“You had important work to do,” she murmured between their briefly parted lips.
But perhaps he should have told Link that their meeting would have to wait until the morning. Even now, just thinking about the investigation made his shoulders tighten.
As if she understood the turmoil bubbling inside him, Julie laid her cheek against Tyler’s chest then kissed the muscled surface over his heart. Softly, her hands feathered across his shoulders until the knots loosened.
Damn, the woman was good for him. How had he ever stumbled on her? Was it fate? Or something spiritual that had begun to bind them together that night in the cave? He’d never believed in those sorts of things. Whatever the reason, she was here with him now, and, miraculously, he had the right to sleep with her every night for as long as they both lived.
Did it matter that he didn’t love her or that she didn’t love him? He’d begun this venture with the sure knowledge that love would never be a factor in their relationship. He’d had crushes on girls in high school and college. Had a few steamy, fleeting affairs. But he knew he’d never been in love.
If he and Julie were very lucky, they’d have fun together, share some spectacular sex…then cool down and learn to tolerate each other for the long run. Five years from now they would probably be living their own lives, speaking only when necessary to relay information about their children or pass along phone messages. But he would remain faithful to her because that was the honorable thing to do. He would always have his needs. He supposed she’d have her own. But he’d never expected more than a practical arrangement where sex was concerned. They’d both be disappointed if they expected more.
Her kisses fell across his chest, to his abdomen. His stomach twitched then tightened with anticipation of each light touch of her lips. Lower. Then lower. Until she had to kneel.
“You can’t know what you’re doing to a man when you tease that way,” he ground out, stroking her hair as she kissed the furred flesh just above the band of his briefs, then beneath its edge.
“I have a pretty good idea.” She grinned up at him, looking increasingly confident the stronger his reaction.
Yes, he was aroused. Yes, he wanted to beg her to make love to him with that delicious mouth of hers. He ached to feel her lips close around him and slide his entire length, and bring him to sweet, blazing ecstasy. But as inexperienced as she was, he still feared shocking her. He’d have to be satisfied with whatever she could handle. He would bury himself in her and whisper in her ear how beautiful she was on this their wedding night, and be thankful for that much.
He was wrenched out of his thoughts by the petal-soft motion of her hand slipping inside his briefs, stroking him. He looked down to see her bow her head toward him.
“No!” The word came out as a husky bark. “You can’t…I don’t want you to do anything that will…”
“Will what, Tyler?” Her eyes were sparkling.
She was being too damn playful. How could he protect her and take things slowly when she’d turned herself into this damn nymph? “You don’t have to do anything that embarrasses you, just to please me.”
“I won’t,” she promised him, and dropped a quick kiss on his tip.
Molten fire poured through his loins. In her innocence, she could have no idea what making love to him with her sweet mouth would do to him. He wanted to be gentle with her. He respected her and she deserved no less as his wife than she had before the marriage ceremony. But she was making it difficult for him to do the right thing.
Tyler sat up quickly. Twisting around onto his knees, he easily flipped Julie back onto the soft bed, hauled up layers of white silk and lace, and flung them above her waist. “Do you want me to show you what that feels like to a man?” It was the only way he could think of to delay her dangerous game just long enough for her to come to her senses. He fully expected her to back down.
She stared up at him trustingly, but said nothing.
His expert fingers quickly found the center of her womanhood. He watched her eyes widen and glaze over as he pressed two fingers into the silky, honey-drenched folds. She arched her back, tightened around him, let out a low dulcet moan.
He softly stroked her, bringing more dewy moisture. Her eyes widened still further. Her lips trembled but no words came out.
“Say something so I’ll know what you’re thinking,” he whispered urgently.
“Yes, show me,” she gasped. “Please.”
Tyler slid his body down to touch his lips to the top of her thigh. Then he kissed the other before centering himself and nuzzling between them.
Julie’s hands immediately clamped over his head. He froze, waiting to see if she’d push him away. Her fingers tangled through his hair, gripped him, held him to her. “Please,” she whispered throatily. “Don’t…don’t stop.” She opened herself to him.
Gently, he drew the very tip of his tongue across her, and she shuddered. He flicked his tongue over her again and again, tasting the luscious nectar that told him she was already riding a wave that would carry her over mountains. No longer hesitating, he seized her hips to bring himself still deeper, until she writhed and cried out in shocked delight.
Even when Tyler believed she’d had enough and tried to pull away, she reached out for him. But he could wait no longer. He brought himself up even with her on the bed, entered her swiftly and held her through the wild swells of her passion as she climaxed again and again, her body straining and releasing beneath him.
He was only moments behind her. He lost himself in a powerful burst within her, matching his own pleasure to hers. Then all he could do was lie over her, shuddering, amazed at what they were capable of, together.
Now woman, he thought, you understand.
Nine
It seemed to Julie that her days had never been sunnier. Although she still feared she would never live up to the challenge of being a Fortune, she was grateful to be one. She gloried in new freedoms—to buy herself a chic dress if the whim struck her, splurge on a massage at the spa or purchase a gourmet sauté pan to use in preparing meals for Tyler and herself. She felt useful, knowing she could take care of Tyler and make a nice home for him.
