She used to know? Thad’s hope sprang anew. He grasped at straws. “So are you saying that I scare you?”
She bristled. “I’m not afraid of you.”
Thad smiled inwardly at her denial. It was a little too defensive.
“Well, Doe Eyes, you scare me.”
Darnell’s eyes searched his face trying to find a hint of untruth in his words. She saw none.
He stroked her cheek, soothed her anxiety. “Being with you over these last few weeks has turned my whole world upside down. I’ll never be the same. The question for now is, where do we go from here?”
The heat from his touch overwhelmed her. Where indeed? It was an honest question that called for an honest answer, but it was one that she was not prepared to give.
“I’m tired, Thad. I can’t talk about this anymore. I’m going upstairs.” With that, she left him.
Thad knew that Darnell wasn’t ready to face the possibilities for the two of them, and it hurt, but she was right about the differences between them. Not the external ones, but the internal ones that were keeping them apart. While she was in emotional control, he was a man out of control. He wanted her. He needed her. He loved her. He could no more hold back the flood of emotions that she evoked in him than he could hold back the ocean tide. That made him a desperate man.
Over the past few weeks, he had come to recognize Darnell’s course of action when she didn’t want to face an issue. She ran scared. That meant that she would be leaving him soon, and he didn’t want that to happen. They needed more time together, time in which they both could learn to face their fears and doubts about one another—time in which she could see for herself how very good they could be together.
* * *
Where do we go from here? The words echoed in Darnell’s head hours later as she lay resting in bed. Where could they go? Why couldn’t Thad just go away? Why did he ignite such a firestorm within her? This feeling she had for him was so new. She couldn’t understand it, or explain it. And what about Lance? She had made him a promise, one that she now realized was fueled by the ignorance of youth. Nevertheless, she had given him her word, and it was a promise that now was in serious jeopardy.
It had taken exactly six months for Darnell to realize that her initial infatuation with Lance was not the all-encompassing love she had hoped it would be. Only their parents and the outside world continued to hold that illusion, and the two of them liked it that way. Their being thought of as a loving couple proved beneficial to them both. She became an asset to his career, and he proved an asset to her in other ways.
They were compatible, and they looked good together. He kept the wolves at bay. Most men were intimidated by Lance’s pretty-boy looks, and women were often green with envy imagining the fervor such a man could elicit. But looks can deceive. Although they had tried in the beginning, there had never been any passion between them. Passion had only been a word to her until Thad Stewart entered her life.
Night had fallen when Darnell startled awake. Groggy from her nap, she peered out the balcony doors. The lights of San Francisco twinkled in the distance like diamonds against black velvet. The sight was alluring. She could learn to like this.
Abruptly, Darnell sat up in bed. She had to leave here! Her relationship with this man had become much too complex. Tomorrow, she was going home.
Opting for a quick shower, she decided that although it was early still early, she would retire because she would be leaving this house with the sunrise. Donning a clean nightgown provided by Catina, she returned to the bedroom and found her jovial nurse bustling around the room.
“How are you feeling?” She flashed Darnell one of her infectious smiles.
Darnell returned her smile as she crawled back into bed. “I’m all right.” That was only a partial truth, but it would do for now. “Is Thad around?”
Catina nodded. “As a matter of fact, he’s on his way in here to see you.”
As if summoned by her words, Thad appeared. He was carrying a cup of steaming hot chocolate. Darnell stiffened. She didn’t notice the look that passed between Thad and Catina as the nurse left the room.
Thad’s eyes swept Darnell’s body, clad in the modest cotton nightgown, then returned to her face. She looked weary but refreshed. He placed the cup on the nightstand beside the bed.
“I thought that this might help you rest, but from the look of it, you had a good nap. Are you going back to bed so early?”
“Thanks for the hot chocolate.” Darnell was touched by his thoughtfulness. “And yes, I am going to bed early. I thought I’d better get as much sleep as I can because I’ll be leaving for home early tomorrow morning.” Their eyes met. She jutted her jaw out defiantly, anticipating his reply.
