They wandered down to the water’s edge. The breeze was stronger near the sea. Anyone looking at them would believe they were lovers, out to explore a new place. She could almost believe it herself.
There were several marinas with various kinds of boats bobbing against their ropes. More than one café dotted the block, but none had sidewalk seating this time of year.
“It’s too cold to sit outside,” Lianne said as they entered one establishment. “But come back in summer, every single place along this stretch of road has outside seating and we’d likely not find a spot.”
“We could be awaiting the arrival of our child next summer.”
Lianne swallowed and nodded, wishing there was some guarantee.
By the time they headed back to the cottage, clouds had moved in and the wind had changed directions, now blowing from the north. A storm looked inevitable.
“So much for a walk along the beach,” Lianne said gazing at the gray sky. “It’s going to pour.”
“It’ll keep most folks home tonight—maybe we’ll try a restaurant that’s closer,” Tray said.
Lianne looked at him. She had been doing him a disservice. She didn’t want to explain Tray to her family, but she was entitled to see whomever she wished wherever she wished. Having dinner with someone didn’t necessarily mean more than having dinner together. So what if someone saw them? Tray had been very accommodating. She owed him better.
“We can try the seafood place on Main Street,” she said. “And who cares what gossip makes it to my folks.”
“Maybe none will.”
Lianne was more concerned about the afternoon. Dinner wasn’t for hours. What would they do in the meantime? Her imagination spiked.
As soon as they reached the cottage, Tray stood on the porch, watching the waves. “Find a couple of blankets and let’s sit outside and watch the storm build.”
Lianne liked the idea. She relished the power of Mother Nature and often sat on the covered porch during summer thunderstorms. No one else in the family cared to brave the elements at this time of year. Had she found a kindred spirit with Tray?
She ran upstairs and brought down two old quilts. They pulled the rattan love seat closer to the screen where they had an unimpeded view of the breakers. Sitting side by side, Lianne felt a spark of surprise when Tray tucked the quilt in around her and sat close, his thigh pressing against hers as he tucked the second quilt around his legs, his arms free.
“You’ll get cold,” she warned, feeling anything but cold herself.
“If I do I’ll bundle up more. Or you can keep me warm,” he said, reaching an arm around her shoulders and pulling her even closer. “Now, tell me all about Lianne O’Mallory and her very large family.”
They spent the afternoon talking about childhood memories and family vacations. Her stories were vastly different being one of several children. Sometimes Tray commented on how fortunate she was to have a large family. She knew he missed his uncle. How odd to be the last of a family. She couldn’t imagine it.
Time seemed to fly by. The rain came as expected, blowing enough to force them back from the screen. But not enough to drive them inside.
Lianne grew aware she spoke more than he did as the afternoon passed, but did glean facts she’d never known before. His experiences as an only child fascinated her. She loved hearing him talk about the quiet vacations he and his uncle had taken, how they celebrated holidays and birthdays. She wished she’d met Hal. He must have been a special kind of man to raise his sister’s child and give Tray such a good basis for growing into adulthood.
Dinner was pleasant, without anyone she recognized in the restaurant. She worried too much about rumors flying. She was not doing anything wrong, yet keeping secrets was making her paranoid. Once assured there was no one to relay details to her parents about the man she brought to the cottage, she relaxed and enjoyed the meal.
But as they drew closer to finishing, Lianne grew more and more nervous. Tray said they should get the first time over with. She knew he was right—the longer they delayed, the harder it would be. Not that making love with Tray would be difficult, but she’d never been one to indulge in casual sex, and didn’t feel she knew him as well as she hoped she would before they slept together. She liked him, more and more as they got better acquainted. If she let herself, she’d fantasize about this very sexy boss. But she was trying to keep an even keel—made more difficult by the impending night.
Thinking about sleeping together had Lianne put down her fork. She couldn’t eat another morsel the anticipation was so strong. She wanted to delay the return to the cottage. She wanted to go right now! She couldn’t make up her mind.
“Had enough?” Tray asked.
“Yes,” she said. She should have stuck to her original plan—find a man to fall in love with, get married and have a baby. Only it wasn’t always possible to find a husband on demand.
When they reached the cottage, Lianne could hardly think straight. She wasn’t in this alone—was Tray equally nervous? Glancing at him convinced her otherwise. She doubted anything bothered him. He was cool in crisis situations. And this hardly qualified as a crisis.
“Relax,” he said, closing the cottage door behind him. “We’re not going to do anything you don’t want.”
She jumped and turned to face him. He could read minds! Slipping out of her jacket, she let it fall onto a nearby chair, her gaze locked with his. “I do want.”
“I want more than just compliance for the bargain’s sake,” he said, stepping closer. Gently he ran a finger along her cheek, tracing the jawline. She looked into his eyes, reassured by the desire she saw. He wanted her as much as she wanted him.
He leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. Pulling back he met her gaze again.
“Tell me when to stop,” he said softly, brushing his lips along her jaw, giving short, sweet kisses along her throat, pausing at the pulse point at its base.
