Happy Campers

by Vanessa Hart

  He'd already told her this. "So, where does the deception come in?"

  "Myra admitted she had told my mother whatever she wanted to hear because she was dying. Myra has no intention of starting a family. She doesn't want kids."

  Leslie stifled a gasp. "And she just told you this today?"

  "Yeah. And not voluntarily. I had to push the issue to get her to even talk about it."

  "Excuse me, but isn't this a bit late in the game for the two of you to explore your expectations of marriage?"

  "But we had talked. Myra claimed to want the same things I did."

  Leslie met his gaze. "So tell me what part of all this bothers you. The fact Myra lied to your mother or the fact that she doesn't want children?"

  "Damnation, both things bother me."

  She wanted to jump to Myra's defense, but how could she? Trust and honesty were vital in a relationship. She'd seen how the earlier confrontation had left Gray doubled over with abdominal pain. Undoubtedly, seeing him lip-locked with another woman had brought the earlier quarrel to a head.

  "Now what?" she asked.

  "She's not talking to me right now."

  "Imagine that."

  He frowned. "I tried. I need to call this wedding off. There are too many warning buzzers going off inside my head."

  "Are you sure it's..."

  "Don't you dare say last minute jitters, Leslie."

  "All right." She sighed, pulling her gaze away from his. "Do you think Myra will call off the wedding? I mean, well ... after today?" After watching us engrossed in the mother of all kisses?

  "Not a chance. She just warned me to get it out of my system before the wedding, as if I did nothing more than stay out too late playing poker."

  "What?" She whipped her head around to face him again.

  "My reaction, too, babe. I don't care how big a jerk you think I am, I do not think kissing you when I'm engaged to marry her is normal behavior. It isn't something to get out of my system."

  "I agree you shouldn't feel attraction for someone else if you're in love with her." She stopped, letting the unasked question hang between them. Was he in love with Myra?

  And what about Myra? Leslie couldn't imagine ignoring a fiancé who strayed, even if it were only a kiss, unless ... maybe Myra didn't love him. Leslie didn't dare suggest this to Gray. It was none of her business. But if Myra didn't love him, then the wedding would be a mistake, just as Gray feared.

  Gray scrubbed his face with both hands. "I thought I was in love with her. But what if my decision to get married was a product of my grief over Mom?"

  "I'm in no position to advise you. I've been spared the grief of losing a parent, or any close family member. As for love, I thought I was in love with Josh, too. What do I know?"

  He raised his head. "He really did a number on you, didn't he?"

  "Huh! Josh was just the last in a long line." She snorted, shaking her head.

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean I have a lousy track record. Starting with Jerry McAdams in eleventh grade, then Miles Bloom, then Skip Sellers in college, then Barry Mazur--every guy I ever dated ended up cheating on me. I think it's part of the male chromosome."

  "That's harsh. Would you want me to judge you based on Marilyn Moser?"

  "Who's Marilyn Moser?"

  He patted the left side of his chest. "She broke my heart in ninth grade. Claimed to be my girl, then dumped me for the Junior Varsity quarterback."

  Leslie smiled. "No, please don't put me in the same class as that heartless bitch."

  Gray laughed, a contagious belly laugh that broke the tension. "I rest my case."

  "I suppose I'm guilty of stereotyping ... just a little."

  "You said you thought you were in love with Josh. Were you?"

  "I've given that question more hours of thought than you can imagine."

  "And?"

  "He hurt me, he humiliated me. He disappointed me. Would he have had that power over me if I hadn't loved him?" She shook her head, not really expecting an answer.

  "Myra has disappointed me, too. But right now I'm just frustrated and mad."

  "You need to talk to somebody else, Gray. I'm not qualified to advise you."

  "Maybe not." He touched her chin with his forefinger, turning her head to face him. "You are, nevertheless, a good listener. Thanks for letting me vent."

  She swallowed, unable to pull her gaze from his. Those gorgeous blue eyes darkened into smoldering sapphires. Undeniable passion sizzled between them. The kiss interrupted by Myra had left them with unfinished business, behavior her body seemed eager to resume.

