by Nancy Hopper
She made a sound in her throat that he could only equate with absolute frustration. She kept her eyes on her lap.
"Tasha, tell me about how you came to know the Lord." He asked gently.
"Tim, I really can't." She said, revealing that the very thought terrified her, and caused her deep pain. "Please, understand and don't go there."
He looked at her with puzzled eyes. "I'm sorry, Tasha. Tell you what. You just come with me to the whole conference, and I will leave it between you and Him. Fair enough?"
She sighed in frustration, and raised tormented eyes to his. "No! No, Timothy, it is not at all fair! You come barging your way into my life and insist that I come to this conference, asking all kinds of questions -- no! It's not all right!"
He drew a deep breath, and rubbed his eyes tiredly.
She looked at him, and felt compassion stir in her heart. "Hey. I'm sorry." She said, before she knew what she was doing, or why she was doing it. "Tim, I'll ... I'll come to the conference. Provided you just back off. All right?" she asked warily. No one could have been more shocked than Tasha, by what she had just promised.
Tim looked at her, completely perplexed. "All right." He agreed softly. "Then I've done my part. As long as you promise."
She glared at him so resentfully that he almost had to laugh. "I said I would." She snapped.
Tim bit his lip to hide his smile, and looked at her sheepishly. "Okay." He agreed quickly.
"But now, I really should be going." She added woodenly.
"All right." He agreed. "I'll walk you to your car."
It was freezing cold outside. Tasha clutched her coat around her and wondered how Timothy could stand it, wearing only a suit coat. "Tim, it's too cold for you to be out here. I can make it alone," she advised him.
"No chance." He denied grimly. "It's too late at night for me to let you go alone."
"You'll freeze." She objected.
"We're almost there." He argued.
Tasha shook her head as he took her arm to steady her on the compact snow and ice that covered the parking lot. "Timothy Rain, you are the most aggravating man I've ever met in my life." She accused in frustration.
Tim chuckled, and put his arm around her to catch her as she began to slip. He held her up with ease, and smiled down at her. "That's probably quite true. I'll bet my own mother has the same feelings." He admitted. He eased his hold on her, so that she could start walking again.
"And tomorrow night, I'll get you a parking place in the garage. This isn't at all acceptable." He decided with a worried frown, as she slipped again. His arms went firmly around her, or she'd have gone to the ice.
She gasped as she realized he was almost going down with her, then he caught his footing. They laughed as they just stood frozen, both afraid to move a muscle.
Tasha felt very warm and comfortable in his strong arms. They were very strong, very capable arms. Her hand was against his chest. As she looked up into his eyes, she could hardly help but feel that there was some kind of attraction brewing here. She reminded herself that she didn't want any doggone romance. She heard Tim chuckle, and gave him a warning look that said she thought he was being very naughty.
"What do you expect me to do? Let you fall and break your neck?" he asked in a low voice. His eyes were teasing her, snapping with amusement.
"No. Not a gallant gentleman like you." She taunted heartlessly.
"Ow." Tim winced. "My, lady. You know how to hurt a guy." He objected.
"Don't expect any kisses to make it better." She warned icily.
"I ought to kiss you for spite." He snapped, his chin setting in a firm line. He started walking very carefully, but his eyes were snapping with fire.
Tasha swallowed hard, aware beyond a shadow of a doubt that she'd made him angry. "I'd have to bite you if you tried." She answered lightly, willing her voice not to tremble.
She had a feeling it was not wise to bait this man, but she couldn't seem to help herself. Being in his arms had changed everything. She was definitely, extremely attracted -- at least on a physical level -- to this man. That scared her to death. Maybe now that he was angry, he'd just go away. She prayed it would be so.
"I'll just bet you would." He answered smoothly. "Luckily for you, I'm much more likely to refrain, or you might find yourself in a battle you wouldn't ever forget."
Tasha's tummy flopped pitifully at the threat. The timbre of his voice made her heart flutter. His arm around her, his hand on her ribs, burned with fire; and his eyes were stabbing holes in her defenses. He was very sexy, and she almost felt that she'd enjoy pushing him into that fight. A desire to feel him kiss her began to rise up insistently inside her. She looked up at him and the words just demanded expression.
