Destiny Bay Boxed Set vol. 2 (Books 4 - 6) (Destiny Bay Romances)

by Helen Conrad

  “Jace.” Her hands made a downward path, coaxing him awake, playful but sure.

  He stirred again, then his head shot up. “What the—?”

  She laughed, her hands soothing him, stroking him. He tried to stare at her, his bleary eyes telling him a naked nymph was seated on her knees beside him. He blinked, not sure if he were dreaming in the moonlight.

  “Kathy?”

  She laughed again, and he knew it wasn't a dream. It was heaven. Her body looked like something from an adult fairy tale. Her firm, rounded breasts were so close above him. He reached out and touched one nipple with the flat of his hand, just grazing its sensitive tip.

  His delicious strokes were a temptation beyond refusal. Kathy slid on top of him, and his hands roved freely over her body, touching her everywhere—hips, thighs, back, shoulders.

  “Kathy, don't do this,” he groaned, even as his hands devoured every inch of her.

  “We're going to do this,” she whispered, her breath tickling his ear. “It's time. It's right. It's a new year.”

  She arched against his body, gentle, careful, but full of a brave sensuality that enflamed him. Her mouth came down on his, and all his suppressed hunger for her broke free, filling her with a wild sense of his power over her. With his passion unleashed, she no longer had a hand on the controls. His body shuddered with his need for her, and she gasped, thrilled and frightened by the intensity of it.

  “Kathy, Kathy,” he growled as he took her to him. “You shouldn't have done this.”

  But it was too late to stop him now. He was as careful as he could be, holding her, cradling her, guiding her so that no pressure would endanger her wound. But at the same time he was a man possessed by the strength of his drive to have her. His body became hot to the touch. His hands seemed to sizzle as they swept across her flesh.

  “Jace, I need to feel you,” she cried against the heat of his open mouth. “Oh, now, come to me now! Quickly!”

  He entered her with a jolt of pure excitement. She rode higher and higher on the pleasure of his thrust, crying out each time, unable to hold back the ecstasy. His love for her was pure and crystalline, yet it was also dark and hot and all-consuming. They reached the crashing peak together, and when it was over, their mouths still clung together.

  “I love you, Kathy.” He said the words as though he were angry; his tone was fierce. “Can't you feel how much I love you?”

  Tears slid from her eyes. She pulled away from him and went to her own pillow. She didn't dare say a word. She loved him, too, but if she said anything, if she admitted it, would she still have the strength to do what had to be done? She didn't think so. So she didn't answer him. Turning away, she cried in the darkness.

  CHAPTER TEN:

  Meant To Be

  “Another drink, Mr. Harper?”

  Jace glanced up at the cocktail waitress and shook his head absently. “No, thanks.” His fingers were still curled around the barely touched scotch and soda he'd ordered half an hour before. From where he was sitting in the cocktail lounge of the Marquis, he had a perfect view of the pool, of Jim in his wheelchair, and of Kathy in the water.

  Outside it was raining cats and dogs. But inside the pool area, it was a tropical paradise.

  Perhaps paradise wasn't the right word for it. He hunched forward in his chair, watching intently. There it was again. Another confrontation, with Jim gesturing wildly and Kathy shouting back at him. Jace frowned, watching them. Things did not look good.

  They'd been back almost two months now. He'd been away a lot, taking care of neglected business in Los Angeles, but whenever he was here with Kathy, he could feel the tension. The swimming was not going well.

  “Mr. Harper.” It was the cocktail waitress again. He looked up questioningly. “A man at the bar is asking for an introduction to you. He's sales manager for Silicon Investments and thinks you might be interested in some proposals he has. Would you mind if I—”

  “Yes, I'm afraid I would mind.” Jace rose and threw some money down on the table, smiling quickly to lessen the sting of his words. “I've got something I have to do right now. Sorry.”

