The Rancher Gets Hitched & An Affair of Convenience

by Cathie Linz

  He blinked again, then a slow smile dawned. “You really aren’t disappointed, are you?”

  “Yes, I am. I’m disappointed that you thought you had to ignore your own problems just to keep me happy. I’m disappointed in myself for not being perceptive enough to realize that you’re completely stressed out. And, yes, I’m disappointed that we’re not going to be able to make love tonight.” She leaned closer and cupped his face with her hands. “But there’s no way I’m disappointed in you. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Got it.”

  “Good.” She lay down and pulled him beside her, settling back into a comforting cuddle. “So, why don’t you tell me about whatever is making you eat antacids like popcorn? Maybe we can come up with some ideas to help solve the problem.”

  But though she paid strict attention to his careful explanation of the uncomfortable situation at work, one tiny corner of her mind contemplated what had just happened. Had she really told him she’d rather have his friendship than his lovemaking? And if so, whatever had happened to her determination to have a relationship that was purely physical, with none of the messy complications emotional ties always produced?

  And why didn’t she care that this affair that was supposed to be so physically satisfying and convenient for them both, had somehow transmuted into a relationship that was neither satisfying nor convenient?

  7

  CLIFF WOKE TO A feeling of restful contentment and with Mallory’s warm body snuggled against him. For the first time in weeks he’d actually slept the night through. They’d talked long into the night—actually, he’d done most of the talking. Without getting into specifics, he’d managed to explain enough of his work dilemma for Mallory to offer some suggestions for how he might cope with it—beginning with scheduling a meeting with his boss as soon as he got back to the office.

  To his surprise, he didn’t feel upset or threatened by her knowing he was having problems with his career. She’d shared a few of her own harrowing job experiences, even admitting that she’d handled a couple of situations badly in earlier years.

  Yup, having a woman he could really talk to as well as make love to was turning out to have all kinds of benefits.

  That thought reminded him that they hadn’t actually made love last night. He lay very still while he mentally checked himself out. Stomach okay? Not a sign of the churning pain he’d become so familiar with. Arms and legs? Nicely tangled with their female equivalents. Heart? Thumping out a heavy rhythm against the feminine palm draped over his chest. Mood? Relaxed, affectionate, definitely interested.

  Horny, even.

  As he began to stir and harden, he decided he really preferred early-morning love to the late-night kind, anyway. So what if he hadn’t managed to do his part last night? This morning was another day, and based on what he was feeling now, it was time to give them both a little early-morning exercise.

  Smiling with lecherous intent, he leaned over Mallory’s sleeping face and nibbled delicately at her ear. “Mallory? Honey? You awake?”

  “Mmmmph.” But she turned toward his seeking lips.

  Ever obliging, he changed his focus to her mouth. “Wake up, honey.”

  This time her response was slightly more verbal. “Don’ wanna. Havin’ a good dream.”

  His smile deepened. He bet he knew exactly what she was dreaming about. Especially since her arms had looped around his neck. “You’ll miss some good stuff if you don’t wake up.”

  One sleep-glazed eye popped open. “How good?” she asked suspiciously.

  “Really good.”

  The other eye opened. “You promise?”

  Deliberately, he let his lower body press against her so she could feel his burgeoning erection. “What do you think?”

  Sleep melted from her eyes as she smiled contentedly. “I think I wouldn’t want to miss anything that good.”

  Slowly, taking his time, he started to arouse her. It was fun discovering all his favorite places to linger on her body. They all smelled of Mallory’s own heady aroma—light, yet musky; sweet, but definitely sensual. His heartbeat kicked into overdrive as he caressed and teased, tickled and soothed. And could there be anything headier than having her respond with equal heat? Or feeling her hands explore his own body? Or tasting her mouth with his? Or hearing her breathy gasps mixed with an urgent ringing. Why, he could almost hear bells...

  Bells?

