Instead, a decorator’s touch was evident everywhere, from the modern sofa and chairs, to the valuable framed paintings on the walls and the showy, perfectly placed vases of flowers, statues and lamps.
“I confess that I wondered if you would call.”
Her gaze went quickly to his face and an odd feeling made her tremble. The Justin she knew would never have admitted that.
“So this is where you live,” she murmured. He seemed totally out of place in the stark surroundings. This could have been anyone’s home. There were no signs in the room indicating Justin had made it his home.
“You seem surprised,” he said, watching her closely. “Did you think I was living in some luxurious bachelor pad?”
Flushing, she swallowed hard, annoyed he could read her thoughts so easily. “It doesn’t even look lived in,” she observed, avoiding his comment.
She wasn’t surprised that the room was immaculate. Justin had always been obsessively neat. The one time she’d asked him to pick up something he’d left in another room, he’d complied so quickly that he’d stunned her. He’d humbly apologized and sworn it wouldn’t happen again. It was such an overreaction that it had caused her concern.
After that day, she’d never had to ask him to pick up behind himself again or even had to remind him to wash out the sink after he shaved. She’d always thought that was a little strange, and she’d broached the subject with him once, but he wouldn’t talk about it.
“I’ve been traveling a lot lately.”
His words broke into her thoughts, and he seemed amused by her curiosity. Heather gave him a small smile. “I see.”
“Besides the trips to Texas, I’ve been out of town a lot for the company.” Putting his hand behind her back, Justin led her toward a door across the room. “Would you like a drink before dinner?”
“Dinner?” she repeated, then flashed him a confused look.
“I was hoping you hadn’t eaten,” he told her, ushering her into a large formal dining room. “Have you?”
“No…no, I haven’t,” she stammered.
He grinned. “Great! I wanted to surprise you.”
He’d certainly done that, she thought as she walked inside and examined the room. There was an ornate cherry-wood china cabinet and a matching oval table that could comfortably seat twelve people. Two single candles in crystal heart-shaped bases added atmosphere to what she thought was probably normally an austere room. The table had been set for two, with one place setting at the end and the other to the left.
Touching a switch on the wall, Justin lowered the lights a fraction, adding a touch of ambience. “Here, sit down,” he invited, leading her to the side of the table and holding her chair.
Like a robot programmed to follow orders, Heather slid onto a softly padded chair. A single red rose rested across the plate in front of her.
Justin touched her shoulder, then slid his hand with familiar ease to her neck. He leaned over and whispered near her ear, “I’ll be right back.” Then, before moving away, he murmured, “You smell wonderful.”
Heather shivered as he left her. She felt like a bug caught in a spider’s web, a tiny little bug facing a really big spider. Apprehension warred with excitement inside her. He’d certainly gone to a lot of trouble for her, and despite her resolve to remain aloof, it touched a tender spot in her heart. This was a side of him she wasn’t used to. It made her wonder what else about him had changed.
Fingering the soft petals of the rose, she pondered its intent. Justin had never been what one would call romantic. Though he’d always acknowledged her birthday and their anniversary with gifts, Heather had never felt that he’d put much thought into them. They were never overly personal, and actually, she’d wondered if he’d had his secretary choose them.
Picking up the rose, she breathed in its sweet, floral scent. Justin knew she loved roses, and he’d occasionally brought a dozen home to her. Red roses were her favorite. She trailed the soft, velvet-like petals across her cheek.
Closing her eyes, she remembered the first time he’d given her roses. It had been the night he’d asked her to marry him. From the moment she’d met him, she’d never looked at another man. She’d been thrilled when he proposed.
Now he was proposing something totally different.
The door to the kitchen opened, and heat rushed to her face. She swung her head around in time to see him stop beside her and place two silver covered dishes and a basket of bread on the table. Not wanting him to wonder what suddenly had her hot all over, she quipped, “You cooked?” The truth was, they both knew he’d burn water if it was possible.
That brought a quick smile to his lips. “Smart aleck.” His expression was teasing as he lifted the lids and the aroma of garlic and tomato sauce filled the room.
They both laughed, and Heather enjoyed hearing the rich, cheerful sound of his voice. How long had it been since they’d share such a moment? She stared at him, all kinds of raw emotions wreaking havoc inside her.
Life just didn’t play fair. When they’d married, she’d thought they’d be happy forever. She supposed that was silly, but it was what she’d longed for, wanted to believe in, despite her father’s desertion. It had taken a lot of courage to trust Justin with her heart. What had happened to the love they’d once shared? Where had they failed?
The shared moment died, and as her eyes watered, she looked away.
Justin’s lips flattened into a thin line. “What?” he asked as he took his seat. He reached over and touched her hand.
“Nothing.”
“Heather—”
She reluctantly turned her gaze to his, her eyes glistening.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I think I know that,” she said, then continued rather solemnly, “in my head. My heart is quite another matter. Sometimes whether we want to or not, we do hurt each other.” She stopped speaking to take a breath, to will herself to get control. “I don’t know if I can do this again,” she admitted truthfully.
