"Sure. This way." She led him through the kitchen and out into the garage, handing him her car keys.
On the ride to the restaurant, she asked, "Where are you headed this timeT"
"Tibet. I met a guy on the plane coming back from Scotland who'd been there. From his descriptions, I knew I'd have to see it for myself."
"You didn't stay here in the States long."
"I know. My folks have already given me the lecture on that one. But you know me," he said, grinning, "I get restless if I stay too long in one place."
"Do you miss coming back to Pasadena when you return to the States?"
"Yes, I do. I mean, I'm glad the folks found a place where they can relax and enjoy Dad's retirement, but it's not home to me--you know, the home where I grew up. The place is small, but they're pleased with it. Said the upkeep is not as time-consuming. Gives Dad a chance to play more golf."
Dinner seemed to go by like a dream. Later Tess couldn't remember much about what they'd talked about. Craig asked about mutual friends of theirs, and she told him what she knew about their activities.
By the time they returned to the condominium, she was feeling relaxed and very mellow. "Would you like another glass of wine before you leave?" she asked, once they'd gone inside.
He stretched and sighed. "Sure. I can always catch up on my sleep during the flight tomorrow." While she filled their glasses in the kitchen he wandered through her place, until he reached the den. "Wow. When did you do this?
She knew what he had found and couldn't help blushing, wondering what he must think She hadn't intended for him to ever find out that she had painstakingly gathered copies of the photographs he'd taken through the years and had them arranged on an entire wall in her den.
She walked in to find him standing with his hands in his back pockets, staring at the arrangement. She noticed he'd discarded his jacket and shoes. "Different places. Some of them you'd sent me, some I found in a gallery and others your mother was kind enough to add to my collection."
"This must have taken quite a lot of effort to put together." He stepped closer to one of them. "I'd forgotten about this one." He tapped it. "This was the first, photo I ever sold."
"Sunset at Malibu," she said. "I was with you that day, remember? I wasn't surprised that the picture tUrned out so well. That whole day seemed like magic. One of those perfect days that southern Californians never get tired of."
He turned around, taking one of the glasses. "You're right. I'd forgotten. Those were some carefree days, weren't they?" He touched his glass to hers. "Here's to the days of our youth. May the future be filled with as much inspiration as the past."
They sipped their wine. "It's a little chilly in here tonight. How about a fire?" she asked, looking away from his expressive gaze. She reminded herself that Craig saw her as the sister he'd never had. She couldn't allow herself to be caught up in the headiness of his undivided attention.
"Sounds good." He went over to the fireplace and began to arrange the wood while Tess kicked off her shoes and sat down on the sofa.
When thinking about it later, she remembered that he had sat in a nearby chair at first. She wasn't sure how the subject returned to her grandmother, but eventually she found herself telling him what those last few months had been like for her. She'd tried not to break down as she described how tough it was to pick up the pieces of her life once her grandmother was gone. She'd stayed with her grandmother around the clock those last few weeks, so that her days and nights had been filled with activity.
Once her grandmother was gone, she'd felt lost, even though she'd had her job to go back to and her life to resume.
She wasn't certain when Craig moved to her side, or when he put his arms around her. She only knew that she needed him at that moment in a way she'd never needed or wanted another man.
"Ah, Tess," he whispered, running his finger along her jaw. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that alone. I wish I'd been here for you."
"There wasn't anything you could have done." "I could have let you know I cared." "I knew that." "You did?" "Mmm-hmm."
He smiled. "I'm glad." He brushed his lips against hers and she felt as though a bolt of electricity ran through her. When his mouth lingered, hovering over hers, she eased closer to him and kissed him back.
His kiss was everything she had dreamed it would be. She could feel his heart racing beneath her palm, and when he pulled her into his lap she could tell that he Was aroused.
She didn't care about anything else at that moment except to continue feeling what he was making
her feel. She gave herself up to all the sensations that Craig's kiss was arousing in her, eagerly following his lead, silently encouraging him to continue what he had so innocently started.
When he finally lifted his head, he looked stunned. She felt the same way. What was happening between them?
"Tess? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."
"It's all right." She gave a shaky laugh. "Wow. That was pretty potent."
They were reclining on the couch, their arms around each other. She was fascinated by the feel of his body pressed so closely to her. She'd never allowed herself this freedom with a man before. It was heady stuff.
She slipped her hand beneath his shirt, and felt his ripple of reaction to her. A new sense of power and purpose took over. Imagine, being able to provoke such a strong response in him.
Feeling an unfamiliar sense of daring, she unbuttoned his shirt, then placed a kiss on his chest. His groan made her smile with a sense of accomplishment.
"Tess, I--" Whatever he was going to say remained unsaid. Instead he began to kiss her again--long, drugging kisses that set up a craving for more.
Her legs became entangled with his, his thigh high between hers, stirring her. When his hand slid beneath her skirt and moved to the juncture of her thighs she gave a tiny gasp, which was swallowed by his mouth on hers.
