The room was satisfactory on all counts. Dominated by two double beds, it sported a television and heavy drapes that belied the time of day. Caitlin set the sack on the bathroom counter and peeked at its contents. A package of disposable razors, some shaving cream, two toothbrushes, toothpaste, a brush and comb, and a small self-contained cosmetic package soon lined the sink. Grant’s thoughtfulness both surprised and touched her.
Who was that crazed-looking woman, so pale and frightened, staring at her from the mirror? Caitlin almost didn’t recognize herself. Surely that was no radiant bride reflected in the brutal glare of the glass!
Calling out that she was going to take a shower before hitting the sack, Caitlin set to making herself look and feel better.
“Sure you don’t want me to join you?” came his reply through the thin door.
“Positive,” she replied in a voice so definitive that it gave no indication that the remark had reduced her mountain of resolve to a mound of quivering gelatin. Snapping the lock on the door, she was chagrined to hear Grant’s deep accompanying chuckle.
Cursing him for making her feel childish, she stepped in the shower and let the warmth of pulsating water soothe her jangled nerves. Never had a shower felt so good to her. Knotted muscles gave way to the anticipation of a sexy man awaiting her in the very next room. The image of that man lying in bed wearing nothing but a predatory smile sent a frisson of excitement racing through her. Glad she didn’t have to worry about draining all the hot water the way she did back at the rig trailer, Caitlin took her sweet time before emerging from the shower. She wiped the steam from the mirror. Not wanting to look like some painted lady, the tiniest dab of makeup was all that was needed to make her feel a little more confident.
Disinclined toward sleeping in either her soiled clothes or her pretty new sundress, Caitlin wrapped herself in a fluffy towel and put on a brave front. When at last she stepped out of the bathroom, she felt ready to face a firing squad.
Just as she had feared, Grant was sprawled out on one of the beds. Stripped of his shirt, he lay in the glory of a hard-muscled chest. Thankfully, he had retained the modesty of his slacks but had nonetheless unsnapped them causing Caitlin to suck in her breath. Her cheeks were suffused with heat, and a hand demurely covered the panic bubbling on her lips.
A soft snore emanating from the bed relieved her of having to hide her reaction to her husband’s masculine virility. Relief and regret did a two-step on her heart as she realized with chagrin that Grant was completely oblivious to the pains she had taken to pretty herself up.
Stepping lightly, she drew the bedspread up over his sleeping form, lingering only momentarily on the tingling warmth of his flesh as she grazed her knuckles across his shoulder. How could such a rough-hewn character look so angelic in his sleep? How could a jaw so rough with stubble beckon so to be caressed? Grant didn’t so much as stir, and for that she was grateful. Her breath was shallow as she tucked herself into her own bed. Feeling suddenly chilled, Caitlin pulled the covers up to her chin.
Like some great cat testing its muscles against the new day, Grant awakened gradually. After going so many hours without sleep, his body had demanded its rest. He had succumbed without a fight. Indeed it had been so long since he’d slept on anything other than a lumpy couch that he reveled in long, uninterrupted slumber in the luxury of a firm and spacious mattress. He did not know how much time had passed since he had lain his body down to sleep. Nor was he yet aware of his new bride sleeping not an arm’s width away in the next bed.
Feeling safe and secure, he imagined the smell of pancakes and homemade applesauce bubbling on his mother’s stove. How he had loved mornings as a child, arising to the happy patter of his parents’ conversations, the strong fragrance of freshly brewed coffee, and the expectation that every day was bound to bring wondrous discoveries to light.
Blinking against his memories, Grant opened his eyes to the faint light of dawn leaking through a small gap in the drapes. Disoriented at waking in a strange room, his mind searched for reason in that tender illumination. It took him a moment to realize where he was and to remember that he was not alone. It seemed he was trapped in a fairy tale with Sleeping Beauty.
Leaning on an elbow, Grant took the opportunity to feast his gaze upon Caitlin. She looked so peaceful in her sound slumber that he could not bear to wake her. His guts twisted with longing as he found himself wondering what would it feel like to awaken each and every day with such a woman in his arms.
Heaven, he’d wager.
