The older woman's blue-gray eyes lingered on Claire for what seemed like an eternity before her face lightened with a smile. “What do we have here?” Theodora Monroe asked of her grandson.
“Grams, may I present Miss Claire Aldrich,” Garrett said as calmly as if he were introducing a business associate. “Claire,” he said, reaching out to take her trembling hand, “This is my grandmother."
“I'm very pleased to meet you,” Claire said, dipping into a small curtsey. “Garrett has told me so much about you."
Theodora's welcoming smile faded into a frown as she looked from Claire to her grandson. “Has he? Well, the young scamp has told me nothing of you, Miss Aldrich, but I'm sure he's going to remedy that oversight immediately. Aren't you, Garrett?"
“As soon as Claire is comfortable,” Garrett replied lightheartedly, leading Claire toward a brocaded chair fronting an art-glass window. “Would you like some tea while we wait for lunch to be served?"
Claire shook her head slightly. She was too nervous to hold a cup and saucer.
“Stop dallying and tell me about this lovely young lady,” his grandmother interrupted. “I don't believe I recognize the name."
“I'm not from San Francisco,” Claire said as Garrett walked across the room to sit down beside his grandmother. When he kissed the elderly lady on the tip of her upturned nose, Claire began to relax. Garrett was right. His grandmother wasn't the stiff ogre she'd envisioned. Theodora Monroe was as stately and elegant as the home in which she resided, but her smile was pure sunshine. “My family is from Cincinnati."
Grams folded her jeweled hands in her lap. “Cincinnati. I haven't been there in decades. Do the riverboat whistles still wake up the city like roosters waking up a weary farmer?"
“Every morning,” Claire replied as a prim-looking maid dressed in a black skirt and white apron came into the room carrying a silver tea service.
While Garrett poured tea, his grandmother divided her attention between Claire and her grandson. Finally, her gaze settled back on Claire. “Forgive me, Miss Aldrich. If my wits seem scattered, it's because my grandson has never brought a young lady home before. I confess, I'm a bit unsure what to make of it."
Just as unsure of what to say, Claire smiled and waited for Garrett to take the stage. He did so with the same confidence he'd boasted since walking into the parlor.
“Miss Aldrich is here because I wanted her to meet you,” he began. “We were introduced on the train from St. Louis. She has a brother in the city whom she planned on visiting. He's away on business and I've had the pleasure of entertaining Claire until he returns. Unfortunately, an unexpected situation is going to keep him out of the city for quite some time, so I've invited Claire to be our houseguest. I thought you might enjoy her company."
Grams gave him a skeptical look as she raised a teacup to her mouth. When she put it down, there was a sparkle in her eyes that hadn't been there before. Claire knew the first few minutes of their charade were the most important ones, but she couldn't tell how Garrett's grandmother was reacting to the performance. Theodora Monroe was either amused by her grandson's attempt at trying to please her or blessedly happy that he'd been struck by Cupid's arrow. Unable to decide, Claire's eyes returned to Garrett. He seemed perfectly at ease with the situation. She envied him his composure. Hers was definitely on the shaky side.
“I've also invited Miss Aldrich to attend the Beltons’ party with me this evening,” Garrett added. “I think she'll be the most beautiful woman in attendance, don't you agree?"
“Without a doubt,” his grandmother said, then turned to Claire. “Well, I'm surprised. Pleasantly surprised, of course. You can't imagine how long I've waited for a young lady to capture my grandson's attention. Now, Claire, you must tell me how you managed it. Did you bash him over the head with something? No, I think not,” Grams continued. “It was your eyes, of course. They're lovely."
Claire blushed to the roots of her hair.
Garrett laughed. “Mind your manners,” he teased his grandmother. “I don't want you scaring her off when I only just got her inside the door."
Before Grams could respond, the butler announced that lunch was served. Standing up, Garrett offered his grandmother his arm. She took it, coming to her feet with a grace that made Claire wonder about her frail heart. Theodora Monroe moved with the elegance of a queen at court.
