A Compromising Affair (The Harringtons)

by Gwynne Forster

  “Yes,” she whispered, shaken and still trembling with need. “I’ve never felt like that before, and I…I’ve never lost control like that.”

  She couldn’t tell him how badly she had wanted him inside of her and how badly she still did.

  “Give me a chance, Denise. I want to give you everything that a man can give a woman, and I don’t mean material things, either. Are you listening to me?”

  “After what just happened between us, Scott, I’d be foolish not to. I can’t believe I let myself—”

  He interrupted her. “Let yourself go? I’m on cloud nine knowing that you trusted me that much.” Suddenly, his face clouded in a frown. “Are you afraid to trust me?” Scott said. “Why? Have I done anything that suggests I’m not trustworthy? Talk to me!”

  “No, you haven’t. Quite the opposite. It was easy to…to let things move along. I thought physical attraction was the only thing I had to deal with. But now—”

  “Now, you have to deal with your feelings. Don’t make me pay for whatever happened in the past.” He looked over his shoulder toward the horses. “Red and Sandy don’t seem to be having a problem. If she’s in heat, we’ll have to walk home.”

  Thank God, she could finally laugh. How good it felt!

  He asked her what was so funny. “If she was in heat, Scott, Drake wouldn’t have let her get within a mile of that stallion, and she would never have been so docile when I was riding her.”

  He stared at her. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  “You bet. Mares don’t like to be denied, any more than women do.” With that, she stood. “Let’s ride downstream. It’s beautiful down there, where the river curves.”

  He slowly raised his six-foot-four-inch frame from the bench. “Fortunately, I’ve learned to control evidence of my sexual frustrations,” he said. “But as Scarlett O’Hara said, ‘Tomorrow is another day.’”

  She’d think about that later. Liking Scott, even making love to him, would be wonderful. But he was looking for a serious relationship, and that scared her. She’d been there and done that. She knew that a woman was a man’s entire world until she gave him what he wanted. She was not going there again. But oh, Lord, how Scott Galloway made her feel!

  They mounted the horses and cantered along the path until they reached the river bend. “I want to love and to be loved,” she admitted. “But I don’t want to be hurt, to live in emotional pain every day.”

  From his vantage point atop Big Red’s back, Scott looked down at the lazily flowing river. The morning breeze blew plumes from the cottonwood trees into his face. He sniffed the perfume of the wild roses that were tucked among the blooming red and white crepe myrtle trees. All was right with Mother Nature, but what he wouldn’t give to say the same about himself!

  So she was attracted to him. It was the thought of emotional intimacy that she couldn’t handle. I want her, and I’m going to have her. And once I get inside of her, I’ll show her how a man loves a woman. I’ll make her feel plenty. And when it’s over, she’ll remember what it was like, and she’ll need me. Not just any man, but me, because I don’t plan for it to be any other way.

  “How often do you ride?” he asked her, having observed the ease with which she sat in the saddle.

  “Not as often as I’d like. I travel a great deal for my work.”

  So she was being evasive again. He stopped his horse. “Denise, if I ask you a question, and you don’t want to answer it, just say you’d rather not answer. I won’t be offended.”

  “Do you have a short fuse, or do I annoy you?”

  “If I had a quick temper, the State Department would have fired me years ago. It doesn’t help if you’re a diplomat. You learn to hide your feelings the way a bird covers its eggs. Haven’t you ever been close to a man, one with whom you shared your dreams and aspirations?”

  “It’s a long story, Scott, and if you’ll forgive me, I’d rather not go into it now.”

  “It’s all right. We’ll get there,” he said confidently.

  “Why are you so certain?”

  “Because I, for one, have a vivid memory. Have you forgotten what happened less than twenty minutes ago? Considering how you responded to me, do you think I won’t be back for more? Trust me, I will.”

  “But Scott, that’s not… I mean, sexual attraction doesn’t guarantee anything.”

  “You fell for the wrong man. And one day, you’ll know that for certain. It’s getting warm, and the horses are becoming agitated. Perhaps we should go back.”

  “You’re right.”

