by Amii Lorin
"Annie, chicken, come with me now," Jud urged.
"Come? Where?"
"Anywhere," he husked. "My room. Your room. The car. I don't care as long as I can have you to myself awhile."
"But, Jud, we can't We have a house fall of people. Andrew, John, Lo—"
"The hell with Andrew and John," he gritted savagely. "The hell with all of them."
His mouth caught hers again, sensuously, lingeringly, until he felt her begin to tremble. His hand moved slowly over her ribcage, then her breast. Her small gasp was smothered by a swift hard kiss.
"Annie, come with me to my room," his softly purring voice enticed. "I don't care anymore what happened before. I don't care about Andrew or any others that may have been before him."
In between the whispered words his lips had moved over her face, down the side of her neck to explore the hollows at the base of her throat, while his fingers caressed and teased the growing fullness of her breast. Almost beyond sanity, on the verge of agreeing to anything he wanted, Anne felt a chill spear through her with his last words.
"Jud, you—
"I think you'll find," he continued as if she hadn't spoken, "I'm just as competent at pleasing you as they were. You may even find I'm better."
The chill nosedived into a frigid cold and, not unlike the first day in his office, she pushed at him, tore herself out of his arms. Hurt and angry, Anne was past caring what she said.
"You overbearing clown," she snapped furiously. "Are you trying to drive me away?"
"Anne, what the hell—'
"If you are," she interrupted, "you don't have to humiliate and insult me to do it. Tell me you want me to go and I will. Gladly."
She moved to walk around him, but he caught her at the waist, pulled her so hard against him the breath was knocked out of her body.
"Andrew was not your lover?"
Strangely his tone was soft.
"That's none of your business," she hissed.
"Answer me, Anne."
A command, Jud was again the boss.
"No." Her voice was low, but emphatic.
"After being engaged for three months? I find that a little hard to believe."
Anger mounting, Anne struggled to free herself, but his arms tightened to make her sure he'd crack her ribs if she moved.
"I don't give one damn what you believe," she whispered harshly. "Andrew never made love to me. And there were no others."
Although his hold did not loosen, he went completely still, not even seeming to breathe; then his breath relaxed in a long, slow sigh.
"It seems I owe you an apology again."
"Keep your apologies," Anne replied wearily. "They come too fast and glib after your insults."
"Annie, I said I was sorry. I mean it." The purr was back in his voice and against her will Anne felt her anger dissolving. "I wasn't trying to insult or humiliate you. Good Lord, woman, I know myself and had I been Andrew you would not have been able to answer no."
"Anne—Jud, are you out here?" Todd called from the back of the house. "Anne, Mother's looking for you, and Jud, Lorna's looking for you."
Anne stirred feebly against him.
"Jud, we must go—oh!"
His mouth touched hers, covered it fully in a short tender kiss. As he lifted his head, he murmured, "Don't be angry with me, little girl. For if you're angry, you won't let me kiss you. And I sure as hell don't want that."
Flustered, Anne could find nothing to say and with a soft laugh he released her, all but her hand which he grasped firmly until they reached the back door.
The rest of the evening was a confused blank for Anne. Unable to erase the feel of Jud's mouth, his arms, and his perplexing words, Anne laughed and joined the conversation and could not remember afterward a single word that was said.
* * * *
Anne slept late and woke to a June morning dark and overcast with storm clouds. Praying the weather was not a harbinger to what the day had in store for her, she went in search of the twins.
She found them at the breakfast table, slightly hung over, discussing the party desultorily. Receiving only nods and grunts to her bright "Good morning" Anne seated herself and picked at her breakfast in silence. When Todd and Troy left the table and headed for the stairs, she slipped out of her chair and followed them. When she reached the door to her room, they were a few steps ahead of her and she called softly, "Troy, Todd, I want to talk to you."
"Oh, Anne, must it be now?"
"Later, maybe, I have a rotten headache."
"I'm sorry, but it can't wait any longer." Turning the knob, she pushed the door open and, before they could object further, she nodded her head at the room. "Now."
They grumbled something about bossy older sisters, but they followed her, Troy dropping onto her small, padded chair, Todd flopping onto the bed.
"I think you know what this is all about," she began, then proceeded to outline what Jud had said to her, omitting that he had asked to buy her stock.
"Dammit, Anne, we told Jud weeks ago we wanted no part of this."
Troy sprang out of the chair and walked around the room impatiently. Todd merely grunted his agreement with Troy and massaged his temples.
"But I think he's right," Anne argued. "It is time for expansion, for moving ahead. If we stand still, we'll stagnate, become second-rate."
"God, she sounds like Jud's echo," Todd told the ceiling disgustedly. Then, giving her a sharp look, rapped, "Whose side are you on, anyway?"
"Oh, Todd," Anne sighed wearily. "You sound like a little boy. I want what's best for the business, because in the long run it will be best for you two."
"Anne, listen." Sensing her growing impatience with them, Troy spoke soothingly. "We've talked to a lot of people in the mill this last week. Most of them agree with our opinion that we just can't handle a contract of this size. Regardless of what Jud thinks. The general consensus seems to be that if we take it on it will be the end of us."
