Destination Romance

by Barbara McMahon

But she couldn't help her eyes flickering to Michael from time to time, and on each occasion his eyes met hers, his gaze giving nothing away. She couldn't hear the captain, couldn't feel the breeze, nor hear the soft murmur of the water against the hull of the ship. She could only feel the pull of attraction, the longing that filled her in his presence.

  At last it was time to practice what they'd been taught. All tension slipped away as Katie slipped beneath the warm water. She loved scuba diving instantly. It was better than snorkeling because she didn't have to surface. They went deeper than she had ever gone before, though not too many feet down on the first dive. The captain’s assistant accompanied them, pointing out the reef nearby. The coral formations were even more beautiful at the deeper level than near the surface. The water stayed clear and pristine and she could see for yards in every direction, delighting in the beauty of the sea.

  Reluctant to surface when the diving instructor indicated it was time, she broke the water first and looked around for Michael. When his head broke through, she could see his smile, even behind the mouthpiece.

  Once on board, Katie was quick to talk to the captain about how much fun it was and the differences immediately apparent from snorkeling. Michael watched with indulgent eyes, sharing her enthusiasm, watching Katie endlessly.

  After a hearty lunch served on the aft deck, Katie leaned back in one of the loungers.

  'I may never move again,' she said drowsily. 'This is tiring work.'

  'Time for another dive after the two-hour rest,' the captain asked.

  She opened one eye and nodded. 'Count me in. But first a brief nap.'

  'Come on, Katie, we'll take a turn on the bow.' Michael rose and reached out his hand for hers. She looked up, surprised, but quickly rose, taking his hand. He gathered up their towels and sunscreen and walked along the narrow side of the boat to the wide flat bow deck.

  Spreading out their towels side by side, Michael dropped to his, rolling on to his chest.

  'Spread the sunscreen on my back, would you?' he asked, his voice somewhat muffled.

  Katie knelt beside him, pouring some of the lotion in her hands then spreading it across his back. It reminded her of the day they'd played volleyball. She enjoyed touching him, reveling in the feel of his warm skin beneath her fingers, the strong muscles, relaxed now but capable of strength he rarely used. His skin, smooth, dark, stretched tightly over his frame.

  Gradually her touch changed as she watched him. It became more erotic. She used her nails to lightly trail down his back to his shorts, tracing the strong backbone, digging in slightly across his shoulders.

  Without warning, Michael rolled on to his back and captured her wrists with his hands. His eyes narrowed against the glare of the sun, he studied her for a long moment. Katie smiled a slow, seductive smile at the man she loved.

  'What the hell do you think you're doing?' he bit out.

  'Spreading on lotion,' she replied innocently, her look belying her words. 'Shall I spread it on your chest?'

  Michael was silent for a long moment, his tension rising till it was almost tangible. Then he relaxed. 'No, I can manage that. Turn about’s only fair, though. Shall I put lotion on your back?'

  She nodded and moved to pull away, but his hands tightened on her wrists. Slowly, he pulled her hands apart, spreading their arms until she lost balance and fell against his chest.

  She watched as he smiled lazily and reached one hand around to find the lotion and pour some on her back. Slowly his hands smoothed the liquid over her skin, his fingers soothing across her back, up to her shoulders as she lay across his chest.

  With a quick motion, he unfastened the ties holding her top in place and eased the spaghetti-straps from her shoulders. His hands created patterns and whorls of delight across her sensitive skin.

  Katie closed her eyes in pleasure. 'If I were a cat, I'd be purring now,' she whispered, dropping her cheek to rest against Michael's. His hands continued their wandering, caressing her, trailing fire and enchantment over her back.

  He raised her up and her eyes flew open to meet his. Slowly, deliberately, he removed the top of her swimsuit and then lowered her to rest against his chest.

  Her breasts swelled with desire as her hot skin met his. Deep within her Katie felt the hot stir of passion build. She gazed down into his dark eyes, every inch of her being alive to his, wanting more, longing for fulfillment that only Michael could bring. Fulfillment long denied.

