Unforgettable: A Loveswept Classic Romance (14 page)

“I’m sorry, Anne, but the idea had crossed my mind too.”

James rubbed her arm in a gesture of sympathy. She didn’t even think to stiffen in protest and pull away. Instead, she stepped into his embrace as if it were the most natural thing in the world for her.

It was, she thought as she was enveloped in his strong arms. She felt as if she were under siege by
outside forces she couldn’t even imagine. She had no idea how to counter them, and save her farm and James from disaster.

She tilted her face up and met his lips with a kiss she couldn’t deny. The perfection of it, the sensuality of his mouth on hers, was unmatched. It always had been … and it always would be.

She wrapped her arms around him and opened herself to the storm lying in wait just below the surface. Comfort turned to passion. Sympathy to naked emotions. She had been too long on her own, without the simple comfort of support from a man. Not any man, she thought. James. Each day she had tried to resist him. Each day the task had become more impossible. She was being pulled toward him helplessly, as if he held all the strings and could command her to his whim. The kiss contained so much more than simple physical attraction. She sensed that each kiss would bring more, much more.

The thought disturbed the layers of need, rippling through them with doubt and logic. It was enough to bring her back to her senses. Confused, she turned away, out of his embrace. Immediately, humiliation set in at her lack of control.

She was searching for the exact right words to excuse her actions, but he beat her to it. Rubbing her arm again, he said, “Sometimes you shock me, Anne.”

He ought to see what she did to herself, she thought. “It was …”

“Yes?”

“Never mind,” she said primly, continuing her night tour of the grounds.

“I’ll let you off the hook,” he said, joining her. “This time.”

She wouldn’t ask, she decided. She didn’t want to know what he had in mind for next time. She didn’t want to examine what was behind her whirling emotions when it came to James Farraday. She didn’t think she’d like the answers.

“We’ll do it your way for the moment,” he added.

“You mean about the security firm?” she asked. If he meant anything else, she definitely had a problem.

“Yes, the security firm. What did you think?”

“Just that.” Her voice cracked, and she cursed under her breath.

“If something else happens, then we do it my way.”

“James—”

“No, Anne.” His tone held a determination that even her grandmother would have found hard to circumvent.

“
If
,” she conceded.

Nothing else would happen, she decided. Nothing else could.

The problem with great plans was that they took so damn long to implement.

James shoved his hands into his pockets and admitted that his patience with Anne was running out. He watched Digby canter down the drive, Anne sitting proudly astride the animal. He never thought he’d envy a horse. It was as if he’d opened a Pandora’s box when he’d finally acknowledged how he felt about her. All those pent-up urges and emotions were now refusing to stay caged in spite of his best efforts.

He forced his body to calmness as he waited for her to ride into the yard. Unfortunately, he could hardly pull her off the horse and make wild love with her right on the spot. It was bright morning, in the open, and Tibbs, who was sniffing around the bushes, would probably mistake his actions and go for his throat. James grinned reluctantly. It was the thought that counted.

“James, honestly,” she said when she was within
speaking distance. “This is the fourth day you’ve been here at the crack of dawn.”

“And it’ll be the fourth day that I’m here until after midnight,” he said, walking over to help her off the horse. “I agreed not to hire a security service or move in.”

She made a face. “We didn’t agree to your being around every waking hour.”

“That’s not my fault,” he said, grinning at her. Nothing else had happened, and he hoped his constant presence was a reason.

“Next time I’ll negotiate better.”

Chuckling, he reached up and steadied her at the waist as she dismounted. It was an automatic gesture, one he hadn’t thought about beforehand. If he had, he never would have touched her.

The soft knit of her sweater did nothing to hide her slender curves. His hands seemed made to fit the gentle angle of her hips. The small of her back was enticing, daring him to explore further. Her waist was taut yet supple, and he could feel her breath coming faster.

His own lungs seemed devoid of air. To hell with the dog, he thought as he pulled her to him. Her eyes were wide with bewilderment, then knowledge. She didn’t move away from him. He touched her hair, letting the dark tendrils curl around his fingers. To his amazement, she didn’t protest, didn’t pull away. He lowered his head until her mouth was under his in that unique way that was Anne. Her body touched his, breast to chest, hip to hip, thigh to thigh. His senses were filled with the sweet taste of her. The scent of her perfume, subtle and completely feminine, mingled with the earthy scent of her riding. “Pandora’s box” was about to explode.

