Blood pounded in his ears. It was too much. After almost three decades of seeing nothing but a big black hole in his past, it was rapidly filling with family and faces. Joys and sorrows. He let the obituary fall out of his fingers and flutter to his lap. “What else do we know?”
Mimi still held his hand and gave it a gentle, encouraging squeeze. Then she opened the centennial book. “There’s a section in here on each of the families who settled in Calloway and the surrounding area. The Larrimores were one of those families.”
“And?” he prompted, almost afraid to get his hopes up.
“And it lists all their descendants up to the present day. I haven’t had a chance to look through everything yet. But I did find this.”
She cleared her throat and began reading in the middle of the Larrimore family history. “‘After the death of Hans Larrimore, his wife, Stella, left the area with her young son, Gary. Many years later, word was received that Stella had passed away and that Gary had married LeeAnn Bonham of Pipecreek, Texas. We have no information if any children resulted from this union.’”
Garrett stood up and began pacing across the straw-covered loft. “They’re wrong. There are children. Me. Michael. Shelby. Lana.”
“You’re not upset, are you?”
“Upset?” He bent and scooped Mimi off the floor. Then he swung her around with a whoop of delight. “I can’t believe it. You found them! You found my family. We’re Larrimores. Children of Gary and LeeAnn Larrimore. Grandchildren of Hans Larrimore. Great-grandchildren of Wilhelm Larrimore.”
She laughed when he finally set her down on the loft floor. “Don’t forgot Samuel and Helga.”
“And Anna,” he added, his smile widening to a grin. “The woman who created the Bruner Bear.”
“The key to your past,” she said softly.
“You found more than the key to my past, Mimi.” He took a step closer to her, his voice low and husky. “You found the key to my heart.”
MIMI CLOSED HER EYES as Garrett kissed her. A deep, soul-wrenching kiss that lasted forever and bonded her to him completely. His lips skimmed over her brow and cheeks until they found her mouth once again.
She sank into him, savoring his warmth and his strength. She could feel the rock-steady beat of his heart beneath her fingertips.
“Mimi,” he said softly.
When she looked up, he kissed her again. A gentle, seeking kiss that made her heart ache.
“You really know how to thank a girl,” she said, trying to keep the mood light. Trying to stay strong.
He pulled back, cupping her face in his hands. His green-gold eyes were steady and somber. “This isn’t gratitude, Mimi. Don’t you know how many nights I’ve lain awake wanting you? How many days it has taken all my willpower to walk away when all I wanted to do was kiss you until you couldn’t think straight?”
“Me, too,” she admitted. “I just…” Her voice trailed off as she looked at him, desire and uncertainty warring within her. “I wasn’t sure what you’d think of me. There are still so many things we don’t know about each other, Garrett. So many things you don’t know about me—”
“I know that I want you,” he interjected, his voice husky in her ear.
She licked her lips, unable to resist any longer. “And I want you.”
He stepped back and gave her that crooked half-smile that she loved so much. “Then we’ve both been idiots. Finding stupid excuses to walk away from what we both want. What we both need.”
“Sometimes it’s better to walk away,” Mimi whispered, thinking of someone she’d walked away from. Someone precious she’d never forgotten.
“Not for us. We’ve wasted so much time already.” He reached out one hand, tracing her lips with the pad of his thumb. “My grandfather died a young man in the war. Anna Bruner died a young woman. And God only knows what happened to my parents.”
She closed her eyes, the movement of his thumb making her lips tingle. Then it left her mouth, caressing her jaw and trailing over the sensitive skin of her neck.
“We can’t be afraid to live anymore, Mimi,” he said, moving closer so that his body was pressed firmly against her. “Or to love.”
She could feel his arousal and longed to touch him. Stroke him. Assuage this need that was consuming them both. She wanted him so much. But did she dare let him love her? Ripples of apprehension prickled goose bumps over her skin.
