He threw a couple of bills on the table, then reached for her hand. "Come on. We're going home."
"Home?"
"The suite is closer, but I've got some people working there."
"But you said you were starving," she said breathlessly as he pulled her out of the booth.
"I am, darlin'."
He waved at Madge, who'd just delivered an armful of hamburgers to a table of cowboys in the corner. She frowned back at him, one fist on her hip as she shook her head, then laughed.
For the second time that day, every head turned. Julianna's face burned as she followed, knowing that within the hour the entire town of Wolf River would know that Lucas Blackhawk had suddenly left Papa Pete's with a wild look in his eye, dragging his wife behind.
She smiled slowly, hurrying to keep up with him, and decided she didn't give a damn what the town thought.
"So how long have you been a mind reader, Blackhawk?"
Lucas closed his eyes and savored the feel of Julianna's fingertips skimming his chest. They lay facing each other, bare skin to bare skin. An afternoon breeze from the open window cooled the dampness still on their bodies, and the sound of birdsong floated softly into the bedroom.
He needed to get back to work; he had an accountant and two managers from his Dallas office waiting for him back at the hotel.
When she pressed her lips to his neck, Lucas decided the men would just have to wait.
"My father told me it was a gift handed down from my great-grandfather, the tribal shaman." He ran a hand over the curve of Julianna's hip, delighted in her hum of pleasure. "But my mother swore it's from the leprechauns, who she saw dance on my crib when I was six months old."
Eyes wide, she lifted her head. "You're teasing me.
"Nope." He took the opportunity offered him and nibbled her earlobe. "Go ahead, close your eyes. I'll tell you what you're thinking."
She closed her eyes, then gasped when he cupped her breasts in his hands. He caressed the tight nipples with his thumbs.
"You're thinking how much you want to feel my mouth here," he murmured.
"We need a gallon of milk, a dozen eggs and a loaf of bread," she said breathlessly.
He laughed softly, then slid one hand down between her legs. "You're thinking how you'd like me to touch you here, to be inside you."
Breathing hard, she strained against him. "The faucet in the guest bathroom has a drip."
He slipped one finger inside her, stroked the sensitive flesh. On a moan, she dug her fingernails into his shoulders. He rolled her to her back and covered her body with his. "Open your eyes, Julianna," he whispered.
She did as he asked, and he held her smoky-blue gaze as he slowly entered her. She wet her parted lips and sucked in a breath while he eased himself forward. His own breathing grew ragged; white-hot pleasure consumed him.
At last, deep inside her, he began to move.
"Do you like that?" he asked roughly, almost withdrawing, then pressed forward again. Her legs wrapped around his hips, drawing him deeper into her.
"Yes." She bit her bottom lip and arched upward on a moan.
A stream of sunlight shone on her pale hair, reflecting colors he'd never noticed before, reds, golds, copper. Her skin was flushed with pleasure, her eyes heavy with desire. The realization that she was his overwhelmed him, filled him with a sense of power stronger than anything he'd ever experienced. He wanted her as he'd never wanted another woman, and he suddenly knew with painful clarity that this wasn't enough. He wanted—needed—more.
"Lucas, please."
Her soft plea shattered what little sanity he had managed to hold on to. If this was all they had, then this was what he'd take, what he'd give. He drove into her and she took him, clung to him with a desperation that matched his own. The fury built, as strong as it was fierce. The fever consumed him, blinded him to everything but the burning need to possess the woman in his arms.
He caught her moan with his mouth, felt it vibrate through his body, and in its wake came the first violent shudder, followed closely by another, then another.
Because there was nowhere else to go, he fell over the edge with her, his senses battered and bruised.
It seemed like hours before Julianna could think again, longer before she could move. She loved the feel of his body covering her, filling her, and made a small sound of protest when he tried to move away from her. Chuckling, he shifted his weight and rolled them both to their sides.
"Any more home repairs or grocery lists you'd like to go over with me?" he asked, nuzzling her neck. "Perhaps you'd like me to impress you again with my mind-reading abilities?"