His touch was the spark that set her on fire. She didn't understand what was happening to her, but she wanted more. So much more. She fumbled with his belt and found his zipper. She ached to touch him as he was touching her.
Ah. At last he was free for her to touch and explore. This was Craig after all. He wouldn't mind her feverish exploration; her lack of experience was probably obvious. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered except the floating feeling that consumed her.
They were already so entwined that it took only small adjustments for him to shift where he was lying between her legs. She lifted her hips to him, afraid he was going to leave her, afraid that he would stop touching her so intimately in the exact place she needed him.
She felt the unfamiliar invasion of his body and couldn't stop herself from tensing. He paused, his mouth still pressed to hers, his tongue teasing hers. She brought her knee up, giving him more access, wordlessly encouraging him.
That first thrust brought tears to her eyes but she continued to clutch him to her, hanging on to him' while he kept up a compelling pace that triggered all kinds of explosions deep within her. When he lifted his head and looked down at her, his face mirrored the wonder of what she was feeling. It was then that
he threw his head back and with a cry buried himself deep within her.
He collapsed against her, rolling to the side so that his full weight wasn't on her. Unfortunately the couch was too narrow for that particular maneuver and they rolled off onto the plush carpeting of the den.
Tess landed sprawled across him, both of them still winded from the fiery conclusion of that first innocent kiss.
When she could speak, Tess said, "Why don't we go upstairs? We'll have more room there." Not wanting to have him argue, she stood and tugged at his hand until he came to his feet. Then she led the way to her bedroom.
Their second coming together had been so different from the first. They lay on the bed, touching and exploring each other, speaking in whispers. When at long last they came together once again it was as delicate as a ballet, each move leading to yet ano
ther discovery.
Eventually they had fallen asleep in each other's arms, like innocent babes who had exhausted themselves at play.
Luckily Craig had roused early enough to call a cab about four o'clock the next morning so that he didn't miss his plane. She'd walked him to the door, sleepily kissing him goodbye before tumbling back into bed to continue to dream of him .... "Tess?" His voice was so distinctive. She'd recognize it anywhere.
"Mmm?"
"Is something wrong with the omelet? You're not eating."
"The omelet?" she repeated dreamily, then remembered that she and Craig were having breakfast in her kitchen while she'd been reliving their night together! "Oh, the omelet. Oh, yes. It's delicious. Thank you for making it."
He looked at her, his expression a little concerned. "You haven't tasted it yet. Are you sure you're okay?"
He'd almost finished eating everything on his plate while she'd been dawdling over hers. She hastily dug in, not wanting to make conversation until she gained a little more control over her thoughts.
When she'd eaten every bite, she said, "That really was good. I must have been hungrier than I thought ."
He smiled distractedly and gathered up their dishes. She rinsed them and put them into the dishwasher.
Craig leaned against the counter, watching her. When she was finished, he said, "Look, you go ahead with whatever your Saturday routine is and I'll run to the store."
She straightened, frowning at him. "Do you really think this is necessary, Craig? There's no rush, is there?"
"Maybe there's no rush, but it's necessary for our peace of mind. Where are your keys?"
She nodded to a wall decoration beside the garage door where a set of keys hung.
He touched her lightly on the cheek. "I'll be back in a bit." With a jaunty whistle that seemed to Tess to be out of place, considering his present mission, Craig disappeared behind the door that led to the garage.
There would never be anyone in her life to compare to Craig Jamison. But what would she do if she were actually pregnant? It was true that having his child would give her a part of him to love.
Knowing Craig, however, he would insist on their getting married. An unwanted marriage would be the worst thing she could force on him. It wasn't what she wanted, either. When she decided to marry, it would be with a man who wanted nothing more in life than to settle down with her and raise a family. Craig Ja-mi son did not come close to that definition.
While she reluctantly reviewed what was occurring in her life, Tess stripped her bed, gathered towels from the bathrooms and started doing her weekly chores--washing and drying clothes, vacuuming and dusting, and making a list of necessary groceries for an expedition later in the day. The norma Icy of her routine helped considerably to calm her.
All right. There was a possibility she was pregnant. Not much of one, really. A doctor once told her that with her erratic cycle it would he more difficult for her to become pregnant than for most women.
And what if she was? Well, she could handle it. She had a responsible position with a mortgage company, good health benefits, a great deal of accrued vacation time. She was certain she could take a leave of absence without unduly complicating her professional life.
A baby.
Tess dropped into an overstuffed chair in her living room. Could it he possible? Her heart was racing and her palms were sweating at the mere thought.
This wasn't the way she'd planned it. First, she was to meet the perfect man who would become the perfect husband. Next, she would become pregnant with the perfect baby and she and her perfect husband would become perfect parents.
Of course she'd known, realistically, that none of that was possible. What she had never fantasized about was the possibility of Craig Jamison being the father of a child of hers.
For one thing, she knew him too well and he was far from perfect. Craig would always be yearning to follow the sun, to discover what was on the other side of the mountain, to adventure down the yellow brick road.