  She schooled her voice for a lightness she didn't feel. "Hey, what are friends for?"

  "Is that what we are? Friends?" His soft-spoken words caressed her.

  She knew he wanted to kiss her, just as she knew she'd let him. Worse, she yearned for him to. But he didn't. He stood, then paced the small galley, leaving her bereft and wanting.

  "Maybe that's it." The frown in his voice drew her attention.

  "Huh?" What was he talking about?

  "Maybe friendship is what is lacking in marriage. It's not a question of romantic love. That's probably a myth, anyway."

  "Try telling that to Rob and Kat."

  He crossed his arms over his chest. "They do seem happy."

  "They are." Leslie considered Kat's marriage, the genuine affection she witnessed between her sister and Rob. "You could be right about the friendship angle. Kat and Rob are each other's best friend."

  "They share the same interests?"

  She nodded. "Including sex. They seem as hot for each other now as they were on their wedding day."

  "In other words, you see their marriage as a successful merger of friendship and lust."

  "You make it sound like a business partnership."

  Her mind flitted briefly to a charity autograph party held at a national writers conference. She'd met the psychologist who'd authored a popular book instructing you how to make someone fall in love with you. The woman struck Leslie as cynical and calculating.

  "Marriage is a business partnership, Leslie. That isn't a bad thing, though."

  "No, but it seems cold. There has to be a deep emotional commitment. You really don't believe in love?"

  Crossing his ankles, he leaned against the dinette. "Do you?"

  "Absolutely." She realized Gray hadn't answered her question. "But maybe you're right. Maybe love isn't what makes a successful marriage."

  "I never said that. I said it's not enough." He ran his hand over his face, as she'd seen him do before when frustrated. "Or maybe I said you can't have love without friendship."

  "If you aren't in love with Myra, why did your quarrel leave you physically ill?"

  "I'd question myself if that had been my first attack. But it wasn't." Expelling a long breath, he dropped onto the sofa.

  "When did you suffer your first attack?"

  "After I got here." He closed his eyes and massaged his temples. "I had just hung up from talking with Myra."

  "Had you disagreed? Argued?"

  He shook his head. "No."

  "Nothing about the call upset you?"

  "Nothing. She had been in a hurry, so we didn't talk long." A quizzical frown creased his face. "I remember thinking..."

  "What is it?"

  Goosebumps prickled the flesh on Gray's skin, as if the air conditioning chilled him. His olive skin paled.

  "Gray?"

  "A lifetime together," he murmured.

  "What?"

  He squeezed his eyes shut. "Whenever I think about spending the rest of my life with Myra, I ... I panic."

  "I know you said you didn't want to hear this, but that sounds like classic..."

  "...pre-wedding jitters."

  "Yes." She touched his arm, unprepared for the jolt of awareness from the simple gesture of comfort. "I'll be your sounding board, your friend. But I can't advise you. You're going to have to make up your mind, and soon. Only you c
an decide if you want to share the rest of your life with Myra or call off the wedding."

  "What about us?" He covered her hand with his where she touched his arm. "I can't deny how I feel about you."

  She pulled away, bolting toward the door. "No. If your feelings about your wedding are confused because of me, we need to stay away from each other."

  She pushed open the door.

  "Leslie, wait."

  Something in his voice stopped her. Or maybe some part of her didn't want to flee. She took a step back, turning to face him. His eyes darkening, he seared her with the intensity of his gaze. Gone was the anguish lining his face, replaced by a new emotion, a combination of serenity and determination. Sliding from the sofa, he crowded her against the door frame. He reached past her, pulled the door shut, then twisted the lock.

  "Please don't go."

  His breath fanned her face, spreading a blanket of warmth over her. He stroked the line of her jaw with his knuckles. Closing her eyes against the onslaught of sensations, she suppressed a moan. She hated her weakness, her mutinous body. How could she be strong and do the right thing when her hormones screamed for Gray to take her?

  "Don't you see, Leslie? There's no way in hell I can marry Myra when I want you so much."

  Chapter Seven

  As if a cloud had lifted, Gray knew what he must do. He would break his engagement with Myra. He would move out of her apartment. But first, he'd make wild, unforgettable love with Leslie.