"I don't think my heart could stand it." She slithered out from under his arm, sat on the edge of the bed and reached for her bra. "And besides, we still haven't had lunch. I'll go down and make us sandwiches."
He sat on the opposite side of the bed. "I'll have something at the hotel."-
"All right." Wondering why his shoulders were suddenly so stiff, she reached for her skirt beside the bed. "Will you be home for dinner?"
"Julianna," he said quietly. "I'm going to Dallas tonight. I'm sorry, I meant to tell you at the restaurant." He reached for his jeans. "I'm not certain when I'll be back. A week or two. Maybe more."
Maybe more? Her fingers stilled on her skirt zipper. She'd been expecting this, knew she'd be hearing these words anyday, but somehow that didn't make it any easier.
Had he asked her to meet him in town so he could tell her in public he was leaving? she wondered. Did he think that maybe there'd be some kind of scene?
And her next thought, the one that brought a stab of pain to her heart, was wondering if there was more for him in Dallas than business. He'd told her before they were married that he would see other women. Was someone waiting there for him now?
Just the thought made it difficult to breathe. She wouldn't think about that now. She couldn't. She'd fall apart if she did. God help her, she might even beg him to stay.
Well, there'd be no scene. No tears or pathetic pleas. She'd had a lifetime of practice at hiding her feelings, she could certainly find the control to make it through a few more minutes.
"Shall I pack something for you?" she asked calmly, smoothed her clothes and hair back to keep her hands busy.
He stood and faced her, buttoning his jeans. "Thanks, but it's not necessary. I have everything I need in Dallas."
The words were like a knife in her heart, as was the sudden formality between them. "Are you sure you don't want something to eat now? It's no trouble."
He shook his head while he pulled on his shirt.
"Nick's going to keep an eye on things for me while I'm gone. If you have any problems, call him first."
He didn't even want her to call him. He was simply walking away, and she realized with cold dread that it was possible he might never come back.
"Well, then, I've got some things outside to do," she said smoothly, though she couldn't think of a single one. Somehow she managed a smile, then went to him and kissed him lightly.
When she turned from him, he pulled her back, hauled her against him and closed his mouth roughly over hers. He'd caught her off guard, and she gave in to the need swirling inside her by wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. The kiss was hard and wild, and her heart ached at the taste of goodbye on his lips.
They were both breathing fast when she stepped away. It took every last ounce of strength within her to smile again and casually touch his cheek. "Have a good trip, Lucas."
She kept her eyes focused over his shoulder, terrified that he truly was a mind reader, that he could see into her soul and know her every thought, how desperately she wanted him to stay, how desperately she loved him.
She turned on shaking knees, before he could see the panic she felt or the moisture burning her eyes, wondering how she was ever going to tell him that she was carrying his child.
Chapter Ten
"Congratulations, Julianna." Dr. Glover's soft brown eyes smiled warmly
from behind his steel-framed glasses. "You're pregnant."
Julianna let go of the breath she'd been holding. She'd been fairly certain before she'd made the doctor's appointment, but to hear the words out loud, to know for certain that she was going to have a baby, made her heart swell with love.
It took a long moment before she could speak through the thickness in her throat. "How...how far along am I?"
His thick, bushy, gray eyebrows drew together as he squinted at the notes he'd made on her chart. "Based on the size of your uterus and the date of your last period, I'd say around seven weeks."
The desk phone buzzed and Dr. Glover excused himself while he took the call. Thankful for the few
moments to pull her frenzied thoughts back together again, Julianna closed her eyes and steadied herself with a slow, deep breath.
Seven weeks. She and Lucas had made love for the first time exactly seven weeks ago. Had she gotten pregnant then?
She glanced at the empty chair beside her. She'd thought about putting off the appointment, waiting until he returned, but after three weeks the issue was no longer when he was coming home, but if.
