Dancer in the Shadows (2 page)

Valerie's thoughts were of the mysterious man the day she auditioned for the academy. Her parents had been killed in an automobile accident six months before and would not know that their dreams for their only daughter were at last being realized. When her name was called, she licked suddenly dry lips and approached the center of the rehearsal hall.

The toes of one foot rested against the heel of the other in the classic fifth position. The soft strains of a valse from The Sleeping Beauty drifted through the air. Unconsciously, a face came to her mind and she was dancing for him. Her turns were as graceful as if she danced on air. Her hair gleamed in the light. Her face was flushed, as if he were watching her now. What was he, then? A ruthless duke sitting in a large, carved wooden chair watching one of his chattels dance for him?

Haunted by a man she had seen only once, Valerie was still in a daze when she left the academy. Outside, she was momentarily blinded by the bright sunlight and rummaged in her purse for her sunglasses. Walking down the stone steps, she didn't see the tall, imposing figure on the sidewalk.

"Taxi, lady?" A lazy drawl brought her head up to face a pair of dark brown eyes. He was leaning back against the hood of an expensive, low-slung sports car, his long legs crossed in front of him.

"How—how did you know I was here?" A feeling of giddy excitement rose inside her at the sight of her rescuer.

"I saw you go in earlier and I was curious to see what made a little girl run so fast," he replied smoothly, taking the tote bag out of her nerveless fingers. "Right now, you don't look as if you've had any food today."

"I overslept this morning," Valerie said breathlessly. Had he stayed here for the past three hours just to see her? Yet, he didn't seem to be the type of man to wait for any woman.

"Then you have no excuse for turning down my lunch invitation." He opened the car door, assisting her into the passenger's seat.

"I—but I don't know you," she protested weakly, her skin tingling from his brief touch. "I don't even know your name."

After he slid behind the steering wheel, he half-turned in the seat, dark eyes with gold flecks turned to her flushed face. "Sean Hunter, at your service, ma'am." He inclined his head formally. "Now, as to you, my water sprite, what may I call you?"

"Valerie Rhodes," she whispered, still under his spell.

"Well, Valerie Rhodes, I hope you like seafood."

The afternoon was a magical one for Valerie. Over a seafood lunch at a famous restaurant at Fisherman's Wharf, she learned that Sean Hunter was an army engineer stationed at the Presidio and evidently traveled a great deal. Her twenty years were nothing compared to his thirty-two as they discussed her hopes to be admitted to the ballet school and her plans for the future. After a delicious lunch, they walked around the wharf and visited the familiar sights of the waterfront area.

"What would you say to Ghirardelli Square?" Sean asked suddenly. He noted her hesitancy. "Or do you have someone waiting for you?" His tone meant someone male. She was unaware of the change in his manner as he watched conflicting expressions cross her face.

"No, I just thought there must be someone else you'd rather be with than me." Her low voice indicated her confusion. Why would he want to spend the day with her? She certainly couldn't be the type of girl he was used to spending his time with.

He suddenly gripped her chin, forcing her eyes up to meet his own dark ones. "Cat eyes, if I didn't want to be with you, I wouldn't be here," Sean murmured, his warm breath caressing her face.

Valerie held her breath, thinking he was going to kiss her. She felt disappointed when he removed his hand, saying abruptly, "I suggest we get back to the car and head for Ghirardelli Square."

Near the large, popular tourist attraction, known for the making of chocolate candy and now a center full of shops of every description, Sean pulled into an underground parking lot where they left the car.

Valerie's eyes grew huge looking around at the various articles displayed in store windows. In one jewelry shop, she lingered over a jade teardrop pendant edged in delicate gold filigree. The amount written on the small white tag told her, though, that it was far beyond her means.

When the late afternoon sun set behind the mountains, the evening's cool air suggested it was time for dinner. Sean steered her toward a nearby Italian restaurant with a warm and homey atmosphere.

Valerie relaxed during the large meal of minestrone soup and veal parmigiana accompanied by a bottle of red wine. When they left the restaurant to return to the car, her face was becomingly flushed from the wine.

