by Sara Orwig
“I don’t have any idea what you’re babbling about, Miss Silver. I suggest you go home to Dallas before you end up in a psychiatric ward or in jail for stalking me.”
Turning, he strode past her to his car.
Merry watched helplessly, angry that she hadn’t shaken him and he hadn’t admitted one sentence of the truth.
She stood in the sunshine and watched Dorian climb into his car in one of the Wescott executive parking slots. Through his car’s tinted windows, he seemed to look into her eyes and it appeared that he smiled. She couldn’t be certain.
Her fists were clenched and she was breathing hard. As they had agreed, she turned to walk to Claire’s where she would meet Jason.
The moment she stepped into the restaurant’s cool, quiet interior, she reached into the pocket of her suit to switch off the recorder. Claire’s elegant interior and late-afternoon quiet was a relief to Merry. She realized that her nerves were stretched taut, and she took a deep breath, glancing beyond the entryway at the almost empty dining room with its linen-covered tables.
A minute later Jason came striding through the door. He was handsome, walking with an easy, self-assured stride, a faint smile on his face. At the sight of Jason, she forgot Dorian, her frustration and all the dashing of her hopes the past half hour had brought. She longed to walk into Jason’s arms and hold him, to feel his strong arms around her.
“There you are,” he said cheerfully, his easy-going, good nature having returned in full. “Have you been waiting long?”
“No, not at all,” she answered, knowing that he knew exactly when she had walked into the restaurant, and she wondered why he was bothering to create a cover for what they had been doing. No one else except Dorian would know or care.
Jason brushed her cheek with a kiss, hugged her lightly. “Let me get us a table,” he said quietly, and turned to talk to the maître d’.
In minutes they were seated in a corner, and Jason ordered chablis with appetizers of wild mushrooms with grated Asiago cheese. Looking at her over the plate of appetizers, he said, “I can tell—you struck out.”
“Yes,” she replied, scowling and not trying to hide what she felt. “I wanted to reach out and shake him.”
“I’m glad you didn’t. You know what I told you about goading him.”
“I didn’t touch him. He acted as if I was a total stranger to him. Not once did he say anything to indicate he had ever known me.”
“The man’s clever.”
“But such a blatant liar!”
“If he’s our man, he’s done much worse than lie. When we leave here, I want to go to your apartment and hear the tape. Unless you’ll come home with me and let me listen to it there?”
“You can come to my apartment,” she said reluctantly, her thoughts still on Dorian. “I feel as though I’ve failed Holly again. And you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. That was just one gambit and it didn’t work.” Tilting his head to one side, he studied her. “Do you know how long it’s been since I kissed you?” he asked, and his voice lowered a notch.
She smiled. “About ten minutes ago when you came into the restaurant.”
“I mean really kissed you, the way I want to,” he replied in a husky voice that made her pulse beat faster.
“At my door after our date last night,” she replied. “If that’s the kind of kiss you’re talking about.”
“That’s way too long,” he said, taking her hand to brush warm kisses lightly over her knuckles. His kisses made her tingle as much as his words, and she forgot being with Dorian or the frustration she had been feeling. All her attention was on the breathtakingly handsome man gazing solemnly at her.
He raised his wineglass in a toast. “Here’s to tonight.”
She arched her brows and raised her glass to touch his. “Fine. What’s tonight?”
“A special evening with you. Each one is a celebration of my love. I love you, Merry. Deeply, truly, always. Sooner or later you’re going to realize that I’m telling the truth.”
“Jason…” she said, turning to brush a kiss on the back of his hand.
Their roasted king salmon served with a lemon artichoke aioli arrived, and while they ate, Jason talked about his rodeo days when he was in college and immediately afterwards, keeping her laughing and her thoughts off Dorian and the afternoon.
“You and your brothers were a wild bunch!”
“I doubt if we were half as wild as your brother Hank.”
“That’s probably true. Hank has spent a few nights in jail for brawls. You probably charmed your way out of that.”
“I don’t recall charming too many cops, or having to charm them, either. And I seem to be striking out with you when it really counts.”
She smiled at him. “You’re not striking out at all. You’re just not getting your way every single second.”
“I’m not getting my way about anything where you’re concerned.”
“That’s not true.”
“I want you to marry me. I want you to come back home with me. I didn’t want you to talk to Dorian today. Tell me when I get to something where I’m having my way.”
She laughed. “Maybe you haven’t been getting your way quite as much lately.”
“I haven’t gotten my way since I met you.”
“I think you have, a few times. Like, what do you want to do right now?”
“Take you home and make love to you,” he answered instantly.
“Then what are we waiting for?” she said, knowing she was breaking her own rule, but unable to resist him.
He was already on his feet and taking her arm. She smiled at him as she stood. He kissed her lightly and leaned close to whisper in her ear, “I could eat you up right here if you’d let me.”
“Get going,” she said, her heart racing in anticipation. He slipped his arm around her waist as they left the restaurant.
At the door of her apartment, she put her hand against his chest. The May night was cool and beautiful with sparkling stars and a clear sky. Crickets chirped, but otherwise the apartment complex was quiet and far enough from Main that all sounds of traffic were muffled.
