Cross My Heart (6 page)

Elyse groaned as her sister's eyes widened in surprise.
Why hadn't she made Paul and Clint wait in the family room and given
Liz the opportunity to fix herself up? Liz had always been particular
about how she looked when she knew Paul was coming. But Elyse had been
so thrown off balance by the appearance of Clint she hadn't been
thinking straight.

Liz blanched, but her composure held as she pushed back
her chair and stood. "Paul, I—I wasn't expecting you."

Paul walked over to the table but didn't touch her. "I
know." His voice wavered slightly as he continued. "I was afraid you
wouldn't see me if you knew I was coming. Honey, I want you to meet my
brother, Clint. I've told you about him, but I made the mistake of not
telling him about you. That was an error on my part, and I'm truly
sorry."

He turned to Clint. "Clint, this is Mary Elizabeth Haley,
and I'm very much in love with her. I've asked her to marry me, but I'm
afraid I was tactless about it, and she's said no. I hope the three of
us can sit down and talk and straighten this out."

Elyse was still standing just inside the kitchen door and
could see Clint only in profile, but there was no mistaking the shock
on his face. To his credit he suppressed it immediately and put out his
hand. "Mary Elizabeth, I don't think you'll ever know just how pleased
I am to meet you."

Now it was Liz who looked shocked as she put her hand in
his. "Th—thank you, Senator Sterling."

"Please call me 'Clint'." He smiled. "If you're going to
be a member of the family, we'd better get on a first-name basis, don't
you think?"

Liz shook her head sadly. "I'm not going to marry Paul,
but I'd like it if you'd call me 'Liz.' Both my sister and I were
christened 'Mary,' so we go by our middle names. Have you met Elyse?"

Both of them turned to look at Elyse, and Clint caught her
off guard by moving toward her and taking her arm. "Yes, I have. In
fact, I—"

"Paul introduced us at the door," Elyse cut in quickly.
"Why don't you three go into the family room, where it's more
comfortable. I'll make some coffee."

She didn't know what Clint had intended to say, but if he
planned to tell Paul and Liz he'd been spying on them, she had to stop
him. That would be the final humiliation for her genteel sister and
would make her all the more determined not to continue her relationship
with Paul.

"Well, I—" Liz started, but Paul closed the gap
between them and put his arm around her waist.

"Come on, sweetheart," he said. "This is going to take a
while. We might as well have a soft place to sit."

Liz allowed him to walk her out of the kitchen, like a
sleepwalker being guided back to bed.
Or a sheep being led
to the slaughter
, Liz thought grimly.

As soon as they were out of the room, Elyse pulled away
from Clint. "Elyse," he said huskily, and reached out to her.

"I'd rather you didn't touch me,
Senator
Sterling
," she said icily.

He dropped his arm and sighed. "I don't blame you for
being upset, but I'll explain everything in a few minutes. I know it's
a lot to ask, but could you hold off making judgments until you've
heard what I have to say?"

She had to admit he was a good actor. Probably part of the
makeup of a politician. He really did look repentant.

"I'm afraid not," she snapped. "I've pretty much figured
it out, anyway. You were using me to get information about Liz."

"That's not true," he said anxiously. "I thought it was
you Paul was seeing. The names—"

"Ah, yes, the old problem of our similar names." She
glared at him. "I don't like people who lie to me, Senator. Especially
men who are supposed to represent me in the state legislature. I'm not
interested in your explanation, but if you have a shred of decency you
won't tell either Paul or Liz what you've been up to. My sister is a
very proper school teacher. She believes in setting a good example for
her students, and she'd be shattered if she thought Paul's family was
sneaking around having her investigated."

Clint muttered an expletive, but she didn't pause. "If
it's me you're worried about, if the fact that Liz has a sister who
sleeps around and got herself pregnant is going to contaminate your
family honor and political reputation, then—"

"Dammit, Elyse! Stop that!" Clint's roar must have been
heard all over the house as he reached out and folded her in his arms.

She tried to pull away, but his hold was unbreakable.
"Don't fight me," he said through clenched teeth. "Just listen."

