Oh God. She turned and flattened herself against the tree, praying he wouldn’t notice that she was there. She’d never seen a naked man before, and she couldn’t shake the image from her head. Her heart was pounding rapidly, and she covered her eyes with her hands, even though he was no longer in sight. How on earth would she be able to look him in the eye after this? The image of his tanned skin, droplets of water beading and running off of him, down his flat stomach and hips and…and…she shook her head violently. She couldn’t believe her reaction to him. What did he think he was playing at, just swimming around naked? He knew perfectly well she jogged around these parts. He had to know she would see him. She shook her head and ran a frustrated hand through her hair. What did he want from her? Oh, he made her so confused!
Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun around quickly and jumped. It was Gordon. “How…what are you doing here? I just saw you go the other way.”
Gordon smirked. “I know a secret path. What were you doing? Snooping at me? Trying to get a look at something you’ll never get?”
Christina felt her cheeks grow warm. “If you think I was impressed, think again. I’ve seen better.”
Gordon laughed. “In your imagination! Been reading too many romance stories? The droplets of water ran down his muscled arms…” he snorted. “I bet that’s the first time you’ve seen a naked man. Like what you see?”
“Was not!” Chris felt like it was she who was naked. “I’ve seen plenty of naked men, but I’m not sure I’m looking at one now. I think I’m looking at a little boy…or a eunuch.”
Gordon narrowed his eyes as he slipped on his clothes. “A eunuch, hey? Been spying on your little brother?”
“I don’t have a little brother!” Christina snapped, feeling annoyed.
“Must have been yourself, then. With that flat chest, anyone would confuse you as a boy.”
Christina’s bottom lip trembled in embarrassment. She had always been self-conscious of her body. She was not quite so voluptuous as all the other girls, but she knew she was not unattractive. Gordon was just trying to make her feel bad.
“Haven’t insulted enough women lately, have you? Do you need to fill your quota for the week?”
Gordon rolled his eyes. “I’m on to you. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing. You play sweet and innocent with my aunt, but I know you…one day you’ll slip up.” He walked off back to the house to get dressed. Christina sighed. What did he mean by that comment? She hadn’t been anything but herself. Maybe she ought to be someone else. Maybe that would make all of this easier.
She frowned, feeling angry with herself. She was never going to get that vision from her mind, and truthfully, she was not sure she wanted to. She walked back to the house, dreading seeing him over the breakfast table. How could she find him so repulsive and attractive at the same time? It was so annoying! She wished he was hideous; a twisted old man with a cane. If only he was struck down with some illness that disfigured his handsome, sensual….Stop it! You don’t want him! He is toying with your emotions!
She decided to go to the stables to get her mind off things. The horses were placid as always, eager for someone to ride them. Maybe later, she thought. And maybe I can ride one of them away from this catastrophe. Maybe no one would notice me leave. Fat chance of that happening! She ran a tired hand though a mare’s mane and rested her cheek against the horse’s face. It was so soft and silky against her skin. So soft and silky, just like Gordon’s skin…
“Argh!” She stormed out of the stables, angry with herself. What possessed her to continue thinking about him so much? Of course, he was to be her husband, and she was supposed to think of him, but not this way…she was eager to find a loophole to get out of the marriage as much as him. However, he was attractive…she sighed. Now she was starting to think like him, wanting a husband based merely on his looks. That was obviously why he preferred Mindy over her. She frowned and made her way back to the cabin.
****
He was in the kitchen when she arrived, as was Jacqueline. Gordon was seated at the table, sipping a cup of coffee. Jacqueline evidently could cook, as she was standing at the stove, flipping crepes onto a plate and expertly folding fruit and whipped cream into the thin pastry and drizzling honey over the top. “Here, Gordon,” she said, sliding the plate onto the table. “You like crepes, Chris?”
Christina nodded, studiously avoiding Gordon’s eyes as she poured herself a cup of coffee and stirred creamer into it. “Sure,” she said noncommittally, sitting in a chair down the table from Gordon and focusing intently on her coffee.
Gordon’s deep voice startled her. “Every time I see you, Chris, you’re staring down into a glass of something. Tell me, what is it that you see in there? The answers to life?”
Christina started to turn red, taking a gulp of coffee. In truth, she was thinking about Lilly, but she didn’t want to let anyone know about her friend back home. What would they think? Certainly Gordon would laugh it off, and tell her to tell Lilly to get over herself, and Jacqueline would probably say the girl brought it on herself. She sighed. Jacqueline turned to give Gordon a stern look. “Stop it, Gordon,” she admonished, before sliding a plate of crepes in front of Chris and fixing a plate for herself. When he saw Chris’s reaction, he immediately felt bad about bullying her, but then he remembered that he didn’t want to be in this situation and it was her fault.
“I bet you could look so hard you’d burn a hole in your cup,” Gordon whispered, staring at Christina from under his lashes.
Christina narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice. “You don’t even know what life is, let alone how to find any answers.”
Gordon frowned. “I bet you think the answer of life is forty-two.”
Despite herself, Chris snickered.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come along with us, Gordon?” Jacqueline asked. “It seems a shame for you to stay indoors all day.”
