by Debra Holt
“Thank you. This is the best surprise.” The smile she gave him made his eyes darken in response.
“I’ll be just down the hill if you need anything. Enjoy.” He left her alone.
Angie looked at the pool and then at her surroundings. She was definitely alone. It didn’t take her long to shed her clothing and step into the water. It was beyond wonderful. The temperature was perfect. It could have been the spa at home. At once, her bones felt more relaxed. She ducked her head under the waterfall. The water was even warmer there. She sank into the depths and reveled in how the water felt on her naked skin. This was another first for her. She was actually skinny dipping. Imagine that! She grinned at the thought.
A few minutes later, she moved back to stand under the shower of the waterfall. The water was loud as it echoed off the stone walls that surrounded it. Angie didn’t hear her name being called. The pounding of the falls was all the sound around her. Her arms raised her wet hair up off her neck and she turned to face the rest of the pool. Then she froze.
Jace stood facing her on the bank. He had frozen in place, also. When she had not replied to his third call of her name, he had come charging up the hill. He had no idea what he would find, but Angie standing still… naked from the waist up in the water before him… was certainly not one of the visions that had run through his mind. Jace was speechless. While his hands had explored her body last night during their lovemaking on the quilt, it had not prepared him for the sight of her today. Venus… Aphrodite… names of goddesses ran through his thoughts. But he doubted that even they could match the incredible living beauty before him. His eyes worshiped every inch they touched. Fire coursed through his loins. Turning away was not an option.
Angie stood completely still. She breathed, yet she did not feel it. Her eyes were locked on Jace’s. Seconds seemed like hours as they stood there. Her mind had no control over her body. If it had, then she would have covered herself in modesty or submerged herself under the water until he left, but she did neither.
Maybe it was the look in those amazing eyes that held her still. She felt both powerful and powerless. Every nerve in her body was alive with a current zinging through them. There was a smoldering fire within her core. Her breathing became shallower. Was it the sound of the waterfall or the pounding of the blood through her veins that blocked all other sound?
Jace moved first. He was being drawn to her by some unseen force. He could not have broken its power even if he wanted, and he did not want to. The time for taking things slowly was at an end. Jace knew he had to touch the beauty before him. With each step he took toward the edge of the pool, he shed an article of his clothing. Just as he reached the water, he stood naked as she was.
Angie caught her breath at the sheer beauty of the man before her. She felt no fear, only awe. Everything seemed so right. It was meant to be. They could have been Adam and Eve in their own garden… the only two people on the planet.
With only a few steps, Jace was inches from her. His hand reached out and touched her cheek, their gazes still connected. Neither spoke. Yet it felt as if words flowed. Their hearts spoke for them. Jace’s arms went around her waist and she stepped into his embrace. The touch of bare skin ignited a consuming passion. His lips took hers in a deep, soul-searing kiss. Angie thrilled at the way their bodies fit together… her curves complimented the hard planes of his body, her body fitting with his as if hand to glove. She was acutely aware of his hard maleness caught between them. Jace’s hands molded her bottom, bringing more contact between their fleshes.
Angie’s palms glided over the heated skin of his shoulders and across his back. She loved the way he felt. So many feelings attacked her senses. They were suspended in time. Nothing and everything mattered. She willingly surrendered herself to Jace’s masterful hands.
Jace raised her up and her feet no longer touched the bottom of the pool. He moved them both under the waterfall and soon Angie felt the solid wall of stone behind her. Jace’s arms held her tight against him but also served as a cushion to protect her skin from the coarse rock. His mouth continued its assault on her body. Every inch he touched, came alive.
Angie arched into him as first his tongue, and then his lips, found the pulse points of her heated flesh. A soft cry escaped from her as the ecstasy of his touch shot sparklers off behind her closed eyelids. Her nails dug into the broad flesh of his back as she urged him to continue his siege on her flesh. She strained to place her body as close as possible to his.
Their mouths danced together while hands sought the places of mind-numbing pleasure and assaulted every last defense between them. Angie wanted everything and so much more. Her arms wrapped tighter around his neck as her lips found the salty skin of his shoulder. Shudders began to course through her from the fire his touch ignited inside her loins.
Jace’s head stilled. Her skin felt a chill when he raised from her and turned away, even though his body still held her captive to the rock. His breathing was as ragged as hers. He managed to gain some control over his thought process far quicker than she could. Now the incessant sound filtered through to her mind. It was faint but continual. The curse words uttered by Jace at the interruption echoed those forming in her own head.
“I’ve got to get to the radio… no one would be calling if it wasn’t urgent. It could be about the case we’ve been working in Utah.” He explained his eyes full of apology and regret.
She could only nod her head. Words would not form. Angie only knew that once again, he pulled away from her; leaving her to totter on the brink of the precipice he had drawn her to with his passion. Briefly, his lips placed a swift kiss on her parted lips. Jace moved away from her toward the bank.
