Mystery Lover

by Annette Broadrick

  Chad hadn’t called in during the week. Nor had he contacted her through their more intimate channel. Not that she could blame him. The man showed rare insight as to how she would react to what he had done.

  She shook her head as she sank onto the side of the bed.

  Well, she had survived, anyway. No doubt that by Monday something else would take precedence over the personal lives of the boss and his assistant. She hoped. In the meantime, Jennifer was going to fill the tub full of hot water and indulge in her favorite ritual of wine, music and relaxation.

  By the time she got out, she was too relaxed and at peace with the world to be angry at anyone.

  She wasn’t really so very angry at Chad, anyway. She missed him too much to be angry. They had been married two weeks today, and for most of that two weeks they had been separated.

  Face it, kiddo, you ‘re going to have a lifetime of that sort of existence, she reminded herself. She could handle that, if she knew a few of the particulars. Was he even going to live with her, or would they continue to keep separate residences?

  Obviously, he was going to acknowledge her as his wife. There was no reason to wonder about that any longer.

  Jennifer was looking under the cabinet for her small saucepan to heat some soup when the doorbell rang. She glanced down at herself in dismay. Since she wasn’t expecting company she was padding around the house in her flannel pajamas. The ones with the feet in them.

  She had no idea who could be there. Jennifer hadn’t talked to Jerry in months. It couldn’t be the paper boy collecting. He’d been by the week before.

  She shrugged. When all else fails, answer the door and solve the mystery of the ringing doorbell, she told herself. Somehow that seemed to take all the fun out of the game.

  “Just a minute,” she called as it rang again. She ran for her bathrobe, the old fuzzy one that her mother had given her several years ago. The sash had pulled a hole in the side, which she fully intended to mend one of these days, and she had spilled hot chocolate down the front, which left a lurid stain, but it was comfortable. And who was she trying to impress, anyway?

  Glancing through the security peephole suddenly reminded her of one person she might want to impress. Scrambling to take the chain off, she unlocked the door and opened it.

  “I wasn’t sure you were home,” Chad said, standing in the hallway and looking at her rather uncertainly.

  He looked so tired. There were lines in his face and dark circles under his eyes and she wanted to take him in her arms and hold him for at least a century or two for starters.

  “Come in,” she managed to say, stepping back and waving her arm.

  He stepped in and looked around. Jennifer had decorated her apartment with various pieces of furniture that she had liked. Some of them she had refinished. Some still needed work. Bright prints and silk flower arrangements gave color to the room.

  She had never looked at it from another person’s viewpoint. Jennifer had filled her small home with items that meant something to her, so that old rubbed shoulders with new without much rhyme nor a great deal of reason. It was home.

  She had a sudden attack of stage fright. Jennifer had no idea what sort of home Chad had grown up in, or what his home looked like now. He was getting an idea of the type of place his wife lived in. He could very well turn around and run screaming into the night.

  Only he didn’t.

  He’s probably too tired, she thought to herself. “May I take your coat?” she offered politely. He slipped it off his shoulders with a sigh.

  “Sit down. Anywhere. Can I get you something to drink?”

  She was babbling. This was Chad, for heaven’s sake. Her Chad. She’d known him forever. More important, he had known her for the same length of time.

  Chad sank down on the sofa and said, “A drink sounds fine.”

  “Hot? Cold? Alcoholic? Non?”

  “Anything.”

  “Hot coffee, hot chocolate, hot apple cider—”

  He glanced up at her, a look of puzzlement on his face. “You’re pushing hot these days?”

  “That’s because it’s so cold these days.”

  “Cold?” He looked at her with surprise. “Fifty is not considered cold.”

  “It is to me,” she responded emphatically.

  “Coffee’s fine.”

  She put on the coffee, then went back into the living room. “I just got out of the tub. I wasn’t expecting anyone. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go and—”

  He grinned. “You look fine the way you are. The pigtails are a nice touch. I feel as though I kidnapped and married Buffy.”

  She’d forgotten that she’d tied her hair back. Hastily undoing the yarn, she finger-combed her hair. “Is that what you think? That you kidnapped me?”

  Chad leaned his head back on the couch and closed his eyes. “Didn’t I?” he asked wearily.

  Cautiously Jennifer sat down beside him. She had never seen him look so tired. Defeated, almost.

  “Chad?”

  “Hmm?” He didn’t open his eyes.

  “You don’t want to be married to me, do you?” She could feel the pain of the thought going through her like a laser.

  Chad opened his eyes and saw her sitting by his side. He lifted his hand and rested it against her cheek. “I want to be married to you more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life,” he murmured: “I’m just not sure it’s the best thing for you.”

  Jennifer could feel her pulse racing. “Why?”

  “You deserve more. I’m so much older, so set in my ways, so used to being on my own.”

  She leaned closer, so that her mouth was only inches from his. “None of that really matters, Chad, if you love me and want me.”

  He pulled her onto his lap and began to kiss her. Between each kiss he said, “I do love you.. .and I want you constantly. You brought sunshin into my life years ago.. . you are the greatest thing that ever happened to me.” After a thorough, lingering kiss he added, “But I didn’t give you a chance to say no.”

