by Judy Duarte
“Your great-grandfather took unfair advantage of Lily Divine when she mortgaged that property to him. He didn’t deserve it.”
“You have no right to decide who deserves anything.” Caleb’s gaze went to the deed in Brad’s hand and then his expression changed. “Look, Brad, why don’t you and I talk about this reasonably. If you forget you ever saw this particular piece of paper, I’ll make it worth your while…very worth your while. Anything you want—a share in the ski resort, shares in one of my other holdings or maybe you’d like five hundred thousand dollars in cash.”
Although she was appalled by Caleb’s offer, Emily held her breath waiting for Brad’s response.
Brad’s shoulders straightened, his jaw locked into place and he seemed much taller than six foot three when he responded. “You can take your money and your resort and your stock shares to your grave with you. I don’t want them.”
Carefully he folded the deed and transfer notice, slipped them back into the envelope and slid it into his shirt pocket. “I’m going to call a courier and make sure this gets into the right hands tonight. You’d better accept the fact that the Queen of Hearts gold mine simply isn’t yours. Emily and I will be flying out tomorrow.”
As Emily studied Caleb Douglas, she realized he looked like the most unhappy man she had ever seen. She was so proud of Brad and his integrity.
After she followed him out of Caleb’s office, she laid her hand on his arm to tell him so. When he turned toward her, he still looked angry over Caleb’s offer.
“I’m so proud of you.”
“For not taking the money?”
It was so much more than that. “No. For being determined enough to find that deed, for telling Caleb where he could put his money, for handling all of it so well.”
His expression gentled then as he slipped a hand under her hair. “I haven’t handled you well. Something about you makes me forget common sense. We never should have had sex without protection. I never should have let you go horseback riding.”
“I think we were both in denial, trying to pretend something hadn’t happened when it had. I was as much to blame as you were.”
Now both of his hands were in her hair and he was cupping her head, looking down at her. “Blame has nothing to do with this anymore. The chemistry between us is just too explosive to ignore, and maybe we should give in to it this one last night.”
He could have started kissing her and carried her up-stairs to a bedroom, sweeping her away. They both knew she was susceptible. But he wasn’t doing that, and she suddenly realized that if he said he wasn’t the father of Suzette Brouchard’s child, she could believe him. Brad was a man of integrity and a man of honor, and tonight she wanted to love him one last time.
With a shaky smile she asked, “Your bedroom or mine?”
Forty-five minutes later, Emily sat in her bedroom brushing her hair. The shower was running, and she knew in a few minutes she and Brad would be together, at least for tonight. He’d made a call to a courier service in Bozeman after they’d left Caleb’s office. Five minutes ago, she’d heard the courier’s van drive away from the Lazy D ranch. In a few days, they’d know if the deed was authentic. Her instincts told her it was.
When the shower stopped running, she stopped brushing. Her suitcase was packed except for the clothes she’d left out to wear tomorrow for the trip home. Thank goodness her period was over. Thank goodness she had this one last night to pretend her dreams could come true.
As she laid her brush on the dresser, the door to her room opened and Brad stood there naked. This time she didn’t turn away. This time she let her gaze roam over him, appreciating the muscles, the lines of his taut stomach, the curling black hair. The longer she stared, the more aroused he became.
“My bed’s bigger.” He held out his hand to her.
Placing her hand in his, she wasn’t immune to the heat rippling up her arm nor the desire in his eyes. Leading her through the bathroom, he then let her precede him into his bedroom. As she quickly glanced around the room, she noticed he’d turned down the bed and placed packets of condoms on the nightstand. When his arms wrapped around her, he brought her close. He’d dried off, but his chest hair was still damp from his shower, as was the hair on his head. She could feel his arousal through her robe. She could feel the beat of his heart.
With his index finger under her chin, he lifted her face to his. “Are you sure?”
She’d never been more sure of anything in her life. She loved Brad Vaughn and tonight she was going to show him just how much. “I’m sure,” she murmured.
When Brad kissed her, Caleb Douglas and the deed and Tildy and Thunder Canyon all fell away.
“I can’t get you off my mind,” Brad breathed between kisses. “I remember that afternoon in the cabin, the night I held you, and I feel different than before I came here.”
“In what way?” she whispered against his lips.
“I’m not sure. I just know my life isn’t going where I want it to and I’m going to change directions.”
Then all thoughts of direction and work and Chicago were very far away.
Stepping back, Brad’s hands went to Emily’s belt. He untied it and her robe fell open. He didn’t hurry to rid her of it. Rather, his hand brushed over and around her breasts, making her crazy with need. She reached out to him and ran her hands down his chest, over his stomach.
When he sucked in a breath, she smiled, and he laughed. “You’ve learned you have power, too.”
“Not much.”
“More than you know.”
Sweeping her off her feet, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the big bed, where he gently lowered her. She scooted over on the sheet and he came down beside her, facing her. Tonight he didn’t hurry any of it. He took his time getting to know every inch of her. She took her time getting to know every inch of him. Where before they’d been frenzied and too hungry to wait, now Brad prolonged each caress to give her the most erotic pleasure she’d ever experienced. She explored his muscled thighs with her hands and lips and tongue, making him as crazy with need as she was.
