Matt lay on his side, idly watching the tip of his rod. He reached out, pulling Alanna over beside him. Her hair, dark with red highlights, fanned out as she rested on his arm.
“You look like a wood nymph,” he murmured, tracing the outline of her jaw.
She shivered as his fingers trailed down her neck, resting gently against her shoulder. “A wood nymph in jeans?” she laughed softly, losing herself in his gray gaze.
His eyes darkened momentarily. “To me you’re a magical creature. A woman with an immense range of emotions. And I love to watch each one play across your lovely face. When I first met you, I thought you were just another reporter come to create more havoc at the base camp.”
“Yes, and I’ve been an unknown quantity in your life ever since,” she returned, leaning against the strong hand that cupped her face.
He looked away for a long moment, his features becoming less readable. Alanna sensed the turmoil in him, and she waited, watching him wrestle with some unknown emotion. She caught her lower lip in her teeth, her brows moving downward with concern. Finally, she could no longer stand the strain.
“Matt?”
“Hmm?” He turned, as if not really there with her. He managed a small smile of apology. “I’m sorry, I was thinking.” He caressed her cheek lovingly. “About Cauley,” he said simply.
Her heart beat more rapidly, and she forced herself to remain relaxed. “Want to talk about it?” she whispered.
Again, she saw naked pain reflected in the depth of his eyes and chided herself for causing it.
“With you, yes,” he answered, his voice growing husky. He sighed and lay on his back, drawing her nearer until her head rested on his shoulder. “Cauley was so damn worried that you were a spy sent down by Thornton to get to me. He told me how he cornered you in the chopper on the way down from San Dolega.”
Alanna grimaced, feeling his body tense. “I know. He warned me off. I think he told me about your wife and child to force me to leave you alone.”
“He and I had a few words on that account,” he answered grimly.
“I don’t think he’ll ever believe I’m not a danger to you. But it doesn’t matter, Matt. He’s a loyal friend. He was worried about you.”
“I told him that as far as you were concerned, it was none of his business. Ever. And it won’t happen again, Alanna. That was a hell of a thing to hit you with.”
She nodded. “Actually, it helped me see another, less harsh side to you,” she admitted. “At first, I thought you were that cold monster that the senator had led me to believe in. You looked cruel. I tried to hate you like the senator did, but every time I tried, you did something to dispel that myth. And when Cauley hit me with your past, I knew that the senator had to be wrong. There is too much kindness and humanity in you, Matt. So, in a way, Cauley did us both a favor.”
He was silent for a moment. Finally, he expelled a deep breath and muttered, “It damn near broke up our friendship. There wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t try to undermine my feelings for you, Alanna. Even now he swears that you’re pretending to care for me in order to trap me for the senator’s sake.”
Alarmed, she left the sanctuary of his embrace, sitting up with an incredulous look in her eyes. “That simply isn’t true!” she cried, stricken. “Matt—I don’t—I mean I’m useless when it comes to playing games. I just haven’t the talent or the training to do it. And I would never allow anyone to use me like that!”
He reached over, sliding his hand down her arm and entwining his fingers in hers. “I know that, honey. And I’m sure that if things work out as I know they will, Cauley’s attitude will change as he sees the reality of the situation. Don’t look so hurt, Alanna. He’s only one person, and I’m certainly not avoiding you because of his beliefs.” He managed a rueful grin. “Matter of fact, I’ve had a hell of a time waiting for this moment. Come here….”
Her heart leaped in response as he pulled her down beside him, his eyes glittering as he claimed her lips in a soul-binding kiss. His mouth pressed firmly against her lips, parting them, demanding entrance. A moan of need rose in her throat, and she guilelessly arched her body upward. He groaned, gripping her tightly. Dragging his mouth from her throbbing lips, he growled thickly, “I want you, Alanna….”
