“If other couples are dancing, how is Scott going to avoid asking Denise to dance?”
“You don’t know Scott,” Heather said. “Still, it’s definitely worth a try. Is your guest married?”
“Yes.”
“Thank God for that. He won’t be in the picture. I’ll be over Thursday evening to help. I won’t be able to leave the office until around four, but I’ll be over there as soon as I can get home and change.”
Dressed in an off-white dinner jacket, white shirt, black tuxedo pants, black bow tie and black patent-leather shoes, Scott rang the doorbell on Drake Harrington’s door at exactly five-thirty that Friday afternoon. Alone. He could have done without such intense heat in early July, but the prospect of seeing Denise and of meeting her on neutral ground made being dressed up in unbearable heat bearable. Drake answered the bell almost as soon as he rang.
“I’m glad you could come, Scott. It’s good to have you here,” Drake said. “Come with me. I want you to meet our guests. Ambassador Galloway, this is Alfred Rimes. My brothers and I have just completed a housing complex consisting of four seventeen-story buildings for Mr. Rimes. We’re celebrating. Alfred, Ambassador Galloway has just finished a tour in Lithuania with the State Department.”
The two men greeted each other, and Scott did his best to concentrate on their conversation. “The Harringtons are exemplary in every respect,” Rimes said. “I’ve hired a lot of construction companies, but none with so much integrity and professionalism and so few delays as I had working with the Harrington brothers. They’re first class.”
“Yes,” Scott said, listening for the sound of Denise’s voice. “They have an enviable reputation.”
Alfred Rimes did a double take, and Scott turned his gaze in the direction of where Rimes was looking. It seemed as if she floated toward him, her body barely sheathed in a long, slightly loose, sleeveless dusty-rose silk dress with a slit that stopped above the knee. The neckline revealed enough of her bare breasts to make his mouth water.
Pamela steered her friend toward Alfred Rimes. “Denise Miller, this is Alfred Rimes, our guest. And of course, you know Ambassador Galloway.
“I’m glad to meet you, Mr. Rimes.” She turned to Scott. “Hi. I was so glad when Pamela told me you were coming.”
He glanced around, caught Drake’s eye and signaled him to join them, since they shouldn’t leave the guest of honor alone. “And I was certainly pleased when I learned that you would be here, too,” Scott said.
When Drake joined them, Scott said to Rimes, “I enjoyed talking with you, Mr. Rimes. Would you excuse us, please?”
Figuring that Drake would understand, he cradled Denise’s elbow and walked with her toward the dining room. “I’ve been here a few times, but I don’t remember which door leads to the sunporch.”
As if she’d done so every day for years, she took his hand and walked with him to the small hallway between the breakfast room and the dining room. At the end of the hall, she reached across him and opened the door. Fire blazed through his body when her breast grazed his right arm. He could have sworn she wasn’t wearing a bra, as he felt her nipple. And it was hard. Damn!
They stood in the air-conditioned, glass-enclosed porch not saying a word, quietly watching the sunset as they continued to hold hands. He didn’t want to say anything. Talk was not what he needed. He needed her.
She broke the silence. “Are you still mad at me, Scott? I really don’t want you to be angry with me. I hardly know that woman who was rude to you back then. If you’re still upset with me, I’m going inside.”
“I’m not upset with you, and I’m not mad at you.”
“Then what is it?”
He let his gaze travel from her feet to the top of her head. “You are so beautiful, so…so—”
“So what?” she asked with a twinge of apprehension in her voice.
“Listen, I told you never to ask me a question unless you want the answer.”
“I want the answer.”
“Desirable. When I look at you, think about you, I… Oh, hell, let’s go back inside.”
“Does this mean you don’t want to be friends? All you have to do is make it clear, Scott, and I won’t waste your time or mine.”
“I like confident women…confident people, for that matter. But I’m not impressed by a woman who wants me to think she doesn’t need anyone. Besides, for you, it isn’t true.”
“How do you know that?”