“Ahem!”

Anne jerked away from James at the loud exclamation. She turned around to find Lettice grinning at the two of them. Philip stood next to her, his mouth open in surprise. She smiled weakly at the boy.

Lettice nudged Philip. “Who knew your mother was such a kissy-face.”

“Grandmother!” Anne glared at Lettice. “Don’t be so …”

“Accurate?” James suggested.

Philip was blushing … and giggling. “Boy, Mom, good thing it was only in front of Grandmother Lettice. You could really embarrass a guy, ya know.”

“You could really embarrass a grandmother,” Lettice said.

Anne grabbed Digby’s reins, muttering to herself. James couldn’t hear the words as she walked toward the stables. He didn’t have to; her murderous expression said it all.

“You two cut her a break,” he said to Lettice and Philip when Anne was finally out of sight. He walked over to them. “I was the one kissing her.”

“So I saw,” Lettice said, smiling gleefully.

“Does—” Philip stopped, then said with the understatement of the young, “does this mean you like my mother?”

James smiled. “Yes. I can’t help it. I hope you don’t mind, Philip.”

He ducked his head, shy. “I—I don’t mind.”

“You had better get going, young man, or you’ll miss your bus.” Lettice swatted Philip on the backside. “I don’t think your mother’s in the mood to drive you today.”

“Right.” Philip dashed off the portico without a good-bye.

“He’s a special boy, James,” Lettice said.

“Yes.” He was grinning at the knowledge the boy approved of him.

“He’s been very hurt by a father who didn’t love him. Or his mother.”

“I think it’s time they stopped being hurt.”

He kept his gaze steady on Lettice. He knew they were talking about his intentions with Anne as much as with Philip’s feelings.

After a moment Lettice smiled in satisfaction. “I couldn’t agree more. But if you two are going to be kissing like that, you’ll need some privacy.”

Suspicion swirled ominously through his gut. It was flattering to know that Lettice was pleased with him for her granddaughter. Still, he didn’t like her tone. He liked it even less when he heard her next sentence.

“I think I can take care of giving you that privacy.”

“No!” The word blurted out of his mouth, but this was no time for good manners. Lettice was beginning to steam-roller. “No, Lettice. This is between Anne and me—”

She patted his cheek. “Don’t you worry about a thing, James.”

“But, Lettice—”

“I’ll be subtle. I have been before, with Ellen and Joe.”

He had no idea what she was talking about, but he didn’t like it. “Lettice—”

“Nature just needs a little shove in the right direction.”

“No, nature doesn’t—”

“Let me think on just how to go about this.”

“Lettice. Lettice!”

Completely ignoring him, she strolled back into
the house and shut the front door in his face. Cursing, James spun around and stared out over the green pastures striped with white fences.

Just what he needed, he thought. Lettice’s “help.”

“I am not going to Maida Appleton’s for dinner!”

“Oh, yes, you are!”

Anne glared at her grandmother. She absolutely was
not
going to his grandmother’s house for dinner, not after the way she had kissed James that morning. She was terrified to be around him now. Her resistance was nonexistent the moment she was in his embrace. Unfortunately, if she said exactly why she didn’t want to go to Maida’s, Lettice would only push harder.

As if her grandmother hadn’t already been pushing during the twenty-minute argument, Anne thought. Some corner of logic filtered through her panic, and she realized she was only fueling her grandmother by continuing to argue. Forcing herself to relax, she said, “Please, Grandmother, I’ve got five mares in labor, with two more possible before the night is over. I just can’t go tonight.”

“Are you sure you’re not weaseling out because of James?” Lettice asked, eyeing her speculatively.

“That would be childish. I’m not a child.” She prayed Lettice never talked to Otis, the foaling manager. The possible birth number for tonight was nowhere near five.

Lettice was silent for a moment. “I must admit you’re right. Still, Maida will be disappointed. She’s asked the whole family. It’s very impromptu. Are you sure you can’t get away for a little while?”