  'Do you still feel like a cat?' he asked softly.

  'No...'

  She felt like a woman, alive, on the edge of a great discovery.

  His hands moved to her sides, caressing the soft swell of her breasts. One thumb pushed between to locate her nipple, to bring it to throbbing awareness.

  Katie was weak with pleasure, and hot flames licked deep within her in time to the pulse Michael brought with his touch. She moved her hips in the age-old movement, her eyes glazed with passion, her whole body, her whole being, caught up in his magical touch.

  'Stop that, or I can't be held responsible,' he hissed in her ear. His mouth captured hers, his hand moving her head for his kiss, his fingers tangling in her short hair. His thumb continued its assault and Katie was lost.

  The heat from the sun on her back mingled with the heat from Michael below her and her own fiery core. Blinding light from the sea, the sky and behind her lids illuminated life and the love she felt for this man. Dared she speak of it? Could she speak? Her whole body was entangled with his, caught up in sensations and pleasures. She throbbed in desire and yearning.

  Could she capture this moment for all time? Never end it, never go back to loneliness, unhappiness, and heartache?

  Michael sat up, hugging her close to his chest, catching her between that hard wall of muscle and his strong thighs. His hands petted her, soothed her as his strong arms held her tightly against him.

  Then his grip loosened and he rested her against his legs, one finger tracing a rosy tip, his eyes devouring her. Her lips dry from his kisses, Katie licked them, drawing his eye.

  'I want to kiss you all over, feel the softness of your lips, the hardness of your jaw, trail kisses down your throat, across the swell of your breast, take your nipple in my mouth and feel it grow hard against my lips, my tongue,' he murmured, and slowly his finger traced the point in question, rubbing gently, erotically.

  Katie moaned softly as deep inside hunger grew for this man.

  'Touch you where no one else has ever touched you but me,' he continued. 'Make you mine again and again. But not here, and not now. There’re others around. When we make love, it will be alone, with none to see but ourselves.' His voice soothed her, while his hands inflamed her. She wanted to snuggle against him, seeking more, seeking fulfillment. Her hands entangled themselves in his hair and she tried to bring him to her.

  'Easy, baby, easy does it.'

  She pulled back, tears of frustration swimming in her eyes as she tried to see him. Emotions churned within her. Her body craved his, craved what he denied her, longed for what he refused to give her.

  'Will we ever make love again, Michael?' she asked, longing clearly evident in her face, in her whole body.

  He shook his head, looking beyond her to the bright, shiny sea. 'I don't know, Katie; you hold that key.'

  She closed her eyes, the tears seeping from beneath her lids. Yes, if she slept with him, asked him the favor for Jim. She held the key, but to what unhappiness? He didn't want her? He didn't ask her for himself?

  He held her until she stirred and pushed away, searching for her top. Without looking at him, she pulled it back on and refastened it, then she lay down on her towel, turned away from Michael and let the soothing rhythm of the rocking boat calm her. Tears fell silently on the deck, and before long she drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

  The afternoon dive did not hold the enjoyment that the morning one had for Katie, and by the time they headed back towards Key West she had a raging headache. She'd practically thrown h
erself at him, and he had held her off. If she slept with him, he'd give Jim his recommendation. And then what? Go off with Elizabeth, knowing he'd won? Her head throbbed with tension. She longed for the privacy of her apartment.

  Donning dark glasses, she sat apart from him on the ride back and counted the minutes until she could be alone again. A couple of aspirins and a glass of water— that was all she wanted right now.

  When Katie saw Elizabeth waiting at the dock, it was the last straw. Anger flared against the woman, against Michael. Her head pounded with emotion and it was all Katie could do to be cordial.

  'Thank you, Michael, for taking me diving,' she said stiffly, refusing to meet his eye. Blast the man anyway; why had he ever come to Key West? She had been happy during the months before he came. Now everything was different, changed. Her head throbbed, the sun dazzling against her eyes.

  'The pleasure was mine today.' Was there hidden meaning in his words? She refused to look at him to see, fixing her eyes on the dock.