“Give us a chance. That’s all I’m asking.”
She couldn’t look at him. “You make it sound so simple, so easy. But it isn’t.”
Justin let go of her hand and sat back. He breathed heavily. “I don’t know what you think, but this past year hasn’t been easy for me, either.”
“I’m sure it must have been difficult for you too.” She’d seen how the loss of their baby had affected him.
What stunned her now, was that this was the second time he’d disclosed such a private detail to her. This was another example of how he’d changed—something she was going to have to get used to.
He arched a brow. “Are you?” His gaze searched hers. “You’re thinking this past year was more difficult for you, though, aren’t you?”
Heather knew it was. She just couldn’t tell him why. Not yet.
Raising Timmy alone, being solely responsible for him, had been demanding, to say the least. But it had been her decision and hers alone. She didn’t regret it.
“Not really,” she hedged.
He looked as if he didn’t believe her. “Why don’t we eat?” he suggested, dropping the subject.
She nodded, took a piece of the bread, then offered the basket to him. The bread was warm and smelled wonderful. “This is good,” she said, after she’d taken a bite and chewed it.
“You can stop wondering. I have a cook who prepares meals for me when I’m going to be here,” Justin explained, opening the bottle of chilled wine.
“Where is she now?” she asked, a small smile playing on her lips.
“She doesn’t live here,” he explained as he opened the wine bottle. He poured some into a clear crystal goblet in front of her. “She comes in for a few hours at a time, basically whenever I need her.” Which wasn’t often, he thought to himself. He usually grabbed something to eat before coming back to his apartment to sleep. He didn’t like living alone at the apartment. He’d been alone most of his life. He missed the home he�
��d shared with his wife.
“I’m surprised you can find someone to do that.”
“She’s paid well. Money has its advantages.”
Growing up poor, Justin had thought that money was more important than anything. It wasn’t until lately that he’d begun to discover the value of relationships and family. It took meeting the Fortunes to make him cognizant of that. It took missing Heather to drive the message home.
They talked amiably during the rest of the meal, avoiding any mention of the reason they were together. Justin decided not to push her. He hoped that she had decided to come with him to Texas. Why else, he asked himself, would she have come to him? She could have called him if she was going to refuse.
She put her fork down and sipped the remainder of the wine from her glass. He offered her more, but she quickly declined. “I have to drive home.”
Justin had other ideas. He wanted to keep her here with him, take her to bed and make slow, passionate love to her. Seducing her hadn’t been a part of his original plan, but he was sorely tempted to have her, right then and there.
Her eyes had softened as she relaxed. She licked her lips as she finished the wine in her glass, and he just about came unglued. He wondered if she had any idea of her effect on him. He stirred in his seat, trying to get comfortable.
“I guess we should talk about, you know, things,” she suggested. Heather glanced at the ornate clock on the wall. It was late, and she needed to get home. She hated taking advantage of her mother’s time. Kathryn had already watched Timmy for hours during the week.
Justin studied her. “Things?”
She stood and walked behind her chair, then braced her hands on the back of it to keep them steady. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you suggested.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “I’m glad to hear it.” She was nervous. He could tell by the way she kept looking away, then back at him. “What have you decided?” he asked, getting right to the point as his breath dammed in his throat.
“That I’ll go on several conditions.”
Four
“Conditions.” Justin smelled trouble brewing.
“Yes.” Heather nodded, and her hair fell slightly in her face. She brushed it back with her fingers. “First, I’m only agreeing to go to Texas for two weeks.”
Two weeks. Justin thought about it. That wasn’t as much time as he wanted, but he could step up his plans a little, move a little faster in winning her over. “What else?”
“Wait,” Heather cautioned before he could pressure her. “Is that agreeable?”
He got out of his seat and approached her, stopping just a few inches away. “I’ll think it over. What else?”
The room fell totally silent as she regarded him. “I don’t want you to make any promises that you can’t keep.”
Justin caught the flicker of pain in her eyes before she was able to conceal it. He guessed he deserved that. “I don’t intend to,” he whispered fiercely, his gaze cascading over her.
“Sometimes, with the best of intentions, we say things we think the other person wants to hear. I don’t want—” she hesitated, biting her lip.
“I want us to be together to see if we can make our marriage work. If it comes down to my hurting you, Heather, I’ll back off. You have my word.”
“So, if after two weeks, things don’t work out between us, you’ll give me a divorce?” This had to be clear between them. She’d spent a year repairing the damage to her heart. She wasn’t going to do it again. Lord help her, she couldn’t do it again.
“Yes.”
“All right.”
“Is that all?” he asked. He fingered a strand of her hair, then frowned when she backed away.
She cleared her throat. “Well, no, not exactly.”
“There’s more?” Justin asked, surprised.
Heather backed another step away from him. “I won’t make love with you.”
Momentarily confused, he scratched his ear. “You mean no sex?”
“If you must put it bluntly, yes.”
