“You want them to know about us?”
“Yes, I do, Merrick.”
“I’d like you to wait before you tell them.”
A cold chill snaked its way down her spine, and she went completely still. There was something in his voice that set off warning bells in her head. “Why do you want me to wait?”
“I can’t tell you now.”
“What are you hiding from me?”
“Nothing, Ali. It’s something I’d rather not discuss on the telephone. I’ll tell you everything when we see each other again.”
“That’s not going to be until the beginning of June,” she said in protest.
“That’s when I’ll tell you.”
She squeezed the tiny instrument in frustration. “You offer me some cryptic mumbo jumbo and expect me to wait two months for an explanation.”
“What I’d like for you to do is trust me, Ali.”
“You want me to trust you when you’re hiding things from me. I really don’t know who you are, what you do, how—”
“Stop it, Alexandra!” Merrick hadn’t shouted the command, but the stinging effect was the same. “I’m going to end this call,” he said in a dangerously quiet tone. “We won’t discuss this again until I see you. Have a safe flight back, and I’ll call you tomorrow night.”
“Goodbye, Merrick.”
“No, Ali. Good night.”
The willfulness she’d struggled all of her adult life to control surfaced, making her unwilling to compromise. “Goodbye, Merrick,” she repeated, then abruptly disconnected the call.
She threw the phone and it landed on an armchair. Alex flopped down to the bed and closed her eyes. She asked herself for the first time since coming face-to-face with Merrick Grayslake, was she in over her head?
Chapter 15
Moira knocked on the open door to Alex’s room and walked in. Clothes were stacked in neat piles atop the double dresser and bedside table. Alexandra Morris was preparing to leave Mexico City. Classes had ended the day before and final marks were posted in the lobby of the converted convent earlier that morning.
Alex turned and smiled at her friend. “Well, this is it. We’re done.”
Moira flopped down on a straight-back armchair. “You are done.”
Alex halted folding a pair of jeans. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m staying on.”
She stared at Moira, baffled. The week before, Moira had suddenly burst into tears, and when Alex questioned her, she said she’d suddenly had an attack of homesickness.
Closing the distance between them, Alex sat on the arm of the chair and looped an arm around Moira’s neck. “What’s up, girlfriend?”
Moira’s dark blue eyes filled with tears but didn’t fall. “I’m pregnant.”
Alex’s mouth formed a perfect O before she pursed her lips. She didn’t know whether to be happy or sad for her friend, but decided on the former. “Congratulations.”
Eyelids fluttering, Moira rested her forehead on Alex’s arm and cried happy tears. “Thank you.”
“When’s the big day?”
“Early December.”
Sitting up straighter, Alex swept her gaze over Moira’s slender body. “You’re already three months pregnant?”
Moira nodded. “I’d suspected for some time that I was carrying Hernando’s baby, but you could say I was in denial.”
“Hernando,” Alex repeated, her voice rising slightly. “Are you talking about our Professor Hernando Rivera?”
Moira nodded as she blushed to the roots of her pale hair. “Yes.”
Alex wrinkled her delicate nose. “I don’t believe it. Here I thought you were fooling around with Umberto but instead it was our brilliant, esteemed Professor Rivera.”
Moira bit down on her lower lip. “I hadn’t planned on having an affair with him—”
“Don’t you dare apologize to me,” Alex said, interrupting her. “You’re a grown woman, Moira.”
Her head came up, her expression soft and angelic. “He’s wonderful, Alex, as a lover, teacher and husband.”
“You’re married?”
“Yes,” Moira said, smiling.
“When did you get married?”
“Yesterday. Because I’m not Catholic, we decided on a civil wedding.”
“Do you love him, Moira?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Then, that’s all that matters.”
A warm glow flowed through Moira and she felt freer than she had in hours. She’d called her father to tell him that she wasn’t coming home because she’d fallen in love and married a Mexican man. Her father hadn’t waited for her to explain that the man was one of the world’s most respected art historians when he’d hung up on her.
“I wanted to wait until after the baby is born to marry Hernando, but he refused because of his position at the universidad.”
“He’s right, Moira, even though it’s not frowned upon for a woman to have a child without the benefit of marriage nowadays.”
Moira hugged Alex. “I knew you would be happy for me.”
Alex returned the hug. “Why wouldn’t I be happy for you? I wish you all the happiness you deserve—and more.”
“I hope we’ll stay in touch with each other, Alex.”
“Of course we will.”
“Will you come by tomorrow night and have dinner with us? I told Hernando that I didn’t want you to leave Mexico without saying goodbye.”
“Of course I’ll come.” That meant she would have to delay going back to Virginia.
Moira popped up like a jack-in-the-box.
Leaning over, she pressed a kiss to Alex’s cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Alex was still sitting on the arm of the chair when Moira left, closing the door quietly behind her. Alex’s friend had accused Hernando Rivera of having the hots for her when it was Moira Morgan he was actually in love with.
Rising from the chair, she had resumed the boring task of packing, when her cell phone rang. Reaching for the instrument, she flipped open the cover without looking at the display.
