by Helen Conrad
He grinned, barely restraining himself from laughing aloud. One hand left her shoulder and caught her chin, forcing her to meet his sparkling eyes. “I’ve always considered myself one hell of a man, Kelly,” he admitted. “But this is ridiculous.” He shook his head. “I didn’t go to Sugar for that.”
She felt relieved and resentful at the same time. “Then why did you go to her?” she asked in a small voice.
“She needed help.” Actually, the two men had told him Jasper had decided to make a determined assault on her affections tonight, that he was threatening her with dismissal from the dinner show if she didn’t cooperate. Monty was out of town so Sugar had sent the men out looking for Cody, her only resource. And Cody had obliged, as he always did. “I had to rescue her from a dragon.”
“Oh.” She believed him. Funny that she believed everything he said.
His fingers tightened as he stared down at her, searching her eyes, hungrily tracing the curved planes of her face. Slowly, he lowered his head and kissed her lips, a brush of a kiss, a kiss so soft, so warm and tender that it almost broke her heart.
“Do you want to know a secret?” he whispered, his lips still so close, she could feel his breath curl around her. “I haven’t been with another woman since I met you.”
It was something Kelly didn’t like to think about, his being with other women, but now that he’d brought it out in the open, she felt a surge of joy.
She gazed up at Cody, her eyes full of how she felt. “Why not?” she whispered, greedy to hear him confirm it.
He hesitated, and then the humor was back in his eyes. “I’ve been saving myself for you,” he told her.
A gurgle of laughter came halfway up her throat, but then his mouth was on hers and his hands were on her shoulders again, sliding the straps down, down her arms, over her fingers, and as she reached up for him, she felt the silky fabric of her nightgown flow down her body to lie in a puddle of pale blue on the floor.
“Silk and moonlight,” he murmured, watching his hand move across her translucent skin. Closing her eyes, she let her head fall back, let him explore her. His hand closed on her breast, then flattened and moved down across the delicate mound of her stomach. “I’ve been saving it all for you, Kelly,” he breathed against the skin of her neck. “I want you more than anything else.”
“Me, too,” she whispered, gasping at the feel of her nakedness against his.
She was up in his arms, her cheek resting against the hot hardness of his chest. He found her bedroom without being told, and laid her on the dark blue bedspread.
“Cody,” she whispered, reaching for him. She was moving as if in a dream. She heard a metallic sound and when she opened her eyes, she saw that he was pulling the belt from around his hips and dropping it on the floor. His jeans went next, and then the briefs, sliding down to reveal a dark, mysterious part of him that made her shudder with anticipation and longing. “Oh Cody, please....”
She stretched out her arms as he came over her, pushing back her hands. “Just take it easy,” he told her, his voice husky with his desire. “Take it slow.” His hands began to move on her body. “Just close your eyes and let me love you,” he whispered.
She closed her eyes, shutting out the night, and all she could feel, all she knew was his hands. They stroked across her, back and forth, smooth and impudent, finding every hidden sensation, discovering where she was warmest, where his fingers could conjure up delight that made her whimper for more. Then his lips followed suit, caressing, nipping, tugging, his tongue stroking again and again against her nipples. Kelly began to move like a wild thing, all need for him and nothing more.
“Cody,” she demanded, her voice hoarse, her eyes wide. “Now. Come to me.” Her fingers dug into his flesh, forcing him down on top of her.
“Not yet,” he began, but she growled low in her throat and arched her hips beneath him, her hands going behind his buttocks and grasping firmly.
“Now!” she insisted, and with a groan he unleashed the male power he held and entered her. She cried aloud with relief, but almost immediately the need rose again, coming in waves that built upon each other while her hips moved in a demanding rhythm.
His breath came in a series of gasps as he lost control, surging inside her again and again. But she’d caught the wave, and she was with him, crying out each time with a more desperately aching joy.
They lay tangled together for a long time, until their breath was soft and even again. Kelly closed her eyes and tried to make the moment last. Afraid he might leave, she hoped he would fall asleep so that she could keep him with her all night. She’d never felt this way before, she realized suddenly. Tim had hardly ever waited for her the way Cody had. She’d never known it could be so... She shuddered, unable to face the whole of what it had been.
“Cold?”
She turned to face him and smiled a slow, sleepy smile. “Are you kidding?” she whispered. “I don’t think I’ll ever be cold again.”
His laugh was deep in his throat. One hand reached out and covered her naked breast. “Let me know when you’re ready,” he said softly.
She leaned on her elbow and propped up her head. “For what?” she asked innocently.
He sighed. “To do it again.”
“What?”
He opened his eyes and looked at her. “Did you think there was a rule that you could only do it once a night?” he teased.
“No, but...”
“All night long,” he promised, reaching over to pull her onto his chest. “As often as we can. I’m not going to quit until I have to.” He kissed the top of her head, burying his face in her scattered hair. “Or until you beg for mercy.”
Kelly looked at him. She felt so close to him. Funny. She’d never felt close to Tim this way. She’d known all about Tim, known his family and friends and what his childhood was like, but she’d never felt as though she could connect with the real man her husband had been. And here was Cody, a man she hardly knew at all, a man who lived a life completely alien to her experience, and she felt as though she knew him through and through.
