Only Love

by Wisdom, Linda

  As Kali felt herself climaxing, her body arched upward to receive even more of the man she loved so deeply. Her nails raked his bare back as she shattered into fiery pieces.

  “Oh, Kali!” Travis cried out as pleasure burst over him.

  Kali looked up to see the fierce love shining in Travis’s dark eyes, and she felt safe at last, and secure.

  When she next awoke, the sun was shining high in the sky, and only shadows lingered in the bedroom due to drapes drawn halfway across the large sliding glass door. She half sat up to study her surroundings when the door opened and Travis walked in carrying a tray.

  “Good, you’re awake,” he said, greeting her with a warm kiss. “I brought you some breakfast.” He set the tray in front of her.

  Kali looked startled at the array of food before her. Scrambled eggs without a burned edge to them, sausage, two slices of French toast topped with syrup, juice, and coffee.

  “I’m impressed,” she told him after taking her first experimental bite. “And you said you couldn’t cook,” she accused lightly, offering him a nibble of her French toast.

  “I can’t. But I can open packages and throw them in the microwave with the best of them. It’s amazing what you can find in the frozen-food section nowadays.”

  Kali looked down at her food again and back up at Travis to see if he was teasing. There was no doubt he was telling the truth.

  “So you slaved over a hot microwave just for me. Now I am impressed.” And she proved it with another, much more satisfying, kiss.

  Travis exhaled a deep breath when they finally parted. “As much as I hate to say this, I’ve got to go into the studio today. I’ve got something going that needs to be finished by this afternoon, and I’m going to have to bust my butt to finish it by then, due to a very sexy lady who decided to seduce me this morning.”

  “I don’t recall hearing any complaining on your part.”

  “I was lucky I could breathe, much less say anything.”

  For one brief moment Kali felt the irrational fear of his leaving her. She wanted to throw her arms around him and beg him not to leave her alone, but she knew she couldn’t do that. After all, he had probably held up a great deal of his work for her sake, and quite possibly lost clients, due to his staying with her so long in Virginia. The least she could do was understand and send him off with a smile.

  “Then you won’t mind if I relax in a long hot bath and spend the day exploring your house?” she asked lightly.

  Travis noted the tension darkening her eyes and knew why it was there but said nothing. He was relieved that she was trying so hard to sound matter-of-fact.

  “It’s all yours.” They both knew he wasn’t speaking idle words. “There’re a few things in the refrigerator. My cleaning lady stocked up, although I have no idea what’s in there. The studio number is coded into the phone, so all you have to do is dial two. With luck I should be back by six-thirty, seven at the latest.” He looked down at the tempting sight of bare shoulders, tousled hair, and swollen lips and thought of saying the hell with his work and staying home, but knew he couldn’t do that. Kali was going to have to learn to cope with California living all over again, and perhaps in the beginning she should do it at her own pace.

  She managed to flash him a bright smile. “Have a good day. I’ll fix you dinner.”

  “We can go out.”

  Tension rippled across her face for a bare second. “No, that’s all right. I enjoy cooking,” she managed to say brightly, “I’ll rummage through the refrigerator and see what I can find. You go on. The sooner you’re gone, the sooner you’ll be home again.”

  Travis silently rejoiced at her referring to his house as home. “Fine, see you later, then. Don’t worry about any unwanted company. My cleaning lady only comes about once a week usually.” He couldn’t resist one last kiss and groaned as he pulled back with a great show of reluctance. “You’re right. If I don’t get out of here soon, I won’t leave at all.” He stood up and strode briskly out of the room.