Angie sank down into the warmth of the water up to her chin. Her thoughts rioted with her senses. Her body ached for his return. Yet her mind fought to take control away from her body. She could only imagine what would have happened in a few more minutes without that interruption. Angie didn’t have to imagine anything… she knew. She would have been a very willing participant in making the biggest mistake of her life. Her cheeks flamed at the memory of her wanton behavior. Her eyes sought Jace, now clad in his jeans but no shirt. His back was to her as he listened and then spoke into the radio.
Angie knew that she had done nothing wrong; there was nothing to be ashamed of. She and Jace were married. Married. Her thoughts were shadowed. Their union might be legal on paper, but it was a charade in reality. They would have made love… strike that. They would have had sex… probably the best sex ever. Tomorrow, she would have hated herself for being so weak. It would have complicated too many things, but would it have changed anything between her and Jace? Angie knew the answer to that. She needed to remember who she was. She was not the woman Jace needed. He would always think of her as the city girl. She would always feel less than he deserved. Less than deserving of him and his family. His place was here. Hers was very different and far away.
He could have sex with her, but she was never going to be the one he should give his heart to. Her own heart was aching. It was time she went back where she belonged, that much was evident. Next time, and there would be a next time between them… there might not be an interruption. Her body had already proven she had no control beneath his touch. From that moment forward, Angie must only listen to her brain, and leave while she could. It was time for truth, no more lies.
Jace concluded the call. His voice reached out to Angie.
“I was right. It’s the case. My boss is about to send out the troops for me. I’ve got to get back to the office as soon as possible.
Angie’s voice gave nothing away when she answered him. “You go ahead. I’ll be right behind you.” She saw the look of hesitancy on his features. Then he grabbed his shirt and boots and headed down the slope to begin breaking camp.
With slower steps, Angie rose and moved across the pool. The water was heated but it felt cold on her skin, or was that her feelings? She dried her flesh and dressed in her s
hirt and jeans with automatic motions. She had to get through the next few hours, then the next few days. No matter what, her course was settled in her mind. It was time to say goodbye.
Chapter Thirteen
The return trip to Santa Fe was made with speed and little conversation. Angie was grateful that Jace’s phone had rung three more times because those conversations kept his focus on something besides her and what had happened… or not happened… at the pool. She kept her gaze outside the window and away from the man beside her. But each nerve and sense in her body was acutely attuned to him. The tension was almost palpable between them.
They were passing through the outskirts of the city as Jace completed the last conversation with his office and hung up. “I’ll drop you at your shop. Then I can swing by and pick you up after this meeting. It shouldn’t take too long.”
He was waiting for a response from her. Angie drew on all her strength and experience from many years of saying goodbye to people and places. Her face gave nothing away. She turned to him with a nod of her head.
“That’s fine. Don’t worry about me. You do what you need to do. I’m sure Zoe or Carrie can drop me at your house.”
The jeep stopped in front of the shop. Angie was out of her side so fast Jace didn’t even get his hand on his door handle.
“Good luck and be safe,” she tossed over her shoulder.
Jace watched the shop door close behind her. There was an ache in the region of his heart. His boot on the accelerator was heavy as the jeep jerked away from the curb. He glanced in the rearview mirror but she was gone. His eyes were dark with troubled emotions. He could sense, even without her saying a word, something had changed. She had moved away from him. It had nothing to do with the call either. He sensed the withdrawal. Perhaps she had regret? Jace hated his job at that moment. For the first time in his career, he knew what it was to be torn between duty and his personal feelings. Lives depended on him in the outcome of the case he was in the middle of. Otherwise, he would still be back under that waterfall with Angie. They would have time later to talk. He would make certain of that.
Zoe and Carrie were shocked to say the least when she suddenly appeared. They attempted conversation, but soon realized something was up with Angie. She was in her ‘keep out’ mood. When they spoke over the next couple of hours, it was only about business. Angie finally called them in to her office midafternoon. They took seats at the round table where several folders had been stacked on its top.
“There’s been a development in New York.” Angie launched into the speech she had spent the last hour rehearsing. “I know you both have experience in handling things from this point onward with opening a shop. You’ve had the experience of Atlanta and New York. Things should be fairly smooth for you here over the next few weeks. I’ve compiled the rest of the folders by vendors and due dates… it’s all right there.” Her eyes went to the stack of colored folders.
Carrie was the first to speak up. “You’re leaving us? For how long?”
Angie kept her gaze on the paperwork in front of her. “It may be a while. In fact, it may be for a few months.”
“Months?” Zoe piped up at that point. “But, what about Jace? Is he going with you?”
Carrie tried to nudge Zoe with the toe of her shoe, but Zoe was not paying attention.
Angie’s eyes and tone were noncommittal when she looked up at her friend and colleague. “Zoe, as you recall, our marriage was never meant to be for long. Suffice it to say, Jace will not be going to New York. This is his home. And I would appreciate it if you would help both of us and remember that there should be no comment made to anyone who might ask about our personal business in the days to come.”
“Sorry,” Zoe’s voice trailed off as her gaze met Carrie’s.
“We’ll carry on, boss.” Carrie motioned for Zoe to follow her as she stood up. “We’re old hands at this. When will you be leaving?”
