by Sandra Brown
“The money is mine, Katherine.” He showed a hint of a smile. “And I came by it honestly by working my buns off. When I left Africa, I was due a large bonus. Willoughby Newton, the owner of Sunglow, is very fair. I have a share in every well I bring in. Since I left for college, I’ve not taken a penny from my parents.”
“I didn’t mean to pry into your private affairs. I just didn’t—”
“You didn’t want to live on any money from Eleanor and Peter Manning, Sr., because you have a lot of pride.” His voice lowered in volume and pitch as he said, “I have a lot of pride in you.” He edged across the seat toward her and tilted her chin up with his finger, forcing her to look at him. “And my private affairs are your affairs now. You’re my wife, remember?”
His lips caressed hers softly and gently. It was a brief kiss, passionless, but Katherine could feel the constrained desire behind it. Her heart thumped wildly when he pulled back and looked at her with his fathomless blue eyes. She was drowning in them before he moved away and got out of the car.
Happy took the news of their marriage with immediate joyful acceptance. If she speculated on a former relationship or the brevity of their courtship, she kept her conjectures to herself. For that Katherine was grateful.
Happy offered to watch Allison for the rest of the afternoon while they painted a wall in Jace’s bedroom. Katherine insisted that they do it before the bed was delivered the next day.
“With the two of us painting, it won’t take long, I promise,” she said when her suggestion was met with grumbles.
“Who ever heard of laboring on Labor Day?” Jace asked, but approached the project enthusiastically when Katherine changed into the painting costume she had been wearing the first time he saw her.
“You look great in that get-up, you know,” Jace said as they took a break from their efforts. She was sitting Indian fashion on the floor, sipping a soft drink. “Just don’t ever let me catch you answering the door in it again,” he threatened with a growl.
He stared at her through slitted lids and said softly, “The first time I saw your legs, it took all of my self-control not to accost you right then.”
“What?” She was startled by this revelation. “When?”
“Uhh, let’s see.” He closed one black-fringed eye in concentration. “I think it was the second day after I got to town. I went to the campus and stalked the halls of your office building. I was curious and wanted to catch a glimpse of the elusive Miss Katherine Adams who so daringly took a premature newborn out of the hospital and drove across the country with her.”
He sipped the soft drink and leaned back against the wall. “You came out of your office and walked to the water fountain. I think you took a couple of aspirin. Anyway, when you leaned over to get a drink, I had a very advantageous view of your legs… and other things.” His eyes were twinkling with devilry.
Embarrassment closed Katherine’s throat for a few moments before she said tartly, “But that couldn’t be true! I’d have seen you in the hall. I’m sure I would have noticed you.”
He raised an eyebrow, as his interest was piqued. His voice was low when he said, “Oh, yeah?” He scooted across the floor on his bottom, propelling himself with strong arms. “Does that mean, Mrs. Manning, that you find your husband to be somewhat attractive?”
“It… I mean… you—”
“Yes?” he asked softly as his hands settled on her shoulders. Gently, but firmly, he lowered her to the floor. “What were you about to say?” His face was less than an inch from hers. He stretched out full length beside her, and she felt the weight of his body pressing close.
“I was about to say—”
“It can wait,” he barely managed to whisper before his mouth descended on hers.
Katherine eagerly welcomed his kiss. She knew what a delicious, tingling warmth it could spread through her body. She opened her mouth under the unhurried, seeking lips. Shyly she touched the tip of her tongue to his. A low groan issued from deep in his throat as his mouth became more urgent. His hand stroked the bare skin of her midriff.
He placed one knee on the inside of her thighs and applied sweet, but earnest, pressure. He, too, was wearing shorts, and the touch of his skin on hers was an electrifying sensation. Tantalizingly, he rubbed his leg along hers. The hairs on his long thigh prickled her smooth skin. How different were the smell and feel and texture of his body in contrast to hers. The differences ignited her with a longing to know them better.