He held her so she couldn't get away while he swiftly
enumerated his reasons for feeling it was necessary to know more about
the woman Paul was seeing. She gradually relaxed as his story began to
make a rather botched-up kind of sense.

"I admit I did everything wrong," he said in conclusion.
"It just never occurred to me you weren't the Mary E. Haley Paul was
seeing. He even gave me your business card tonight when he asked me to
follow him here."

Elyse nodded against his shoulder. "He asked for some to
distribute among his friends after he saw the shop. But of course it
has Liz's address and phone number, too, since we live together."

He cuddled her closer and stroked his big fingers through
her soft auburn curls. "You're trembling," he murmured. "I'm sorry I've
upset you so. I seem to have a special talent for it. Can't we wipe the
slate clean and start over again?"

Elyse had succumbed to the feel of his arms around her,
found refuge in the strength of his hard body but his question snapped
her back to reality, and once more she tried to push away from him.
"That won't be necessary, Senator." Her tone was all business. "Now
that you have the sisters straight, you can deal with Liz directly."

She took a step back, and this time he let her go. "You'd
better join Paul and Liz. They're waiting for you," she said as she
turned away. "The family room is right across the hall. I'll bring the
coffee in later."

She kept her back to him as she walked to the sink and
started running the water, but she knew exactly how long he stood there
looking after her and the moment he turned and walked out of the room.

Elyse plugged in the coffee maker and leaned against the
counter. Clint was right; she was trembling.

She stalled for half an hour, then put the glass coffee
carafe on a tray with cream, sugar, mugs and a plate of cookies and
carried it to the family room. As she approached the open door she
heard Liz saying, "Wouldn't make so much difference if we were both ten
years older, but twenty-six is still very young for a man, and
thirty-six is definitely mature for a woman. No, listen to me, Paul. I
may not even be able to give you the children you want. A lot of women
in their thirties are finding that after postponing childbearing for so
long, they're unable to conceive."

"Sweetheart, don't borrow trouble." It was Paul, and he
sounded a little frantic. "We'll worry about that if the problem ever
arises—"

Elyse walked into the room. Paul and Liz were seated on
the couch, engaged in the heated debate, and Clint was sitting in the
upholstered chair, saying nothing, letting them talk.

He jumped up when Elyse came in. "Here, let me help." He
took the tray from her and set it on the coffee table.

"I'm sorry," Elyse said as she poured. "I didn't mean to
interrupt." She handed a mug to Liz and another one to Paul.

"That's all right," Clint answered as he reached for his
mug. "It's time for a break." His glance returned to the tray. "Didn't
you bring a cup for yourself?"

"Oh, no, I'll just get my sewing basket and go back to the
kitchen. I have some hemming and other handwork to do."

Both Paul and Liz protested as she crossed the room and
picked up the large basket that sat on the floor beside the rocking
chair. Clint was more agreeable. "Good idea. I'll go with you. These
two don't need me anymore. They're at least discussing the problem
now." He took her arm and walked with her out of the room.

Elyse hadn't anticipated this turn of events. She didn't
want to spend time with Clint… with Senator Sterling. Her
anger welled as she remembered what he'd done. If he'd honestly thought
she was the one his brother was interested in, then why hadn't he
simply told her who he was and asked the questions that bothered him?

Deception was a frightening thing, and she wanted nothing
to do with anyone who practiced it.

Clint set the basket beside the chair he held for Elyse,
and she sat down and rummaged in it to find her needle, thread and the
peach-and-cream ruffled doll dress she was working on. Clint took the
chair beside her, and for a moment neither spoke as she threaded her
needle and he sipped at his hot coffee.

"I would have come to see you tonight even if Paul hadn't
asked me to intercede for him," Clint finally said. "I'd have come
sooner, but I was on the East Coast. I had no intention of leaving
things the way they were between us on Sunday."

"I'm sure you didn't. It's difficult to get information
from a person if that person's not speaking to you."

He sighed. "Elyse, don't. You have every right to be
furious with me, but I'm trying my best to apologize. What I did was
wrong, and I can only plead temporary insanity, but when I heard that
Paul was being seen with still another woman I just assumed—"

He broke off and drained his coffee cup. "I've told you
about his problem with women, and I had no reason to think this one was
any different. Another spate of publicity like last time, and both our
careers could be in trouble. Paul still has to pass his bar exam, and
I'm running for reelection. In both cases moral character is important."