Thad nodded. “I figured as much.” With those words and a curt “Goodnight,” he turned and left the room.
Astounded, Darnell stared at the closed doorway. She had expected resistance, not indifference. For a moment, she didn’t know what to think or do. A confused sigh was her only recourse. Tempted by the aroma of the hot chocolate, she took a sip from the cup, still preoccupied by Thad’s unexpected reaction to her announcement. Obviously, it didn’t matter to him one way or the other if she left, so she was out of here. The man was a chameleon. One minute he had practically made love to her, and the next he didn’t seem to care whether she existed.
Fighting her rising disappointment at his lack of reaction, Darnell drained the cup. She set the alarm, turned off the lamp, and crawled beneath the covers. Finding the remote, she turned on the wide-screen television hanging on the wall. By this time tomorrow, she would be at home. It was for the best.
As the oversized screen cast eerie shadows in the darkened room, Darnell’s last thought as she drifted off to sleep wasn’t of the distance that she wanted to put between them, but the memory of being in Thad’s arms.
During the night, she dreamed that she felt those arms around her, lifting her, holding her close to him. The heat of his body was as vivid as the scent of his cologne. She sighed and mumbled his name. A brush of warmth against her lips softly answered her call.
Darnell’s slumber was disturbed briefly by a familiar sound. What was it? An airplane engine? Disoriented, she tried to open her sleep-laden eyes, but heavy lids wouldn’t allow it. She drifted back into oblivion.
Much later, she felt as if she were levitating. Her mind seemed disconnected from her body. Darnell managed to open her eyes. Through lid-heavy slits, she tried to focus. She seemed to be surrounded by a sea of white. Everything around her was white. Was she in heaven? Suddenly, Thad’s face appeared and seemed to hover above her. Gently, his hand swept her hair away from her face. His knuckles grazed her cheek. The pad of his thumb brushed her lips.
Darnell felt as if she were watching him from outside her physical body. Finally, unable to hold her eyes open any longer, sleep overtook her. In the twilight of semi-consciousness she heard tender words soothingly whispered in a voice that sounded just like Thad’s.
CHAPTER 15
“Now let me get this straight,” Darnell repeated incredulously, still reeling from his revelation. “You drugged me?”
“No! I didn’t say that.” Thad held up his hand to stop. “Drugged is a relative term. It was just a sleeping pill. Uh, well, maybe two. But David said that Catina could give one to you if you had trouble sleeping. She only doubled it because I asked her to. She’s a nurse, and she wouldn’t have done it if it hadn’t been safe.”
“Then, in the dead of the night, you kidnapped me from my bed…”
“Uh-uh.” Thad shook his head vigorously. “I wouldn’t use the word ‘kidnapped’ so loosely. I picked you up so that I wouldn’t have to awaken you. You’ve been sick, and you do need your rest.”
“Then you put me on a hijacked plane…”
“What?” Thad sprang to his feet, indignant. “The plane we flew here on is my plane. It cost me a fortune! I didn’t hijack anything!”
“Then you brought me
here to Aruba.”
Thad nodded his head in agreement this time. “Okay, you’re right there. I brought you to Aruba.”
“To be with you.”
Looking guilty, Thad dropped back down into the chair opposite Darnell. “Uh, yes, I guess you can say that.”
Still unable to believe the man’s gall, Darnell sat back, crossed one leg over the other, and held Thad’s eyes. “For what purpose?”
Thad didn’t falter. “To keep you from running away. That’s what you were planning to do, so that you wouldn’t have to face what you’re feeling for me.”
His insight disarmed her. Getting up from the chair, she walked to the patio doors leading out to the white sandy beach and the turquoise sea beyond. When she awakened, he had informed her that they were in Aruba, housed in a ten-room villa. The estate belonged to him and it came with everything—a swimming pool, tennis court, sauna, exercise room, and private beach. A housekeeper, a cook, and a chauffeur were at her disposal. It seemed as though he had spared no expense, overlooked no detail to see that she was catered to, and he had done it all in less than a single day. She had to admire his audacity. Who but Thad Stewart would have thought of doing something like that?
