The Reluctant Heiress

by Sara Orwig

  He set her on her feet in the shower and turned on the water. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. His body was hard, muscled, warm and wet against hers. He bent his head to kiss her and all conversation ended.

  Over an hour later they were back in bed in each other’s arms. “I told you so, about showering together.”

  “So you’re one of those people who has to say, ‘I told you so.’”

  “I am in this case.”

  “You must be hungry.”

  “Sort of,” she replied. “Maybe I should shower on my own.”

  “Nope. No fun at all. Let’s just try again. At some point our hunger might overcome our lust.”

  She laughed as she stepped out of bed. They showered and he gave her a navy robe to wear. He pulled on jeans and they went to a large kitchen with an adjoining dining area on one side and a living area on another. The house was as elegant inside as outside.

  “Your house is beautiful.”

  “Thanks. I enjoy it. I had it built five years ago.”

  “Five years—you were young to have a house like this.”

  He shrugged. “I was fortunate and then I stepped into a job with the Delaneys.”

  She watched him work, thinking about his past and how neither the Delaneys nor Garrett had even known she existed. “What can I do to help?” she asked.

  “You can sit there on a barstool and talk to me. Want coffee? Orange juice? What would you like?”

  Barely aware of the answer she gave, she watched him as he moved around, getting eggs and toast. He was shirtless, his chest covered with dark curls. His muscles rippled as he moved and desire ignited again in her.

  Instead of yielding to it, she tried restraint, chatting with him while erotic images flashed in her mind.

  After breakfast he took her hand. “Let me show you my shop.”

  They walked to another wing where he entered a workshop much larger than the one he had in his Houston home. There was a wide, overhead door and pieces of wood scattered around with tools on the wall and in cabinets.

  “I assume the overhead door leads to a drive, so you can get furniture in and out?”

  “Mostly out. You’re right.”

  She walked over to look at pieces on the table. “Looks as if you’re starting something.”

  “I am. It’s a rocker for you. I hope you like to rock.”

  Surprised, she glanced at him. “You’re building that for me? You must have expected to see me again—expected us to get back together. A rocker is a big project,” she said, suddenly wondering how much he wanted her in his life. To build a piece of furniture took time and effort. Was Garrett falling in love with her?

  “Building something for you made me feel closer to you and gave me hope that we’d be together again.”

  She walked to him to put her arms around him. “I’ll love it. I don’t know what to say. It’s wonderful, Garrett.”

  “Wait until it’s finished. You might not even like it.”

  “Now you have to let me paint your picture.”

  He laughed and shook his head. “That one—I can’t imagine why you’d want to. Would I hang for sale in a gallery somewhere?”

  “Never. Let me take your picture and I can paint from that. Oh, wait—I have one of you already from Colorado.”

  “If painting my picture gives you pleasure, then by all means, go ahead. You’re easy to please.”

  “Thank you,” she said, smiling at him.

  “I just wanted you to see my studio. Now’s a good time for a swim.”

  “I don’t have a suit.”

  “You don’t need a suit,” he said, his gray eyes holding obvious lust.

  “You don’t live alone,” she said, pointing upstairs. “You told me about all the staff who live here.”

  He shook his head. “Forget it. They are in another wing and we’re locked away unless I let them know I’m here and need them. When I do need them, I give them as much advance notice as possible.”

  “That works, but if we swim without suits, I don’t think we’ll ever get in the pool,” she said.

  “I think you might be right,” he said, picking her up and kissing her. She wound her arms around his neck and returned his kisses as he carried her back to bed.

  * * *

  Late Sunday afternoon she was in his arms in his king bed in the upstairs bedroom. He showered kisses on her. “This is paradise, Sophia.”

  “I agree,” she murmured, combing her fingers through locks of his unruly hair. “Your hair has a mind of its own.”

  “I learned that at a very early age.”

  “I love it this way. It keeps you from looking so much the executive and in charge and more like someone approachable and fun.”

  He chuckled and wrapped his fingers in her hair. “And I love your hair loose. It’s sexy and gorgeous and makes you look enticing.” As she said thank you, he raised on an elbow to look at her.

  “I don’t want you to go back to Houston today.”

  “I have to. I planned on it and I have an appointment tomorrow. I’m painting a portrait.”

  “I can’t talk you into breaking that appointment?”

  “Sorry, I need to keep it.”

  He toyed with her hair and studied her. “Sophia, stay with me. Move in with me. I’ll build you a studio and you can fly to Houston or Santa Fe or anywhere else anytime you want. You can open a gallery here in Dallas. A gallery should do as well in Dallas as in Houston.”

  Her eyes widened and her heart drummed. A part of her wanted to say yes. If she moved in, would he eventually love her enough to want to marry her?

  He was quiet, patiently waiting while his gaze was intently focused on her. His gray eyes were unfathomable and she had no idea what he really was thinking.

  She sat up, pulling the sheet to her chin and turning to face him. “Garrett, I’ve talked about this with you from the very beginning. I’ve told you I do not want to have an affair.”

