by Jane Toombs
“In that case, permit me to make the decision for you.” He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the spiral staircase.
“You’re not going to try to carry me up that!” she exclaimed, aghast.
“Think of it this way. If we fall, we fall together.” He kept on going.
“Men. Should have known better than to make it a challenge,” she muttered into his chest.
“Here I am doing my best to be romantic and you’re grumbling.”
“You didn’t blow out the lamps down there,” she said.
“Remind me never to get involved with a practical woman again,” he teased. “You’re supposed to be swooning with admiration at my caveman tactics instead of worrying about kerosene lamps. Don’t tell me you expected to be carried up this damn staircase in total darkness.”
Victoria giggled.
“Now she’s laughing at me,” he complained. “There’s no pleasing some women. Especially this one who’s half strangling me with her death grip.”
In the loft, he dropped her unceremoniously onto his bed. “You left your robe up here last night. I hung it on one of the bedposts, in case you care to shp into something more comfortable while I extinguish those blasted lamps.”
Steve stripped off his own clothes as soon as he returned to the loft. In the darkness, he found the bed by touch and slid under the covers. “Whoa,” he said, “someone’s left a naked lady in my bed. Any instructions come with you, ma’am?”
He knew he verged on being silly, a result of being high on the anticipation of coming events, but he didn’t care. Victoria would understand; she always did.
“This naked lady is designed for experimentation by the proper naked male,” she murmured. “If you are he, what is the password, sir?”
“Moonlight,” he told her.
“Oh my, then you must be the one I’ve been waiting for.”
“Give you my word, that’s me.”
“Do what you will,” she whispered. “I’m yours.”
The game they were playing had begun to arouse him and her whispered words took him all the way. She was his. All night—the devil take tomorrow.
He began with her lips—sweet, seductive and incredibly responsive under his. Slowly and tenderly he kissed his way along her throat and lower, until he reached the soft mounds of her breasts. He caressed one, then the other with his lips and tongue until she began to moan, then continued his journey on down.
When he reached his goal, he gently urged her legs apart until they opened, offering him access. Hot and throbbing though he was by now, he refused to hurry. Placing his hands under the enticing curves of her buttocks and raising her, he took his tune as he pleasured her.
Her incoherent words mixed with gasps not only told him she was on the cusp, but fired his own need to an almost unbearable pitch. When she cried out, he lost the ability to prolong his wait and rose above her, plunging into her moist and welcoming warmth, feeling her draw him deeper and deeper.
She called his name, her voice rising to a near scream. He wanted to tell her, needed to tell her... but it was too late for words. He couldn’t speak, he could only cry out as she had done, joining her in the final journey.
Only when he returned to awareness and eased from her onto his side, pulling her into his arms, did he realize they were bathed in moonlight.
After a time, she murmured, “When does the naked lady get her turn?”
He grinned, hugging her closer. There was no other woman like Victoria. “This particular moonlight lady can have her turn anytime she chooses, no-holdsbarred,” he told her.
What she did to him was positively indecent, and he enjoyed every second of it, from the nibbling at his nipples to the way she caressed more arousing spots than he knew he possessed.
She had him exactly where she wanted him by the time she straddled his body and eased herself down onto his all-time-high arousal. He was more than ready for a wild ride to the moon. Instead, she teased him by almost withdrawing and then sliding down again with agonizing slowness.
When he tried to speed things up, she leaned down to his ear and told him, in a husky whisper that did nothing to improve matters, that it was her turn, not his.
He was ready to explode by the time she lost her own control and let him take them both on the tumultuous ride he could tell she needed as desperately as he did.
Lying there spent, with her in his arms, he knew he’d never forget this night. When he regained enough energy to form words, he asked, “Who gets the next turn?”
“Offhand, I’d say Mr. Sandman,” she said drowsily.
“Okay, but he better not forget just who this naked lady belongs to.”
“Don’t belong to anyone but myself.” Her words were so slurred, he knew she was sliding into sleep.
It was true. He’d have said the same if she’d claimed him as hers. Yet, for the first time in his life he understood the meaning of being bonded to someone else, because they were, he and Victoria.
Chapter Ten
Steve woke to darkness, the moonlight gone. Victoria, though, was still there, cuddled up against him, one arm flung across his chest. Unlike Kim, who’d always turned away from him once they’d had sex.
He’d realized soon after she left him, that what he and Kim shared had been lust, not love. They’d never really liked one another except superficially. No wonder the marriage split apart. As his grandmother had commented, “Marry in haste, repent at leisure.”
When she left him for Malengo his pride was more wounded than his heart. He didn’t understand why any woman would choose a scumbag like that. No matter how handsome the surface, he felt Malengo’s essential slimy nature showed through the fake charm and designer clothes.
But then, he wasn’t a woman. He knew the guy had used fast-lane romance to net Kim because the agency had traced several of their clandestine meetings prior to the split. Always in some expensive resort designed for “lovers.” Steve, himself, had never been the romantic type—not until lately, with Victoria. Somehow she inspired it.
“Victoria,” he said softly, enjoying the sound of her name.
He felt her start and then tense. “It’s okay,” he murmured, “you’re with me.”