“Do you have a flight schedule for me, Joelyn?”
“Ali?”
“Merrick?”
“I can assure you that I’m not Joelyn.”
“And I wouldn’t want you to be her.” Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Alex stared at the worn terra-cotta floor. After their rather heated exchange what now seemed aeons ago, she and Merrick had resumed their nightly telephone calls.
“Did you pass everything?” he asked.
Her smile was dazzling. “I managed to get top honors.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“I’d like to give you a gift.”
“For what, Merrick?”
“It’s not every day that someone earns a graduate degree.”
“Thousands get graduate degrees every year.”
“How many people get to become architectural historians?”
“Well, you’re right,” she conceded.
“I know I’m right. And because I’m bigger and stronger than you it would be in your best interest to accept what I’m offering.”
“What’s with the intimidation?” she teased.
“What’s with the interrogation?” he countered.
“Okay, Merrick. What is it?”
“I’ve arranged for a private jet to fly you to Rome Friday morning. Try to get some sleep because I have something special planned for the evening. Later on today a courier will deliver a packet containing your e-ticket and flight information. I’ve also arranged for ground transportation to get you and your luggage to the airport. When you arrive I’ll be waiting for you once you clear Customs.” There was a pause before he said, “Hold on, Ali. Porterò l’un col rubino.”
“Merrick?”
“Yes, baby?”
“Where are you?”
“I’m in Rome. How’s your Italian?”
She couldn’t be
lieve he was calling her from Italy. “It’s definitely not as good as yours.”
“I’m going to have to hang up because the store clerk is glaring at me. I’ll see you Friday night.”
Before Alex could accept, reject or protest, he ended the call. Falling back on the bed, she kicked her legs the way she’d done as a child.
She never would’ve predicted that her life would change so dramatically since New Year’s Eve. Her life had changed, she had changed and when she saw Merrick Grayslake again she would thank him for helping her to become a woman in the truest sense of the word.
Within minutes of exiting Customs, Alex spied a man holding a placard with the name Cole printed in large black letters. She approached him. “I’m Alexandra Cole.”
“Dare il benvenuto a Roma, signorina. Prenderò il suo bagaglio.”
He spoke Italian too quickly for her to understand more than welcome and baggage. She smiled. “Grazie.”
The man picked up her bags and motioned for her to follow him. It was 9:00 p.m. in Rome and the airport was teeming with departing and arriving travelers.
Alex had taken Merrick’s advice and slept during the transatlantic flight. An hour before they were scheduled to touch down at the Leonardo da Vinci Airport, she’d showered in one of the onboard bathrooms and changed into the ubiquitous little black dress and strappy sandals. The instructions in the packet indicated a 10:00 p.m. dinner reservation.
She saw Merrick leaning against a column. He straightened when their gazes met. They hadn’t seen each other in three months, and he’d changed. His hair was longer and the sun had darkened his face to a deep copper-brown. If it hadn’t been for his distinctive eye color Alex wouldn’t have recognized him.
Merrick did not move forward because he couldn’t at that moment. Rooted to the spot, he watched the muscles in Alex’s bare shapely legs and thighs flex and relax as she made her way toward him. The skimpy black dress with a scooped neckline and capped sleeves outlined the delicious curves of her sexy, petite body. Her hair that looked as if she’d styled it with her fingers framed her round face in sensual disarray.
It was when he saw her face that a quiet storm stirred in his groin. Smoky eye shadow, a coat of mascara on feathery black lashes and the vermilion color on her lush, full lips made him want to strip her naked and make love to her. But he hadn’t invited her to Italy to make love to her, but to show her much he was in love with her.
Go to her, a silent voice urged Merrick. He took one step, then another, closing the distance. He let out his breath when he felt the crush of her breasts against his chest.
Cradling her face between his hands, he lowered his head and brushed his mouth over hers. “Dare il benvenuto a Roma.”
“Grazie, mio amore.”
Merrick released her when he hadn’t wanted to. “Are you hungry?”
Alex stared at the man whom she loved beyond reason. “Yes.” She hadn’t eaten anything since early that morning. She was hungry, but not for food. She’d missed Merrick, missed everything about him.
Putting his arm around her tiny waist, he pressed a kiss to her hair. “Let’s get out of here. I made a reservation for dinner at a restaurant not far from our hotel.”
The drive from the airport took longer than expected, and when Merrick and Alex arrived at the hotel on the Via Veneto there was only enough time to store her luggage in the room before they had to leave.
Tucked away in an alley off a side street, the restaurant resembled a grotto with brick-and-mortar walls, a vaulted ceiling and water flowing from a fountain into a pool.
The flickering light from the candle on the table shimmered off Alex’s flawless brown face. Merrick stared at her. Three months. It’d been that long since he’d last seen Alex and it appeared as if she’d changed. The change wasn’t her looks, but her demeanor. She’d matured during their separation; a woman had replaced the open, spontaneous girl.
Alex took a sip of wine, then touched the corners of her mouth with a napkin. The restaurant’s ambience, her dining partner and the food were incredible. She’d ordered chicken in a light wine and butter sauce while Merrick had chosen linguine with a broiled seafood medley.