Hell was being legally married to a woman of such unparalleled beauty and being forbidden to touch her. An orphan with no claim to fame or fortune, Grant didn’t expect a woman with Caitlin’s sensibilities, social graces, and background to understand that her father had up and given her to him for a job well done. Quite frankly, it was beyond his own understanding.
As temptingly lovely as she was, Caitlin was not exactly the “bonus” he had had in mind when Paddy had first made mention of wanting to do something special to compensate him. Grant had expected something quite different for all his years of backbreaking labor and faithful service. Something less primitive than the gift of his employer’s only daughter as a mate. Something cold and hard to put in the bank. Something to make the down payment on the ranch he had been dreaming of ever since the day his father had set him in the saddle and walked his pony around the corral.
Grant studied the cascade of hair that spilled across Caitlin’s pillow in glorious disarray. She looked quite fetching bundled up in her cocoon of bedding. In contrast to her dark hair, Caitlin’s skin was so pale and delicate that it reminded him of an heirloom china doll that his mother had treasured. Placed high on a shelf out of harm’s way, the doll would flutter her long eyelashes with a deft twist of the wrist. Oh, how he had longed to touch that forbidden plaything and caress the satin of her gown with rough, little-boy fingers. Like that expensive doll, Caitlin’s beauty was reserved for his sense of sight alone. Unfortunately her tousled beauty awoke in him a need so compelling and primal that Grant dared not linger over the sleeping form of his untouchable bride. Having given his word that he would not force himself on her, he was bound to a vow far different than most men take upon their wedding day.
Bitterness clawed at his growling belly as he threw his covers off and headed to the bathroom. Never had Grant imagined starting his honeymoon with an icy cold shower.
Eleven
A freshly shaven Grant looked no worse for wear as he stepped out of his shower. A night of uninterrupted sleep in a real bed seemed to have lifted his spirits considerably. He suggested eating breakfast in the hotel restaurant before heading back to the hospital to check on Paddy.
Eager to put as much distance as she could between herself, her new husband, and their “bridal suite,” Caitlin readily agreed. The restaurant was decorated in dark, masculine colors that bespoke country-club elegance. As Caitlin followed a waiter to an out-of-the-way table, it did not escape her notice that all the women in the place twisted their necks to get a better glimpse of Grant’s physique as they passed through the room. A fierce possessiveness hitherto unknown to her crept over her. Surprised by the ferocity of the emotion, Caitlin found herself suddenly seized by the need to announce aloud that Grant was her husband and that everyone could put their eyeballs back in their sockets.
They both indulged in big breakfasts. Sharing a meal seemed oddly familiar and comfortable. Through the steam of freshly brewed cappuccino, Caitlin could almost envision sharing a lifetime of such tranquil moments with this man who had pledged himself to her out of sheer love for her father. Her heart swelled with appreciation. Not many men would have acted so selflessly. Precious few would have kept their word about keeping their arrangement chaste.
Caitlin was too worried about her father to linger over breakfast. Soon they were on their way back to the hospital where they found Laura Leigh propped up, half-asleep in a chair beside Paddy’s bed. She stirred at the little m
ewl of relief that escaped Caitlin’s lips as she observed the rise and fall of her father’s chest with each breath he took. She sank to the edge of his bed with the knowledge that her worst fears had not come true. Paddy had indeed made it through the night.
Laura Leigh arose and put an arm around her daughter.
“He’s doing better than they expected, but the doctors say he’s not out of the woods yet.”
Laura Leigh’s once immaculate dress was wrinkled, and dark circles beneath her eyes bespoke what little sleep she had managed during the night. Even bleary, those eyes were as sharp as any scalpel in the place as she turned them upon her daughter.
“You effectively sidestepped me yesterday when I asked for an explanation of why you were married so quickly. I won’t be as easily put off today. What exactly is going on here?”
Though Grant stiffened at the inquiry, Caitlin explained in a voice as soft as the beating of her father’s heart. “We did it for Daddy.”
