by Marilyn Lee
Taylor waited until Ria and RP were out of hearing distance before she moved across to the end of the swing and turned to face him, an annoyed look on her beautiful face. “Well? You want to explain who this Annie is who held your hot little hand in your bedroom, bought you flowers, and made you all better?”
Chapter Eight
Just when Reed thought things couldn’t get any worse, they did. The tiny hairs on the back of his neck rose when Annalise’s voice, even lower and sultrier than usual, sounded to his right. “That would be me.”
He stood up and turned to look at her, begging her with his eyes to be anywhere but here now.
She ignored his silent plea and walked forward with her hand extended. “And you must be Taylor. I’m sorry, I don’t know your last name.”
Taylor’s eyes were frosty as she directed a hard glance at him before shaking hands with Annalise.
“Dane. Taylor Dane. Reed’s special friend. And you are?”
“Annalise Lewis. And I am definitely not his elderly, maiden aunt.”
“But you are the woman who came bearing flowers and held his hand and sang him better?”
Annalise’s laughter held no amusement. She cast a secretive smile in his direction before turning back to Taylor. “Guilty as charged. And you know I think he liked it. He said I had a charming voice and…”
Reed tensed. If she mentioned those kisses, he was going to be in big time trouble.
“Ah huh. And you and your...charming voice sang him better where? In his bedroom?”
Reed closed his eyes briefly. Please, Annalise. Just disappear now. Please.
“Well, yeah,” she said. “That’s where he was sick. And me? Well, I go where I’m needed.”
“Carrying flowers?”
“Not usually. I made a special effort for him. But it was worth it. You should have seen the way his eyes lit up. It was his first time getting flowers and he was really touched. You should send him some occasionally. It might win you some brownie points.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said it might win you some brownie points with him.”
“Look, I don’t know who you are, but it’s time you had a reality check. I already have him. I don’t need to score any brownie points!”
Reed clenched his right hand into a fist in an effort to resist the urge to clamp it over Annalise’s mouth.
“Of course you don’t. He’s been at great pains to tell me what a one–woman man he is. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think he protested too much. But hey, that’s for you to decide. I’m sure you’re capable of keeping his interest centered on you.”
“You’d better believe I am!”
Annalise smiled. “Well, I’m sure you two want to be alone to talk or cuddle.”
“What?”
“I think he could use a little cuddling. Last night in his bedroom, he…”
He stepped in front of her. “You can’t possibly think Taylor has any interest in hearing that, Annalise.”
She shrugged. “I wouldn’t be too sure of that if I were you.”
“Well, I am sure!”
“Fine. Suit yourself. I’ll just go start dinner. Nice meeting you, Taylor.” She turned to look at him and winked. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t, RP Senior.”
He stood staring after her, feeling as if he’d had all the air knocked out of his lungs.
“So? You want to explain that, Reed? Who was that? And what did she mean about your protesting too much and your needing to cuddle? I thought you and I—”
He held up a hand to silence her. “Give me a moment, Taylor.” He nodded toward the house. “That is not what you must be thinking. There’s absolutely nothing between Annalise and me.” Those kisses had been sweet but they didn’t matter. Despite what he’d thought she felt for him, she’d had no problem stopping him and she’d called his kisses meaningless. “Nothing. We—”
“Nothing, huh? You mean Maria misunderstood? That she wasn’t in your room, holding your hand, singing to you and God only knows what else? The same bedroom you’ve never let me anywhere near? That bedroom?”
Put like that his behavior the night before sounded even worse—as both Ria and Annalise had intended it to. He ran a hand through his hair. “Well, yes, but it’s not what you’re thinking. I didn’t feel well and—”
“Then why didn’t you call a doctor? Why call her?”
“I didn’t call her.”
“Then why did she come? Why were you content to have her by your side when I should have been there?”
“It was innocent,” he said wearily.
“Innocent? I’ll be the judge of how innocent it was. Who is she? Are you related? Or is she the woman you hired to look after the kids?”
He put a hand on her arm. “No, but—”
“To which question?”
“No to both of them.”
“Did she… spend the night?”
“Look, Taylor, you’re jumping to all the wrong conclusions! Just let me explain.”
“Fine. By all means explain. Start by telling me if she spent the night.”
“Yes,” he said in frustration. “But not in my bed!”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Are you telling me you think I’m lying? Do you think I spent the night with her?”
“Did you?”
“You should know that I do not sleep with women I’m not married to, Taylor.”
“I thought I knew that, but I saw the way you two looked at each other. And you can’t deny she went out of her way in a vain attempt to make me jealous. Who is she?”
He didn’t know who he was angrier with: Taylor for not trusting him or Annalise for giving her reason to distrust him. “She’s one of Deb’s friends, Taylor.”
She looked uncertain
Maybe she was ready to believe him. “Deb’s friend? Why didn’t you say so?”
“Why didn’t you trust me?”
“She went out of her way to make sure I didn’t and I didn’t notice you saying anything to contradict what she said.”