He had given her a charge card and told her to purchase whatever she needed for herself and the house. Julie wasn’t frivolous, but delighted in the notion that she could buy literally anything she liked in all of Pueblo. Even stopping for a frozen yogurt without counting pennies out of the bottom of her purse seemed a small and appreciated extravagance. She savored her new life to its fullest, but she still didn’t trust it.
Tyler made love to her nearly every night, whisking her away from reality into a world of sensations so achingly beautiful she longed to find more ways to please him in return. She had no doubt that she was in love with him. But she dared not tell him. Hadn’t they made a pact at the very beginning? He never uttered the word love to her while they caressed each other, although he whispered other tender phrases or sometimes called out her name at the height of his ecstasy.
But about ten days after their wedding, a subtle change came about. Tyler seemed distracted when they made love, and began to spend less time at the condo. He rarely smiled, and she sensed his mind was far away from her.
“Is something wrong?” she asked him one morning before he left for the site.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” he returned evasively, his gray eyes so dark they approached black.
She sighed as she watched him leave, wishing she knew if his moodiness was due to more complications with the hospital’s construction, another worrisome turn in the murder investigation, or something she’d done to displease him. Perhaps, she mused sadly, this is to be the natural course of our relationship; already he had grown bored with her. A voice within her warned that their days together were numbered, and this saddened her beyond all the loneliness she’d suffered in the past.
He was her husband, her missing half. It was impossible to share meals, a home and a bed with the man and
keep her emotional distance. How long she could stay in Pueblo and watch him slip further and further away from her, she didn’t know.
Tyler met with his crew chiefs each morning and briefed them on the jobs that needed most urgently to be completed. From one day to the next, work moved along at the hospital site, but never fast enough for him. He blamed Julie for this.
He felt driven to finish his work, hurry home to Julie and fall into her soft arms. He yearned to sit with her and share a quiet, satisfying meal and a mellow glass of wine. He wanted to be anywhere with her rather than at the site or his office. He’d never put anything ahead of his work, and the drastic change troubled him.
His marriage was meant to be the solution to a problem…not a problem in itself. Yes, his inheritance was secure now, but he faced an emotional maze he found impossible to negotiate. One moment he felt confused, angry and resentful of Julie’s sudden intrusion in his life. The next he was overwhelmed by gratitude, affection and a physical need for her so intense it terrified him. He knew he’d have to sort out his feelings for her and come to terms with their marriage in some way. But that would have to wait until the hospital was finished and the investigation resolved.
Each day, Tyler fought the urge to dash home to Julie by forcing himself to work further into the evening. He plowed through paperwork, contracts, deadlines. Was this love? He could no longer swear that such an emotion didn’t exist, or that he was immune to it. Worse yet, he feared that if he ever confessed his true feelings to Julie, he’d be lost. If he loved her and she didn’t return his love, there would be nothing to hold her to him. Money obviously held no power over her. She would simply walk out of his life, leaving him a broken man.
One evening, Tyler met his cousin Shane at the Camel Corral. The interior of the popular Pueblo restaurant was dark and masculine—wood paneling permeated with the aroma of thousands of steaks charbroiled over the years; a huge stone fireplace and richly patterned mosaic tile floors.
“Sorry I had to keep you from going straight home to Julie,” Shane said as he took a long, smooth swallow of beer from an icy mug. “Thought I’d better meet with you to discuss an interview I’ll be giving to the press. I need to know what I can or can’t say if they ask about the investigation.”
Tyler nodded. “Good idea. What kind of interview is this?” Shane had a medical practice in Pueblo but was also the family’s expert on Native American culture.
“With my sister Isabelle officially engaged to Brad Rowan, it looks as if we’ll soon be able to reclaim Lightfoot’s Plateau.”
“Any idea when the transfer of the deed will take place? It would make sense to start taking bids on the restoration of the cave drawings as soon as possible, given the rate of deterioration.”
“No date yet, but I’m going to call a press conference and fill in the local media on the history of the Papago people, who are now called the Tohono O’odham, and the cultural importance of the plateau. I want the public to know how important it will be to our people still living in this area when the land is actually turned over to us.”
“You might want to brief Rowan, too,” Tyler mused. “Last time I talked with him, he seemed to assume we would be developing the site to bring in tourists. I don’t think he realizes that if we do decide to let tourists into the cave, any profit from admission fees will go to helping the children of the tribe.”
“Right.”
“About the investigation,” Tyler said, getting to the point of their meeting. “I think you’d better check with Link Templeton to see how much information he’s turned over to the police.” He filled his cousin in on his most recent conversation with Link.
When Tyler finished, Shane stared at him from across the booth where they sat. “Unbelievable. He actually thinks one of us did it?”
“I’m not sure what he thinks. He just told me he wasn’t ready to eliminate anyone from suspicion. And it won’t do this project any good to become involved in a scandal.”
“Enough said. I think I’ll just defer all questions to Link and let him handle them. He seems to think fast on his feet.”