  “When will you be in Washington?” he asked her.

  “Monday morning.”

  “I want to see you Monday evening.”

  “Scott, I…I don’t know if it’s such a good idea.”

  “Why not? You have to eat, don’t you? Look, Denise, forget what I said a minute ago. You know what you want. You’re just scared as hell to take it.”

  “That isn’t true, Scott. If I’m afraid of anything, it’s… I don’t know that woman who kissed you back there. She’s… I don’t know who or what.”

  “Did you like her? Or are you scared of what you’ll do if she makes an appearance again? Trust me, I won’t let you do anything you don’t want to do.”

  “No, but you’ll make sure that I want what you want. I know that a thirty-one-year-old woman ought to have her act together. And in most respects, I do. But I’m not willing to subject myself to disappointment. I picked up the pieces once, and that will be the last time.”

  Tell me about it. For every unreliable and untrustworthy man, I’ll show you a woman who’s the same. “Whatever it was, you’re not willing to share it. Right?”

  “Scott, I know I have to take chances, but right now, I am not up to taking this chance just yet.”

  He gave the rein a gentle tug. “Let’s go. By the time we get back to the Harrington estate, the sun will be high, and Big Red will be irritable. We are not done yet. Where do you live in Washington?” She gave him an address in Chevy Chase, Maryland, a suburb of D.C. “Is it all right if I pick you up at six-fifteen Monday evening?” He didn’t like the frown on her face, or that she answered him with downcast eyes.

  “Okay. Will you be wearing a jacket and tie?”

  “Of course. I wouldn’t take you out to dinner any other way.”

  “Scott, I eat pizza. And when I do, I dress for pizza. But I appreciate the sentiment.”

  They rode back to Drake’s house in silence. As much as he loved nature, and especially enjoyed its serenity, he couldn’t appreciate it this morning. In another minute, he probably would have had her then and there, and damn the consequences.

  The more Denise tried to distance herself, the more she intrigued him. He’d had many women in his arms, but not one as passionate and as complicated as she was. At times she seemed as if she wanted to devour him. He’d see how it went Monday evening. If nothing changed, he would move on.

  Denise rang the doorbell, visibly upset from her horseback riding experience with Scott that morning. She didn’t want to talk to a soul, when Pamela greeted her at the door.

  “How did it go? You guys stayed out a long time.”

  Denise tried to force a smile, but from the expression on Pamela’s face, she knew she hadn’t succeeded.

  “It was…nice. I mean…I don’t know. Pamela, how did you know that you could trust Drake? That he would always be there for you? What made you take a chance on a man like Drake Harrington, who already had everything?”

  “In the first place, I didn’t think about Drake’s assets or his looks. If I had, I probably would have run the other way. What got me was his tenderness and caring, and the fact that he was true to his word. He was possessive, but in a way that made me feel special, and he let other men know that they’d best stay off his turf. If you don’t give Scott the right, he can’t do that.” The doorbell rang. “That must be Heather. Join us for coffee.”

  “Is Heather your favorite in-law?
”

  “She’s the one with whom I have the most in common.”

  “And it doesn’t bother you that Judson and Drake practically look like twins?”

  “Why should it? I’m never confused.” She went to the door. “Hi. Coffee’s ready,” Pamela said, greeting Heather. They walked into the kitchen, where Denise sat on a counter-height bar stool with a brooding expression on her face.

  “Hi, Denise. How was the horseback ride this morning?” Heather asked.

  “It was fine, Heather. And Scott’s a terrific guy—”

  “But what?” said Heather. “Denise, with Scott, what you see is what you get. He has no hidden agenda. And he’ll give it to you straight, which I suspect accounts for your mood right now. I’ve known him for years. And in all that time, you are the first woman he’s been interested in. Girl, wake up. Scott Galloway is really taken with you.”

  “All right. All right. I believe you, I suppose.”

  “You suppose?” Pamela and Heather said in unison.

  “You’re nuts about him,” Pamela said.

  “Yeah,” Heather said. “Seems to me you should stop pretending and be yourself.”

  “If he is interested in me, why doesn’t he tell me?”