  “What do you think we’re doing now?” he asked. “But what I’m suggesting would be a whole lot better.”

  “I’m flying home shortly and I’ll go to Santa Fe. We can see each other and go out, but we’re not living together. Maybe we’ll have occasional weekends together, but nothing intense. Not weeks at a time. I’m keeping my independence and hopefully, my heart intact. I’ll not spend my life sitting around getting bits and pieces of a man. We each make our choices,” she said, hurting as she said the words. “I want to be with you and you know I do. I haven’t been able to resist you. But I need to be on my own.”

  “You’re damn scared to live,” he said. “You compare everything with the past. I’m not Argus Delaney and I’d never treat you the way he did your mother. I want a relationship with you. I don’t want this to end, and you sure as hell act like you’re enjoying it.”

  “I am, but I want more of a commitment than moving in together.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she almost couldn’t believe she’d said them.

  His eyes narrowed. Sitting up, he stared intently at her. “You want me to marry you.”

  “I know you don’t want that kind of commitment. And I don’t want anything less. If I marry, I’ll want a family.”

  “Marriage might happen if we have a good relationship, but I’m not ready for that now. I want to know someone long and well before I make a lifetime commitment.”

  “I agree that’s the best way,” she said, her gaze roaming over his bare shoulders and chest. “I think we’re at an impasse and I also think it’s time to get ready to return to Houston.”

  “I’ve never asked anyone to move in with me, Sophia.”

  Her heart raced and she hurt at the same time. Contradictory emotions clashed. “I’m flattered and part of me wants to say yes and throw aside logic, but I’m not going to. I’m very pleased you told me this is a first invitation from you.”

  “This is a commitment of sorts.”

  “It sounds to me like you w
ant a mistress instead of a wife.”

  “I’ve never thought of you in terms of a mistress. This is different.”

  “I can’t really see how.”

  “Think about my offer, Sophia. Don’t give me a flat no.”

  She gazed back, wanting to say yes but fighting her own desire. She had to get away before she gave in. She wanted more from him— She wanted his total commitment, his love.

  He reached out to pull her into his arms. His possessive kiss and his hands moving over her, taking away the sheet easily, made her forget their conversation and everything else. She was in his arms and he was kissing her senseless and nothing else existed.

  Moaning softly with pleasure, she ran her hands over his smooth, muscled back and was lost to loving him. He was in her arms now and she could pour out her love and try to capture his heart completely so he couldn’t let her go.

  It was early evening before they were airborne. They were quiet on the flight and she could feel the underlying tension between them. When they were finally at her door, she turned to him. “Want to come in?”

  “Yes,” he said, watching her unlock and open her door. They walked inside and Garrett closed her door, turning to face her.

  “Would you like a drink?”

  “What I’d like most of all is to hold you,” he answered in a husky voice, pulling her into his embrace.

  Just as earlier in the day, she forgot everything else. But this time there was a running hurt that nagged. Because of her rejection, she suspected she was losing him and that he would soon go out of her life for good. She threw herself into loving him, feeling that their times together were numbered.

  He stayed the night and she lay in his arms as he slept. She wanted more nights with him, more times for each of them to fall deeply in love. She already was wildly in love with him. Was she making a huge mistake by letting him go? She had almost made a huge mistake in refusing to talk to the Delaneys. Was she doing the same kind of thing here—only more disastrous?

  She could imagine living with Garrett, hoping for a proposal, feeling the insecurity of an affair. She would not bring a child into that tenuous situation. With a sigh she tried to set aside her worries.

  She turned on her side to run her fingers lightly through his chest hair and stroke him. He was sexy, delightful, exciting—and she was losing him. No matter what she decided to do, she would lose him. If she left for New Mexico, she would lose him now. If she moved in with him, she would lose him later.

  What if she moved in with him? She could always move out again if it wasn’t working, or they weren’t drawing closer. The idea tempted her. Her gaze roamed over him, making her pulse race.

  She fell asleep thinking about moving to Dallas and what it would entail. She thought ahead to living there, being with Garrett daily. No one, to her way of thinking, could possibly be as exciting as Garrett was. But then she thought about the years her mother had loved her father, hopelessly. Sophia couldn’t move in now with Garrett. She was already doing so many things with him she had said she would never do. Moving in would be the last step, the most disastrous.

  It was almost six when she awoke to Garrett showering kisses on her. He soon stepped out of bed and began to gather his clothing. “I have to shower and get back. You have appointments today and so do I.”

  He left for the shower without asking her to go with him and she felt a separation beginning.

  When he was dressed to go, she stood just inside the front door with him while he held her in his arms.

  “You’ve been wonderful all weekend. I think you’re going to like knowing the Delaneys. Now you’re part of a family.”

  “It’s awesome and mind-boggling. Something I’ll have to get accustomed to. I liked all of them. Thank you, Garrett, for getting me to that point.”

  “You might have gotten there on your own,” he said lightly, pulling her closer. “The offer is still open. I want you to move in with me. Don’t answer now. Think about it. And I want you to go to Colorado with me next weekend.”