Presenting his other arm to Claire, Garrett gave her a reassuring smile. “Come along,” he said gently. “You can get to know Grams over lunch. I'll do my best to keep her from pestering you with questions."
Grams swatted his arm. “You'll eat your lunch and leave the business of my acquaintance with Miss Aldrich up to me,” she said, scolding him. “As for questions, you're the one who'd better have some answers. How long have you been hiding her from me?"
“Not long,” Garrett replied, giving the older woman a wink.
The friendly banter between the banker and his grandmother continued as they walked down the tiled hallway toward the east end of the house. Claire took in the elegant décor while Grams chastised her grandson for keeping secrets. By the time they reached a small portico, furnished with a table and four chairs, Claire felt the butterflies in her stomach disappear. Whatever role Garrett was playing with her didn't extend to his grandmother. Anyone could see that he loved the old woman. His eyes and voice softened when he was talking to her and Claire felt something tug at her heart as she watched the camaraderie between the two people. She prayed that Garrett found her brother soon and then that he found a way to dissolve their fraudulent engagement before Claire found herself as attached to Grams Monroe as she was becoming to the lady's handsome grandson.
Lunch was a delightful meal of fresh vegetables, cold sliced ham, and animated conversation. Grams asked Claire about her family, reaching over to pat her hand when Claire admitted that it was limited to one brother. The conversation centered around the differences and similarities between Cincinnati and San Francisco. Once the maid had cleared away the dishes, Claire was surprised to discover that her stomach was accepting the food she'd eaten without protest. Grams had made her feel welcome and it showed in the smile Claire offered the older woman when Garrett led her away from the table, insisting that his grandmother take a nap.
“Wait for me in the garden,” Garrett told her. “Once I've got Grams tucked in, I'll be right back."
“Tucked in,” Grams scoffed. “He makes me sound helpless."
“He makes you sound treasured,” Claire replied sincerely. “I'm so glad you don't mind me being a houseguest. I think you and I are going to become friends."
Garrett gave Claire a smile that said “well done” as he escorted his grandmother into the house. Grateful for a few minutes of privacy, Claire stepped off the portico and into the garden. Narrow, cobblestone paths crisscrossed their way through dark green grass and she stopped to inhale the heavy perfume of the rosebushes along the way to a small fountain in the center of the private courtyard. A tall, adobe wall separated the residence from its neighbors and she relished the private feeling of the place. As she sat down on a marble bench, Claire thought she'd found a small peace of heaven.
“She's very beautiful,” Grams said to Garrett as he escorted her up the stairs.
“Yes, she is."
His grandmother stopped on the landing, forcing him to stop as well.
“Am I reading too much into this meeting and the invitation for Miss Aldrich to be our houseguest?"
“That depends on what you're reading into it,” Garrett replied, giving her a friendly nudge that started her up the stairs again. “She's lovely, charming, and very much a lady."
“Are you falling in love?” Grams asked bluntly.
Garrett took a moment to prepare his answer. It was crucial that his grandmother believe his reply. He looked down at her and smiled. “I've never met anyone like her. She's shy and I find that I like that about her. She makes me laugh and I like that, too."
His grandmot
her searched his face and Garrett said a silent prayer that she believed him. He wasn't lying. Claire was shy and her shyness was part of her appeal. And she did have the ability to make him laugh. When she got her temper up, her eyes sparkled with anger, and it made him smile to think of the passion that was just waiting to be ignited. Of course, his interest in her was fueled by physical desire. He didn't want love messing up his well-ordered life. It was an inconvenience he was determined to do without.
Once he had his grandmother lying on her bed with a crocheted coverlet draped over her legs, Garrett sat down beside her. He reached into his jacket pocket and took out the small box holding the emerald engagement ring he'd purchased the previous day. He opened it and showed it to Grams. “Do you think she'll like it?"
“Oh, my,” his grandmother said, staring at the ring in disbelief. “You are in love, aren't you?"
Garrett laughed. “You always told me if I found the right girl, I'd know it."