That was an illusion, of course. She didn’t really know him at all. All she knew was that he was a gambler with some pretty loose ideas of right and wrong. And that he was kind to people less fortunate than himself, that he liked girls, women loved him, he could play baseball, and that he made her feel better than anything or anyone ever had.
That wasn’t much. She looked at him speculatively. Maybe it was time to ask a few judicious questions.
“Is gambling the only thing you’ve ever done?” she asked suddenly.
He raised his eyebrows, but smiled. “No. I used to do other things.”
“Like what?”
He stretched back and chuckled. “I used to run an ice cream parlor.”
“You what?” She’d expected surprises, but this was going a little far. “I don’t believe you.”
“I really did. In Lake Tahoe. I was about nineteen or twenty at the time. My sister was trying to get me interested in legitimate work, so she bought me a franchise.”
Kelly laughed and reached out to trace designs on his chest with her finger. “I can’t imagine you doing that. Did you wear one of those little striped caps and an apron?”
“Not often.” He grinned. “I had a hard time keeping my mind on the business. I just didn’t have the knack for the work. I kept getting strawberry ripple on the sleeves of my best suits. My ice cream days didn’t last long.” He sighed, remembering. “But I sure did love that Rocky Road.”
“What happened?”
He sobered. “I did something that wasn’t very nice. I sold the franchise to stake myself on the poker circuit. My sister was furious, but she understood in time. I’ve paid her back every penny, with interest,” he added.
“Oh, Cody.”
He looked into her eyes. “She tried hard to get me to become respectable,” he said clearly, as though he wanted to make sure she understood, “but gambling is
my life.”
Kelly had known that from the first. So why did it always give her that little feeling of going over a bump in a fast car and leaving her stomach behind whenever he said something like that?
“I think I would like your sister,” she said softly.
He nodded. “I’m sure you would. Claire’s a lot like you.” He chucked her under the chin. “Bossy.”
She flashed him a look. “Does she live here in Vegas?”
“No. Claire ended up marrying a mountain man, even though she hates the mountains. He’s a writer, but he spends most of his time in the wilderness, and she always swore that was the last thing in the world she would ever do. She loves the city.”
Kelly felt a little chill. “Is she happy?”
“Deliriously. Her son from her first marriage, Patrick, is in college now. And she and Cord have the twins, so she’s got people to keep her busy bossing.”
Strange how relieved his answer made her. If he’d told her his sister was unhappy, having married a man unlike the type she’d thought she needed, it would have been devastating. Kelly didn’t yet want to think through the reasons for that. “Why do you call her bossy?”
He turned onto his stomach and she began to rub his back. “Because she is. She likes to run everybody’s life. She always thinks she knows just what’s going to make everyone else happy. It’s just because she loves them so much. But you’ve got to fight back every now and then, like I did.”
She let her fingers trail down his spine. “Does she still hold it against you?”
He grinned. “Sure. Now she’s trying to get Patrick interested in being a lawyer, and all he wants to do is be a jet pilot.”
Kelly liked the way he seemed to love his sister. In fact, for a man who made his living among some of the toughest hombres around, Cody seemed to have more than his share of an affectionate nature. She felt a wave of feeling for him. With her hand, she gently pushed back the hair on his forehead.
“Is Cody your real name?”
She could feel him stiffen beneath her touch. He turned to look into her eyes, his own wary once again. “My full name’s Brian Cody Marin,” he said shortly. “Why all the questions? You work for the FBI or something?”
His tone stung her. “Why, do you have something to hide from them?” she shot back, pulling away from him.
His face hardened, then slowly relaxed. “Hey!” He touched her cheek. “I’m sorry. Ask me anything you like. My life is an open book. For you, anyway.”
It only took that much to erase the flare-up and bring back the easy laziness they’d been sharing, but Kelly knew she’d been warned. Cody lived close to the edge. He had to be careful of how much he revealed to others who could use that information against him. She was going to have to keep that in mind and give him some space. Just one more rule for the road.
Chapter Eight
Was it just her imagination, or was the sun really shining brighter today? Kelly took a deep breath, drawing in all the fresh air she could get. The grass had been cut recently enough to leave a lingering scent. The mountains looked redder and blacker. Everything was great.
She set about opening the canvas bag and getting out the mitts and balls. It was Saturday and time to play the Blue Meanies. People were just beginning to arrive in the parking lot. It was going to be a glorious day.
She and Cody had been together almost constantly for the last two days. She was moving in a dreamworld and she knew it, but it was oh, so sweet. She was in love.
There. She’d actually said it to herself.
“What are you grinning about?” Tammy had come up behind her, holding the bats. She stared suspiciously at her mother.
“Oh, nothing,” Kelly said, but before she could stop herself, she was humming.
“Mother! It’s bad luck to be too happy before a game.”
Tammy turned away to greet Heather, who was coming in from the parking lot. Kelly hummed more loudly, just for fun.
“Excuse me.” A young man suddenly appeared near the bench carrying a large brown box. “Are you Ms. Carrington?”
“Yes.” Kelly nodded. “What can I do for you?”