Anne shook her head, vowing not to blow it
now be being eager. “I really wish I could, now that I think of how much fun we had at that picnic she gave last summer. But they’re going to need every hand in the foaling stable tonight. You and Philip go.”

“If you’re sure …”

“Absolutely.” A brilliant idea struck her. “James can even drive you. After all, he’ll be going to the dinner. And knowing him, he’ll be here up until the time he’d have to go anyway.”

“Well …”

Anne waited out the silence, hiding her impatience behind a forced smile.

“I suppose it’s the only logical solution to transportation,” Lettice finally said, then sighed in obvious disappointment.

Anne refused to gloat. She’d outwitted her grandmother, but it was much safer not to let Lettice know she knew she had.

At lunch James was even less pleased when he was informed the dinner party would be one short.

“I’ll stay,” he immediately said.

“No!” Anne and Lettice exclaimed.

Anne stared at her grandmother, surprised. Lettice had been pushing James at her since … since forever. She would have thought …

“I mean, how will Philip and I get to Maida’s?” Lettice asked, shrugging. “And Anne is going to be up all night delivering horse babies—”

“Foals,” Anne corrected her, grinning. Her grandmother was determined not to pick up the language.

Lettice nodded. “She simply can’t come, I do see that. And Maida will understand. We’ll be out for just a couple of hours, James. Anne will be perfectly fine.”

“She’s right, James.” Anne tried to keep the
triumph out of her voice. The thought of him staying was very tempting. And that made it frightening. “I’ll be in the foaling stable the entire time. And things have been quiet—”

“That’s what worries me,” he said.

“I know.” She forced herself to hold his gaze. Looking away might reveal her inner state. “I’m not taking anything lightly, I promise. But I’ll be fine. Besides,
your
grandmother would never forgive you if you didn’t go.”

That seemed to be the turning point of the argument, because Anne found herself blessedly alone by evening. She sighed with relief and sprawled stomach-down on the sofa, indulging herself in some sorely needed inner peace.

“Thank you, Aunt Maida,” she whispered, tucking a throw pillow under her cheek.

Tibbs hopped up on the sofa and squeezed between her and the back cushions. Reaching around, she scratched his head. It was nice to have her dog back too.

Lying there, she was all too aware of the tension that had been building inside her. The last few days she had felt as if she were a pressure cooker about to explode. She was on constant nerve-racking alert over Battle Cry. All of them were. Combine those worries with her growing feelings for James, and it was no surprise she was a wreck. The refused dinner invitation had been a release valve, and now she had the evening with no pressure, no cares, no Lettice … and no James.

Why, she wondered, was she losing her control with him? A snort of frustration escaped her. What control? The past days he had simply been a presence—a constant presence, a comforting presence, a sensual presence. He had kept his distance until this morning.…

She sat up, any thoughts of relaxation long gone. Tibbs gave her a dirty look for the interruption. She knew exactly how the dog felt.

“Damn him, why does he have to be so … caring?” she whispered into the darkening living room. Tibbs laid his head on her lap. She petted him absently.

She wished she could keep her image of James, that one of a self-centered playboy who kissed a young girl and threw her away afterward without a word. For years she had lived on that harsh image, unforgiving of one kiss. She wondered now if she had married the first playboy who came along to give herself a dose of reality in case she ever wavered toward James.

“Naaa, marrying Ellis was just plain old stupidity,” she muttered, tossing the pillow aside.

Unfortunately, Ellis wasn’t her problem. James was. James was a lot more of a problem. And that was the problem.

Anne groaned, holding her head in her hands. She had never felt so confused in her life. James wasn’t the James she’d thought he was. James was caring and concerned. He had a sense of honor not much seen in this world. And he was fun. She knew words like
shallow, vain, narcissistic
, and
conceited
just didn’t apply. He had flaws. He was stubborn beyond belief, bossy, and argumentative. And yet he was perfect. And she was coming to love perfect.…

She pushed herself off the sofa, refusing to continue the thought. Her mind wasn’t ready to accept, not yet. Her heart, however, was more than ready.