  “Sometimes, I wonder how you can be so brilliant about some things and so clueless when it comes to relationships with men,” Pamela said in exasperation.

  “We’ve been trying to tell you that if you gave Scott a chance, he’ll let you know.”

  Heather took Denise’s hand. “I see in you some of the same issues I had when I met Judson. My career was my life. I didn’t have time for fun or pleasure. For a while Judson tried to change that, and then he let me know that ultimately it was my call. Scott doesn’t allow anyone or anything to control him, and that includes his feelings. If he walks, he won’t be back.”

  “Okay. I get it,” Denise said. “So can we get off my case now?”

  Monday evening arrived before Denise was ready for it. She had waited anxiously, but by late afternoon, she began to fear that it would be a disappointment. She dressed carefully, as if she were going to the social event of the year. She wore a modest sleeveless avocado sheath that skimmed her knees. Two strands of pearls were draped around her neck and fell past her waist, and diamond and pearl earrings adorned her earlobes.

  When the doorbell rang, she opened the door, looked up at Scott and pressed her hand against her chest as if to control the fluttering of her heart. “Hi, come in.”

  “Hi,” he said. “I can’t get used to the fact that what you wear doesn’t affect the way you look to me.”

  “Thank you. I—I…” She hated it when she stammered, but her nerves had gotten the best of her. She told herself to settle down. “Would you like a drink?” she asked him. “Priscilla sent you some of her cheese sticks. She’s back in Frederick dealing with the painters. Hopefully, they will have finished by Friday evening when I get back there.”

  She took his hand and led him to the living room. “You remembered the club soda,” he said, as he observed the bar cart. “Thanks, and please thank Mrs. Mallory for the cheese sticks.”

  “I will. She prepared some of them for you to take home,” Denise said, handing him a small bag.

  “Welcome to my home, Scott.” She lifted her glass to him.

  “Thanks. This is the second time that I’ve had the pleasure of seeing you in your home, and I’ve liked them both. I’m sorry that we can’t spend more time here, but I have a reservation for seven-thirty, and the restaurant is in Alexandria.”

  The restaurant was what she had come to expect of Scott, whom she had come to learn possessed impeccable taste. She could truthfully say at the end of their evening, as he stood in her foyer, that she didn’t want their date to end.

  “You are an amazing man, Scott. You don’t seem to take yourself too seriously. You let the couple in line behind us be seated first, and you even seemed comfortable sitting at the bar. Most men would have used their clout to demand special treatment. I admire your magnanimity, and I have ever since I introduced you to Priscilla Mallory. You were just as kind when you were meeting my housekeeper.”

  His gaze seemed to penetrate her. “I don’t make differences between myself and other people. My dad always told us as kids that all human beings bleed the same way, and that when we die, we are equally dead.”

  “He is a very wise man. I had a wonderful evening, Scott.” She reached up and stroked the side of his face. “Thank you.” Desire suffused her like a bolt of electricity, and when his eyes darkened to obsidian, she knew he realized that she wanted him.

  “Do you want me because I’m convenient?” he asked her. “Or do you need me because you care, because you feel something for me?”

  “I do care. You know I do. But I’m scared, Scott. I want to—to… I want you to care for me, but I don’t know how to overcome this fear.” She laid her head against his shoulder and held on to him. “Help me.”

  He pulled her closer to him and tightened his arms around her body. “Do you believe that I care for you? Won’t you let me show you?”

  “In my heart, I believe it, but my head says otherwise. I want to feel what I felt with you last Saturday, only with you. I can’t sleep for wanting you, needing you. I don’t want you to leave me.”

  He crushed her body to him, and she couldn’t hold back and didn’t try. She raised her arms until her hands gripped the back of his head, and with a groan, his lips seared hers until she opened them and welcomed his tongue into her eager mouth. She sucked him in, wanting and needing more. Her pelvis pressed against him, and his hands went to her buttocks, melding her to him. Excited and reckless, she moaned in delight, her unspoken plea for relief as she undulated against him.