“Katherine gave up everything for love,” she whispered, terrified of losing her heart. “And she never came back.”
“Do you think she was sorry?” His hands moved to her shoulders, his thumbs circling just above her breasts. Her nipples grew taut, and she yearned to rise on her toes to give him better access.
“No,” she said at last, her defenses crumbling under his erotic touch. Maybe the time had come for Garrett to see all her scars, inside and out. She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him down toward her mouth. “No.”
He moaned under the hot intensity of her kiss, his tongue meeting hers, circling and thrusting. Mimi reveled in the silky smoothness of his mouth as she buried her fingers in his hair.
Garrett’s hand slid from her shoulders to the front of her blouse, teasing her breasts as he ever so slowly popped the buttons open one by one. He slid the blouse over her shoulders, then turned his attention to her bra. It slipped off into the straw, leaving her half-naked before him.
“Oh, Mimi,” he said in wonder, reaching out for her. The touch of his rough fingertips against her bare skin made her tremble. Then he lowered his head to kiss the erect pink tip of her left breast.
Before she could speak or move, he knelt in front of her. His tongue lightly circled her nipple while his long fingers stroked her other breast. He sucked gently, his pleasure evident in the hungry growl she heard deep in his throat. She tipped back her head, wondering how much more pleasure she could take. Then he repeated his ministrations on her other breast, tasting and suckling. Arousing her almost beyond endurance while she was still half-dressed.
At last, he pulled her down into the straw until she was kneeling with him. The setting sun cast long shadows over the hayloft and illuminated the floating dust motes so they looked like golden bubbles.
He kissed her lips as he laid her on a soft bed of straw, then sat back and let his gaze wander over her until he reached her eyes. “You are so beautiful.”
“Take your shirt off,” she whispered, her mouth dry and her body pulsing with need.
He quickly unbuttoned his shirt, his gaze never leaving her face. The last few buttons popped off as he tugged his shirt out of his jeans and ripped it off his shoulders.
“Touch me,” he pleaded, reclining on a soft bed of straw next to her.
Mimi reached out and slid her hand over the light mat of burnished hair on his chest. His skin was so incredibly warm. She ran her hand over the washboard ridges of his stomach.
He sucked in his breath as her fingers slid past his navel to his belt buckle. Mimi looked up to see his eyes closed and his jaw taut. Heady with the power she had over the strongest man she’d ever met, she leaned down to kiss the washboard ripples across his stomach while her fingers worked at undoing the buckle.
“Mimi,” he breathed, his voice strained. “You don’t know what you’re doing to me.”
“More,” she whispered. “I’m doing more.”
He moaned as her tongue slipped beneath the open button fly of his jeans. Then she sat up, sliding her fingers up and down the straining bulge in his blue jeans.
“No more,” he gasped as she unzipped his jeans and pulled them down over his hips.
“More,” she promised, straddling him to relieve the pounding need in her body.
They both moaned as his hardness met the hot core of her softness. She rubbed against him, kindling the fire between them even more. Then Garrett rolled her over, quickly shedding his jeans and boxer shorts.
Her jeans and panties followed so quickly that she barely had time to prepare her
self. Naked and vulnerable, she lay before him, her body and her heart trembling with need. She held her breath as his gaze skimmed over her. Did he notice the bikini-line scar on her abdomen? Did he care?
But her apprehensions slipped away as he took her in his arms again. His warm, dewy skin kissed hers as he lay full-length upon her, their bodies seeking each other. His lips found her mouth at the same time he opened her with his fingers.
Desire clouded her mind, but she was still coherent enough to realize that they were almost to the point of no return. “Garrett,” she whispered, keeping her long-ago vow never to make the same mistake twice. “I’m not on anything…birth control, I mean.”
“That’s all right,” he whispered, reaching for his jeans and digging into the back pocket. “I’m prepared. I’ve been prepared ever since the night of the party. Call it wishful thinking.”