Her lips felt bruised with the power of his initial kiss, and she could only stare up into his stormy gray eyes, nodding mutely with consent. She trembled beneath his knowing fingers as he caressed the side of her breast. Lowering his head, he trailed a series of light, fiery kisses down her neck and throat to her shoulder. Heat uncoiled from the center of her body as she felt his hand sliding beneath the blouse, the touch of his rough fingers sending shivers across her supple flesh. Deftly, he unfastened the bra, teasing her breasts until they grew taut, the nipples hardening against his slow, exquisite assault. She entered the realm of his lovemaking as a willing partner, and he encouraged her to participate fully.
She moved her slender fingers across his tightly muscled chest, the dark hair like coarse silk beneath her hand. She felt him tense as he removed the blouse from her shoulders and she instinctively pressed against him. A shuddering sigh escaped from her as her bare breasts brushed against his body. She met his descending, predatory mouth, a column of fire leaping to burning brightness within her. His hand molded her taut breast, and she stiffened against him, a small cry escaping as he leaned over, capturing the hardened peak in his mouth. Her fingernails sank deeply into his flesh, moaning as he pulled her hips against his thighs.
Her breath came in ragged gasps as he forced the jeans off her hips, running his hand lightly across the flat, velvety expanse of her stomach, trailing lower, eliciting primeval instincts that erased all thoughts but one of fulfillment with him. She felt the jeans being pulled from her legs, and she lay back against his arm, glorying in his masterful touch. Her body ached with the pain of longing, and she welcomed him back into her arms as he removed the last of his clothes. Matt brushed her lips with his tongue, tasting them, relishing their sweetness. He wrapped his hand in the dark tresses of her hair, forcing her head back as his tongue traced the swell of each breast. She groaned, straining to make contact with him. It was sweet agony. Each touch…each caress. Somewhere in her chaotic mind she remembered he had said that their loving would be on his terms. A soft whimper escaped her as she gripped his shoulders, begging him to complete the union.
Gently, he slid his hand between her legs, parting them, stroking the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs. Blood pulsed and pounded through her; fire swept like a raging inferno through her tense, damp body. She looked up, meeting his dark, stormy eyes.
“Please,” she begged, breathlessly. “Now…I need you so badly….”
He leaned over her, his knee moving between her thighs. “You’re mine,” he growled thickly.
She closed her eyes, lips parted, still wet from his last hungry kiss. The weight of his body descended upon her, and she arched her hips upward, meeting, melding with him. Her cry of ecstasy mingled with the soft growl of his voice. She clung to him, unable to breathe, aware only of the aching warmth within her. Cradling her hips against him, he thrust deeply within her, the pleasurable sensation spreading as she matched her own rhythm to the hard movements of his body. Tears squeezed from beneath her lids, streaking down her flushed cheeks as the final, soul-shattering gift was given to her. A sob broke from her, and she arched, frozen against him as the climax shook her body into new heights of frenzied pleasure. Seconds later he gripped her, relishing his own release. Collapsing against his arms, she tasted the salty perspiration of his flesh, nuzzling deeply into his embrace, satiated and fulfilled as never before.
Gradually, ever so gradually, Alanna floated back down to earth. The sun warmed their bodies, the noon wind caressed their skin like a lover. Matt held her close, absently stroking her long, unbound hair, running his fingers through the silken tresses. He studied her in tender silence. Finally, he leaned over, gently parting her l
ips in a kiss that brought more tears to her eyes. Alanna reached up, caressing his face, her eyes sparkling with joy. He returned the smile he saw in her eyes, briefly running his fingers across her full lips.
“You are mine,” he murmured huskily. “I knew that from the moment I saw you. I wanted all of you, Alanna. Not just your lovely body, but you as well.”
“How can you be so sure?” she whispered, her voice still wispy.
He shrugged, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Experience maybe.”
Alanna shivered deliciously beneath his exploring touch as he caressed her soft curves. Her logical mind was not functioning at all, and she felt almost incoherent, not really listening to his words as much as to the husky tenor of them.”