“Well, it's easy to tell that she's enamored of you. The girl's eyes sparkle every time she looks your way.” His grandmother hesitated, as if weighing the pros and cons of having her dream come true. “I like her,” she finished. “I'll trust my instincts and keep my fingers crossed that she says yes."
Garrett gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before he stood up. “I'm a little nervous,” he said, hoping it sounded natural. “I've never asked a woman to marry me before.” He straightened his tie and returned the ring to his pocket. “Wish me luck."
“And happiness,” Grams added as he turned to leave the room. His footsteps were still echoing in the hall when she tossed back the coverlet and got up from the bed. Walking to the window that overlooked the garden, she pulled back the curtain and saw Claire sitting on the bench. When Garrett appeared, Grams crossed the fingers on both hands and said a fervent prayer.
“Your grandmother is charming,” Claire said as Garrett joined her. “I hope entertaining me didn't overtire her."
“It didn't,” he said, sitting down beside her.
The bench wasn't that large and Claire felt his presence the way she had in the carriage. The man had a predatory magnetism. She knew she was in danger, but she couldn't move, especially when Garrett reached out and took her hand.
“If I know my grandmother,” he said, smiling wickedly, “she's watching from the upstairs window. No, don't look up. You're supposed to be enthralled by my presence, remember."
Claire licked her lips. She was getting nervous again. Garrett was an expert at seduction. His voice was as smooth as freshly whipped cream and his hand felt warm and strong as he rubbed his fingertips over her knuckles. “I'm going to present you with an engagement ring,” he continued as calmly as if he was instructing a bank clerk to lock up for the night. “You're going to smile, then shake your head yes."
“Okay,” Claire whispered.
“Then, I'm going to kiss you."
Claire's eyes went wide. “Is that really necessary?'
Garrett laughed softly. “Trust me, it's perfectly acceptable behavior under the circumstances and my grandmother knows me well enough to know that I wouldn't pass up the opportunity. Surely, you've been kissed before."
“Not exactly,” Claire mumbled, looking at her hand. Garrett was still holding it. She could feel her pulse quickening as his thumb glided slowly back and forth across her wrist. When he reached out with his free hand and tilted her chin up so she had to look at him, she stiffened.
“Either you've been kissed or you haven't, Miss Aldrich. Which is it?"
“Donald kissed me good-bye when he left home,” she stumbled over the words. Garrett's eyes were as dark as sin and just as tempting. She could feel her body melting under his fiery gaze and she licked her lips again, as her mouth went dry.
The unconscious gesture sent a knife of desire through Garrett's body. He wanted to kiss her right then and there. He wanted to kiss her until she was clinging to his shoulders and begging him to never stop. The urge was so strong he cursed its power over him. This was all an act. He was playing a role to keep his grandmother happy and that role didn't include being trapped in the clutches of a beautiful, cat-eyed virgin.
As Garrett withdrew the jewelry box from his jacket pocket a second time, he knew having Claire within reach on a daily basis was going to test his self-control. He was used to having a woman whenever the need arose and right now it was rising with embarrassing speed.
Claire watched as the lid of the small box was lifted. When Garrett took out the ring and slid it on her left hand, tears came to her eyes. She couldn't help it. The ring was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. The emerald gemstone was breathtaking and the tiny diamonds on either side twinkled like newborn stars.
The tears surprised Garrett. He stared at Claire. His grandmother had mentioned that she seemed enamored of him. He didn't want her falling in love. Love would only complicate what could end up being a very pleasing relationship. Needing to remind them both of their circumstances, Garrett's voice had a harsh tone when he spoke. “You're a better actress than you think, Miss Aldrich. Tears are a nice touch. Although, I doubt if my grandmother can see them."
Claire tried to pull her hand away, but Garrett wouldn't allow it. “I'm going to kiss you now,” he said.
Claire stiffened. She couldn't help it. She'd never been kissed before and Garrett looked almost angry. She felt her eyes closing, but he told her to open them.