  “Why would I want to say no?” she asked, curling her arms around his neck and burying her head in his neck. “Those fantasies I was sharing with you should have given you some clue regarding my feelings about you.”

  She could feel him begin to relax beneath her. At least parts of him seemed to be relaxing. Then there were other parts.. . .

  Chad slid his hands into her hair and held her face still in front of him. “I missed you so much, Sunshine,” he murmured.

  “You did?” She was sure he could feel her heart racing.

  “Very much.”

  “Why didn’t you call?”

  “I was afraid to, afraid to hear your voice. To be honest, I didn’t need the distraction, if I was ever going to get finished and get back here to you.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “We’ve got so many years to catch up on.”

  She nodded. “I know. There’s so much I don’t know about you, about your family, your friends.. . . ”

  “You have been my closest friend. Always.”

  “But why couldn’t I pick up on your thoughts the way you always have mine?”

  “I wasn’t sure you couldn’t. I don’t know. Maybe it takes practice. There were times when I purposely didn’t want you to know what I was thinking. Particularly in the office. I felt as though I put up a mental shield between us, but I was never sure if it worked.”

  “Oh, it worked all right. I never had a clue that C. W. Cameron was Chad.”

  He hugged her to him, his hands sliding up and down her back. “Are you glad I’m home?”

  “I certainly am.” She leaned away from him slightly and announced, “I intend to kill you.”

  He smiled and she noticed that he didn’t look quite as tired as he did when he first arrived. “How interesting,” he drawled. “Hasn’t anyone ever pointed but that it makes it tougher when you announce your intentions to the proposed victim?”

  “Why did you send that new nameplate and the fl
owers?”

  His smile widened into a mischievous grin. “Didn’t you like them?”

  “They were beautiful. But you knew what a stir they’d cause.”

  “But darling, I was only concerned about your reputation,” he said, his expression solemn. “After you graphically depicted my sexual preferences in order to save my reputation, I didn’t want anyone in the office to get the wrong idea about you. I wanted to be sure they knew that you were, indeed, a ‘Sadie, Sadie, Married Lady.’”

  “Ah, hah! You’ve seen Funny Girl. ”

  “A few dozen times, probably.”

  “You mean you’re a Streisand fan?”

  “Isn’t everyone?”

  “Do you realize what this means?”

  “What?”

  “Chad! We’ve finally found something we have in common.”

  He began to kiss her under her ear. “I think we’ve already discovered a few others things we have in common, don’t you?”

  Of course he was right. They had shared memories of the past several years, even if he knew more about her than she did about him. The important thing was that he was now willing to share his life with her. He had come to her as soon as he reached town, even though he was obviously tired and in need of rest and—“Oh! Your coffee!” Jennifer slid off his lap and hurried into the kitchen.

  When she came back in carrying a tray she discovered that he had taken off his suit coat, his tie and his shoes, and had rolled up his shirt sleeves to the elbow.

  He looked so good sitting there on her couch. She had messed up his hair a little, running her fingers through it, but it made him look more human, and less businesslike. The sizzling gleam in his eye also added to the more human and less business look.

  She sat down beside him and handed him his coffee.

  He accepted it with a smile that caused her heart to skip. He took a sip and asked, “So how are things at the office?”

  Obviously the office hadn’t been on his mind for the past week or he would have called. Either that, or he trusted her enough to handle whatever problems might occur in his absence. In either event, she wasn’t going to let him off lightly. “Funny you should ask.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Well, I’m not sure where to start,” she said slowly, as though thinking. Tilting her head slightly she continued, “Should I tell you first about discovering that the bookkeeper has been embezzling our trust funds, or that the receptionist ran off to Australia with your best investigator, or that the fire only destroyed the outer offices?‘’

  She had to give him credit. He made a quick recovery. For a second she thought for sure he was going to spill the coffee down his shirt. Instead, he sat up abruptly and set the cup down.

  “You’re kidding me,” he said, staring at her intently.

  She shrugged. “Of course I’m kidding you. What else?”

  He leaned toward her slightly. “You mean none of that is true?”

  “Weelll, I did notice the receptionist giving Bill the eye the other day. But since he’s got five kids already and is old enough to be her father, I kind of doubt he’s going to take her up on anything.”

  He shook his head, and pulled her into his arms again. With deliberate thoroughness he claimed her mouth with his own, as though he couldn’t get enough of her. Finally, he pulled away slightly, breathing unsteadily. “How was I ever so lucky to discover you?”

  “You know,” she said with a mock serious look on her face, “Mother and I were just discussing that very thing last week.” She began to smile at the expression on his face. “We’ve decided you’re very fortunate to have found me.”

  “You know,” he said, “I believe you and your mother might have a point there.”

  Once again he began to kiss her—soft, nipping kisses that caused her toes to curl inside her pajamas. He played with her bottom lip, teasing her with his teeth, then licking away any hurt with his tongue. When she felt him groan, she knew that the teasing was getting to him as much as it was her.

  And yet something still bothered her.

  She pushed away from him. “Chad?”

  “Hmm?”