“I love you, Alanna,” he said simply, studying her, a slight frown in his eyes. “This is the second time in my life that it’s happened, and I don’t want to lose you like I lost Rachel.” He smoothed a rebellious strand of hair off her damp brow. “You’re part of every waking and sleeping thought I have, honey. I was so damn lonely when you left Costa Rica, and then we had to deal with this furor over Thornton’s report.” He stopped, looking beyond her toward the river. “From now on, I want to see you whenever I please.” He turned, watching her. “What do you think?”
Her heart hammered briefly in her chest. Three words, spoken so softly and with such tenderness: He loved her! “Oh, Matt,” she whispered brokenly, moving back into his embrace. She sobbed quietly, and he held her for a long, long time until the tears were spent. Finally, she pulled away just enough to shakily wipe her flushed cheeks dry. He gave a low laugh, taking his hand and brushing away some of the tears himself. Placing his finger beneath her chin, he forced her to meet his intent gaze.
“I love you. Now and forever, Alanna.”
She blinked, a tremulous smile upon her lips. “And I love you, Matt. Oh, God, don’t ask me how or when…. One morning I woke up and I knew that I—” She choked back a sob. “I don’t ever want to be without you.”
They spent a delicious half-hour dressing each other beneath the dappled shade of the tall oak that stood near the bank of the river. Alanna was content to rest against his body afterward as he leaned back against the trunk of the tree, idly watching the green surface of the river swirl and eddy with hidden currents. Her heart mushroomed with an explosion of joy as she lay in his arms, head against his shoulder, eyes closed.
Matt nuzzled her cheek gently. “You know, for the longest time after Rachel died, I thought I’d never love again,” he began huskily. “I loved her so damn much, Alanna. I married late because I knew my career in the Marine Corps would be taking me from one base to another, and I just didn’t want to subject my family to that kind of stress.”
She reached up, resting her hand against his strong forearm. “How long did you know her?” she inquired softly.
“For five years before I married her.” He exhaled painfully. “Waiting was the biggest mistake of my life. I should have married her at the outset.”
“And how long were you married before the crash?”
He bent his head down, leaning against her neck, his breath warm as it fanned across her face. “Two years. Beautiful happy years, even though I spent all but ten months in Vietnam.” Finally, he raised his head, staring off toward the river. “In some ways, she was like you. Rachel had a hell of a temper. You never knew what she would be like on any given day. But she was artistic and had a volatile personality to match. I didn’t keep very many of her paintings, but someday soon I’d like to show you the two I did keep.”
Alanna nodded. “I’d love to see them. She must have been a woman of incredible depth, Matt.”
He turned, kissing her temple. “Like you, honey.”
She managed a grimace. “I’m locked into lobbying, statistics, facts and figures. I don’t find that very creative.”
“Mmm, I think there’s much more to you than that job. You just need to be given the room and encouragement to explore the other facets of yourself.”
“Sometimes I don’t know what you see in me, Matt. I’m afraid I don’t see the same potential you do,” she whispered painfully.
He tightened his arms around her for a moment. “As a child you said you stayed in your room and wrote story after story. Who knows, maybe you have a hidden talent for writing just waiting to be sprung loose.”
A soft smile curved her lips. “You give so many hope and encouragement. I wish I had known your parents, because their strength gave you the courage to do whatever was asked of you. They passed on the will to survive, to attempt anything that you thought you might want to try. God, how fortunate you were, Matt.”
“I was,” he agreed. “You find a lot of New Englanders are made out of some pretty stiff starch, as they say.”
“I never realized just how beautiful Maine is,” she murmured.
“Not half as lovely as the woman I’m holding in my arms,” he murmured, guiding her chin upward.
Her lashes swept down across her cheeks as her lips met his strong mouth. The touch was tentative, searching, exquisitely gentle with love. She reached around, slipping her arms behind his neck, drawing his body to her. This hour, this day would be indelibly etched in her memory forever.
It seemed as though they had always belonged together, she thought languidly. They spent the remainder of the afternoon talking, sharing and laughing. The richness of his wisdom continued to amaze her, and she asked more and more questions. Through him another new world was opening up, and it simply awed her. Finally, he urged her to her feet, and taking her hand, he led her down an old trail.
