by Dee Jones
“She’s a complex woman,” Daniel said at last. “I can’t predict what she’ll do when she hears her father’s plans.”
“That’s not what I asked you,” Harold said again. Daniel smiled.
“I would like to think she has feelings for me, but there are moments when I could just turn her over my knee.”
“What would you do with her, once she was there?” Harold chuckled at the wicked gleam that crossed his friend’s face.
“Many wonderful and unspeakable things.” The two men laughed as Harold removed the bottle from his bottom drawer and poured two glasses of whiskey. He knew he would need all the strength he could get before tonight.
“So what time should I be there?” Harold asked after a few moments, again shifting in his seat again, draining the last of the liquor from his glass.
“I’ll send a message. Louise wanted to wait and see how Julia’s doing this morning.”
“There’s something else, isn’t there?” Harold asked his partner watching the frown that crossed Daniel face.
“Strange things have been happening at the stables the last few weeks, and several of the ranch hands have seen a dark haired woman riding away whenever things go wrong.”
“Do you think it was Julia?”
“Not a chance,” Daniel shook his head. “The sightings started before she returned to Kentucky and the problems have been going on for a lot longer.”
“Maybe somebody knows what’s in the will and doesn’t like it. After all, Turner Stables are worth millions. That’s a lot of money to pass over.”
“That’s true, but is it bad enough to try and kill for?”
“I don’t know, Daniel,” Harold replied. “Money does make a powerful enemy.”
“Perhaps; we’ll just have to wait and see what pans out. Anyway, I want to get a few things from my flat,” Daniel added as he stood and walked with Harold into the outer office. “I plan on staying at the ranch for a while longer.”
“For personal or professional reasons?” Harold asked with a raised eyebrow, causing Daniel to smile a half grin.
“I’ll let you know what Louise says,” Daniel said, patting the man’s back.
Harold watched his friend ascend the stairs to the upper level before returning to his office and shutting the door. He sat down at his desk, removing the small key from his inner pocket and sighing as he unlocked the bottom drawer of his filing cabinet and pulled out the folder of papers. He opened the folder and began to flip through the pages, refreshing himself of its contents. With a twist in his stomach, he looked out the window and into the street beyond. Daniel was pulling the small carriage away from the front of the building, waving to his partner as he passed by.
The evening was going to prove interesting to say the least, and Harold was secretly hoping for a reprieve. Maybe Louise didn’t want him out so soon, maybe he could ease into the reading without emotions, maybe Daniel wouldn’t want to strangle him when he learned of the contents of the will; and then again, maybe hell would freeze over in the next two hours and the earth would quit spinning.
Sounds of rustling echoed through the silent room, shuffling feet across the carpet followed by the click of a doorknob all added to a difficult awakening. Julia struggled to open her eyes, focusing on the dimly lit room around her. The curtains had been pulled to allow her to sleep longer, the door shut to block out the noise of the day and the added blanket across her feet to help keep her warm. The whole setup had her mother’s signature to it.
With a frown, Julia struggled to sit up in bed and glanced around the room again. She had a strange sensation she wasn’t alone. The room was empty except for her, no sounds or smells to alert her to anything out of the ordinary; but still, there was a feeling that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She shook her head softly; it was just a lingering image from the night before she assured herself, closing her eyes again as she laid back against the pillows.
Nightmares had filled her dreams with fear and confusion; images of the past and the future being distorted by visions of death. She had dreamed of her father, seeing him riding across the fields on his stallion, until his image dissolved into a wooden coffin that opened up to her. She could hear his voice beckoning her, calling her to him as blood flowed from many roses lying around a gravesite.
Flames leapt up from the bowels of hell to claim her soul, as she heard her brother’s voice repeat his warning, he always wanted to control you and now he has. Your future is over; your life is a mirror of his.
Julia sighed deep, opening her eyes again. Somehow, she had to get out of Kentucky and back to Boston as soon as possible, but the thought caused a giant knot in her stomach.
Thoughts of her mother flashed before her eyes as she considered their futures. Her mother would survive; it’s what she did, always facing each task with a headstrong logic that kept order to life. She could envision Jeremy standing beside an attractive faceless blond, happy and content but far from Kentucky. It all felt so normal, so right. Julia knew they would both be fine, so what caused the confusion? And then another image came into focus and she knew immediately it was the real reason she regretted leaving. Blondish-brown hair and turquoise eyes were going to be very difficult to forget, perhaps even harder to leave.
A knock on the hall door echoed through the silent room, bringing a jump to Julia's heart and a halt to her daydreams. She fought to contain her self-control, but found her forehead suddenly damp and her heart pounding wildly. She unconsciously ran a hand through her long hair, smoothing it from her face as she adjusted her position in the bed, straightening the blankets quickly across her lap. A moment later the door pushed open and Louise poked her head around the corner. She carried a small tray with Julia's breakfast plate and a teapot.
"Good morning darling," her mother smiled; her tone cheerful and light. "How do you feel?"
"Better, thank you mom," she answered, still trying to pull herself under control.
