"I have to find a knife," she said, running her hand over his chest and tracing the dark arrow of hair to its point.
What came next happened so quickly that Randy never even saw it coming. One moment she was playfully caressing him, and the next she was pinned flat on her back, Luke on top of her, his knee aggressively parting her legs and his hand roughly claiming her breast. He lowered his mouth to hers in a fiery kiss that ended long before Randy wanted it to.
"How did you… ?"
He looked down at her with the most devilish glint she'd ever seen in his eyes. "Never mind that. Now you're going to pay the price for the last few hours," he announced. "You have two choices, Mrs. Griffin. One, I take you right now, and I do mean now, or two, I tease you the way you've just teased me. In either case I promise to leave you very frustrated."
Randy studied his crooked grin for a moment, then protested, "Luke, those are terrible choices. Give me a third."
He shook his head. "One or two, Miranda."
Of course he didn't mean it. "The first, I suppose," Randy told him.
Luke grunted and lowered his head. Randy could feel him trembling as he kissed her, his mouth gentle, thorough, tender. His hands were feverish on her body, yet he made no move to press his physical advantage. Instead he caressed her until she was arching toward him, hungry for his possession. For such a large man he could use his body with exquisite sensitivity, and as he moved against her her need increased until she was burning up with it. And then he stopped.
Randy stared at him, unable to believe that his threat had been serious.
"Do you have my attention?" he asked hoarsely.
She nodded, unable to get a word out.
"Good. Then listen carefully. I love you, Miranda. Do you hear that?"
"Yes," she whispered.
"You're sure?"
"Yes."
"Positive?"
"Yes," she said urgently.
"No doubts?"
"Luke," she moaned, "please . . ."
He cut her off with a kiss, suddenly out of control. Randy didn't mind at all. She was so recklessly excited herself that she stayed with him every step of the way, right through to the tempestuous finale.
And afterward, as they lay in each other's arms, everything felt so right to her that she wondered if her imagination had been running away with her all week.
"Miranda?" Luke murmured.
"You're the only one who ever calls me that," she told him sleepily.
"Because I like the name. Always have, ever since the first time I read The Tempest." He kissed her nose. "You were right, you know."
"About what?" she asked.
"My feelings. Things happened too fast. It wasn't only work this past week."
Randy straightened up and pulled away from him, tense all over again. But Luke quickly stroked her hair and pulled her back. "It's okay now," he said. "I did a lot of thinking in Dallas, especially about the way I reacted to Raley's call. When I realized that the thought of being without you made me physically sick I figured it was time to stop analyzing all the reasons why we should have waited and trust my emotions."
He reached for the wine, smiling at her. "Any woman who thinks to bring along a bottle of my favorite wine is too good to lose."
After he'd refilled their glasses and settled back on the bed Randy said, "But you were the one who insisted. You admitted that. You knew as well as I did that my father would calm down by Friday morning. So why, if not for the money?"
"I admit that it seemed like too good a deal to pass up. And I was also a little angry at the way the four of you were laughing at me. But basically I wanted you with me. I told you that."
Randy sipped her wine, hating every single stock option and certificate.
"So we'll give it all back," Luke sighed.
She started in surprise, almost spilling her wine. "How did you know… ?"
"It's obvious, if you understand women. What you don't understand is that cutting a deal with your father gave me a rational excuse to justify what I wanted to do in the first place. It would have taken me some time to give in to my emotions, but the end result would have been the same. And if you want to return the stock…"
"The truth is, it's much less than what I already own," Randy told him. "I guess we can keep it."
Luke's complacent smile said that he'd known all along that Randy would eventually see things his way, and when he promised that in the future he'd talk about what was bothering him she decided that the stock was really very unimportant. But as she silently sipped her wine it occurred to her that if he'd already sorted out his feelings in Dallas, there was no reason for him to have been angry about being hauled to Lake George.
"Luke," she said, "earlier today—all that cursing and all those dirty looks—did you mean them?"
He shook his head, grinning at her. "Of course not. I enjoyed every minute of it, especially once you started taking off your clothes. Although you did go a little too far, Miranda. My self-control isn't quite as great as you seem to believe."
"Oh." Randy started to play with a lock of his hair. "Were you planning to work tomorrow? Did I foul up your schedule?"
"If you could look in the pocket of my suit jacket you'd find a pair of airplane tickets to London. I told you that I was trying to clean things up so we could get away, didn't I? Unfortunately, the flight leaves tomorrow morning."
Randy moaned, "Oh, no!" and then, thinking that perhaps he was teasing, asked him, "That's true? You're not just saying it?" When Luke assured her that he was serious she exclaimed, "But why didn't you explain! We could have driven straight back!"
"Because I was having too much fun. You're the first woman who's ever kidnapped me, and I was finding it very erotic. Didn't you wonder what Roger whispered to me, or why we were laughing?"
Randy admitted that she had, but that she was so nervous that within moments she'd forgotten the whole incident.
"He said, 'You'll never play Hamlet at this rate, Luke. You're overacting.' Then he slipped me a metal file to cut the ropes with. Unfortunately, it took longer than I thought it would. You damn near drove me crazy, Miranda, especially since I'd been thinking about making love to you ever since I stepped on the plane in Dallas."
Randy meekly apologized. "I guess I had too much wine. But to think I could be packing for London right now… !" She sighed. "I suppose all's well that ends well, but still..."
Luke smiled at her. "Wrong play, angel," he said. "Try Ferdinand to Miranda, Act Three of The Tempest." His voice dropped to a husky murmur. " 'I, beyond all limit of what else in the world, do love, prize, honor you'."
Miranda wiped away a sentimental tear. She'd once played her namesake and recognized the speech he'd quoted. "That's from the scene where Miranda's father has Ferdinand carry all those logs to prove his love for her." She giggled. "It's a little backward, Luke, but very appropriate all the same. And a lovely quote." She pecked him on the lips as a reward. "How nice that you can recite Shakespeare to me. Do you remember the part that goes, 'Admired Miranda! Indeed the top of admiration! Worth what's dearest—' "
Luke cut her off with a burst of laughter. "Darling Miranda, I picked up a copy of the play in Dallas to find one appropriate line to recite to you when we got to London. Which will hopefully be some time Tuesday, if we ever get off this blasted island." .
Miranda grinned at him. "Prospero, Act Five of The Tempest: 'I'll deliver all, and promise you calm seas, auspicious gales, and sail so expeditious…' "
"Oh, shut up," Luke laughed, and pulled her into his arms.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
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An Act of Love Page 23