by Starla Kaye
"Why are you leaving?"
Valerie stepped into the room, wearing a black baby doll, see-thru gown that ended just above black bikini panties. She looked annoyed and interested at the same time.
He had forgotten how to breathe. Finally he gasped, "Are you trying to kill me?"
She smiled; obviously pleased that he could barely function enough to speak. Then she sashayed into the room adding a little extra spice to her normal swaying-hip walk. "I'd have to say a certain part of you doesn't appear dead."
He didn't need to look down to know his cock had risen proudly to the occasion. It was primed and ready for business. "Ignore it. I want to know where you're going and why?"
"Ignore it, huh?" She laughed saucily and moved to the dresser, tugging out more ridiculously small bits of lacy fabric that could only loosely be called underwear. She tossed them at him and as he managed to catch at least some of it, she said, "Just put them on the bed next to the suitcase. Thanks."
His hands shook as he in turn tossed the bits of male torture onto the bed. "Am I going to have to spank you to get you to answer me?" Spanking her bare bottom...touching her naked in any manner held a great deal of appeal.
In the mischievous mood she was in, she bent down to get something from another drawer and wagged her barely-covered bottom at him. "Sorry. No time for that kind of play this morning. I've got a plane to catch in a couple of hours. If this were a normal flight, I'd already be late. But I'm going by private plane."
Jett's gaze couldn't quite shift away from that sweet bottom, and he couldn't stop picturing it bare. "Private plane?"
She walked to the bed carrying a couple of folded sweaters. "My agent met an art collector who also has a couple of galleries. He wants to take me to see them and talk about a possible showing or two later this year."
He? Jett's interest in having down and dirty sex right this minute disappeared at the mention of another man. Another man who was coming in a private plane to take Jett's wife off to who knew where. Well, the wanting sex part was almost out of his thoughts. She did look awful good in that bit of black thing.
"I thought you already had a couple of showings coming up before long. Isn't that enough?" he grouched. "Just so you know, I'm not wild about you going off somewhere with a strange man."
She patiently smiled at him. "Paxton Cramer isn't all that strange. Eccentric, eclectic and rich, yes. But Amanda says he's a sweet older man who loves discovering new artists. She's hoping--and I'm hoping--that I might be his new artist this year."
"I've heard of Cramer. And he's not that old, maybe older than me by ten years." Jett was jealous and it surprised him. Maybe because he'd never felt a need to worry about another man taking her away from him. Until she'd left him and now they were still trying to see if they could make their marriage work.
She hurried to the walk-in closet and came out with a pair of black leather pants and a hot red sweater. He'd never seen either of them before. She had changed in a lot of ways while they'd been apart. She was more confident now. Had a career of sorts that made her happy, which he was glad about. Her style of dress had certainly become more sensual, more colorful, and more fitting of someone with artistic leanings.
"I need to get dressed," she said, clearly hinting that he needed to go away now. When he didn't move, she just sighed and went about dressing. "Fine. Be stubborn."
He couldn't have moved if he wanted to. He stood there focusing on breathing in and out, in and out with some kind of regularity while she stripped off the baby doll gown and panties without showing any signs of self-consciousness. He was wondering what the signs were for a heart attack when she donned a red lace bra and tiny matching red panties.
"Where?" he managed to choke out.
Valerie gave him a mere glance and said, "Dallas and Miami."
She tugged on the black leather pants while he sweated bullets and admired the way they encased her perfect body.
"I should be back by Wednesday, Thursday at the latest."
Jett stared in fascination as she slipped the v-necked red sweater over her head. She looked good enough to eat...and he meant that in the most naughty way. And he hated, absolutely hated the idea of her going anywhere with another man.
"What if I don't want you to go?"
Putting the other sweaters and underwear in the suitcase, she said, "I didn't want you to go to Chicago last week. But it wasn't up to me. Like this trip isn't up to you."
"It was business."
"This is business." She shut the suitcase. "Is this going to be a problem for you? For us?"
