Between the Lines

by Jayne Ann Krentz

  Together they pursued the driving rhythm. Amber’s head twisted on the pillow, her eyes closed, her lips slightly parted as she strove for the satisfaction that tantalized and beckoned.

  “That’s it, my love,” Gray said. “Take it. It’s all yours. Come and take it, Amber.” He lifted himself slightly away from her, just far enough so that he could slip one hand between their bodies.

  Amber’s breath caught in her throat as she felt him stroke the most sensitive part of her and then she cried out as he surged into her one more time. The splintering climax swirled outward, taking her completely. She surrendered to it with a sense of wonder and awe, holding tightly to the man who had made it possible.

  Even as the tiny, exquisite ripples of sensation began to fade, Amber heard Gray say her name between clenched teeth. His hands clutched heavily on her shoulders, and his body went tense. Then he, too, was giving himself up to the spinning moment of release. Together they rode it until the storm subsided and then they collapsed in each other’s arms.

  Slowly Gray returned to the present, aware of Amber’s satiny, damp warmth. Her eyes were still closed with a lazy contentment, and there was a fine sheen of perspiration between her breasts. She lay entwined in his arms as if she had no wish to be anywhere else in the world at that moment.

  He lifted himself carefully, reluctantly away from her and smiled when she murmured a small protest without opening her eyes. “Come here,” he invited indulgently as he gathered her against him. “Curl up and go to sleep.”

  She obeyed him with a small sigh of trust and pleasure. Gray stroked the curve of her hip with a sense of deep satisfaction as he watched her drift off to sleep in his arms.

  It was almost amusing to know that she had thought herself incapable of reacting so passionately to him. The only thing that kept it from being genuinely humorous was that her careful, polite conviction had deprived him of her presence in his bed for nearly three months.

  He’d told himself he wanted to wait until she acknowledged her own desires and he’d been right. Tomorrow morning she would wake with the knowledge that she was not only capable of a passionate response to her new husband but that she had actively precipitated the lovemaking.

  It would be good for her to come to terms with that, Gray decided. He would be careful not to force her to admit it aloud just yet, however. He sensed she would still need time. For too long she had convinced herself she would never be able to fall deeply, passionately in love. Whatever that man in California had done to her, he had managed to lock her in ice for over six months. He had made her afraid of her own strong passions and that was a crime for which Gray would have very much liked to exact punishment.

  On the other hand, Gray told himself as he yawned widely, if it hadn’t been for the jerk in California, he would never have met Amber. Now that Amber had set herself free at last, it was hard to maintain a grudge against the unknown male who had traumatized her.

  Gray fell asleep wondering how long it would take Amber to admit to herself and to him the full significance of what had happened between them.

  * * *

  Amber awoke the next morning with a languid sense of contentment. She stirred and stretched out her foot, seeking Gray’s leg. When she didn’t find it, she opened her eyes and peered inquiringly around the hotel room. She didn’t see her husband, but she could hear the sound of water running in the shower. A glance at the clock on the bedside table showed that it was nearly eight. Patting back a small yawn, she kicked off the covers and got to her feet.

  Her first reaction to the small, interesting aches in her body was one of surprise. Then she grinned ruefully and stretched. Gray was definitely not a lightweight. Any woman who shared his bed was going to remember the occasion. Amber reminded herself cheerfully that she was the woman who had the right to share Gray’s bed and then she strolled toward the bathroom.

  The steam rolled out in great clouds as she opened the door and called Gray’s name. “Good morning,” she said into the mist. “What’s going on in here? Are you taking a steam bath?”

  “Come in and find out,” he invited. His big hand grasped the shower curtain and pulled it aside. Through the heavy atmosphere, he appraised the naked length of her body and grinned. “I was wondering when you’d wake up. It’s getting late, and we’ve still got to make our way back to Washington today. Quit stalling, woman, and get into the shower.”

  She felt the pink rise into her cheeks as she submitted to his devastatingly frank examination. Amber hoped he would assume the color in her face was caused by the steam from the shower. She raised one brow at the sardonic, very male expression on his face and stepped forward with a saucy boldness. It was a new sensation. She’d never felt this distinctly feminine sort of smugness before in her life.

  When she was within reaching distance, she treated Gray to the same deliberate appraisal he had given her. “Not bad,” she said with mocking thoughtfulness. “I’ll admit I expected a little something more this morning given the fact that you’ve had the whole night to recover. But don’t worry about it. I’m perfectly content to take quality over quantity. And I certainly understand that as men grow older they tend to go for quality rather than quantity in certain areas.”

  “Why, you insatiable little hussy,” he growled. “Come here and say that again.” He wrapped one large hand around the nape of her neck and hauled her easily into the shower. Amber screeched as she was instantly drenched and then she was laughing up at him as he steadied her against his wet, slippery frame. Gray assumed a stern expression. “I decided to play the gentleman this morning and let you sleep since you were obviously so thoroughly exhausted from last night. Perfectly understandable, your being a member of the weaker sex and all. But if a lot of sass is all my fine behavior is going to earn me, I might as well forget the good manners and enjoy myself.”