  A few moments later Kali heard his motorcycle roar past the house and gradually fade away. She finished her breakfast, put the tray to one side, and got out of bed to take her bath. While the water ran into the tub she carried the dirty dishes into the kitchen and washed them up quickly. She smiled at the memory of finding her suitcases and discarded clothing from the night before sitting sedately in the bedroom that morning. Instead of pulling on her robe, she wore Travis’s shirt while doing the dishes. With his musky scent surrounding her she felt comforted as she performed the domestic chores. A glance into the refrigerator proved Travis’s cleaning lady had stocked up with the basics and gave her a few ideas on what to fix for dinner that evening. A search of the freezer showed her what Travis normally ate. She hadn’t realized there were so many frozen dinners available that were microwaveable. As she explored the kitchen she noticed a separate hand-held dialer attached to the wall phone. Every space was taken up with a name and number. Curious as to why he needed so many numbers, Kali looked down at it closer, then burst out laughing. The numbers appeared to be lumped together in categories: Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Korean, Thai, and a few others that had to be good old-fashioned American. A quick look in the phone book told her the rest of the story. Travis had a phone system that connected him to just about every restaurant in the county that delivered or had take-out facilities!

  A long, relaxing soak in the tub eased a few aching muscles and allowed Kali to think about what she would do while here. That was certainly something she hadn’t thought through as well as she should have. Travis still wanted her to pose for him, she was sure of it, but could she really go through with it? Even with Travis there would be pressure. It couldn’t be helped, because that was part of the game. She stirred restively in the hot, bubbly water. Deciding it was time to do something useful, she climbed out of the tub and dried off quickly, dressing in jeans and a warm sweatshirt that carried brightly colored letters on the front saying “I Don’t Want to Grow Up,” a birthday gift from Jenny.

  An exploration of Travis’s property revealed the small horse barn with two Arabians housed inside. She took the time to greet them before moving on to peek into the garage and wander around the grassy property. He was right, with the large acreage a person did feel as if there were no one else around for miles. It was a feeling of privacy she enjoyed and thought she could have only in Virginia.

  Kali spent the rest of the day cutting up vegetables and browning meat for stew and looking through Travis’s meager supply of magazines. Admittedly, most weren’t to her taste, being motorcycle and photography periodicals, but there were a few recent fashion and women’s magazines that she thought he might have purchased with her in mind. She also found herself listening to the answering machine click on each time the phone rang. Nine out of ten calls were from women.

  “At the tone, please leave your name, number, and a brief message.” Travis’s voice sounded just as sexy on tape.

  “Travis, honey, it’s Donna. I haven’t heard from you in ages, and your assistant said she won’t accept any more calls at your studio. Give me a call.” The syrupy voice was more than any one person could handle.

  “Travis, this is Andrea. Lyle Sloane is giving a party next weekend, and I hope you can go with me. Would you call me as soon as possible?”

  “Travis, you SOB, we’re getting together next Saturday afternoon at Deke’s place for a beer bash. You’d better show up, or we’ll invade that fancy house of yours for a real party, and you know the kind I mean.” This had to be one of his motorcycle buddies.

  With a brief grin Kali wondered how Travis managed his busy social schedule. She also couldn’t ignore the twinges of jealousy at the idea of his going out with other women. She believed him when he said there had been no one else in his bed since his return to California, but that hadn’t meant he had lived a monk’s life before that.

  During her inspection of the large den, which held a large-screen television and a c
omplex stereo system, she also found a wall covered with photographs. Several of them were obviously of his family, a tall woman with his smile and eyes, several men of varied ages with the unmistakable family resemblance, and one of a tall gray-haired man that would be the perfect picture of Travis when he grew older. She also found many photographs of herself, the ones that had been taken that night in her cabin. With her unerring eye she saw the same magic Travis had. As clear as day, her love for Travis showed in the way she posed, in the glow in her eyes and the smile on her lips. The woman in the photograph held a beauty only one in love could possess. She stood there for the longest time looking at the pictures, seeing a woman she hadn’t known existed. And there had been no pressure when those pictures were taken, except the land under which she had put herself.

  “All right, you’ve been running around all morning ignoring me, but now you’re cornered and I want to know that Kali is here and all right.” Jenny fixed Travis with a no-nonsense glare as he dropped into his desk chair.

