Men Made in America Mega-Bundle

by Gayle Wilson, Marie Ferrarella, Jennifer Greene, Annette Broadrick, Judith Arnold, Rita Herron, Anne Stuart, Diana Palmer, Elizabeth Bevarly, Patricia Rosemoor, Emilie Richards

  She lay in bed for a long time, watching the shadows traced on the wall beside her. Whenever she felt herself weakening, all she had to do was to remember the years she and Drew had dreamed and hoped and planned for their family. She could still picture the glowing anticipation on his face when he would talk about his dreams.

  Why did life have to turn out like that? She would have done anything in her power to give him the family he wanted. Unfortunately, the only way she could do that was to bow out of his life completely.

  Instead, she had agreed to come back into his life, at least on a temporary basis.

  A thought suddenly occurred to her. She knew very well that Adele had said nothing about knowing the screenwriter. Was it possible she had also misled Lisa regarding Drew’s need to make the film? What if that had been a fabrication? If so, she would never be able to forgive Adele.

  Lisa’s sleep was filled with restless dreams and swirling emotions. It was almost dawn before she fell into a deep sleep, which was why she didn’t hear Drew’s tap on her door the next morning.

  Drew had looked for her in the coffee shop and had finally decided to check her room. He knew from experience what a sound sleeper she was and when he got no answer, went to the front desk and requested a key. Thank God the clerk knew they were married, although he probably thought it peculiar they weren’t sharing a room. As a matter of fact, Drew had decided during a long, sleepless night to change that arrangement as soon as possible.

  His gaze fell on the sleeping Lisa as soon as he opened the door. She slept on her side, one small hand tucked under her pillow, the other under her cheek. A slight frown creased her brow and he had the irresistible urge to smooth his hand across the delicate ridge. Her hair lay in tousled confusion around her face and shoulders, and Drew sank down on the side of the bed in the curl made by her body. He gently brushed the hair from her cheek.

  “Lisa?”

  She didn’t stir.

  “Darling, wake up.”

  There was no response.

  A mischievous gleam appeared in Drew’s eyes. He leaned down and began to kiss her, starting at her ear and following a trail along her cheek to her mouth.

  She moaned and stirred slightly, shifting in the bed so that she now faced him. Almost unaware of his actions, Drew slipped his feet out of his shoes and stretched out on the bed beside her. The scene was blessedly familiar, but one he had never expected to share with her again. He pulled her into his arms and started kissing her.

  Lisa was having the most delicious dream. She and Drew were together again and he was kissing her. No one kissed her the way Drew did. Or more to the point, she had never given anyone the opportunity to kiss her the way he did. Drew was very thorough in everything he did. Kissing her was no exception.

  He was such a tease. Just when she thought he would find her lips he would move away, placing soft kisses on her eyelids, the tip of her nose. She tried to find his mouth with hers and she felt more than heard the soft laugh that was undeniably his.

  “Don’t tease me,” she complained fretfully, her mouth searching for his.

  His teasing had affected him, too, and when their mouths finally touched, searing sensation almost consumed them. They clung to each other, lost in the rediscovery of delightful responses.

  Drew discovered he had unwittingly hampered himself by stretching out on top of the covers that so demurely covered Lisa. He held her so closely to him that the sheet provided an excellent shield from his exploring hand.

  Lisa’s dream seemed so real. She could almost feel the silkiness of his hair as she ran her fingers through it, smell the tantalizing scent of his after-shave, hear the harsh sound of his breathing….

  Her eyes fluttered open and she realized she wasn’t dreaming.

  “Drew?” she whispered. What was he doing in bed with her? Her fogged brain tried to recall recent events. She hadn’t been able to sleep; then when she’d finally fallen asleep she’d dreamed. “Drew!” She sat up, ineffectually pushing him away. “What are you doing in here?”

  He grinned. “What’s it look like I’m doing? Trying to wake up my wife.”