  “Please do,” she said, her eyes brimming with anticipation. She wound her arms around his neck as he lifted her against the hardening outline of his hips. The sassy teasing went out of her as Gray joined their bodies with a strong movement that left Amber gasping in his firm hold. He held her high against him. She circled his waist with her legs and clung to him as the water cascaded over both of them.

  This time the passion was very quick, swamping them almost immediately and leaving them breathless in its wake. When it was over, Gray lowered Amber carefully to her feet and steadied her as she found her balance.

  “Good grief,” she complained with exaggerated surprise as she leaned against him. “No more cracks about quantity versus quality, I promise. I’m not sure I’d survive too many demonstrations like the last one.”

  He nuzzled her neck, his laughter silent and deep. “Don’t underestimate yourself. I’m sure that with proper coaching and practice you’ll soon be able to keep up with me.”

  “I think I hear a touch of masculine ego talking here.”

  “Of course you do. After all, I’m a male and I’ve got an ego. You’re bound to find yourself dealing with it on occasion,” Gray informed her blandly as he picked up the soap and began lathering her body.

  “I’ll remember that,” she vowed, and gave herself up to the intimate luxury of being bathed by her husband.

  It wasn’t until they were on the jet bound for the Seattle area airport that Gray casually mentioned the party.

  “What party?” Amber put down the magazine she had been reading and gave him a questioning glance.

  “I think we should have one, don’t you? I’m not big on large social events, but in this case I can see a purpose. I want to introduce you to my friends and clients as my wife. Some of them have already met you, of course, but I want to make everything official. Surely you have a few friends you’d like to invite?”

  Amber thought of her sister and brother-in-law as well as a few of the people she had met since she had moved to Washington. “Well, yes, I imagine I cou
ld find a couple of people to invite. Are you sure you want to go to all this bother, Gray?”

  He gave her an odd look. “As I said, it has a purpose.”

  “Introducing me as your wife?” She shrugged. “All right. I don’t mind giving a party. Might be fun.”

  “I have a particularly good friend living in Vancouver,” Gray went on thoughtfully, “but I don’t think I’ll ask him and his wife to come down to Bellevue for the party. This event will be largely business oriented, and I’d rather see Mitch and Lacey on a more casual basis.”

  “Mitch and Lacey?”

  He nodded. “Their last name is Evans. One of these days we’ll drive up to Vancouver and spend a weekend with them. You’ll like them. I know they’re going to be curious about you.”

  Amber picked up her magazine again, but she didn’t see the words on the page. Instead, she started thinking ahead to the party she and Gray would be giving. It was a very married thing to do, she realized. When a husband and wife gave a party together, the act had a way of emphasizing the relationship between the host and hostess. In the eyes of the friends and business associates who would be gathered in Gray’s home, it would serve to set a seal on the marriage. She and Gray would definitely be viewed as a couple—a married couple.

  Amber put the magazine down once more and gazed out the window. She and Gray were truly married now. Their relationship was no longer in limbo. There were lovers as well as friends.

  Lovers. The word came into her mind, haunted her for a short time and then retreated to the edges of her thoughts. She tried to keep it out of sight while she attempted once more to read, but a few minutes later it wove its way back into her consciousness.

  She hoped she had made Gray happy last night. She was certain he had been fully satisfied. That was only right and proper, Amber told herself firmly. He was a good man and a good husband. He deserved whatever physical satisfaction she could give him.

  The truth was, she admitted silently, she had enjoyed pleasing him. No, there was more to it than that. She had found her own pleasure in his arms, too. He had given himself as freely and completely as she had given herself to him. There was no reason to deny the reaction they’d had to each other. After all, she was committed to the marriage. If they couldn’t take satisfaction in each other’s arms, they would be contemplating a pretty dismal future this morning. A husband and a wife had a right to find contentment in bed with each other.

  Amber decided to let it go at that. She didn’t want to pursue the logic of her thoughts any farther. She and Gray would be content with each other, and that was enough. It was a good deal more than most couples had. Gray seemed satisfied with the relationship, and there was no reason Amber shouldn’t be equally satisfied.

  Determinedly she picked up the magazine yet again, unaware of the speculative gleam in Gray’s sidelong glance.

  When he saw her return to her reading at last, Gray went back to the article he had been perusing. He couldn’t read her mind, but he could make a damn good guess about what she was thinking. He also knew from the slight frown between her brows that she wasn’t altogether sure of her conclusions.

  She wasn’t regretting last night, he decided. But perhaps she was beginning to wonder just why she had found it so easy to surrender to her new husband. Perhaps she was telling herself that a certain degree of physical pleasure was only to be expected under the circumstances. After all, she and Gray were friends. They liked each other, shared a similar sense of humor and were physically compatible. There was no reason to be terribly surprised to discover they dealt well together in bed.

  But there had been a great deal more than pleasant physical gratification between them last night, Gray thought. He wondered how long it would take Amber to realize it. He wondered how long it would take Amber to realize that she was truly his wife and that she was bound to him by a great deal more than just a legal document and a pleasant working relationship that extended into bed.

