From the Torrid Past

by Ann Cristy

  Keele barked a laugh. "You certainly called that one. You are a baggage all right."

  D'Arcy halted and tried to wrestle free of his hold. "I am not going to let you insult me." She could feel the heat of anger coating her skin. She was also aware that people were looking at them in idle curiosity, not really taking their thoughts from the gaming tables.

  "Settle down," Keele hissed at her.

  "No." D'Arcy glared up at him. "I will not let you insult me because I was being friendly to an old classmate. And I'll tell you this." D'Arcy stepped closer to him, bending her head back to look him full in the eyes. "I'll punch your lights out if you ever make remarks like that about me again."

  Keele's etched face looked down at her, then the muscle at the corner of his mouth twitched. He laughed. "Don't ever say that you're not like Sean. You're the image of him at this instant." The tight grip on her arm eased, the fingers soothing the red spot they had made. "I'm sorry I insulted you. I was upset at not finding you."

  D'Arcy swallowed. "I was looking for you. I thought maybe you had tired of waiting for me and had gone to the restaurant. I was heading that way when Jim spoke to me."

  His arm threaded round her waist, pulling her close to his body. "I would always wait for you, angel. I had forgotten my watch and went back for it."

  She felt his lips moving in her hair and relaxed against him. "Stupid misunderstanding."

  "Yes." He turned her around to face the room. "Would you like to gamble while we have our drink, or would you like to find a quiet place where we can talk."

  I want to be alone with you, of course, D'Arcy's mind yelled at him. 'Talking doesn't seem to agree with us. Maybe we had better gamble." For a moment she thought she saw a flicker of disappointment in his eyes, but when he shrugged and agreed, she was sure she had been mistaken.

  D'Arcy shook her head at the crowd around the roulette wheel. She felt just as much trepidation when Keele stopped at the dice table and she was about to refuse that too when he pushed dice into her hand and inclined his head to the baize-lined area. D'Arcy lost in two rolls. She frowned. "Let me try something else."

  When she played twenty-one, the cards slipped in her moist palms. It made her nervous to look at the expressionless man who dealt her the cards. She sipped at her Perrier and lime and said "hit." She lost at first, then she won a little. When she rose from the table she was about thirty dollars to the good. "I want to buy Sean something with the money," she said in high glee to Keele.

  "You can buy him anything you want, D'Arcy. You have plenty of money now."

  "Yes, but I want to buy him things with my own money." She could have bitten her tongue as those golden eyes pierced her. "I... I meant that..."

  "I know what you meant. Just remember that you are now a rich woman. You can buy anything that you want and it is your money."

  "See what happens when we talk," D'Arcy ventured.

  "Then let's eat," Keele said.

  D'Arcy decided she would send the thirty dollars to the Salvation Army.

  Dinner was butterfly shrimp, poached in wine and covered with herb sauce, and served, in cups of braised endive. There was a loaf of crusty bread fresh from the oven and salad of marinated mushrooms and tomatoes. D'Arcy didn't want a rich, sweet dessert and nibbled on fruit that accompanied the cheese board Keele ordered.

  The show was bawdy and musical. D'Arcy felt her mouth drop open when Keele explained that the gorgeous singer in the slinky satin dress was a female impersonator.

  "I don't believe it. She's.. .he's gorgeous."

  "I prefer redheads myself." Keele studied the full blown figure of the gyrating singer.

  I am turning myself into the nearest psychiatric treatment center, D'Arcy told herself grimly. I'm jealous of the way he is looking at a dressed-up man. Oh yes, it is definitely time for the wagon.

  "Do you dislike it?" Keele whispered, a smile lifting the comers of his mouth. "We can leave."

  "Oh no, this is fine," D'Arcy squeaked, not looking toward the stage.

  She was relieved when the comedian came on, but then his language was so earthy she had to fight the heat of embarrassment in her body from rising into her face. She was glad that was the last act and there was dance music for the patrons. Keele rose at once and pulled back her chair.

  "Why do I get the feeling I am marrying a little prude?" he breathed into her hair as he folded her into his arms.

  "I am not a prude," she said, stung by the chuckle he gave. "I'm as sophisticated as the next person, but I just don't like smutty humor."