Never was about right, she thought as she closed her eyes to better savor Tray’s lips against her skin. He put his hands on either side of her head, tilting it up slightly for his kiss—like a man kisses a woman he wanted. She was being seduced and it was heady stuff.
She felt a thrill of excitement and reached out to draw him closer. Her heart pounded and blood rushed through her veins. It might be a bargain made, but she was not thinking of that now, but of the way Tray made her feel—special, cherished, sexy.
Slowly Tray began moving her toward the stairs. When they reached the bottom step, he lifted her into his arms and began to climb.
“I’m too heavy,” she protested, secretly thrilled. What woman didn’t wish for some dashing man to sweep her off her feet and carry her away? When he didn’t reply, she trailed light kisses along his jaw. The scratchy beard felt very masculine against her lips. She drew in a deep breath, savoring his scent. Her heart pounded so fast she knew he had to feel it.
When they reached the top, he was not even breathing hard. He looked at her. “Are you sure?”
“Oh, yes,” she said, gazing into his dark eyes. She had never felt so right about anything.
He nudged the door open to her bedroom and stepped inside, slowly letting her slide from his arms until she stood pressed against him. He glanced around, not seeing much, Lianne thought—it was too dark.
She liked the cocooning feeling. Just the two of them, together in the night.
“Come, share my bed,” she whispered, leading him to the edge. There was no going back.
Sunday morning the sound of rain on the roof woke Lianne. She rolled over and bumped into Tray. Opening her eyes, she looked at him in surprise, the memory of last night flashing into mind. He was still asleep. For a moment she panicked. Then reason returned. Taking advantage of the situation, she studied Tray as he slept, memorizing the way his eyebrows arched over his eyes, his lean cheeks, not softened by sleep. He could waken and be ready to go in an instant, she thought.
Slowly she eased from bed and snat
ched up a robe from a nearby chair. She gathered fresh clothes and headed for the bathroom to shower and dress.
What was the morning-after protocol? She should wait for him to waken. But that would prove too awkward. She’d feel more in control if she was dressed—and maybe had a couple of cups of coffee to bolster her confidence. She could have breakfast ready for him when he came down. That would be a wifely kind of thing to do.
The bathroom was cool; the outside temperature obviously dropped significantly last night. She’d have to turn up the furnace. As she stood beneath the hot water, she mentally ran through a checklist of all she wanted to do today, which helped her to keep from dwelling on last night. On every glorious touch, caress, kiss. It was amazing how much she craved his touch again. She tilted her face to the cascading water and tried to think of something else.
In a short time she was downstairs, dressed, and warm, the memories of their night accompanied her.
Preparing coffee, she heard the shower running and began to gather ingredients for an omelet. What time would Tray wish to return to Washington? She had things she could do to fill the hours if he wanted to leave after lunch. Glancing out the window, she wished it wasn’t raining. A run on the beach would do wonders.
“Good morning,” he said before she had gathered her thoughts.
“Hi. Coffee’s ready.” Great opening, she thought. Should she kiss him? They’d made love far into the night and all she could think of was she hoped no one at work would find out. How did coworkers manage affairs?
“Up to a run this morning?” he asked, casually crossing the large kitchen and helping himself to a cup.
“It’s pouring!”
“You don’t run in the rain?” he asked.
“Not when it’s forty degrees. Summer rain, maybe.”
“Then we’ll have to find something else to do today.”
The thought of going back to bed flashed into her mind. She turned away, testing the heat of the pan.
“I thought we’d return to Washington,” Lianne said.
“Time enough tomorrow morning. If we leave early, we can arrive at the office before nine.” He crossed to her and put a finger beneath her chin, raising her face. Kissing her briefly, he looked deep into her eyes. “I say we take today for ourselves and face the world again tomorrow.”
“And do what all day? We have some books—”
He put his finger across her mouth. “I say we start with breakfast and see where the day takes us.”
Not a very good plan, Lianne thought as she began cooking, but she couldn’t think very well when he was touching her.
Early Monday morning Tray drove them back to Washington. He’d originally planned to return on Sunday, but after Saturday night would not deny himself more time with Lianne. Saturday night she’d been responsive and passionate, which had surprised him. She was an outstanding analyst—detailed, questioning, dissecting facts. He had superimposed that trait on all aspects of her life, but she’d proved him wrong in that regard. She didn’t analyze everything; she gave her entire being into the moment making love with enthusiasm, holding nothing back.
He’d turned his phone on before the left the cottage and it had already rung twice. It rang again and he glanced at the caller ID. Emily. He’d better take this one.
“Yes?” he answered. In no time his secretary began bringing him up to speed on various situations. He would have wished for more time to transition from the weekend at the cottage. It had been relaxing and informative. He wanted to process what he learned about Lianne and figure out the best way to deal with each other over the years to come.
Refusing to admit he had enjoyed himself more than he’d hoped, he tried to catalog every aspect—running along the beach Saturday morning, sitting on the porch while the rain isolated them, strolling along the sidewalk in Waterford. He wouldn’t forget the rather quiet weekend in a long time. There were too few respites like that in his life.
