Family Secrets

by Ruth Ryan Langan

  Chapter Three

  The dinner had been one of Gertrude’s famous seven-course affairs. Long before dessert, Ivy felt uncomfortably full and yearned for a chance to walk off her meal. But her aunt lingered at the table, enjoying her odd assortment of company and their engaging conversation.

  Afterward they retired to the library, where Aunt Tru had insisted on two more glasses of her favorite beverage before bidding everyone good-night and leaning heavily on Caine’s arm as she made her way upstairs. The others followed.

  At a light tap on her door, Ivy opened it to find Chester standing on the threshold.

  Caine, emerging from his aunt’s room, remained in the shadows, listening.

  “You wanted to see me after hours, Miss Ivy?”

  She forced herself not to laugh at his stiff demeanor. Chester took his position as butler and head of the household staff very seriously.

  “Yes. I wanted to thank you for the help you gave me in that little matter.”

  “You’re welcome. But please don’t ever ask me again. It meant invading Miss St. Martin’s private quarters. If she knew I’d gone into her personal papers, she’d have my hide.”

  “I’m sorry, Chester. I hated to make you an accomplice, but I had no choice. Thank you again.” The old man turned away.

  Caine waited until he heard Chester’s footsteps recede and Ivy’s door click shut. His eyes were dark, angry slits. That scatterbrained act was all a cover to hide her real intentions. But why? What did she hope to gain?

  Grateful for the night’s silence, Ivy slipped off the silk dress and tugged on her old jeans and boots. Shivering in the chill air, she pulled on an oversize sweater. Tucking her hair under a cap, she tossed her leather jacket over her shoulder and made her way quietly down the stairs and out the front door.

  A full moon glimmered between layers of slowly drifting clouds. The air was sweet with the fragrance of dogwood and forsythia. The pungent odor of freshly turned earth brought back all those happy memories of her father’s years here, taking such delight in his work.

  By the light of the moon, Ivy made her way down the long driveway, then veered sharply left to follow the sloping curve of the pond.

  Digging her hands into her pockets, she stood by the water’s edge and listened to the gentle splash of a frog, startled by her presence. The moon became swallowed up by clouds, leaving her in darkness.

  Somewhere to her left, an owl hooted. She heard the snap of a twig and turned, trying to get her bearings. The hair on the back of her neck lifted. Her skin felt suddenly cold, damp. She sensed that she was not alone.

  In the blackness of night, a rough hand gripped her arm and spun her around. Before she could react, a hand covered her mouth, stifling her scream.

  Her eyes widened. Robbery? Rape? What was happening to her? The pressure remained over her mouth, as she was shoved roughly against the trunk of a tree.

  Adrenaline pumped heat through her veins. With all her might, she strained against the arms that held her. She heard a man’s grunt as she kicked and thrashed. Her attacker only tightened his grip. She felt strong thighs pressing her against the tree.

  Caine’s deep voice sent shivers of ice along her spine. “I’ll take my hand away if you promise not to scream.”

  She blinked, nodded.

  When he dropped his hand, she took in great gulps of air. Relief flooded through her, leaving her feeling light-headed. Finally catching her breath, she sputtered, “Are you crazy? What’s the matter with you?”

  At the sound of her voice, he unleashed a stream of curses. “What are you doing out at this time of night?”

  “Walking off my dinner.”

  “In that getup?”

  The moon broke free of cloud cover, bathing them in golden light.

  She was furious and shaken by his unexpected attack. With venom she sputtered, “What’s wrong with my clothes now?”

  He stared pointedly at the hat, which left the upper part of her face in shadow. “Nothing’s wrong with them. Except that there was no way of telling who you were. You could have been a thief breaking into the estate.”

  “Oh.” She gave a wry smile and peeled off her hat. “There. Is that better?”

  Free, her dark hair tumbled wildly about her face and shoulders. At the sight of her, something tightened deep inside him.

  “Much better.” Without thinking, Caine reached out and caught a silken strand, allowing it to sift through his fingers. His eyes narrowed. It was as soft as he had imagined it would be. Gradually he readjusted his thinking. He should have known the shadowy figure was a woman. He could still feel her softness beneath the bulky clothes. Heat swept through him. “You shouldn’t walk alone out here. It isn’t safe.”

  “I’ve been alone in New York City for seven years now. And I’ve managed to survive nicely without having anyone hold my hand.”

  His voice lowered ominously. “I wasn’t offering to hold your hand.”

  His gaze swept her face. If it was possible, she was even lovelier in moonlight. Her hair shimmered, dark and lustrous, touched with red-gold. Her eyes, wide and luminous, gleamed like a cat’s in the moon glow. And her lips, full, parted, held the tempting promise of pleasure.

  She ran a tongue over lips gone suddenly dry. “I’d better get back.” Her sultry voice whispered over his nerves.