“I know when a woman wants me, and you ought to know, without being told, when a man wants you. Let’s go inside. I suspect Pamela is serving the food about now.” He took her hand and walked back inside holding it. He liked holding her hand, but he was also holding it to show Alfred Rimes that if he went after Denise, he’d have some serious competition.
Scott led Denise to the buffet table, took two plates, as he’d done that Sunday at the barbecue, and asked her what she would like. “Maybe I can help you avoid getting something on this lovely dress.”
“Thanks. I’d love the shrimp and crab cakes, some of those little biscuits and some asparagus.”
He served her plate, added several cherry tomatoes and handed it to her. I am not being protective or possessive, he said to himself. Can I help it if I want to do something for her? He put the same food on his plate and added a slice of ham. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Alfred Rimes watching him.
Too bad, buddy. You’ve got a ring on the third finger of your left hand. You are too old for her and, besides, she’s with me. It was a mean-spirited thought, but that’s the way it was.
Telford walked to the center of the room, clapped his hands together and got everyone’s attention. “Thank you all for coming to meet one of our favorite clients. The Rimes Mansions are now open, and they’re dream homes. Russ outdid himself with the design of those buildings, and Drake elegantly finished them. And don’t forget to patronize the businesses in the adjoining Rimes complex. Now, enjoy the food, the drinks and the music. And please dance, if the spirit so moves you.”
Having been instructed by Pamela and Heather, Telford switched on the CD player, walked over to his wife, Alexis, and opened his arms. She swayed into them, and they danced like a couple of newly acquainted lovers to the sound of the Luther Vandross song “Here and Now.”
Scott rested his plate on the nearby table, his appetite gone. The way Alexis looked at her husband—telling Scott and everyone who cared to see that she loved Telford and only him—shook Scott to his core. She communicated it to her husband with the look in her eyes and the yielding of her body. It reminded him of how lonely he was and how empty his life was of things that mattered so much to him. He closed his eyes and steadied himself.
“Are you all right?” Denise’s soft voice penetrated his thoughts.
“I’m fine.” But he wasn’t, and he did not care to share his feelings with her, or with anyone. But he looked into the tender, caring eyes with which she observed him, and faced his need for her. “Dance with me, Denise?”
When she opened her arms, he brought her closer to him and stood there holding her and looking into her eyes. Uncontrollable shudders raced through his body, but he stiffened his back and began to dance, moving slowly and rhythmically, knowing at last the delight of holding her close. They moved as if the sweetness of her body in his arms had always been his to savor. The song changed, and the sound of Lester Young playing his saxophone to the tune of “(Back Home Again In) Indiana” was music to his ears. He didn’t want to hear any more slow love songs, at least not then, not with a bundle of warmth in his arms. Denise seemed content, no matter what kind of music played. And when one of Laurindo Almeida’s blazing Brazilian bossa nova tunes filled the room, he let himself go. To his amazement, she danced with him as if they had danced together for years. When the piece ended, he heard the applause; he hadn’t noticed that they were the only ones dancing.
“You’re a wonderful dancer,” Denise said.
“No more so than you,”
he replied. “I had to learn those steps when I was in high school, or Judson would have gotten all the girls.”
She winked. “Judson has his good qualities. But he can’t outshine you. No way, no how.”
“Something tells me you mean that.”
“It’s not just flattery, Scott. And while we’re on the subject, you’re a knockout in this tux.”
“Thanks, I think. Let’s go get a drink, since neither of us has to drive.”
“My goodness, you’re shy,” she said jokingly.
“It’s almost nine, and my invitation said five-thirty to nine, so I’ll leave a few minutes to nine. I’d like to call you tomorrow morning, if I may.”
“I’ll be happy to hear from you.”
“I enjoyed this time with you, Denise.”
“Me, too,” she said as they walked toward the bar.
“I’m having vodka and tonic. What about you?”
Her smile seemed to envelop him. “That’s my favorite drink.”