"Honey," Todd began as soon as Troy had finished. "There is one thing you're forgetting. Jud is for number one, first, last, and always. I don't know what he is planning here, but you can bet he won't come out the loser. We will."
"But—"
"No buts," Troy stated firmly. "We're not going into this, Anne. That's final. And the sooner he's told the better. Maybe, if he's convinced he's not going to get his way, he'll get the hell out of here, go back to New York. He's in the library, why don't you go and brighten this dull day for him?"
His last words were delivered in a malicious way and Anne found herself asking him the same question she'd asked Jud weeks before, only in reverse.
"Do you hate Jud, Troy?"
Oddly there were only minor differences in the answer.
"Hell, no," he replied mildly. "He is my brother. If you'll remember, both Todd and I had a pretty bad case of hero-worship for him before he went away. The way he went, the fact that he never appeared again until Dad died, well, I resent it. And I just don't like him very much anymore."
"Ditto." This from Todd as he crawled off her bed.
After they left, Anne sat on the side of her bed, brow puckered in thought. Could they be right about Jud? She didn't want to believe it, but, then, what she wanted had very little to do with it. She had heard the rumors that had run like wildfire from the mill to the offices. One claimed that this other company was realty planning a takeover and that all the employees would lose their seniority. Another that Jud was deliberately taking on more than they could handle in order to run the company at a loss and thereby claim a tax write-off.
As always with scuttlebutt she had shaken her head and dismissed it Now she had doubts and she didn't like it. She had realized from the beginning that Jud was dangerous, ruthless, and bitter. But would he ruin the company his father had worked all his life to build? She couldn't believe it. She wouldn't believe it. At least not without more proof. And she wasn't going to learn anything sitting here thinking in circles. Jumping to her f
eet, Anne went to her dresser, brushed her hair, straightened her pullover T shirt and ran damp palms over her jean-clad hips. Giving one last nervous glance into the mirror, Anne grimaced, turned, and left the room.
When she reached the library, Anne hesitated; then, straightening her shoulders, she knocked on the door and pushed it open. Jud was speaking on the phone but he ended his conversation as she entered.
"Good morning," he murmured, before he went straight to the point. "Have you talked to Troy and Todd?"
"Yes." Anne sat down on the edge of the chair he nodded at before adding, "They were—ah—difficult."
"Tell me about it," Jud drawled.
Anne wet her lips and stared at him. It seemed he was going to be somewhat difficult himself.
"Jud, they absolutely refuse to consider it."
"You explained my reasoning?"
"Yes, of course. I—"
"Well?"
The tone of his voice warned her he was going to be very difficult.
"They've been discussing it with some of the mill employees this week and, well, it appears everyone is of the opinion that it can't be done."
Pale eyebrows shot up in a face turned cold and haughty.
"My dear Anne." The sarcastic note flicked along her nerves. "Company policy is not necessarily made on the workroom floor."
"Jud, they're afraid it's a takeover bid, or worse."
"Really?" he snapped. "And you?"
Anne was beginning to understand the feelings of a cornered animal.
"I don't know, I..."
She stopped and leaned back in her seat, for Jud stood up so violently she felt threatened.
"Come here."
Without taking his eyes from hers, he flipped open a folder on his desk. Before she could move, he was around the desk and in front of her, suppressed fury in his eyes.
"It's all in there," he indicated the folder. "Plans, proposed changes, approximate costs, minutes of the negotiations, everything to date."
He turned to the door as he added, "While you go over it, I'm going to hunt up some coffee. Do you want some?"
"Yes, please," she replied, then winced as the door slammed behind him.
It didn't take long. A few pages into the folder and Anne knew the twins and whomever they had talked to were wrong. She was still reading when Jud came back into the room, a mug of coffee in each hand, but she really didn't have to see any more.
Jud handed her a mug, then propped himself on the edge of the desk, his eyes glittering with anger.
"Are you satisfied?"
"Yes."
Anne bent her head to stare into the creamy brew.
"And are you going to sell me your stock?"
Her head jerked up and she had to grasp her cup to keep from spilling the hot liquid.
"Jud, I can't. You know that."
"Can't has nothing to do with it." The purr was back in his voice and Anne decided she'd rather hear the anger.
"What you mean is, you won't."
"Jud, please, try to understand my position."
"I understand it perfectly. You're afraid that if you sell to me I'll force them out. You refuse to trust me, refuse to believe I have their interests as much on my mind as you do."
He paused and Anne began to feel prickly under his brooding stare. What could she say? She wanted to trust him. But he was right, she was afraid. Even loving him as much as she did hadn't changed that.
His soft voice intruded on her thoughts. "I have an alternative, Anne."
"An alternative? What possible alternative could there be?"
Her mind darted back and forth but, for the life of her, she couldn't come up with one.
His softly purred words went through her like an electric shock.
"Marry me."
Chapter 9
Marry me. Marry me. Marry me.