He'd called every day, at least she had that much to take to her big, empty bed at night. But their conversations were superficial, always about the weather or business or how she was doing. Every time he'd asked her if she needed anything she'd wanted to say, You, Lucas. I need you.
But she hadn't, of course. Her pride refused to let her, and certainly the last thing Lucas would want to come home to was a weepy, irritable, tired wife. Exactly all of the things that she'd been lately.
And despite Nick Santos's daily visits, so very, very lonely.
Well, she wasn't going to depend on Lucas Blackhawk, she thought, straightening in her chair. If he didn't want her, even if he didn't want this baby, she would have a child and she'd have her house. If this was her punishment for past crimes, then she would accept that.
She would be miserable, but she'd accept it.
"Julianna? Are you all right?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Dr. Glover." She'd been too deep in thought to realize he'd hung up the phone and was watching her. "Did you say something?"
He took off his glasses and held her gaze. "Julianna, I've been your doctor your entire life. I delivered you, in fact. If there's something wrong, if you're not happy about this pregnancy, you can tell me. We can at least talk about it."
"No, no. There's nothing wrong at all," she lied, then quickly told the truth and said, "I'm thrilled about this baby. It just happened so...soon. I still can't believe it's true."
He smiled at that. "That's a common reaction. And as far as it happening so soon, it only takes one time, my dear."
She blushed thinking about all the times they'd made love, and decided it would have been a miracle if she hadn't gotten pregnant.
"Here's a list of the vitamins I want you to take and a diet plan, plus some information that will answer most of the questions you'll think of later when it all sinks in."
She took the brochures and papers he handed her, stared at them, still disbelieving she was really going to have a baby. Lucas's baby.
"Julianna," Dr. Glover said gently, and leaned forward in his chair. "I've taken care of you since you were born. I knew your mother, God rest her soul, and your grandparents. So when I say this, I'm speaking as your friend, not your doctor."
Hands still tightly clutching her purse, she waited.
"It's no secret," he went on, "that Lucas has taken over the Double H and.quite effectively put your father out of business. I applaud your husband's success, his tenacity and determination and his good taste in women."
Surprised at the elderly man's candor and his support of her marriage, Julianna simply stared.
"Lucas Blackhawk," Dr. Glover continued, "like his father, was a victim of your father's greed. There have been far too many victims in this town, Julianna, and you, unfortunately, were one of them. Your father is a cold, hard man, and I'm not alone when I say I'll be happy to see him leave Wolf River. You are completely your mother's daughter, kind, beautiful person that she was, and Lucas is lucky to have you."
She had to blink the moisture from her eyes. Lucas might "have her," but he didn't want her. But she could hardly tell the doctor why her husband had married her, and that he might not ever be coming back.
She stared at her hands, at the ring on her finger and watched the first drop fall on the diamond. "They call me the Ice Princess," she said quietly, and realized it was the first time she'd ever said it out loud.
The good doctor gave a snort of disgust. "You know who you are, Julianna, and so do plenty of good folks around here. That's all that matters. People with small, jealous minds aren't worth the time of day, and I don't want you wasting one precious ounce of energy on fools like that. We've got a baby to think about now."
His tone might have been harsh, but the concern in his eyes was fatherly, the respect genuine. He was absolutely right. She had a child to think about now, and she refused to waste one minute of that joy worrying about what anyone might think of her.
"I want you to get started on those vitamins right away." Dr. Glover rose from his chair. "I'm assuming you want to tell Lucas yourself, so I'll call Larry at the drugstore and have him bag up everything for you, then bill you later. If Lillian fills the order, the entire town will know you're pregnant before you get out of the parking lot."
She thought about that as she drove to the drugstore. The town would find out, it was only a matter of time. She didn't want Lucas to hear it from someone who worked at the hotel who told their sister, who told the girl who did her nails. She wanted him to hear it from her, no matter what his reaction was.
Maybe she should go to Dallas, she thought while she stood in the drugstore and waited for Larry to finish with the customer ahead of her. Or maybe she should just call Lucas, tell him on the phone. Be matter-of-fact about it.