Finally he admitted, “I’m beyond my limit, Emily, but I want to make sure you’re ready.”
“I’m beyond ready.”
Smiling, he slid his hand between her legs to make sure, then took her lips with a searing kiss that burned through her whole being. No matter what else happened or didn’t happen between them, she’d remember this night forever.
After Brad tore open the condom packet, she helped him roll it on. She did it slowly, teasingly, and he groaned.
“Just you wait,” he growled.
Then he rose above her and entered her with such slowness, she wanted to cry. She was waiting all right—waiting for him to fill her. Finally he did.
In that moment, time stopped.
She felt whole and loved and cherished.
When he started moving inside her, pleasure began building higher and higher until it was beyond any sensation she’d ever felt, brighter than any stars she’d ever seen, more encompassing than any feeling or desire that had ever overtaken her heart. Brad’s final thrust tossed her over the mountain into free fall. His cry of release said he’d followed her.
She held on to him and he held on to her, and their landing was gentler because they had each other. With Brad’s arms around her, with his body still connected to hers, her breathing slowed and so did his. Eventually he raised himself on his elbows and looked down at her.
“I’m glad we have all night. That wasn’t nearly enough.”
Emily knew exactly what he meant. But she also knew tonight would have to be enough, because when they returned to Chicago everything was going to change.
Chapter Twelve
On Monday morning, Emily reported to work early, not knowing exactly what to do. If she was going to be promoted, should she start working on anything that had come in while they were gone? On the other hand, she had yesterday’s notes on Caleb’s case to
type up. That could take her a good part of the morning.
To her delight and dismay, Brad came in early, too. The night she’d spent with him in his bed had been heaven. Still, yesterday morning they’d awakened to the alarm, hurriedly dressed to drive to the airport on time and then flown away from Montana. Brad had said nothing about their night together and neither had she. He’d been perfectly clear about it from the outset. On her part, however, her love had grown along with her passion, and now she hated the thought of letting it go—letting him go.
This morning he’d greeted her and then had enclosed himself in his office. Now that door opened and he beckoned to her. “Emily, can I see you?”
Her heart pounded as she picked up her notepad and pen and went inside. “You won’t need that,” he nodded to the notepad. “I think you’ll remember everything I have to tell you.” He smiled at her then, but it was a forced smile and didn’t light up his eyes.
“What is it?”
“I spoke with Jack McCormick this morning and explained how helpful you were in Thunder Canyon. I asked him to think about taking you on in a training capacity. He’s willing and said he could use the help from someone as capable as you are.”
“He’s never worked with me.”
“No, but he looked up your evaluations and he considers my recommendation a golden one. He knows I’m hard to please. So, as soon as you have the notes typed up on Thunder Canyon, finish up whatever else you think needs your final touches and tomorrow morning report to Jack.”
“Tomorrow morning?”
“Is that a problem?” Brad asked.
About a ton of them, she thought, realizing this would be the last day she’d be working with Brad, the last day she’d spend any appreciable time with him.
She impulsively asked, “How would you like to have dinner at my mom’s apartment tonight? It’s a welcome-back dinner for me, and I’m sure she’d like to include you.”
His gaze held hers. “Why are you inviting me?”
“It’s a celebration for the work we did together, finding the real owner of the mine. It’s also a thank-you for the promotion. We won’t be…seeing each other much after today.”
She knew she was only prolonging the inevitable, but she was so head over heels in love with Brad, she couldn’t quite let go.
He hesitated long enough to tell her he was thinking about refusing, but to her surprise he finally responded, “All right. That sounds nice. What time should I be there?”
“Around seven?”
“Seven’s good. I need the address.”
Quickly she scribbled her mother’s address on the pad, then tore the sheet of paper off and handed it to him. As he took it, she gazed at his long, strong fingers, remembering how he’d taken her out of herself as she’d welcomed him, remembering how tenderly they’d stroked her. Desolation overtook her because she knew he wouldn’t be touching her in that way again.
“Can I bring anything?” he asked.
“No. Just yourself.” Then she forced a bright smile and said, “I’ll get those notes on Caleb Douglas finished as soon as I can,” and went back to her own desk.
When she sat in her swivel chair, a tear rolled down her cheek and she knew she’d been an absolute fool to invite him to dinner.
Picking up the phone, she called her mother to tell her Brad was coming tonight.
Carrying the box wrapped with light blue paper decorated with a premade darker blue bow, Brad rang the doorbell to Mrs. Mary Stanton’s apartment.
The intercom came on and an older female voice asked, “Yes?”
“Mrs. Stanton? It’s Brad Vaughn. Emily invited me to dinner.”
“Yes, she told us you were coming. Come on up. Everyone can’t wait to meet you.”
That wasn’t what Brad wanted to hear. It had been a mistake to accept this invitation. But every time he thought about Emily going to work for Jack, his gut clenched. Every time he thought about looking out into her office and not seeing her there, he realized how important she’d become to his day-to-day work regime. When she’d issued the invitation to dinner, he’d known he should have refused, but when he was with her he felt taller, smarter and a better man. He told himself he’d merely woven some kind of glorified web about them since Thunder Canyon, and reality would come crashing through any moment.
