“Only for a brief day trip. You?”
“This is where I came looking for girls.” She gave a soft laugh, and when she smiled, if it were possible, she was even more beautiful. “Wanna take a quick look around? I’ll give you the cheap tour on the way to the airport.”
Her eyes lit up. “Is there time?”
He glanced at his watch. “We’ve got a few minutes.” Taking the next turn, he headed to the Historic District.
They drove past a magnificent house, a mansion of red brick and black wrought iron with a shaded balcony. Tanya stared at the manicured lawn and the bountiful flowers adorning the driveway. “These homes are just beautiful,” she murmured as she looked around.
He agreed, pointing out a house on her side of the street with distinct Regency architecture. Seeing how interested she was, he asked, “Would you like to come back for a visit, maybe tour River Street?” He wanted to be the one to show her the city.
Nodding, she said, “I’d love to.” They were getting along well, and she was enjoying his company. Too much. For the first time since he’d returned, she felt that their relationship was changing, and despite her reservations about being hurt, she wanted to be with him. A street sign caught her eye, and she turned in her seat to look out, her brows wrinkling as she stared at the tree-lined street.
David drove down a few more streets. He had turned onto Park Street when he heard her gasp. “Are you all right?” His gaze searched hers.
“Yes.” Despite her words, she put a hand to her temple.
“What is it?”
“It’s silly. I just got this really strange feeling of déjà vu.”
“Really?”
“It’s nothing,” she told him, already regretting mentioning it. “People get those weird sensations all the time. Haven’t you ever had one?”
“Yeah.” But he’d never reacted to it the way she had, with something close to anxiety.
He laid his arm across the back of the seat as he drove, his hand caressing her shoulder. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
She nodded and pointed to the clock on the dash. “We’d better go. We don’t want to be late.” But as she said the words, she twisted in her seat to look at the view outside her window. A sprawling park rolled past them as they drove down Bull Street.
“That’s Forsyth Park,” he told her when he noticed her interest.
Tanya’s brows wrinkled. “Forsyth Park,” she repeated quietly.
He nodded. The curious expression on her face made him ask, “Have you heard of it before?”
Her brows wrinkled. “I don’t think so.” But already she was turning to look at what she could see of the park out the back window.
She didn’t know why, but the park had seemed familiar to her in some way. She glanced at David and found him watching her. “I’m okay,” she assured him, not mentioning that something about the park had unnerved her. She was having an off day, she thought, because her imagination was really getting carried away.
David turned the car down another street, then another. “One of these streets leads to the airport.”
“It’s that way.” Tanya motioned for him to turn at the next street.
He took the turn, then shifted his gaze to her. “How did you know that?”
“What?” She shrugged. “I don’t know. I must have seen a sign back there or something.”
He frowned, but kept on driving. Tanya sat back in her seat.
In her heart, she knew she hadn’t seen a sign at all.
As promised, David’s company jet was waiting for them when they arrived at Savannah’s airport. Tanya eyed the small jet with trepidation, but with his assurance that it was safe, she took her seat. When the plane’s engines roared to life, her hands tightened on the armrests. She looked at David.
“Don’t worry,” he told her, then he took her hand in his. “I told you I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. Just relax.”
Relax? How could she relax with him holding her hand? she wondered. It seemed to her that David was touching her a lot more lately, and truth be known, she was enjoying it way too much. Last night she’d thought that he was going to be angry with her. This morning she’d been shocked when he’d apologized to her. Every time she thought she had him figured out, he surprised her, and she was beginning to like him. Too much.
Instead of worrying about flying, Tanya thought about how good it felt to be with him. The panic of her first flight in a plane was nothing compared to the panic she was feeling about where their relationship might be going. She’d told herself only this morning that he probably regretted their kiss last night. But it seemed that he was finding all kinds of ways to touch her.
“What do you think?” Her look of wonder as the plane lifted off the ground made him glad he’d talked her into going with him. He wanted to see that same look of wonder when he made love to her. For now, he satisfied himself by just gazing at her.
“This is amazing,” she breathed. “Just amazing.”
“Look,” David said, pointing to a mass of water beneath them. Tanya leaned over, straining to see what he was pointing at. Her breast grazed his chest, then settled itself against him. His breath got trapped in his lungs.
“It’s beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful.”
Tanya turned her head and looked at him. His eyes darkened to a deep blue, and his gaze locked with hers. At that moment, she couldn’t even breathe. As his hand slid behind her neck to the base of her skull, she felt a tingling sensation all over. Her gaze drifted to his mouth, and she licked her lips. She knew he was going to kiss her, and she gave herself to the moment.
His lips touched hers gently, then his mouth settled firmly on hers, teasing, tempting, achingly gentle in exploration. She gave a soft sigh of pleasure when he deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping into her mouth, dueling with hers, then disappearing, leaving her aching for more.
When his hand slid up her ribs to her breast, the pleasure was so intense, so sweet, that she tried to move more fully against him. Desire coursed through her. Somewhere deep in her womanhood she felt the embers of a fire beginning. She realized that she was still restricted by her seat belt and the hand rest sandwiched between them. Breaking away, she blinked, then stared at him.
