Unlikely Lover (8 page)

She went quickly back to the computer and sat down, keeping her eyes on the screen. “I’ll get these finished before supper, if I can,” she promised.

He smiled to himself. It took him a minute to leave her, his mind grappling furiously with the conflict between his desire and his calculating mind that insisted she was only interested in what he had—his ranch, his oil, his money.

Women had never wanted him for himself; why should Mari be different? But why had she reacted with such sweet ardor unless she’d wanted him as desperately as he’d wanted her? That kind of fever was hard to fake. No, he thought. No, she’d wanted him. But was she really that unmaterialistic? The only women he’d let himself get close to were his mother and Caroline, both of whom had been self-centered opportunists. How could he trust this one? She bothered him terribly. He no longer felt any confidence in his own judgment. He left the room scowling.

Chapter Six

M
ari was so shaken by what had happened with Ward that she had eventually needed to escape from the den. She was afraid everything they’d done would show on her face, and Lillian had sharp eyes. She also wondered if Ward would tease her. That would be the last straw, to have a worldly man like that make fun of her for a physical reaction she couldn’t help.

She needn’t have worried. Ward was nowhere in sight, and Lillian was muttering furiously as she hobbled around the kitchen with a crutch under one arm.

“I wish you’d let me do that,” Mari scolded. She picked up the plate of ham that Lillian was trying to take to the table and carried it in for her. “You shouldn’t be trying to lift things, Aunt Lillian. You know what the doctor said.”

“Yes, but it’s pretty hard asking people for help,” the older woman said irritably. She glanced at Mari. “He’s gone.”

Mari tried to look innocent. “He?”

“The boss. He decided to fly down to South America. Just like that.” She snapped her fingers while Mari tried not to let her eyes reflect the shock she felt.

“He left tonight?” Mari asked blankly. It didn’t seem possible. She’d been talking with him—among other things—less than two hours ago.

“Yep. He sure did. Bag and baggage. Imagine, getting a flight out of here that quickly. He’ll go on a commercial flight from San Antonio, you see.” She added, “Flew himself over to the airport, he did.”

Mari cleared her throat. “You said a few days ago that he’d have to go to South America.”

“Yes. But I didn’t expect him to leave in the middle of my first night back home,” Lillian said hotly.

“He knows I’m here,” she returned and impulsively hugged the older woman. “I’ll take care of you.”

Lillian sighed miserably. “Nothing is working the way it was meant to,” she grumbled. “Nothing!”

Now was her chance to perfect her acting ability. “Whatever do you mean, Aunt Lillian?” she asked with a smile.

Lillian actually flushed. “Nothing. Not a thing. Here, set the table and help me get the food in here. There’ll be a lot for just the two of us, seeing the boss and his appetite are missing, but we can freeze the rest, I suppose.”

“Did you take your pill?” Mari asked.

Lillian glowered at her. Then she grinned. “Yep.”

“Good for you,” Mari returned. “Now I’ll get to keep you for a lot longer.”

Lillian started to speak, and then she just laughed. But her eyes were troubled when she hobbled back out to the kitchen.

* * *

Mari wandered around by herself during the next few days, when she wasn’t helping Lillian, enjoying the spaciousness of the ranch and the feeling of being self-sufficient. It must have been very much like this a hundred years before, she thought as she gazed out at the level horizon, when bad men and cattlemen and refugees from the Confederacy had come through on the long trails that led north and south and west.

It was so quiet. Nothing like the noisy bustle of Atlanta. Mari felt at peace here, she felt safe. But she missed Ward in ways that she never would have expected. She’d only really known him for a matter of days, but even that made no difference to her confused emotions. She could close her eyes and feel his hard mouth, his hands holding her, touching her. It had been the most exquisite thing that she’d ever experienced, being in his arms that day. She wanted it again, so much.

But even wanting it, she realized how dangerous it was to let him that close a second time. He only wanted her, he’d admitted that. He didn’t believe in marriage. Apparently, he’d had a rough time with a woman at some point in his life, and he’d been soured. Aunt Lillian had mentioned that his mother ran away with another man, leaving Ward and Belinda to be raised by their grandmother. So she couldn’t really blame him for his attitude. But that didn’t make her own emotions any easier to handle.

