Hart, Catherine

by Impulsive

  Ty nodded, grinning. "Yep. What's more, there's a full moon tonight. I ordered it just for you."

  Jess rolled her eyes. "I appreciate it, but please don't break into song again. I really don't need to hear a chorus of 'Moon over Miami.' "

  "How do you feel about mooning Miami, instead?" he teased, his eyes twinkling with merriment.

  Jess grinned back, sidling up to him in a fair imitation of a vamp. "I say we go for it, big boy. We'll double-moon them. And if we send a few pelicans into shock, so be it."

  Jess soon discovered that Ty had planned this weekend adventure very carefully, down to the finest detail. After they had unpacked, showered, and changed clothes, they took a walking tour of the grounds, and through the numerous decorative gardens. There were rock gardens, shell gardens, rose and flower gardens, even a formal English garden—with a multitude of shady arbors, statues, and fountains sprinkled amid the fragrant blossoms, on either side of the winding stone pathways. Trees and shrubs, mostly palms and flowering varieties, dotted the lawn in between the gardens.

  There was no beach along the shoreline at the back end of the lawn. A retaining wall separated the land from the bay. A pier led out to a boathouse. "The realtor seemed relieved when I told him we wouldn't be needing the yacht," Ty mentioned casually, as they detoured the dock area.

  Jess gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Ty, for being so understanding about my phobia."

  "No sweat, sweetheart. You'd do the same for me."

  There was no polo field or golf course, though they did pass a tennis court along the way. A peek into the seven-car garage was enough to send any car buff into a fit of envy. Though only four of the stalls were filled, they held, respectively, a Jaguar, a Porsche, a Mercedes, and a Lamborghini. Ty was like a kid at a candy store window, all eyes and drool. Laughing, Jess finally managed to drag him away from them.

  "Boys and their toys," she said with a wry grin. "You know you can't have one, so why torment yourself?"

  "Why can't I have one?"

  "Because you're going to be an accountant when you retire from football, and you wouldn't want your clients to think you're on the take, would you?"

  He grimaced. "I suppose not, but they sure are sweet to look at, aren't they? Maybe I'll just test drive one, one of these days, just to see how it handles... and smells. There's nothing like the smell of leather."

  Jess chuckled. "So buy an old saddle. It's cheaper. Or a pair of cowboy chaps. Now, I'd really like to see you in a pair of those sometime. Just the chaps. Nothing else but a touch of after-shave."

  Ty wagged his eyebrows playfully. "Ooh! Getting kind of kinky on me, aren't you? That being the case, I don't mind admitting I'd like to see you decked out in leather sometime, too. But no perfume. I want to savor the scent of the leather when you get it all hot and sweaty."

  Their conversation alone was heating her up nicely. It promised to be a sultry evening, Florida temperatures aside. The sun was setting, painting the sky in a swirl of colors, as they returned to the house, hand in hand. Upon reaching the rear terrace, Jess was surprised to find the patio torches had been lit. A small table was already set for an intimate evening meal for two— complete with tablecloth, china, silver, and crystal. A single fat candle flickered softly in the center of a flower-ringed hurricane shade.

  "Who did all this?"

  "Would you believe elves?" he teased, holding her chair and seating her.

  "At this point, I'd believe almost anything," she rejoined.

  Despite her statement, she was caught off guard when a trio of musicians, secreted away in a shadowed corner of the patio, began to play softly, serenading them. Jess's eyes lit up with her smile, and she blushed prettily. "Ty! How marvelous! You really have gone all out, haven't you?"

  "I was hoping you wouldn't find it too schmaltzy," he said with some relief.

  "Actually, it's the most romantic thing that anyone has ever done for me." Her voice wavered slightly as she fought back happy tears. "I adore it, and you for thinking of it."

  Dinner, all seven courses, was an elegantly catered affair, served by waiters who appeared instantly when needed, but remained out of sight otherwise. Jess was duly impressed, with the food and the service, though by the end of the meal she simply had to decline dessert.

  "If I eat any more, I won't be worth anything for the rest of the evening," she warned. "All I'll want to do is sleep off all this delicious food."