“Damn,” David muttered, breaking the tension. “In the future, I’ll have to give some thought as to when I make my moves.”
Feeling her face flush, Tanya’s lips curved into a smile. She settled back in her seat and tried to get her bearings.
Six
Most of the day had passed by the time the plane landed, so they decided to forgo any sightseeing, but David told Tanya that he’d bring her back another time so she could explore the city. Grabbing a taxi, they went straight to their destination, a beautiful hotel in a prominent area. With marble floors and huge white columns, the opulent lobby only hinted at the luxury of the hotel.
David went with her to her room. Tanya drew in a breath as she stepped inside and scanned it. The thick, royal blue carpet was striking against the lemon-yellow walls. Moments after they arrived, there was a knock at the door. David opened the door for the bellman, who delivered her luggage. He handed the man a folded bill, then turned toward her.
“Do you want to have an early dinner?” he asked. She nodded and left it up to him to choose a restaurant. They agreed on a time to meet, and she walked him to the door.
After David left, Tanya opened her suitcase and unpacked her toiletries. She went into the bathroom to freshen up, then slipped on the only dress she’d brought with her, a red silk gown that she’d worn last Christmas. She added a pair of black heels and fastened a diamond necklace around her neck. Lifting the pendant, she fingered it thoughtfully.
Edward had given it to her on her last birthday. Her eyes watered, and she fought back tears. At times the grief still overwhelmed her. But Edward wouldn’t want her to be sad. He was, if nothing else, a man who hadn’t dwelled on sentiment. Still, it was hard
not to cry when she thought about him, and she wondered if David was grieving for his father in his own way. He hadn’t even talked about Edward to her. Tanya supposed that wasn’t really odd, considering their estranged relationship.
While she waited to meet David, she went over her notes for her talk. Edward would be proud of her, she thought. She’d made it to D.C., and when she spoke tomorrow, she’d be thinking of him and his dreams for Cottonwood.
She heard a knock at her door, so she grabbed her wrap and slipped it around her bare shoulders as she opened it.
“Hi. I’m ready.”
His gaze drifted over her. Her red dress hugged her body, exposing every luscious curve. More than anything what he wanted was to back her into her room and strip the damn thing off her. “You look great,” he said, instead.
“Where are we going for dinner?” she asked, picking up her purse from the bed.
David told her the name of a popular restaurant not far from the hotel. “Do you want to take a cab or walk?” he asked, hoping she’d choose to walk. If they got into a taxi, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stand being so close to her and not touch her.
“Let’s walk,” she answered. “It’s nice outside, and I’d like to see something besides the inside of the hotel while I’m here.”
They left through the main lobby, and David led her a few blocks away to a quaint restaurant sandwiched between a bar and a trendy nightclub. Once they were seated, a waitress took their drink order and disappeared.
“This is nice,” Tanya said, nodding at the candle glowing between them. “Have you been here before?”
David nodded. “Once or twice. Are you ready for tomorrow?” he asked.
Tanya sat forward and rested her arms on the table. “I think I am. I looked over my notes. There’ll be a lot of speakers, so I’ll only have a few minutes.”
She didn’t seem nervous. Still, he wondered again if she knew what she was getting into. “Is this the first time they’ve had this kind of meeting?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, but your father usually went to them. The last couple of years he asked me to go, but I chose to stay home.” At the mention of Edward, Tanya noticed David’s shoulders tense. She changed the subject. They’d been getting along well, and she didn’t want to say or do anything to affect their time together.
As they ate, their conversation drifted from his work to a discussion of the plantation, then eventually again to the meeting they were in D.C. to attend. Tanya looked up over her lasagna and caught David staring at her. “What is it? Do I have sauce on my lip or something?” she asked.
“Your lips are perfect.” And they were, he thought, wanting more than ever to taste them again. Struggling to get his mind off making love to her, he grinned and said, “I was just thinking of how different you look from the day I came back home from college and found you living at Cottonwood.”
She cringed. “Don’t remind me. I wish I knew what possessed me to dye my hair that awful shade of red. It took all summer and several cuttings for it to grow out.”
“It was quite punky.” He laughed. “Still, I have to admit I was damned attracted to you.”
“You were?” Tanya hadn’t even suspected. She’d made a point to be around him as much as possible that summer, but he’d acted as if she was a nuisance.
“Judging from your surprise, I guess I didn’t send the right message when I kissed you.”
She didn’t tell him that his kiss had stayed in her memory, that she’d been half in love with him when he left. That it was because of him that she’d never been able to have a relationship with another man. “I thought you hated me. You were so angry that day.”
He raised a brow. “Hated you? God, Tanya. I wanted you.” More than he’d wanted her to know. Staying at Cottonwood would have cost him his relationship with his father. But their relationship pretty much ended the day he left, anyway.
She covered her face with both hands. After a moment, she’d gathered the courage to look at him. “I’ve never forgotten the day you left.” She flushed when she met his gaze.