To Laura Leigh’s credit, she did not interrupt once as she listened to the strange tale Caitlin wove. When she got to the part about dissolving their brief, loveless marriage after Paddy was fully recovered and could withstand the news, Laura Leigh pursed her lips and glared at the man on the bed. It appeared Paddy had lapsed back into a sound sleep and was blissfully unaware of the consternation on his ex-wife’s face.
Shaking her head in disbelief, Laura Leigh was too much the consummate lady to say more than, “I hope you know how strongly I disapprove.”
“It might just save his life, Mother,” Caitlin protested.
Grant had been so quiet during their interchange that his deep voice startled both women. “If it does, I’d sure hate to hand him a bankrupt company. Since it doesn’t look like there’s anything I can do for Paddy here, I’m heading back to the rig. I owe it to him to do everything I can to save the L.L. I’d appreciate it, ma’am, if I could entrust Caitlin to you until I get back.”
“Of course, you can,” Laura Leigh assured her new son-in-law with an appreciative smile. “I’m not going anywhere for a while.”
Rather than being pleased by this turn of events, Caitlin found herself resenting the high-handed way Grant was dumping her. Of course, she reminded herself, that had been his intention since the moment he had laid eyes on her.
“You’re going to need me out there,” she interjected. “Especially considering how shorthanded we are.”
“There’s no way I’m taking you back with me,” Grant stated unequivocally.
“I can’t believe you’d actually want to go,” Laura Leigh puzzled aloud.
Years of resentment bubbled over in her daughter’s subconscious and found voice. “I’m not like you, Mother. I’m not afraid of the rig or the men or the dangers of the job. I’m not cut out to be the pristine little debutante you’ve always wanted me to be. Daddy’s worked too hard building up this company to let it go to ruin. I won’t let that happen without putting up a fight.”
“There’s no need to stamp your foot at me, dear. You’re a grown woman, and you’ve a right to make your own decisions. If it makes you feel any better about it, I promise I’ll stay with your father and keep you both apprised of his condition.”
Torn between her loyalty to staying at her father’s bedside and her sense of obligation to saving his company, Caitlin felt as brittle as a wishbone. Relief slumped her shoulders. It felt good to be treated by her mother at last as an adult, capable of deciding her own fate.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“Listen,” Grant said, running a hand through his thick shock of dark hair in a gesture of extreme frustration. “As much as I appreciate your offer, Caitlin, there’s a little matter of propriety to be considered. With your father laid up in the hospital, there won’t be anyone to chaperone you at the rig.”
“I don’t need a chaperone!” Caitlin hotly protested.
“Well, maybe I do,” Grant admitted. “Remember it wasn’t my bright idea to dissolve this marriage by claiming it was never consummated. You’d best remember that I’m no saint, Caitlin.”
Neither am I! she wanted to shout at him. Though her face grew hot at the implication of his statement, she refused to be dissuaded from her cause. “We don’t even have to tell the crew that we’re married,” she maintained with such cool resolve that Grant couldn’t help admire. “That way you could sleep in the doghouse with the rest of the men, and my reputation could remain chaste.”
Grant raised an eyebrow at the sarcastic edge to her voice. “Your reputation may, but you may not. I’d have to go without sleep to keep some sex-starved deviant from trying anything—”
Caitlin’s green eyes blazed with indignation. “Don’t you think you’re overstating the dangers of my staying by myself?”
“No, I don’t. Your father would never forgive me if anything were to happen to you.”
“Nor would I,” Laura Leigh interjected.
Intercepting the grateful look Grant tossed his mother-in-law, Caitlin glowered at them both. Backed into a corner, she nevertheless refused to give up. “Then we’ll just have to convince the crew that we’re married. Nobody would dare try anything with your wife, and nobody has to know what does or doesn’t go on in our little trailer. I’m sure that if you could manage to contain yourself last night at the hotel, you won’t have any trouble managing when we’re sleeping in separate bedrooms. I’ll move into Daddy’s room and you can have yours back. You can finally get off the couch and get a good night’s sleep.”
“With you in the next room? Alone?” Grant wanted to scream. He wondered at Laura Leigh’s patience in raising such a headstrong daughter. He doubted whether spankings, time outs, or grounding had ever proven effective with this particular persistent little lady.