  He froze. “Tell me that’s not what I think it is.”

  Solemnly, she stared up at him, disappointment fogging over the arousal in her eyes. After a long moment, awareness kicked in and she groaned. “You did agree that we needed a wake-up call this morning.”

  The phone kept ringing.

  With rueful intent, he said, “The next time I agree to anything so silly, I want you to kick me—hard.” He reached over and grabbed the phone.

  An obnoxiously sunny voice declared, “Good morning. This is your wake-up call. The time is six-thirty-two.”

  “Right,” he groused. Clattering the phone back onto its rest, he stared at Mallory. “Where do they get these improbably cheerful people, anyway?”

  She rolled out of bed, leaving him with only a lingering, wistful memory and the tempting sight of her, wrapped in the sheet, as she headed for the closet to grab some clothes. “I’ll be out of the bath as soon as I can. I want to be at the station by eight.”

  “It’d be quicker if we shared,” he offered, still with the faint hope of finishing what he’d started.

  She looked at him over her shoulder, looking so adorably tousled that it was all he could do not to sweep her back into bed. “You’re joking, right? If we shared, we’d still be here at noon—tomorrow.”

  Her words soothed his battered ego. The fates were conspiring against them, that was for sure. But with the determination of a man who had almost achieved nirvana, he vowed that this was the last time he would let the outside world interfere with his lovemaking with Mallory.

  The very last time.

  “WE NEVER SEEM to get a break, do we?” Cliff slickly maneuvered the car around someone determined to drive at sixty-five in the high-speed lane. Everyone else was breaking seventy. Despite their best intentions, it was after seven-thirty and Mallory hadn’t yet made it to the station. Early-morning traffic tie-ups on Interstate 5 had sabotaged them. Having finally reached an open stretch of freeway, Cliff was taking advantage of it.

  “No, we don’t,” she said. “Maybe someone’s trying to tell us something.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like maybe this affair idea wasn’t such a good one.” She swiveled in her seat as much as her seat belt would allow. “Cliff, we’ve been interrupted more times than a late-night movie has commercials. Maybe I was right the first time when I said that we should both just give up on having a relationship with anyone until after we’re more established in our careers.”

  He glanced at her. “But I don’t want to wait.”

  “Neither do I—but aren’t you beginning to see a pattern?”

  “What I’m seeing is that we need some serious time together. When we’re at either of our condos, the phone and our pagers constantly interrupt. When we try to get away for a night, I bring enough of my work pressures with me that it interferes.”

  “So what’s your conclusion, Counselor? That we should give up on each other and find partners without so many career demands?”

  “No!” Cliff paused, not exactly sure himself where he was leading. Wherever it was, he was sure it didn’t involve giving up Mallory—or having her start a relationship with someone else! Finally, he said slowly, “I think we need to make our relationship a priority, at least until we’re comfortable with each other. Maybe go away somewhere without any phones or pagers or wake-up calls.”

  The look on her face was odd, closed, protecting her thoughts as she mulled over his suggestion. He had no idea what she was thinking. All he could really tell was that he’d surprised her. Hell, for that matter, he’d su
rprised himself! Never had he expected to tell any woman that being with her was a higher priority than his career.

  But I didn’t mean we have to upset our priorities forever—only for right now. It’s just until we can get this affair off the ground. Once we’ve established ourselves in our own minds as a couple, we can settle down to a comfortable time together. And our lives—my life—will be back on track.

  Yeah, that was it They only needed perhaps a week or two together, long enough to scratch the itch that was driving him crazy, work that first urgent rush for each other out of their systems so they could concentrate on other, more important things. Once that driving need had been satisfied, he was sure they’d both be contented with occasional meetings when they could synchronize their schedules.

  After all, that’s the way they’d planned it in the first place. He had a career to manage and she had a network to impress. ,

  He’d almost forgotten that she hadn’t responded to his suggestion when she spoke up. “What exactly are you suggesting?”