"Is that a fact?" she answered smoothly. "Well, Mr. Timothy Rain, I'll tell you what. Why don't you just try me?" she provoked. "I'm beginning to think it would be a pleasure to put you in your place!"
As they reached her car, Timothy turned her in his arms and looked down at her, with anger and warning in his eyes. He was extremely surprised to find her soft, shapely lips parted invitingly and her eyes holding a burning invitation. Her breathing was short, drawing his attention to some very nice cleavage in the scoop-necked sweater.
He shook his head, and laughed deep in his throat as he felt her sultry eyes grab hold of him. His flesh was suddenly screaming to taste her soft lips, feel her body against his. She was sexier than anything he'd ever been tempted with, for a long, long time. Maybe ever, he pondered.
"Oh, no. That would not be wise. Not tonight, anyway. The last thing I want to do is fight with you, lovely lady." He refused in a ragged, low voice. "You've been giving me very clear 'stay back' signals ever since we met, and I'm not stupid enough to think you're ready to deal with the consequences of any kisses.”
"You're very beautiful, and we both know, if we will be honest, that there's a fair bit of chemistry between us. But tempted as I am to put you to the test, I know better. Just don't you dare forget you promised me you'll come to the conference tomorrow night."
She gasped in outrage and pushed hard against his chest. Tim realized immediately that he'd made a big mistake. Her blistering anger bit him harshly.
"When Hell freezes over." She said coldly, and unlocked her car door. As she swung it open, he made sure he got his hip in, to block it from being closed. She got in the Bronco, and glared to find him braced in the doorway.
“Tasha? Tasha,” he insisted, looking in at her with confusion and unhappiness in his eyes.
"Thank you for a lovely evening, Mr. Rain." She said coldly.
Tim set his jaw, and sighed. "You promised." He challenged her softly, his eyes steely and intense. He was extremely disappointed in himself for blundering. Jesus wanted her at that conference and Timothy would not hesitate to humble himself, to get her there.
"Good night, Mr. Rain." She said pointedly.
Tim looked at the snow in frustration, and sighed. "Tasha, I’m sorry. I don't understand how we got to this place. Give it another chance. Please, come tomorrow night. Please?" he asked gently.
He put a hand on her arm and she stiffened, giving him a look that caused him to withdraw it. He could see it was no good, and with a sigh, he backed out of range. She closed the car door with a hearty slam, and drove away.
Tim stood there watching her go, disappointment and puzzlement in his heart. How had he managed to bungle it? What in the world had happened? He couldn't sort it out. Somehow, they'd gone from a nice, friendly platform to the most dangerous sexual attraction he'd ever experienced, in the blink of any eye! And then, he'd stupidly reminded her of her promise! How had he let his mouth flap, without first carefully considering his words?
He was feeling the warm, slim softness of her body in his arms, even now that she was gone. Part of him was kicking himself for not kissing her; for not taking what she'd offered and what he now wanted desperately, with every fiber of his being. He hadn't been thinking -- that was t
he biggest problem. He'd just been trying desperately to hold her at arm's length, and assuming that was the right thing. Now, he wasn't so sure.
He shook his head and laughed derisively as her car went around the curve. "No way." He denied coldly. "No way am I going there, not even in my misguided, stubborn brain." He insisted, his eyes clear and determined as he addressed the temptation that was screaming for him to taste her obvious sweetness. He took a deep breath, and addressed the enemy of his soul.
"I will go to my Lord in prayer for her. You will have no place in this relationship. Don't you dare even think that you can cause my flesh to dictate my actions. I rebuke you and I tell you -- you will not have me, and you will not have that lady. Get your claws out of this, and go right back to the pit of Hell, where you belong. Thank you for reminding me that my job is to restore her to Jesus. I truly needed it, just now."
"And I speak to you in the spirit, Tasha, and I remind you of your promise. Regardless of any blunders, I prophesy to your spirit that you will come to this conference, every single night. You will come, and you will be restored to Jesus. Come what may." He said through set teeth.
