Speak to the Wind (22 page)

At Joe's request she joined him and Josh as they made plans and discussed campaign stra
tegy. She tried to keep her con
tributions to a minimum and not interfere or inflict her views into what she considered their domain.

When Josh flew out Sunday night, Maria was glad to see him go. But it was for purely selfish reasons. Now she had Joe all to herself. Suddenly she realized how very limited their time together was. And it
seemed far too brief. She was
miser
able
at the thought.

"He's great, Joe."

"Yeah. We got a lot
accomplished toward campaign or
ganization."

"And we managed to put together a pretty good press package."

"Thanks to your help." Joe tucked his arm around her shoulder. "Want to know a secret? I'm glad he's gone. Now I have you all to myself again." He nibbled her earlobe as they walked toward the little yellow bug.

Maria laughed. She felt better. Not so guilty at wanting Joe all to herself. S
he was s
ilently
grateful
their feelings were mutual.

The next two weeks
went
fast.
Joe
worked hard on creat
ing a relaxed stage presence
, looking cool when steaming in
side and giving the media a good, solid story. They made numerous videos, played them, examined and changed every word, every nuance,
every hand motion
that was unfavorable
. Then they re
peated the effort. The work was exhausting and time consuming, leaving Maria and Joe less time to think about parting. But it was there, looming like a dark cloud on the horizon, creeping closer each day.

Their bodies seemed to radiate a certain glow, a white-hot light that grew in intensity when they were together. It was
apparent in shining eyes as they sat across the table from each other in a restaurant. It kindled as fingers laced and palms matched when they held hands.

And when they undressed and their bodies came together, they ignited into a beautiful rainbow of color. The colors merged and blended and mixed with emotions and feelings, creating a collage of passion beyond conception. Beyond anything yet created, rea
ching beyond the realm of imagi
nation. They were uniquely
and completely
in love.

The night before they were to leave the resort, Maria and Joe embraced with a wild passion, a desperate clinging. He held her close, the heat from his bare body warming her through and through. Still, she felt a chill, wrenched from an icy core deep inside her.

She rested her head on his chest, her blond hair spread across the smooth coppery muscles.
“
It'll never be the same again, Joe. This has been so wonderful."

"I wish it could continue."

"So do I."

"What will you do when you get back home?"

"Spend about three days i
n the Phoenix office getting de
briefed and catching up. My assistant, Kay, has been taking care of some of the more routine cases and local groups who've requested Speechcraft. But I have several people who've been placed on hold and are waiting for my return."

“
Important lady. Everyone wants you, including me."

"What will
you
do, Joe?"

"First, I'm flying back to
California until after the holi
days. My
new CEO
, Kendra, is taking care of business, but.. .well, you know. I need to do some things myself. I think the real push of the campaign will start in January."

"Will you... come to see me when you're in Phoenix?"

"Of course. You know I will."

He stroked her back, his large hands caressing her bare length, framing her hips, cupping her buttocks. When he touched her, she felt alive, vibrant, yet strangely content. This was where she belonged, in his arms, resting against his strong body, responding to him in every way.

Joe pulled her over him, nestling her between his thighs. She felt the sinewy strength of his legs as he wrapped them around her. She rubbed her tight nipples over his chest, creating an erotic friction that elicited a small, low groan from him. Then the groan became her name as he arched toward her.

She reached up to caress his damp brow and his dark cheeks. He took in a sharp breath and she kissed his parted lips, giving him a taste of her tongue. She felt the warm power at the juncture of his legs exp
anding against her belly. Excit
ing and dynamic. Hot. She crav
ed him with a sudden, int
ense wildness.

She wriggled within the vise of his legs, almost frantic to get free. "Let me go," she said with a gasp.

"Never."

"Joe, I want... you." She wedged a hand between them.

"Good, ahh, yes..."

When he loosened his hold on her, she slid upward to straddle him. His hands on her hips guided her to a glorious union. And all thought left her as she rose to the heights of ecstasy in a blaze of brilliance and color.

But somehow, through the haze of passion, his gasping words managed to reach her and register in her desire-veiled mind. "Maria...
my
love!"

In that moment they became one entity, one beautiful blending of colors, light and dark, love and desire, one. And the glow they created was as bright as Venus in a black winter sky. Finally she slumped against him and kissed a spot on his neck near his ear. "I... love... you..." she murmured.

He was silent and she knew he was dozing and hadn't heard her confession. And what would he have said if he had heard her? Probably nothing, for there was nothing either of them could do about it now.

Sighing, she slid from atop him to nestle in the curve of his body. With her back to his chest she felt him relax totally, knew the slow rhythm of his
breathing when
he fell
asleep. Inexpli
cably tears filled her eyes and spilled over onto her own breast. Oh, how I love you, Joe
Quintero
.

Although sleep was elusive, it eventually claimed her for a few hours. Early the next morning, while it was still dark, Maria slipped out of Joe's arms to walk the beach and talk to the waves. And to question why this was happening now, this way, with this particular man. Of all the inconvenient times, why now? Of all the inappropriate people, why him? Why couldn't their loving be easy?