  He grimaced. “You’re the worst nag I have ever known. Okay, okay, Kali is doing fine. She’s at my house.” He glowered at Jenny’s knowing expression. “And she’s staying there.” He made it sound more like a threat than a statement.

  “I guess that means you won’t be staying late tonight.”

  “You got it.” The idea of Kali in his home, waiting for him, left him feeling warm. He wished he were back there now instead of waiting around here for a temperamental model. He sincerely wished he hadn’t taken this assignment, even if it was for a friend. Working with bad-tempered models wasn’t worth the money, and the next time such a request came through he was going to turn it down flat, friend or no friend.

  Travis unwrapped a couple of sticks of gum and popped them into his mouth. He glanced down at the outline he had made regarding his new book. On paper it looked great. In two days he was due to see a woman who had lived in Paris under the German occupation during World War II. He knew of someone who had written an article about the woman, and he wanted to photograph her for his book. This woman had undergone trials few people could understand, and he wanted that strength to be revealed on film. He thought about asking Kali if she wanted to tag along. Perhaps if she saw how he worked, she might relent long enough to allow him to photograph her.

  “Jenny!” he bellowed. “If she isn’t here in the next ten minutes, I’m not using her. I don’t get paid for sitting around on my ass waiting for God knows what. I’ve got other work that can be done.”

  “Okay,” she called back. “And, Travis, next time use the phone and save your voice. That’s why we have an intercom system.”

  “Maybe, but it isn’t as satisfying.”

  Kali had checked the stew, glanced at the clock, and knew Travis should be home at any time. It all felt so domestic to her, nothing like what she had felt with Blayne. Possibly because he never cared to eat at home or have her cook. That was better left to the servants, he had enjoyed informing her.

  Not wanting Travis to catch her looking her worst, she brushed her hair until it shone, added a spritz of cologne, and was in the midst of debating what to change into since she didn’t have any sexy lounging outfits when she heard the sound of a key in the lock and the kitchen door opening and closing.

  “Kali?” Travis’s shout was music to her ears.

  She ran from one end of the house to the other to reach his open arms.

  “Um, the best part of the day,” he murmured, capturing her mouth with his. “I missed you.”

  She smiled under his kiss. “I believe you said something very similar last night.”

  “That was missing you because you lived in another state,” he explained, taking a great interest in the delicate arch of her throat. “Today I missed you because I knew you were in my house and I couldn’t be here. Something smells good.”

  “I made stew.” She found it difficult to catch her breath when his hand slipped under her sweatshirt and found her unbound breast. He mumbled a few incoherent words has he palmed the warm flesh.

  “Enough for two?”

  Kali chuckled, remembering a few of the meals she had delighted in making. “More than enough. In fact, a few extra minutes on the stove wouldn’t hurt it a bit.” She rubbed herself invitingly against him, taking delight in his instant arousal.

  “Make it an hour and you’ve got a deal.” He grasped her hips and brought her fully against him.

  “I’ll turn down the heat, you turn down the bed.” She slipped away to head for the kitchen.

  “Honey, if you’re serious about turning down the heat, you’d better come with me,” he called after her, a wicked laugh underlying his words.

  When Kali returned to the bedroom, she not only found the bed covers turned down but also Travis lying there in all his glory. A glory she was determined to savor to its fullest. She was glad she had turned down the heat, because they didn’t return to the kitchen for an hour and a half to eat their dinner of stew and buttermilk biscuits.

  “I like your house,” Kali told him as they relaxed after dinner with glasses of wine in the den.

  “I’m glad. I admit it’s a bit large for one person but I like the space, and the idea of horse property was appealing.” He settled back against the couch more fully with Kali nestled securely on one side of him, his arm around her shoulders. Damn, it all felt so right to him! Why couldn’t she see it and stay out here with him where she belonged? Travis was tempted to say just that to Kali but knew he would only meet with resistance and he didn’t want that, not after her covering her fear long enough to make a visit. What she didn’t know was that he didn’t intend to allow her to return to her hideaway.

  “I saw the pictures you took of me,” she said quietly, leaning forward to place the wineglass on the coffee table.