“Are you ready for some breakfast?” Louise placed the tray across her lap, smiling as she sat in the chair next to the bed. A brief hint of disappointment echoed in her eyes as she accepted her mother’s offerings of eggs, toast and bacon with a frowned. It looked less than appetizing and smelled more like the stables, than food, but she had not eaten in many hours and knew she would need something to sustain her.
The two women talked lightly while Julia tried to swallow her food. The doctor had mentioned the shot he gave her would make her 'queasy', but she didn't imagine it would make her down right sick. She struggled to keep the food in her stomach and quickly found her body accepting the offering; the nausea dissolving to nothing more than a slight headache. When the plate was clean and the teapot empty, she was able to broach the subject most important on her mind.
"Do you remember anything odd about yesterday mom?" she asked, leaning her sore head against the mound of pillows behind her.
"Other than your fall? Not that I can think of. Why do you ask?"
"I didn't fall mom," she told her, feeling a strange tightening in her stomach. "Somebody hit me.”
“Daniel was the one who found you and shouted for help,” Louise said with a deep frown. “The only thing near you was the pillow you had been using.”
“I wasn’t using a pillow.” Julia fell silent as the feelings, the noises and the sensations began to flood back to her. “Mom, did anyone see anything out of the ordinary? A stranger, or someone who didn't seem to belong; anyone who maybe have stood out? "
"Well, your Aunt Joyce did mention something about a woman sticking close to the corners, but I didn't take it serious. You know your Aunt Joyce; she’s prone to exaggerations. I figured it was her way of eliminating the competition when it came time for dishing out the inheritance."
"Please don't think I'm crazy, but I think it was a woman who hit me. I fell asleep and when I woke up, I heard a strange noise, like paper rustling. I just figured it was birds outside the window, but the noise got loude
r and when I tried to stand up..." she paused, as she realized the person who had attacked her had been standing behind her the whole time. A chill ran down her spine and a feeling of terror screamed a silent warning between her ears.
"Are you certain about this Julia?" her mother asked softly, a frown creasing her slender brows.
"That's not all," Julia continued; the need to tell her story to its completion, felt overwhelming. "I remember the scent of flowers and a sound of....scraping....like something sliding across the carpet. No, not like that,” she frowned as she tried to remember exactly what the sound was. “It wasn't rough or hard, but it was definitely a scraping sound, and then I felt like I was suffocating; I wasn’t able to breathe and I felt like a weight was on my chest." Louise stood and paced to the open doors of the veranda.
"Do you know what you're saying, child?" her mother asked, softly.
"I know it sounds unbelievable, but it's true. I heard someone and I remember the smell of lilacs."
"Lilacs? There are no lilac bushes around the house." Louise turned and examined her daughter's tortured features. "Could it have been perfume, perhaps?"
"Do you think I'm right? Do you think it could have been a woman, mom?"
"Maybe the same one Joyce said she saw."
"But who could it have been, and why would she attack me?"
"I don't know," she answered, then added softly, "maybe I do." Louise turned as someone knocked on the door, putting a stop to her thoughts. Daniel cautiously opened the wooden barrier, poking his head around the corner and smiling softly at the woman in the bed, then to Louise who stood by the patio doors.
“Am I interrupting?" he asked, taking a step through the threshold. The feeling between the two women seemed thick and tense and Daniel immediately remembered the last time he had witnessed an argument with the two. Louise forced a smile across her lips, and drew in a deep breath to steady her nerves.
"Of course not," she answered. "I was just making certain our patient here, followed doctor's orders and ate some breakfast. Now that you're here, I'll leave her in your care. I have some work to do anyway." She offered her daughter a brief kiss and a gentle squeeze to her arm.
“We’ll talk more later,” Louise promised before turning and leaving the room.
"I didn't mean to do that," Daniel replied, sitting on the edge of Julia's bed. She looked up at him and frowned.
"Do what?"
"Chase your mother off," he explained, gazing into the pale face that stared back at her. "I just wanted to see how you were feeling. Is everything alright?"
"Yes, everything’s fine and I'm feeling much better, thank you, just a bit of a headache."
"You don't sound better. What's wrong?" Julia smiled softly, aware of how easy it was for him to read her mind.
"I'm fine Daniel, I promise. I just need a bath and a brandy, but I don't think my mother will accommodate me on the brandy part."
"Then perhaps I can," Daniel winked, pulling a small silver flask from his jacket pocket. He offered it to Julia, who took it with a frown. She twisted off the top and sniffed it gently and stared at the man with wide eyes.
"It's for emergencies," he told her with a grin.
"Such as?" Julia couldn't help but smile as she put the silver flask to her lips. Daniel watched silently for a moment as she tipped it up and took a long drink.
"Beautiful, accident prone women, mostly."
"I'm not accident prone," she defended herself, handing the man back his brandy.
"Then how do you explain last night?" He knew this wasn't the right way to approach the subject, but now that he had, there was no turning back.