She found herself watching the driveway and looking out the window, waiting. When the phone rang, and it did constantly, she ran to answer it, sure that it would be him. But it never was. Five days passed, and despite the fact that she enjoyed Aunt Lillian’s company, she was restless. It was almost the end of her vacation. She’d have to leave. What if she never saw him again before she had to go?

“Missing the boss?” Lillian asked one evening, eyeing her niece calculatingly over the chicken and stuffing the younger woman wasn’t touching.

Mari actually jumped. “No. Of course not.”

“Not even a little?”

Mari sighed as she toyed with a fresh roll. “Maybe a little.”

Lillian smiled. “That’s nice. Because he’s just coming up the driveway.”

Mari couldn’t stop herself. She leaped up from the table and ran to the front door, threw it open and darted out onto the porch. She caught herself just before she dashed down the steps toward him. She hadn’t realized until that moment just how deeply involved she already was. Boys had never paid her much attention. Surely it was just the newness of being touched and kissed. Wasn’t it?

She held on to the porch railing, forcing herself not to take one more step.

He got out of the Chrysler, looking as out of humor as when he’d left, a flight bag slung over one shoulder. Striking in a deep-tan vested suit and creamy Stetson, he closed the door with a hard slam, turned and started for the steps. Then he spotted Mari and stood quite still, just looking.

She was wearing a gauzy sea-green blouse with beige slacks, and she looked young and very pretty and a little lonely. His heart shot up into his throat, and all the bad temper seeped out.

“Well, hello, little lady,” he said, moving up the steps, and he was actually smiling.

“Hello.” She forced herself to look calm. “Did you have a good trip?”

“I guess so.”

He stopped just in front of her, and she could see new lines in his face, dark circles under his eyes. Had he been with some woman? Her eyes narrowed curiously.

“Do I look that bad?” he taunted.

“You look tired,” she murmured.

“I am. I did two weeks’ business in five days.” He searched her big, soft blue eyes quietly. “Miss me?”

“I had lots to do,” she hedged. “And the phone hasn’t stopped.”

“That’s not surprising.” He let the bag fall to the porch and took her face in his big hands, tilting it up to his curious green eyes. “Dark circles,” he murmured, running his thumbs gently under her eyes. “You haven’t slept, have you?”

“You look like you haven’t, either,” she returned. There was a note in her voice that surprised and secretly delighted him.

“I never mix business with women,” he whispered lazily. “It’s bad policy. I haven’t been sleeping around with any of those gorgeous, dark-eyed Latins.”

“Oh.” She felt embarrassed and lowered her shocked eyes to his chest. “That’s none of my business, after all,” she began.

“Wouldn’t you like it to be?” he asked softly. He leaned toward her, nuzzling her face so that she lifted it helplessly and met his quiet, steady gaze. “Or would you rather pretend that what we did the night I left meant nothing at all to you?”

“It meant nothing at all to you,” she countered. “You even said so, that you…”

He stopped the soft tirade with his mouth. His arm reached across her back, pillowing her head, and his free hand spread on her throat, smoothing its silky softness as he ravished the warm sweetness of her parted lips. He was hungry, and he didn’t lift his head for a long time, not until he felt her begin to tremble, not until he heard the soft gasp and felt the eager ardor of her young mouth.

He was breathing through his nose, heavily, and his eyes frightened her a little. “You haunted me, damn you,” he said roughly, spearing his fingers into her thick dark hair. “In my sleep I heard you cry out…”

“Don’t hurt me,” she whispered shakily, her eyes pleading with him. “I’m not experienced enough, I’m not…old enough…to play adult games with men.”

That stopped him, softened him. The harsh light went out of his eyes, and he searched her delicate features with growing protectiveness.

“I’ll never hurt you,” he whispered and meant it. He kissed her eyes closed. “Not that way or in bed. Oh, God, Mari, you make me ache like a teenager!”

Her nails bit into his arms as he started to lean toward her again, and just as his lips touched hers in the prelude to what would have become a violently passionate exchange, they heard the soft, heavy thud of Lillian’s cast as she headed toward them.

“Cupid approaches,” he muttered, a subtle tremor in the hands that gently put her away from him. “She’d die if she knew what she just interrupted.”