Thad watched her reaction cautiously as she stood looking out toward the sea. She appeared to be taking the news well. She seemed calm. He had expected a different reaction from her about his desperate attempt to keep her with him. He had asked the house staff to remove all of the breakables from the bedroom she occupied because he had fully expected to do some fancy footwork to avoid flying objects. He had never expected this quiet acceptance. Every day, Darnell revealed a new side to her personality.
Joining her at the patio door, he placed his hands on her shoulders. She didn’t shrug them away.
“There are times when I can be a selfish man, Darnell, and when it comes to you I’m even moreso. I want you to myself for a while. I also want you completely recovered from your illness, and a warmer climate will help do that.”
“That’s a rational assessment.”
He felt encouraged. “I know that you’re going through a lot because of me, and I want you to have time to think about how I feel about you…”
“Thad—”
He turned her to face him. “My feelings for you run deep, Darnell. But, I swear to you, while we’re here, I won’t pressure you. I won’t touch you unless you want me to. And I’m a man of my word.”
Thad took a step backward as if to emphasize his point. “I’ve spoken to Mrs. Sharon. She knows you’re here. She’ll forward any messages that you might need. I’ve got a doctor I know here on standby, and I brought all of your medication. We’ll be here for four days.” He took another step back. “So, I want you to rest and enjoy yourself. But if you want to fly back to the States, I’ll have the pilot take you back today. ”
He paused, waiting for a comment. There was none, and he couldn’t read her expression. He continued, “I’d be a liar if I said that I didn’t want you to stay, because I do. Whatever you choose to do, it’s all right. We’re friends first, and I don’t ever want to lose your friendship.” With that, Thad exited the room, leaving Darnell alone.
* * *
Making the decision to stay in Aruba wasn’t a difficult one. She had always wanted to visit the island. As for Thad, she would sort that out later. Until then she might as well enjoy herself, and with him there was no doubt that she would.
The fun started only a few hours after their arrival. After a refreshing nap, she decided that she needed to go shopping. The only clothes she had were the ones she had been wearing when she arrived in Tiburon and the nightgown and sweats that had been borrowed from Catina. Going in search of Thad, she was told by the housekeeper that he was not available, but that if she needed to go into town to shop, the chauffeur was at her disposal. Summoning the chauffeur, she was about to climb into the car when out of the corner of her eye she spotted a bright orange moped whizzing up the driveway leading to the ocean-side villa. It came to a stop within inches of the Mercedes Benz. When the driver removed the helmet and tucked it under his arm, to her surprise it was Thad.
“Hi, there!” He flashed a dimpled grin that could melt ice. “Where are you off to?”
Glad to see him, she returned his smile. “I’m going into town to buy some clothes and a swimsuit.”
Thad frowned. “Don’t tell me you’re going in that conspicuous contraption?”
She recognized the description instantly. That’s how she had described his car once when they were at each other’s throats.
He winked, seeing that she recognized the reference. “Aren’t you afraid someone will recognize you? This is tourist season, you know.”
Darnell cocked her head, knowing where this conversation was going. “No, I didn’t know that. Do you have another suggestion as to how I can get into town?”
Thad rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Oh, I might.” Picking up a second helmet attached to the moped, he held it up to her. “You got the nerve?”
He knew and she knew that she might not have had it before she met him, but she certainly had it now. He shook his head in amusement as she pulled the helmet over her neatly combed hair, pulled her pants legs up and straddled the moped. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.
“Ready!” she informed him, feeling both apprehensive and excited by yet another new experience with this man.
“Hold on,” he tossed over his shoulder as they sped down the driveway, out the gate, and down the paved road toward town.