He was an excellent photographer. That poetic soul of his was what endeared him to her. But he was far from being husband or father material, in her opinion.
Craig was a very dear friend, however the thought of being married to him shook her to her core.
Craig found her still sitting in the living room, a dust rag in her hand, the vacuum abandoned in the middle of the floor.
"Hi," he said, "I'm back."
She'd been so deep in thought, she hadn't heard him come in. His voice startled her. Glancing up, she looked at the rumpled man and shook her head. "Haven't you ever heard of an iron, Jamison?"
"Huh?" He walked over to her and touched her forehead with the back of his hand. "Are you okay?"
She pushed his hand away. "Forget it." Once again on her feet, she held out her hand. "All right, give it to me. I'll put us both out of suspense. Then maybe you can relax and get some rest. You must be out on your feet."
"Actually I've gotten my second wind. It's better to stay awake after traveling through time zones, at least until dark local time. You get through jet lag much faster that way."
"You should know," she muttered. Only then did she see that his hands were empty. "Didn't you buy the home test?"
"Yep. It's on the kitchen counter." He eyed her a little uncertainly. "Are you going to use it now?"
"Why not? It isn't going to help either one of us to sit around wondering about it."
He put his hands into his pockets and rocked from heel to toe. If she didn't know better, she'd believe he was nervous about this whole deal. Jamison nervous about anything? Hah!
Tess hurried into the kitchen. She saw the small bag innocently lying there on the counter. How could something so small and innocuous hold the key to her sense of being in control of her life and sanity?
"I don't think it works unless you take it out of the bag," Craig commented from behind her.
"Very funny."
"I thought you were in a hurry to find out."
"Not a hurry, exactly. I just think we're both overreacting, that's all."
He dropped his hands onto her shoulders and gently kneaded them. "Don't forget that you aren't in this alone, honey. I'm here."
"For the moment, anyway." Her shoulder muscles were responding to his gentle massage by easing the tension they'd been holding and she was tempted to lean against him for continued comfort. Not a good sign at the moment. She could do this. She could do it without help.
The sudden thought of needing his help to take the test made her face heat up.
She reached for the bag holding the test and started upstairs. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Craig watching her, his expression unreadable. Neither one of them spoke.
While she was upstairs, Craig wandered into the living room and absently turned on the vacuum. When he was through he went into the den and cleaned there as well. After recoiling the cord, he stored the machine, listening for movement upstairs. There was none.
He didn't know too much about the tests, even after reading the instructions on every brand on display, but it seemed to him that she'd had plenty of time to get some kind of response.
Seeing her dust rag abandoned on the coffee table, he decided to dust and polish the furniture.
Once that was done, he looked around for something else to do. There was still no sound from upstairs.
Well, hell. Was he going to have to go up there and-- And what? He felt so helpless in this situation. He'd had the feeling that his life was spiraling out of control from the time he boarded the plane to leave Los Angeles weeks ago.
Everything that he thought he knew about him-self--his feelings toward his life's work, even the way he viewed his family and friends--all of that had changed, somehow.
Maybe he was stumbling around in some parallel universe where everything looked the same but wasn't. Or maybe he'd been reading too many science fiction novels lately.
Determined to find out what was going on, Craig took the sta
irs two at a time. He found Tess sitting on the side of her bed, staring at the wall.
"Well?"
Her head turned like a robot. Her eyes were just as blank. "It was positive," she said quietly.
Chapter Three
Craig walked in and sat down beside her, pulling her into his arms. "It's going to be okay. I promise you," he said. "We'll get a license on Monday. Then we'll be able to--"
She pushed out of his arms. "Craig, I am not going to marry you. Don't you see? It would never Work."
"What are you talking about? Of course we're going to get married."
"There's no 'of course' about it. You're only making plans to marry me because I'm pregnant."
Craig's jaw tightened and she was reminded of just how stubborn this man could be when he set his mind to something. "Don't even think that you're going to talk me out of this one, Tess. It's really very simple. You're carrying my baby. Therefore, I'm going to marry you."
"That is exactly my point. You would never consider marrying me otherwise."
"How do you know? Maybe the very reason I came back so soon was to ask you to marry me."
She laughed, but she sounded more hysterical than amused. "You? Ask me to marry you? C'mon, Craig. Who do you think you're talking to? I know you too well to try to fool me. There's nothing wrong with my memory. You've always said that you never intended to marry."
"Granted I may have said that many years ago. I was still a kid. All kids spout off with remarks that don't mean anything."
"Craig, we talked about your attitude toward marriage over dinner the last time you were here. Nothing had changed since we were in high school. You made it clear that you didn't want to be tied down to anyone. You even commented how unfair it would be to expect someone to tolerate your yearning to travel."
"I was repeating my old way of looking at things out of habit. I said all of that before--" he began, then stopped. He ran his hand through his hair. "This is a ridiculous discussion, Tess. We have to look at the facts and the fact is that you're pregnant. We've confirmed it, so we look at our next step, which means that you're going to marry me."
Annette Broadrick Page 3
