The Virgin Mistress (22 page)

How long she lay there just like that, she couldn't have said. It could have been minutes or hours. Austin checked on her once, knocking on the door to make sure she hadn't fallen asleep in the tub, then left her alone to relax. It was wonderful. By the time the water started to lose its warmth and she finally stepped from the tub, she felt like a new woman. And Meredith's clothes, while not an exact fit, were warm and comfortable and infinitely better than her own wet ones.

Spreading everything out to dry, she carefully picked up the two candles and went in search of Austin. Not surprisingly, she found him in the living room in front of the fireplace, adding another log to the fire.

Stopping at the entrance to the living room, she couldn't help but appreciate the cozy scene. He'd set out a dozen candles around the room to chase away the darkness, then gathered a couple of old quilts and pillows from the bedroom and spread them out on the floor between the hearth and the old couch positioned in front of the fireplace. Just that easily, he'd made the room warm, romantic and intimate.

It was Austin, however, she couldn't take her eyes from. He, too, had changed. And even though the old jeans and denim shirt he wore were a size too large, he looked incredibly handsome. His chestnut hair had dried, and in the firelight, it glistened with gold. Watching him as he tended the fire with a poker, she suddenly ached to touch him.

She didn't make a sound, but he looked up suddenly and smiled at the sight of her, and just that easily, he melted her heart. “Wow!” he said, whistling softly. “You look fantastic!”

With the heat of the fire reflected in his emerald green eyes, he let his gaze roam over her and had no idea what he did to her with just a look. Color climbing into her cheeks, she adjusted the collar of her blue plaid shirt and smiled shyly. “So do you. I feel like a kid playing dressup in my mother's clothes. Did you ever do that?”

“What?” he teased as she joined him in front of the fire. “Wear my mother's clothes?”

“No, silly! Play dressup. Or is that a girl thing?”

Grinning, he settled on the floor next to her and leaned back against the couch. “It seems to me I remember stomping around in my father's boots and thinking I could wear his overcoat when I was about five. I think that's when I tripped and fell and broke my nose.”

“Oh, no!”

“Oh, yes!” he chuckled. “Trust me, I never did that again. I walked around with two black eyes for a week.”

“You poor baby. But look at your nose today. It looks great!” When he just gave her a wry look, she giggled and impulsively leaned over and kissed him on the nose.

And just that quickly, everything changed.

Outside, the storm continued to rage, but all she saw was the surprise that flared in Austin's eyes…and a need that matched her own. That was when she realized she'd been wanting to kiss him all day.

Her heart thumping crazily in her breast, she lifted fingers that weren't quite steady to the chiseled line of his jaw. “Do you mind?” she asked softly. “I really want to kiss you.”

“I'd be disappointed if you didn't,” he said in a voice as rough as sandpaper. “You can kiss me whenever you like, wherever you like.”

Where she liked was the side of his neck. Leaning closer, she pressed a featherlight kiss there and felt his
start of surprise. Smiling, she lingered there for just a second, drawing in the intoxicating scent of him. She could smell the rain on him and the fresh scent of the pine trees that surrounded the cabin, and with a quiet murmur, she pressed another kiss to the side of his neck just below his ear.

“Rebecca…honey…”

Afraid he was going to tell her to stop, she pulled back slightly, but only so she could change positions and cover his mouth with hers. Nibbling on his bottom lip, she felt a groan rip through him and loved the idea that she could do that to him. With a soft sigh of pleasure, she slipped her arms around his neck and gave in to the need to tangle her tongue with his.

Heat flared deep inside her, fireworks exploded behind her closed eyelids, and Rebecca couldn't think of anything but Austin and the way he made her feel. When they stretched out on the quilts in front of the fire, she couldn't have said. It just seemed so natural. She was in his arms and lying down with him, and
she wasn't afraid!
It was wonderful, fantastic. And she loved it.

Holding him close, not wanting to ever let him go, she dragged his hand to her breast. “Touch me,” she whispered against his mouth. “I need you to touch me.”