He wanted to say no, but he was honest enough to say, "I don't know. Maybe it'll give us more time to really think about what each of us wants."
Hurt flashed in her eyes. "I already know what I want. It's why I even bothered to come back here when I loved living in Maui so much."
"Okay, the problem still lies with me." The truth really stunk sometimes. But apparently he did still harbor some issues with her having left him before, and with him just not being sure they could have the "forever" kind of marriage.
She blinked back tears and picked up her purse and the suitcase. "Well, now is your opportunity to seriously think this all over. I hope you make the right choice." She didn't even stop to kiss him good-bye as she left the room.
Three days away turned into ten. The trip to Dallas and Miami grew with additional jaunts to New York City, Los Angeles and Maui. Neither Amanda--who had been traveling with them--nor Paxton had been to Maui before. After hearing about it so much from Valerie, Paxton had decided to fly there for a couple of days for them all to relax after the whirlwind trip to galleries he owned and galleries he was considering purchasing. Today they would be flying back to Oklahoma City to drop off Valerie.
Valerie stood on the side of the wrap around covered deck of their home in Hana, Maui. The sun hadn't been up long and the morning air was cool as a breeze came off the nearby ocean. She'd always loved it out here, particularly this spot. There was an incredible panoramic view that never failed to take her breath away. Many of the paintings she'd done while staying here during those months away from Jett had been done from views here at various times of day.
She nestled a now lukewarm cup of coffee in her hands and felt sad. It had been hard to come here originally when she'd decided to take some time away from their marriage. She and Jett had come to Hana on their honeymoon and she'd fallen in love with the area. A year later they had bought this house, with most of the purchase money having come from an inheritance she'd never before touched. They had never come here together after that. She had come here a few times on her own, each time adding more personal touches, more furniture. She could easily live here permanently...and if Jett made the "wrong" choice, she would move here. The idea about broke her heart.
Amanda walked out the sliding doors and pulled Valerie from her troubled thoughts. She, too, held a cup of coffee. "It's so beautiful here. I completely understand why you're always so drawn here, why you've painted so many landscapes based on this place."
Valerie's eyes had been filling with tears and she avoided looking at her friend. "Most of the time it's where my heart is happiest, at least for painting. I can relax here. Connect with nature and my painting soul here." She shook her head and said, "I suppose that sounds bizarre to you."
"I represent artists for a living. You're emotional people. It doesn't sound at all bizarre to me." Amanda stepped closer to Valerie. "You're not looking forward to going back, are you? Jett hasn't called more than twice while we've been gone, has he?"
No, he hadn't. And the last time they'd spoken--when their little group was leaving Los Angeles to fly here--he'd been curt. Jealousy rang in his voice, anger, too. He hadn't even said that he loved and missed her, but then he hadn't said that in any of his other phone calls. It took Valerie a second to answer and her voice was crackly with feeling when she said, "I'm afraid to go back."
Amanda slipped an arm around Valerie's shoul
ders for a comforting squeeze. "It's all up to Jett now, isn't it?"
"I've tried so hard, thought I could keep on nudging him toward what I want." She turned and let her friend see how much she hurt. "He doesn't like being pushed in any manner. And, truthfully, if he can't decide on making this marriage work, can't meet me at least halfway... Well, then it should end. I don't want a man who doesn't really want me. Am I making any kind of sense here?"
"If he can't get his head straight and want to make your marriage work, then the man is a complete idiot," Paxton said from behind them.
Startled, embarrassed, Valerie looked at the fifty-year-old man with the firm, well-toned body of a man much younger. His handsome face was clearly one of those that got better with age, like Sean Connery's. Gray threaded through his dark brown hair, but it only added to his character. Besides good looks and incredible charm, Paxton was a multi-billionaire. He'd been subtle, but Valerie had known from almost their handshake greeting that he was interested in her. His expression now confirmed that interest. As complimentary as that was, there was only one man she would ever love: Jett Hart.