“Taylor, you can’t really believe you have anything to worry about from Annalise or any other woman.”
“Can’t I? Why not, Reed? There was a time when I was sure you were going to ask me to marry you. How do I know she’s not the reason you haven’t?”
It should have been a simple thing to reassure her. But he found that the words wouldn’t come because Annalise was the reason he hadn’t proposed.
She glanced around suddenly. “By the way, I don’t see Deb’s car. Where is it? Where is she?”
This could get messy. “She’s not here right now.”
“I see. And ah, where was Deb last night?”
He was sunk. “Okay, I admit that Deb wasn’t here last night, but you have to trust me.”
“Are you standing there telling me that you spent the night with that woman and expect me to believe that nothing happened?”
“Yes.” But he knew he hadn’t a prayer of convincing her.
“And I’m supposed to believe that?”
“Yes.”
“I will, Reed—when pigs fly!” She jerked her arm away from him and ran down the stairs.
“Taylor!” He started after her, then stopped, and spun around. He’d deal with Annalise first, then Taylor.
He glanced at the slide to find Ria and RP staring at him with wide, anxious eyes. He forced himself to relax. “It’s okay,” he said, smiling. “I’m just going to talk to Annalise for a moment. I want you and RP to stay out here.”
Ria gave him a worried look. “You’re not mad at Annie. Are you, Daddy?”
“No.” He wasn’t mad. He was furious. It took all of his willpower not to shove the kitchen door open.
She stood with her back to him, flouring what looked like chicken parts.
He took several deep breaths before going to stand a few feet away from her. “You want to tell me what that was all about?”
H
e saw her push her shoulders back before she turned to face him. “What?”
He balled his right hand into a fist in an effort to hold onto his temper. “Let’s not play games, Annalise. I want to know why you tried to make Taylor think there’s something between us! And I want to know it now!”
Her eyes slid away from his and she shrugged. “No need to shout.”
He slapped his palm down on the counter. “Don’t you tell me not to shout! Why did you do that when you know there is not now nor is there ever going to be anything between us? What don’t you understand about that, Annalise? How many ways must I say it?”
For a moment she just stood there, staring at him; looking defiant. Then, so suddenly that it shocked him, her dark eyes filled with tears that quickly ran down her cheeks.
At the sight of her tears, his anger vanished. He struggled with the desire to take her in his arms and comfort her. Looking at her, he knew that was the absolute last thing he could do. He suddenly understood why she’d deliberately misled Taylor. Her touch that morning had felt much like Maria’s used to when she told him without words that she loved him.
His actions the previous night must have reinforced her feelings and given her reason to hope he might share her interest. But after their conversation on the swing, he knew they had no future. Now apparently neither did he and Taylor.
“Annalise,” he paused. What could he say to comfort her? He wanted to chase that miserable look from her face and put the sparkle back in her eyes.
She wiped furiously at her tears and turned away from him. “Go away. Please.”
Leaving her in tears wasn’t an option he felt comfortable with. He went to stand behind her. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “If I said or did anything to make you think—”
She spun around to glare up at him. “If? Oh, that mean streak of yours is at least ten miles wide. You know you’ve led me on! And there’s no if about it!”
“I never intended for you to….”
“You never intended for me to what? What do you think you know about what I feel?”
He stared down at her. He wanted to believe that he’d misunderstood her. “You mean you’re not ….”
She lifted her chin. “Not what? In love with you? Is that what you want to know? If I’m in love with you?”
He didn’t really want to know, but he needed to know. He nodded slowly.
She laughed. “You have a great opinion of yourself, don’t you? Why should you imagine that I’m in love with you? Just because I said you’re handsome? You think you’re the only handsome man I’ve met? You don’t know anything about me or even who I’m seeing.”
Although she’d flirted with him, she had also pushed him away when his kisses became too passionate. “Who you’re seeing? You mean...a man?” What a vain idiot he was. Of course she was seeing someone. That night on the back porch she hadn’t answered his question as to whether she was seeing anyone. She’d only been flirting with him and he’d overacted. As he was inclined to do with her.
“You think these tears are over you? Your conceit is unbelievable. Last Wednesday you thought I hated you. Today you think I’m in love with you. You think I have nothing better to do with my time than spend it seesawing back and forth over you! You really do think every woman you meet wants you, don’t you?”
“We weren’t talking about every woman. We were talking about you and me!” he snapped, stung by the thought that there was a man in her life who could give her what he never could.
“There is no you and me! I only came here as a favor to Deb and because I like Ria and RP. Period.”
“Fine,” he said coolly. “I get the message. Excuse my conceit and tell me why you let Taylor think there was something between us.”
Her chin rose higher. “I was only joking. How was I supposed to know that she was so insecure that she’d misunderstand? Maybe if you spent more time reassuring her that you’re a one woman man, she wouldn’t be so ready to—”
Jealousy fueled his returning anger. “Maybe if you stayed out of my bedroom and kept your hands to yourself, we wouldn’t need to have this conversation!”
