“You’re welcome. But you didn’t tell me why you’re so anxious to leave.”
“I have a busy day tomorrow, and I need to do some preparatory work tonight before I go to sleep.” She handed him a plate to dry.
“You keep a grueling schedule. Haven’t you ever wanted to just take off somewhere for a day or two?”
“Only occasionally. The reality is I love my work.” She rinsed off another plate and handed it to him.
Drying the plate, he glanced at her. He couldn’t begin to guess what she was thinking, but one thing he knew. She was anxious to leave because she was anxious to get away from him, and under the circumstances, her attitude wasn’t entirely unexpected. “As dates go, I suppose ours hasn’t been a huge success.”
“I wouldn’t exactly say that. The whole evening has been a very unique experience.”
“Good. I’m glad you think that, because I’d like you to meet my grandparents.”
She handed him a wineglass to dry, with another one quickly following. “I’d like that, too. Perhaps another time.”
Her answer was automatic, her tone vague. Obviously her mind was already back in Corpus and on what she needed to do there.
God, how he wished the two of them really were on an uncomplicated, getting-to-know-you first date. But more importantly, he would give practically everything he owned if he didn’t have to carry through with his plan to snare her in the trap he’d conceived.
Women had come and gone in his life. Sometimes the woman would decide to leave; other times it was his decision. It had never bothered him that he hadn’t found the one who would make him forget all others. He was like Tess—his work was all-encompassing to him. His life ranged from the interesting, challenging world of academics to the risky, exciting business of diving for treasure.
But now he’d met Tess, and it had been evident to him from the first that she was different from every other woman he had ever met. And he wasn’t only talking about his attraction to her, though there was certainly that. Standing as close to her as he was, he only had to breathe to smell the perfume of her skin. He only had to look over to see how her ivory skin gleamed in the dim lamplight and the way her breasts curved enticingly beneath the red dress. He hadn’t yet held her breasts, hadn’t yet drawn her nipples into his mouth. And the fact was, he probably never would.
He threw the kitchen towel onto the counter, grabbed her upper arms and pulled her against him. A quiver ran through her body; he felt it beneath his hands as his mouth came down on hers and his tongue plunged deep into her mouth. Heat surged to his loins, and instantly he was hard.
Her wet hands fluttered in the air, then settled on his shoulders. She was giving in to his kiss, accepting it. But more than that, she wanted his kiss. He could feel it in the way her body had instantly softened against his, in the urgent way she wound her arms around his neck and clung to him.
Their sudden, mutual need for each other had seemingly sprang from nowhere, but that meant it had been running beneath their skin and through their blood all along.
The knowledge gave him a savage gratification unlike anything he’d ever felt before. She wanted him, and God knew, he wanted her. But if he took her before she agreed to what he wanted… Damn it, he didn’t care. He wanted her now.
He slid his hands along either side of her jaw, then pressed his lips harder against hers, and she responded by opening her mouth wider. He tilted her head back, then, with a rough sound, once again took deep and full possession of her mouth. Their tongues tangled in a sweet, compelling dance that increased his need with a force that nearly knocked him off his feet.
She tasted of coffee, peaches and honey. No doubt now what she tasted like. The honey had to be her natural taste. And the feel of her—the soft curves of her breast and the smooth skin of her throat—he was fast reaching the point where he was going to have to have her or die from the wanting, so fast that he was nearly dizzy with the need. It was in his bone marrow; it was in his blood.
She moaned, the sound of her satisfaction going deep into his mouth. He swallowed the sound and experienced the combined tastes of her passion and his own. That was it. He’d reached the end of his control. He had to have her. He reached behind her for the zipper of her dress.
Suddenly she pushed herself away from him, catching him so off guard that he had to throw his hand out to grip the counter to steady himself.
“Please…please take me home now.” She turned away from him and kept her eyes downcast, as if she couldn’t meet his gaze.
He struggled to regain control of his feelings, but it was well-nigh damned impossible. Another minute of her kisses and he would have had her on the kitchen floor, making love to her. Afterward he wouldn’t have been sorry, but it wasn’t his reaction he would have been concerned about.
“What just happened, Tess?” He asked the question even though he was afraid he knew the answer.
He didn’t think for a minute that if they made love, she would change her mind and give him the time he needed. But she might. No matter how many times he could tell her otherwise, she might still think his ultimate purpose in making love to her was to get her to agree to give him the three months he needed to secure the ship and the gold. She would be wrong, but after they’d made love, it wouldn’t matter. He would never be able to convince her otherwise, and the damage would be done.
This time he’d almost let his desire overrule his good sense. Damn it, he was still suffering from the lapse. He felt pain in every part of his body. He couldn’t afford to lose control like that again. From now on, he had to keep his mind trained on his goal.
Silently he cursed. Logic told him that he should be grateful she had put a halt to what had nearly been fast, hot, hard sex. Even now, powerful feelings were urging him to pull her into his arms and kiss her until they were both mindless with desire and tearing each other’s clothes off.
“Nick? I said I’d like to go home now.”
He let out a long, shaky breath. “Is that all you’ve got to say? Don’t you think we should talk about what just happened?”