“I thought I heard someone call my name.”
“This time you were right. I did.”
“No,” she said, “in my dream it was a woman. Kim, I think.”
“Why would you dream of her?”
“Alice says most dreams are unfinished business the dreamer’s unconscious is still trying to settle.”
“Who’s Alice?”
“My apartment neighbor across the hall—a psychologist.”
“What’s she have to do with Kim?”
Victoria sighed. “Nothing. I guess maybe Kim’s on my mind because I’m with you.”
Steve made a decision. There were many things he couldn’t tell anyone, even Victoria, but he thought she deserved the truth about his marriage to Kim.
“Our divorce was final three years ago,” he said bluntly. “I hadn’t seen Kim since then, until I was called to the hospital a couple of weeks ago.”
After a moment of silence, Victoria said, “If that’s true, what about the baby? You can’t possibly be her father.”
“I’m convinced Kim named me as Heidi’s father because she wanted me to protect the baby from Heidi’s real father. I don’t have a clue why she intended to do that. When you handed me Heidi at the hospital I was dumbfounded, at a complete loss. At the time none of it made sense to me.”
“I knew you were in shock.” Victoria drew away from him until there was a space between them. “I was wrong as to why, though.”
“I couldn’t tell anyone, you included, I wasn’t the real father, until I worked out why Kim would have lied to the hospital about it. At that time, I thought you’d only be with us—with me and the baby—temporarily .”
“I am only temporary.” As she spoke, he could sense Victoria propping hersel
f up on her pillow.
“You know what I mean. In the beginning I didn’t intend to come up here and we both thought I’d be hiring a more permanent baby nurse.” He sat up and punched his pillow until he was comfortable leaning back against the headboard.
“You’ve got it all worked out now?” she asked.
“More or less.”
“Why did Kim do it, then?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“So you’re back to being Mr. Mystery.”
“Damn it! I don’t discuss my job with anyone!”
That should shut her up, he thought with increasing annoyance. Why does she have to poke and pry? Kim had tried to do the same thing—without results.
“I don’t understand how all this can be related to whatever it is you do,” Victoria said finally.
“You never will,” he told her.
“Period,” she snapped.
“Yes, if you insist. Until I mamed Kim I never really understood that Bluebeard fairy tale about all the wives. But I’ve gradually come to see he wasn’t the unreasonable monster I once thought. Women are too damn inquisitive for their own good.”
“No wonder Kim left you.” Her voice quivered with outrage.
“Go ahead, cast me in the role of Bluebeard. You still won’t get any answers I feel are none of your business.”
That did it! Victoria flung back the covers, groped for her robe hanging on the bedpost, slid into it and felt her way to the door.
“Wait, take the flashlight”
“No!” she all but shouted. “I might get your damn gun by mistake and I’d hate to be responsible for shooting you.”
She found the first step of the staircase and descended carefully, despite her eagerness to get as far away from him as possible. Falling down this spiral monstrosity in the dark wasn’t on her agenda.
She had difficulty accepting the fact that Heidi wasn’t his daughter. And that, for reasons he wouldn’t divulge, he was keeping the baby away from the man who had fathered her. Which made her Steve’s accomplice, didn’t it? She had been all along, inadvertent or not.
His was a lie by omission, granted, because now that she thought about it, he’d never actually claimed to be the baby’s father. But it was a lie all the same. What else had he failed to tell her?
If it were possible to get out of this snarl easily, she’d bolt tonight. But even if she could leave right away, the one to suffer the most would be Heidi. For the baby’s sake, Victoria’s only choice was to stay on top of this mountain till Steve brought them back to civilization.
As soon as that happened, she’d take it upon herself to make a list of reputable agencies where he could hire a caretaker, present it to him and tell him in no uncertain terms she was leaving. If he didn’t call one of the agencies immediately and make other arrangements, she’d damn well do it for him.
Settling herself in her own bed, Victoria tried to make sense of what he’d told her. In the hospital, she’d known Kim was frightened, but who wouldn’t be, badly injured and in labor. Had Kim had an additional reason to be afraid? It was impossible to tell.
Henderson had been the name on her driver’s license, the same as Steve’s, which indicated she hadn’t married again. What about the man who’d fathered Heidi? Steve obviously knew who he was and didn’t like him. Why? Jealousy was the obvious answer, but—after three years apart from Kim? Could this man somehow be associated with Steve’s job?
What was his job? Something to do with law enforcement. If Heidi’s father was on the wrong side of the law... Victoria shifted uneasily. Is that why they’d come to the cabin? To hide from this man?
It hadn’t seemed particularly odd at the time, but she recalled how Steve had switched from the car to the van, how he’d used what had seemed like a circuitous route and now these things took on a new significance. He could have been making certain they hadn’t been followed.
Apparently they hadn’t been and, if so, they should be safe in this isolated cabin. He’d bought it after his divorce. Which meant Kim wouldn’t have known about the cabin and so couldn’t have told anyone. Joker must have been acquired as an added safety precaution.