  "Then we'll save dessert for later," Ty said, pushing his chair from the table. He came around and helped her to her feet. "Come dance with me. That should work off a couple of ounces, anyway."

  They danced closely, slowly, swaying to the music. The waiters swiftly and unobtrusively cleared the table, their departure practically unnoticed. The night grew darker, the stars brighter, the moon rising full and fat. The scent of flowers and salt air wafted on a light breeze from the bay.

  Jess pillowed her head on Ty's shoulder. He nuzzled her neck with his lips, running his hands over her back and holding her close to him. Finally, with a sigh, he whispered, "I think we'd better send the musicians home, before things get too cozy."

  Jess stepped back, reluctant to release him and this magical moment.

  He brushed her cheek with his knuckles. "I know. Me, too. But there's more to come, sweetheart. Much more."

  Retrieving two goblets and what remained of the bottle of wine, Ty led her off the terrace and into the dimly lit pool enclosure. With a gentle push, he directed her toward a small dressing room to one side. "Your swimsuit should be in there, if you want it. But be forewarned, we're going to wind up skinny-dipping anyway."

  "I think I'll start with the suit," she decided, modesty prevailing, "and let you sweet-talk me out of it."

  Ty's smile promised he would. "I'll wait here for you."

  When she emerged, Ty had already stripped to his skivvies and was standing at the head of a tier of steps leading into the water. Only now, with the pool as a backdrop, did Jess perceive the full extent of the wondrous spectacle Ty had arranged for her. Dazed, she stared in dumbfounded amazement. Dozens of candles had been lit and spaced around the perimeter of the room, their flames magnified as they reflected off the prisms of water shooting up from the fountain in the center of the pool. Multicolored underwater lights further lent to the enchantment, but the crowning touch to this fabulous fantasy were the scores of blossoms floating atop the water. Lilies, magnolias, daisies, roses—all bobbing merrily to the tune of the fountain's spray.

  Without a word, Ty held out his hand. Just as silently, as if in a dream, she went to him. Slowly, he led her—step by step— into the midst of shimmering beauty. His arms enclosed her. Hers wound around his neck, hugging him near as her tears joined the droplets of water drifting down on them.

  "I hope those are tears of joy," he murmured, kissing a salty bead from her lashes.

  "How could they not be?" she replied, her adoring gaze linked with his. "I'm completely overwhelmed! This is unbelievably marvelous! You have to be, without doubt, the most romantic man on the face of this earth, and I'm so happy that you're mine. Here. Now. If I live to be a hundred, I'll never forget this evening or stop loving you for it. With or without armor, you're my shining knight."

  He kissed her quivering lips, tenderly and lingeringly. When at last he raised his head, he said, "Let's make it last, Jess. Enjoy it to the fullest. Feed the fire slowly, steadily, until it consumes us."

  With his arms still around her, he guided her into a lazy, graceful waltz. The water swirled with them, lapping at her breasts in silken waves. The flowers spun like pinwheels, the petals brushing against their flesh like velvet paws. Jess was entranced, caught up in a dizzy haze, where nothing existed but her and Ty in this blossom-bedecked, watery wonderland. She didn't even think to object when Ty unhooked the bra of her swimsuit and tossed it out of the pool—or when he did likewise with the bottoms and his own briefs. It felt too glorious, having the water rush over her bare skin in an end
lessly erotic caress.

  At length, they found themselves standing near the center of the pool, caught in the spray of the fountain. Water rained down upon them as they came together in a passionate embrace. Mouth sought mouth; lips met and meshed. Tongues and limbs twined as, like two sleek otters, one wet body slid along the other in glad recognition. Searching fingertips stroked, fondled, aroused.

  Grasping her by the waist, Ty lifted her. Against her water-cooled skin, his tongue was a fiery torch as it seared a path across her chest. She cried aloud as he tugged her nipple into his mouth, branding her with its fierce heat.

  Wrapping her long, lithe legs around his waist, she anchored herself to him, tugging him nearer. He lowered her slowly, letting her glide down his torso inch by inch until she was fully impaled upon him. She arched backward, relying on his strong arms to hold her as she reveled in the feel of him so deep within her. Water pelted down upon her breasts, exciting her turgid nipples all the more, stoking the sensual flames higher still.