“Are you sure? Honey, I don't want to do anything to frighten you.”

“You won't,” she assured him. “You couldn't. Austin, please…”

He couldn't have denied her for all the money in Switzerland. Not tonight. Not when she kissed him without restrictions, as if she couldn't get through the night without one more soul-destroying kiss. His thoughts blurring, he covered her mouth with his and gave in to the need that burned low and hot in his belly.

One soft, hungry kiss blended into another while the fire crackled in the fireplace and the candles burned low, and quiet intimacy settled over them. Their clothes seemed to melt away piece by piece and they discovered what made each other sigh, shudder, cry out in pleasure. Then, with their mouths they retraced the paths their hands had made.

Caught up in the taste and heat and wonder of her, Austin forgot his own name. There was only Rebecca. Sweet, giving, incredibly, surprisingly sexy Rebecca. With a touch, she stole his breath; with a slow, languid kiss, she made him want her more than any other woman ever had. And when she whispered his name in the dark of the night, she made him hers.

“Oh, honey,” he groaned, kissing her fiercely. “You don't know what you do to me. I want you so much.”

“Then make love to me,” she whispered, and pulled him on top of her.

With that, he lost any chance of keeping his head. Shadows danced on the walls, but all he saw was Rebecca—her face, the flush of desire that turned her soft skin pink, the desire that darkened her eyes to midnight blue—as he slowly, carefully entered her. In the glow of the firelight, she was stunningly beautiful…and his. Murmuring her name, he linked his fingers with hers and began to move.

After that, there was no time to think of anything but each other and the emotions that swamped them from all sides. Need, desire, love. The fierceness of the storm moved inside, and within seconds they were caught up in its wild energy. Their hearts pounded and their breath tore through their lungs. The fierceness of the night was in their blood, driving them on and on. Just when they couldn't stand the wonder of it another second, lightning
flashed and thunder roared. And with a startled shout, they both shattered.

 

Cradling Rebecca close, Austin knew that for the first time since Jenny had died he hadn't just had sex—he'd actually made love. When had he fallen in love with her? he wondered, shaken. How? He'd been so sure that it wasn't possible for him to ever love anyone, not after the way he'd loved Jenny. But then again, he'd never met anyone quite like Rebecca.

Dear God, he loved her! Just thinking about her made him smile. And when he held her, kissed her, the pain of the past faded and all was right with his world. She made him feel whole again. How could he not love her?

The words trembling on his tongue, he almost told her right then and there. Love was meant to be shared, and he needed to tell her. But before he could say anything, she stirred in his arms and suddenly hugged him fiercely. “Oh, Austin, that was wonderful! I never knew…never expected…”

Words failed her and when she drew back just far enough to see his face, he grinned. “I know. That was pretty damn special.”

“And I wasn't scared! Did you notice? I didn't get the shakes or anything, even when you held me tight. We made love and I was right there with you every step of the way. I still can't believe it!”

She was bubbling with excitement and happier than he had ever seen her, and that, he realized, was why he couldn't tell her he loved her. She'd never done this before, never thought she
could
do it, and if he told her how he felt now, it would be all too easy for her to confuse her own feelings for love.

That was the last thing he wanted. He'd waited years
for her. She was the most precious thing in the world to him, and he wasn't going to blow this. When he told her he loved her, he wanted to make sure she was clearheaded and there was no chance that she would mistake sex for love.

The words would come later, he promised himself. But that didn't mean he couldn't show her how he felt now. Especially when she was so beautifully, gloriously naked, and she didn't even seem to realize it. Grinning, he reached for her. “Believe it,” he growled, and kissed her again.

Over the course of the next twenty-four hours, Rebecca lost track of how many times they made love. Sated, she slept in Austin's arms, only to wake hours later and make love all over again. It was wonderful, fantastic, incredible, like something out of a fantasy that she didn't want to ever end.

But they couldn't hide away in the cabin forever. Sunday seemed to fly by, and before Rebecca was ready for it, it was time to return to the real world.