The ride was exhilarating as the warm breeze whipped through their clothing, helping cool their bodies, both of which were overheated by their contact.
Despite the helmet, Thad could smell Darnell’s perfume, which made concentrating on the road ahead difficult. Her arms around him and the feel of her body against his caused his stomach to quiver. What had started out as fun was becoming unexpectedly erotic.
As her cheek rested against his broad back, she inhaled the scent of the woodsy soap he had bathed with earlier that day. He wasn’t wearing the cologne she liked so much, but it didn’t matter. He smelled all male.
Thad took her to the island’s capital, Oranjestad. The hour or so that Darnell had planned to spend buying a few things to wear while on the island turned into a marathon shopping spree. For hours, she and Thad darted in and out of the many colorful boutiques lining the capital’s downtown shopping area. She discovered that he loved to shop as much as she did, and they spent the rest of the afternoon buying clothes and gifts for family and friends.
Thad voiced concern about her overexerting herself, but she dismissed that possibility. She was having too much fun.
Night found them still in town, dining in a posh restaurant where Thad introduced her to an island specialty, Aruban fish cakes. As he watched Darnell devour her fourth one, Thad cast all doubt aside that her health had improved.
The entire day was perfect—the ride into town, the day spent with her shopping, and the return of her appetite all let him know that bringing Darnell here had not been a mistake. She was happy. Even having been recognized this afternoon by a few tourists in one of the boutiques hadn’t quelled the good mood she was in. He had never seen her so animated, and he didn’t want anything to spoil this day or her mood. He was as happy as she was and couldn’t resist teasing her.
“You know, you wouldn’t be in this fix of not having clothes when you need them if you kept an overnight bag in your car like I do. You’d have everything you need when you need it.”
Darnell squinted at him, recognizing the teasing tone in his voice. “Oh, yeah? Well, hopefully I won’t be kidnapped again, so I won’t need to do that. Anyway, what about you? You bought as many new clothes as I did. Didn’t you bring clothes with you to Aruba?”
“Nope! Don’t have to.”
“So what do you do, keep a full wardrobe on the island? Borrow clothes from friends? It looks like you’ve got a slew of them around here. It see
ms that everybody in town knows you. Are your movies that popular here?”
He shrugged and threw his hands up immodestly. “Hey, what can I say?
Darnell sneered at him playfully. “Conceited much?”
Thad smiled, his eyes twinkling devilishly. “So I’ve been told.” Thad ducked as she threw her napkin at him in mock offense as, once again, her own words came back to haunt her.
The next day, they planned an early exploration of the island. As they whipped along the narrow roadways on the moped, Darnell clung to Thad confidently, trusting him. She had come to a decision last night as she lay in her snow white bedroom thinking about nothing but him. She wasn’t going to fight her attraction to Thad anymore, and was absolutely delighted about her decision.
She couldn’t pinpoint when her feelings toward Thad had changed. Perhaps it had happened on the mountaintop in Santa Cruz, or by the waterfall in Big Sur. Maybe it was when he came for her in Sausalito. She knew that it was before that wild moped ride yesterday. No, she couldn’t be specific, but she did know that with the morning sunrise came the realization that her feelings for Thad wouldn’t go away. For once in her orderly, well-planned life she was going to let fate have its way. So, as they sped along, carefree, Darnell tightened her grip around his waist and enjoyed the ride.
The first stop on their sightseeing adventure was the Ayo Rock Formation. It offered spectacular views of the island amid boulders that weighed tons. They tried to translate the hieroglyphics etched on some of the boulders, laughing hysterically at their interpretations. Their next stop was the Natural Bridge, a coral reef constructed by time and nature. While crossing the bridge, they passed Bushiribana, a historical landmark, and a vestige of the gold rush of an earlier era.
By midday, they had worked up an appetite and they stopped for lunch at an unpretentious eatery in the town of San Nicolas. Thad was as well known here as he had been in Oranjestad. Darnell was amazed.
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