The Calamity Janes

by Sherryl Woods

  “Slow down,” he said softly. “We’re not in a race to the finish line.”

  “Oh? I thought you had something to prove.”

  “I do,” he said, amusement tugging at his lips. “Just not in the next five minutes. Where’s Caitlyn?”

  “She has a swimming lesson this afternoon. After that, the housekeeper will take her out for dinner.” She glanced at the clock. “Which gives us approximately two hours.”

  Ford winced, then retrieved the bottle of wine and finished opening it. He poured them each a glass. He handed one to her, then touched his to it. “Then I suggest we postpone this experiment of mine.”

  Emma felt an immediate letdown, followed by a quick flash of annoyance. “You want to postpone this? Why? It was your brilliant idea.”

  “Because you’re a nervous wreck, and the timetable’s a little too tight for my comfort. When you and I finally get together, I want us to have all the time in the world, not a two-hour deadline that could be cut even shorter by the unexpected arrival of a six-year-old.”

  She sighed at the explanation. He was right. Thank heavens one of them was using his head. How exasperating that it was Ford. “Okay, now what?”

  He arched an eyebrow conspiratorially. “Now we have a glass of wine—” he grinned “—maybe a little less for you, and talk. Maybe you can give me a tour of your house so I can imagine you here when I’m back at the hotel in my lonely bed.”

  “You’re staying at a hotel?”

  He nodded. “I think it’s best.”

  She actually hadn’t considered the arrangements he might have made in order to come here. The fact that he hadn’t counted on staying right in her house with her made her feel better. He might have been confident about tonight, but he hadn’t taken her acquiescence for granted.

  “For how long?” she asked.

  “A day or two, until I have to get back to pull next week’s edition of the paper together.”

  She struggled with a surprising surge of disappointment. Somehow in the past few minutes she had warmed to the idea of having him around, seeing how he fit into her life.

  He set his glass of wine on the counter, and then beckoned to her. “Come here.”

  Eyeing him warily, she stepped closer. He took her glass of wine and set it beside his own, then leaned down to cover her mouth with his. His lips were cool and tasted of wine, but in mere seconds they heated as the kiss went on and on. When he finally pulled away, Emma was shaken.

  “I thought you said there wasn’t enough time,” she whispered.

  “There isn’t, not for anything more than this,” he said, then tasted her again.

  Maybe because she was away from Winding River and on her own turf, she relaxed and let herself feel all of the sensations that his kisses stirred in her. She swayed into him, wanting more, needing to feel the heat from his body surrounding her. Her fingers slid up the column of his neck, then buried themselves in his hair as she clung to him.

  The kiss was…magic. Light as a fantasy one minute, it turned to something dark and mysterious and dangerous the next. Because it was all she was likely to have for now, she savored every second, every nuance. When his tongue traced the seam of her mouth, she jolted, then parted her lips on a sigh. The invasion that followed was bold, primal and hot as a flash fire.

  When Ford moaned and drew back, she felt shaky and bereft.

  “No,” she whispered. “More.”

  “Darlin’, any more and we’re likely to find ourselves in a whole lot of trouble.” He picked up her wine and held it out. “Have a sip.”

  Dutifully Emma took a sip, but his kisses had been far more intoxicating, far more satisfying. Her gaze met his. “It’s a poor substitute,” she murmured.

  He grinned. “Glad to hear it.”

  Emboldened by the heat still simmering between them, she said, “Since your plan has gone so wildly awry, want to hear mine?”

  “Sure. I’m not afraid to let a female take charge.”

  “Caitlyn will be in bed by nine. The housekeeper is back and she lives in.”

  “Sounds crowded.”

  “Your hotel room won’t be,” she said with an unwavering gaze.

  He seemed surprised. “Then you haven’t had second thoughts?”

  “I can barely think at all,” she conceded. “If there’s a way to make this off-kilter feeling go away, I want to try it.”

  “Is this the best time to make a decision, then?”

  She studied him with a narrowed gaze. “You aren’t the one having second thoughts, are you?”