There was a righteous, determined fire in his eyes as he walked carefully back across the icy parking lot to the hotel.
When he reached his room, he was decidedly chilled and extremely out of sorts. He picked up the phone book and looked in the directory for a listing for Tasha. He stifled a sigh as it became clear that he wouldn't find one. He dialed the hotel’s main desk. "I need a local phone number immediately." He told the receptionist.
"Did you try the phone book?" the lady asked impersonally.
"I did, it's not there."
"Then, it must be unlisted." She said regretfully.
"She's a regular here, and it is very important." Tim insisted softly.
"What is the name?" the lady asked warily.
"Tasha Charles. Taylor?"
"Oh. Ms. Taylor, yes." The receptionist said uneasily.
"You know the lady?" Tim asked with interest.
"Yes."
"Can you get me her phone number? It is extremely important to me. I just want to be sure she got home safe. You know, it's very icy and I didn't get her number. We spent the evening together, and I'm terribly concerned. Please, will you help me?"
"I am very sorry, sir, I can't do that." The receptionist answered immediately.
"Okay. Thanks." Tim snapped. Then he got an idea. He'd taken Tasha right past the front desk on their way out to her car tonight. He grabbed his key, and went out to the elevator.
The receptionist looked up and smiled when she saw the handsome man approaching. "May I help you?" she asked lightly. She'd seen him come in and out over the past day or so. Tonight, he'd definitely been with Tasha Taylor.
"Hi. Yes. I just talked to you on the phone. Listen, I know that you can't give me her number, I understand. But you saw us together tonight, right? I just took her out to her car a few minutes ago. You were here."
The girl stared at him suspiciously.
"I almost remember the number, it's 368 ... something eleven." He said, with entreaty in his clear eyes. "Will you do me a favor and call her number? Just ask Lucinda, the housekeeper, if Tasha made it home all right? She should be home just about now. Please, will you do this for me? I'll take full responsibility and Tasha will not be angry with you. I am just very concerned for her safety. Please?"
The girl wilted. Who could resist a man like this one? He was handsome, and obviously as sweet and honest as they come. She'd seen Tasha with him; and if he knew the name of their housekeeper, he must be all right. But if he wasn’t, she was a cooked goose. She pressed her lips together, and looked at him uncertainly.
"She sometimes does business with us. I'll look in the computer and see if the manager has her number." The receptionist hedged uncertainly.
The smile Tim gave her made the effort definitely worth the risk. The young girl just about melted in her shoes. "Thanks." He said softly.
She looked up the number in the local customer directory on their computer and found Brent Charles' number. It was in fact 368-3211. He had almost the whole number correctly memorized.
But -- it was late. Looking up into his expectant eyes, she wavered. "Sir, it's late." She protested weakly.
"I know. It'll be all right. Tasha just left, and the housekeeper will be waiting up." He assured her gently.
The girl shrugged, and picked up the phone. She figured she could lose her job, but something told her it would be all right. As the phone rang, she felt like an idiot. A woman answered.
"Is Lucinda there?" the receptionist asked uncertainly.
"This is she." Lucinda confirmed worriedly.
"Ma'am, this is the Cedars Hotel. There is a gentleman here asking me to place a call to you. His name is Timothy Rain." She provided, as Tim handed her a card.
"Oh! Mr. Timothy! Please, put him on." Lucinda urged immediately.
"Yes, Ma'am." The receptionist agreed with evident relief. She handed the phone to Tim.
"Lucy?" he said softly.
"Mr. Timothy, yes!" she answered exuberantly.
“I just called to make sure Tasha got home all right. I was concerned about her driving in the cold, I knew that it had to be icy. And I forgot your number."
"Oh, Mr. Tim. It is 368-3211. And she just came in. Everything appears to be fine." Lucinda assured him. "Would you like to speak to her?"
"No, that's not necessary, Lucinda. Just so long as she's fine. Don't disturb her, I'll be seeing her tomorrow."
"All right then, Mr. Timothy. Good night."