  She nodded, standing on tiptoe and pulling his head down to kiss him.

  Instantly his arms banded her tightly, holding her as close as possible. His kiss ignited passion, branded her as his, became embedded in memory. Shaking, she returned his kiss, trying to convey her feelings in their kisses as much as he had.

  “If I had time, we’d be back in bed,” he said gruffly. “I’ll call you. Go with me next weekend.”

  “We’ll talk,” she said solemnly, feeling tears threaten. His gaze searched hers as if he could see her every thought. He turned and left in long, purposeful strides. In seconds he was gone.

  “Goodbye, Garrett,” she whispered, feeling that she was telling him a final goodbye. In her heart, she felt the budding relationship growing between them was over. Was she ending it? Or would there be this same ending a month or a year from now if she moved in? If that happened, logic indicated a break later, after a long relationship, would be far more devastating than having it happen now. But her heart said a later split with Garrett couldn’t cut any deeper than it did now. She wasn’t going to move in with him and she needed to make that clear to him.

  She closed the door, certain she had ended their relationship. How fragile had it been? How deep did her feelings for him run? Time would tell. It was the first time in her life she had fallen in love. At the moment, she felt like it would be a forever love and that her regret might run incredibly deep.

  In a surprising turn of events, she was beginning to have more empathy for her mother, to understand why she had been true to her father all through the years.

  * * *

  As one of his employees approached to park the car, Garrett’s cell phone rang. His pulse raced as he answered and hoped it was Sophia with a change of heart.

  Garrett tried to hide his disappointment when he heard Edgar’s voice.

  “Garrett, I haven’t talked with Sophia, but I assume all went well in Dallas and her good judgment surfaced?”

  “That’s right. She’s willing to cooperate fully. They all liked each other and got along well.”

  “She can thank you for getting all this to come about. Thank you for sticking with it when she gave you a difficult time.”

  “I wanted to for the Delaneys and after I got to know her, for Sophia, as well. She will benefit enormously and now she has a family that really likes her.”

  “Excellent. I’m glad you’re in her life, Garrett. Sophia is a rare gem and deserves someone special. Take care and thanks. I’m greatly relieved.”

  “Thanks for calling, Edgar,” he said.

  As he headed for the plane with his thoughts totally on Sophia, he realized he already missed her. He wanted her to live with him. He wanted her where he could be with her daily. How could he entice her to accept his offer?

  He flew to Dallas, missing her more with each mile of separation. He had never had a dilemma like this one before. Was he blowing it all out of proportion simply because he wanted her and she had turned him down? It was a first in his life with women.

  He entered his Dallas home and for the first time it felt empty. Another first. Sophia had thrown his life into upheaval in too many ways. He swore and called until he found a friend who was free to catch the last half of the Cowboys game.

  Twenty minutes into the game from his suite overlooking the field, Garrett realized Sophia had wrapped around his life and he could not shake her out of his thoughts by watching a ball game. He missed her and wanted to be with her. As soon as he got home, he planned to call her.

  And say what? What could he say that might change everything for them?

  Ten

  She was in bed when she heard her cell phone. When she saw Garrett’s number, she felt a familiar thrill. “Hi, Garrett,” she said, trying to hide her excitement.

  “I’ve been thinking about you constantly since I left you,” he said gruffly and her pulse quickened.

  “I’m glad you called.”


  “What have you been doing?”

  “Actually, I concluded my appointment about the portrait, and then I haven’t done much of anything except get ready for tomorrow.” And think about you, she added silently. “What about you?”

  “Went to a Cowboys game. They won.”

  “So you’re a Dallas fan?”

  “Yes. I barely saw the game. All I could think about was you and wanting to get home where I could call you in private.”

  Her heart skipped a beat with his answer. “I can’t be unhappy with your answer. It’s nice to hear your voice.”

  “This is frustrating. Talking to you causes me to want to be with you more than ever.”

  “Talking about it makes it even worse.”

  “I agree. I’ll cancel my appointments and fly to Houston early tomorrow if you can cancel your day.”

  “I can’t,” she answered regretfully. “I’m leaving for New Mexico.”

  “Colorado next weekend?” he asked.

  She took a deep breath. “Garrett, I’m not going. I’ll be in New Mexico for an indefinite time,” she said, wondering again if she was making the mistake of her life.

  There was silence. “I miss you, Sophia. Really miss you,” he repeated in a deeper voice.

  “We’ll talk when I get back,” she said, suspecting that this could be goodbye.

  When the call ended, she pulled his picture up on her phone and in minutes was in her studio sketching out a likeness of Garrett.

  “I’ll have this much of you anyway,” she whispered.

  She would miss Garrett. The nagging conviction that if she lived with him he might propose disturbed her. Each time she felt that way and succumbed to that belief, she remembered how her mother had felt that way for years, thinking if she did what Argus Delaney wanted, he would marry her. It never happened.

  But was Sophia willing to risk losing the only man she had ever loved in order to protect her heart?