“No sex.” He said it again, as if to convince himself that he’d heard her right. Or perhaps by hearing it, he could agree to it, convince himself it was possible. Fat chance! He wanted her now, had even thought of seducing her the moment she’d walked through the door.
“We’re trying to put our marriage back together,” she reminded him, rationalizing, “I don’t think we should confuse our feelings with sex.”
Justin felt as if he’d been dealt a blow to his lower body with a sledgehammer. Tension clamped his stomach muscles. “And we can’t put our marriage back together with sex?”
“Don’t be deliberately obtuse,” she retorted, glaring at him with irritation. “You know exactly what I mean. We have a lot to talk about, a lot to work out. It’s not going to be easy being with each other again, and I don’t want to confuse what we’re going through—trying to accomplish—by making love.”
Justin couldn’t disagree more with her logic. Making love could only bring them closer to recommitting. For himself, hell, he just wanted her writhing naked beneath him. His loins responded immediately from the mental vision of the two of them making love, and he had to forcibly rein in his desire to drag her into his arms and show her how good they were together.
Damn! He gnawed at the inside of his lip. Now what?
“You’re sure this is what you want?” he asked, hoping, praying, she’d reconsider. He couldn’t imagine spending a day, much less two weeks, without touching her soft skin, kissing her lush lips. He’d counted on using their natural attraction to each other to win her back, and he was more than anxious to reestablish their sex life.
“Yes.”
He gave her a rough smile. “You drive a hard bargain.” He hadn’t been prepared for this, and he didn’t like being caught off guard. So far she’d surprised him. She’d controlled their meeting place, as well as the conditions of their reconciliation.
“Then you agree?”
“I guess I have to. You seem to have me at a disadvantage.” Not for long, he thought, already reassessing his strategy. She hadn’t said anything about touching. Or kissing.
Or sleeping arrangements.
He wasn’t going to remind her, either. Not until he got a commitment from her to go to Texas. He’d agree to anything to get her to spend some time alone together, away from the bad memories lingering between them.
“All right, I’ll go with you.”
“Ah, Heather,” Justin murmured on an achingly wistful sigh. “You won’t be sorry.” He slipped his hand around her neck, and his fingers massaged her skin.
“Justin.” She raised her arm and brushed his hand away. Picking up her purse, she said, “It’s getting late. I should be getting home. Um, thank you for dinner.”
He gave her a tight smile. “You’re welcome.” He followed her out the dining room door and into the living room. “We haven’t discussed when we can leave. I’d like to call Miranda so she’ll know when to expect us.”
“I have a week of school left,” Heather explained, thinking of everything she had to do for her first-grade students. Though she’d had Timmy during the second half of the school year and could have stayed out the remainder, she’d chosen to return to finish the year. She’d wanted to see her students move on to the next grade. Thankfully, she had a teacher assistant to help her as she made the adjustment back to full-time work. “But I can be ready in about eight days, if you like.”
“All right.” Before she had a chance to turn from him, Justin caught her arm, then pulled her toward him.
“I’ve missed you, Heather,” he professed, drawing her into his embrace.
Startled by his admission, she looked up at him, wanting to believe him. But he’d walked away from her once. Mistrust cautioned her that he was capable of doing so again. “Have you?” She put her hands on his chest, then lightly pushed out of his arms. “You sure could have fooled me.”
The telephone
was ringing as Heather came in the door from school. She deposited Timmy in his corner on the kitchen floor, handed him a toy to distract him, then hurriedly grabbed the extension on the wall.
“Hello,” she answered, breathless.
“Heather, it’s Justin.”
She felt a rush of excitement at the sound of his deep voice. He’d only been back in her life for three days, and already he was causing chaos with her emotions. Heather felt as if she were on a rollercoaster ride, one that kept going around and around and wouldn’t let her off.
“Hi,” she said, and wondered why he was calling. They’d agreed on leaving the day after school was out.
After she’d left him, she’d been exhausted—still was, for that matter. The drive back to her mom’s to pick up Timmy, then going home and putting him, and herself, to bed had taken its toll after a full day at work.
“I called to offer my services.”
Mystified, she asked, “For what?”
“I thought you might need some help packing. I know you’re busy, like you said, finishing up the school year. Is there something I can do to help you?”
The last thing Heather wanted was Justin underfoot. She searched for a reasonable excuse. Besides needing a day to recoup her resolve not to let their relationship move too fast, she had to keep Timmy a secret from Justin for just a while longer. She felt she had to give the two of them this time together to see if they could salvage their relationship, without the bond of a child to complicate their feelings. Having him come over to help pack her things or get the house ready would make that impossible.
“I don’t think so, but I appreciate the offer. I think I have everything under control.”
“Then I’d like to take you to dinner. I thought maybe you’d like to know a little more about my family, and we could discuss our travel plans.”
“Oh, Justin, I don’t know.” She started to say she had too much to do, but caught herself. Hadn’t she just assured him everything was fine?
“We’re going to be with each other pretty much every minute for the next two weeks. Don’t you think we need to spend a little time getting reacquainted?” he said reasonably.
Baby of Fortune Page 4