  “Hell, I don’t know. Maybe that we need to plan a getaway together—someplace where no one can get to us and we can truly be alone.” Inspiration struck. “How about up in Julian?” The small goldmining community in the mountains about an hour east of San Diego had transformed itself into a tourist mecca, popular for locals who simply wanted to get away from the daily grind for a while.

  He still couldn’t figure out what she was thinking. She’d make a damned good poker player. “How long are you talking about for this getaway?”

  “Two weeks?” he suggested.

  “Two weeks? Are you nuts? Sweeps month is coming up in a few weeks. And did you forget that I’m still waiting on the network’s decision to schedule an interview with me? There’s no way I can get away for that long.” She paused. “Maybe I could do another overnight or something, but...”

  “Not enough time. Look what happened this time.” His vague gesture encompassed their all-toofrustrating stay at the resort. “No, we’d need at least a week together.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t see how I can be out of touch for a whole week.”

  Cliff reached over and took her hand. “Mallory, don’t you think what we have is worth fighting for? Once we’re settled in together, it’s going to be great. I promise.”

  Her face softened but her voice didn’t give quarter. “Seems to me you promised me something great for this morning, too.”

  He ignored that. “Give me a weekend. A long weekend together. We’ll leave Friday morning, come back Monday morning. No pagers allowed. We won’t tell anyone where we’re going. It’s only for one weekend. You can arrange that much time off, can’t you?”

  Slowly, she nodded. “A long weekend. I’ll clear my calendar starting this Friday, all right?”

  Second thoughts reared, reminding Cliff of his own schedule, crammed full of not-to-be-missed appointments. Ruthlessly, he shoved them aside. “Next weekend it is. I’ll make reservations and we’ll leave bright and early Friday morning. And don’t forget we won’t be back until late Monday.”

  Solemnly, they shook hands on their new deal.

  THE PHONE IN Mallory’s office rang with an insistent chirp. Despite the week’s ill-omened start, she’d made it to Thursday without any serious problems. She’d managed to beg off work for Friday and had cleared her schedule. Of course, next week would be a bear because she’d have to cram in all Friday and Monday’s appointments too, but she could live with that inconvenience for the sake of finally having Cliff all to herself.

  The phone chirped again and Mallory picked it up.

  “Mallory! It’s me, Lenny.”

  As if she could ever mistake that booming voice. “Hi, Lenny. Everything going okay with you?”

  He chuckled his I-know-something-you-don’t chuckle. “Great, in fact. Hey, Mallory, what’re you doing tomorrow?”

  Oh, no. “Actually, I’m taking the day off.” She took a deep breath. “Why?”

  “That’s wonderful! You always did have the most perfect timing.” He paused for effect, making her ask.

  “Okay, Lenny. Lay it on me. Why do you care what I do with my Friday?”

  “Because, my favorite-client-of-all, tomorrow is the day the network honchos are coming to San Diego to meet with you personally.”

  “What?” Mallory’s breath started coming in brief, gasping pants.

  “You heard me. I got a call this morning. All of a sudden they’ve changed their minds about putting you off and decided they want to see you—now.”

  “But...but...” Her mind spinning with possibilities, she tried to figure out what this change of plan might mean. “Do you think they’re serious about me? Give it to me straight, Lenny. Are they just jerking our chains?”

  “Cross my heart and hope to have to eat cold hot dogs, this is the real thing. I think their negotiations with someone else fell through and they’ve decided to see what they’ve been missing in you.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Just say you’ll clear your calendar for tomorrow and be prepared to knock these guys’ socks off.”

  Mallory stared down at her organizer notebook and flipped the pages to reach the one for Friday. Several appointments had been written in, but each had already been rescheduled to various days next week.

  “My calendar’s already cleared,” she said slowly. The words “Julian with Cliff,” stared up at her accusingly. When she’d arrived at the office on Monday she’d written them in herself in bright red ink. Usually she noted appointments in pencil, but for this one she’d used ink, convinced that nothing at all could make her change her plans.