“Hey, don't look so down,” Austin teased as they left the lake behind and began the long drive home. Taking her hand, he linked his fingers with hers on the center console and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “We'll come back someday. Joe won't mind.”

She desperately wanted to believe him, but as they drew closer to town, she felt more and more unsure of where she stood with him. Over the course of the last two days, he'd made no mention of how he felt about her or of the future. Had the weekend and their lovemaking meant anything to him? Did he care that once he discovered who tried to kill Joe, he would return to Portland and they wouldn't, in all likelihood, see each other again except at
rare family functions? Had he thought that far ahead at all? Or had the weekend just been about sex for him?

Confused and hurt, she wanted to ask, but she couldn't. Not without sounding like a sixteen-year-old making a fool of herself over the first boy who'd kissed her. She wouldn't do that to herself or him. She loved him, more than she'd ever thought it was possible to love anyone. She should have been laughing with joy and dancing in the rain. Finally, she knew what it was like to love a man! Instead, she'd never been so low in her life. If he loved her, wouldn't he have said so?

Fighting tears, she stared blindly out the passenger window and said, “I guess it's just the weather. Rainy Sundays always depress me.”

“Let's put on some music then,” he said, switching on the radio, only to wince when nothing but static poured from the speakers. “See if you can find something decent.”

Thankful to have something to do, she fiddled with the dials until she was finally able to tune in a jazz station. But it did little to improve her mood. By the time they finally reached Prosperino and Austin drove her home, all she wanted to do was go inside, throw herself on her bed and cry her eyes out.

And she couldn't hide it. The minute she turned to him and told him that he didn't have to escort her to her front door in the rain, he got a good look at her face and knew something was wrong. “What is it? What's wrong? This is a lot more than just the rain. Do you want to talk about it?”

Yes! she wanted to cry, but it was too late for that. When she'd accepted his invitation to Big Bear, she'd never dreamed she'd be gone all weekend. She had clothes she needed to wash for work tomorrow, not to
mention lesson plans to prepare for the week. It would take what was left of the night just to do that.

“I can't,” she said. “Maybe another time.”

He wanted to argue, but she looked so fragile, he was afraid she'd shatter if he pushed her. Still, he had no intention of sitting in the car like some kind of fool while she walked herself to her door. “C'mon,” he said gruffly. “I'll walk you to the door.”

She didn't, thankfully, give him a hard time about that, and seconds later, he unlocked her front door and handed her the key. “I'll call you later,” he said, frowning down at her. “Are you sure you're okay?”

“I'm fine,” she assured him. “Stop worrying.”

He wanted to believe her, but as they'd drawn closer and closer to Prosperino, all the joy from last night had gradually faded from her eyes. And he didn't mind admitting that had him worried. Something had definitely upset her, but she wasn't ready to talk about it, and until she was, there was nothing he could do.

Frustrated, he forced a smile. “Okay. But if you need to talk, call me. I don't care what time it is.”

He kissed her then because he hated to see her so sad. Because he loved her and couldn't stop himself. Because he didn't want to leave her. And if she'd said one word, just one—stay—he would have. But she didn't.

And that hurt. Left with no choice, he said, “I'll call you later.” Kissing her on the cheek, he turned and walked away.

He truly meant to call her. He could think of nothing but her all the way back to the hotel. But when he got back to his room, there were ten messages on his phone from Nate Thompson, an old friend in Portland. Surprised, he listened to one message after another and could make
little sense of them except that Nate's business partner had run off with half the company's assets.

Scowling, he immediately punched in Nate's number. “What the hell's going on?” he greeted his friend. “What's this about Dennis embezzling money? Are you sure? The guy's a wienie. He wouldn't have the guts to take a nickel that didn't belong to him.”

“Don't kid yourself,” Nate said bitterly. “The bastard was stringing us along, wanting everyone to think he was a numbers cruncher who was afraid of his own shadow. But it was just an act. He's been draining me dry for the last two months, taking everything that wasn't nailed down, then setting it up to look like I did it! Dammit, I was arrested yesterday!”