“I’d rather be working than shopping for jam,” Gordon retorted, finishing his crepe and pushing his plate away. “Have a nice day, girls.” He rolled his eyes in Christina’s direction before he disappeared into the library, shutting the door behind him.
“Honestly, I don’t know what is gotten into him anymore,” Jacqueline huffed, finishing her breakfast and getting up to clear the table. “He’s never been in this bad of a mood for so long. Even in the current situation, he shouldn’t be behaving so badly.”
“It’s my fault,” Christina said, drinking the last of her coffee. “He’s angry because he’s being forced to marry me and I’m here all the time, reminding him of it. I don’t think this ‘vacation’ was a very good idea.”
Jacqueline sighed. “Just give him a little while. I’m sure he’ll warm up.”
Christina nodded. He was warm last night, she thought without warning, and shivered.
“Go get a shower and get dressed,” Jacqueline said gently. “We’ll have a nice afternoon, just the two of us.”
****
They did have a nice afternoon. The driver took them to the small town center, where they checked out the little country store. Jacqueline found a few different types of preserves and a scone mix for her sister, and Christina found a small recipe book with different types of turnover recipes in it. Turnovers had always been one of her favorite desserts, and although the cook never let her in the kitchen now, when she had a place of her own she could practice cooking. She’d always wanted to learn. Well, that may be one good thing that might come from this disaster of a marriage, she thought.
Over lunch, a salmon salad for Jacqueline and a grilled Gouda sandwich and side salad for Christina, they chatted amiably. At least something good was coming out of this trip, Christina thought as she bit into her sandwich. Jacqueline acted more like one of Christina’s friends than someone her mother’s age. Of course, she had also lived a completely different life.
“You’ll just have to know how to manage men,” Jacqueline advised. “I’
m sure you know what I mean.”
“I really don’t,” Christina admitted. “I don’t really have any experience with them.”
“Well, you’ve had boyfriends of course, right?”
Christina shook her head. “My parents were always very insistent that I never date. Of course, now I know why. I’ve spent time with a few boys now and then, but nothing serious.”
Jacqueline laughed. “And by ‘spent time’ you mean….”
“Just kissing.”
Jacqueline looked shocked. “You mean, you’ve never slept with anyone?” She lowered her voice so no one else could hear. “You’re twenty-one and you’ve never had sex?” Jacqueline was truly amazed.
Christina shook her head, feeling a little embarrassed at admitting it to such a worldly, experienced woman. She didn’t even know Jacqueline that well, she thought. She acquiesced anyway. “No, I’ve never…done that. I guess it’s just never happened. I’ve never really gotten that close with someone to feel comfortable enough to sleep with them. Of course, there have been times when I thought maybe, but….” She thought of the karaoke bar, and wished she had left with Tommy.
“Oh my God. No wonder you’re so overwhelmed by Gordon. He’s a lot for even more savvy women to handle. Look, don’t let him see how he gets to you. I know it’s easier said than done, but you have an effect on him too. I know now you’re too inexperienced to see it, but you’ve caught him off guard, and that is why he’s so snappish. He’s attracted to you, but he doesn’t want to admit it to himself. So, when he says anything rude, just let it roll off your back and don’t let him see that he makes you nervous. He’ll just take advantage of it in the mood he’s in.”
Christina nodded, her appetite mostly gone now. “I just don’t know what to say around him. I don’t think he really wants to know me, and I don’t blame him. I’ve upset his whole world. I imagine he’s furious with me. He’s always so mean. Though I cannot really blame him, but I’m in the same situation. I don’t have a choice in the matter either.”
“It’s not you directly,” Jacqueline corrected. “He’s furious with your grandfather, and his, for putting him in this position. He might be taking it out on you, but it’s not you he’s angry with, and he’ll see that when he’s had time to adjust. It’s not your fault, Chris. You didn’t sign the contract. Hell, you weren’t even born when it was written up. It’s not Gordon’s fault either. You were both thrown into this, and if you want it to be even remotely manageable, you will have to be pleasant to each other. You’ve done a good job so far, and I know my nephew is being insufferable, but I do think he will come around in time. Just give him a chance. Try not to let it show when his rudeness bothers you, and don’t let him seduce you. He’ll have you singing to his tune in no time and then you’ll have no ground to stand on. You have to keep him guessing,”
“But he wants Mindy, not me.”
Jacqueline frowned. “Mindy Harrelson is a harlot and only wants Gordy for his money. Besides, I hear she’s dating someone else now, anyway.”
Christina raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Does Gordy know? Because he seems to think they can get back together.”
Jacqueline laughed. “Fat chance of that ever happening.” She shook her head. “He doesn’t know, but maybe you shouldn’t tell him.”
“Why not? Surely that will make him stop thinking about her?”
“I don’t know. I think you need to just turn his attentions onto you. Get him interested. You need to start a conversation.”
“Well, what can we talk about?” Christina asked. “I don’t even know what he likes.”
Jacqueline smiled. “Oh, what other men like. Football, beer….although he does like to ski when he can, and he loves to play chess.”