“What made you choose Italy over some other country, Merrick?” Her query shattered the comfortable silence.
He put down his wineglass. “I remember you saying you enjoyed visiting here, and when you finished your studies you’d planned to come back not as a student but as a tourist.”
Her eyebrows flickered as she met his steady gaze. “Do you remember everything I say?”
“Yes,” he admitted. “But only if it’s worth remembering.”
Alex studied the man sharing the small round table with her. He’d become a chameleon. Dressed in a sand-colored linen suit with a sky-blue shirt and navy blue tie, he appeared sophisticated and urbane. And with his hair texture, eye color and sharply defined features he could be a citizen from any country in the world.
“How long can you hang out here with me?” Merrick asked.
She stared at the food on her plate. “No more than two weeks.” She looked up, meeting his gaze. “I have an interview with the National Trust for Historic Preservation at the end of the month.”
“Where’s the interview?”
“Boston.”
Merrick nodded. “I’ll have you back in plenty of time.” Shifting his chair, he moved closer to Alex. “You’ve accused me of hiding things from you, and I promised I would tell you what you need to know about me when we saw each other again.”
Alex took another sip of wine, staring at Merrick over the rim of her glass. “We don’t have to talk about it now.”
Reaching for her hand, he gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. “Yes, Ali. We can’t move forward unless we clear the air about things that bother you.”
Alex didn’t want to talk. All she wanted was to enjoy the moment because for the first time in her life she’d gotten everything she’d ever wanted: she’d completed her graduate program and looked forward to securing a position as an architectural historian and she planned to spend the next two weeks touring Italy with the man she loved.
“If whatever you plan to tell me is going to upset me, then I don’t want to hear it, Merrick. Not tonight.”
“When do you want me to tell you?”
“Tell me on the flight back to the States.”
He shook his head. “No.”
Her delicate jaw dropped. “No,” she repeated.
“N—O,” Merrick said, spelling the word. “You will sit and hear me out, because I’m not going to wait two weeks to tell you what you demanded to know three months ago.”
Alex froze as she stared at Merrick. His voice was absolutely emotionless. A fist of fear squeezed her chest as she met the steely-eyed gaze of a stranger, a stranger who’d replaced the man she thought she knew and loved. Her breath seemed to solidify in her throat and all she could do was nod.
Merrick leaned closer, his mouth within inches of Alex’s ear. “I’m going back to the CIA.”
Alex closed her eyes and slumped against his shoulder. “Why?” she whispered. She couldn’t imagine not seeing Merrick for months, waiting for him to return from a clandestine mission.
“Because I need normalcy in my life.”
“Can’t you do something else?”
“No.”
She opened her eyes and shook her head. “Is it because you need money?”
“Money is not the issue, Ali. I joined the Marine Corps within a week of graduating from high school because the recruiter promised a signing bonus and educational benefits. I joined and took advantage of everything they had to offer. I gave them ten years before the CIA came looking for ‘a few good men.’
“I was hired and trained as a covert operative. I’d always believed I would die somewhere far from home, but it was at home where I almost lost my life when someone shot me, then left me on a street corner in D.C. to die.”
Her eyes widened. “What happ
ened?”
“Three men accosted me, demanding I give them whatever I had on me. If it had been just two of them I knew I could’ve taken them, so I cooperated and handed over whatever money I had. However, the one holding the gun panicked and shot me in the stomach. If it hadn’t been for Michael Kirkland being where he was that night I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you. He’d taken a shortcut through southeast D.C. on his way home and found me in a pool of blood. Not waiting for an ambulance, he put me in his car and took off for the nearest hospital where I spent six hours in surgery.
“The bullet had nicked my spleen, mangled my left kidney and when I woke up in recovery I was told that I’d lost my kidney and half my body’s blood supply.” Merrick ignored the look of horror in the gold eyes staring at him.
“How long were you hospitalized?”
“A month.”
“What happened after that?” Alex asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I went home and was placed on medical leave for five months. When I returned to work it was to permanent desk duty. Three days later I walked into the director’s office and handed in my resignation.”
Alex heard the sound of her runaway heart in her ears. “What did you do after that?”
Merrick paused, then said, “I gave up my Silver Spring apartment and bought the house in Bolivar. I didn’t have a wife or children to support, so whatever I’d earned I’d invested. I’d always followed the market, so when tech companies were issuing IPOs I bought in, tripling and sometime quadrupling my investments.” What he didn’t tell Alex was that once he made his first million, he’d stopped buying and selling stocks. His investments were now in long-term, tax-free municipal bonds.
“If you go back…when you go back,” Alex began, “will it be to a desk position?”
Merrick traced the outline of her ear with his forefinger. “Yes. I suppose I had to get over the stigma of becoming a desk jockey when I’d been a field agent. It took time and my being with you to realize that I still can protect our country but in a different capacity.”
Her arching eyebrows lifted. “That’s true, but why me, Merrick, and not some other woman?”
Stranger in my Arms Page 15