  "Or men dressed like women," Keele said.

  "It didn't entertain me, if that's what you mean." D'Arcy whirled out from his body as the tempo became beguine.

  "That isn't what I mean, but I'll let it ride. I'd rather dance with you than argue."

  D'Arcy was not even sure why she felt a sudden pain of rejection. She deliberately blanked her mind and gave herself up to the music.

  It wasn't many minutes later that she realized that she and Keele were being watched by some of the other dancers on the floor. She was flooded with pride that the man who moved so sensually, whose every motion fit with hers, was to be her husband. Then she felt a sudden dejection. He was good at everything. He'd tire of her. D'Arcy pulled herself up with a mental jerk. She had never had such a defeatist attitude about anything. Not even when she had been with Rudy had she given up. Don't be a fool, D'Arcy Kincaid, she chided herself. At least go down fighting.

  The big smile she gave Keele almost made him lose a step, but he recovered. She felt his hands tighten at her waist and the next time she was swung close to his body he didn't release her again. The quick tempo had their bodies massaging each other. D'Arcy felt her breath quicken and it wasn't altogether from the exertion.

  They danced for hours. Instead of becoming tired, D'Arcy seemed to feel lighter, more buoyant. She had never felt more energetic in her life.

  "The sun will be up soon, lady, and we are booked to be married at eleven o'clock in the morning. Do you think you'll make it?" Keele swayed with her to a golden oldie love song called "Stardust."

  "Let's not go until this song is over," D'Arcy muttered into his neck.

  "No." Keele's voice was like a groan. "It's a good thing we're getting married tomorrow, little dove, otherwise you wouldn't be sleeping by yourself tonight."

  D'Arcy felt hurt that he wasn't going to sleep with her and angry with herself that she should feel that way. "I'm surprised that you would want to sleep with me at all, the way you feel about me."

  "Don't try that old dodge, lady. We'll be sleeping together, so don't try to scheme your way out of it." Keele looked down at her as the last notes of the song died away. "We will have a very normal marriage, D'Arcy."

  She turned and walked to their table, waiting for him to take care of the check. Normal marriage my eye, she thought, looking at his bent head as he signed the check. What would you think if you knew that I would have schemed to get into your bed, not out of it. She sighed.

  Keele's head jerked up. "Tired? We'll go right away."

  The kiss that he gave her at her door was light and quick. D'Arcy had to restrain herself from pulling his head down again for a deeper kiss.

  She stripped her clothes from her body, stifling a yawn, thinking that at least her fatigue would keep her from dwelling on Keele.

  Her sleep was deep and she only muttered at the persistent buzz of the phone, stuffing her head under the pillow.

  She felt herself pulled from under the pillow and the covers by two strong hands around her middle. "Wha.. .What's the matter, Keele? I'm tired. Let me sleep."

  "We're being married in an hour. One of the company lawyers and his wife are vacationing out here and I've asked them to stand up with us. It wouldn't look very good if we were late for the ceremony."

  D'Arcy shrugged one shoulder, her eyes closed, as she leaned against him. "Doesn't bother me."

  "It bothers me." He lifted her into his arms and
carried her into the bathroom, using one hand to turn on the shower. The cold water made her yowl, but Keele held her under it until she pleaded with him that she was wide awake.

  He stripped the sodden nightie from her body. "I would be glad to soap you down, little dove." His hoarse voice popped D'Arcy's eyes open.

  Those leonine eyes lavaed over her. She could feel the nipples on her uptilted breasts harden under that hot look. She didn't want him to know the effect he had on her. She had a horror of him finding out that she loved him. She squirmed in anguish at the thought of how he would laugh at her. She could almost see those saturnine brows lifting in disdain. She pushed at him and closed the cubicle door. "I'll be out in a few minutes." She scoured her head, hoping she could stop herself from thinking of him.

  When she returned to the bedroom, Keele was nowhere to be seen, but the turquoise dress with the ruffles was splayed across the bed. Mouth agape, D'Arcy fingered the material. How had he gotten the dress here? Then she remembered what he had said about Madame La Rue sending the clothes.

  The dress looked and felt as good as it had the first time she tried it on. She was sure it was too dressy for a Las Vegas morning but she knew that she wanted to be married in it. She picked up the clutch bag just as Keele knocked at the door.