He buried his face in her neck, murmuring unintelligible words, planting ardent kisses on her warm flesh as he groped for the buttons of her shirt. “Katherine, Katherine, I want—”
“Hey, you two, I made some sandwiches for you. You must be getting hungry. Come open the door. My hands are full.” Happy’s voice came to them from the front door.
“I can’t believe it!” Jace smacked his forehead with his palm as he stood and stalked into the living room to let the overzealous landlady in.
* * *
“That’s the second time Happy has interrupted an intimate moment. Am I going to have to tie a necktie on the doorknob like Ryan O’Neal did in Love Story each time he had Ali McGraw in his room?”
“Jace, please!” Katherine acted indignant, but she giggled.
Happy had come and gone quickly. She wouldn’t leave Allison unattended for more than a minute. Katherine and Jace ate the sandwiches and returned to their work. The painting was finished and now they were clearing away the mess.
“I like the room this way,” Jace commented. “I thought the brown wall would make it too dark.”
“Not with all the windows on the south side.” Katherine had given the room’s decor careful consideration. She hadn’t thought that it would ever be occupied by a man and had immediately made some adjustments in her original plans.
The bed would go against the toast brown wall. Today on their shopping spree she purchased linens with a shell motif in browns and beiges. The only feminine touch she allowed was accents in a soft apricot.
“Eventually, I’d like to get a brass headboard. I think it would look super against that dark wall. Then I’ll use brass for decorating too. Lamps, things like that.” She was envisioning her finished project even as she mused aloud. “Of course, it might get crowded in here. I’ll have to see how much floor space that bed is going to take up.”
“I hope it’ll get even more crowded in here—soon.”
Jace’s tone of voice catapulted her out of her musings and she looked at him suspiciously. He stared at her from under hooded eyes, but the light radiating from them made his implication clear.
She was flustered, but refused to show it and tossed her head indifferently. He saw through her ruse and grinned broadly. “I’ll run down and get Allison. I think the paint fumes have cleared out enough.”
He went toward the door, but turned back to her. “Katherine.”
“Hmm?”
“I really was in your office building one day, and I did see you walking down the hall.” He winked. “I only fantasized the rest.”
She blushed to the roots of her hair. But he didn’t see it. He was already gone.
* * *
“Hi, Miz Manning, I’m Jim Cooper.”
Katherine smiled at the friendly young man who stood at her front door, but was puzzled at his reason for being there. He seemed to expect her to recognize him.
She shook her head slightly and said, “I’m sorry—”
“I’m Happy Cooper’s son.”
“Oh.” Katherine laughed. “Come in. I’m sorry. For a minute the name didn’t do anything for me.” She extended her hand and Jim Cooper shook it heartily.
“I guess Mom forgot to tell you that I was moving back for a while. Not here,” he clarified. “Another guy and I are sharing an apartment across town. I ran up to see if Mr. Manning was home.”
“No, I’m sorry, he’s not. He went out to do some shopping for himself. He only moved in a few days… I mean… we haven�
��t…”
“Yeah. Mom told me you were newlyweds.” His grin was engaging. “Best wishes.”
“Thank you,” Katherine mumbled. She was unaccustomed to thinking of herself as a married woman, being addressed as Mrs. Manning. She wondered if she would ever get used to bearing that name. And it seemed strange having to account for someone else. Only a week ago she had herself and Allison to care about. Now her life included the very dynamic presence of Jace Manning. His whereabouts, habits, and personality were becoming entwined with hers.
“While I’m here Mom strongly suggested I check the attic. Some of my stuff from high school and college is up there, and you could probably use the extra storage space.” Jim Cooper grinned again, and Katherine noticed his good looks for the first time. Was he already out of college? He must be older than she had thought him to be.
His sandy hair was longer than current styles dictated, but it was trimmed and clean. His eyes were a warm brown and bespoke his open, friendly manner. A sprinkling of freckles across his cheeks and nose contributed to his boyish and mischievous appearance.
“I haven’t even looked in the attic,” Katherine admitted. “Don’t feel you have to move anything for us.”
