Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger (45 page)

Read Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger Online

Authors: Lori Copeland

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #General, #Contemporary, #Westerns, #test

BOOK: Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger
10.18Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
 
Page 126
Garrett that it was him she loved . . . would always love. But she couldn't take the chance of hearing him openly refuse that love, and now that he had told her why he felt as he did, she doubted that he would ever accept her terms in their relationship. And she couldn't accept his.
''I can't ask you not to marry him, Chandra. I don't have the right to do that. I have always respected other men's womenI've stayed clear of any involvement with them . . . up till now. All I'm asking is for you to think about it . . . be sure he can make you happy." He reached over and touched her hand. "I could make you very happy if you'd let me, you know that."
"I know you could," she returned calmly, her hand entwining with his, "but I feel very guilty about what I've done to Phillip. He's a very fine man. I wouldn't hurt him for the world. He's offering me marriage and love, Garrett. You're offering me . . . a short time in paradise. You can't imagine how I hate myself for betraying him the way I have."
Garrett turned over on his side, his gaze capturing hers. "That's what I've been trying to tell you about this thing called love and marriage. You're going to tear Phillip's guts out if he ever finds out what has transpired between us this last few days. Now"he paused gazing at her intently"tell me how marriage is going to change that," he finished grimly.
"But you forget," she said, meeting his gaze, "I haven't married him yetI've made no promisestaken no vows as his wife. When I do promise a man my fidelity and love, he can rest assured he will be the only man in my life from that day on, unless he chooses otherwise."
"Are you going to tell Phillip about me?"
Chandra sighed. She had been thinking about that question for a long time. "Yes, I plan on telling him about . . . what's happened. I would never be able to live with myself if I didn't."
"What do you plan on telling him?" Garrett asked quietly.
"Why . . . the truth, of course. How I made a fool of myselfthat I felt I owed it to you to rectify that mistake . . ."
"Is that all?" he questioned softly.
 
Page 127
''No, I'll tell him how I moved in here with you and continued to pose as your wife."
"And," he persisted.
"And," she whispered in a small voice, "how I let you make love to me twice . . ."
"Wrong," he stopped her. "Not twicethree times."
"Yes,
twice
 . . . you know that, Garrett. Don't you remember? There was once in your bed, then once in the showe" Garrett's hand clamped over her mouth.
"And once after she damn near broke his back," he finished huskily as he reached out to draw her back in his arms. "You may have to do all the work, sweetheart, but if I'm going to lose you to another man, I'm going to have one more day with you in my arms." His mouth descended slowly to hers, the fires of passion burning brightly in his blue eyes. "There's no one else in the world right now, honey." His lips touched hers briefly. "Just you and me." The softness of their breaths mingled warmly as his lips touched hers again. A low moan began in his throat as he opened his mouth over hers, the floodgates of passion bursting open. She gave herself up, melting into his arms, her love for him blanking out all else. If these were to be their last hours together, she would hold back nothing from him. Today would only be a memory, one that would see her through many lonely years.
Garrett's hands reached out to unbutton her blouse, working her arms through the sleeves as his tongue joined hotly with hers. Nimble fingers unfastened her flimsy bra, and he impatiently freed her arms from that obstacle also. His large hand eagerly cupped her firm breast, his other arm pulling her on top of his lean muscled frame. "I'm sorry," he groaned between snatches of deep, searing kisses. "It's going to have to be like this. . . . my back . . ."
"Sorry? You've nothing to be sorry for," she gasped as he pressed against her intimately, letting her feel his need for her.
"Oh, Garrett, I don't want to hurt you. . . ." Her words were stopped by his mouth again, his tongue plunging deeply into the
 
Page 128
recesses of her warm, moist mouth. He moved against her suggestively as her desire built to new and frightening heights. His hands touched her body intimately, his breathing labored and heavy.
She buried her face in the hardness of his broad chest, the heavy mat of hair clutched tightly between her fingers as his mouth devoured every inch of her face, her neck, her breasts.
He broke away, panting in short spurts, his mouth capturing one of her breasts. His tongue made slow, lazy, wet circles around the nipple before he groaned painfully, his hands tangling roughly in her hair. ''I've never met a woman like you," he breathed raggedly, burying his face in the softness of her hair again. "When I'm with you, I feel ten feet tall, able to face anything the world deals mebut when I'm away from you and I remember how I feel when I make love to you, it scares me to death. Why are you so different from all the other women I've known?" He brought his mouth back down on hers angrily. His kiss was violent and brutal as he fought the warring emotions racking his body.
Oh, Garrett, get it all out of your system,
she willed silently, letting his mouth savagely bruise hers into willing submission. The anger slowly drained out of him as he became aware of the low groan of pain coming from her throat and he tasted the saltiness of the blood on her lip. Gentleness took over again as he murmured passionately, "I'm sorry, baby, I'm sorry. Love me, Chandra. I need youright now more than I ever needed anyone in my whole life."
And Chandra did. She poured every ounce of her love for him into her body as she let him enter her in a frenzied act of desire. They moved together as perfectly as the sand and the ocean, blotting out all fears. With her hands she poured out her love, touching him, kissing him, caressing him. At that moment she would gladly have laid down her life for him, should he ask. But he didn't. He merely gave himself as freely to her as she did to him. Their bodies devoured each other in love, bringing unspeakable joy and pleasure. When they could no longer prolong the
 