"I'm hoping he isn't willing to give up on us so easily. But I hurt him, and I'll always be sorry for that." Before either Paxton or Amanda could say anything further, she tipped up her proud chin and forced a smile. "Are you both packed? If so, how about we head back to the mainland?"
Jett had appointments all day long and he was running behind already. He didn't really care that even now a client was waiting to see him. He stood silently staring at the painting Valerie had done for him, thinking about her, aching for her. He'd brought the painting here in the middle of last night when he hadn't been able to sleep. Hell, he hadn't slept more than a few hours since she'd flown away with that Cramer man last Monday. Sure, Valerie's agent, Amanda, was traveling with them, but that knowledge didn't help much. Cramer had a reputation with women. Not only was the man reputed to be one of the most sought after bachelors in the country, but he had more money than most countries. What the hell kind of chance did a lawyer from the Midwest have with someone as special as Valerie?
Aaron coughed to get his attention from the doorway and then walked into Jett's office. He stopped beside Jett and studied the painting. "Impressive. Makes you feel like you're right there." He squinted at the signature. "Valerie's! Now I really am impressed."
"And I'm an ass," Jett grumbled. "Too damn involved in my career to even give her life and interests much thought. I completely blew her off."
"She loves you, ass or not. It's why she came back." Aaron hesitated and then asked, "When is she due back from this trip?"
Curling his hands into fists, Jett bit out, "Today. But that could change. She was supposed to be back on Wednesday from Miami, and then they went to New York City. Said she would be back on Friday, but they went to Los Angeles. I haven't talked to her since Sunday when she informed me Cramer was taking them all to Maui so they could relax for a couple of days." Maui! The idea of his wife in the place she loved so much really bothered him. It should have been him taking her there, him walking the beaches with her, him...
"Have you made your decision then, about your marriage?" Aaron prodded carefully.
Jett stared at the painting again, indecision crawling through him. "I thought so. I spent two days weighing the pros and cons, and I decided that we'd both be better off cutting our losses now. She deserves more than I'm evidently capable of giving her."
"But you've changed your mind."
"I can't sleep. I can't eat. I can't even work. I miss her so damn much, even when she irritates the hell out of me." He thought about the exercise equipment she'd bought that had annoyed him, until he saw that she really was using it. He thought about those amazing little outfits she'd worn to capture his attention...and, boy, had they! He thought about the romantic bedroom she'd created for them. So far all the room had done was give him wet dreams, when he'd managed to sleep at all.
"It sounds like your first decision was wrong. That if you don't do something about saving your marriage and getting your wife back, I might need to look for a new partner. Someone who doesn't spend so much time moping around. Someone who actually sees the clients they have waiting to see them."
Jett glanced guiltily at Aaron, but his friend looked more concerned than upset about the client. "Valerie might not even want me after all this time, after being with Cramer so damn much."
Aaron shook his head and walked out, saying, "So make her want you. She came here with a plan to win your sorry ass back. Come up with a plan of your own."
As it worked out Valerie didn't get back to Oklahoma City until Thursday, until Valentine's Day. Paxton's plane had needed some servicing when they stopped in Los Angeles the day before. When she'd called Jett to tell him that she would be delayed another day, he had sounded more relieved than disappointed. She had been depressed ever since. No matter how either Paxton or Amanda had tried to cheer her up by talking about her upcoming showings she couldn't get her "happy" back.
It was an unusually warm afternoon for mid February when her friends walked with her toward the parking garage where she'd left her Mustang over a week ago. They were just starting to avoid the taxi line when a familiar voice called out, "Valerie."
Heart racing, she froze and slowly looked around. Even before she spotted her husband Amanda said excitedly, "Jett's here. God, I'd forgotten how good-looking he was."
Amanda's description didn't even come close. Jett was walking toward Valerie looking so yummy she really wanted to launch herself at him and have a taste. A long, long taste. She was hot, wet , and ready in a flash. But she forced herself to remain standing between Paxton--who didn't appear all that pleased to see Jett--and Amanda--who appeared to want him for herself. Let him come to you. Be strong.