He ordered their cocktails from the bartender and walked with her to a corner of the living room. “Drake has a couple of riding horses. Do you ride?”
“Since I was three years old. Remember I told you my dad is a rancher.”
“I’ll see if we can go riding tomorrow morning. It’s best to ride early before it gets hot.”
“Yes, I know. I can be ready at six,” she said.
“Great. You’re a woman after my own heart.”
“We’ll see about that,” she said.
“Yes. We will. It’s been a lovely evening, Denise. See you at six. Good night.”
He found Drake in the dining room. “Do you mind if Denise and I borrow a couple of horses tomorrow morning at six?”
“Of course not,” said Drake. “I’ll have the horses ready when you get there. If Heather doesn’t feel like fixing an early breakfast, be here at a quarter to six, and you can eat with Denise and me.”
“Thanks. And thanks for a great evening. Good night.”
Once outside, Scott removed his jacket, untied his tie, put it in his pocket and strode down the hill to Judson’s house. He was headed somewhere with Denise, and she seemed willing to go along. But did she want and need the same things that were so meaningful and important to him? He was willing to be patient, even wait for a while until he found them.
Chapter 3
Denise arose early that morning, did her ablutions, dressed and ambled down the circular stairs. She nearly collided with Pamela at the door to the breakfast room.
“I am so sorry. Are you all right?”
“Fine,” Denise said. “If I asked why you seem so happy, I don’t suppose you’d answer. Where’s Drake?” she asked.
Pamela gave her a long, slow wink. “He is still in bed…in a state of happiness.”
“Gotcha. You love that man.”
“Oh, yes,” said Pamela “Why don’t you give Scott a chance? I watched the two of you last night. The man’s really into you, and you’re trying to show him how cool you can be. Denise, even when you really like a guy, you come off as cool. Heat it up a bit.”
“You and Heather think he’s interested in me, but he has yet to put it in words. I know he wants me. But after two years in Lithuania, he’d want the Wicked Witch of the West.”
“Listen! Heather and Scott were best friends. They worked together for five years. He introduced her to Judson, who was like a brother to him. She said he’s seriously interested in you, and I believe her.”
“If you’re right, I’ll find out,” said Denise. “But would you open your front door if nobody knocked and just stood there waiting? Of course not! If a man isn’t willing to take a chance, he definitely won’t win me over.”
“And if you don’t give him any encouragement, he’d be foolish to take a chance. Come on, let’s eat. Scott will be here in a few minutes.”
She scrutinized her friend. “Pamela, do you know whether Scott plans to eat before he gets here?”
“Now you’re cooking with gas. I’ll set a place for him. It’s Saturday, so Drake may sleep until seven o’clock.”
Minutes later, the doorbell rang and Denise looked at her watch. Right on time, she thought. “Hi, how are you this morning?”
“Great. This country air is bracing,” Scott replied.
“You look as if you’ve been up for hours. How are you this morning?”
“Fine. Come on in. Pamela and I are about to eat. Drake’s still asleep.”
His handsome face creased into a luminous smile. “Food. I was hoping that you’d save me something. I didn’t want to awaken Heather and Judson so early, and I haven’t found my way around in their ultramodern kitchen. Who cooked?”
“Hi,” Pamela said. “I did. Our cook usually isn’t here on weekends, unless we have several houseguests.”
Almost as soon as they’d finished eating breakfast, the doorbell rang. Pamela drained her coffee cup and got up from the table. “That would be Miles to let us know he has the horses ready. The stallion is named Big Red, and the mare is named Sandy. They respond to their names.”
After breakfast, they mounted the horses and started for the bridle path, a quarter of a mile beyond Harrington House, where Telford and his family lived. “You are an expert at this, I see. And something tells me that your horse knows it,” Scott said to Denise.
She patted the horse’s flank. “Horses and I get along like peaches and cream. See how Sandy looked back at me when I patted her. She practically smiled. Men could learn a lot from horses.”