  * * *

  Ten days later Amber stood in front of the wide expanse of windows that framed the living room of Gray’s house and wondered if she’d overlooked any last-minute details. The guests were due to start arriving at any moment.

  The buffet tables had been set with great care. They bore an elaborate and interesting assortment of pâtés, hors d’oeuvres, crackers, cheeses, fresh fruits and spreads. Extra dishes of nearly everything waited in the kitchen to be brought out as needed. A fully stocked bar had been set up at the far end of the room where Gray would play the generous host. The view from the window would provide a spectacular backdrop to the gathering. It all looked quite graciously inviting.

  Amber frowned at her own image in the mirrors that reflected the view of the lake. Her hair was caught up in an artful twist that gave her a more sophisticated look than she normally favored. She was wearing a new dress tonight, one Gray had helped her select. It was fashioned of heavy flame-red silk and was cinched at the waist with a wide belt. There was a dazzling yellow border print around the hem and a rakish collar that framed her throat. The dress did not show a lot of surplus skin for all its dash and charm. Gray had rejected all the offerings that featured off-the-shoulder or deep-neckline styling. Amber was beginning to realize that he’d meant what he’d said about being possessive. She grimaced wryly in the mirror at the thought. “Everything okay?”

  She swung around, the red silk whipping gracefully about her calves. Gray stood in the doorway surveying the room and her. He was wearing an expensive but conservatively cut white shirt and a pair of dark slacks . His jacket was light in color, emphasizing his strong build. Amber smiled and walked across the floor to fiddle with his dark tie.

  “Everything appears to be in perfect order,” she assured him. “I just hope someone shows up. We’d have a hard time eating all this food by ourselves.”

  “Don’t worry.” He laughed, tipping her face up for a brief kiss. “Someone will show. I think we can count on your sister for certain.”

  “Ummm. You’re right. She knows I’d strangle her if she didn’t appear. Finish the final report for Symington?”

  Gray nodded. “Almost. I learned long ago not to hurry these things. Clients are afraid they didn’t get their money’s worth if I don’t spend a sufficient amount of time on the project. I should wait at least another week before I mail the final report.”

  “Even though you’re going to recommend against the purchase?”

  “Especially since I’m going to recommend against the purchase. When you’re advising someone to turn down a big deal like this, you want to make them think you really gave it grave consideration.”

  Amber grinned. “You don’t want Symington to know you took one good look at the books, examined the golf course and the wine cellar and said to hell with the whole thing?”

  “Psychology, my dear,” he reminded her blandly. “We must never forget the psychological element in business.”

  She batted her eyes in mock admiration. “I can’t believe how much I’m learning from you these days.”

  “Pay attention. It gets more interesting.” He gave her a knowing look that brought a vivid flush to her cheeks.

  “I’m not sure I can stand too much education,” she managed to retort, remembering last night’s sensual lesson. Gray had been feeling quite adventurous, she recalled with amusement . She had found herself on the carpet in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirrors that lined one bedroom wall. It had been more than interesting. It had been wildly exhilarating.

  “Who was educating whom last night?” he asked wryly. “It wasn’t me who started quoting Sherborne Ulysses Twitchell in the middle of things.”

  “Somehow it just seemed appropriate,” Amber murmured, her eyes sparkling with wicked amusement. Even now she didn’t want to examine too closely just why she had sought refuge in sexy humor last night. She had been shatteringly aware of standing on the edge of an
emotional cliff in Gray’s arms. It was as if she had looked down from the mountaintop and seen the mists that shielded the valley floor parting for the first time. She had been afraid to look over the edge any longer, afraid to see the truth that awaited her. It had been much easier to step back and find another outlet for her heady emotions. She had summoned up a line from Twitchell, and both she and Gray had collapsed into laughter.

  “Twitchell is always appropriate of course,” Gray assured her. “But I swear if you bring up one more reference to heavy, smoking iron when I have you in the position I had you in last night, I’m going to take drastic action.”

  “You did take drastic action,” she answered, unperturbed. “Speaking of hot iron, that reminds me. You should be receiving your next copy of Radiant Sunsets any day now. I can’t wait to read Honoria Tyler Abercrombie’s article on phallic symbols.”

  The light of battle came to life in Gray’s eyes. “Ms Abercrombie is going to rue the day she challenged me in print.”

  “We’ll see.” Amber turned away with a last teasing smile as the doorbell chimed. “Ah, our first guests. We’re not going to have to eat all this food alone after all.” She walked toward the door with Gray at her side.

  Fifteen minutes after the first guests had arrived, Cynthia and Sam Paxton parked their BMW in the driveway and came toward the steps. Amber had just been about to close the door after the guests who had preceded her sister. When she glanced out and saw who was arriving, she left the Wilsons to Gray’s care and went to meet Cynthia and Sam.

  “Cynthia, you look great.” She hugged her sister affectionately, startled by the tension in the other woman’s body. “Hi, Sam,” she added quickly to the good-looking, rusty-haired man standing beside Cynthia. “It’s good to see you again. Come on inside.”