Slowly she turned to face him, her arms wrapped around herself, her face pale. “I don’t think there’s too much to say about it, except that it shouldn’t have happened and we both know why. Now, please, I’d like to go home as soon as possible.”
This was the moment he’d been dreading since he’d picked her up at her house earlier this evening, the moment that would positively rule out any chance of personal involvement between the two of them ever. “I’m sorry, Tess, but I’m not taking you home tonight.”
Four
“Excuse me? What did you just say?”
He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the counter. He still needed its stability. “We’re going to spend the night here so that in the morning we can drive into town and you can meet my grandparents.”
“Tell me you’re kidding.”
“I’m not kidding.”
“I don’t have a clue what you think you’re doing, Nick,
but one way or another, I’m going back home tonight.”
He appeared unmoved. “You’re the head of Baron’s oil division. That means you can take time off whenever you like. What’s the problem?”
“The problem is, now is not a time I like. In fact, I don’t like it even a little bit. You’ve been told more than once that my schedule is packed. Believe it.”
He nodded. “Oh, I do. But one more day is not going to make any difference.”
Her anger erupted, and her voice rose to a volume few had ever heard from her, though she wasn’t screaming. Not yet. “How in the hell do you know that? And just who do you think you are to make this kind of decision for me?” She punched her finger against his chest. “I’ll tell you who you are. You’re just someone who crashed my party last night. I haven’t even known you twenty-four hours, and you think I’m going to let you rule my life? No way!”
“It’s very important to me for you
to meet my grandparents, so we’ll be staying here for the night.”
His tone was calm, his expression composed, and she wanted to kill him. “Like hell we will. You can do what you want, but I’m going home.”
“You can’t.”
“Watch me.” She wanted to scream and was determined not to, but she couldn’t stop her voice from shaking. “I’ll simply charter another plane and fly home.”
“There is no charter service available here.”
“But there are private planes at the airport. I saw them when we flew in. When I get to the airport, I’ll simply ask for the name of one of the owners, call him or her up, and charter their plane.”
“It’s late. Here, people go to bed early because they get up early. They’re not going to want to climb out of bed to fly some stranger to Corpus Christi.”
“How do you know what they’ll want to do? Contrary to what you obviously think, you can’t tell what people will or won’t do, and you sure as hell can’t keep me here against my will.”
Still perfectly composed, he shrugged. “Even if you can get someone to agree, which I doubt, how are you going to get to the airport? I’m not taking you.”
“I’ll call a cab.”
“No cab will come this far out, especially this late.”
“For enough money—”
He shook his head. “I hate to disillusion you, Tess, but you just may be in the one place on earth where your money won’t help you.”
“This is unconscionable.”
“You’re absolutely right. It’s also desperation. I want you to meet my grandparents so that you’ll understand why the Águila and its contents are so important to me.”
“And by holding me here against my will, you honestly think that I’ll view your request more favorably?”
“It’s my only shot, and I’ve got to take it.”
“I’ve got a news flash for you, Nick. Holding me here will flat out guarantee you won’t get even the smallest thing that you want from me.”
She thought she saw darkness flash in the depth of his eyes, but he blinked, and then it was gone.
“Like I said, I have to try.”
“And so do I.” She glanced around the kitchen. “Where’s the phone and a phone book? And don’t tell me you don’t have one. You’d have to have a phone out here in case one of your grandparents got sick while they were visiting.”
Silently he pointed to the side of a cabinet where the phone hung. Then he opened a drawer, pulled out the phone book, and handed it to her.
For the next fifteen minutes she called everyone she thought could help her, from cab companies to the airport. She even called the police department, but once they heard her name and who was holding her against her will, they turned less than helpful. As a last-ditch effort, she tried to hire an ambulance, but when she had to admit she wasn’t ill, they refused. Finally she tried to get in touch with Ron, but she ended up having to leave a message on the answering machine in his office. She glanced at her watch. He was probably still out with that new girlfriend he’d met since they’d been in Corpus. It would be just her bad luck if he decided to spend the night at the woman’s apartment.
“Not home?” he asked when she hung up.
She sat down at the table and shot him a killing look. “You heard.”
While she’d been making her calls, he’d finished cleaning the kitchen, and now he hung the dish towel on a hook. “Frankly, I’m surprised your assistant has a life outside work. I would have figured you’d have him at his desk twenty-four hours a day.”
Drumming her fingers on the table, she glanced sightlessly around the room. It wouldn’t do her any good to call one or both of her sisters. Instead of offering help, they would laugh themselves silly at the situation she’d gotten herself into.
Nick’s deep voice broke into her thoughts. “If you’re looking for something to throw at me, please don’t go for anything that could break. My grandmother would be very upset.”
She glared at him. “And tell me again why I should care? She should have taught you better manners than to kidnap someone.”
“May I remind you that you came of your own free will?”
“Because you lied to me.”
“I didn’t lie to you. I simply didn’t tell you the whole truth.”
“A lie of omission is still a lie, and you know it.”
“I couldn’t have gotten you on the plane any other way.”
