Tread Softly (23 page)

He
shrugged. "I'll drink it. After all, we'll be here for a while."

"You
have to go to your office." Cady sipped the icy juice, grateful for her
settling stomach.

"Nope.
I called and said I wouldn't be in today." He grinned at her and tapped
his glass against hers. "Nothing so major that it couldn't be put
off." He spread raspberry jam on a toasted muffin and fed it to her. He
laughed because he had gotten jam on her nose, and leaned down to lick it off.
Cady felt her heart flutter like a bird's wings in her chest. If only they
could always be so close. "If you don't feel like going to my father's
Christmas bash, you don't have to," he offered.

"I
want to go. I want to be there when you expose Bruno and Greeley." She
cuddled close to her husband, savoring the feel of his arm around her shoulders
as he fed her more of the muffin. "I still don't see how you're going to
get Todd there."

"I
had Stacy call him and say that Bruno wants him there to take pictures. Since
Bruno is in New York on a job for Emmett, it was easy. If Emmett hadn't sent
Bruno on that errand, I would have dreamed up some other reason for him to be
out of town until just before the party. Unless something goes radically wrong,
Leacock should show up just about the time Bruno and Greeley are beginning to feel
comfortable."

"Aren't
you afraid that Bruno will allow the pictures to be made public?" Cady
shivered.

Rafe
folded her closer to his body, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"You keep forgetting to trust your husband." He caressed her ear with
his lips. "A few of my staff and I contacted some other legislators and informed
them of what we're up against. When we told them we hoped to get wives of other
politicians to let us use their heads to superimpose on the body that's under
your head in the photographs Leacock sent you, we were buried in
volunteers." He looked down into her aghast face. "I'm not kidding
you. We had too many women to use, so we used the most prominent. If Bruno
decides to print the pictures he has, then we'll release our pictures and prove
what a fraud they are. In fact, Jack Van Orden says that his wife and some of
the others feel that we should publicize ours anyway, sort of taking the steam
out of any plans Bruno may have in the future. I haven't made up my mind what
I'll do yet. I want to talk to all the wives first."

"I
don't believe this is happening!" Cady gulped. "You mean the
nightmare is over?"

"Almost.
We deliver the coup de grace at Durra, at the Christmas party. I'm sure Emmett
won't be pleased when he discovers just how crooked his protege is," Rafe
grated, his hands clenching on her.

"Your sisters will be furious for exposing him at
Durra." Cady shuddered.

Rafe's
laughter rumbled under her cheek. "My sisters will be quiet—or their
husbands will tell them to shut up. I've talked to both my brothers-in-law, and
they're cooperating with me."

"Oh,
Rafe, I can't believe it. I feel as though someone has lifted a cement block
off my chest." She sighed, happiness making her bold as she kissed his
bare chest.

"Cady,
love, don't do that," he mumbled into her hair. "I can't make love to
you, so..."

Cady leaned back
until she was looking up at him. "Who told you that fairy tale? My doctor
says that all normal activity is acceptable. I don't think I should take up sky
diving, but..." She wriggled against him, liking the feel of his taut
flesh against her.

"Am I to
take it, Mrs. Densmore, that you consider Iovemaking normal activity?"
Rafe's mouth slid down her body, then up to her neck.

"Well, it
sure beats jogging," Cady breathed in gasping amusement.

Rafe
stroked her, then leaned over to kiss her abdomen. "I should hope
so." He stared at the point where his mouth had been. "It's going to
be a little honey-haired girl with violet eyes. I know it. God, she'll be
beautiful."

"The doctor
didn't say anything about twins, and since I have ordered a little boy with
hair the color of dark chocolate..."

"Girl."
Rafe fastened his mouth to her breast and her protest became a moan.
"Cady, darling, did I tell you that you are more beautiful ill than any
other woman in the world is at her best? I can't wait to see you as your
pregnancy progresses."

"You'll
hate me," Cady wailed, feeling lightheaded at his words. "I'll look
like a balloon."

"You'll
be perfect." Since Rafe proceeded to show Cady just exactly how perfect he
seemed to think her, her wails turned to delighted sighs.

Their loveplay increased until all that could be heard were
the whispered sighs of satisfaction. Cady had a feeling that she had just skied
down a ninety-degree incline, then floated back to the top.

"Rafe...
Rafe, does everyone feel this way?" she muttered, her fingers digging into
his shoulders.

His
words were lost in her body as they rose together in a spiral of love.

Not
once but many times, Rafe brought her to that pinnacle of joy that she knew
could only happen with him. He was her love, the very core of her happiness.

"We're
lucky," Cady murmured to her husband as she let her hands wander over his
body, giggling when she felt a tautened response to her touch.

Rafe
nuzzled her abdomen, his tongue teasing her navel. "No one should have the
power over another human being that you have over me," he growled softly
into her willing flesh, laughing gently when her body responded to the most
intimate kiss.

Over
and over they ministered to each other with a gentle, powerful passion that
swept away all the rough edges of misunderstanding.

"Are
we really going to stay in bed all day?" Cady yawned in the aftermath of
their love, then poked Rafe in the ribs when he shouted with laughter.

"I think
we'd better. I'm wearing you out."

"Not so.
I'm wearing you out." She tried to rise.

"We'll
get up on one condition. That we go down and swim in the pool, take a sauna,
then rest again."

Cady
stared up at his laughing face, his body resting on his elbows. "Then it
will be dinnertime." She chuckled.