"Good night. Thanks, Lucy." He said warmly, and hung up the phone.
After giving his profuse thanks to the receptionist, he went back upstairs, and wrote the number down in his address book. Then, he ran a hot bath and got down to the business of prayer for Tasha and for the coming day. He went to bed much later that night, with peace in his heart about the situation.
The second day of the conference dawned clear and very cold. Tim was still sound asleep when his phone rang at ten past noon. Groaning, he rolled over and reached for it. "Hello." He said sleepily.
"Tim, you're still asleep?" an enthusiastic voice hammered in his ear. "Man, we've been skiing all morning, and it's great out here! Come on! We kept waiting for you to come out, it's awesome!"
Tim groaned. "No thanks, Reuben. Not today. I'm too tired. I think I'll just take another hot bath and do some prayer time."
"Oh, man." His friend sighed, obviously disappointed. "Okay; guess we'll see you tonight then, huh?"
"Yeah. Thanks." Tim yawned, and hung up the phone. He rolled over and sighed, looking up at the ceiling.
His first thoughts were of Tasha and the disaster he'd made of the previous evening. He wondered if her promise to come would be enough to draw her back to the conference. Then he rebuked himself; hadn't he already prayed in faith that it would be so?
Mentally, he called it done, and got on with his day. He didn't give himself any room for thoughts about her until it was almost time for the evening service. Then, he called Jim at the conference registration desk.
"Hey, Jim." He said, grateful it hadn't been someone else who answered. "Who is doing the door tonight?"
"It'll be me, Tim. What's up?"
"Do you remember the lady I brought with me last night, Tasha Taylor?"
"Absolutely." Jim chuckled.
His answer peeved Tim a bit. "Yeah. Well, if she makes it here tonight, please let her in. In fact, please just arrange a seat for her with me for the rest of the conference, and expect her. I'm certain she'll get here. And don't let her know I called. It's kind of touchy right now, and it might make her mad."
Jim chuckled at the worried note in Tim's voice. "All right, Mr. Rain, we'll make her feel at home. Leave it to me."
"Thanks, Jim. And one more favor; will you get her a parking space in the garage? We just about broke our necks in the parking lot last night."
&n
bsp; "No problem, Tim. Just have her use one of our reserved spots on row K. What's she drive?"
"Brand new black Ford Bronco with black interior, and custom wheels. "Thanks, Jim. I really appreciate it."
“No sweat, Tim. See ya in a few."
Tim showed up downstairs for the conference, with hope and confidence in his eyes. He scanned the auditorium, but she wasn't there. A finger of doubt began to rise up, and he dismissed it severely.
"She'll be here." He said boldly. Then, he went on about his business. But he couldn't help feeling dismay when worship ended and the chair beside him was still empty. He was introduced and went up to do the message, with a bit of a heavy heart.
Tasha had meanwhile been edgy, and very aware that she was breaking a promise, tonight. She could never remember doing that before. As she sat down to dinner, she could hardly settle herself down to eat.
Strangely, Lucinda seemed as upset as she was. She finally put her napkin down, and stared at her. "Lucinda, what is the matter with you?" she insisted, gently but firmly.
"Oh! Nothing, Miss Tasha. Nothing."
"What is it?"
"Please, Miss Tasha. I don't want to interfere."
"What do you mean?" Tasha insisted.
"Well, it's just that you did not see Mr. Tim today?"
"No, of course not. Why would I?"
"Well; I am just worried about him. You know, when he called last night, he said he would see you today. I thought he would come, you know. I am very worried for him. He is the kind of man to do what he says. But it's getting quite late, now, and he has not come!"
"What?" Tasha asked incredulously. "Tim Rain said he was coming here?"
"Well; he said he would see you today."
"When exactly was this?" Tasha asked irritably.
"When he called last night." Lucinda cowered.
"Tim Rain called here last night? When? Why didn't you tell me?" Tasha growled.
"It was just after you came home, he -- he didn't want me to disturb you. He said he just wanted to be certain you had made it safely home, and he said that he didn't need to speak to you, as he would be seeing you today. But of course, he has not."