There were no answers. No easy answers; no easy love.

When Joe awoke
and didn't find her, he didn't panic this time. He knew where she
was. He dressed quickly and fol
lowed her at a jog, catching up before she reached the lava rocks at the point. Silently he
took her hand, lacing their fin
gers. She smiled up at him, her face shadowed and strained.

"Look, I found a perfect whelk." She held it up for him to see.

"What? No brass trumpe
ts? No band salutes? No wild ap
plause?" He examined the she
ll with its brilliant color, un
bleached and pointy edges unspoiled. "Very nice. How did this phenomenon happen?"

"I just looked down and there it was. Sometimes when you least expect it, you find what you were looking for all along."

"Sometimes when you least expect it, you find something or someone very beautiful." His ebony eyes were serious. "You're like that for me, Maria. You came to me in a time and place that I least expected. And you've become very special to me. I need you."

"Not anymore." Tears glistened in her big brown eyes, and her smile was tremulous. "I
'm proud of you, Joe. You've ab
sorbed everything I've taught, better than any other client. Honest. I'm convinced you'll do fine in the election. I'll look forward to seeing you on TV."

"Maria, I... you understand... there are... certain risks if it's known that I have an Anglo lover right now."

"I agree." She said the words with conviction, although her heart was falling apart. But he was right. "The private life of anyone running for election is up for such scrutiny these days that you have to be above reproach in everything. You know I would never do anything to jeopardize your winning the election, Joe."

"I want you to know that I don't intend for this to be the end of us, Maria."

"It's been wonderful. I'll never forget this.
. .
what we've had here in Mexico. But you have your job, your life. I have mine. I understand that."

"We'll work something out... sometime. I swear."

"Maybe another time we can meet in Mexico."

He took her in his arms and held her close to his heavy pounding heart. He had no idea their parting would feel this way, would hurt like this.

She pressed herself to him, wishing she could imprint him on her soul, afraid she would never get him back again. Bu
t
she tried to convince herself of what they both had voiced.

"Oh, Joe... your destiny is foremost. It's greater than either of us. I believe it."

"Maria, I hate this part."

Her heart pound
ed against
his. "So do I."

Chapter Ten

Three months later
Maria sat before her TV
set in Phoe
nix, hands clutched nervously in her lap. She was as jittery as a playwright on opening night. The performance wasn't hers, but she felt responsible for the show. And she cared about the critics' reviews—and the results.
God
, how she wanted Joe to do well.

In the past few weeks Joe had done several spots on the Phoenix
noon news, and a couple of five
minute interviews in Tucson and
Flagstaff
. But this was the first time he'd made the Phoenix evening
news. The big story was the pro
posed McAndrew condo project on the High Meadow Apache Reservation. When McAndrew and Company found that Joe wouldn't play t
he game their way, they had pur
posely muddied the political waters by making it one of the issues.

Neither Apache candidate fully endorsed or rejected McAndrew's proposal, although the incumbent was most critical. Joe's tactic had been
to try to de-emphasize it, indi
cating that the Apache tribal council would study it and the people would eventually decide. It was accepted knowl
edge, however, that the economic future of the tribe might well be affected by the d
ecision, and the news hounds re
fused to let it drop. This wa
s McAndrew's real purpose of re
vealing it at this time.

Maria watched with pride as the camera moved in on Joe. His face was handsome and strong. Even the bright lights in
the studio didn't diminish his copper complexion and the sharpness of his ebony eyes. His broad shoulders were squared in his navy jacket; the pale blue shirt and red tie
completed the attire of a well-
dressed businessman.

At her suggestion, he'd kept his dark hair slightly longer than the current mode, just barely edging his collar in the back. It gave him a somewhat rugged appearance, not too slick. She relaxed a little and admired him. Yes, the image was right and contrasted with that of the older incumbent.

When he spoke, Joe talked of the spirit of his people and how they would work together for the good of all. He tried to downplay the weight of a singular condo project by claiming there were other areas of equal importance, such as improved health care and education. His opponent had no real solutions but revealed distrust of outsiders' plans. When it was over, the camera moved back, showing both candi
dates. Joe looked strong, sure, secure.

Maria smiled and heaved
a sigh of relief. He'd been mag
nificent, without a flaw. No spluttering, no uncomfortable gaps of silence, no negati
vism like his opponent. He'd re
layed positive information, and he'd been good. Damned good.

She rose and flicked the TV off, then walked into the kitchen to finish making her
favorite, C
hicken
Colorado, which she would serve on rice
. She prepared two salads and refrigerated
them. She checked the table, al
ready set with china, silver, wine goblets and candles on ecru linen with chocolate-colored napkins. The channeled whelk and several other "perfect" shells gathered in Mexico were piled stylishly in a basket as a centerpiece.

She nodded with approval. He would be here soon.

They might have a glass of wine on the patio if the weather permitted. They would eat slowly and talk about what had
happened since they were last together. They would share their frustrations and joys.
They would confess their love and how much they missed each other.