understood and then he released her, rolling free of her body and realigning himself in the muddy shrub bed. She saw him digging into his belt and an instant later a small handgun appeared in his fist.

There was deadly silence from the shadows near Heather’s porch. Jake scanned the bushes, telling himself to ignore the total lack of feeling in his right arm. Somewhere he’d read that it took a while for the pain of a bullet to make itself known. The body responded first with shocked numbness.

He was aware of Heather lying still beside him in the mud but he didn’t turn to glance in her direction. From the direction of the main lodge he thought he heard a shout. That would be security.

A flash of light shot through the shadows followed instantly by another crack of sound. The bullet went wild. Willing himself to concentrate completely on the least trace of movement, Jake waited.
 

Rick Monroe broke cover a split second later. He must have realized that the hotel security staff was already stampeding in his direction. Jake watched as he dashed from the darkness around the porch steps and ran, crouching, for the small private-parking area behind the building.
 

Jake leaped to his feet, aiming not at the poor target of the running man but at the steady unmoving target presented by the jeep. Carefully he stood, feet braced, and fired once, twice, three times into the front wheels of the vehicle.
 

Monroe leaped for the seat, slamming the ignition. The engine
squealed protestingly to life but the jeep raced forward for only a few yards before another of Jake’s shots caught it. This time one of the tires seemed to explode. There was a screech as Monroe fought for control and lost. The vehicle slowed to a stop just as the three security guards converged on it.
 

„Watch it, he’s armed!“

Jake’s shouted warning slowed the uniformed men but they didn’t stop. Revolvers raised, they approached with caution.

„You in the jeep. Out!“ The man in charge of the three guards barked an order that was obeyed very slowly a few minutes later.

Rick Monroe tossed down his gun and stood scowling furiously in the pale gleam of the overhead parking-lot light. The security guards surrounded him instantly. Heather ignored the scene, struggling to her feet and reaching for Jake.
 

„Jake, are you all right? I thought I felt something hit you.“

Jake lowered the gun in his hand, aware of the chill that climbed his arm and radiated into his shoulder. His
head began a slow steady spin that annoyed him enormously. There was something he had to do, something that had to be said.
 

„You’ve been hit!“ Heather’s expression went from concern to horror. „Your arm. You’re bleeding!“ Her hand came up to clamp over the source of the numbing cold and Jake followed the action as if it were all happening in slow motion.

„Heather, I want to tell you…“

„Hush, darling. Can you make it to the steps?“

He ignored that. „No, this is more important. Listen to me, damn it!“ Her pale face was swimming in and out of the fog that was starting to cloud his vision, and Jake felt a sense of panic. So much to say and he couldn’t wait any longer. What if he never came out of the fog? And the pain was starting. Oh, God, the pain. It became even more difficult to think.
 

„Lie down, Jake. One of the guards is calling an ambulance. They’ve gone to get some bandages.“

„Heather, shut up and listen to me.“ But she had him down on the porch, flat on his back. Her hand was still clamped around his arm with a fierceness that fascinated him. She was so strong in so many ways. In the moonlight he could see his blood welling up between her fingers.

„I’m listening, Jake,“ she said gently.

„Heather, I love you.“

There, it had been said. The crucial message conveyed, Jake gave up the battle against shock and pain and let himself slip into the soothing darkness of unconsciousness.

Heather was sitting
by his bedside the next time Jake opened his eyes. She felt his hand tighten convulsively around hers and then his lashes lifted uncertainly.
 

„About time you woke up,“ she murmured as he slowly focused on her.

Jake stared at her as though he wasn’t quite sure she was real. Then he scanned his surroundings.

„Hospital?“ he got out a little hoarsely.

„I’m afraid so. Cheer up, though, you had the good taste to collapse away from the guests.“ She looked at him with love, concealing the tremendous relief she felt now that he was conscious again. The doctor had assured her Jake would be fine but until he had opened his eyes, she could not relax.
 

„Mustn’t disturb the guests,“ he agreed slowly. „What time is it?“ He searched her face as if he expected to be able to tell the hour from looking at her.

„Six o’clock. It’s morning, Jake. Last night was when it all happened. You haven’t lost more than a few hours.“ She sensed his feeling of disorientation.
 

He frowned intently. „Last night. You came to me last night.“

„Yes.“ Her mouth curved gently.

„And tore up the contract. You’re going to marry me.“

„Mother’s going to spend the day rescheduling the wedding for the end of next week,“ she assured him.

„You’ll be there this time, won’t you?“

„Yes.“

„Because you love me,“ he concluded.

„Oh, yes, Jake. I love you.“

„I knew for sure last night.“ He closed his eyes again and Heather worried that he might go back to sleep. But a moment later he opened them. „I should have been certain that first time. You’re too strong, too proud to surrender for any other reason.“

„So are you,“ she said quietly.

„I wanted to, Heather. God knows I wanted to. I just didn’t know how. Until you showed me last night. Did I tell you I love you?“

„Just before you passed out.“

„Good. I knew I’d said the words but I wasn’t sure if you heard them. I meant them, Heather.“