The goldenrods waved their yellow-flowered heads, nodding in the late afternoon breeze as Matt and Alanna crossed a small meadow. The grass was withering with frost but still stood knee high. At the other end of the field stood an old gnarled oak bent with age. Alanna sat beneath its weather-beaten branches while Matt leaned lazily against it just above her. They remained silent, watching the honey bees making their last forays to gather food before the severe winter left the area blanketed in heavy snowfall. The chirping of crickets and the cooing of a mourning dove somewhere in the distance blended beautifully with the drowsy sounds of the afternoon.
Matt finally hunkered down on his heels beside her. “I used to come here with Rachel often after we were first married. It became an even more special place when she brought me here one day to tell me she was pregnant.”
Through half-closed eyes Alanna idly watched a yellow and black monarch butterfly waft across the unseen air currents drifting through the meadow. She returned her gaze to Matt, sliding her fingers lightly across his arm.
’I can’t begin to understand the depth of your grief,” she said in a hushed voice. “I’ve tried to imagine the loss of—of—” She flushed, unable to complete the sentence.
“Losing Rachel and the baby was indescribable,” he whispered. He expelled a painful breath. “Jim Cauley was the chopper pilot assigned to our group at that time. He happened to be there when I received the news of my family’s death. If it hadn’t been for him, I probably would have lost it completely. He helped me get my gear packed and saw me off to Da Nang, where I boarded a flight back to the States.”
She trailed her fingers down his darkly tanned forearm, entwining her fingers within his. “He’s a true friend in every sense of the word,” she said. “Somehow you survived all of it and are stronger because of it.”
He shared a rueful smile with her. “The only way we get stronger is to survive the hardships life throws at us.”
She nodded in agreement. “Why is it we only grow strong when we experience pain? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could develop that sort of backbone from happiness and joy?”
“Fate sometimes plays with a marked deck,” he answered. “You weren’t exactly dealt a fair hand either, lady.”
“I feel like my problems were minimal compared to what you’ve had to endure,” she admitted. “My loss occurred when
I was too young to remember.”
Matt drew her hand upward, kissing the coolness of her flesh. “Not remembered, but never forgotten. Tell me, Alanna McIntire, what do you plan on doing with the rest of your life?” he asked.
“Work, I suppose.” She shrugged. “I know this probably sounds silly, but I’m not sure. Ever since I left Paul, I’ve felt like a cork floating on the ocean. My world revolves around the Hill and politics.”
He was studying her through his thick dark lashes. “You don’t dream of rising above your position of assistant to a senator? What about becoming Thornton’s chief lobbying associate? You’ve certainly got the intelligence, education and moxie to fill that job.”
The afternoon breeze blew several strands of hair across her eyes, and she pulled them back, tucking them behind her ear. “Moxie. That’s a good word.” She looked up and met his warm gaze.
“It suits your Hungarian fieriness. So, what are your ambitions?” he prodded.
Alanna moistened her lips, thoughtfully phrasing her words. “I’d love to be responsible for certain aspects of the senator’s work.” She had not honestly given it a great deal of thought before. She shook her head. “Since I’ve met you, my job has become less important. What about you? Are you a thirty-year man, as the military slang goes?”
He rested his head against the trunk, closing his eyes. “No. I’ve got two more years to complete the mandatory twenty, and then I’m retiring.”
“Retiring at age thirty-eight must be nice,” she baited.
“Jealously will get you nowhere,” he countered good-naturedly.
“You’ve earned it,” Alanna said, conviction in her tone. “So, are you going to pull out your rocking chair and write your memoirs?”
“No,” he said slowly, watching her facial expression intently. “I already have a job lined up with a firm in Colorado to manage their bridge-building division as soon as I get my discharge.”
He must have read the surprise etched in her widening blue eyes. “Anything wrong with that?” he demanded, his voice humorous.
Captive of Fate Page 16