But why couldn’t Steve have explained all this to her? Once they were up here, even if she’d been inclined to tell anyone, how could she? Maybe he thought she’d blab to Willa. No, he wouldn’t have gotten to the point of worrying about that because Steve Henderson just plain kept everything to himself on general principles.
Yet, for some reason she couldn’t fathom, he’d finally told her about divorcing Kim three years ago.
Unable to sleep, Victoria was relieved when Heidi woke for her early-morning feeding because it gave her something to do. When she finished with the baby and had her settled again, Victoria fell into bed and into sleep’s welcome oblivion.
She woke in the late morning and found that Steve, who was not in the cabin, had already taken care of Heidi. The van was gone, as was her list of needed supplies, so she knew he must have driven down to Aylestown to stock up. Neither Bevins nor Joker was inside. After she ate a quick breakfast, she went out to look for the kitten and found him sleeping on a shirt Steve had left in one of the Adirondack chairs. Joker bounded up to her, tail wagging.
The morning, rain-washed fresh and clean, was coolish but pleasant. Feeling restless, Victoria decided to put on the pouch and take Heidi and herself to visit Willa. Before she left, she scrawled a terse note for Steve to let him know where they were.
Shutting the kitten in the cabin, she set off with Joker and Heidi. Before she’d gone a tenth of a mile, the blue jay she’d begun to call the guard bird sent up a clamor, following them till they left the territory he regarded as his. Despite her somber mood, the mountain air and the exercise lifted her spirits.
Willa seemed pleased to see them. “I didn’t reckon on Steve bringing me such good company,” she said. “Good for him, too,” she added, smiling.
“I take it he didn’t talk to you much in past years,” Victoria said.
“Nothing over what was necessary. Glad to see the change.”
Much as she wanted to unburden herself to Willa, Victoria knew she must not. She might know only a small part of Steve’s secret but it was his and not hers to talk about.
“We’ll set a bit,” Willa said. Her two Adirondack chairs in front were identical to the ones at Steve’s cabin except for being padded with faded chintz cushions, making them more comfortable.
Victoria lifted the baby from the pouch onto her lap where she could kick to her heart’s content. “There’s no scale around,” she said, “but I can tell she’s getting heavier every day.”
“Lively young’un. You staying on with her once he leaves here?”
Victoria shook her head. “I have a job to go back to.” Her voice must have given her away, because Willa reached over and patted her knee.
“Most men are dang fools. Every so often one of ’em smartens up some. Could be he will.”
Victoria tried to find words to deny any interest in Steve other than as an employer but they stuck in her throat. Peeved as she was at him, she couldn’t shake the unhappy feeling that the ties between them would be all but impossible for her to sever.
“Never you mind, gal. If ‘tis meant to be, ’twill be. He needs you—‘tis plain for all to see, ’cept maybe him.”
If Steve did need her, it was only to take care of Heidi, and he could find another caretaker for that. Victoria gazed down at the baby, her heart full of love, wondering how she could bear to give Heidi up. The baby focused on her and smiled.
Victoria burst into tears. She felt Willa pluck Heidi off her lap and tried to regain control of herself, but could not. She wasn’t one to cry, having learned as a child it did no good, but lately she’d turned into a regular weeping willow.
Willa thrust a folded cloth into her hands and, when the tears lessened, Victoria used it to wipe her wet face, discovering it was a red bandanna. When she could speak, she said, “I�
�m not crying over him. It’s having to give up the baby I can’t bear.”
“So you don’t care a fig for Steve.”
Willa’s words seem to hang in the air between them, demanding a response, but Victoria couldn’t make herself reply because she didn’t know what to say. How did she feel about him?
He was a wonderful lover. She’d grant him that. No other man would ever match Steve. But that didn’t mean she’d fallen in love with him. Never!
“Guess we got the answer,” Willa said, pretending to be talking to the baby. “You got to remember, Miss Heidi, that there ain’t no maybe when it comes to loving a man. Either you do or you don’t. And when you can’t say you don’t, then like as not you do.”
Deciding a denial now would be too little, too late, Victoria kept quiet, watching the baby eye Willa solemnly. She was just about to reach to take her back when Heidi offered Willa a smile.
“’Tis a wise child you got here,” Willa said, returning her to Victoria. “She agrees with me.”
Victoria scarcely heard the last words because she’d gone on to mentally finish Willa’s first words. It’s a wise child who knows its own father. Fighting an urge to laugh hysterically, she cuddled the baby to her. What would become of this precious child?
By the time she returned to the cabin, Steve was there. “How was Willa?” he asked.
“Heidi smiled at her,” Victoria told him. “At me, too.”
“And you figure it serves me right if she never smiles at me, is that it?”
Damn the man. He could sabotage a good mad quicker than anyone she’d ever met. Not that she intended to forgive him, but sniping was silly.
“Got everything on the list,” he said, handing it back to her with all items checked off.
Glancing over it, she saw with dismay she hadn’t added baby vitamins as she’d meant to—yesterday she’d used the last of the sample bottle the hospital had sent home with Heidi.
“I forgot to put down vitamins for the baby,” she confessed. “She does need them.”
“If it can wait, I’ll be needing to make another phone call in a day or two.”