  Katie didn't see the expression on Michael's face when he first saw Elizabeth; she didn't want to. She only wanted to get away. She stepped on to the dock as soon as the boat was moored. With head held high, she marched to the first cab in the queue, neither by word nor look acknowledging Elizabeth Bowman's presence.

  She felt as if she were holding her breath. Any movement and she would let go and explode. But it was only her tenuous control over her emotions. Soon she'd be in the privacy of her apartment and could relax. If she cried, or screamed with rage, or threw things, there would be none to see. The pounding headache didn't abate. She longed for the coolness and peace of her apartment, away from her friends, away from Michael, away from the problems that now crowded against her, overwhelming her.

  When the cab drew up to her home, Katie stared in surprise at her front porch. Beside two suitcases, in her splendid rose silk suit, complete with diamonds and pearls, waited her Aunt Margaret.

  CHAPTER TEN

  It was too much. Katie was too distraught over Michael to deal with her aunt now. She sat, stunned, in the back seat, feeling totally out of control. Slowly, she opened the car door. She had so wanted to be alone. She wasn't sure she was up to dealing with her aunt, hearing her lecture on Katie's proper place and duties and responsibilities. She wanted to be left alone. Was that too much to ask?

  'Hello, Aunt Margaret,' Katie said formally, climbing the shallow steps and leaning forward to peck her on the cheek. 'I didn't know you were coming.'

  'No, it was a surprise visit. Can you carry my bags?'

  'Of course.' The older woman traveled light—there were only two small suitcases.

  Margaret smiled at her niece regally, following her into her apartment. When Katie deposited her suitcases inside the door, she carefully closed it and turned to face her aunt.

  'I received a rather disjointed letter from you, Katie, and decided I had better come down here and find out what is going on. What with your running off the way you did, and the very brief, uninformative phone conversations we had, I've been very worried about you,' Margaret Harrington said quietly.

  'Oh, Aunt Margaret, I've made such a mess of things!'

  With that, the cool, calm, serene, socially correct Katie Harrington-Donovan burst into tears.

  Her astonished aunt could only stare. She hadn't seen her niece cry in over ten years, not since she was a young teenager. She had no idea how to handle the situation, and could only pat her shoulder and say, 'There, there, Katie. I'm sure it's not all that bad.'

  'It is,' Katie assured her, tears not abating. Everything was just too much. She'd been a fool and now would have to live with the consequences for the rest of her life. She wanted Michael with a passion that was frightening, yet he turned from her and went to Elizabeth. She'd thought she'd known what she was doing, and had only proved she hadn't. The tears wouldn't stop.

  Margaret rose and went to find the kitchen to prepare some tea. It had always worked in the past.

  Ten minutes later she brought in two steaming cups, as Katie finally brought herself under control, lying back against the sofa, drained.

  'Sorry, Aunt Margaret, but I'm so unhappy,' she said. The tissue was wadded in her hands, and tears still slipped through her lips, trailed down her cheeks.

  'So it appears. Now, why don't you tell me all about it? Your letter was totally confusing, and then I get a call from some attorneys saying I'm to receive your property. Michael is selling the house?'

  Katie nodded, tears welling again. She took a sip of the hot tea—anything to escape from the crying bout she couldn't seem to stop. Her heart ached, her head throbbed and the tears kept falling.

  'Well, I'm sorry to hear it. It's a fine place, in such a good neighborhood.'

  Katie giggled unexpectedly through her tears. How like her aunt to think of that. No thoughts to what her niece was going through. It wasn't funny, but her emotions were so raw, she couldn't help it.

  Margaret looked disapproving. 'Make up your mind; is it funny or sad?'

  'Both. Sad that I made such a botch of everything, but funny that you think only of things such as a good neighborhood.'

  'Things like that are important,' Margaret said sharply.

  Katie shook her head slowly, blotting the tears. She looked at her aunt through swollen eyes.

  'No, I don't think they're important. What's important is being with the person you love. Helping that person, sharing with him, doing for him. Not the trappings of wealth, proper social places, or right neighborhoods. If Michael lived in a hovel, I'd still want to be with him.'