The parking lot was cool and she shivered slightly while waiting for Sean to unlock the car. Noticing her action, he reached inside, grabbed a dark brown suede jacket, and settled it around her shoulders. His hands stayed momentarily on her shoulders before sliding slowly down her arms to go around her waist under the jacket. Keeping his eyes on her upturned face, ethereal in the dim light, he gently pulled her unresisting form toward him. He leaned back against the car, keeping his arms around her. Valerie stared mesmerized at his descending mouth as it settled warmly and lightly on her lips. The touch was softly sensual, wreaking havoc with her senses. Feeling her response, he expertly parted her lips, exploring the sweetness within. Her arms crept up over his chest to his shoulders, winding around his neck, her fingers raking through his crisp hair. His woodsy aftershave mixed with his male scent to assault her senses, causing her body to tremble. Sean's lips trailed along her jawline to the sensitive cord in her neck, nibbling gently. Valerie's hand crept down, unconsciously unbuttoning several buttons of his shirt, letting her fingers seek the warmth of his body. Sean's expert caresses were awakening new emotions inside her. Suddenly he pressed the side of her face against his chest. She could hear the erratic heartbeat under her ear, matching her own racing pulse. Sean's hands lifted, deftly pulling the pins out of her hair, letting it tumble free past her shoulders. His fingers raked the silky tresses before cupping her nape, raising her face to his. A lean, brown forefinger traced her lips, swollen from his passionate kisses.

"Val," Sean said thickly against her hair, "you seem so special that I don't want to let you go. Come home with me."

Still bemused from his lovemaking, she didn't realize the true meaning of his words. "It's terribly late and I should be getting back to the house," she replied huskily, rubbing her cheek against his hair-roughened chest where the buttons were still undone.

"If you feel the same way later, I'll take you home then," he chuckled. "Or we'll just wait until after breakfast."

As the bald truth of his statement hit her, Valerie pulled away abruptly, trying to hide her burning face. She felt burning shame at her abandoned response. Sean's face creased in puzzlement at her stiff withdrawal, his eyes narrowed in speculation.

"Val, are you a virgin?" he asked bluntly, bending his head slightly to study her face.

"That's a pretty stupid question to ask a girl in this day and age." She laughed shakily, still refusing to look at him. A taste of bitterness was in her mouth. "I admit I may not be considered experienced enough for someone as sophisticated as yourself, but if you don't mind being patient with someone who's still in the learning stage..."

"Shut up!" Sean's hands gripped her shoulders roughly, shaking her none too gently, until tears rolled down her cheeks. She choked back a sob at the look of black fury on his face. "Don't you realize that if we had kept on, it would have been easy for me to make love to you whether you wanted me to or not? I'm not a saint, and I've slept with my share of women. But it didn't mean that I loved them, only that I made love to them," he stated crudely. "I am very much a hypocrite about the woman I will marry. I don't want to wonder how many men she's been with before me. I want to be the one to initiate her into the passions of lovemaking. You have a very precious gift. Don't abuse it or throw it away. Save it for that special man one day."

Sean's bruising grip loosened as he noticed the damp streaks on her cheeks and her trembling lips. Uttering an oath under his breath, he brushed his fingertips lightly across her face and brought the salty wetness to his lips. He groaned softly, wrapping his arms around her body, bringing her back against his chest.

"Sean?" Her low voice questioned his sudden tenderness.

"Ssh!" His hand stroked her hair lightly. A low chuckle rumbled deeply in his chest. "I haven't kissed a girl in a parking lot since high school. You make me feel old, infant."

"You're not old," Valerie protested drowsily, content with his arms around her.

"I think I'd better take you home while I still have some common sense left," he said ruefully, putting her reluctantly from him.

As Sean drove out of the parking lot and headed for the main road, Valerie sat back in the seat, still feeling the spell he had wrapped around her, as warm as the coat. She closed her eyes, happy to have her hand warmly enclosed in his.

"Val"—a low voice drifted through her sleep-drugged mind—"you're home."

Her face turned in the direction of the voice as light kisses were rained over her face, teasing the corner of her mouth before settling fully on her slightly parted lips.