  As Jess lay in his arms, her head thrown back, her breasts thrust upward, her face flushed with passion, she reminded Ty of some pagan princess offering herself to the gods. In turn, the sight of her like this struck a primitive chord in him—the urge to claim, to bind, to merge with her so thoroughly that she would remain a part of him forever, and he a part of her. It was all he could do to remind himself to go slowly, tenderly, to possess her with all the love in his heart.

  Swaying with the gentle buoyancy of the water, he rocked his pelvis against hers. On a needy moan, she answered by shifting her body, lodging him even more firmly inside her, though that should have been impossible. Then she wriggled, rubbing her swollen nubbin of desire against him like a cat in heat, and Ty lost his fast-waning battle for patience. Clamping his hands to her hips, his fingers clutching her buttocks, he set a driving rhythm that soon had them both panting and grasping amid a froth of churning water. Time and again, he surged into her, as far as he could reach. Time and again, she welcomed him with savage eagerness, until at last the dam burst, hurtling them both down the swirling river of rapture.

  When at last they washed up on calmer shores, Ty, weak- kneed and wobbly, couldn't believe he'd actually kept his footing throughout their wild session of lovemaking. By all right and reason, they should both have drowned, or at least taken a good dunking and swallowed a ton of water. To his additional surprise and satisfaction, rather than being traumatized by all the splashing and turbulence in the pool, Jess—the lady with the ingrained fear of drowning—was wearing an expression of total contentment, reclining against him in boneless bliss.

  Pure male pride lent him the necessary energy to carry her out of the pool and lay her on a padded recliner. He flopped down beside her on the tile floor, not even bothering to cushion the hard surface with a towel.

  It was several minutes before Jess ventured weakly, "Ty, we're lying here as naked as Adam and Eve, surrounded by glass walls. We really should go inside before someone happens along and catches us in our birthday suits."

  "I couldn't move right now if my life depended on it. If somebody shoved a lit stick of dynamite between my toes, I'd just lie here and wait for the bang."

  She mustered a chuckle. "We already had the bang, and it was a whopper." Listlessly, she managed to stretch far enough to snag the towels he'd left on the deck and drag them nearer. Keeping one for herself, she flopped another atop his belly. "Here. Cover the important parts, and don't let me sleep past noon."

  "Hah! Think again, sexy lady. You can have a short nap, just long enough to recharge your battery."

  "Then what?"

  "Then I'm going to let you seduce me again." He heaved a theatrical sigh. "Oh, woe is me. Worn to a thread. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it." Before she could reply to that, he said, "Yeah, I know. I'll say it for you. Wagara."

  "So you finally figured it out, huh?"

  "No, but I thought it must fit the situation somehow."

  "Not this time. Not accurately, at any rate."

  "I know what it should mean," he offered. "Women Assess Guys As Really Adorable."

  "Ha!"

  "Really Amorous?" he submitted.

  Jess wagged her hand back and forth, in a maybe/maybenot gesture. "You would certainly qualify on both counts, but I couldn't say the same about other men, or other women's opinions of them."

  "You're prejudiced in my favor," he allowed. "But I'm not complaining." Then, "In honor of the season, does it stand for Witches And Gnomes And Rascals Alert?"

  "Cute, but wrong."

  He tried again. "Whales' And Gorillas' Aptitude Range Achievement?"

  "Not even close, funny man," she drawled past a yawn.

  "World Aggregate Guarding Against Running Amok?"

  Her sole response was a delicate snore.

  Ty's lips crooked in a droll grin. "I really ought to patent this game as an alternative to over-the-counter sleeping aids— best when applied after really great sex."

  CHAPTER 25

  Forty-five minutes later, Ty woke her with a kiss. Before she could rise from the lounger, he slipped a gorgeous silk caftan over her head. It slid down her naked body in a sensual whisper.

  "Ty, this isn't mine. Where did you get it?" she asked, thinking he'd found it in a drawer or closet and mistaken it for hers.

  "It's yours," he assured her. "I bought it specifically for you. Do you like it?"