“We’ll make love a little while, but I didn’t mean you can stay the night.”
“Merry, that’s not—”
She placed her finger on his lips. “Take it or leave it.”
“All right.”
“And—” she added, and he groaned “—we’ll listen to the recording first.”
“How about last?”
“Nope. Cowboy, it’s time you didn’t get your way about a few things in life.”
“Let’s hear that damned tape, and then I want you in my arms.”
“One more thing.”
“Merry, stop it.”
“You can’t fuss about my apartment. I haven’t decided whether I will take the job with Keith or not, so I don’t want to furnish this until I make that decision. I’m quite comfortable living here, so don’t tell me I should move back with you. Do you understand?”
“Lady, you’ve got more rules than the Texas Senate. But I know what I can do about yours. Come here.” He hauled her into his arms and kissed her. The moment his tongue stroked hers, all of Merry’s pent-up longing for him exploded. Her hands shook as she ran them over his shoulders and through his hair.
“Your key,” he whispered, and kissed her before she could answer or think. When she held up her key, Jason took it from her without pausing in his kisses.
Merry didn’t care, knowing only that he swung her into his arms, pushed open her door, and kicked the door shut behind him. He set her on her feet and began peeling away her clothing.
She removed his as swiftly, wanting him and knowing she was breaking all her promises to herself, yet how could she resist or stop him now?
“Where’s your bed?”
“There isn’t one. There’s a mattress on my patio.”
“The hell with that,” he said between kisses and took her down
on the bare floor with him to roll over and move her on top of him. Merry sat astride, letting him stroke and fondle and kiss her until he shifted her hips and eased her onto his hard shaft.
They rocked together, and she was in ecstasy, deeply in love with this wonderful man. They crashed over a brink. Release, rapture enveloped her and she sprawled over him, both of their bodies covered in a sheen of sweat.
Slowly, their breathing returned to normal. He stroked her back lightly, lifting her hair away from her face. She raised up slightly to look at him. “All right, you got your way again. What did I tell you?”
“Maybe I did this time, but it’s only once out of a hundred times lately. He rolled her over beside him and looked beyond her. “Merry, this apartment doesn’t have one—”
She put her fingers on his lips. “What did I tell you?”
“Okay. I’ll try to keep quiet. I love you, lady. Really love you.”
She hugged him, refusing to admit her feelings, knowing there hadn’t been enough time to prove anything to her yet. She wriggled away and caught up her blouse. “I’m going to shower—alone. Then you shower, and then we’ll listen to the recording. And no complaints from you, because for the last little while, you have certainly gotten your way.”
He snagged her ankle. “Tell me you didn’t like my way.”
“I loved it,” she admitted in a sultry voice. “Now let go.”
“Merry, dammit, woman, I want you.”
“I’ll be back.” She hurried to her small bathroom, shut and locked the door.
While Jason showered, Merry switched on kitchen lights, poured glasses of iced tea, took out the recorder and sat cross-legged on the floor. She had changed to cut-offs and a T-shirt, was barefoot and let her hair hang free.
Jason came into the kitchen. He wore only his jeans and her mouth went dry at the sight of him. She knew she was going to have to struggle to resist him during the next hour.
He crossed the room to her and the desire in his eyes made her hot and tingly and breathless. “Tape,” she reminded him, yet her word came out as a breathless whisper.
“Yeah, sure,” he answered in a husky voice and sat down facing her, sliding his hand behind her nape to pull her to him and kiss her. When she pushed lightly against his chest, he finally stopped.
She switched on the tape, and Jason listened without comment until the end, when she told Dorian he was going to get caught.
“Oh, hell, Merry,” Jason said.
“What? I just told him he would get caught.”
“Then he knows you think he’s the murderer. There’s nothing concerning Holly to get caught about.”
“Of course there is—taking her money.”
“That’s old stuff now and it’s her word against his unless you or Holly come up with some solid proof. Merry, don’t goad him.”
“I was so angry—”
“Just cool it. This man could be incredibly dangerous. He doesn’t know what or how much you know. I’m staying here tonight.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I swear, I’ll sit in the living room. I’m worried about you.”
She thought about the night the bomb exploded and nodded. “All right. Tonight you stay. Tomorrow night you go home. But you stay in the living room and I sleep on the patio.”
“Nope. Not tonight. You sleep in your bedroom where he can’t scale a wall and get to you.”
She shivered and rubbed her arms. “You’re worrying me.”
“Good. I’m glad something is finally worrying you about Dorian.”
She leaned back against the wall and stretched her legs in front of her while they talked about the murder and their suspicions, and conversation gradually changed to other times and places. She glanced at her watch and then stared hard in amazement. “Jason, it’s after four in the morning! I’m going to bed.”
“I thought you’d never ask me.”
“I didn’t ask you,” she said pushing against his chest. “I’ll sleep in my bedroom, and I don’t have a spare air mattress.”
“I’m not going to sleep anyway.”
She didn’t think it was necessary because security was good at the apartment complex, but she didn’t argue, going to the patio to retrieve her mattress and then carrying it to her tiny bedroom.