  “After those kisses, are you kidding me? Not a chance.”

  “Well, then?”

  “Okay, the hotel it is, on one condition.”

  “Which is?”

  “You let me buy you dinner first. I want to take you someplace elegant. I want to see you all decked out in something slinky and sexy and sophisticated.”

  Emma was too impatient for that. “How about a compromise?”

  “Name it.”

  “Room service and my prettiest negligee?”

  Ford looked as if he might be having difficulty breathing. “We have to wait till nine, huh?”

  She found his impatience reassuring. “I could leave a note. I can call Caitlyn from the hotel to tell her goodnight. Unfortunately she is all too used to me having to work late.”

  Ford shook his head. “But for once you’re here before she is. I don’t want to spoil that for her. We’ll leave right after she goes to bed.”

  “You’re going to stick around?”

  His gaze narrowed. “Don’t you want me to?”

  “I’m not sure how I feel about her knowing you’re here. She already likes you. I don’t want her to get the wrong idea. I don’t want her to count on you. Her father’s let her down so much—I don’t want to add to her disappointment in that arena.”

  He looked as if he might argue, then nodded. “You’re probably right. Once you and I figure out where we’re headed, then I can spend more time with Caitlyn.”

  Emma studied him with surprise. “You almost sound as if you’re looking forward to that.”

  “Why wouldn’t I? She’s a great kid and she has excellent taste in men. She already likes me.” He planted a hard kiss on Emma’s lips. “I’ll be back at nine on the dot, but I’ll wait outside in case she’s not in bed on time.”

  “I can drive over or take a cab,” she offered as an alternative.

  He seemed amused by her last grasp at control over the situation. He shook his head and brushed a curl back from her cheek. “I don’t think so. When I have a date, I pick the woman up.”

  With one more kiss, he was gone.

  Emma made it through Caitlyn’s bedtime ritual with a knot in her stomach the size of Wyoming. The edgy anticipation she had been feeling for the past few weeks around Ford was now a commanding, consuming presence. The story of Cinderella and the handsome prince took on a whole new meaning as she read it to Caitlyn.

  “Mommy, I thought you were tired of that story. You said we read it too much,” Caitlyn murmured sleepily. “How come you picked it tonight?”

  “Because I know you love it,” she said, leaning down to brush a kiss across her daughter’s forehead. “Sleep tight, angel. I love you.”

  “Love you, Mommy.” Caitlyn sighed and snuggled under the covers.

  Emma stood in the doorway staring at her for a moment, thinking about how lucky she was and how often she took her precious little girl for granted. That was one more thing she needed to work on as she tried to get some balance back into her life.

  And speaking of balance, she thought with a renewed surge of energy, Ford was likely to be waiting outside for her by now. She was just about to run down the stairs when the doorbell rang. Surprised, she hurried to answer it before it woke Caitlyn. She opened it to find a police officer and a sheepish-looking Ford on the doorstep. Mrs. Harrison arrived from the kitchen at the same time.

  “What’s going on?” E
mma asked.

  “There was a strange man loitering in the driveway. I didn’t want to come upstairs and mention it in front of Caitlyn, so I called the police,” the housekeeper said, scowling at Ford. “Young man, you ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

  Emma had to try very hard not to laugh. “I’m afraid there’s been a mistake,” she told the policeman. “Mr. Hamilton is a friend of mine.”

  “You know him?” Mrs. Harrison asked, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Then why on earth was he lurking in the bushes?”

  “I suggested he wait for me outside until I had put Caitlyn to bed. Mr. Hamilton is one of her favorite people. I was afraid seeing him might make her too excited to sleep.”

  “Oh, dear, I’m so sorry,” Mrs. Harrison apologized.

  “Not a problem,” Ford said. “It’s good to know you’re so protective of Emma and Caitlyn.”

  “That’s right,” the policeman said. “Better to be safe than sorry. If everything’s okay here, I’ll be on my way.”

  “Thank you, Officer,” Emma said.

  “I’ll go on up to my room now,” the housekeeper said after casting one more apologetic look at Ford.