He turned away from her for a moment, then he was holding her again. Kissing her. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight, determined never to let him go.
“You’re mine, Mimi,” he whispered, hovering above her. “All mine.”
The next moment he was inside her, and the sensation was so intensely sweet that hot tears sprang to her eyes.
Garrett kissed them away, then closed his eyes with a deep groan as he moved within her. They made love to the accompaniment of cooing barn swallows and the soft swish of a horse’s tail. Mimi matched Garrett’s rhythm, almost as if they heard the same wonderful music. The beat rose and fell, moving faster and faster as something molten inside of her simmered and threatened to boil over.
Garrett pressed his face against her neck, moaning deeply as his long, powerful body flexed against her. She grasped his shoulders in wonderment, then let him carry her into ecstasy. They both joined in the song, crying out in perfect harmony.
At last Mimi opened her eyes, uncertain if minutes or days had passed. Garrett lay beside her, his eyes closed and his handsome face so relaxed and content it made her heart fill with love for him.
She propped herself up on one elbow to look at him. Night had fallen, and the darkness surrounding them made her feel they were the only two people in the world.
At last Garrett opened his eyes and gave her a lazy smile. “We definitely wasted too much time.”
She rippled the short russet hair on his upper thigh with her fingertips. “Then we’d better start making up for it, cowboy.”
“Good idea,” he said, reaching for her once again.
PAUL SAT at the antique rosewood desk in Mimi’s bedroom, methodically rifling through her drawers. Now that he’d finally located his fugitive fiancée, he’d need something to convince her to become his bride. Some kind of leverage that would insure Paul Renquist became a very wealthy man.
If he didn’t hit pay dirt soon, he’d conduct a thorough search of old man Casville’s study. Surely a man that rich couldn’t be squeaky clean. Mimi would do anything to protect her father. Hell, she’d probably agree to marry Paul just to protect one of those snotty servants. She seemed to have a soft spot in her heart for just about everyone.
Except him.
He yanked open the last drawer and sifted through the neat stack of files. Mimi’s career as an archivist had obviously made it impossible for her to throw anything away. It seemed as if he’d been up here for hours, sorting through old school papers, newspaper clippings, boring letters and other assorted Casville family junk.
He cut his finger on the open seal of an envelope as he dug into the drawer. Swearing, he yanked the drawer out and dumped the contents on the floor.
“Nothing,” he muttered, smearing his blood against the scattered papers as he raked through them. He didn’t know what he was looking for, but it sure as hell wasn’t this worthless crap.
He picked up the drawer, haphazardly tossing the assorted papers and files back inside. He swore again as his bloody finger scraped against the rough wood on the underside of the drawer.
Then it hit something smooth and slick. Cellophane packaging tape. He slowly turned the drawer over and stared at the lavender envelope taped securely to the bottom of the drawer.
“What do we have here?” He neatly ripped the envelope from its hiding place, then opened the flap. Inside he found a letter dated August 26, 1992. Nine years ago, give or take a few months.
Dear Mimi,
I realize this letter comes as somewhat of a surprise to you. A year ago we parted ways, never expecting to see each other again. But on this special anniversary, I had to write and thank you once again. You have given us the most precious gift. B and I pray that your generosity is returned to you someday a hundredfold.
Your mistake became our blessing. Know that we treasure J every day, and will continue to do so for the rest of our lives.
Love,
D
Paul read the letter again, thoroughly perplexed. Then he looked inside the envelope once again, and his heart began pounding in his chest. He drew out a small photo of a little boy wearing a sailor suit. Big blue eyes smiled at him. Very familiar blue eyes.
Pay dirt.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
MIMI WOKE UP the next morning in Garrett’s bed. Only this time she wasn’t alone.
“Mornin’, sleepyhead,” Garrett murmured as he leaned over and pulled a piece of straw out of her hair. “I thought you’d never wake up.”
