Private Partners

by Gina Wilkins

  Danielle Carpenter, another surgical resident, was on call that evening and couldn’t leave the hospital. She and Stephen had been engaged for a few months, though they were in no hurry to set a wedding date. They seemed quite content for now to live together in their downtown Little Rock loft and focus all their attention on their jobs. Her family approved heartily of Stephen’s choice for a mate. They considered the ambitious, brilliant and attractive Danielle a fine addition to their overachieving clan.

  Both Stephen and Danielle had admitted they weren’t sure they wanted children, though they weren’t ruling out having one child in the future. Of course, they would be extremely busy in their surgical careers, but that was what nannies were for, right?

  Having been cared for by several nannies during her own childhood as the daughter of career-obsessed parents, Anne knew it was possible to hire daily child care and still remain active and involved in a child’s life. Her mother and dad had certainly kept a close eye on her. Still did, for that matter.

  She had no doubt Stephen and Danielle would be just as successful at parenting as they were at everything else.

  Anne prepared to leave not long after finishing her dessert. As much as she loved her family, she was ready to get back to her own apartment. She’d thought an evening break would do her good, but she was more stressed now than she’d been when she’d arrived. Her family didn’t try to detain her; all she had to do was mention that she needed to study and they practically shoved her out the door.

  Leaving the men in the den to discuss Stephen’s chances of becoming chief surgical resident—something Anne had no doubt he would achieve—her mother offered to walk her to the door. Anne waited patiently while her mother reached for her aluminum cane, which she used to steady herself as she moved carefully through the large house.

  Though only fifty-nine, Deloris Easton had suffered a massive stroke nineteen months earlier. It had happened only a month before Anne started medical school, only a few days after she had returned from abroad. Anne had brought home a secret she hadn’t been able to share with her family while her mother lay near death for several days, nor during the long, still ongoing period of recuperation. Her mother had made great strides since her stroke, but it still broke Anne’s heart at times to see the formerly robust and fiercely independent woman looking so frail and vulnerable.

  “There’s something I want to give you before you go, Anne. I found it when I was cleaning out my jewelry armoire earlier, and I thought you’d like to have it. It belonged to my mother.” Her voice was only a little slurred, though it had taken a great deal of effort and therapy to achieve that success. Resting one hand lightly on the cane handle, she reached with the other into the pocket of the melon-colored blazer she wore with a matching shell and camel slacks. From that blazer pocket, she withdrew a small, flat jewelry box.

  Anne opened the box curiously. She studied the necklace inside with a lump in her throat. Small baguette diamonds surrounded a larger, round-cut diamond that caught the light from the foyer chandelier and reflected it cheerfully back at her. The pendant hung from a deceptively delicate-looking gold chain. “It’s lovely, Mother. I think I remember Grandma Henderson wearing this.”

  “It was one of her favorite pieces. My brother gave it to her not long before he died in Vietnam. I know you’ll treasure it.”

  “Of course I will.” Almost unbearably touched, Anne reached up to fasten the chain around her neck. She’d worn her long hair pinned up, so it didn’t get in the way as she secured the clasp. The pendant nestled into the neckline of the crisp blue shirt she’d worn with black pants for this family dinner. “Thank you.”

  “It looks lovely on you.” Her mother sighed lightly. “I still miss her, you know. Every day.”

  “I know you do.” Anne’s heart clenched at the memory of how close she had come to losing her own mother. “Thank you again for the necklace. I’ll take very good care of it.”

  “I know what a difficult time you’re having now. I remember from Stephen’s experience that the second semester of the second year is one of the most challenging parts of medical school. Several of his friends suffered severe burnout during that time, and I suspect Stephen was more stressed than he allowed us to see. I just want you to know your father and I are so very proud of you.”

  Anne was immeasurably affected by her mother’s words. Yet, why did she now feel even more pressured than she had before? “Thanks, Mother. I’ll try to live up to your expectations.”

  Her mother laughed and reached up to kiss her cheek. “We’ll always be proud of you, no matter what.”

  Anne left without responding to that sentiment. As sweet and as heartfelt as it had been, she was fully aware she could disappoint her parents all too easily.

  Anxious to get back to her studies, she parked her aging compact in front of her West Little Rock apartment and hurried up the stairs. Her small, two-bedroom apartment was on the second floor of the two-story, outward-opening building. She was already thinking about what subject she would study first when she paused in front of the door to insert her key in the lock. She wondered how much her study group had accomplished that evening. Maybe she should have met with them instead of taking the night off to dine with her family.

  If she fell behind, she would never catch up.

  Liam had always accused her of requiring too much of herself, on top of the expectations of her family. He’d told her she couldn’t hope to be perfect, that she didn’t have to live up to anyone’s expectations but her own—which were set much too high for an ordinary mortal. He’d never quite understood what it was like to be an Easton.

  Less than half an hour after arriving at her apartment, she’d let down her hair and changed into comfortable clothes—a T-shirt and yoga pants with fuzzy socks. She booted up her computer in preparation of a few hours of studying before she crashed for the night. It was only 9:00 p.m., so she figured she had three or four solid study hours before her brain shut down.