Damn him, he was stirring up feelings she didn't want
stirred up. Why didn't he just leave her alone? Even if she forgave
him—and in the interest of family harmony she'd have to if
Paul and Liz got back together—it was not only pointless but
dangerous to have tender feelings for him. He wasn't interested in her
as anything but a possible sister-in-law—and maybe another
voter.

The needle slipped and jabbed her fingers, and she winced.
"You didn't tell Liz and Paul we'd met before, did you?"

"No. If you think Liz shouldn't know, then I won't tell
her, but I'd really prefer to have everything out in the open now." The
corners of his mouth turned up in a small grin. "As you know, I'm not
good at intrigue."

In spite of her efforts not to, she couldn't help smiling
with him. "You're probably right, but if things go wrong this time
we'll both be to blame." She glanced down and gasped. "Oh, darn!"

"What's the matter?" Clint's grin was gone, replaced by a
look of concern.

Elyse held up her hand to expose one finger with blood
smeared on the tip. "I pricked my finger, and it bled on the delicate
material. I'm not at all sure I can get the stain out."

He reached out and took her hand, and guided it to his
mouth. "Poor little finger," he said softly, and gently licked it
before placing it against his lips.

Elyse felt the tingle all the way to her toes, with
emphasis on several extremely intimate places in between. Good heavens,
she'd never dreamed that a finger could be an erogenous zone!

Before she could gather her scattered wits and pull away,
he carefully folded her fingers into her palm and nestled the loose
fist in his big one. "Such little hands to be so talented," he
murmured. "They not only fashion exquisite dolls, they soothe a small
daughter's fears and hurts. I'll bet they could drive a man mad."

The tingle turned into pinprick flames, and Elyse was in
imminent danger of melting. No man had ever affected her this way
before with just a touch and a few huskily spoken words. She had an
overwhelming urge to find out just what her hands
could
do to him.

Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to his thigh resting so
close to her own. If she moved her leg just a little, it would brush
against the fine wool trousers that encased his firm leg.

She felt a gentle tug on her arm as he pulled her toward
him, then the hot flush of embarrassment as her face flamed. He was
seducing her—and without even half trying.

She jerked her hand from his and jumped up, scattering
thread and fabric on the floor. "Go away, Clint," she rasped. "I don't
want you here. Either go back into the other room with Paul and Liz or
go home, but stay away from me. I'll try to get along with you for
Liz's sake, but keep your hands off me."

He rose, too, and stood behind her. "I'm not sure I can,"
he said simply. "Turn around, Elyse."

His tone had a hypnotic effect, and she turned as if she
had no choice in the matter. Again they were so close they were almost
touching.

"I'm going to take your hand again," he said. "I won't
make a pass, so please don't pull away."

As he spoke he reached down for her hand. His own was warm
and strong and sent electric sparks up her arm. He brought it up
between them and tucked it inside the expensive coat of his dark blue
suit on the left side of his chest and held it there. She could feel
his heart pounding.

"You see what you do to me?" It seemed to her the pounding
speeded up beneath her palm. "I couldn't fake that, and there's no
reason I'd want to. It's not pleasant for a man to be aroused by a
woman who has nothing but contempt for him. If I could turn off my
feelings, I would."

She looked up at him, and there was a painful brooding
expression on his thoroughly masculine face. "Last weekend when we were
together I was nearly torn apart with guilt because I thought you were
the woman my brother was interested in, and I couldn't control the
tender, protective feelings you inspired in me. The need to see you,
hear your voice, keep you close."

He continued to hold her hand against his chest as he slid
his other arm around her waist and carefully drew her to him. "I could
have found out all I needed to know in just a few hours, but I couldn't
bring myself to break the tenuous connection I had with you. I told
myself you couldn't be as sweet and loving as you seemed to be,
therefore I had to keep seeing you until I'd unveiled the kind of
avaricious schemer Paul usually attracts. I couldn't admit you were a
godsend for my brother—exactly the kind of woman he
needed—because then I'd have to step out of the picture and
give you to him."