Julia stared at the man for a long moment, before lowering her eyes. "I can't," she told him, briefly. Just when he would have pushed the subject further, the door opened and Louise hurried through followed by three maids. She pointed them towards the wash closet, turning an apologetic grin to the couple.
"I thought perhaps you would like a bath, while you're still awake and feeling up to it."
"She was just saying that same thing." Daniel said as a wicked smile curved his full lips. "I didn't know you two were gifted with mind reading abilities?"
"It's not being gifted, it's called woman's intuition," Julia replied, listening as the maids poured water into the freestanding tub in the adjoining room. Louise cleared her throat, watching the three leave the room before following them out, a sly smile caressing her lips.
"I promise, you won't be disturbed again, dear," she assured them and with that said she left, closing the door tightly behind her.
"Sounds like an invitation if ever I heard one," Daniel whispered, leaning across the slender brunette. Julia tried to scoot away, but was trapped by the man's hand holding the blankets taunt across her legs. She couldn't squirm or move, and once his lips met with hers, she no longer wanted to.
His kiss was tender and filled with a promise Julia couldn't quite comprehend. She cursed herself silently for her lack of experience when it came to men, yet she found her curiosity and desires rising. This man proved to be an excellent instructor. How could he do so many wonderfully wicked things to her heart and mind? She had never known a man, who induced such passion from her with just a kiss.
As she felt his hand gently edge its way up the front of her nightgown, she sighed; his nimble fingers slowly caressing and teasing her erect breast that begged for his attention. Her body responded automatically arching upwards, daring him to going further without knowing what exactly that mean. Her lips parted and Daniel immediately accepted her invitation and deepened his kiss. She knew she shouldn't be doing this; it wasn’t proper. He was her father’s lawyer, a paid employee, but the sudden urge to know as much about these feelings as she could began to heighten her curiosity, begging her to experience them fully; making her feel daring and wanton.
Daniel heard a soft moan escape Julia's throat and knew he was nearing the edge of a dangerous cliff. He had to pull back, he had to push her away, but his body had its own ideas. Instead, he pulled her closer, his tongue darting between her lips, teased and tormented her with unspoken promises as his free hand held her gently behind the neck. His other hand slowly slipped the strap of her gown from her shoulder, allowing her full, firm breast the freedom of clothing. He moved back to her nipple, his hand warm and slightly rough against her tender skin, making the sensations all the more erotic.
He moved his hand behind her head just enough that her head was tilted upward as he deepened his kiss even further. He pinched her nipple softly, rolling the pebble-like flesh between his thumb and forefinger until she moaned. His desires to know her deeper, to explore her more fully was becoming a controlling factor of his mind, forcing him to obey.
He eased the pillows from behind her head, laying her against the mattress gently until she was flat on her back, never breaking his contact with her lips. He stretched out beside her, his long legs pinning her beneath the blankets, as his mouth roamed eagerly across her face and neck. He burned a searing path of heated desire along her collarbone and down her sternum then slowly across her breast to the nipple he had been silently torturing. It was a sensation that made her head spin and she closed her eyes to it, absorbing it fully as she basked in the warmth that spread from the roots of her hair down to the tip of her toes.
Daniel suckled and nipped at the delicate skin until she moaned again, his hand slowly, cautiously moving over her abdomen to the indent in the blankets between her legs. The tight cocoon that encased her became unbearable and Julia found herself struggling to gain freedom from its confines. Daniel misunderstood her actions and quickly broke his contact with her, easing his long frame off the bed. He ran a large tanned hand through his blondish-brown hair, trying hard to pull himself under control.
"I'm sorry Princess," he told her in a deep husky whisper, still looking down at her; his eyes absorbing the sight of her breast, pink from his assault on it. "I had no right to do that."
"I didn't mind," s
he said, hearing the husky shake in her own voice.
"Go take your bath," he ordered, his voice a soft growl. "I'll give you some privacy."
"No!" Julia started at her own desperation, but couldn't stop the panic from tearing through her voice. She stood up out of the bed so quickly; she nearly toppled back down, her head spinning, her eyes distorted for the briefest of moments.
"What is it?" Daniel came back to her, putting his hands firmly on her shoulders as he raised the strap to hide her chest from his eager eyes.
"Julia, what's wrong?"
"I...just don't want...to be alone," her hesitation made the frown he wore, deepen. "Please stay. I won't be long, just please don't leave me."
"I won't go anywhere," he assured her with a suspicious expression etching his handsome features. The need to protect her outweighed his present need to seduce her, as the only thoughts that he could envision was her lying on the floor unconscious, blood dripping down her forehead. He groaned inwardly, his emotions were a jumbled mess, tangled between desire, passion, confusion and the urgent need to comfort and protect. God, what she did to him was lethal.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, after a moment. "I guess I just over reacted."
"Are you ready to tell me, what it was all about?" He slipped his hand around her cheek, tipping her face up so he could look into her tear filled eyes.
"I just didn't want to be alone, that's all," she lied, with a soft blush. "Besides, I thought all men wanted see women undress?"