“Good idea,” Tyler agreed.
“So how’s it going with your new bride?” Shane asked as he finished off his beer.
It took Tyler a moment to adjust to the new topic. “Great,” he answered at last.
Shane studied his expression. “Julie seems a real fine woman.”
“She is.” Tyler smiled weakly. “She’s the best.”
“But?”
Tyler looked up sharply. “What do you mean?”
“Jason told me an incredible tall tale about you picking her out of a dating service catalogue.” Shane was studying him with an amused expression.
“He always was one for a good joke,” Tyler muttered, thinking dark thoughts that included stringing up his brother from the nearest tree.
Shane didn’t look convinced. “However you two met, it seems a match made in heaven.”
Tyler shrugged. “That’s what I’m worried about.” He chugged down three fast swallows of warm suds while Shane scowled at him.
Maybe it would help to talk to someone. He could trust his cousin, unlike Jason, to keep a secret if necessary.
After hearing the details, Shane summed up the situation. “So now you’re married, and you don’t know what to do about it.”
“Exactly. I guess I’m just trying to figure out what to do with my feelings for her. I thought I could handle it all real easy. You know, fulfill the terms of the contract. Treat her like another building project. It was supposed to be a business proposition. Clean and simple.”
“But it’s become more than that,” Shane guessed.
“A hell of a lot more.” Tyler shook his head.
His cousin grinned at him and spun his empty mug between two hands on the dark wooden tabletop. “Sounds like you’ve taken the big leap into love without realizing you were doing it.”
“Not love!” Tyler objected, then saw the skepticism in Shane’s eyes. “At least, I don’t think it is. What it is…I can’t put my finger on.” He groaned and glared at the bottom of his own mug, wondering where the beer had gone.
“A long time ago, it almost happened to me.” Shane’s voice was distant, wistful.
Tyler looked up. “Love, you mean?”
“Maybe. I didn’t wait around long enough to find out. Remember my college girlfriend, Cynthia McCree?”
“The grad student—criminology, bound for law school. Blonde…blue eyes?”
“That’s the one. We had a fast and furious affair.”
“Her choice or yours?”
“Mine. I panicked. I thought I was falling in love with her, and I couldn’t handle it. I just walked out of her life.”
Tyler thought of all the women he could have fallen in love with, but hadn’t.
“Do you regret leaving her?” he asked.
“I think about her sometimes. I wonder what might have happened to her since then, and what might have happened to us if we’d stayed together.”
“You’re saying you wish you’d given marriage a shot?”
“Maybe. I could at least have given our relationship my honest best.” He looked at Tyler. “It might have been worth the risk, to have a good woman at my side and the possibility of a family of my own.”
“I keep coming back to one thing, though. My father.”
Shane folded his large hands on the table. “Why him?”
“I don’t know why I should be any better at handling marriage and raising a family.”
“He does okay by you guys.”
“Now, sure. But when I was a kid…it wasn’t easy. He was too busy building a struggling construction business to spend time with his children. If I have kids, I want it to be different.”
“Maybe just being aware of the problem is enough,” Shane mused. “That way you can do something about it.”
Tyler shook his head wearily. All well and good to say it, but was he up to the chal
lenge? Could he ever let go of the business enough to let Julie and their children into his life in a way that really counted? “I just don’t know.”
“Hey!” a familiar voice greeted them from across the room. Jason wove between tables, spun a chair and straddled the seat. “I’ve been hunting all over town for you.” He looked at Tyler. “Called your place. Julie said she didn’t know where you were.”
Tyler winced. Already he was doing a lousy job of being a husband. “What’s up?”
“I was driving past the site, and I thought I saw someone walking around inside the security fence. I stopped to get a better look. It was Brad Rowan.”
Shane caught Tyler’s eye. “Rowan has no reason for lurking around the site at this hour. Does he?”
“Hell, no,” Tyler snorted. “I mean, his family supplies a good deal of our building materials, but that doesn’t give him twenty-four-hour access to the project.” He shot to his feet. “Are you sure it was him?”
Jason hesitated. “Looked like him. Where’re you going?”
“Down there to see what’s going on.” Tyler tossed a twenty down on the table. It would more than cover their tab. “More likely it’s a local scavenging for tools. I don’t want to go down there tomorrow morning and find things missing.”
“Wait.” Jason stopped him with a firm hand on his arm. He glanced at Shane quickly for support. “We’re going with you. Until Templeton gets to the bottom of what happened to Mike none of us should be over there alone.”
“Fine,” Tyler snapped. “Let’s go.”
An hour later, Tyler quietly let himself into the condo. Julie had left a light on for him in the living room. He turned it off on his way through and undressed quietly in the bathroom so as not to wake her.
Although he, Shane and Jason had searched the site with the help of the security guard, they’d found no intruders and nothing appeared to be out of order or missing. One more complication, Tyler thought grimly. Was this how it had been for his father? Had there always been another emergency that kept Devlin from his wife and sons?
Mail-Order Cinderella (Fortune's Children: The Grooms Book 2) Page 14
