Redemption Rains (7 page)

In a panic, Elizabeth tried to pull
away but Devin stopped her, shaking his head. “They are beautiful,
don’t try and hide them from me.” His voice was husky and his eyes
were dark with passion.

As he leaned down and placed his lips
on the flesh just above the creamy lace material of her bra,
Elizabeth shuddered. Feeling her knees go weak she wrapped her arms
around his neck. His flesh burned under her fingertips. Elizabeth
was past the point of thinking sensibly as she let her fingers
trail through his crisp, dark hair. She never thought she would
experience this passion with anyone and was shocked when he placed
his mouth over her nipple and suckled it through the material. Heat
radiated through her body, clouding her mind. She buried her hands
deeper in his hair trying to pull him closer.

“Devin,” she moaned. He released her
breast and returned to her lips, devouring them like a man
starving. Elizabeth's knees gave way with passion. Devin lifted her
up in his arms with a satisfied groan and carried her toward the
bed. His eyes were almost black with passion, as he looked into her
face. His skin was flushed with the heat that matched Elizabeth's
own body, the pulse beat uncontrollably in his jaw. He sat her down
on the bed gently and pressed her deeper into the mattress with the
weight of his own body. His legs tangled with hers. He was
threading both hands through her hair as he raised his head to look
at her with hooded eyes. They were so close, shoulder to shoulder,
chest pressing against chest, thigh against thigh. He was so hard
where she was so soft and they fit together like two spoons. Then
Elizabeth felt the evidence of Devin’s arousal pressing into her
stomach. She was not a child and she knew what was involved when
two people made love but she was shocked at the size of him and was
suddenly frightened of the pain it could cause her. She stilled in
his arms, Devin felt it instantly. She could not hide the fear in
her eyes from him, but instead of soothing her fear away, he lifted
himself away from her and off the bed. She watched him walk away
from her, tightening the towel around his waist.

"I think that after that display I
have proved my virgin theory true, Miss Windsor," his voice was
devoid of any emotion, his actions smooth and in control as if the
passionate lovemaking they had just engaged in had never happened.
Both his words and his actions shocked Elizabeth. Her body now
chilled where heat had previously burned it. He felt nothing; it
was all an act to prove he was right. She sat up on the bed,
pulling a pillow in front of her like a shield.

"What do you mean?" She didn't think
that he heard her whispered question, but then he turned and looked
directly at her. His face held a bored expression; his clear blue
gaze was cynical.

"I mean that I don't do virgins. They
are not my type. Too much inexperience, a man has to work too hard
to enjoy himself," he turned back toward the bathroom.

"So, Miss Windsor, I guess that will
be the first and last glimpse, touch or taste of this naked man."
He walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

Tears welled up in Elizabeth's eyes as
the feeling of despair engulfed her. How dare he use her that way?
He had no right to treat her like that. Who does he think he is?
She stifled a groan as she buried her head in the pink pillow and
cried so hard her body shook. After about five minutes of this
self-morose, Elizabeth realized that he wouldn't be in that
bathroom forever and there was no way she was going to endure his
masochistic chauvinism another minute.

She jumped off the bed and went to the
closet grabbing a pair of black loose lounge pants that tied at the
waist and large white cotton blouse that pulled over her head. It
was collarless but the neck and the long sleeves were both lined in
satin, giving it a touch of class. Elizabeth reached further into
the closet and pulled out a white pair of Keds and slipped them on
her bare feet. Grabbing her purse off the settee, she headed for
the door, praying that Devin would not reappear until she had time
to flee. Quietly she opened the door and looked out into the empty
hall. She stepped out and pulled the door closed behind her with a
click.

Taking a deep breath she started
walking toward the elevator. Not sure what she was doing, or where
she was going; all she knew was that she had to get some space
between her and Detective Kane. At least until she could sort out
her feelings for this man. She should hate him, but she couldn't
get past the mushy, light headed response she had to his
lovemaking. She decided that she would call Samuel; if anyone could
calm her down and make her feel better it was her
stepbrother.

Chapter 6

She found herself seated at a secluded
booth in the bar at the back of the hotel. She had a couple of bad
moments when she stepped off the elevator and was spotted by the
concierge, but with a slight explanation of having to "pick up some
things" at the hotel drugstore she waved the enamored little man
off with a knowing smile.

Dialing the phone the waitress had
provided her, Elizabeth waited for Samuel to answer. What if he
wasn't home? Should she leave a message?

"Hello," Samuel's voice came across
the line.

"Samuel, it’s me Elizabeth," she found
herself whispering.

"Elizabeth. Where are you?” Samuel was
almost shouting, afraid that someone might over hear him; Elizabeth
ducked further into the dark booth.

"Samuel, please don't shout. I just
don't think I could take that right now," Elizabeth sobbed. "It has
been horrible. The man who is guarding me is a brute and I am
forced to share a suite with him in this resort."

"What resort? Exactly where are?" his
voice was lower but the sense of urgency was still there. "I want
to know who you are with and where you are staying right now
Elizabeth."

Warmth filled her. Of course he would,
he cared for her and he was finally letting it show. He was worried
and wanted to protect her himself. Letting her emotions reign full
for the first time in their entire relationship, Elizabeth sobbed
into the phone. "Oh Samuel, I miss you so much. I have been so
frightened. I don't know how much more of Devin Kane I can
take."

"Is Devin Kane the detective guarding
you?" he questioned.

"Yes, he is a brute who is only
worried about seeing this Vincent Servano behind bars, no matter
who it hurts," Elizabeth took a deep breath and related as much of
her story to Samuel as she could, skipping over the scene that took
place in the bedroom earlier. There was no need to worry Samuel
more with that knowledge.