No. She hated that idea. She had to see his face when she told him. She had to see his eyes, then she'd know if there was any hope for them, if he cared at all.
She stared out the drugstore window at the Four Winds across the street, running the options through her mind, trying different scenarios. The hotel was busy, she noted absently; the valets were running to keep up with the steady stream of cars moving through the front entrance.
But it was one car that suddenly caught her attention. One car that made her breath catch and her heart pound wildly.
A black Ferrari.
Lucas? She watched him step out of the driver's seat and stretch his long*, denim-encased legs. Lucas! She pressed a hand to her lips, felt the small sob catch in her throat.
Why hadn't he told her he was coming home? Why hadn't he called?
And then, as she watched him extend his hand and help a beautiful redhead out of the passenger seat of his car, she knew why he hadn't called.
Lucas pulled up to the warehouse on the south edge of town that had been abandoned for years. Its metal sides and roof had long since rusted; the overhead garage door hung broken and bent. What little glass remained in the windows was jagged and dirty. The faded wooden sign lying on its side by the front entrance said Manny's Machine Shop and Tractor Repair.
Nick had worked for Manny all through high school, fixing engines or running the press. Lucas used to stop by and give a hand once in a while, shoot the bull with Manny and his son, Juan. He'd heard that Manny had moved the family and business to Santa Fe ten years ago, not long after Lucas himself had left.
There'd been a For Sale sign in front of the place when he'd come back to town, Lucas remembered. The sign had looked as abandoned as the rest of the place. Today the sign was gone, and Nick's motorcycle was parked in front.
In spite of the fact that he was anxious to see Julianna, Lucas found himself pulling into the weed-infested asphalt driveway. He'd called the house earlier when he'd gotten into town, but the answering machine had picked up. He'd wanted to drive home right then and th
ere, bul there'd been a few more loose threads he'd needed to handle before he surprised her with his news, and he knew that if he went home, he'd never get back to the office. So he'd left a message instead, then wondered all afternoon where she was and what she doing.
"'Bout damn time you got back," Nick called from somewhere in the shadows when Lucas stepped into the dark, musty warehouse. His voice echoed in the cavernous building. "Hey, bring me that sledge by the door there, will you?"
Lucas grabbed the sledgehammer and headed in the general direction of Nick's voice, stepping around grease-covered engines and scattered parts of farm equipment. The smell of oil and sludge choked the early-evening air.
"What the hell are you doing?" Lucas found Nick hunkered down in front of an old engine block chained to a pole. "Stealing engine parts?"
"It's a 427 Chevy Nomad, 1958." Excitement rippled in Nick's voice. He stroked a finger over one dirty cylinder and smiled up at Lucas. "And it's all mine."
"Yours?"
"I bought this place, every last rust-covered, grease-stained inch of it. I'm now in the motorcycle repair business. ' ' He reached for the sledge, swung it over his head and slammed it down on the chain. Links scattered across the concrete. "So what do you think, Blackhawk? Isn't she beautiful?"
"I think you're a sick man, Santos." Lucas glanced at the old oil drums and coolant buckets stacked against one wall. "Or one with incredible vision."
"I'm both, you ought to know that. And speaking of sick, I talked to Ian today."
Lucas looked up sharply. "Is he all right?"
"Fine." Nick tossed the sledgehammer aside and scooped up the chain. "Though he did spend a little time in a Czech hospital with a bum shoulder. You know how rough it gets selling those cellular phones."
Lucas knew how rough it could get, which was exactly why he'd been worried. "Is he back in the States?"
"Yep. Sends his regards to the bride and groom, and regrets he missed the wedding. Says he can't wait to kiss the bride. I told him I'd be happy to do it for him."
The taunt had Lucas's eyes narrowing. "Maybe I had the wrong guy watching out for my wife while I was gone," he said casually, feeling anything but.
Secrets 01- Blackhawk’s Sweet Revenge Page 11