  Caine knew he should turn away now, before this went any further. Even without touching her more intimately, he thought he knew what her body would feel like pressed to his.

  A gentle spring breeze ruffled her hair. He reached a fingertip to it. And just as naturally, his other hand lifted, until without a thought to where it would lead, he plunged his hands into her hair and drew her face to his.

  Ivy shivered. Her heart hammered in her chest. It wasn’t fear, she knew. It was the nearness of this man. It was the excitement, the anticipation, the expectancy.

  She lifted wide eyes to his. His lips brushed hers with a feather-light softness she hadn’t expected. Her lids fluttered, then closed, as his mouth covered hers. Excitement surged, hot searing, shocking them both with its intensity.

  He had known she would feel like this in his arms. She was soft, melting into him as the kiss deepened.

  Her scent, that sweet gentle fragrance of flowers, mingled with the taste of her. He was drowning in her.

  His arms came around her to mold her to him. He pulled her closer, closer, until her breasts were crushed to his hard chest. With each shuddering breath, they tormented him. All thought, all his being, were focused on this kiss, on the taste of her.

  A loon cried in the night. Caine surfaced and reluctantly lifted his head. Through lowered lids he watched as she struggled for control.

  “Caine, I...”

  “Yes. I know. We’d better go back to the house.”

  She felt hollow, empty, as if, tasting his lips, she needed more. She wondered if her legs could support her.

  His tight voice became a raw whisper, sending a tremor along her spine. “You know this isn’t over yet.”

  “What isn’t?” Her eyebrow arched in a question. She laughed. “The weekend or the kiss?”

  “Neither. In fact, they’ve only begun.” Without warning he pulled her roughly into his arms and brought his mouth down hard on hers.

  Instantly the passion flared. As his mouth moved over hers, his hand roamed her back, drawing her firmly against him.

  Stunned, Ivy offered no resistance. Slowly, caught up in the moment, her lips parted and her tongue met his, teasing, touching. She drank in the warm, dark taste of him and felt a little moan rise in her throat. As her hand clutched the front of his jacket, she heard his breath quicken, and felt the thundering of his heartbeat matching hers.

  The hands at her back tightened, crushing her against him, until she thought she’d break. Her hands moved along his upper arms, across his shoulders, until they tangled in his thick, dark hair. Still the kiss deepened until all conscious thought fled. There was only thi
s moment, suspended in time, and the feelings that flowed between them. They were alone in the universe. Straining for breath in the midnight blackness, brilliant lights flashed in her brain, blinding her to everything except this man.

  “Caine.” The word was a strangled cry.

  With a supreme effort, Caine pulled himself back from the passion that clouded his mind. He lifted his head and studied her.

  Pressing her hands against his chest, she took a step back and tried to calm her rapid breathing.

  For long moments neither of them spoke. Finally, when she had composed herself, Ivy whispered, “I’m going back.”

  “Can you find your way in the dark?”

  She met his look. “I found my way here, didn’t I?”

  He watched as she took a halting step away. Catching her arm, he cautioned, “Watch out for half-hidden rocks. They can trip you up in the darkness.”

  He felt her tremble as he touched her arm. Instantly he dropped his hand, unwilling to admit the jolt he felt each time he touched her.

  “There’ve been plenty of rocks in my path, Caine. None of them have managed to trip me up.” She was already hurrying away, as if eager to escape him.

  “There’s always a first time.” I’m going to trip you up, lady. Whatever your scheme is, I’m going to be here to catch you.

  This was a first for him. He’d known plenty of women. But he’d never met a woman who had affected him like this. He was still shaken by their kiss.

  Leaning against the trunk of a tree, he shook a cigarette from his pack and held a lighter to it. He drew deeply, then exhaled a stream of smoke and stared at the darkened outline of his aunt’s mansion.

  That kiss had startled him. The simmering passion it unleashed had shocked him with its intensity. Again he inhaled deeply on the cigarette and fought to steady his nerves. Still, he shouldn’t have been so surprised. Every time he’d come near her during the day, his pulse rate had gone through the roof.

  They were as different as two people could be. Watching her, there were times he swore her feet didn’t touch the ground.

  All his life, Caine had known only discipline and hard work. He’d always known what he wanted to do, and was willing to do everything necessary to achieve it. The last thing he needed to complicate this already confusing gathering was a gorgeous scatterbrain.

  He hadn’t expected to kiss Ivy Murdock. He’d come out tonight in search of an intruder. He frowned in the darkness. There was something very wrong about this birthday celebration. Nothing was going as he had planned and there was a real danger lurking in the shadows. He needed his wits about him if he was going to see this business through to its conclusion. He needed a clear mind. Any Ivy was definitely a distraction.

  He tossed the cigarette into the pond and started back toward the house. At least, he thought with a wry smile, the days ahead promised to be anything but dull.