She fell asleep thinking about Jason making love to her, holding her, showering her with attention and kisses.
The next morning when she awakened, he was gone. He’d left a note, and she read his large scrawl.
I think you’re safe now, so I’m heading home. See you tonight.
With a smile she held his note against her heart. In a few minutes she would get up, but right now, she just wanted to remember the night and Jason.
That morning, Merry called Keith Owens to accept his job offer, and then she began to make arrangements to have her things moved from her apartment in Dallas to her new apartment in Royal.
Merry was no closer to feeling certain about Jason’s declarations of love, but she knew she was miserable seeing less of him. Even so, she kissed him good night at the door Friday after their date and went inside to spend another evening alone.
She closed shutters and switched on a small lamp she’d bought, moving through the empty apartment, her steps echoing faintly as her heels clicked on the bare hardwood floor. She changed to a frilly red teddy, switched off the lamp and lay down on the air mattress. She had washed the new sheets and had them draped on the mattress, but it wasn’t the same as being in Jason’s arms in his big bed, held close against him.
She woke to a terrible racket. Disoriented, she opened her eyes, trying to get her bearings, and remembering the empty apartment.
A band was playing, and someone was singing loudly and off-key. And she recognized the voice.
Twelve
Shocked, she jumped up. As she looked around for clothing, her phone rang. She yanked up the receiver while she grabbed her cutoffs.
“Miss Silver,” came the distraught voice of Willard Smythe, her landlord. “Jason Windover is in front singing—I think to you. Get him to stop immediately.”
“I’m going,” she said, half hearing the landlord, half listening to Jason’s raucous rendition of “I’ll Always Love You.”
“I will give you two minutes, Miss Silver, to put a stop to this infernal cacophony before I call the sheriff. Of course, your neighbors may already have called him.”
“I’m going,” she said, and hung up, yanking up a T-shirt to pull over her head and jamming her feet into sneakers. How could he? “Jason, stop!” she muttered, pushing buttons to open the gates.
Flinging open the door, she raced toward the front gate. Lights spilled over the grounds, banishing the night.
“Stop,” she said under her breath. Jason was exciting, intelligent, capable, handsome, so many good things, but he was definitely not a singer.
“Shut up!” some deep male voice yelled loudly.
She groaned and ran faster, stunned to see a band outside. Jason, dressed in jeans and a plaid Western shirt, held a mike and flowers, and was on his knee while he sang to her.
“I love you,” he called when he saw her. “Will you marry me?”
“Jason, stop!” Sirens screamed in the distance, and in spite of the hour of the morning, a crowd was beginning to appear. As a flashbulb popped, she heard the drone of a helicopter. She had lived all her life with a mother who had a nose for news, and in minutes, Merry knew, they would be on television. In minutes beyond that, Jason would probably be in a police car charged with disturbing the peace.
“Marry me,” he called again.
“Yes!” she yelled. “Just stop singing! Come here.”
The band cheered and gathering onlookers applauded as Jason tossed aside the mike, stood and sprinted through the gates. He wrapped his arm around her waist.
“Let’s go before they haul you to jail, or my family sees me on the morning news.”
They raced for her apartment, running
inside and slamming the door. Laughing, he wrapped his arms around her and held her.
“Jason, you’re crazy!”
“I heard you say yes.”
She could tell him she did it to get him to stop singing, that it was the desperation of the moment. Or she could take a risk, let go of her fears and caution, believe this tall Texan who had stormed into her life, and love him in return.
While he waited, his blue-green eyes searched hers. Taking a deep breath, she stood on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck. “You get your way, cowboy, but you better mean what you say when you tell me you love me. When I marry, I want it to be forever.”
“You’ll marry me?”
“Yes, Jason, I’ll marry you,” she said firmly. “I love you.”
“Ahh, Merry,” he said, letting out his breath. “You’ve made me the happiest man on earth,” he added before he leaned down to kiss her and end all conversation.
Midmorning he held her close against him, propping himself on his elbow to look down at her. “This is a hell of a thing to sleep on.”
“I don’t recall much sleeping since you arrived.”
“Maybe not, but let’s move back to my ranch.”
“Not until we’re married.”
“Lordy, how long to I have to wait?” he asked, groaning.
“We both have families, and I’m the first child to marry in mine and my mother will want a big celebration.”
“You’ll set up vacation time?”
“I will, Keith said I can work at home, so my work hours will still be somewhat flexible. Of course, after last night, I may be evicted from this place.”
“I’m sure you’ll smooth it over and charm that stuffy landlord of yours. He pranced out and warned me he was calling the police.”
“Which didn’t scare you at all. Jason, that was really low.”
“My singing is that bad? Don’t answer. I know it is. I was desperate without you.” He stretched out his arm and pulled his jeans close to search a pocket, withdrawing something. He took her hand and looked at her.
“Sure? It wasn’t just to stop my singing?”
“I’m sure,” she replied solemnly. He slid the dazzling ring on her finger while he kissed her, and in minutes she forgot her new ring as she wrapped her arms around Jason to love him in return.