The words seemed to reverberate through her mind like the aftereffects of an explosion. Stunned, feeling as if she were caught in a vise that was slowly squeezing the air out of her body, Anne stared at him mutely, unable for several minutes to articulate even the smallest word. Had he gone mad or had she? He couldn't be serious. Or could he? The idea that he'd even consider giving up his freedom just to get control of the company was beyond her comprehension. When finally she managed to loosen her tension-taut vocal cords, her voice came in a strangled squeak.
"Marry you? How could that solve anything?"
"I would think the answer to that would be evident," he replied smoothly. "Actually the benefits would be twofold."
Her throat working spasmodically, Anne brought a measure of normalcy to her tone.
"I must be a little slow this morning, since I fail to see—
"Anne," Jud chided gently, "get with it. If you marry me, you could support me in this, and possibly future deals, without actually giving up control of your stock. At the same time you'd still hold the check rein the old man intended. Being my wife would in no way compel you to go along with anything I wanted to do. But, at the same time, as my wife I'd know that once given, your support would not be withdrawn."
"As you suspect it would be otherwise?" Anne asked sharply.
"Might be," he corrected. "You have one very weak spot, Anne, and that's your love for Troy and Todd. There would always be the outside chance they would get to you. I don't care to take that chance."
"But, but if I agree to be—" She couldn't even think the words—be your wife—let alone say them. "To go along with your idea, Troy and Todd will think—"
"Of course," he interrupted impatiently, "for a while. Until they finally realize I'm not out to rob them of their inheritance. They are Cammerons, and I don't think it will be too long before their basic intelligence overrides their resentment."
And then what, Anne thought dismally, the dissolution of a marriage made in expediency? Before she could voice her thoughts, Jud veered from Troy and Todd.
"I said the benefits would be twofold. The first, of course, would be to me, but the second would be solely yours."
An intriguing piece of bait thrown out casually, Anne bit at once.
"In what way?"
""You could save face by beating Andrew to the altar."
Beating Andrew to the ... Anne's eyes went wide.
"Andrew is getting married?"
"Wellll—" Jud drew the word out thoughtfully. "I can't answer a definite yes on that. I do know he has made a proposal. I also know the lady is giving it serious consideration."
The idea of Andrew getting married didn't bother her in the least, but she was curious.
"What lady?"
The answer came fast, flat, and emotionless.
"Lorna."
Anne's eyes closed against the sudden pain in her chest. Change twofold to threefold, and number three is the real and most important one. How any woman could consider Andrew over Jud mystified Anne. But then, perhaps Jud had never made a proposal to Lorna. At least not of a legal nature. Anne didn't like the direction her thoughts were galloping in, but one in particular would not be denied. Lorna could not give Jud what he coveted the most. The control of the company he thought of as rightfully his. How much he coveted it hit Anne where she hurt the most. Not only was he willing to give up his freedom to get it. He was willing to give up the woman he loved as well.
"Well, Anne?" Jud prompted.
Anne kept her eyes tightly closed, her mind working furiously. Could she do it? Could she commit herself to a man so ruthless he'd cast aside the woman he loved to achieve his ambition? The answer came clear and simple. Yes. Only a few short weeks before she had begged him silently to name his price, had vowed she'd pay anything. Her feelings had not changed, except perhaps to grow stronger. Being his wife and not his love would not be easy to live with. But the eventuality of being separated from him completely was totally unbearable. So, right or wrong, she was still willing to pay the price.
"Anne?"
To Anne's distracted mind Jud's tone seemed to hold a not
e of anxious hesitation. Jud anxious? With a brief shake of her head, Anne dismissed the possibility. Lifting her lids, she looked steadily into Jud's hooded amber eyes.
"All right, Jud. I'll do whatever you say."
His breath was expelled slowly, indicating how anxious he really had been. Well, of course he was, Anne mused unhappily. He had taken a shot at his own particular star; now he could relax, his shot had hit its target.
"Anne, I—" He hesitated, as if groping for words, then, becoming brisk, all business, he stated, "I want to do it as soon as possible. These people are getting edgy and I'm not going any further on this contract until I have my ring on your finger and your word on your compliance with my wishes. We'll set the wheels in motion tomorrow morning, but meanwhile, I think we'd better make an announcement to the family at the lunch table." He eyed her warily before adding, "Does that meet with your approval?"
Anne sighed in resignation. What did it matter? It was a business arrangement, wasn't it? To insist on the usual fuss and flutter would not only be farcical, it would be blatant hypocrisy.
"I've already said I'll do whatever you say, Jud." Anne paused, softly adding, "It really doesn't matter when or how, does it?"
In the action of leaning back to pick up the folder on his desk, Jud turned back to her sharply, his eyes glittering with an emotion totally unfathomable to Anne.
Certain she did not want to hear what he was about to say, Anne jumped to her feet and hurried to the door.
"If we have an announcement to make, I think I'd better freshen up and change."
She had just stepped into her room when he caught up with her and, giving her a gentle push, he followed her in and closed the door.
"Anne, we have got to discuss how we're going to handle this."
He strolled across the room and dropped lazily into the chair Troy had vacated such a short time before.