At
once Rafe was serious. "That's the most natural laugh I've heard from you
in days." He leaned down to run his lips along her jaw. "I love hearing
you laugh, seeing you relax." He reached for her, lifting her out of bed,
then carrying her to the closet while he selected a terry-cloth robe for her.
"I fully intend that you shall have the most relaxed pregnancy in the
world."

"For
our first, you mean?" Cady allowed herself to be dressed in the robe,
feeling lazy as she watched him tie the belt at her waist.

His
head jerked up at her words. "Oh? Are we having more?" The gleam in
his eye made her redden.

"It
seems like a good idea." She wanted to yell at him that she wanted ten
children that looked just like him, but even if they had none, she wanted to be
with him.

"I
agree." He left her for a moment, then came back with a toga around his
waist.

"You
forgot our bathing suits, Rafe." Cady grinned at him.

"No,
I didn't." His grin had that impish look. "We won't be using
any."

"We
can't!" Cady let him pull her down the hall to the back staircase.
"What if Mrs. Lacey or Trock comes into the pool area?" She was
whispering as they entered the large kitchen.

"Mrs.
Lacey, we don't wish to be disturbed in the pool," Rafe informed the
housekeeper, a smile on his face. "No calls, no visitors. Save everything
until I come to tell you that I'm ready to take calls again."

Cady
squirmed as the housekeeper nodded and smiled. "Time you two had some
moments to yourselves." Mrs. Lacey nodded once, then turned back to the
silver she had spread on the table in front of her, the polishing cloth in her
hand.

The pool area had
a damp, hollow-sounding atmosphere with the bubble spread over it. Cady had
the feeling that she and Rafe were the only two people on earth.

They played like
children for over an hour. Then they sat in the sauna for a short time. Finally
Rafe insisted on giving her a massage. Cady felt cosseted and loved.

The word
mushroomed in her mind after their shower as she watched her husband dry her
with a fluffy towel. Did he love her? If he didn't, he was giving a very good
imitation of it. All that remained was for him to say the words she longed to
hear: "I love you, Cady."

That night they
dined on broiled crab. Mrs. Lacey listened patiently to Rafe as he pointed out
how important it was for Cady to have nutritious meals.

Cady
looked from one to the other, bemused, as they discoursed on the efficacy of
fruit with every meal and vegetables cooked al dente.

Rafe
looked over at her and clucked. "Darling, you have butter on your
chin." He dabbed at the melted butter, then kissed her in front of the
indulgently smiling Mrs. Lacey.

The
days passed in a euphoric wonder that awed Cady. She didn't seem able to stop
smiling. She spent many happy hours Christmas shopping as the season advanced
and the morning sickness receded.

When the day
dawned for Emmett's Christmas party, Cady's nervousness had been considerably
mitigated by Rafe's attentiveness and his obvious enthusiasm for the coming
confrontation at Durra.

She
was deciding what she would wear when Mrs. Lacey buzzed to say that Cady's
brothers-in law were waiting for her in the library. Throwing on a pair of
faded jeans and a roll-neck sweater, she strolled into the library and grinned
at the twins. "So what bank did you—" Cady stopped in mid-sentence on
seeing the unaccustomed sobriety on the twins' faces. For once it wasn't Gareth
who jumped into the conversation.

"Cady,
didn't you say that your father was coming in for Emmett's party?" Gavin
was grim-faced.

Cady
sat down and gestured to the twins to sit. Gavin did. Gareth prowled the
library. "I think you'd better tell me what's wrong and what my father has
to do with it."

Gavin
leaned forward, rubbing his hands on his knees. "Your father has nothing
to do with it, Cady. We just thought he might help us." He swallowed.
"Some guy by the name of Todd Leacock says he has proof that Gareth tried
to shave points in the Cornell-Notre Dame game." Gavin watched her like a
cat watching goldfish.

"It's a lie," Cady said, watching as the prowling
Gareth spun to stare at her, a misty look in his eyes.

"How do you
know?" Gareth's voice was hoarse.

"Two
ways." Cady smiled at him. "I know you. You're a brat at times, but
you're honest." She stopped smiling. "And I know Todd Leacock. He's a
heel who works for Bruno Trabold." She gave them a hard look. "You
must have tweaked Bruno's tail once too often." At the murderous
expressions that came over the twins' faces, she held up her hand palm outward.
"Whoa. Don't get up a head of steam. Rafe is taking care of it. If you
behave, I'll fill you in on the master plan. Dave and Harrison are already in
on it." She smiled, urging them to sit down again. "It looks as
though this will be a family affair."

By
the time she was finished sketching the machinations of Bruno Trabold and
being firm about refusing to show the twins the pictures, it was lunchtime.
Cady had no trouble persuading the boys to stay.

As
she passed them the platter of cold chicken and roast beef and the loaf-size
rolls that Mrs. Lacey had made, the twins were relaxed and smiling. "Now
tell me how you planned to involve my poor father in all this," Cady
requested.

Gavin
swallowed and took a drink of milk. "Well, he's been at the university for
years. He would know about these things. We thought he could give us some
advice."

Cady laughed. "About point shaving?" She
shrugged. "I'm not sure he would know much about it, but I think he'd have
put you on the right track. He would probably have sent you to Rafe."

"Or to
you." Gareth saluted her with his glass of milk. "We knew you'd help
us, Cady. You have so much courage—you're not afraid of anything."

The admiring
glances turned her way made Cady glow inside. "I'm no heroine." Her
smile widened. "Even though being married to Rafe has taught me what
courage is."

"That's
what he says about you." Gavin smiled at her.