  She didn’t need the reminder that they were still married. Nor did she need the reminder of what it was like to wake up in his arms. It had taken her months to get used to sleeping without him. She tried to move away from him but his weight on the covers kept her pinned to his side.

  “Would you get off this bed,” she muttered, “so that I can get up?”

  “Certainly.” He nimbly got to his feet and gave her a graceful bow. A Spanish don could not have done it better.

  She started to throw the covers back, then thought better of the idea. The nightgown she wore left little to the imagination. It was one of many that Drew had personally chosen for her to wear. Of course he’d seen her in it before, but she had to keep some distance between them, or at the very least start putting some between them immediately, or she would be in big trouble.

  “I’m awake now, Drew. I’m sorry I overslept. Why don’t you go ahead and order breakfast. I’ll be there by the time it arrives.”

  “I’ll be glad to help you get ready, love. Surely you remember how good I am at scrubbing your back in the shower.” His eyes had an unholy gleam in them that told her he knew how she was reacting to his presence.

  She reached for her robe and drew it around her shoulders. Trying hard to ignore him, she stood up and headed for the bathroom. “Yes, I do. Somehow I’ll just have to manage without you.” She paused at the bathroom door. “Goodbye, Drew,” she stated firmly.

  He wondered if she knew how sheer her robe was and that the sight of her silhouetted in the doorway had a very strong effect on him. He wondered if she even cared and that thought gave him pause.

  Whether he liked it or not, they were separated because she’d made it clear she didn’t want to live with him, or be around him. Oh, yes, she’d made that almost brutally clear. How easy it was for him to pretend that none of that had really happened. But it had. He’d had twelve months to live with the knowledge and try to come to terms with it.

  Would he ever reach that point?

  Lisa watched the teasing expression disappear from Drew’s face. The hard lines she’d first noticed the day before settled across his countenance and he nodded. “All right. I’ll see you in about twenty minutes, if you think that will give you enough time.”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  She watched him open the door and step out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him. For a little while he’d been the Drew she’d known, loved and married. She wasn’t at all sure she could deal with or understand the new, harsher Drew.

  Is that what her leaving had done to him? She flinched at the thought. Pinning her hair up, Lisa quickly stepped into the shower, almost afraid to pursue her thoughts.

  When Lisa paused in the doorway of the coffee shop Drew immediately stood up and briskly walked over to her, escorting her to their table.

  “Do you still have fruit and toast for breakfast?” he asked in a quiet tone.

  She nodded, unable to respond verbally. He looked so good to her—that special freshly scrubbed look that seemed to burnish his golden tan with light. The scent of his aftershave continued to haunt her, and the burning light in his eyes made her feel as though it singed the surface of her skin. How in the world were they going to work together?

  “I don’t think this was such a good idea,” Lisa finally murmured after she sat her coffee cup back into the saucer.

  “What? Having breakfast together or taking a ride together?”

  “Both. And making a movie together.”

  He raised one brow in a slightly quizzical look. “But I thought it was all your idea, our making a movie together.”

  “Of course it wasn’t! I tried to explain to you last night. I understood the only reason the movie was being made was for us to be in it together. I didn’t want to knock you out of making it.”

  His grin was not one o
f amusement. “You’re all heart, Lisa. However, I could quit making pictures today and never have to worry about my income.”

  Was he telling her the truth or trying to make light of his current financial situation?

  “Perhaps we should call it off, then,” she offered, wondering why her heart pounded in her chest at the thought. Was it relief or dread at the proposal?

  “It’s too late, my love. We both signed contracts. Whether we like it or not, we’re stuck together for the duration.” He straightened in his chair slightly. “One of the reasons I wanted us to take a ride was to face what it’s going to mean to us to work together for the next several weeks, and to decide the best way to get through it with minimum pain on either side.”

  Lisa took the last bite of her fruit, chewing slowly.