It hadn’t happened yet.
Stepping into the elevator, he pressed the button for the fifth floor. As the elevator rose, he had no idea what to expect when he reached the Stanton’s apartment. Who else would be at this dinner besides Emily and her mother? Would Mrs. Stanton sense there was more than a business relationship between him and her daughter? A relationship he knew he had to sever, for Emily’s sake if not for his.
When he rang the doorbell to apartment five-twelve, he was surprised when a man opened it—a man maybe a few years younger than he was. He looked a lot like Emily only his jaw was more square, his eyebrows thicker and he was much taller.
“So you’re Brad Vaughn,” he concluded in a voice that told Brad he wasn’t overly pleased Brad had come to dinner.
Brad extended his hand. “And you’re…?”
“I’m Eric Stanton, Emily’s older brother.” He gave Brad’s hand a perfunctory shake. “She told us you were coming. We received the wine you had the store send us. It’s expensive stuff.”
“I thought your mother would enjoy a chardonnay.”
“Mom likes wine that tastes like fruit juice, but she’ll try it because you sent it. Come on in.”
In a matter of minutes Brad was introduced to Eric’s wife and two daughters, as well as Lizbeth and Elaine. He searched the living room, which was charmingly decorated in rose, peach and green with small porcelain figurines on top of most available surfaces.
Lizbeth must have noticed him glancing around. “Emily’s in the kitchen. She’s putting the finishing touches on dinner. Come on, I’ll introduce you to Mom.”
One of Brad’s best traits was mingling and making conversation with strangers. He’d been doing it since he’d earned his MBA and worked on Wall Street making cold calls to potential clients. However, tonight he felt out of his element. Maybe he cared about what these people thought about him. That idea totally unsettled him.
Lizbeth was a pretty coed with light brown hair and a slim figure shown to its advantage in tight jeans. A good fourteen years older than she was, fatherly thoughts came into Brad’s head—the jeans shouldn’t be so tight, the blouse should button up a little higher, she shouldn’t be wearing so much makeup.
“Is that for Emily or Mom?” She motioned to the package in his hand.
“Emily.”
“I thought you’d say that.” She grinned as they went through the dining room, with its table set in white ironstone china. “She’s nuts about you, you know.”
His quick glance made her toss her hair and shrug her shoulders. “Well, she is. And I hope you feel the same way about her. She doesn’t deserve to get hurt again.”
They stopped outside the closed door to the kitchen. “No, Emily doesn’t deserve to get hurt,” he said evenly. “No one does. But sometimes that’s hard to prevent.”
“Are you saying you’re not serious about her?” Liz-beth’s eyes were wide.
“I’m saying I shouldn’t be having this conversation with you. We don’t even know each other.”
“Well, she told us all about you—what you do and all.”
“What I do?”
“Yeah, being a private investigator. She said you tracked down that deed like a hound dog on a trail. She bet there wasn’t anything you couldn’t find. Like I said, she’s nuts over you. But don’t tell her I said that. She’s pretending it’s nothing special that you came to dinner, but she wore her best slacks and favorite blouse. So that’s hogwash.”
To change the subject, he focused on Lizbeth. “Emily mentioned that you were going to spend another year in college.”
“I’m changing majors. It’s hard for me to decid
e exactly what I want to do.”
“You mean this isn’t it? You still aren’t sure?”
“I think I’m sure. CPAs make pretty good money, but I imagine it can get a little boring. I figured I’ll try it.”
Suddenly Lizbeth’s airy attitude really annoyed him—not only that she was poking into his and Emily’s personal lives, but that she was taking advantage of her sister and didn’t even seem to mind it.
“You do know Emily wants to go to college herself?”
“Someday.”
“Not some faraway day. Sometime soon.”
His tone startled Lizbeth. “Well, I guess. She’s getting older and all.”
“She wants a worthwhile career just like you do. But she’s put her life on hold and she sacrificed so you and Elaine could get through your schooling before she did. So before you tie her up for another year, maybe you ought to be sure about what you want to do.”
Lizbeth looked at him as if he’d suggested she become an oceanographer instead of a CPA. Then she became defensive. “Emily’s never said she didn’t want to help me.”
“Of course she hasn’t. She’s a good sister. She’s reliable and she’s dependable and she loves you. She sincerely wants to help you. But how long should she put herself second or third or fourth?”
After a few moments, Lizbeth cocked her head. “What happened to you guys in that cabin?”
Now he was the one who was surprised. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Emily said you didn’t even know each other before you left for Montana. And here the two of you are—she’s swooning because you’re coming to dinner, and you’re…you’re trying to put everything right for her.”
He did want everything to be right for Emily. And as far as what happened in the cabin…
“We were put in a basic survival scenario at the cabin. We got to know each other very quickly.”
“True character comes out in that kind of situation and all?” she jibed.
“Maybe so. Then we had the opportunity to work on an unusual case. It didn’t seem unusual when it started, but Thunder Canyon is very different from Chicago. I think we both appreciated the differences.”