  She trailed off sadly and took another sip of tea. Reaching for a tissue, she blew her nose and leaned back again, feeling drained and exhausted. And incredibly sad. Her heart ached, her whole body longed for the unattainable. She had never felt this way before, not even when contemplating leaving Michael. Not when she'd first left Boston. Would it ever fade, not be so painful, or would she carry this with her all her life?

  Margaret was silent, sipping her tea, eyes taking in the cheerful home her niece had made for herself.

  'You have made a nice place here, Katie. It's pleasant. Tell me what's happened.'

  So Katie related her story, telling her aunt of the discontent she had felt in Boston, the neglect of her husband, the dreary rounds of charity events and business affairs.

  She told her of coming to Key West, of how much she'd learned and grown, and of Michael's unexpected arrival.

  'At first, I thought he was the same as ever—domineering, consumed by business. Even though he told me he would change, he didn't. When the office called, he dropped everything to respond.' She realized she'd been deeply hurt by his turning from her that night at the hotel, forsaking her for the call of business.

  'But then he came back, he said he'd turned over the business to his managers and he would stay here with me.'

  'Only you didn't want him,' her aunt said knowledgeably.

  Katie nodded her head, took another sip of tea, her eyes on her cup.

  'I thought I didn't. I was looking for something more than what we had these last few years. But then, he had changed. He seemed different. He wouldn't take no for an answer, kept coming around. Gradually I thought...' She trailed off. She hadn't thought anything until Elizabeth appeared on the scene and she realized she could really lose Michael.

  'Well, what are you going to do about it?' Margaret asked.

  'There's nothing I can do about it.'

  'Nonsense. There's always something to be done. What do you want?'

  Katie stared off into space. Michael had asked her the same question. She hadn't been sure enough to answer him then. Now she was.

  'I want Michael.'

  'Then go and get him.' Her aunt made it sound as easy as shopping for fish.

  'He's met someone else.'

  'Who?'

  'Elizabeth Bowman.'

  'Never heard of her,' her aunt sniffed.

  'She's from New York.'

&nb
sp; 'That hardly matters. He came down here after you, Katie; you just said so. Though why he would I can't imagine. How must he have felt when his wife deserted him?' She shook her head. 'Nevertheless, he can't have fallen for that other woman in such a short time. He's been crazy about you for years.'

  Katie sat up and stared at her aunt. 'What did you say?'

  'You heard me. He's been dotty over you since you were a teenager. Indecent, I thought.'

  'He's never, in all the years I've known him, said he loved me,' Katie admitted, her eyes fixed on her aunt's face.

  'Maybe he's more reserved than I give him credit for. I always thought him a wild, willful young man. Almost brash. Do you love him?'

  'Yes.' Katie knew that with great certainty.

  'And how often do you tell him?'

  Katie was silent, her eyes dropped to the teacup gripped in her hand. She didn't ever remember telling him. Maybe when they'd first married. But then, she had been so in awe of him when she was younger, she couldn't remember if she had ever had the nerve, nor felt he would have welcomed her love. Their life together had been so...so correct.

  During the last few years, she didn't know if she loved him. It was nothing like what she felt for him now, the emotion she rediscovered on Key West.

  The minutes dragged by and Katie finally looked up at her aunt, meeting her gaze reluctantly. 'I can’t remember.'

  'So tell him now.'

  'I couldn't! I couldn't just go up to him and say "Michael, I love you, don't divorce me". Not after all the times I've insisted that's what I want.'

  'False pride,' Margaret snapped.

  'Maybe.' Katie carefully placed the teacup and saucer on the coffee table. 'But I made this mess; I have to see it through.' She winced at the pain in her heart, at the thought of the long, lonely years that stretched out ahead of her.

  'Do you plan to be happy with it?' her aunt asked.

  'I'll get over it,' Katie said forlornly.

  The silence in the room stretched out endless minutes. Margaret sipped her tea, looking at her unhappy niece. Finally she took a deep breath.