  She had just plopped down in her chair to get started when her doorbell rang.

  She wasn’t expecting visitors that evening, and certainly not at that hour. Approaching the door warily, she ran through a mental list of possibilities. Maybe it was Haley from her study group, bringing by some notes or study materials, though Haley usually called before dropping in. Could be one of her neighbors, though she didn’t know any of them very well, since she was rarely home and usually locked in with her books when she was there. Her brother, maybe? Had she left something behind at her parents’ house?

  When she looked through the peephole in the door and saw the face on the other side, she realized she never would have guessed correctly. It actually took her a moment to recognize him.

  Disengaging the locks, she threw open the door. “Liam!”

  “Hello, Annie.”

  “What on earth are you doing here?” Had she somehow conjured him with her earlier thoughts of him?

  Perfectly fitting the description, “tall, dark and handsome,” Liam gave her the kind of wickedly charming grin that could make an impressionable young woman do all kinds of crazy and irresponsible things.

  “I wanted to see my wife,” he said in that beautifully modulated voice that whispered in her dreams so many nights.

  Glancing instinctively around the otherwise empty landing to make sure no one else was within hearing, she moved aside. “Don’t just stand there. Come in.”

  He didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation. He moved through the open doorway, scooping her into his arms and kicking the door closed behind him.

  The kiss seemed to last for a very long time, and Anne would have been perfectly satisfied had it never ended. Only the eventual need for air brought them reluctantly to the surface.

  Opening her eyes with a dazed blink, she realized she had practically climbed Liam like a tree. Her legs were wrapped around his lean hips, and his hands supported her beneath her bottom. Her arms had locked strangle-tight around his neck.
The metal-framed glasses he rarely wore sat a little crookedly on his nose and there was a smudge on the right lens.

  Liam seemed to have no complaints about any of the above. He smiled at her with a flash of white teeth, looking as though he wouldn’t mind taking a bite of her as he nuzzled her cheek and nestled her more snugly against his notably aroused body. “Now, that’s what I call a welcome.”

  Her cheeks warming—though not as hot as the temperature burning deep inside the core of her—she disentangled herself and stumbled an inch or so away from him. He let her go, making no effort to hide his reluctance to do so.

  Anyone observing their reunion would find it hard to believe they had parted in a quarrel only a few months earlier, she realized with a hard swallow. But then, it had always been that way between them. When they were together, the explosive attraction between them had a way of making them forget the many reasons why they shouldn’t be.

  She pushed her hands through the fine blond hair that tumbled in loose curls to the middle of her back. “I wasn’t expecting to see you tonight. Why didn’t you call?”

  “I’ve been trying for the past hour. You didn’t answer your phone.”

  She clapped a hand to her mouth. “Oh. I turned off the ringer earlier. I guess I forgot to turn it back on.”

  She hadn’t wanted to interrupt her family dinner, and she hadn’t even thought of her phone since. She hadn’t been expecting any calls.

  “You cut your hair.” She’d noticed immediately that his signature mop of almost shoulder-length dark curls was now tamed into a cut just a little longer than military length, but she’d been too distracted by his kiss to comment at first. He looked so different without all that hair. She’d once teased him that his hair was more famous than his face.

  His usual rakish stubble was missing, as well. He was clean shaven, his sideburns trimmed to a conservative length. With his glasses replacing his usual contact lenses, the change was quite dramatic. She studied him curiously, trying to decide how she felt about this new look. She’d never seen Liam with short hair, or looking quite so…well, preppy. He looked good—but then, it would take a lot more than a haircut to mar Liam’s good looks.

  “Yeah.” He shrugged, his smile endearingly sheepish. “I guess this is my attempt at going incognito. You’d be surprised how well it works. I haven’t been recognized all day.”

  “That’s not so surprising at all. It really makes you look different.”

  “In a bad way?”

  Amused by his sudden and wholly uncharacteristic moment of insecurity, she shook her head. “You look great. As always.”

  “Thanks. So do you.”

  Suddenly a little nervous, she ran a hand self-consciously down her faded T-shirt, rather wishing she still wore the professional, tailored clothing that had given her an air of confidence when she’d faced her family. “I just put on a pot of coffee. It should be ready now. Would you like a cup?”

  Liam glanced at his watch. “Coffee at this hour? Is it decaf?”

  “No. I was planning to study for a few more hours. I figured it would wear off by the time I turned in.”

  “Of course,” he murmured, just a hint of disapproval on his face. “I should have realized you’d be studying. Am I interrupting?”

  He was, of course, but she shook her head. “I hadn’t even gotten started yet. I had dinner with my family this evening, and I’ve only been home for a little while.”

  “Ah.” He followed her into her tiny kitchen, which seemed even smaller when filled with him. “That explains why you looked so tense when you opened the door.”

  “I happened to have a very nice time with my family tonight,” she retorted, feeling the diamond necklace still nestled beneath her T-shirt. “They were on their best behavior.”

  “Didn’t pressure you at all about your grades or your résumé?” He looked skeptical.

  “Well…not too much.”

  He nodded as if she had confirmed his suspicions. “Mmmhmm. Did my name come up tonight?”

