“My heavens,” she said in mock distress. “Am I really that late?”
“Not at all. He’s just been dying to show you off.”
She bit off a remark. Parade the trophy tramp around the doctor buddies? How fun.
Her pasted-on smile faltered when Stephen’s hand slid along the back of her forearm to clasp her hand in his. She ignored how warm and final the gesture felt and nodded toward the smoking grill. “Something smells heavenly, Dr. Jarvis.”
“It’s Ted. Hope you brought an appetite,” he said, clacking the ends of the tongs together. “We’ve got surf, turf, and fowl.”
“All my favorites.” She breathed in and glanced around. “Your home is so beautiful.”
“Thank you. I bought it from Stephen, actually. Did you know?”
Her brows rose. “No. I didn’t.”
“He had it built custom,” Ted went on. “The only thing we changed was to rebuild the deck you’re standing on. We like to entertain.”
“It’s much bigger now,” Stephen said. “Quite an improvement.”
Caleb rounded Stephen’s far side and stood a polite distance away, in the “Stephen’s friend” zone. “What’s an improvement?”
“The deck the Jarvises built after Stephen moved out,” Rose said.
“This place is a lot different from the new house,” Caleb said. “But I see his hand in the design.”
“It was more space than a bachelor needed,” Stephen said, shooting Rose a pointed look. “I felt sorry making my housekeeper dust and mop all this square footage for just one man.”
“Your loss was our gain,” Ted said, the barbecue hissing when he dropped a slab of meat on the grill. “Though I do envy your new location by the falls. Really splendid view.”
Rose swallowed, feeling every bit like the stranger in their midst. She hadn’t ever seen his home and didn’t even know where he lived. She knew decidedly little about the first man she let make love to her—among other things. She resisted the urge to reach up and feel the new scar on her shoulder.
Stephen guided her around for introductions to the other doctors. One or two smiles seemed a bit wider than was called for on a first meeting, but there were no leers or snarky comments. Not to her face, anyway. To her surprise, it was the boss himself she found herself most at ease with—including Caleb and Stephen.
“You grew up in Rockville?” Ted asked her later on. “I lived in Andrews, not ten minutes away. Small world.”
He was flipping the most perfectly-marbled steaks she’d ever seen while she tried to extricate herself from Stephen’s suffocating attention without letting on that something was amiss. For a man who’d been so happy to give her breathing room, Stephen sure wasn’t letting her have any now. He’d barely let go of her hand, which never stopped throbbing from his achingly comfortable warmth. At least Caleb stayed at arm’s length, playing the part of platonic friend perfectly. Even so, he was hovering more than her fluttery stomach could take.
“I went to high school in Andrews,” she said.
Ted beamed at her. Crow’s feet wrinkled around his eyes just like they had on Gramps, and it stirred memories of sitting on his knee while he snuck her candy and called her Rosie Posie. How she missed him. He’d passed years before she’d been sent to her grandmother, which had been just after yet another of her mom’s hasty and doomed marriages.
She and Ted bantered about many things as the afternoon waned. None of them involved the circumstances of her dismissal from the hospital. They both loved to cook, too, her indoors and him out. He showed her how to soak wood chips before burning and his method for getting perfect grill marks every time.
Aside from Stephen going overboard to prove that his storage room dalliance hadn’t been just a fleeting urge, Rose enjoyed herself more than she’d thought possible. Smiles, alcohol, and conversation flowed freely, and while she indulged only a scant amount of the second, she and Ted exchanged the rest readily. It wasn’t until Jo stepped outside that Rose feared things were about to take a downward turn.
She wasn’t disappointed.
“I see you’re monopolizing Dr. Williams’s guest, Ted,” Jo said.
“I haven’t hidden her away. Stephen’s more than welcome to jump in and claim a spot.”
“Oh, I think he’s proven he’s more than capable of that.”
Idle chatter cut off abruptly as several eyes swiveled her way. She sipped some kind of tomato drink with a celery stick in it, smiling as though oblivious to the stares she’d just garnered.