“Oh, sure you could.” Her tone was laced with sarcasm. “You had any number of alternatives at your disposal. You could have drugged me, or hit me and knocked me out cold.”
He frowned. “Do you honestly think I would physically harm you?”
She spread her hands. “How would I know? I would never have thought you’d kidnap me and keep me here against my will, but I was wrong, wasn’t I? You’re just full of surprises.” She began to pace around the kitchen. She always paced when she was agitated and needed to think.
She couldn’t call Uncle William for help, because she wouldn’t want him upset. And she had no idea how to get hold of Des. His office would know, but his office was closed. As for his home phone, she’d called it so few times that it wasn’t a number she had committed to memory, and she knew it would be unlisted. Colin Wynne would come to get her if she called, but she really didn’t want her friends to know how easily Nick had duped her.
“Come on, Tess. Don’t make such a big deal out of this. We had a nice trip out here, and by your own admission, the dinner was wonderful. Now all I’m asking is that you spend the night in a perfectly nice bedroom with clean sheets on the bed, and I’ll have you back in Corpus by lunchtime tomorrow.”
She whirled on him. “Oh, that was good. Just the right touch of sincerity and with a dash of entreaty. And don’t forget the kiss. That kiss was quite something. But it was just another weapon in your arsenal, wasn’t it? Much like that damn please of yours.”
His brow furrowed. “My please? What are you talking about?”
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” She folded her hands. “Okay, Nick, I’m going to ask you once again. Will you please take me home?”
He stared at her. Her face was flushed with color. The pulse at the base of her neck was pounding. He wanted nothing more than to scoop her into his arms, take her into his bedroom, strip her naked and make love to her until they were both satiated. But that was no longer an option. And if he were honest with himself, it never had been.
“I’ll show you to your room. It was my sister’s room, and there are still a few things of hers left. She laid out something for you to sleep in, plus she left fresh towels and a new toothbrush and toothpaste for you. They’re in the bathroom.”
“How very kind of her. And thoughtful, definitely thoughtful. You know, I didn’t think about it before, but it’s obvious now that your sister is in on this crime with you.”
“Crime?”
“Quite obviously you’re going to find this hard to believe, Nick, but holding someone against their will is a crime. I tried to explain that to the chief of police of this fine town, but he seemed more amused than concerned.”
“Uh, yeah. He and I went to school together. And, anticipating how you might react to, uh, staying the night, I gave him a call earlier today and explained the situation.”
“Perfect. Just perfect.” Her words were cold and sharp as an ice pick.
He levered himself away from the counter and started toward the hall. “Follow me and I’ll show you to your room. And if you can’t find what you need, just ask.”
Tess couldn’t sleep.
She was too angry at Nick. He’d quieted her unease at the idea of flying out of Corpus for the evening by telling her he’d made special arrangements for this evening, and she couldn’t fault him there. He’d definitely made special arrangements.
But she was just as angry at herself. She should have paid more attention to her initial panic when he’d told her they were going to fly to som
e undisclosed place for dinner. How could she have been so stupid and naive? She’d trusted him, and he’d betrayed her.
Pulling the pillow over her face, she groaned. Truthfully, trust had only been a small part of the reason she’d gotten on that plane with him. Her attraction to him had been the main reason. She threw the pillow across the room.
Thinking about it, she decided the word attraction was way too mild to describe what he made her feel. He hadn’t needed knockout drugs or violence to get her on the plane. He’d simply smiled at her and said please and charmed her right into the seat beside his.
But as angry as she was, at him and at herself, it wasn’t enough to keep her awake. She was also worried. Bringing in this well on schedule was so vitally important to her that she often spent sleepless nights worrying.
True, it was too early to expect to see oil, but still, she couldn’t stop worrying. She was so afraid that somewhere along the line she’d miscalculated, and either they wouldn’t strike oil, or they would strike oil but the well wouldn’t come in as big as her instincts were telling her it would.
It wasn’t an overstatement to say that a major portion of her life would be lost if either of those things happened.
She rolled onto her side. The house was quiet and still. No doubt Nick had fallen asleep with no problem at all. But then, what did he have to worry about? With a stratagem worthy of a battlefield general, he had maneuvered her into a trap and now had her exactly where he wanted her.
Angrily she kicked the covers aside and got out of bed. Nick’s sister had left a soft cotton nightshirt on the bed for her to sleep in. It covered her nearly to her knees, and since Nick was asleep and she had no wish to dig through someone else’s closet, she decided she didn’t need a robe.
As quietly as possible, she wandered out of the bedroom, down the hall and into what she presumed was the living room. Carefully, trying not to make a sound, she closed the door. Then, feeling her way around, she turned on the first lamp she came to.
An overstuffed sofa and two comfortable-looking recliners met her gaze. A padded rocker and a table were positioned by a window. Outdated magazines lay on a wooden coffee table. Crocheted doilies covered the arms of the sofa and chairs. A crocheted afghan in green, orange and gold lay over the back of the couch, the hues telling her the afghan had been made some time in the sixties or seventies.
The Barons of Texas: Tess Page 6