“I’ll just scout it out today. This was Mom’s idea. Even if I find some memorabilia from my school days, I think I can live without it.” He stood at attention with his hand over his heart, and Katherine laughed.
He seemed so short compared to Jace, she thought absently, then chided herself for the comparison. Why had Jace suddenly become the standard by which she judged every other man?
Objectively, Jim wasn’t as tall, but showed no inclinations toward obesity like his mother. His ragged cutoffs showed off well-proportioned legs, and a white T-shirt snugly fit his muscled torso.
“The door to the attic is in here, isn’t it, Miz Manning?” he asked as he made his way toward the bedroom in which Jace slept.
“Yes,” Katherine answered as she followed him. “In the closet. And I’m Katherine.”
Jim preceded her, and, when she went into the room, he was already in the closet lowering the ladder which disappeared into the attic. With youthful agility, he climbed the steps and switched on the light in the small space above.
Katherine heard him thumping around among the boxes, exclaiming when some forgotten treasure was uncovered. She stood at the bottom of the ladder, looking up into the square of light.
“Are you finding some golden goodies?” she asked teasingly.
“You bet! I’d forgotten about most of this sh—uh… stuff. Maybe I’ll take down some of the boxes.”
He began carrying them down the ladder one by one and stacking them in the middle of the bedroom floor. He made several trips before he said, “Just one more, and I’ll get out of your way.”
“No hurry,” Katherine assured him. “Allison’s asleep, and I’m free until she wakes up.”
“Yeah. I heard you had a real little doll there. I can’t wait to meet her,” Jim said over his shoulder as he ascended the stairs for the last box.
He scooted the box close to the opening for easier access. Katherine was looking up at him when she was showered with grit and dust dislodged by the sliding box. A particle fell into her eye and she cried out in pain.
“Oh!” she exclaimed, putting a hand over her eye.
“What’s wrong?” Jim asked. Alarmed, he bounded down the ladder. “Oh, gosh, what happened?” He hovered over her anxiously. “Mom’ll have my ass for sure if I did something to hurt you.”
Only the searing pain in her eye prevented Katherine from laughing. “It’s my eye. Something fell into it.” She winced at the stinging sensation and pressed her eye more firmly with her hand.
“Oh, God, I’m sorry. Here, Katherine, sit down.” Solicitously, Jim took her arm and led her toward the bed. Blindly, she sat down and Jim braced himself on the bed with one knee. “Here, Katherine,” he said gently, “let me see.”
He tried to take her hand away from the offended eye. She submitted, then as the grit found a new spot to irritate, she jerked her hand back.
“Ouch! It hurts if I take my hand away.”
“I know, but you’ve got to let me get that crud out of there or your eye may really get hurt. Come on now,” he persisted as he removed her hand.
“Now open your eye,” he instructed.
He cupped her head in one of his hands while with the other he worked with utmost care on her eye. It took some coaxing from him to get her to open her eye for his examination.
He shouted triumphantly when he spotted the tiny grain of sand that was causing her so much discomfort. “Here we go,” Jim said confidently. “Look up now. No, no, don’t look down. Look up. One more second. There now. There!” His deft finger had managed to lift the particle from her eye.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Jace said.
Chapter Seven
The deadly voice was like a cannon shot in the room. Katherine turned quickly with blurred, watering eyes to see Jace leaning negligently against the door jamb. His stance was deceptive. His rigid jaw and frigid eyes were clues to his extreme displeasure.
“Let me put it another way,” he continued when the two shocked people on the bed failed to move or speak. “I’d better not be interrupting anything.” He fixed a cold, blue stare on Jim Cooper.
Nervously, Katherine rose to her feet. She hadn’t realized that she was lying on the bed supported by her elbows. Jim was leaning over her, cradling her head with one hand. His face was inches from hers.
“J-Jace,” she stammered and cursed herself for being self-conscious. “This is Jim Cooper, Happy’s son.”
“Mr. Manning,” Jim nodded and smiled tentatively. He swallowed hard when Jace didn’t respond to the introduction.