“Why don’t you make yourself useful,” Ted said, shooting her a warning look over the lid of the grill, “and let everyone know the food is ready?”
Rose tried to tell herself that the worst was over while everyone gathered at the large tables on the deck. Ted and Delores bustled around with serving platters. Rose’s ceviche was served in an elegant crystal bowl with a silver spoon. Ted sat at the head of the long table, with Delores on his right and Rose on the left. Stephen sat beside her, and Caleb was on his other side. To Rose’s dismay, Jo sat next to her sister, right across from Stephen. Despite the heavenly aroma of barbecued meat, Rose’s appetite dwindled.
It might have been her imagination, but conversation on her end of the table seemed a little on the stiff side, and not just because people were intent on devouring the delicious food. Between Jo’s ever-presence and Stephen’s arm frequently brushing hers, it was all she could do to force the first forkful into her mouth. When she did, however, the perfectly-seasoned steak practically melted.
“This is the best steak I’ve ever had,” she gushed to Ted, stabbing another piece of meat. “My compliments to the grill chef.”
He grinned at her. “It’s all in selecting the right cut and tempering it properly. Never toss a cold steak on the grill.”
Stephen waded into the discussion. “You made this crab?” he asked, and she nodded when he pointed at the lump on his plate. “It’s out of this world.”
“Told you she was an outstandin’ cook,” Caleb said, and although he made the comment too quietly for the general populace to hear, Jo shot him a funny glance.
“Best meal I’ve had since the last time I was here,” Stephen said to Ted, and his smile at Rose sent butterflies swirling in her stomach. “It’s delicious, darling.”
“With a girlfriend who cooks like she does?” Ted said with a smile. “I’m surprised you even bothered to show up.”
“She hasn’t actually cooked for me yet.” Stephen gave her a heated look and leaned close. “What the hell,” he whispered low enough for only her to hear. Then his lips brushed hers, sending an immediate jolt of electricity through her so powerfully she half wondered whether her hair was standing on end.
Rose’s face was hot when he pulled away, and she ignored the laser stare Jo had targeted on her.
“But you’ve cooked for Caleb,” Jo said in a flat tone.
Rose flicked her a glance. “Caleb happened to be around one day when I’d brought food and Stephen was working.”
Jo grunted. “How lucky for him.”
They ate in silence for a while, and Rose’s hopes that Jo might leave her alone began to pick up.
Stephen leaned close to her when the meal was half over. “We need to talk,” he whispered.
Exactly what she’d been thinking. “I know.”
“So, Rose,” Jo said when Stephen sat upright again and went back to his food. “I must say I’m surprised to see you still in town.”
Eyes shifted Rose’s direction, and her stomach flip-flopped. The women in particular were eyeing her keenly. Apparently, she had been a topic of discussion indoors.
Rose clutched her iced tea glass so tight she feared it might break. “Shay Falls is such a magical setting that I’ve truly enjoyed it. The falls are simply gorgeous. I went down there the other day and sketched them.”
“You draw?” Ted asked, quickly enough that she suspected he was hoping to change the subject.
She n
odded. “Just some pencil sketches, and not particularly well. But I enjoy trying.”
“Rose is far too modest,” Stephen cut in. “She draws extremely well. Her likeness of Shay Falls was stunning.” He took her hand beneath the table and squeezed it. Her heart squeezed in response.
“So, is that what you’re going to do now?” Jo asked, swirling the celery stick around her glass. “Be an artist?”
Table chatter lapsed. Rose met the woman’s sharp gaze and lifted her chin. “Not at all. I’m still a nurse.”
“Not with the same agency, surely.” The air of surprise in her words bordered on audacity.
Anger bubbled dangerously in Rose’s stomach. “As a matter of fact, I am.”
Jo’s lips drew tight. “Glad to hear that. I had hoped they wouldn’t drop you after that unfortunate incident.”
Rose’s heart pounded. Like hell Jo had hoped any such thing. She was no doubt bitterly disappointed to hear Rose was still in business.