Her dark eyes shoot sparks at him. “Excuse me for caring. Trust me, RP Senior, I won’t make that mistake again. Next time you’re not feeling well, I won’t come within two hundred miles of you!”
He slammed a fist down on the counter. “There isn’t going to be a next time.”
“You got that right, buster!”
“This conversation is a waste of time. This whole weekend has been one long nightmare! You, Annalise, are a nightmare.”
She stared at him with a hurt look in her eyes, her lips parted in surprise.
Oh, way to go, Reed. He longed to take back the hateful words. Afraid of making the situation worse, he said nothing.
“I guess that’s your quaint way of telling me that you want me to go.”
What he wanted was to take her in his arms and apologize. That he couldn’t do. Not until he decided what to do about Taylor. Even then, Annalise wanted things he couldn’t provide. He shook his head wearily. “I just want to end this conversation.”
“And next you’ll be telling me that you don’t want to see me again.”
Not until he and Taylor had a talk. He nodded slowly, reluctantly. “I really appreciate all you’ve done for us, but it would be best if you...if we didn’t see each other again.”
She pressed her lips together and looked away, but not before he saw fresh tears glistening in her eyes. “No need to sugarcoat it, tell me what you really think.”
He bit his lip and shook his head. He’d already said things he couldn’t ever take back. Things he didn’t mean. Would never mean with her.
“Fine, Reed. Just give me ten minutes and I’ll get out of your hair forever.”
Alone in the kitchen, he raked both hands through his hair. What was wrong with him? Why had he said those awful things to her? Things he didn’t mean? Things that had hurt her enough to make her cry?
And for what? Because she’d made him face the truth that he was not in love with Taylor and never would be? Because she’d made him long for a relationship with her he couldn’t have?
Ten minutes later, he heard her in the hall, moving toward the front door. Which meant she was upset enough to go without saying good–by to Ria and RP who still thought she was spending the night.
He couldn’t let her go like that. He ran from the kitchen and down the hall.
She hurried toward the front door without looking back at him.
“Annalise. Wait a minute.”
“Don’t hold your breath!” She spoke without turning to face him.
He followed her. They reached the front door at the same time.
She pulled it open.
He pushed it shut.
She swung around to face him. “What’s the matter? Not content to let me leave on my own? Let me guess, you want to throw me out personally.”
“How could you think that of me?”
“How could I not?”
“I’m sorry. I...I didn’t mean any of those things I said just now. I didn’t mean any of them.”
“You sounded like you meant them to me.”
She sounded and looked so small it was all he could do to resist the urge to put his arms around her. “I was angry, Annalise. When I’m angry, I sometimes say things to hurt. Things that I don’t mean. Just like a lot of other people. Just like you must have done at least once in your life.”
“If you think that I’m ever going to forget that you said I’m a nightmare, you’re living in one!”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I...I didn’t mean it, Annalise. I was angry, but I did not mean it. Please. That’s so far from what I really feel. You...you have to believe me.”
“All I have to do is make sure that our paths never cross again.”
There was no way he was going to let her walk out of his life for good, but he knew that he was going to have to let her go f
or now. He didn’t have much choice since he felt certain nothing he could say would make her stay or even be inclined to forgive him.
“Will you at least say good–by to Ria and RP?”
“Why don’t you say it for me? Then you can explain that I’m a nightmare and you never want to see me again.”
There was no doubting the pain in her eyes when she looked at him. He pressed a fist against his mouth. Why had he hurt her like this? “I...I didn’t mean it. Somewhere...something inside of you must know that. I didn’t mean it.”
“You know what, Reed? I just don’t care anymore. All I’ve ever gotten for trying to help you, is one slap in the face after another. Take your unwanted apology and give it to your one–woman. Maybe she’ll forgive you, but I never will. Now will you please take your hand off the door so I can get out of here?”
“What about Ria and RP?”
“What about them?”
He took a deep, aching breath. “This is my fault. You know how they feel about you. You can’t just leave without saying good–by to them,” he pleaded. “They’ll think it was something they said or did. They’ll be hurt. RP especially. I know you have feelings for them so please don’t make them pay for my mistake.”
“It’s not fair of you to use my feelings for them against me.”
“Please don’t leave without saying good–bye to them.”
She looked away. “Fine. I’ll say good–by, but I am not explaining. Now will you please let go of the door?”
He felt helpless and unsure what if anything he could say to make things right with her. “I am so sorry.” He bent his head for one last kiss.
She turned her face.
His lips brushed her cheek. Keeping his hand on the door, he used his free hand to turn her face so he could look down at her. “I’m sorry.”
“Let me go, Reed.”
“I know I hurt you, but please don’t hate me, Annalise I’m sorry,” he whispered against her mouth. He closed his eyes and kissed her lips.
She recoiled and shoved against his shoulders. “Hate you? I have no intentions of wasting any of my time thinking about you. As far as I’m concerned, we’ve never met!”