"I don't know what to do now Samuel. I
can't stay here but I am stranded except for the money Father gave
me."

"I don't want you to go anywhere."
Samuel's voice was suddenly hard. "Listen to me Elizabeth; you must
go back to this Detective Kane."

"But Samuel, you don't know what he is
like," Elizabeth replied. "He hates me and does everything he can
to belittle me. I can't endure such treatment." She suddenly felt
guilty over her sudden outburst. She was ashamed of sounding so
whiny. She knew the statement was not true when she spoke it. It
was not Devin’s attitude she couldn't handle, it was his body. All
he had to do was look at her with those sizzling blue eyes and she
melted into submission. Her shameful thoughts were interrupted by
Samuel's voice, which was surprisingly cold and hard. She couldn’t
remember him ever talking to her that way.

"You will endure it for as long as you
have to," Samuel's voice was relentless.

"Samuel, you are scarring me. Please
don't be that way," Elizabeth's voice broke on a sob.

"What I am saying is that you have to
endure it as long as it takes for me to get there. You should not
have to be alone with that man. It is not proper and I will not
stand for it."

Elizabeth was filled with relief. She
gave him the name of the resort and what suite they were in and
begged him to hurry for her sake. He made her promise that she
would return to the room and not leave it again until he was there
and then rung off.

She sat there for another minute or so
thinking back over the conversation she just had with her
stepbrother. A little voice in the back of her mind kept niggling
at his reasoning for coming here. Because he loves me and has
finally realized the truth and wants to protect me. Right, why was
he so short with you on the phone? And he never calls you that
horrible nickname. What game was he up to? Nothing, quit
second-guessing yourself. She was angry with herself for letting
Devin Kane, a stranger; take advantage of her and then doubting her
stepbrother, whom she had loved forever. You are insane, she told
herself. Elizabeth shook her head to erase the thought and turned
to exit the booth. She would go back to the room and act like
nothing happened and when Samuel arrived, she would demand that
they leave and go somewhere else. Devin would have no choice but to
leave since Samuel would threaten to blow their cover.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth didn’t take a
key with her, so when she reached her room, she was forced to knock
on the door and wait for a reply. None came. She knocked harder;
still no reply. What should she do? Had Devin left searching for
her or was he sitting in there listening to her knock with no
intention of letting her in the room? She looked up and down the
hallway in confusion when she spotted the maid pushing her cart of
clean linens.

"Excuse me," E caught the maid's
attention. She was an older, Hispanic woman with gray hair poking
out of her uniform cap. "Pardon me, do you have a key I could
barrow?" The woman looked blankly at Elizabeth. "I have locked
myself out of the room and my husband sleeps so soundly that he
will never hear me knocking." Elizabeth stumbled through her
excuse, praying the woman would not pick up on her
nervousness.

"I am sorry Senora, but I do not
understand?" the maid spoke in broken English. Frustrated Elizabeth
tried to better explain.

"My spouse is sleeping," she made a
gesture of sleeping too elaborate. "I forgot my key. The door is
locked." She walked to the door and turned the handle as an
example. "Do you have a key?" Elizabeth pointed at the lock on the
door. The maid's face lit up with understanding.

"Of course, Senora, I have a key,"
smiling, the woman reached into her pocket and pulled out a ring of
keys. Locating the correct one, she inserted it in the lock and
turned the handle. Elizabeth released a breath of relief, thanking
the kind maid as she walked through the door. With a click she
closed the door behind her and was instantly aware of the silence
that filled the room.

It was dark, except for a lamp that
was lit beside the bed and the light streaming out of the bathroom.
Obviously the great detective left in such a hurry, he forgot to
turn it off. She walked further into the room and stumbled on a
towel lying in the middle of the floor. It resembled the one that
Devin had been wearing around his waist earlier. Hopefully he
remembered to put something on before he left the room. She
cringed, imagining Devin running around with nothing but a gun. The
image brought heat to her cheeks and a weakness to her knees. Angry
for her reaction she threw the towel across the room and stalked
into the bathroom.

She was exhausted and could use a
bath. She might as well take advantage of the fact that the
detective was not here to get under her feet. She started the water
in the huge garden tub. The bathroom was just as decadent as the
bedroom, done in the same pink and cream colors. The marble tub was
lined with a multitude of bottles full of oils and bubble bath.
Deciding to splurge, Elizabeth poured half a bottle of the bubble
bath in the water. She walked back into the bedroom to retrieve
fresh under wear and something to sleep in. For the first time she
realized that all she had with her was the sexy lingerie Margery
had bought her. She searched through the drawer and located a long
silky nightgown in a dark evergreen color. The spaghetti straps’
crises-crossed along the back, which plunged low; The front was
nearly as bad, with little laces tying the front panel together and
ending far lower than Elizabeth cared for. As consolation, she
grabbed the matching peignoir, made from the same material of
evergreen. It had long flowing sleeves and the buttons reached all
the way to her neck. She would be covered sufficiently in this, and
more than likely be under the covers before the detective
returned.

Elizabeth disrobed and stepped into
the tub. It was so nice to soak in a bath. She felt the tension
from the past two days ebb out of her muscles as she relaxed back
into the bubbles and rested her head against the wall. Within
minutes she had drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

The sound of the bathroom door
crashing against the wall brought Elizabeth out of her deep sleep.
Water splashed over the edge of the tub and flowed onto the floor.
Standing in the doorway was Devin. Jaw working, nostrils flaring,
Elizabeth knew without guessing that he was angry but her mind
could not think past the fact that he had just burst in on her as
she lay naked in the tub. Glancing down, she strategically
maneuvered the remaining bubbles to cover her. She realized she
must have been sleeping for quite a while since most of the bubbles
had dissolved and the hot water had grown cold causing chill bumps
to rise on her skin.