  She grabbed his hand and pressed it to her aching nipple. “I need to feel your mouth on me. I ache,” she moaned.

  “Sweetheart, we have to stop this,” he said, all the while pressing her body tightly to him and guiding his tongue into every crevice of her mouth. She rubbed her breasts against him to relieve the ache of her nipples. He dipped his fingers into the neckline of her dress, released her left breast and suckled it between his lips. She gasped as he nourished himself like the starved man that he was.

  Suddenly, he released her, but not before his hard arousal grazed her belly. “Sweetheart, I don’t want it to be this way. Will you go away with me next weekend? I want to give us a chance to see if we can make it.”

  “Yes. I’ll go with you.”

  “I’m not seeing anyone, and I don’t want another man near you.”

  “There isn’t anyone, Scott, and there hasn’t been since—”

  “Shh. Don’t tell me until you believe in your heart and your head that you can trust me. Understand?”

  She gazed into his eyes and saw his sincerity. “Yes, I understand.” She hugged him as tightly as she could, as a feeling of warmth grew inside her. “Yes. Oh, yes.”

  “I’d better go home before things heat up again. May I call you when I get home just to say good-night?”

  “Please do. And drive carefully.”

  “I always do that, but you’ve given me added incentive.” He pressed his lips to hers, then opened the door and left.

  With her arms folded across her chest, she stroked her arms from her shoulders to her elbows, subconsciously trying to relieve tension. Maybe she still needed the feel of his hands somewhere on her body. “I could love that man,” she said aloud. “I could love him beyond reason. And if I don’t take a chance, I’ll never know him.”

  She showered, dried off and reached in a drawer for a teddy to sleep in. She glimpsed the reflection of her nude body in the full-length mirror. Would he like her breasts, untouched by any mouth but his? Her only lover had ignored them. She knew she had a beautiful body and that her legs were shapely, but would her size 34C be enough? She laughed aloud. He certainly liked the way they tasted.

  “Mr. Ambassador, we have a FedEx envelope for you,” t
he receptionist said when he asked for his room key. “It arrived late Friday afternoon. Would you like me to send it up to you?”

  “Thank you, Robin,” he said, looking at the concierge’s name tag. “I’ll take it.”

  He read the message before he got out of the elevator. “This calls for a change of plans,” he said to himself. His belongings had finally arrived from Lithuania, and the State Department had arranged for him to view three condominiums that met most of his requirements. If he decided to buy one of them, he’d have to move as soon as the deal was closed because the State Department’s relocation housing allowance was about to end. He telephoned the office the next morning, called the real-estate agent and went to look at a condo on Sixteenth Street.

  “I suggest you look at all three of them before deciding,” the real-estate agent said.

  “You can be sure I’ll check them all,” he said.

  “Of course,” she said.

  He liked the apartment well enough, but wanted to see the others. By one o’clock, he’d decided that the condominium in Georgetown suited him perfectly. The spacious triplex had three bedrooms, one of which could serve as an office, three baths and a balcony on the top floor, a guest bathroom downstairs along with a large living room, dining room and breakfast room, a big ultramodern kitchen on the first floor and a finished basement. Of the twelve apartments in the building, three, including the one he saw, had basements and outdoor gardens. He had to sell his apartment in Baltimore, buy the triplex and move into it within ten days, which meant that he couldn’t spend the upcoming weekend with Denise as he’d planned.

  A soon as he reached his office, he closed the door and sat at his desk, then telephoned Denise. “Hello,” he said after she answered. “How are you this afternoon?”

  “I’m looking forward to the weekend.”

  Those words should have excited him, but instead, he felt as if a dart had zinged past his head. “I’m calling about that. First, the good news—my belongings arrived from Lithuania late Friday. Unfortunately, I have to leave the hotel in ten days. I looked at a condo this morning that I’d like to buy, but I have to sell my apartment in Baltimore. I need the weekend to get some of this done. Can we get together in, say, a couple of weeks when I’ve settled into my new place? If I can’t sell my Baltimore apartment, I’ll have to find temporary housing. Please bear with me, Denise. I want to be with you.” He didn’t like her silence.