“I… it will be soon. In the meantime, I need—” The ringing of her cell phone on the table beside her caught her eye.
Her heart accelerated when she saw it was Jace. The girls both took that as their cue to leave her alone. Angie first thought about letting the call go to voice mail. But that was cowardice. She had to keep things as normal as possible until she left.
“Hello?”
“Are you still at the shop?” Jace’s voice sounded tense.
“Yes, I am.” She had no idea how to carry on a normal conversation with him. This was harder than she thought it would be. Already a gulf was building between them.
“Look, the case has heated up again. I may not get away from here until much later than I thought.” There was silence that stretched across the line. “Did you hear what I said?”
“Yes, I heard. Don’t worry. I have a lot of work on my desk. And then I’ll probably grab a bite with the girls. I can take care of myself.” Angie gave a sad smile to the mirror on the wall across from her… how true was that statement. She needed to never forget that again.
“I’m going to have one of the clerks, if I can find one still around, bring you the jeep. I know you’ll want your bags out of it.”
Typical Jace, always thinking of what others might need. Just one of the many reasons she loved… strike that! “Don’t bother your people. It isn’t far. I can walk over and get the keys from someone there. You know how I enjoy the walk around the plaza at this time of day.” She needed to behave as normally as possible.
However, it was much harder than she thought it would be. Her heart was breaking and here she was trying to have a conversation… perhaps the last one with him. She couldn’t stop now.
Jace hesitated. If she came for the keys, perhaps he might have a moment or two to step out and at least try to find out what was going on. He needed to see her, to make sure she was okay.
“That might work for the better.” The connection went dead shortly after. She hadn’t said goodbye. He felt a lead weight growing in the pit of his stomach.
Angie worked for another hour. She explained some items that she placed in files for Carrie. She returned some vendor calls. It was late afternoon when she finally stepped out of the shop. Instead of heading in the direction of the plaza, she turned and walked with slow steps toward the federal building that housed Jace’s office.
As she stepped through the glass doors on the first floor, she was greeted by guards and an electronic checkpoint. This was her first visit to the building where Jace worked. It was a bit daunting to see all the security in place. She had never really given his work a lot of thought. Now she realized Jace’s career put him in situations where people could lose their lives. He could lose his life. Her thoughts were a jumble.
“Ma’am… excuse me.” The man’s voice broke into her haze. The quizzical look in his eyes registered on her brain. She brought her attention back to the present.
“Are you okay?” Another security person walked over to eye her. Did she look like a threat? Angie summoned a smile for them.
“I’m sorry. Yes, I’m fine. I was just lost in a daydream.”
“Are you Mrs. Blackhawke?” The first guard smiled at her.
Mrs. Blackhawke. Funny, he was the first person to address her as such. It felt oddly comforting, but also very wrong. Her smile faded.
“Yes, I am. How did…”
“Jace told us to be on the lookout for you. He said we would know you because, quote ‘she’s gorgeous’, unquote.” All three guards smiled at that point.
“And then he told us what he would do if he had any reason to think we were too friendly.” The smiles turned to grins.
“I see.” Angie returned a slight smile of her own.
She could play the part a little longer. What would be the harm? She was kidding herself, her mind warned her. Her heart won out. They opened the gate for her and she was shown to the elevator bank she should use. They even keyed in the floor for her. The silent ride gave her a few moments to compose herself. She needed to steel herse
lf for those all-knowing, all-seeing silver eyes she would soon face.
The elevator deposited her on the fourth floor. A long reception counter sat in front of her. The room had no windows and only one door to the side clearly marked, Authorized Personnel Only. A uniformed officer sat behind the counter and looked up at her as she approached. She was well aware there were two cameras trained on her from the corners of the ceiling in front and behind her.
“Mrs. Blackhawke.” The man acknowledged her with an officious nod of the head.
He was not as quick to smile as the ones downstairs. He raised his palm and she saw the key ring. She took it from him with a smile of thanks. Angie experienced a mixture of feelings as she turned toward the elevator. She was both glad that she was spared seeing Jace, and oddly disappointed. She told herself it was for the best that she did not see him. The double doors slid open just as the door behind her opened.
His voice stopped her. “Angie, wait a minute.”
She turned slowly to find him standing in the open doorway, one hand holding the door wide. His eyes immediately covered her face. If he guessed anything, he said nothing.
“I have the keys.” Her hand rose to show them dangling in her fingers. Her voice was even and she managed a smile. But it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I don’t want to keep you…”
“Can you step back to my office? I have a few minutes.” His eyes narrowed on her face and he watched her hesitate.
There was an audience and Angie couldn’t think fast enough. She said nothing but just kept the smile on her face and moved towards the doorway.
Jace stepped aside to allow her to pass him. He was acutely aware of the urge inside him to take her in his arms and either shake her back to his Angie or kiss her senseless. Somewhere between the pool, the phone call, and the trip back to the city, she had slipped away. He had to find out what went wrong. If she needed apologies for his behavior, he would do that. He believed she had felt as strongly as he and was more than willing to take their relationship further at the waterfall. Had he misread and totally screwed things up?