  Drew continued. “It may be the last time we have a chance to be alone. The schedule is hectic, which is understandable. The longer we stay, the more expensive the overhead. In our case, the sooner the film is completed, the quicker we can get on with our lives.”

  “Then you’re agreeing to the divorce?”

  “I didn’t say that. I don’t believe I even implied it, but I can see that the divorce is uppermost in your mind. I had hoped we could talk about your reasons for wanting one and perhaps see if there were alternative avenues we could consider.” Drew glanced at her empty plate and smiled. “Are you ready to go?”

  Lisa was amazed to discover she’d eaten everything placed in front of her when she’d been convinced she wouldn’t be able to eat a bite. She nodded and watched Drew stand up in his lithe, graceful way and pull her chair out for her.

  “I can’t remember the last time I was on horseback,” she said, trying to keep the conversation casual during their walk to the stables.

  “I can,” he said with a grin. “Remember when we decided to camp in southern Arizona and rented those horses? You swore you wouldn’t get near one again.”

  “How could I forget? But that was because my horse didn’t like me!”

  “Why should he? If I’d been labeled with as many names as you gave him in only two days, I wouldn’t have cared for you myself.”

  Lisa grinned, remembering the trip, the fun and laughter they’d shared, and the delightful lovemaking. She seemed to exist on memories these days, and all of them brought at least a twinge of pain.

  Their horses were saddled and waiting for them, and before too long Drew was leading her away from the hacienda. The gently rolling hills were appealing, and she wished she could concentrate on them. Instead, her eyes kept returning to the path in front of her while she filled her senses with new visions of Drew.

  His hair had grown longer, so that the wave was more noticeable and when he turned his head she could see how it curled around his ears, the tawniness glowing in the sunlight. His shoulders seemed even wider than she’d remembered, and her fingers tingled with the memory of touching the rippling muscles that caused his shirt to cling to his body. The warmth of the sun had caused a slight darkening along his spine where moisture was beginning to collect, causing his shirt to mold itself to the contours of his back.

  His waist and hips were small for a man his size and height, and she recalled teasing him about his snake hips. Drew seemed totally unaware of his looks and their effect on everyone around him. Although Lisa knew that his looks had been the first thing she’d noticed about him, it had been his personality, his wonderful love for life and all it had to offer that quickly endeared him to her. His lack of pretension, his inquiring mind, his eagerness to learn more about everything, had caused her to quickly succumb to the power of his presence.

  She shook her head, trying to distract herself from her thoughts. It did no good to dwell on him. What she needed to remember was the necessity to maintain a distance from him and continue to convince him that she wanted to be free of him.

  She was an actress—a darned good actress—and she was determined to portray a woman who’d fallen out of love and no longer wanted a marriage. It would be the greatest acting assignment of her career. And the most heartbreaking.

  Drew eventually paused by a river that danced merrily through the countryside. After dismounting, he walked over to her and held up his arms. “We’d better rest awhile before starting back. I don’t want that delicious backside of yours to complain of my inhuman treatment of you.”

  Lisa could feel the color spring into her cheeks. She’d forgotten Drew’s ability to say the unpredictable and once again he’d caught her off guard. He’d always teased her about the alluring shape of her hips and sworn that he fell in love with her the first time she’d turned her back on him and haughtily stalked away.

  Lisa placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned into him, her horse patiently waiting for her to dismount. He lifted her slight weight easily from her horse, then let her slowly slide down the long length of him. Not fair. Not fair at all.

  The problem was that he knew her too well. He knew how much he affected her and how little control she seemed to have over her own reactions when he was around. Today was no different. By the time he stepped politely away from her, Lisa could scarcely breathe.

  After allowing the horses to drink, they tied the reins around a sturdy bush and without speaking began to follow the river upstream. Drew watched for rough spots and on more than one occasion grasped her hand to help her, only to politely let go when they were past the difficult area.