  He walked out of the lounge and into the pool area. Stopping beside a potted palm, he watched Jim roll to the side of the pool, watched Kathy come halfway out of the water to hear what he had to say, watched Kathy's face as she made an angry retort to Jim's comment. A frown creased his brow. Before the operation he'd never seen a harsh word pass between the two of them. Now it was a daily occurrence. More and more often, Kathy snapped back at Jim when he corrected her or offered suggestions. That wasn't like Kathy. Something was very wrong.

  He stepped forward. “What's the matter?” he asked.

  Jim's usually pale face was flushed. “She's not gliding on the turn,” he said, his words clipped. “I tell her over and over again, but she won't listen.”

  “I'm gliding as far as I can,” she snapped, pulling herself out of the pool and grabbing a towel.

  Jim's hands gripped the arms of his chair. “You're not finished with your workout,” he said through clenched teeth.

  She flicked him a searing glance. “Oh yes I am,” she said firmly, snatching up her bag and walking toward the bathroom, where she usually changed.

  Jace turned to look at Jim. Neither man said anything to the other, but their eyes spoke volumes.

  “How about a movie?” Jace suggested later as he and Kathy drove back to his hotel room,

  “Maybe.” She tried to smile. Her hands were laced together, and she was tugging on her fingers nervously. Suddenly she let out her breath in a sharp hiss. “Remind me, as soon as we get home, I've got to call Jim and apologize.”

  He glanced at her as he negotiated a sharp turn. “You have been a little rough on him lately.”

  She pressed her lips together. “I know,” she said at last. “I don't know why. I don't know what's the matter with me. My nerves are so on edge.” Her voice broke. “It's getting so close, Jace,” she said, her voice quavering. “I'm not ready. I'm . . . I'm so scared.” She looked at him with huge eyes, tears trembling in them.

  He pulled the car over to the side of the road, turned off the engine, and took her in his arms. “You need to relax,” he told her softly, stroking her hair. “That's all. Just relax.” But his eyes were clouded with concern.

  Tag was worried about her, too. He could see from the viewing area that things weren’t going well. Briefly, he considered calling her father and telling him she could use some family support, but after talking it over with Shelley, he decided not to stir that pot. Instead, he tried to rally the cousins and their new wives to show some Carrington team spirit and get behind her and he actually got a few of them to make a visit.

  Kathy loved it. She blossomed when her family members seemed to take an interest. But they couldn’t come very often and the effect of their visits didn’t last very long.

  Tag’s next ploy was to bully her into going to the Carrington baby shower. It was definitely a big deal. All three new Carrington brides were expecting—and within a few weeks of each other.

  “I don’t have time for a baby shower,” Kathy had grumbled. “I know that seems selfish, but when you’re an athlete….”

  Tag took her by the shoulders and stared her down. “Listen, all three of these ladies have made an effort to come and support you. You owe them some appreciation of what an amazing thing they’re going through in return.”

  She stared back at him, hard, and then finally dissolved into giggles. “Okay, okay,” she said. “You’re right.”

  The shower was being held at Jennifer’s Aunt Zoey’s lovely restored Victorian house on the Square. In fact, all the aunts and cousins, even those who weren’t Carringtons, were there, except for Kathy’s mother. She was in Peru attending a poetry convention.

  Tag brought Missy. He knew he would be the only male there, but without him, Missy wouldn’t go. So he went and put her in a chair next to Jennifer’s mother where he knew she would be co
mfortable. She looked like an angel, her blond hair flying around her pretty, sweet face. He was leaving her with family. He only hoped she wouldn’t let the fear take over. He watched for a few minutes and she seemed okay, so he retreated into the kitchen to wait the festivities out and maybe get a sample of the food ahead of everyone else.

  What he hadn’t counted on was Mickey being there. If he’d thought things through he could have guessed. She wasn’t a Carrington, or even married to one, but she knew them all and she probably volunteered to prepare the food.

  He came around the corner and there she was, up to her elbows in cake flour, her red curls wild around her pretty face. He stopped dead. Their eyes met and he felt as though he’d been hit with a two by four.

  She took a quick, gasping breath, and then she tried to smile.