  He waited until she was back in his arms before speaking. “And?”

  “And you’re brilliant, which I’m sure you already know.” She sounded peeved at her admission.

  Travis chuckled. “Talk about someone hating to admit the truth.”

  “Talk about someone so arrogant that he’s breaking his arm patting himself on the back.”

  He brushed aside the hair covering her ear and nuzzled it with his lips. “I only wish I could act arrogant where you’re involved,” he murmured, half turning so that his body covered hers.

  “You do.”

  “Do I? So why don’t I feel as if you’re all mine?”

  “I’ve been yours since that New Year’s Eve so long ago,” she said breathlessly, feeling his hand sweep up her leg from knee to thigh.

  “Have you?” His lips traced the sensitive skin from her ear to the curve of her collarbone, his mustache leaving tactile sensations along the way.

  “Yes, I—I couldn’t let—” She gasped for air as the heat flowed from his body into hers. “I didn’t want him touching me … making love to me after you kissed me.”

  Travis exhaled a deep breath. “You mean, after you saw him with that woman.” He wanted complete clarification from her. He wanted to hear the words from her and not have to figure it out for himself.

  She shook her head. “No, by then it was too late for us.” She shifted her legs when his hand found the juncture at the base of her jeans zipper. “You—you made me see that. You made me feel things I hadn’t known existed, and now …” She breathed deeply, wondering when he would stop this erotic teasing. “I know no one else could give me what you have.”

  He smiled against the upper curve of her breast where he had pulled the soft material down. “I do believe the neckline is stretched beyond repair. I guess I owe you a new sweatshirt.”

  Kali pressed her fingertips against the base of his neck and pulled him back up to meet her loving gaze. “You could rip all my clothes to shreds and I wouldn’t put up a word of protest. Of course, you’d have to buy me a new wardrobe, and I can prove to be expensive.”

  He grinned. “I do believe the prospect would be more than worth it. B
ut for now let’s just help each other ease these clothes off,” he began, showing her exactly what he meant, “and we’ll get into the ripping at a later date.” “Sounds good to me.”

  Chapter 14

  “Why is it so important that I go along with you?” Kali demanded, a touch of her old antagonism resurfacing.

  He sighed. How did one simple request turn into such a big deal? “I didn’t say it was important, I merely suggested that you might like to go with me. You could see how I work.”

  “I don’t think so. I’m still so tired from my trip, I’d really prefer staying here and getting in some relaxation time.” She refused to look at him.

  Travis braced his hands on his hips, looking down at the floor as if all the answers would magically appear. “You’re tired,” he stated flatly. “You’ve been here for almost a week, and all you’ve done is relax.

  At least your idea of relaxing, since you usually cook, clean, or go horseback riding along the back trails. Yet, you don’t want to go out to breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Not to mention going to a damn movie where no one would see you because it’s dark inside!” His voice remained quiet but deadly all the same. “I thought you had gotten rid of some of those fears when you came out here, but you haven’t, have you? The only difference is instead of hiding away in your cabin, you’re hiding away in this house.”

  Kali stiffened. “If you don’t like having me here, just say so. I can just as easily go to a hotel.”

  His jaw tightened with the temper he was working hard to contain. “That isn’t what I mean, and you know it. Besides, did you ever stop to think that if you were in a hotel, you’d be forced to go out among the masses for meals and such? Here you only have to go as far as the kitchen.”

  Kali knew she was acting unreasonable, that her fears were irrational. She also knew she was hurting Travis after all the love and kindness he’d showered upon her the past week. Didn’t he surprise her with flowers the day before, and a box of her favorite candy the day before that? He had never asked anything of her except for her to accompany him on this assignment, but she was afraid to go. It wasn’t a fear of crowds or meeting new people that plagued her but a fear that once she got back into the mainstream, she wouldn’t be able to return to the peace and quiet of the mountains. J. C. may have said she was better off leaving Virginia, but she wasn’t so sure.