She ran one finger over the stubble of whiskers on his jaw. “I suppose you want me to handle all the chores this morning so you can sleep?”
“Sounds tempting, but I’m the one who has to get up. Another customer called yesterday afternoon while you were out. He’s coming here this morning to look at the bulls.”
Mimi sighed, pulling the bedclothes up to her bare shoulders and wishing they could stay in bed together all day. “When?”
“Soon.” Garrett kissed the tip of her nose. “Why don’t you stay here and keep the bed warm? I promise I’ll be back as fast as I can.”
She wound her arms around his neck to keep him close to her. “Why don’t you call and tell this customer to take a rain check instead? Or at least talk him into waiting until later this afternoon. Then we can both stay here and…warm up the bed.”
“Don’t tempt me,” he murmured, then kissed her. A long, slow, deep kiss that made her forget about cattle buyers and chores and everything else a good ranch hand should have on her mind.
Garrett moaned low in his throat as her hands disappeared beneath the blankets. “On second thought…”
The loud blast of a car horn made them both groan.
“Damn,” he muttered, stealing one last kiss before he climbed out of bed. “There’s nothing I hate worse than an early bird.”
She laughed, feeling almost giddy. “This from the man who got me out of bed before six o’clock every morning for the last three weeks.”
“Well, now that I’ve finally got you in my bed,” he said, reaching for his work shirt, “I’d like to keep you there for a while.”
She leaned back against the pillow and watched him dress. It had been too dark to see him fully last night in the barn, but this morning sunlight streamed through the windows, allowing her to see every delectable inch of his finely honed body.
“Enjoying the view?” he asked as he buttoned his faded green work shirt.
“Definitely.” She watched him step into blue boxer shorts, then pull on denim jeans. His big hands tucked the shirttails into his jeans, then zipped up the fly and buttoned the waistband.
She stretched out on his side of the mattress, the white cotton sheet still warm from his body. “Although I think I prefer watching you take your clothes off.”
“I’ll be happy to oblige—”
The car horn sounded again, drawing a muttered oath from Garrett as he buckled his leather belt. “I take it this guy’s in a hurry.”
“Look at it this way,” Mimi said, “the sooner you get out there, the sooner you can get rid of him.”
“I like the way you think.
” He leaned down to kiss her, then nipped her earlobe. “But then, I like a lot of things about you. Your ears. Your nose. Your mouth.” He kissed her again. “Definitely your mouth.”
“Go,” she ordered, pushing him away before they both became too distracted by the sensual electricity that pulsed between them.
He turned at the bedroom door to wink at her. “Stay warm for me.” Then he was gone.
Mimi sighed, rolling to her side and pulling his pillow into her arms. It still held his scent. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She lay there for a few minutes, but sleep eluded her. Despite the long night of lovemaking, Mimi felt wide-awake and thoroughly refreshed.
Her stomach growled, and she looked at the clock, surprised to find it was already past ten o’clock in the morning. Throwing off the covers, she rolled out of bed, then stood naked in front of the dresser mirror.
She hardly recognized the woman staring back at her. Sparkling blue eyes and tanned, rosy cheeks. Pink lips that were just a little puffier than normal. But it was the changes on the inside that really mattered. Pure joy radiated through her.
It had finally happened.
“I’m in love,” she crooned to the mirror. “I’m in love with Garrett Lord.”
Her gaze fell to the faint pink scar at the base of her abdomen. Garrett hadn’t seen it last night, though she’d been ready to tell him the whole story. Part of her was thankful it hadn’t come out.
And part of her wanted to tell him every little detail about her life. Every secret of her past. Every wish for her future.
Their future.
“You’re getting ahead of yourself,” Mimi admonished the love-struck girl in the mirror. She picked up a comb and ran it through her tangled hair. “He doesn’t even know your real last name yet. And one night together does not a lifetime commitment make.”
Fugitive Fiancée Page 15