  “Quick,” she said. “Can you grab that washcloth and get my nose? I’m going to sneeze all over this dough if I don’t get rid of this tickle!”

  Good. That would give him something to do. He grabbed the washcloth and did as she asked, gently rubbing the end of her adorable nose and quickly realized it had only put off the inevitable. She was so close, he could practically feel her breathing, sense her pulse, hear her heartbeat. She looked up at him gratefully and started to thank him, but he wasn’t waiting for that. The sense of her presence was washing through him like a wave at high tide.

  He had to kiss her. He hadn’t kissed her for weeks, months, maybe. And he wanted to so badly.

  He only had to lean in a little bit to find her soft lips with his. He tested them, once, twice, and then he closed his eyes and gave himself completely to the kiss.

  She kissed him back and their lips and tongues melded in a dance of pure sensation. It seemed to go on forever and he didn’t want it to stop. Ever.

  Mickey finally pulled back. She looked at him sorrowfully, shaking her head. “You shouldn’t have done that,” she whispered.

  He gave her a long, melting look. “I know,” he said. And then he squared his shoulders and headed for the back door. “Let me know if Missy needs me, okay?” he said, just before he ducked out.

  Mickey nodded and stood very still, listening to him walk away from the house. Then she looked to the side of the counter where she’d put the engagement ring Robert had given her when she’d started cooking. Funny how she couldn’t seem to manage to keep it on long enough for anyone to notice it yet. Picking it up, floured fingers and all, she slipped it into the pocket of her short jacket. Then she sighed and went back to preparing the small cakes she had planned for the shower. But now there were tears in her eyes.

  Kathy was having a great time. She’d known Jennifer all her life, but not Janet and Carrie and she enjoyed getting to know them. Jennifer had just found out she was carrying twins, both of them boys.

  “Two little Reids,” she sighed. “Can’t you just see them already? Wearing little suits and carrying little briefcases on their first day of kindergarten.”

  “But I thought Reid had really loosened up since you’d been married.”

  “Oh, he has. But I figure that sense of business readiness is still in his genes, and he’s probably passed it on to the boys.”

  “I’ll bet one of them will get your bohemian instincts,” Kathy said, laughing. “We’ll all be watching.”

  She loved the games they played and the teasing over the three rounded bellies, all in a row. For the first time in ages, she was proud and happy to be a Carrington. It really did mean something, even if not quite what her father thought it meant. And she was happy to be a part of it all.

  That feeling of peace and happiness stayed with her until she pulled her little car back in front of the apartment. And then the cares of the world seem to flood her again. Was this awful sense of foreboding ever going to stop?

  “After I win,” she told herself. “I just have to win. I can’t fail again. Oh please….” She bit her lip and pulled herself together, but as far as confidence—she had none.

  Kathy was back at workout and walking on eggshells--- and quite a few of them were cracking. She didn't know how anyone could put up with her. She wasn't sure just what was wrong, but she couldn't seem to get her mind set. The old magic didn't work. She couldn't get her focus back. And she was beginning to panic.

  She'd tried to discuss the problem with Jim, but somehow they ended up arguing, Jim telling her to try harder, Kathy telling him to find her the formula that would make things right again.

  It wasn't that she wasn't swimming well. Her times were good, if inconsistent. But they weren't improving, and they would have to if she was going to win in a world-class field. Something didn't feel right. Every swim was just a little too much of an effort. The problem had to be psychological. And she couldn't pick up a cure for that at the local five and dime.

  Even Maxie tried to help her with an old-fashioned girl-to-girl talk. They sat in their little kitchen, chatting over ice-cream sundaes Maxie had picked up on her way home from work.

  “Is there anything wrong between you and Jace?” she asked sympathetically. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “No, darling.” She took her friend's hand and smiled at her. “I just have to get my head together. I have to get my concentration back. And it's hard.”

  She shook her head. “I wouldn't give up that time we had in Las Vegas for anything, but ever since then ...”