  She opened it and stepped back, allowing him entry.

  He looked at her for a long quiet moment. "You are very lovely. Here. I've brought you something." Keele handed her a spray of whitish green orchids, then he pinned a shimmer of sapphires and emeralds to her right shoulder. The setting was in movable gold so that her slightest movement set the gems in motion.

  "It's beautiful." D'Arcy tried to smile.

  "Then give me my reward." Keele swept her into his arm, his other hand coming up to cup her chin. His mouth was bruising, but D'Arcy didn't mind. She welcomed his touch, wanting his closeness with a fever.

  He lifted his mouth as though it were the last thing he wanted to do, his thumb brushing across her lids. "Come along, lady, it's time."

  The chapel was not the cold, impersonal room that D'Arcy was dreading but a small churchlike building.

  She met the Reardons. Dan Reardon was one of Keele's lawyers, and she met the minister at the same time in a flurry of handshakes and greetings. Christine Reardon was a vivacious brunette.

  The ceremony was short but D'Arcy listened to every word, finding it a more moving experience than the elaborate ceremony that she had gone through with Rudy.

  When Keele placed the wide gold band on her finger, she trembled. It amazed her when Dan Reardon handed her a matching ring to place on Keele's finger. Her surprise must have shown in her face. The crooked smile Keele gave her took note of it.

  They were toasted with champagne by the Reardons at a luncheon Keele had arranged.

  "Will you be staying for a while, Keele?" Dan asked, lifting his glass toward D'Arcy.

  "No. We have pressing matters back in New York, but I've arranged for us to return for a ski vacation in Colorado in December."

  "I'm not much of a skier." D'Arcy looked at him over the rim of her champagne glass.

  "You'll learn."

  When they were alone back in her suite, she faced him. "Are we flying back this afternoon?"

  "No." His gold eyes had a hard sheen to them. "We'll go back tomorrow. I have a fancy to have a flutter myself this evening. Will you mind watching me? Or you can even gamble yourself." He shrugged.

  "I'll watch you." She tried to mask her disappointment that he didn't say that he wanted to be alone with her. "Maybe I'll have a little nap, since we're going to have another late night."

  "Fine." Keele wheeled away from her toward the door. "I'll see you later."

  She was still gulping back tears when the outer door to his suite crashed shut. She hung the wedding dress with great care, swathing it in the tissue paper before enclosing it in the special garment bag.

  She tried to rest, but the moment her eyes closed, thoughts of Keele danced behind her lids.

  She tried soaking in a mountain of bubble bath. She felt as though someone had wound her too tight.

  She donned her one piece swimsuit with the front opening right to the navel, the back bare to the spine. She looked at herself and shrugged. "I could never have competed in this scrap," she muttered, grabbing at a cap to keep the chlorine from her hair as much as possible. Her swim bag was a constant companion since she swam every day at her club in Manhattan. She removed the swim goggles from her bag and slipped the strap over her wrist. She slung a toweling robe over her suit and a bath sheet over her arm.

  The pool was Olympic size and had a lane line up one side for lap swimmers. Despite the crowd of people lining the pool deck soaking up the sun, the pool was empty.

  D'Arcy slipped into the water in the marked lane and began her laps. She felt more relaxed after twenty and decided on twenty more. By the time she pushed her goggles back onto her cap, she was panting slightly and feeling far less tense.

  She heaved herself up on the side of the pool and walked toward where she had left her robe and towel.

  "You swim well." The man was heavyset and looked to be in his late thirties or early forties.

  "Thank you." D'Arcy turned away and set her towel and robe on an empty lounger.

  "Mind if I join you?" the man persisted.

  "I'm sorry, but my husband is joining me in a few moments." D'Arcy spoke in pleasant tones but she didn't smile or otherwise encourage the man. She wanted to be alone.

  She dragged the lounger into the semishade and spread the towel on it. She lay down on her stomach, edging the straps off her shoulders. Ahhh, she knew she could sleep.

  But when she woke, not sure where she was, she wondered why someone should be dripping water on her back.

  She lifted herself, blinking, to look at the heavyset man. "Yes?"