  Enveloping her slender figure in his arms, he pulled her against his body. A longing besieged him, a powerful need to possess her unlike any emotion he'd ever felt for a woman. Including Myra. It frightened him. It excited him. He knew in his gut a one-time fling with Leslie wouldn't be enough.

  He breathed in the clean scent of her hair as he embraced her. His need to simply hold her overpowered his sexual need. He didn't analyze his emotions. He just savored the feel of her in his arms, overwhelmed with a sense of rightness. Belonging.

  Home.

  Leslie seemed to have other plans. She ran her fingers over his shirt, pressing into his chest, then his back. On tiptoes, she planted light kisses at his throat, inching her way toward his mouth. He met her lips in a gentle kiss, but she demanded more. Deepening the kiss, she pulled him under, drowning him with an onslaught of sensations.

  His libido on full alert now, he moved his hands lower to pull her firm hips closer, bringing their bodies into intimate contact. He ground his erection into her pelvis, leaving no question about his need. Her answering moan tore at his control. It took all his strength to lift his mouth from hers, but he had to slow it down. Leslie's pleasure came before his own. He had to show her this was more than sex.

  "Damn it, Gray, take me to bed before I lose my nerve."

  He crushed his lips to hers and maneuvered her toward the back of the coach. They collapsed onto the bed without breaking the kiss. Leslie slipped her hands beneath his shirt, her touch igniting his flesh. He fumbled with the snaps on her blouse, pulling the fabric until it threatened to tear.

  When he broke the kiss and pulled back to remove her clothes, Leslie groaned in protest. She yanked at his waistband, then dipped her hand inside to touch his cock. He squeezed his eyes shut against the explosion of raw need. Her impatience pushed him to the brink and he feared he'd come right then.

  "Slow down, baby."

  She sought his mouth, drawing him into a deep hungry kiss. "Don't make me wait." Another kiss. "Don't give me time to think."

  Absorbed in kissing her, he didn't know he had disposed of her shirt and bra. Suddenly his hand cupped the silky flesh of one of her firm tits. His thumb teased the rosy nipple to a rigid peak. Her murmurs of pleasure rewarded him, urging him to give both breasts equal pleasure.

  He pulled away from Leslie's lips, then ravished one stiffened tip with his mouth. Her skin tasted of sunshine and a hint of baby powder. She arched her back in invitation, her hand firmly wrapped around his swollen flesh. His mouth filled with her delicate crest, he fought the urge to grit his teeth.

  He lifted his head. "You need to stop that, honey, or I won't last another minute."

  She gulped a shaky breath. "Do you have anything?"

  Grinning, he leaned back on his elbow, then gently pulled her hand from his shorts. "Do you mean disease? Or protection?"

  "Protection."

  She met his gaze. Her lips swollen from kissing, her eyelids heavy with passion, she gave him a drowsy smile. He'd never seen a more desirable woman. He nodded, then reached into the bedside cabinet for the box of condoms. They'd never been opened. He had bought them months ago, planning to take Myra on weekend outings in the motorhome. She had vetoed the idea, expressing no interest in RVs or the great outdoors.

  Something in his expression must have betrayed his thoughts. Leslie's eyes clouded, her smile fading. His breath caught as if he'd taken a punch in the gut.

  "Leslie?"

  She closed her eyes. Her body seemed to sink into the mattress, withdrawing from him. He brushed his lips against her temple, then her cheek. No response.

  "I swear I've never made love in this bed with Myra, if that's what you're thinking."

  She shook her head, a slight movement he almost missed, then opened her eyes. Her dilated pupils darkening even more, she gave him a tremulous but unconvincing smile. Snatching the box of condoms from his hand, she pulled out one foil packet.

  "How about less talk and more action, Gray."

  Nothing would please him more. He yearned to bury himself inside her warm flesh. His aroused condition ached for release. But more was at stake here than satisfying his body's demands. If he claimed Leslie, made her his, he couldn't leave room for regrets or doubts. Her earlier words played inside his head.

  Take me to bed before I lose my nerve.