“Chess?” Somehow, Chris couldn’t ever imagine Gordon liking chess. It seemed too disciplined for him.
“Gordon will beat you, of course,” Jacqueline added.
Chris frowned. “What makes you think I can’t play?’
“Oh, it’s not that. Gordy is an expert. He’s beaten everyone he’s ever played against. He even has some chess trophies from when he was younger. He doesn’t enter as many competitions as he used to, but he still loves the challenge. Maybe you could give him a game one time?”
Chris shook her head. “I’m really bad. I’ve never won a game. My father taught me when I was younger, but I never became so confident with my ability that I would enter any competitions. I would only make a fool of myself when Gordon would beat me.”
Jacqueline smiled. “Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing. It would be a helpful way for you and Gordy to connect. Maybe he could teach you some skills?”
Chris frowned, thinking of being taught by Gordon. She shrugged. “I don’t know…I don’t want him to think any less of me when he finds out I’m a sore loser.”
Jacqueline laughed. “You’ll find that Gordy is the same. He hates to lose, which is why he rarely does. There isn’t a chess set here, but I’m sure there’s one back at the house.”
Chris nodded. “Maybe I could read up on it. I guess it would be good to do something with him.”
“It will be a great way to bond.”
Christina nodded, feeling like she might have a little more leverage. “I’ll try.”
Jacqueline nodded. “Sometimes we are forced to do things that we don’t want to do, but in the end, we have to remember it’s in our best interests, and that we can learn to deal with them. Learning how to play chess would be a great thing to do, Chris.”
Christina smiled. “I’m sure it’s not going to be as bad as it seems. I think I am worrying too much about it. Plus, I have other worries to deal with.”
“Oh?”
Chris hesitated in telling Jacqueline about Lilly, but she felt like she was isolated here, and Jacqueline was the only person she had who she could call a friend.
“You’ve probably met Lilly before, Lilly Baltimore. My father and her father get along quite well. They are involved in a few business transactions together. Anyway, Lilly considers herself a bit of a spinster. She has no plans of getting married at any age, and I think my arranged wedding is getting her nervous.”
Jacqueline nodded. “I am pretty sure I met Lilly a few years ago…she must have been sixteen or seventeen, still in school. She seemed uninterested in any social gathering, even when there were fewer adults and more people her own age.”
Christina smiled. “That is my Lilly Pad. I’m worried about her. Her parents have frozen her accounts and disinherited her. I don’t think they will unfreeze them until she gets married. You see, she’s their only child, and I don’t think they are planning to have any more children, so they’ve set up an arranged marriage, just like my father did. I just don’t know how to help her.”
“Why doesn’t she just get married?”
Christina shook her head. “It’s not as simple as that. You see, Lilly is...”
Jacqueline’s phone rang, and she answered it quickly, cutting off Christina’s sentence. After a few moments she signaled for the check and paid, standing up and retrieving her things. “Come on, Chris. Let’s go back and see what my crabby nephew is up to.”
****
Gordon had spent most of the morning staring morosely at the pile of papers on the desk, not really noticing what they said. He kept thinking about Chris the night before, the way her arms had felt under his hands, so slender, so delicate. How her mouth had felt, yielding under his, opening up so that his tongue could slide inside. How her hair had tangled around his fingers. How she had felt pressed against him, her small breasts rubbing against his chest through his t-shirt.
He ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. He couldn’t get any work done, and it drove him up the wall. He couldn’t remember any woman ever affecting him this way. And out of all the women, why did it have to be her? He wanted so badly to despise her. And in a way, everything about her annoyed him. The way she brushed aside her hair, the way she scratched he
r nose, the way she sipped her tea. He wished she were uglier. Then he could marry her, do his duty to his family, and then divorce or ignore her once she had a son. He couldn’t do that if she kept making him feel like this, distracting him like this.
It was just lust, he decided. It had been a while since he’d had sex, and the odd chemistry between them was just affecting him. He’d seduce her, the lodge was a romantic enough place, and by the time they went home, he’d be free of her grasp and able to focus on other things while she planned the stupid wedding with her mother. He would get her out of his system, and then he could ignore her. He’d show up and say the words and then he’d go about the business of living his life, without worrying about his wife.
Maybe Mindy would even forgive him and he could charm his way back into her bed. He tried to picture Mindy, her tanned skin, flat stomach, and acres of lush blonde hair, her perfect breasts, perky and filling out his hands. She was physically perfect. He tried to picture her, but he kept seeing Chris, her slender body, the way her wild auburn hair tangled around her face, the way her blue eyes widened when she thought about something intensely, how her pale pink lips had looked last night, just begging him to kiss them. He’d never liked girls like her, the slim tomboyish types with few curves. He liked women who were curvy and slender at the same time, which usually meant finding naturally thin women with fake breasts. He’d never cared. Fake meant rich, and rich women didn’t care that his family, no matter how illustrious his mother’s side happened to be, was a shambles in the society they were supposed to be a part of, his father a disgrace. They didn’t care, because he was handsome and charming and attentive in bed. Mindy hadn’t cared.
Who Loves Them? (Who--? Series) Page 8