When Emily finally ran down, he assured her he was on his way in and would arrive at the office soon.
“We can go directly there if you like,” Lianne said. She’d been quiet during the drive and Tray had given up trying to gauge her mood.
“I can take time enough to drop you at your place,” he offered.
There had been a slight awkwardness Sunday morning, but that had passed, only to appear again this morning. Was that going to be the pattern after every night together? He gave some thought to their moving in with each other. It would resolve the awkwardness and give them a chance to learn more about each other faster.
Would she be amenable to his suggestion?
What would it be like to make love to her each night? Wake up with her each morning? Share a home? He’d always thought in the back of his mind he’d have children. But he’d never really envisioned being married or pictured the day-to-day details like eating breakfast together, sharing a bathroom, a bed.
He admitted a marriage like he envisioned would never have worked with Suzanne. Or any of the other women he’d dated over the years. He’d been on a fast track to get Protection, Inc. off the ground and build it up to the level it had attained. He liked taking beautiful women to places to show off, but in retrospect, they had all been too self-absorbed to be marriage material. But Lianne was different. He was learning they shared similar values. He plain liked being around her.
“I’m going to be pretty busy this week,” Lianne said.
“At work?”
“And afterward. I have plans,” she said, not looking at him.
So much for the idea they’d gone past the awkwardness or that she’d even consider moving in with him.
“Next weekend I’ll be busy,” Tray said. “I’m driving down to Richmond to start the sorting process. I don’t want the house to sit empty for long. Want to go with me?”
“Um,” she said.
“Is that a yes or no?”
“It’s a I’m-trying-to-visualize-you-sorting-through-your-uncle’s-things um.”
“Why is that hard to do?”
“I’d think you’d hire someone to do it.”
“No one can sort through family stuff except family.” Did she see him that detached, that he wouldn’t care about his past?
“I agree, but I can’t see you in a family situation, I guess. You are always so larger than life at work,” Lianne said.
Tray glared at her. “I run a successful business, but that’s not all I do or am.”
“What else? You haven’t mentioned any other current interests in our conversations. Getting you to talk about yourself is like pulling teeth. My brothers have no trouble monopolizing the conversation.”
“I’ve learned to give little away—it makes it easer to keep safe.”
“I’m hardly some terrorist or kidnapper.”
She had a point. “I ski in winter, sail in summer and speak at the local colleges and universities in law enforcement classes,” he said.
“College classes?”
He nodded. “There are electives in criminology—for some of the new courses on keeping people safe in today’s world. Guest-speaker status only. I have no intentions of becoming a professor.”
“Wow, I’m impressed.”
“I’m not out to impress you, just let you know more about me.” He rarely told people about his free time activities.
“We talked all weekend and you never once mentioned any of that, why not? You’re too secretive, that’s your problem.”
“I didn’t realize it was a problem keeping my life private,” Tray said, his concentration split between Lianne and the heavy morning traffic.
“Not at work, maybe, but shouldn’t I know more about my baby’s father than what every other employee at work knows?”
“Your husband, you mean?”
“Um, that, too.”
“You drive me crazy with your ums. Do I need an interpretive guide?”
She laughed and Tray felt pleasure at amusing her.
H
e’d spent more of the weekend finding out about Lianne and her family than talking much about his. He’d spoken of the past, the vacations with his uncle, but not much about his life since he’d become an adult. He was a private person. No one could find a chink in his armor if they didn’t know much about him.
He pulled into the parking garage of the high-rise building where the offices were located.
“I’ll get a cab home, if you’ll drop off my bag next time you pass my apartment,” Lianne said, getting out of the car. “Saves dealing with them now.”
“I’ll drive you home tonight,” he said, looking at her across the roof of the car.
“I told you, I have plans.”
She turned and began walking toward the elevator at a brisk pace. Tray said a brief expletive and locked the car, lengthening his stride until he caught up with her. Taking her arm, he stopped her.
Lianne looked at his hand and then up to his face. “What?”
“You can’t walk off like that. I’ll take you home so you’ll have your car for your secretive plans.”
“They aren’t secretive, they just don’t include you.”
Tray suddenly wanted to know what she was doing. Was that a prick of jealousy? He didn’t like the idea. She was free to do what she wanted. As was he.
Only he had no plans for the evening. What was she going to do?
“You might need some of the things in your suitcase this evening,” he said. What was he doing, trying to find out what she was up to? If he wanted that intel there were ways to find out.
“I don’t.” She pulled her arm away and glanced to her left. One of the women from the secretary pool was walking rapidly toward them.
She eyed them warily and continued to the elevator. Turning, she watched as both he and Lianne looked at her. No one said a word. When the doors opened, Lianne stepped forward. He reached out again.
“Wait,” he said. The elevator doors closed behind the secretary.
“I have work to do,” she said, still staring at the closed elevator.
“I do, as well. But we haven’t settled this.”
The Pregnancy Promise Page 10