“Jim came over to get some things out of the attic. Some sand fell in my eye while I was looking up. He helped me get it out.” Katherine despised herself for explaining the incident to him. She hadn’t done anything unseemly and neither had poor Jim. The features of Jace’s face didn’t soften. He didn’t even blink to relieve that glacial stare.
“Mr. Manning, I wanted to see you about something else,” Jim said haltingly. Katherine commended him for his courage. Jace, in spite of his relaxed pose, presented a formidable mien.
“Yes?” he asked shortly.
“I was going to ask about a job with Sunglow. I… uh… I’ve been working for an independent drilling company in Louisiana, but my mom, being alone and all, well, I… uh… thought I might… ought to…”
Jace shifted his weight from one foot to the other and folded his arms across his chest in boredom. Katherine seethed in anger at his superior attitude over the young man.
When Jim saw Jace’s impatience, he hurried on. “Anyway, I need a job. I’m a good roughneck. I have letters of recommendation.” He licked his dry lips when he finished.
Jace flicked his eyes in Katherine’s direction then leveled them on Jim Cooper once again. She was gratified to see that Jim met Jace’s stare undauntedly.
“You’ve got the nerve to ask me about a job after I just caught you on a bed with my wife?” Jace sounded condescendingly amused.
“Jace, I—” Katherine’s words died in her throat when he shot her a quelling look.
“But I like your mother,” Jace went on, as if she hadn’t spoken. “See Billy Jenkins. Do you know where we’re drilling?”
“Yes, sir,” Jim answered.
“All right. Tell Billy I sent you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Manning.” Jim indicated the boxes on the floor. “I’ll take this one now,” he said lifting up the smallest of them, “and come back later for the rest. If that’s okay,” he added quickly.
“That’s fine, Jim.” Katherine smiled.
“Well, I’ll be going then. Bye, Kath… uh… Miz Manning,” he amended, looking nervously at Jace.
He tried to ease himself past Jace, who still blocked the doorway, but Jace gripped him on t
he shoulder and held him fast. “If you screw up out there, you’re out. No matter whose son you are.”
“Yes, sir. I understand,” Jim averred solemnly.
Jace released him and nodded in acknowledgment.
Katherine and Jace stared at each other until they heard the front door slam. Katherine was furious with her new husband. His attitude was inexcusable. The high and mighty Mannings.
Her eyes were flashing green fire when she flared, “How dare you treat someone—anyone—so abominably in my house.”
“He’s lucky I didn’t break his neck. I don’t particularly like the idea of coming home and finding my wife in a clinch with another man.”
“I just met him minutes before you walked in!” she defended. “He came here to see you and carry out his mother’s instructions. You intentionally humiliated him. He’s just a boy.”
Jace laughed bitterly. “Oh, sure. A twenty-two-year-old boy. Believe me, Katherine, Mr. Cooper was enjoying holding you in his arms no matter for what urgent reason. Any healthy, red-blooded man would.”
“Don’t judge everyone else by your own animalistic standards,” she snapped.
“Have you forgotten Mr. Welsh?” Jace asked with an eyebrow cocked in mockery.
“Oh!” she sputtered. “You’re nothing but a big bully.”
Livid with anger, she flew across the room. She raised her small hand and slapped him as hard as she could on his firm jaw.
The breath whooshed out of her body as he grasped her around the waist with one steel arm and yanked her against him. His fist tangled in her hair, and he pulled her head back painfully so she was forced to look at him.
Her fear was championed only by her disbelief. She had slapped him! His temper was nothing to take lightly. It had erupted on the day they went to the lake. It was unleashed again, even more violently, on Ronald Welsh. Now his eyes bored into her, and she held her breath in shrinking apprehension.
To her absolute surprise, he burst out laughing.
“You’re quite a little wildcat when pushed too far, aren’t you, Katherine?” His face moved to within inches of hers, and she could feel his breath on her hot cheeks. “And you’re gorgeous,” he rasped. “When you’re mad, you’re exquisite.”