  "It's been almost two hours. I don't think your husband is joining you. I thought I would." His leer told her that he knew she didn't have a husband.

  "No thanks." D'Arcy turned back to sleep when she felt the hand on her buttocks. She turned around to tear a strip off him with her tongue when over his shoulder she saw Keele coming like a bull at the charge. His head was thrust forward, his lips peeled back over his mouth. His eyes had a death glitter in them. "Mister, if I were you, I would run and now," D'Arcy said in low tones. "If you don't, I suggest you give me the name of your next of kin."

  The man's head swung around to follow the direction of her gaze. He snapped erect from the lounger, his mouth opening and closing. He made the dash too late. Keele caught him by the neck and the seat of his trunks and heaved him into the pool, silk shirt and all. When the man surfaced, he paddled to the other side of the pool, got out and scampered away.

  Some poolsiders yawned, lifted their glasses, shifted on their loungers, and it was over.

  Keele looked down at her, gold flames still leaping in his eyes.

  D'Arcy rose to her feet. "You are not going to blame that on me," she began.

  "No, I'm going to blame it on Madame La Rue. Where the hell do you get off wearing that skimpy thing. I can see every mark on your skin through that thing. See. There's that little kidney shaped mole under your left breast." His finger stroked the underside of her breast, making D'Arcy gasp. "I'm damned if I'm going to let any cheap lothario ogle my wife."

  "I don't think he was cheap. That silk shirt he wore cost a couple of hundred dollars, I'd bet." D'Arcy was relieved that he didn't think she had invited the man's attention.

  "He's lucky I didn't drown him." Keele looked around at the sun worshippers. "Would you like to swim again? I can get a suit from the attendant."

  D'Arcy nodded, not daring to ask him where he'd been but happy that he was going to spend part of the afternoon with her.

  Keele was part dolphin, D'Arcy learned as they swam. She was as breathless from looking at his hard muscled body as from their race down the length of the pool. When she noticed some women slipping into the water
and paddling near Keele, she had no hesitation in splashing them, making one scream about her hair.

  "What a street urchin you are at times," Keele mumbled into her cheek. His sleek body had surfaced under her own and only his face was out of the water, the rest of him pancaking her. "You deliberately splashed that woman and all she wanted to do was go by."

  "Oh really?" D'Arcy smiled at him sweetly while keeping an eye on any of the females that might think they could make a move on her husband. "I'll say I'm sorry when we're leaving."

  "Don't bother." Keele laughed. "She would probably run screaming for the security people."

  D'Arcy shrugged. "Some people have no sense of fun."

  "You swim well," he said as his hand stroked her thigh underwater. "Did you swim in competition?"

  Chapter 9

  The days, weeks, and months following her hurried marriage to Keele seemed to make a lie of all the hopes that had built in D'Arcy because of that short time in Nevada.

  When they returned, D'Arcy had insisted that she fulfill the obligation that she had to her job. Not all Keele's raging that someone else could do the job swayed her, but she had felt the heat of her husband's anger clear through her. The ensuing coldness between them when D'Arcy finished the article on Athene made all the congratulations of the DAY staff seem like sawdust.

  D'Arcy could feel Keele's will straining against hers and though he came to her each night and stayed until morning, the silent contest of wills continued. She could not fault the tenderness of his lovemaking, nor could she deny the heat of her own response, but still there was a barrier there that made her feel helpless.

  It was a relief to leave her job and plunge herself into the interior decorating of the house that Keele had purchased for them on the Island. It wasn't new but the location was ideal, not a long ride from Adelaide and Henry or the nursery school that Sean attended. It was a large house, well laid out, and D'Arcy felt a frisson of delight at turning it into a special place for the three of them.

  At Keele's insistence a staff had been hired, consisting of Mrs. Thomas, their housekeeper, Toddy, a gardener, and one helper to keep the spacious grounds and make a special area for the climbing apparatus that appealed to Sean. There was a stable' where a well fed Jockey reigned as king. In a separate area of the stable, a fiery chestnut stallion was housed that Keele used when he rode with Sean. He had already warned her that she would be getting a mare to ride so that she could accompany Sean as well. D'Arcy nodded but didn't like the idea of riding.