Page 129
inevitable, they clutched each other tightly as violent tides of passion enveloped them, sending showers of tingling sensations rippling through fevered souls. Time held no meaning for them as they lay wrapped in a hazy world of sated passion, too exhausted even to murmur each other's name.
Her face was still buried deep in his shoulder, her breathing slowing to an even beat before she could finally manage to speak. ''Are you all right . . . we didn't hurt you?" she asked in concern.
"I was too busy to notice," he moaned, running his hands over the satin smoothness of her bare buttocks. "If we did, it was worth every minute of it."
"Garrett, I was wondering . . . have you ever been in love before?" she whispered, softly touching his smooth, moist skin.
"I may have thought I was before, but I always managed to get over it," he said drowsily. "With you . . . it's going to be harder."
Chandra raised up on her elbow, her face glowing with love. "Are you saying that you're in love with me?"
"You know that I am," he whispered fervently. "I don't have to tell you that." His lips took hers again roughly.
"I love you too, Garrett. I'll always love you . . . no matter what tomorrow brings," she promised against the pressure of his mouth on hers.
"We both have a lot of soul searching to do. You have a fiancé . . . I have old memories that won't go away." He absently stroked the silkiness of one breast, his fingers gently teasing the budding tip.
"And we're no closer to an answer than when we first met," she added, bringing one of his hands up to kiss each long finger gently, sensuously.
"I told you, I wouldn't move in on another man's propertyit's up to you to decide how you want to live."
"I won't live with you, Garrett, you know that."
"Then you're going to marry Phillip?" Garrett's hand closed over hers tightly, squeezing her small hand painfully.
 
Page 130
''I don't know . . . I just don't know." She was suddenly very, very tired.
"He may not want you once he finds out we made love four times," Garrett cautioned, his need for her stirring against her bare stomach once again.
"Three, Garrettjust three times," she corrected sleepily.
His eyes locked with hers, his look disputing her words.
"Oh . . ." she grinned, her eyes coming alive with desire. "Why, I believe you're right," she corrected carefully. "It was four times. . . ."
"But who's counting." He grinned cockily as his mouth closed over hers once more.
The next three days were the happiest time of Chandra's life. They stayed locked away from the world, making love, spending hours talking with each other about their childhoods, making love, popping corn and roasting marshmallows before the fire, making love, talking for hours on end about what they wanted out of life, laughing together over silly jokes, and making love, and making love . . . and making love.
As with all things, it finally came to an end. The town was slowly coming alive once again as Chandra walked to the door with Garrett early Friday morning. They looked at each other for a moment, neither one of them saying a word. Garrett held out his arms, and Chandra went into them for what she knew would be the last time. Their kiss was long and sweet, their hunger for each other never more than barely concealed below the surface of their emotions. She held him in her arms tightly, hugging him one last time before he walked out the door for a meeting Mr. Rhodes had asked him to attend that day. Chandra stood in the doorway waving to him, he still waving to her as the cab sped down the street.
She hadn't told him she wouldn't be there when he returned that afternoon. The thought of saying good-bye to him was more than her fragile emotions could bear. No, it would be better if
 
Page 131
she was gone when he returned. He would be hurt, but he would get over it.
Finally she was able to shed the tears she had been holding back because they upset him so. She watched his cab turn the corner taking him out of sight and silently said good-bye, tears rolling down her cheeks, her eyes shining with love.
Good-bye, my darling Garrett, and may God fill your life with all the happiness you deserve
. She walked back in and closed the door softly, a horrible bleakness overcoming her . . . it was over.
 
Page 132
Chapter Eight
Tennyson once said, Chandra thought wistfully, '' 'Tis better to have loved and lost, Than never to have loved at all." But for some reason that adage held no comfort for the slim, blond-headed woman lying bereft on the single bed, watching the rain trickle slowly down the windowpanes. It had rained or drizzled nearly every waking hour since Chandra had returned home four days ago.
Four daysfour days without the sunshine of his smile, the sound of his deep, rumbling laughter, the feel of his mouth sending cold shivers up her body as he whispered love words to her when they lay together at night.
She could hear her mother rattling around downstairs in the kitchen, sounds she had heard since she was a small childcomforting sounds, yet Chandra was afraid she would never feel comforted again. One big, fat, puffy snowflake drifted by her window, the first of the season. This part of Oklahoma saw very little snow most winters, but this winter was starting out to be unusually wet and cold. That one large snowflake was joined by another, then another, until the heavens finally opened and millions of "cotton balls" danced and juggled merrily in the air.
She slid off the bed and walked over to the large window draped in rose-colored sheers and sat down at the window seat. With her nose pressed against the pane she watched the world outside begin changing before her eyes. The snow was sticking to the branches of the large cedar tree in front of her window, the fine, powdery substance reminding her of icing on a cake.

Other books

Ties That Bind by Natalie R. Collins
Gryphons Quest by Candace Sams
A Christmas Seduction by Van Dyken, Rachel, Vayden, Kristin, Millard, Nadine
Due or Die by Jenn McKinlay
Broken Piano for President by Patrick Wensink
The Goddess Inheritance by Aimée Carter
The Happier Dead by Ivo Stourton