  “We can’t just keep doing this.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Falling into each other’s arms when you’re in town and never talking.”

  He nodded. “Good point. What do you want to talk about?”

  “I need to know—” She stopped, and couldn’t seem to go on.

  After a few minutes, he prompted, “What?”

  “What is it you need to know? That I love you?” He nuzzled her neck, “I do. To distraction. That I missed you terribly? That, too.” He kissed her once more.

  What, indeed, did she need to know? Didn’t she know everything that was necessary, after all? He loved her. She loved him. He had sought her out as soon as he got home, not waiting to rest. Obviously he wanted to be with her. Wasn’t that enough?

  “Nothing, really. I know all I need to know,” she acknowledged with a smile, placing her arms around his neck.

  He smiled, and she thought her heart would melt. He had the sweetest, most loving smile and he used it so rarely. Whenever he did, it had a very potent effect on her. Talk about a concealed weapon. This man could be downright dangerous to a woman’s peace of mind.

  Chad stood up, pulling her up beside him. “I have a great idea.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Why don’t you show me around your apartment?”

  She looked around the small area, perplexed. “But this is it. You can see the kitchen from here. The only other thing is the bath and bedro—” She grinned. “Oh. Okay. Why don’t I show you the rest of my apartment?”

  He nodded. “Good idea. I’ve never been here before.”

  “I know. I was surprised you knew where I lived.”

  “I didn’t,” he admitted sheepishly. “I had to look it up in your personnel file.”

  She laughed and took his hand. “All right. For the grand tour I would like to point out the master bedroom suite—Don’t stumble over the chair there,” she added, “and the adjoining bath.” The room still carried the scent of her bath oil. Turning, she said, “Was there anything else?”

  “I’m afraid it’s too small.”

  She looked at him blankly.

  “For two people,” he added helpfully.

  “I’m not surprised. I didn’t rent it for two people. Sam doesn’t take up all that much room.”

  He glanced around the room. “Ah, yes. Sam. I’ve been eager to meet him. Where is he?”

  She shrugged. “I forgot to mention that he’s very shy with people at first. So he’s hiding somewhere. As soon as he knows he’s safe with you, he’ll come out.”

  “I see. Well, another time, perhaps.”

  She watched him, a little uncertain of his mood. She had never been around him in this relaxed, teasing mood. Except, of course, for their weekend honeymoon. Even then, he hadn’t been this lighthearted. He’d been much more intense, almost desperate with her at times.

  He looked down at the knot in the sash of her robe. Absently tugging at it, he said, “I didn’t imagine your place would be large enough for two.” The knot fell apart and the robe fell open. He slid it off her shoulders and let it drop on the chair by the bed. “My place isn’t suitable, either. I’ve never cared about where I lived. I spend so little time there.”

  Chad found the small catch of her zipper underneath the collar of her pajamas. He tugged at it and watched with interest as it followed a path between her breasts, past her navel and down until it reached the top of her thighs.

  Sliding his hands along her shoulders he eased the one-piece pajamas off her shoulders and arms and the garment fell in a heap around her ankles.

  Jennifer stood before him quietly while he gazed at her beauty.

  He touched the tip of her breast with one finger and watched it react to him. She could tell that he was not unaffected by his own actions.
She had long since given up trying to control her uneven breathing. Her body quivered with every beat of her heart.

  Chad leaned down and gently touched his lips first to one breast, then the other. He looked up at her, his eyes shining with love and tenderness and desire. “So I made an appointment with a realtor tomorrow, late tomorrow, to go look at houses. Or if you’d rather check out some condominiums, that’s up to you.” He pulled her unresisting body against him. “I’ve decided that I spend entirely too much time traveling. I have two other men who could help balance that load. And if they don’t want to do it, I can always hire someone else who wants to travel.”

  So Chad had given a great deal of thought to their new situation. She should have known. He was a man who made his living solving problems. Their living arrangements had probably been a snap for him.

  Jennifer began to unfasten his shirt buttons. His touch had already started its magical work on her. She wanted to feel him against her. When he stepped back and unfastened his belt, she quickly pulled the covers back from the bed.

  They wouldn’t need those heavy blankets. Jennifer had a hunch she was going to be warm enough without them.

  “Oh, yes, there is something else,” he said, reaching into his pants pocket. Once he stepped out of them and draped them over the bed, Chad held out his hand. Lying on his palm was a gold wedding band, intricately carved and studded with diamonds. Taking her left hand, he slipped the ring onto her third finger.

  Raising her hand he kissed it, then looked at her with love-filled eyes. “Thank you for marrying me, Mrs. Cameron. I’m looking forward to many happy years together with you.”

  She smiled and hugged him around the waist. “I have a hunch that the pleasure is going to be all mine.”

  Epilogue

  Contents - Prev Sunshine?“

  “Hmm?”

  “You’ve got to help me. ” ‘Wha’s wrong?“ Jennifer mumbled, still more than half asleep.

  “1 can’t move.”

  She shifted lazily in bed without opening her eyes. “Why not?”

  “I’m being held captive by a wild jungle animal.”

  “Of course you are,” she agreed sleepily, and buried her head deeper into her pillow.