“You begged me to stay.” His tone was almost somber.
“I was so stupid.”
David reached across the table and took her hand in his. “You were a little naive, but not stupid.”
Her skin heated at his touch and she sighed. “I wanted you to stay.”
“I know,” he said, his voice low and controlled. “But I couldn’t. My father and I never got along. I thought it would only be worse with him if I stayed.”
“Why?” she asked, wanting to know what had caused such a gap between the two men.
He ran his fingers over the palm of her hand. “For one thing, my father and I never saw eye to eye on anything.”
“Never?” she asked curiously.
“Pretty much.” His lips twisted. “It wasn’t always like that, though. I remember when I was young, when my mother was still alive. My father was a different man then.”
“How?” she asked, wanting to know more about their relationship, to understand his distant attitude toward Edward.
“The three of us were happy before my mother died. She used to have a fit when my dad would hoist me up on his lap while he worked on the tractor. She was always afraid something would happen to me.” He chuckled as he saw a vision of his father and himself. It had been a long time since he’d talked about that, and the memory was bittersweet. “She’d chase after us, and we’d pretend that we were robbers and the cops were after us.”
Tanya smiled. “What happened to change all that?” she asked. Surely Edward had had those same memories. What had kept these two men apart?
“My mother died.” Sadness stole into his eyes. “When she passed away, my father was devastated. Suddenly, he changed into this person I didn’t know. He just shut me out of his life.”
Tanya’s mouth dropped open. “My God, you were only, what, ten or twelve?”
A muscle worked in his jaw. “Ten. I don’t expect you to believe me, but I tried for a long time to get along with him. But nothing I did pleased him. I thought if I left home and was successful at something, he’d at least recognize my potential. I worked hard, started a business and made a lot of money. But all he had to say was that I should have stayed at the plantation, where I belonged.”
“I’m so sorry.” She shook her head. “I didn’t know the man you describe.” But now that she thought about it, she’d seen glimpses of him. Whenever she’d tried to talk to him about David, he shut her out and refused to discuss him. “He was stubborn at times, but he’d mellowed so much at the end.”
David finished his wine. “I’m thankful that he had you in his life, Tanya.”
She blinked back tears at his words. He must have been lonely as a child. For the first time in her life, she was truly angry at Edward. How could he have treated his son so callously?
Maybe she’d been his second chance. Was that the reason Edward had taken her in? Unfortunately, she’d never know. “Do you ever wonder what would have happened if you’d stayed, David? Do you have any regrets?”
David shook his head. “I knew if I stayed, we would end up hating each other,” he admitted quietly. “I didn’t want to hate him.”
Tanya was stunned. She’d been so sure that he hadn’t wanted to be around her, when salvaging his relationship with his father had been his goal. Her heart went out to him. “Oh, David,” she whispered softly. “I’m so sorry.”
He’d revealed a part of himself that she’d never seen before. For years she’d thought him callous and selfish. He’d stood there and taken it when she’d accused him of not caring about his father, not saying a word to defend himself or his actions. She hadn’t known that he’d cared about Edward enough to stay away to preserve their relationship.
But in the end, David’s leaving hadn’t made a difference because the two of them had never seen eye to eye.
When they left the restaurant, Tanya shivered from the chill
in the night air. Noticing, David offered her his suit jacket, and before she could answer, slipped it off and wrapped it around her shoulders. But instead of letting it go, he used it to draw her to him.
She didn’t even think of protesting when his mouth came down on hers. His kiss was laced with promises, setting every nerve in her body on edge.
“You taste delicious,” he whispered when he lifted his head.
Tanya couldn’t speak. Her heart was hammering as they walked in silence to the hotel. She found her voice as they stepped inside the elevator. “I’m glad you talked me into coming to D.C. early.”
He put his arm around her and drew her to him. “Come up to my suite for a drink.” Five years ago, he’d done what he thought was best and walked away from her. Tonight, he wasn’t going to.
Tanya’s heart tripped over itself. It wasn’t a command. But there was no question in her mind what he wanted. She knew what would happen if she did. But she couldn’t say no, because she wanted him. “All right.”
She licked her lips, then looked at him and found him watching her.
David’s chest tightened as Tanya’s tongue wet her lips, and a burning sensation started low in his belly. He wanted to touch her, but knew if he did, he wouldn’t be able to do so without kissing her again. His control when he was around her was slipping, and that scared him. But not enough to let this moment go.
When the elevator reached the top floor, he led her to his room.
“This is beautiful,” she commented, her eyes taking in the luxurious sitting area. His room was larger and much more lavish than her own. The view of the city outside his plate glass window was beautiful and romantic. Lights glowed softly for miles.
Coming up behind her, David removed his jacket and her wrap from her shoulders, kissing her neck softly before moving away. “What would you like to drink?” he asked. “There’s a minibar, or I can order something from room service.”
Tanya shivered and shook her head.
Unable to resist temptation, he pulled her into his arms.
Terms 0f Surrender (Dynasties: The Danforths Book 11) Page 7