  “Ah, yes.” Maxie smiled, her eyes mysterious. “That time you spent in Las Vegas. I have to admit, it was great having you gone.”

  Kathy saw her cat-that-ate-the-canary look and grinned. “I noticed you and Jim seem to be much— shall we say closer?—since then. You seem to have an entirely new relationship.”

  “Yes.” Maxie's face took on a bashful look. “Do you remember what you said, about how maybe Jim couldn't . . . make a woman happy, being in a wheelchair and all?” She flushed scarlet, but her smile was triumphant. “Well . . .” She rose, looking like a woman about to make a quick getaway. “You were wrong.” Without giving Kathy a chance to say a word, she scooted out of the room.

  Kathy stared after her and then threw her head back and laughed aloud. She'd discovered in Las Vegas that it was possible to love deeply and happily without the complete physical expression of that love. But boy, if you could have it all, how much better it could be!

  That was just it. She sobered, her mind going back to her problem as it always did these days. She had it all. What was wrong? Why wasn't it working?

  She had to stop being so hard on herself—and on everyone else too. She found herself looking at Jim suspiciously, wondering why he wasn't training her right, looking at Jace resentfully for getting in her way with his sweet, wonderful love.

  How could she be this way? It was all her own doing, not theirs. She had to face that. If she didn't win, Jim would have to wait so much longer to prove his theory. And she knew his theory was valid and deserved recognition. After all he'd done for her, she had to come through on this for him.

  And Jace—Jace was so good to her, so supportive. Ever since the night they'd first made love, he'd been behind her every step of the way. She owed him everything. She couldn't turn on him now and ask him to go away and leave her alone. That was impossible.

  “More workouts,” she urged Jim the next day. “I've got to do more. Something is wrong, something is holding me back, and I've got to get rid of it. We'll do more workouts.”

  Jim was reluctant. “Kathy, I don't think—”

  “I don't care, Jim. I can't just sit here and let this happen to me. I've got to do something to make things change. At least I've got to try. I've been thinking and thinking and thinking and nothing seems to work out. I ... I have to take action.”

  Jim added more workouts, three hours instead of two in the morning and three more in the afternoon. Kathy was exhausted by the end of the day.

  “Maybe I ought to ease off on the weights,” she said. “Maybe that would do it.” She looked at Jim, biting her lower lip. “
Here's a thought. How about if I change my stroke?”

  “Not at this point you don't change your stroke,” Jim told her, exasperated. “Are you crazy? You know it takes months to gain improvement from a change in stroke. We don't have months.”

  She felt rebellion bubbling up her throat, but she held it back. He was right. She knew he was right. But what could she do to change things? The uneasiness and panic grew inside her, and there didn't seem to be anything she could do to stop it.

  Jace watched her disintegration, and he was sick with worry. He knew she could do it. If she could just get her head together, she might actually be able to beat everyone in the world, just as they'd planned. Wasn't there anything he could do to help her?

  He'd struggled, he'd supported her, he'd helped her, but nothing seemed to work anymore. Maybe what he'd said to her that awful day when she'd hung up on him and he'd raced up to Destiny Bay to make sure he wasn't going to lose her, maybe there was a bit of truth in those words after all.

  “Maybe it just wasn't meant to be,” he'd said, and she'd been so furious. But maybe it wasn't.

  Two nights later Jace woke up in the middle of the night to find Kathy awake beside him. They'd spent a night out and had come in so late, Kathy had decided to spend the night with him rather than go home. They'd shared mugs of hot cocoa and gone to bed laughing. But Kathy wasn't laughing any longer. She was sobbing into her pillow, her shoulders shaking silently.

  “Kathy, what is it? What's the matter?”

  She tried to hide it. “Oh, Jace.” She sniffed, giving away the game. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up.”

  “What's the matter? Does something hurt? Are you all right?”

  “I'm all right. I'm fine.” But her attempt at a smile fell flat, and her true feelings rose to the surface. “Jace, why can't I swim?” she whispered, her face stricken, her voice trembling with frustration.