“Really, Jo,” Ted said. “Let’s not delve into hospital chat at the table. You know how it upsets my digestion.”
“I’m just concerned for her,” she said, and Rose wondered if that lie fooled anyone present. “Apparently the agency hasn’t found anything for her yet, or she wouldn’t still be here.” Jo kept going, either unaware or uncaring that both Stephen and Caleb were glaring daggers across the table. “It’ll be difficult to find work, you know. With the economy as it is and all circumstances considered.”
Rose felt the heat of a flush staining her cheeks just before irritation finally exploded. “As a matter of fact, I just had a call from the agency today. I’ve been given a prime assignment in Hawaii. I leave on Wednesday.”
Stephen’s hand yanked away from hers from under the table.
Jo’s eyes slid to Stephen, who had gone stiff. “But that’s wonderful,” Jo said. “Isn’t that wonderful, Stephen?”
Oh, damn, Rose thought. She could feel echoes of stunned confusion charging the air beside her, and her stomach sank. This was hardly the way she’d intended to break the news. She risked a quick glance to find two carefully disguised stares of shock from the men beside her.
“Of course,” Stephen said, recovering nicely. “It’s a great assignment. Travel nurses wait years to get offered spots in Hawaii.” He spoke to Jo, but kept his eyes on Rose.
“And those short-term agency jobs are what, twelve weeks?” Jo persisted, her eyes flicking rapidly between Rose and Stephen.
Caleb had gone back to eating, Rose saw, but he seemed to be shoveling in food at a rather alarming rate.
“Thirteen weeks,” Rose replied, hesitating for a moment. “But in this case, the hospital in Honolulu already indicated they’re interested in extending through a second contract.”
“Six months,” Jo said. “Such a long time.” She was smiling a greasy smile now.
Stephen’s hand reached for his fork, but he overshot the mark and bumped the wineglass sitting somewhat close to the edge. The glass tipped right over the table, and while he caught it before it could hit the ground and break, red wine sloshed all over the front of Rose’s white tank.
“Oh!” Rose exclaimed, pushing her chair back.
“I’m so sorry,” Stephen said, though he sounded anything but. “That was clumsy.”
“Guess you’re even now,” Jo said with a snort. “Since she dumped ice water on you.”
Delores was out of her chair in a shot. “Club soda will take that right out,” she said. “Come, Rose. I’ll get it for you.”
“Excuse us,” Stephen said, and he steered Rose by the elbow as they followed Delores into the house to a large, maple-and-marble kitchen.
“You did that on purpose,” Rose hissed as Delores dug around gleaming wood cupboards.
“Guilty as charged,” he whispered through gritted teeth, smiling when Delores turned around with a seltzer bottle.
“I’ll show you to the ladies’ room and help you get the stain out,” the woman said to her. “Club soda never fails.”
“Please, allow me,” Stephen said, holding his hand out for the bottle. “I can show her the way.”
Delores hesitated. “I’m sure you can, since you lived here. But I don’t mind.”
“The stain was my fault,” he persisted. “No need to keep you from your guests. I feel guilty enough.”
Rose could have spoken up and insisted on Delores’s help. But that wouldn’t have supported the picture of carefree lovebirds.
Delores handed over the seltzer. “Blot, don’t rub, and work from the outside in.”
Phony smiles vanished as soon as the woman was gone. The bathroom he took her to was through the great room, past the waterfall at the edge of a long hall. She couldn’t help but gawk at the surroundings with a new perspective. Stephen had designed this? He’d lived here all alone? How many women had he bedded here in hopes of finding one to share it with?
The bathroom featured earthy marble, a walk-in shower, and double sinks with polished and graceful swan-neck faucets. Once inside, Stephen shut the door.
“I’m sorry about the whole Hawaii thing,” she stammered before he had a chance to start in. “I was just so damn mad when Jo kept talking like my career was ruined. It just blurted out before I knew what I was saying.”
He set the seltzer bottle on the gleaming countertop and heaved a sigh. “Thank God. I thought for a minute you were really leaving.”