"Come to Sutro Park with me tomorrow," he murmured against her mouth, his breath mingling with hers.

"Can you bear to spend the day with a mere infant?" she teased.

Sean's reply was a drugging kiss, forcing her to respond. He was trembling when he finally released her. "What mere infant?" he muttered hoarsely, nuzzling her throat. "You're a witch. A witch capable of casting crazy spells over me."

Sean released her, then got out of the car and walked around the front to open her door. His dark, craggy features appeared unearthly in the ghostly moonlight. But she felt no fear of him.

When Valerie reached the front door, Sean's hand encircled her wrist, drawing her back toward him. "I'll pick you up at nine," he murmured, his fingers caressing the soft inner skin. "Right now, I suggest you go inside before I change my mind and carry you off to my place, where I doubt we would talk very much." His kiss brushed lightly across her lips with a promise of more to come. She slipped off his jacket and handed it to him. He grinned, his teeth flashing white in his bronzed face as he gently pushed her inside. "Tomorrow," he said softly.

She stood in the doorway, watching him move with lithe grace to his car. Soon the powerful engine sprang to life and roared down the road. She watched the red tail lights disappear and touched her fingertips to her swollen lips. She slowly closed the door, a dreamy expression on her face.

Sean became a part of Valerie's life. When he was free from his duties at the base, he would show her parts of the famous city that she hadn't known existed. Her breath caught in her throat when they would walk along and Sean would lift her hand, pressing his lips against her open palm, sending liquid fire through her veins. She soon didn't want to think of what the future would be like without him.

One of their favorite haunts became the zoo. Watching the panthers pace restlessly, she glanced sideways under her lashes, comparing the tall, lean man standing next to her to the graceful jungle animals. A dark shirt and pants emphasized his wide shoulders and lean hips. His forearms were resting on the top of the fence, the fingers linked together. Sean's dark brown hair reflected gold highlights in the bright sunlight. Valerie's eyes traveled over his strong face, noting dark eyebrows over expressive eyes, the faint bump on his nose, and the cynical twist to his sensual mouth.

"Keep it up and I won't be responsible for the consequences." A low voice invaded her thoughts.

"What do you mean?" She looked up coyly.

"You know perfectly well what I mean, so don't play the fool with me." His words were clipped, cold.

Hurt by his sudden anger, she lowered her head to hide the tears pricking her eyelids. The back of a brown hand gently stroked her cheek.

"People will think I beat you, cat eyes," he murmured. "Strange, you seem so self-assured, yet you're such a little girl underneath. I have trouble finding out which you really are."

"Sometimes I'm not even sure myself," she whispered, her eyes still downcast.

"Let's go," Sean said crisply.

As the day passed, Valerie could feel his continued withdrawal, hurting her even more. In self-defense, she also withdrew, not caring that she was behaving like the child he was determined to consider her.

"How about some dinner?" Sean's brusque voice interrupted her feelings of self-misery.

"I don't care." Valerie shrugged her shoulders indifferently.

Sighing heavily, he directed her to a popular Chinese restaurant. Their meal was silent as she idly picked at her food. Sean pushed his plate aside, lighting a cigarette, and leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowed against the smoke curling upward.

"I think you've played with your food long enough," he said abruptly, signaling the waiter. "Let's get out of here."

"I'm not finished," Valerie mumbled.

"Yes, you are," he said flatly.

Outside in the cool air, he looked down at her set features as if regretting his harsh words. "Would you care to look through some of the shops?"

"I want to go home," she replied tightly, walking away from him.

When they arrived at the car, she stared numbly ahead as he unlocked the passenger's door. She could feel his eyes on her, but refused to look up. Muttering a savage oath under his breath, he pulled her roughly into his arms, his hard mouth bruising her soft one. Struggling against the steel bands holding her, Valerie could feel the tears roll down her face in mute protest at his burning kiss. A soft moan was torn from her throat as he lifted his lips a fraction above hers.

"You're a witch, Valerie Rhodes, and by all rights I should be miles away from you," he muttered thickly, burying his face in her softly scented hair.

"Then why aren't you?" she asked breathlessly, resting her cheek against his chest.