He walked on long, muscled legs toward her. His dark hair looked freshly trimmed, but his perpetual five o'clock shadow was the same as always. His eyes, dark brown, were darkening more with each step closer. His nostrils flared. Desire practically oozed from him. And she wasn't the only woman in the vicinity to notice him, to want him. But she'd fight tooth and nail any other woman who even attempted to flirt with him. He's mine. All mine.
She hoped.
Jett stopped in front of the trio and held out his hand to Paxton. "Jett Hart, Valerie's husband."
Paxton shook his hand, the men clearly sizing each other up. "Paxton Cramer, Valerie's biggest backer." He glanced at Valerie. "You've got a very talented wife. A very special woman."
Jett's eyes flashed irritation and then his gaze shifted to her. "Yes, I do."
After a second, he took her rolling bag from her hand and put an arm around her possessively. "Thanks for bringing her home. I'll take her from here."
Valerie walked beside him to her car in silence. She wasn't sure what to say. She'd had a little trouble figuring out his mood. He was in lawyer mode, unreadable. But she took it as a good sign that he'd come to meet her at the airport in the middle of what should have been a workday.
He put her suitcase in the trunk and then opened the passenger door for her. As she scooted inside, he leaned down to kiss her. She sighed, heart racing, getting even warmer all over. When he eased back, he held her gaze and said, "You know I'm going to burn your pretty butt for this trip. Whether or not you deserve it."
"Jett, I..."
"Not today. I'm not going to spank you today." He stepped back to close the door. "I have other plans for today."
They talked about general things on the drive home, catch up things--at first. But then, for the first time that Valerie could remember, Jett asked about her art work. How long had she been really interested in painting? Why had she decided on oils? Did she always paint landscapes? When exactly were the showings this year? At first she'd been nervous about talking about it with him, but finally her excitement had returned. She'd bubbled on and on after that. And he'd listened, really listened.
Once in their garage he insisted on helping her out
of the car. She felt confused and so very hopeful. Still, she refused to shift back into her pursuit plan. This was his ballgame now. She had to be patient, see if he simply wanted to get her home to talk some more, or what.
Jett carried her suitcase directly to the master bedroom as she followed along anxiously behind him. She stopped to gape in the doorway at the additions he'd made to her redecorating the room. The wrought-iron king-sized bed with its four tall posts and connecting bars just below the ceiling now held delicate white sheer draping, turning it into a true canopied bed. He'd also added a gorgeous cream satin comforter. Rose petals were sprinkled on it. A long red rose lie in the middle of the bed.
She blinked back tears. The Jett she remembered was not a romantic man. "Who did this for you?" she asked huskily.
He set the suitcase down and looked slightly indignant. "I did this."
Valerie sniffled, putting shaky fingers to her mouth as she noted the bottle of chilled wine in a gold bucket on one nightstand. Beside it looked like a bowl of chocolate-dipped strawberries. And there was a big bottle of chocolate syrup next to the bowl.
"Chocolate syrup?"
That sinfully sexy grin she so loved slipped onto his face. "I've got plans for that syrup. Plans I think you'll enjoy."
Her heart raced even more now in anticipation. "Do I get to use it too? I might have an idea or two myself."
He drew in a deep breath as his nostrils flared again. After a second he walked into the bathroom and started to close the door. "Why don't you slip into something more comfortable." He poked his head around the door. "Like bare skin. Just bare skin."
She wanted this--all of this--so much, but she had to have some answers. Even if it ruined everything. "Jett, have you made a decision? About...about our marriage? I know you want sex. You always want sex, and, well, so do I. But..."
He stuck his head around the door again, focused on her. "What I want is you. It's what I've always wanted. The great sex was always just a bonus." Then he looked annoyed. "You're spoiling my plan to win you back, Valerie Anne."