  “Keep an ear open for Caitlyn, will you?” Emma requested. “Mr. Hamilton and I are going out for a while.”

  “Of course,” the housekeeper said, giving Ford a more careful survey. “You two enjoy your evening.”

  As soon as they were alone, Emma grinned at Ford. “Never a dull moment when you’re around me, huh?”

  “Since you rode to my rescue, I have a feeling this will make a good story down the line. We can tell the grandkids all about the time Grandma almost had Grandpa arrested.”

  Emma’s heart lurched at the teasing remark. “Let’s not mention the word grandkids just yet. I’m still grappling with our plans for tonight.”

  “Want to cancel?”

  And go through this panic all over again another night? Not a chance. “No way,” she said. “Just let me grab a few things.”

  It took her less than ten minutes to gather what she needed. Ford eyed the small bag with surprise. “That’s it? You going to court naked in the morning?”

  “I’ll be back here long before then. Is that a problem?”

  He regarded her with disappointment. “You’re going to crawl out of a warm bed to come home in the middle of the night?”

  “Yes.” Even though she was likely to leave the house before Caitlyn got up in the morning, it was a point of honor with her not to be out all night.

  “Let me guess—because of Caitlyn,” he said.

  Emma nodded.

  He held out his hand and took the bag. “Then I guess we’d better make the most of the time we have.”

  Emma released the breath she’d been holding.

  “We’ll take my car,” Ford announced when Emma had written a note with the hotel phone number and left it on the refrigerator door for the housekeeper.

  “Are you sure? How will I get back? You shouldn’t have to get out of a warm bed, just because I have to.”

  “Yes, I should. We’ve already been over this. The decision is made. I’ll bring you back,” he promised.

  When she was about to argue, he touched a finger to her lips. “It’s a date, Emma. That’s how it works. You got to set the rules for the interview. I get to set them for our first official date. Besides, I don’t want to have to wait an extra five seconds for you to get there, much less ten minutes while you dawdle along behind me talking yourself out of coming like you did earlier this evening getting here.”

  “I did not dawdle coming home earlier.”

  “Didn’t you?” he challenged.

  “Okay, maybe a little.”

  “There you go,” he said. “Was that so hard? You can be scared, darlin’. The honest truth is I’m a little uneasy about all of this myself.”

  “You? Why?”

  “You’re a formidable woman.” He grinned. “What if I’m not exciting enough for you?”

  Emma laughed. “Oh, I don’t think we need to worry about that. I’m on the way to your hotel room, aren’t I? Trust me, it’s not something I’m likely to do on a whim.”

  Ford’s expression sobered at once. He reached for her hand and held it as he drove. “Me, neither. I don’t know what any of this means, but I know it’s definitely not a whim.”

  Emma had a feeling that discovering exactly what was going on between them was going to take a whole lot longer than one night in a hotel room, but maybe Ford was right. Maybe it was a good place to start.

  The negligee never made it out of her bag. Nor did they so much as glance at the room service menu. In fact, by the time they reached the room that Ford had reserved at a fancy downtown hotel, the only thing on Emma’s mind was discovering if the feelings he stirred in her meant anything at all.

  It didn’t help that the first thing she saw when they entered the room was a king-size bed, topped with a luxurious comforter that had already been folded down for the evening. There were mints on the pillows. Though the room was spacious, the bed dominated it. She couldn’t have ignored it if she’d tried.

  Unable to tear her gaze away, she wandered straight to it and sat gingerly on the edge, then bounced.

  “Nice mattress.”

  Ford grinned. “I’m glad you approve.” He sat down next to her, captured her chin in his hand and turned her head until he could kiss her.

  Ironically, that kiss seemed to settle her nerves, but only for a fleeting second. Then all hell broke loose inside her as he deepened it, claiming her in a way no man ever had. Her senses were scrambling by the time he released her. She gazed around, feeling dazed, and was stunned to discover that she was still sitting on the edge of the bed, fully clothed. She felt as if that kiss alone had taken her straight to some sort of precipice and tossed her over.