“Yeah. And so could women. If you caress my flanks the way you caressed hers, I’d smile at you, too. Which way is the river from here?”
“A little beyond that fork in the road,” she said. “And you’ve never indicated that you want to be patted anywhere, not to mention your flanks. I make it a rule never to read between the lines. If you want me to know something, spell it out. Last time I took something for granted, it ended in disaster.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Ten years. Ten long years,” she said wistfully.
“Since then, I haven’t been within miles of any problems. I learn fast,” she said, immediately wondering whether she’d revealed too much.
“I’m sorry, Denise. I apologize for being too protective last night, but I guess you’re very adept at handling that. Are we arguing or merely getting to know each other?”
She pondered how best to respond to his question. She decided to be direct and honest with him, and slowed her mount to a trot. He did the same.
She gazed around at the perfect July morning, flowers in bloom, birds chirping and flitting around and squirrels scampering across the horse trail. “For years, Pamela has said that I don’t show people who I am. She says I’m cool, even when I’m interested in something or someone. If she’s right, I have misled a lot of people in my lifetime.”
“So we are not arguing. Good. The day we met at Judson’s barbecue, you were warm and approachable,” he said. “Maybe it was because of those worn jeans. The ones you’re wearing today are brand-new. Let’s tether the horses and walk awhile or sit on one of those benches and look at the river.”
“Okay. I love to look at the water. There’s something magical about it.”
He dismounted, walked over to Denise and raised his arms, and she lowered herself into them. “What would you think if I said I want you to fall in love with me?”
Her lower jaw dropped and, to her own surprise, her fingers gripped his shoulders. “Be careful, Scott. You impress me as a man who measures his words carefully.”
He held her closer. “Then I’ll phrase it differently. Will you give us a chance to see where we can take this relationship?”
“Is there some reason why you don’t kiss me? You’ve had three opportunities, and you’ve never taken them.”
“I pride myself on being a gentleman and treating women with respect. Right now, I am at the point of explosion, and I don’t trust myself to get any closer t
o you.”
She could feel the tips of her nipples tingle as her heartbeat raced. What would he be like and how would she feel if his superhuman control deserted him? Her head told her not to tempt him, but her body paid no attention.
“How will I know I want to give us a chance?” she asked him, ignoring the consequences.
He stepped back, gazed at her for a second, took her hand and walked to a wooden bench facing the river and sat down beside her. She rested her head on his shoulder and snuggled close to him. His arm eased around her and tightened. She gripped his waist with her right hand, and then mindlessly she let her hand stroke and caress him. She heard him take a sharp intake of breath, and a second later, she was sitting in his lap. The fingers of his hand pressed the side of her right breast, and his other hand clutched the back of her head.
“What kind of proof do you need in order to decide whether you’ll give this relationship a shot?”
“Stop teasing me, Scott.”
A hoarse groan seeped out of him, and at last she felt his mouth on her. Shivers coursed through her as he tightened his grip on her, as his tongue traced the rim of her lips and pried them open. He invaded her mouth, and like a flame doused in gasoline, heat surged through her body until she nearly exploded. She felt hot, as though her body could catch fire. His tongue sampled every crevice of her mouth, every centimeter of it. She heard herself moan and had neither the will nor the power to stop it.
His fingers stroked and teased her breasts until she cried out. “I can’t stand it. Do something. Anything!”
He slipped his hand into her bra, released her left breast and rolled her nipple between his fingers, while his tongue swirled in her mouth as she inhaled it deeper into hers. As her moans escalated, she began crossing and uncrossing her legs, sought the friction she so desperately needed. He dipped his head and suckled her nipple in his mouth. Within seconds, he was hard and bulging against her. She didn’t withdraw, but moved closer to him.
“Denise!”
“More,” she said. “More!”
“Sweetheart! Baby. I’m on the verge of…” He abruptly pulled away from her. “Sweetheart, if we were in someplace private, we’d be making love right now. Do you realize that?”
A Compromising Affair (The Harringtons) Page 5