Mari stared at him, a little frightened by her lack of resistance, by the blatant hunger that she’d felt.

“Passion shouldn’t be frightening to you,” he said gently as the thuds grew closer. “It’s as natural as breathing.”

She shifted, watching him lift his bag without moving his eyes from her. “It’s very new,” she whispered.

“Then it’s new for both of us,” he said just before Lillian opened the door. “Because I’ve never felt this with another woman. And if that shocks you, it should. It damned well shocks me. I thought I’d done it all.”

“Welcome home, boss.” Lillian beamed, holding the door back. “You look good. Doesn’t he, Mari?” Flushed face on the girl, and the boss looked a little flustered. Good. Good. Things were progressing. Absence worked after all.

“I feel pretty good, too,” he returned, putting an affectionate arm around Lillian. “Been behaving?”

“Yes, sir. Pills and all.” Lillian glared at her niece. “It’s pretty hard not to take pills when you’re threatened with being rolled in a towel.”

He laughed warmly, glancing over at Mari. “Good girl.”

“I should get medals for this,” Mari returned, her eyes searching his, searching his face, quiet and curious and puzzled.

He hugged Lillian. “No doubt. What’s for dinner? I’m starved.”

“Finally,” Lillian said with a grin. “Things are back to normal. You should see all the food I’ve saved up.”

“Don’t just stand there, both of you, go fetch it,” he said, looking starved. “I’ll die if I don’t eat soon!”

Lillian responded to his order, producing an abundance of hearty food. While Ward dug in, Mari watched him with pure admiration. She’d never seen a human being put it away with such pleasure. He didn’t seem to gain an ounce, for all his appetite. But then he was on the run most of his life, which probably explained his trim but masculine build.

He finished the last of the dressing and sat back with a heavy sigh to sip his second cup of coffee while Lillian, despite offers of help and threats, pushed a trolley of dirty dishes out to the kitchen and dishwasher.

“She won’t slow down,” Mari said. “I’ve tried, but she won’t let me take over. I called the doctor, but he said as long as she was taking her medicine and didn’t overdo standing on that cast, she’d be okay. I do at least get her to sit down, and I help when she lets me.”

“Good thing her room’s on the ground floor,” he remarked.

“Yes.”

He studied her over the rim of his coffee cup, his eyes narrow and quiet and full of green flames. There was no amusement in them now, no mockery. Just frank, blatant desire.

She looked back because it was beyond her powers of resistance not to. He held her in thrall, his darkening eyes full of promised pleasure, exquisite physical delight. Her body recognized that look, even if her brain didn’t, and began to respond in frightening ways.

“I should bring in the dessert,” she said as she rose, panicked.

“I don’t want dessert,” he said deeply.

She thought she knew what he did want, and she almost said so, but she dropped back down into her chair and put more sugar in her already oversweet coffee.

“Keep that up, and you can take rust off with it.” He nodded toward her efforts with the sugar bowl.

She flushed. “I like it sweet.”

“Do you?” He reached over and stilled her hand, his fingers lightly caressing it. While he held her eyes, he took the spoon away from her and linked his fingers slowly with hers in a light, caressing pressure that made her want to scream with frustrated hunger.

She couldn’t help it. Her fingers contracted, too, convulsively, and she looked at him with aching desire.

His face went hard. “Suppose we go over those phone messages?” he asked.

“All right.”

They both knew it was only an excuse, a reason to be alone together in the den to make love. Because that was surely what was going to happen. Being apart and then experiencing this explosive togetherness had taken its toll on them. He stood up and drew her along with him, and she could feel the throbbing silence that grew as they walked down the hall.

“Don’t you want dessert?” Lillian called after them but not very heartily. She was grinning too much.

“Not right now,” Ward replied. He looked down at Mari as he opened the door to the den, and there were blazing fires in his steady, possessive eyes.

Mari felt her lips part as she looked up at him. She started past him, feeling the warmth of his big body, the strength and power of it, and smelling his spicy cologne. She could hardly wait to be alone with him.

Just as he started to follow her into the room, into the secret silence of it, the heady atmosphere was shattered by a loud knock at the front door.