  Lisa wished she knew what he was thinking. When had he acquired the ability to hide his feelings and thoughts from her? At one time he’d seemed so open and loving, and she’d felt as though there could never come a time when she’d be shut out of his thoughts.

  “Do you want to stop and rest?” he asked when they came upon a grassy verge.

  The hot sun had created tiny rivulets of perspiration that trickled between her breasts and beaded her brow. “That’s the best idea you’ve had all day,” she admitted breathlessly, sinking down beside the river with a quick sigh of relief. She began to tug at her riding boots, gratefully peeling off her socks until she could dangle her feet in the cool water.

  Drew sat down beside her. “Actually,” he drawled, “I’ve had much better ideas but I didn’t think you’d go for them.”

  Lisa pushed her hair back from her face, wishing she’d thought to braid it before coming on this ride. She could feel the stickiness on the back of her neck. “What sort of ideas?” she asked with suspicion.

  He studied her face with a slight smile. “Never mind.” He glanced over the river. “We could always go swimming.”

  “I didn’t bring a suit.”

  “I know,” he murmured, still staring out over the river.

  “I don’t think it would be a good idea for us to swim without them,” she muttered.

  “I know,” he agreed indifferently.

  She wished he hadn’t mentioned it because the idea had considerable merit. It wasn’t as though they hadn’t done it many times before. However, she could remember quite well how all of those swimming episodes had ended. Neither one of them wanted that to happen now. Or did she?

  Lisa didn’t know whether it was the heat or her provocative thoughts that caused her to squirm, but she jerked her feet out of the water and stood up. “I think we’d better get back, don’t you?”

  Drew had stretched out on the grass, looking for all the world as if he’d found a home. “Why?”

  “It will be lunchtime when we return.”

  He glanced over at his horse, which was placidly chewing on the succulent grass. “I brought food in the saddlebags.”

  “Oh.”

  She needed to put her socks and boots back on, but she hesitated. The water had cooled them off and she knew the boots would be hot. But she couldn’t walk around barefoot.

  Lisa slowly sank down beside Drew once again. “What did you bring?”

  “I don’t know. I know what I ordered. Arturo was to see that it was packed, but I haven’t checked it.” He glanced at h
er under his long lashes. “Why? Are you hungry?”

  Of course she wasn’t hungry. She was nervous, and the longer she stayed alone with Drew, the more nervous she was going to be. Why did she have the feeling he was well aware of that fact?

  “A little.” Liar.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to go swimming?”

  “Positive.”

  “Would you mind if I go in?”

  Of course I’d mind! Do you think I’m made of stone? “Not at all,” she managed to murmur in a distant tone.

  “Great!” he said, sitting up and grabbing at his shirt. He peeled it off and his glistening chest beckoned to her, the heavy muscles daring her to trace them. She turned her head and stared across the river while he continued to undress beside her. The movements beside her tugged at her attention, and she had to fixedly concentrate on the view in front of her and not let her imagination remind her of what he was doing.

  When she heard the splash Lisa assumed it was all right to look. However, the water was only thigh-deep on Drew and his well-developed buttocks shone briefly, then were covered by his next step into deeper water. Lisa forcibly took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

  Drew took several strokes until he was almost in the center of the river where the water ran with a lazy current. “Wow, this is great. Sure you don’t want to try it?” he asked with a grin.

  “Positive.” She forced herself to lie down. “I think I’ll take a quick nap. Wake me up when you’re ready to eat.”

  She heard his laugh and a certain amount of unnecessary splashing while she determinedly closed her eyes and tried to find some tranquil thoughts to dwell on. She needed to think of anything but Drew’s nude body that was only a few feet away from her.

  Unfortunately most of her thoughts were about Drew and about other instances when she had seen him in that condition—climbing out of the hot tub on the deck of their home, casually grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his loins; strolling out of the bathroom after a shower, finding her still in the bedroom and catching her unaware, grabbing her and falling on the bed with her in his arms.