  Don't give me time to think.

  She peeled open the foil wrapper, then reached for his waistband. He gripped her wrist, stopping her.

  "Wait."

  She stared at his fingers wrapped around her wrist, frowning. "I thought you wanted this."

  "Oh, yeah. I want this. I want you." If he told her how much, she'd be as scared as he. "But do you?"

  Her chuckle sounded forced. "Isn't it obvious?"

  "Look at me." He waited until her gaze lifted to his face. "This isn't going to happen if you're going to have regrets."

  She averted her gaze. "Don't make this more than it is."

  "Which is...?"

  "A roll in the hay." She pursed her lips. "Look. I can accept that."

  He bit back an angry retort. The words didn't match the resignation in her face. She may imply this was only sex, but her eyes told a different story. Through the haze of desire, he saw something else. Shame? He'd bet his next paycheck she identified with Myra, the soon-to-be-jilted bride.

  He pulled her into his embrace, closing his eyes against the vision of her bare tits and sexy, ripe body. "I can wait, sweetheart."

  "Wait?" His shoulder muffled her voice.

  "Yes. I want you in my bed free of doubts and guilt. Neither of us is there yet."

  * * * *

  The late afternoon sun lost its struggle to penetrate the dense foliage surrounding the picnic table. Shivering, Leslie abandoned her writing to the fading light. Her camp shirt and jeans no longer warm enough, she regretted leaving her jacket inside. She didn't want to disturb Kat and Rob, still sequestered in the motorhome. And she couldn't return to Gray's, not after her earlier humiliation.

  Gathering up her notebook and pen, she huffed a sigh of disgust. How could she have thrown herself at him so wantonly, only to be rejected? Remembering his powerful response to her, she had to admit it wasn't rejection. With her stomach tied in knots and her breathing asthmatic, she'd been a little nervous. Okay, a lot nervous. But did he have to be so damn noble?

  She'd never known a man to turn down sex when so eagerly offered, a man who showed such concern for her feelings. In truth, she couldn't be angry, or dis
appointed. His admirable restraint gave her one more reason to love... No! Not love, Les. Like. She had one more reason to like him.

  Kat had warned her about using the man for sex. Leslie had believed she could survive a meaningless fling. She'd had every intention of having wild, glorious sex with Gray. But he continued to share himself with her, to make her care about him. That wouldn't work. Maybe he wasn't Josh the Jerk, but the scenario was the same: he was dumping his fiancée right before the wedding because he'd met someone else.

  The motorhome door swung open, interrupting her train of thought. Kat stepped outside, followed by Rob. Leslie didn't need to ask about the results of the pregnancy test. Both her sister and Rob glowed with satisfaction. Of course, they usually looked like that after a few hours' privacy.

  "I need to get my jacket." Leslie brushed past them into the motorhome.

  She threw her notebook and pen on the dinette, then opened the overhead cabinet to rummage through her clothes. The nylon windbreaker lay on the bottom of the stack. As she pulled it free, she heard the low murmur of Kat and Rob talking, filtered through the ceiling vent. She froze when a third voice joined theirs.

  Gray's.

  She'd stay inside until he went away. Cowardly but necessary. She just didn't have the emotional stamina to face him, not when her body still ached for him. Just thinking about his mouth on her breast aroused her. Flushed with heat, she ditched the jacket.

  "Leslie?" Kat called from the doorway. "Come on. We're all going in to Gainesville to eat."

  "We all?"

  "Yes. We're taking Gray out for his birthday and to celebrate."

  "Celebrate." Leslie tamped down her misgivings about spending time with Gray, instead focusing on her sister. "I suppose that means you have news."

  Kat leaned across the threshold, sticking her head inside. "Yes." She lowered her voice. "You're going to be an aunt."

  Leslie swallowed the unbidden lump clogging her throat. Kat's smile, radiant and happy, pushed aside Leslie's earlier mood. "I'm so happy for you."

  "Hey, don't cry." Kat scrambled into the motorhome, rushing to her sister's side. She wrapped an arm across Leslie's shoulders. "I'm the one whose emotions are supposed to be out of whack. Not you."