  She took two mugs from a cabinet to avoid looking at him. “What makes you think your name would come up during my family dinner?”

  “Because it so often does. I’m the dire warning they use to make sure you stay in line. I’m sure they remind you you’d never be doing so well in medical school if I were still around. After all, I caused you to get that B.”

  He was so precisely on target she almost wondered if he’d somehow bugged her mother’s dining table. Pushing that fanciful thought aside, she said lightly, “My mother mentioned she saw you on TV last week. Dad changed the subject quickly enough.”

  “I’m sure he did.”

  Following her father’s example, she moved quickly to a topic less contentious than her relationship with her family. “Have you eaten?”

  “Yeah. I had dinner a couple hours ago.”

  “Would you like dessert? I have half a chocolate cake hidden in the pantry.”

  Her wording seemed to amuse him. “What did you do, hide it from yourself?”

  “No.” She laughed and shook her head. “I hid it from my friend, Ron. He’s a fiend for chocolate. I wanted to save some for snacks this weekend, in case I don’t find time for a grocery run for a few more days.”

  “Ron?” His tone was carefully neutral.

  “He’s in my study group. I’ve told you about them. There are five of us in all. We get together several times a week to study our lecture notes and slides.”

  “Oh yes, I remember. So this would be old, ugly, married Ron?”

  She lifted an eyebrow. She wasn’t asking him who he spent time with when he wasn’t around—wasn’t even sure she really wanted to know. “No. This would be young, cute, single Ron.”

  “Humph.”

  She wasn’t quite sure how to interpret that sound, but she had no trouble deciphering the look in his eyes when he moved closer and placed his hands on her hips.

  “Actually,” he murmured, “I have something besides chocolate cake in mind for dessert.”

  Suddenly breathless, she rested her hands on his chest, feeling his heart beginning to pound beneath her palms. “Do you?”

  “Mmm.” He bent his head to give her earlobe a teasing nip. “All of a sudden, I’m ravenous.”

  As was she. She melted into his arms, parting her lips in invitation as he pressed his mouth to hers. His tongue plunged eagerly, tangling with hers in a dance of desire.

  “Annie,” he muttered, lifting his mouth a fraction of an inch. “I’ve missed you. I hated the way we left things between us before Christmas.”

  “So did I,” she admitted, remembering their quarrel with a sharp pang. She’d returned to Arkansas convinced that their unlikely marriage was coming to an end, which had made it very difficult for her to enjoy the holidays. She knew her family had attributed her unseasonable somberness to worries about her studies, but it had been Liam who’d been on her mind when she’d torn the wrappings from her gifts.

  They’d talked since, of course. Neither of them had mentioned that painful argument, though she suspected it had been on his mind as much as it had her own.

  His hands slipped beneath her top to explore the sensitive skin beneath. Ripples of pleasure seemed to trail from his fingertips as he caressed her throat, her breasts, her stomach—then lower. She moaned when her knees gave way.

  Liam held her closer, and there was no mistaking he was as aroused as she. “Can you take just a little more time away from your books?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

  At that moment, she would have gladly thrown her books over a cliff. Whatever he was there to tell her, whatever the future held for them, she didn’t want to waste one moment of their time together.

  Drawing his head to hers again, she murmured against his lips, “I’ll start early in the morning.”

  He swept her into his arms and headed back toward the bedroom.

  Anne lay against the pillows, waiting for her heartbeat to return to normal—as if th
at were possible with Liam sprawled in the bed beside her. He lay on his back and his eyes were closed, letting her see faint lines of weariness on his handsome face. He’d probably had a long day of traveling to get to her, though he hadn’t let exhaustion affect his vigor, she thought with a sated smile.

  She studied his profile, trying to get used to his new appearance. Trying to convince herself he was really there. Wondering why he had come.

  Her smile faded when she remembered the last words they had spoken to each other when they’d parted in December. Telling her friends and family she needed a little time to herself to rest and study, she had slipped away during her winter break to meet Liam in Memphis a week before Christmas. It had been only the third time they had managed to see each other in the past year and a half.

  They had spent a long weekend at the famed Peabody Hotel, locking themselves in their suite and hardly coming out except for the occasional meal. It had been glorious, but had ended with an argument that had rapidly escalated into anger. The emotions between them had always been volatile and very close to the surface.

  They had apologized later, but had parted rather stiffly, the words still ringing between them even as they had kissed goodbye. They’d talked only a couple of brief times since when Liam had a chance to call from some distant place. Though they spoke cheerfully each time, she was often in tears after the calls ended. She hoped Liam didn’t know that.

  His right hand lay limply on his perspiration-sheened chest. Her attention was drawn to his ring finger, on which he sported a simple band of twisted gold and silver. She had presented the ring to him during their wedding ceremony, the same time he’d given her the diamond and sapphire ring she never removed. Every time she’d seen him on TV or in photos since, she’d noticed the band on his right ring finger, making her believe he wore it as faithfully as she did hers.

  Tearing her gaze from Liam, she glanced beyond him to the clock on the nightstand. It was almost 11:00 p.m. With a smothered sigh, she slid toward the edge of the bed, trying not to jostle the mattress.