Her eyes flared wide. The next words came through a bitter taste in her mouth. “I am leaving, Stephen. I wasn’t lying. I just didn’t mean for you to hear that way.” She stared at the wine-stained white tank reflected in the mirror, unwilling to meet his eyes.
Stephen folded his arms. “And when did you mean for me to hear it? When you mailed me a postcard of sandy beaches?”
“Of course not. I was planning to tell you before we left here.”
“Look at me, Rose.”
She shook her head.
“You don’t really want to leave.”
“Says who?” She wandered up to the sink, wondering how to tackle the wine spill with Stephen standing right beside her. The stain was large enough that the shirt would have to come off.
He took her upper arm. “Says the one who can sense what you’re feeling.”
She pulled away from his grip. “You’re not the only one who can sense feelings now. Want to know what I’ve sensed from you? Nothing but your desire for Caleb.”
“What are you talking about?”
Anger flared in her chest again. With a stubborn set to her jaw, she yanked her shirt up over her head. What the hell.
His eyes dipped immediately to the swells of her breasts and lacy, white bra, but he made no move toward her as she held the shirt over the sink and poured soda on the stain.
“Let’s not make this into something it’s not,” she said. “I gave up my virginity after too much wine, and you were gracious enough to let me walk away from that mistake. No need to pretend otherwise in here. None of your colleagues can see us.”
“A mistake,” he repeated slowly. “You think making love with me was a mistake.”
“You know it was.” She started working on the stain, though her heart was pounding so hard she couldn’t focus on “blot-don’t-rub.”
“I had no idea what I was in for when you sank your teeth into me. I wasn’t making a real choice.”
“I didn’t force myself on you,” he snapped.
“I’m not saying that. I don’t blame you. It was my doing.” She dumped more soda water on the stain. “But I wasn’t in possession of all the facts about what letting you mark me would mean. I thought it was just something kinky. I never should have agreed to it.”
He flinched noticeably. “There’s just one problem with your theory,” he said in a low, threatening tone that drew her gaze to his. “My mark wouldn’t have taken on you if you hadn’t embraced the desire to be mine—ours—wholeheartedly.”
Her heart thudded as she thought ba
ck to that moment. The burning need to be one with a man had consumed her, true. She’d been eager to know what it was like. The moment it was over, however, the power of it overwhelmed her. Frightened her.
“The heat of the moment was genuine, obviously,” she said, feeling little relief when the stain faded. “But afterward, I realized I’d given the wrong impression. I told you as much, Stephen, and I thought you understood. You let me go, and I haven’t felt so much as a flicker of distress from you about it since.”
“I didn’t let you go.” His eyes searched hers, and his were beginning to glitter in a way that would need resolving before he rejoined the group. “And you didn’t feel my distress because I didn’t have any. I thought I was giving you time to adjust, not formulate an escape plan.” He leaned closer. “So tell me. Now that I know otherwise, how do you sense I’m feeling about it?”
She shivered at the brewing storm in his emotions. “You knew this was inevitable,” she said, blotting the shirt dry with a fluffy gray towel. “I’m a nurse, and you helped cost me a job in the only hospital up here.”
“So this is about money.”
“It’s about my life.” She noticed her nipples were stiff, and she hurried to finish toweling her shirt. “I had plans before I came here, you know. You can’t expect me to toss everything over five minutes after meeting you.”
She turned away to pull her still-damp shirt back on. “Don’t pretend I’m at the center of this, Stephen. You’ll still have Caleb.” And she would have nothing, same as always. “From the fireworks I’ve felt shooting off the two of you day and night, he’s all you need.”
Stephen cocked his head. “Are you jealous of Caleb?”
A twinge in her stomach tried to answer, but she shook her head. “I’m just being practical.”
They stared at one another for a long moment.
“You’ll change your mind,” he said, as if trying to convince himself. “You won’t be able to go when you realize what you truly want.”
Disobedient Cowboys [Lone Wolves of Shay Falls 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 15