“You need me, Grant,” she pressed. “You’re going to need every bit of manpower we can scrape together. Don’t dismiss me just because I’m offering woman power instead.”
Grant not only needed her; he wanted her more than she would ever know. But time was wasting while they stood there bickering, and he was not up to the task of arguing such a willful woman out of a position to which she was so obviously committed. Besides, she was right about him needing every available body. If he could just manage to keep his raging hormones under control, she would certainly prove an asset.
“I give up,” he admitted with a tired shake of the head. “You win.”
Caitlin thought it strange that she didn’t feel a sense of triumph at that admission. What she really wanted was for him to want her to go with him. That he merely acquiesced to get her off his back was a hollow victory.
Before leaving the hospital they stopped by Bernie’s room to see how he was doing. His shoulder and arm were bandaged and in a sling. Considering what damage could have occurred, it was a miracle that only his arm and collarbone were broken. He cocked an eye questioningly at what they were wearing, but neither Grant nor Caitlin offered any explanation for the semiformal attire they had purchased for their “wedding.” Glad for their visit and relieved by reassurance that insurance would cover the entire hospital bill, Bernie nonetheless understood their need to cut it short. He was in good spirits when they left him awaiting word from the doctor on a possible early release. He bade them give the crew his regards.
Half an hour later they were on the road again sharing a companionable silence. As he drove, Grant glanced at Caitlin’s hands folded so ladylike in her lap. It bothered him to see her ring finger so noticeably naked. Still concerned that some derelict might take a notion to come onto his wife, he was of a mind to put a No Trespassing sign on her ring finger. The knowledge that he was being silly and irrational did nothing to lessen the overwhelming surge of protectiveness he felt.
His mother had left him nothing of value except for her wedding ring. Actually the ring had far more sentimental than monetary value. Flanked on either side by chips, the diamond solitaire itself was pitifully small. Despite its insignificant size, that diamond
ring had been his mother’s pride and joy. He wondered if Caitlin would laugh in his face if he presented her with such a simple token. The thought made his chest tighten around his heart.
Turning off the main highway onto a dirt road that twisted through miles of uninhabited back country like a snake, Grant was pleased to discover that unlike many outsiders just passing through, Caitlin actually appreciated the unique landscape. Rather than focusing on her fears about her father’s health, she marveled out loud at herds of fleet-footed antelope, and saw castles in passing clouds.
Taken in by her imagination, Grant was startled by how quickly time passed. They were at the rig almost before he knew it, and thoughts of how exactly he was going to break the news to the crew that he had married the boss’s daughter were suddenly uppermost on his mind. The sight of the small trailer that they were to share under the pretense of a rushed honeymoon sent his imagination racing to forbidden territory.
It had been hard enough containing his desire when Paddy had been there to act as both chaperone and conscience. Without his presence, Grant did not trust himself alone with the woman who had legally pledged herself as his wife. She was such a fascinating creature—part impish sex kitten, part innocent child. And it was that oxymoronic blend of opposing characteristics that left him feeling so completely befuddled.
Unable to imagine anyone who looked as good as Caitlin did surviving the wild collegiate party scene without succumbing to temptation on more than one occasion, Grant felt an unnatural and admittedly unfair lurch of jealousy in the pit of his belly. He suddenly wanted to strangle every zit-faced little preppy who’d ever tried copping a feel from his lovely wife.
Since Caitlin had agreed to go through with the marriage itself, he couldn’t help wondering why she had made such a point of keeping their union celibate. Remembering the look of panic that crossed her pretty features when she had broached the subject, he doubted whether it had as much to do with her desire to someday obtain an honest annulment as it did with an aversion to making babies with someone so decidedly beneath her class. Grant’s blood boiled as much from anger as desire. In truth, the thought of conceiving a love child with Caitlin sent his mind reeling in forbidden directions. Catching himself daydreaming of dark-haired pixies who resembled their mother, Grant felt a stab of unfathomable regret. To have a ranch where he could find solitude and peace was all he’d ever wanted. In a second, all that was suddenly rendered insufficient.
The Cowboy Takes A Bride (The Bridal Bid #2) Page 11