He dropped the box on the ground and pulled out a clipboard. “Sign here, please.” He held out a pen for her.
“What is it?” Kelly pushed at the big box with the toe of her shoe. “Who’s it from?”
“No return address,” the deliveryman said impatiently. “Sign here, please.”
Kelly signed and he ran back toward his truck. “What is it?” The girls were crowding around.
“It’s addressed to the Rockin’ Robins, care of me,” Kelly said. “You might as well go ahead and open it.”
They did, tearing paper and throwing cardboard all over the place. As they got down to the contents, squeals of delight began to emanate from the box.
“Look, Mom!” Tammy held up a white uniform with red pinstriping. “We got uniforms! There’s one for each of us! They have our names on them!”
“What?” Kelly stared, bewildered. She hadn’t ordered any uniforms. And she couldn’t imagine any of the parents being magnanimous enough to make a gesture like this. “Let me see those.”
By now each girl had one and most were dancing up and down, holding the uniforms up against their fronts. Tammy held hers up and looked at the back. “Mom,” she said, a warning note in her voice. “Look.” Suddenly a hush fell on the group as each girl glanced over and saw what was printed on the back.
The letters were huge, gaudy, sparkling red and silver, and they spelled out Marquis Casino in no uncertain terms.
“Cody,” Kelly breathed. “Oh, no!”
“Look, Mom,” Tammy said, holding up a shirt that said Coach over the pocket and had the same casino name on the back. “There’s even something for you.”
She could feel the rumble of the impending storm from the beginning. At first it was just whispers as the parents began to get a look at the uniforms. There were louder comments, then a buzz of excited talk began to fill the air.
“I’ve never seen such an outrage in my life. I won’t have my daughter wearing any such thing. Why, it’s a walking advertisement for gambling and debauchery. My little girl wouldn’t be caught dead in something like that.”
Kelly pretended to be making out her batting lineup, but in reality, she was listening to the buzz and wondering what she was going to do. They had a point. How could she let the girls wear the uniforms with the casino’s logo on the back? What had Cody been thinking?
The girls were milling about, the uniforms hanging limply in their hands. They were looking from their angry parents to the uniforms and back again, not sure what to think themselves. They wanted the uniforms so badly.
Kelly looked up and saw Cody coming from the parking lot. Oh no, she thought desperately. Go back. Don’t come now. She needed time to decide how to satisfy the parents, how to deal with the uniforms, and how not to hurt Cody all at the same time. It was too much.
“Hello.” He stopped near her, his eyes smiling and the urge to kiss her evident but restrained. “Good day for a game.”
Kelly swallowed hard and tried to smile back naturally. “Yes,” she said. “Seems like a good one.”
She could see the question come into his eyes. He glanced around and noticed the uniforms, but he didn’t say anything. Glancing up into the bleachers, he caught on right away to what was happening.
“Why don’t you girls go into the rest room and put on the uniforms?” he suggested, making his voice loud and clear enough for the people in the stands to hear. “Then we can get going on some drills before the game starts.”
Glenn was coming down out of the stands. Kelly took one look at his face and knew he’d appointed himself spokesman for the complainers.
“Those girls are staying right here! I don’t know if this is your idea of a joke, Kelly,” he exclaimed as he came up. His face was flushed with outrage. “We don’t think it’s very funny.” He held up his daughter’s unif
orm, pointing at the gaudy logo. “I won’t have Suzy wearing this.”
Kelly wished with all her heart she could shield Cody somehow, keep him from hearing the hurtful things that were going to be said. She glanced at him, then back to Glenn. “Could you keep your voice down... ?” she began, but Cody had already heard.
“You’ve got a problem with the uniforms?” he asked pleasantly.
Glenn glared at him. “That’s right. They’re trash.”
Cody’s eyebrows rose. “Really? Let me see. I ordered top quality. Let’s take a look.” He held his hand out for the uniform, but Glenn snatched it back.
“Who is this guy?” Glenn asked Kelly.
She opened her mouth to answer, but Cody was on a roll. “The Marquis Casino is the place where I work,” he said, still pleasant, but talking loudly enough for everyone to hear. “I got them to put up the money for the uniforms as a community service. I thought you’d be pleased.”
He was speaking to them all, but he wasn’t looking at them. He was looking right at Kelly. She wavered. Her instincts to calm the situation were strong. Compromise, she thought wildly. But how did you compromise here? Cody was asking for a sign of where she stood, and she knew it. She couldn’t give him one yet. She just wasn’t sure.
“Pleased!” Glenn was saying, looking back at the other parents for support. “We’re outraged! We don’t want your damn gambling casino on our children’s backs.”
Cody shrugged, turning to face Glenn. “You accept their tax money into the city coffers without one whimper of protest. You accept the business they draw to the city every year. You accept the jobs they provide. Why not softball uniforms?”
He had a very good point, Kelly realized. Why hadn’t she thought of those things? Because she’d still been mired in her preconceptions and prejudices, she decided. She’d still been thinking of gamblers as the enemy. It was time to stop.
Glenn looked from Kelly to Cody, frowning his displeasure. “Who are you, anyway?” he demanded.