  “Hungry?” Ford asked.

  Mutely she shook her head.

  “Want to change?”

  Again she shook her head. “This is what I want,” she said, reaching for him.

  Ford accepted the challenge. He made love the way he did everything—slowly, intently, methodically. He studied Emma as if she were the most unique, precious female he’d ever encountered, his gaze on her heated, his touches inflaming, his exploration of her body daring.

  Another siege of gentle kisses gave way to all-consuming kisses that stole her breath. When her mouth felt tender and swollen, he seemed to know. He moved on to her neck, then brushed aside her blouse to reach the curve of her shoulder. The sensation of his lips against her skin was amazing. The liquid fire created as his tongue tasted her made her quake deep inside.

  But that was all a warm-up for the attention he paid to her breasts. His gaze solemn and intent, he removed her blouse completely, then slowly reached around her to unclasp her bra. As if it were some sort of erotic ritual, he carefully slid the straps over her shoulders, then freed her breasts from the confines of the lace, all without touching her with anything except his eloquent, heated gaze.

  Only then, when her heart was pounding in anticipation, did he actually touch her. With a single finger he stroked down each gentle slope until he reached the pebble-hard bud. Emma felt as if she’d been holding her breath forever by the time he took the sensitive peaks deep into his mouth. She moaned softly and arched toward the source of the incredible sensation. Ford took his time satisfying her, taunting her with a delicate flick of his tongue, then, finally, a more powerful suckling that shot fiery heat straight through her.

  He studied her with a lazy, hooded gaze. Then, seemingly satisfied, he eased her skirt over her hips and tossed it aside until all she was wearing were her panties, a garter belt and hose. The heat in his eyes as he realized what she was wearing was enough to sear her.

  He took his own sweet time acting on it. She was restless and overheated by the time he began a whole new exploration with his hands. Light, gliding caresses became ever more deliberate and clever. His hands were amazingly wicked
, the brush of his lips provocative, the stroke of his tongue even more so.

  In short, the man was driving her mad. Her shuddering gasps apparently weren’t enough for him. Nor did he seem satisfied that her body was arching frantically toward his. Sighs of pleasure, desperate moans, nothing seemed to be enough for him. He wanted more from her, demanded it, coaxed her until she reached some new, impossible level of need.

  Only then did he allow her to unbutton his shirt and shove it frantically aside so she could touch the hard planes of his chest. Only then did he permit the slide of his zipper, the release of his throbbing arousal.

  She couldn’t wait for more. “Now,” she pleaded. “Ford, hurry. Inside me. I want…come with me, please.”

  She must have communicated the urgency, because he kicked aside his pants and entered her with a hard thrust that made her gasp at the sheer wonder of it. Her fingers dug into his tight, hard bottom as she held him in place, wanting to exult for just a moment in the sensation of being filled so completely.

  Then he began to move with a rhythm that teased and tormented, just as his touches had earlier. Slow, fast, then slow again, until she thought she would scream. When the magnificent release washed over her in wave after wave, she did scream, the sound muffled only because he captured it with another devastating kiss before he joined her with a shattering climax of his own.

  When the shudders eased, she fell back against the pillows, exhausted and tremulous. She had never experienced that exquisite, careful attention to her pleasure before, never flown quite that high…or returned to earth quite so reluctantly.

  Because now that it was over, she knew that despite this amazing moment in time they had shared, two things hadn’t changed.

  First, Ford was still a journalist. And she was still terrified to put her faith in his integrity. As long as Sue Ellen’s fate hung in the balance, that would always stand between them.

  Second, and just as troubling, she wanted him even more now than she had before they’d made love.

  Chapter 14

  Ford was still recovering from the most shattering release of his entire life when he realized that Emma was scrambling out of his bed as if she’d just remembered a life-or-death appointment. Unfortunately he had a hunch something else entirely was motivating her hurried departure. He reached for her hand and held on tight. She stilled at once, but he could sense the tension swirling through her as she sat on the edge of the bed, her rigid back to him.