“I'm not going to hurt you,” he said impatiently. “Relax. A kiss isn't the end of the world. Lick your lips again but don't close them as tight as a bank vault."
Her eyes widened again as he leaned closer. She felt unsteady, as if the bench had taken on wings and was suddenly flying.
“Lick your lips.” His voice was husky and butter smooth and Claire complied, unable to do anything else.
He brought his head down and her eyes drifted closed. She couldn't have opened them again for all the money in Garrett's bank. He moved his mouth over her, softly devouring it, coaxing her to relax and return the kiss.
Claire forgot the ring on her finger and the elderly woman watching from the upstairs window. She forgot everything but the unique pleasure of Garrett's mouth as it moved on hers. His breath was warm and he tasted like the spiced apples he'd eaten at lunch. Her hand moved to the front of his jacket, but it didn't push him away. The delicious sensations he was creating consumed her will; she was his to possess and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
Garrett had meant to kiss Claire with affection, but he couldn't resist the urge to taste her more deeply when she made a tiny female sound in the back of her throat and parted her lips to his teasing tongue. His hand was trembling as he brought it up and cupped it around the nape of her neck to hold her still. His tongue dipped into her mouth once, then twice. She tasted sweet and innocent and the knowledge that he was the first man to kiss her fed his pride. Kissing her turned into a test of endurance. How many times had he imagined kissing her over the last few days? At least a hundred, he was sure. His tongue brushed the sweet interior of her mouth and she stiffened for a moment, as if he'd touched her in a much more intimate way. He thought of that, too. Of stripping her naked and caressing every inch of her pale skin until she was moaning with need. Desire hammered through his body and Garrett had just enough self-control to break the kiss. His eyes roamed over her face, her swollen lips, her partially closed eyes. God, she was beautiful. Beautiful and young and too damn innocent for him to think he could seduce her without having a mountain of consequences come tumbling down around his head, but at that moment Garrett wasn't thinking about the ramifications of his actions. All he could think about was kissing her one more time. The sooner the better.
The second kiss was a long, deep matching of mouths. Garrett pulled her close, hating the clothing that separated their bodies while he drowned in the sweetness of Claire's untutored mouth. His tongue dipped and teased while she trembled in his arms. The passion the kiss ignited was more surprising to
Garrett than it was to Claire. He was an experienced man and she was an innocent lady, but the soft moan he pulled from the back of her throat had his senses riling and his body on fire. The only thing that kept Garrett from losing complete control of the situation was the surety that his grandmother was watching his every move.
Claire felt the world return to normal as Garrett pulled away from her. Her hands were trembling, but not with fear. She'd never imagined a kiss being so wonderful. She'd lain awake a good part of the night, thinking of the very thing that had just happened. But the reality of it was much more shocking. She never knew that men used their tongues to kiss. She'd never imagined that being kissed could make her body tremble and her blood feel like it was boiling in her veins.
Reluctantly, Garrett let his hand slide away from Claire's neck. With a sound that was a soft growl, he stood up. His body protested what he'd started and couldn't finish.
“It's time for me to introduce you to Mrs. Smalley, our housekeeper. She can show you to your room and help you unpack. I have some work waiting for me in the library."
Claire came to her feet. Her knees wobbled for a brief second and she prayed that Garrett didn't notice her faulty composure. Suddenly, Claire felt more vulnerable than ever. The banker was her employer, nothing more. Besides, he'd probably kissed dozens of women. Hundreds. The thought turned her green with envy and she hated the emotion. She was being foolish and silly, but the realization didn't diminish the jealousy she felt when she thought about Garrett's mouth being pressed against another woman's lips.
“The Beltons are expecting us by eight,” Garrett continued, unaware of the battle Claire was fighting with her emotions. “Mrs. Smalley can fill in as your maid until Christopher finds a replacement for Libby."
“You're moving Libby to the house?” Claire was surprised.
“She told me that she likes you and since you've already made her acquaintance, I thought it might make the transition more comfortable."
A Gentleman's Bargain Page 10