  “Perfect!” Lenny burbled in her ear. “You’re to meet them at eight o’clock for breakfast at the U.S. Grant Hotel downtown—you know where that is?”

  “Lenny—” Was she really going to—?

  “They said you should plan to spend the day with them—and maybe into Saturday, too. This is going to be a real, in-depth discussion of their plans for the show and how you might fit in with what they want.”

  “Lenny—”

  “Trust me, kiddo, you’ll do fine. I want you to wear that black suit you have—you know the one. It’s a smasher and it’ll show them you’re a real classy lady.”

  Mallory listened to Lenny rattle on about how to prepare for the meeting. What was she going to do? This was the chance of a lifetime for her. Surely Cliff would understand—wouldn’t he? They could go away together another weekend. In fact, if this offer came through, she really would clear a whole week so she could devote herself just to enjoying some private time with him.

  And then you’ll leave him for the bright lights of New York.

  “You got all that, Mallory?” Lenny’s voice showed a trace of anxiety, probably because she hadn’t responded.

  “Yes.” She took a deep breath, ready to commit herself. “Lenny, I’m thrilled that you managed to arrange this for me.”

  “I know, I know. I’m the best agent you’ve got, right? But you’re okay with this, right?” His anxiety was increasing.

  Her hand pressed over her heart, as if to control the thumping there. She opened her mouth to give him the reassurance he needed and the words popped out “Lenny, I can’t meet with them tomorrow.”

  Ohmigod. Ohmigod. Ohmigod. What did I just say?

  Dead silence rang in her ears.

  “What did you say?” Obviously, he didn’t believe it either.

  Now that she’d said it once, it was easier to repeat it. “I said, I can’t meet them Friday—or Saturday. I have something else I have to do. It’s very important to me.”

  “More important than getting an anchor spot on a prime-time network-news magazine? What’s more important than that?”

  Being alone with my lover. “Lenny, I can’t explain. You know I wouldn’t blow a meeting like this off unless I absolutely had to, don’t you? Believe me, this is something I have to do.”

 
She knew Lenny well enough to know he was busily twisting paper clips into useless knots. It was his favorite pastime when one of his clients frustrated him with their irrationality.

  She heard him take several long, deep breaths. When he spoke, his voice was dark and serious. “Mallory, you’re not sick are you? You’re not going into the hospital or anything, right?”

  His genuine concern for her warmed her cold hands. “No, Lenny, it’s nothing like that. But I’ve already made a commitment for this weekend and I really can’t break it. This is such short notice. I mean, Friday is tomorrow. Surely these guys will understand that my schedule is already full, and we can get together next week sometime?”

  “Mallory, you don’t seem to understand. These guys are coming to San Diego to see you. Everyone else they talked to had to go to them.” His voice pleaded with her to reconsider. “How often do you get network guys knocking on your door?”

  But those bright red words on her calendar wouldn’t release her from her commitment to Cliff. She knew he needed the time away with her as much as she did. Sunday night’s disaster had been a huge embarrassment for him—for any man—and she blamed herself for much of it. Her lack of sensitivity to his emotional state had only exacerbated his stress. She simply couldn’t let him down again.

  “Lenny, I can’t do it. Call them back and see if they’ll reschedule for another time.” Rapidly she flipped through her calendar. “Tell them any other time this month will do—I’ll clear my calendar for them if they give me forty-eight hours notice. But I can’t see them this weekend.”

  “But—”

  “We’re wasting time, Lenny. I’m not going to change my mind. Please, just ask them to reschedule and let me know what they say. Please.”

  Her agent was disgruntled, but eventually agreed. Mallory sat for a long time staring at her organizer, wondering what madness had made her sacrifice everything she’d been working toward for the sake of a far-from-simple affair.