  "It's beautiful. Thank you. But you're far too extravagant. Just renting this house must have cost you a small fortune."

  "You're worth it," he told her, adding with a wink, "so far."

  He carried the glasses and the wine, and she followed him upstairs, thinking they were headed for the bedroom. Rather, he took the extra flight of stairs to the observatory. In contrast to the rest of the house, this room was strictly utilitarian. No fancy furniture or decorative knickknacks cluttered it. Just a worktable, one straight-back chair, and a super-large beanbag chair. Ty lit the fat candle on the table and dragged the bean bag to the center of the room, pulling Jess down onto it with him. He poured both of them some wine and placed the bottle aside, on the floor.

  "Here's to us, Jess," he said, offering a toast.

  They snuggled together in the semidark, quietly admiring the display of bright stars and the luminous moon overhead. "It's heavenly," Jess sighed in complete contentment. "It just doesn't get any better than this."

  "Don't bet on that," he debated. From the pocket of the robe he was wearing, he withdrew a rolled piece of paper, tied up with a silver ribbon, and handed it to her.

  "What's this?"

  "A star. Your very own star, named after you, and the certificate to prove it. There's also a chart showing where it's located. Later, if you want, we can take a peek through the telescope and try to locate it."

  "Oh, Ty!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck. "How incredibly sweet of you!"

  He indicated the paper again. "You want the stars? I'll get them for you." He pointed toward the sky. "You want the moon? There it is."

  "You're spoiling me terribly," she warned him, lifting her lips to his for a quick kiss. "Moreover, how can I ever reciprocate, when you're offering such grand gifts?"

  "There's only one thing I truly want," he said softly. From the same pocket, he extracted a gleaming long-stemmed rose, fashioned of silver. He held it out to her. "It's hinged. Open it."

  She fumbled with the latch on the side seam until it gave and the rose split in half to reveal a velvet-lined interior. Nestled within was the same exquisite ring she had chosen at the Boston jewelers. Her heart skipped a beat. Did this mean what she hoped it did?

  She didn't have to wonder for long. Plucking the ring from its nest, Ty reached for Jess's left hand. "Will you marry me, Jess? I love you more than I've ever loved any other woman, or ever will again. You're that other half of me that's been missing all these years, and now that I've found you, I don't ever want to lose you. Please say you'll be my wife."
/>   Jess's free hand flew to her chest, as if to keep her racing heart from leaping free. "I must be dreaming," she murmured wistfully. "That, or that knock to your head did more damage than the doctors thought. Ty, you're the one who claimed you needed more time. Are you sure about this?"

  "As sure and serious as death and taxes," he assured her. "I don't need time, Jess. All I need is you, and to know that you feel the same."

  "I do," she breathed. "You know I do. I love you with all my heart and every fiber of my being."

  "Then, you'll marry me?"

  "Oh, yes!" she declared, her eyes glowing with joy. He'd scarcely slipped the ring onto her finger when she launched herself at him, nearly tipping both of them out of their slippery seat. She showered his face with kisses, chattering excitedly between pecks. "Just tell me I'm not going to wake up and find I've dreamed all this, or I'll be totally devastated. Tell me you won't regret this tomorrow. I know there are thousands of women prettier than I am... smarter... richer... with sweeter dispositions."

  "But they're not you," he countered sincerely, holding her at bay by securing her face between his palms as he gazed into her eyes. "Not half as sassy, or feisty, or funny, or stubborn, or exasperating... or downright provocative. Only you have that unique blend of qualities that lures me like a siren's call. I couldn't stop loving you if I tried."

  "Don't try," she pleaded, "because if you ever stop loving me, I'll die of a broken heart. For richer or poorer, for better or worse, you're all I'll ever want, all I've ever longed for— and right now I know I'm the luckiest, happiest woman in the world."

  If anyone had previously predicted that they would celebrate their engagement by making love in an observatory in a multimillion-dollar mansion—in a twenty-dollar beanbag chair— they would never have believed it. But, wallowing in spilled wine, with the heavens smiling down on them, that's precisely what happened. Later, as playful as a pair of lovebirds, they found Jess's star, labeling it their symbol of good fortune.