Arizona Caress: She Feels The Heat Of His Hot Embrace

by Bobbi Smith

  Chance's breath caught in his throat as he stared down at her. Dear God, how he loved her . . . and when she smiled like that, so impishly, so openly and freely, she looked exactly like she had all those months ago when he'd first discovered the sweet truth of her identity. Rori, his heart cried out. He wanted to tell her that he loved her. He wanted to tell her the hell he'd been through these last weeks at having to stay away from her. He wanted to tell her that he never wanted to be away from her again. A bolt of lightning desire sizzled through Chance, and he could not stop himself from reaching for her.

  Rori knew she shouldn't let him touch her. She knew she should tell him to go away and leave her alone, but somehow logic wasn't dictating this moment. There was nothing logical about what she was feeling, about how she'd longed for him while Evan had been kissing and caressing her. What she was feeling was love, and love was not rational.

  Neither spoke as they came together in a cataclysmic embrace. They wrapped their arms around each other, drawing each other as close as possible, as their lips met in a cherishing exchange that erupted into full-fledged passion. It had been so long since they'd touched, since they'd kissed. It was as if they'd been starved for each other's nearness and could now feast on that joy.

  Chance's tongue sought and found hers in a deep caress that sent shivers of awareness shuddering through Rori. She opened to him, meeting him freely in that exciting kiss. She wanted him—there could be no denying it. She wanted him with all her heart and soul.

  Chance lifted his head to stare down at her. He could see the desire in her heavy-lidded, emerald gaze and the redness of her kiss-swollen lips, and the need he had for her became a driving madness. He couldn't stop. He didn't care about anything but making love to her.

  "Rori . . ." he murmured her name hoarsely as he bent to capture her mouth with his once again.

  They were lost in the splendor of their embrace, totally caught up in the joy of their closeness. They did not hear the carriage coming up the drive, and they did not hear the subdued voices of Bethany, Regina, and Sandra as they descended from the vehicle to come inside the house. They knew nothing of the scandal that was about to erupt. They only knew that they had found each other and that, for this brief instant in time, they could be together.

  Bethany was excited, and it was a fierce excitement. After today, everything was going to work out just fine. She was smiling brightly as she led her friends up the walk to the house.

  "I'm sure Evan's here already. He told me that he was coming out early and that we should meet him right about now . . ."

  Bethany didn't pause as she reached the door, but opened it and walked on in. She had expected to find Evan and Aurora in a very compromising position. She had expected Regina and Sandra to be so taken aback by it that the news would be all over town by sundown that day. She had expected Evan and Aurora to be married within the week and the field to be open to Chance's heart.

  "Evan?" she called out as they stepped inside, hoping she could fake her surprise.

  Bethany and her companions stopped and stood gaping just inside the door with her companions. She had no trouble acting stunned. Evan wasn't there. Evan wasn't the one holding Rori. It was Chance!

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Chance stiffened as he heard someone enter the house calling Evan's name.

  "Chance?!" Bethany croaked.

  Still caught up in the wonder of Chance's embrace, Rori didn't quite understand what was going on. She twisted around in his arms to see Bethany and her friends standing there.

  "Bethany?" she whispered, confused.

  "Bethany . . ." Chance's voice was strained as he said her name. He realized all too clearly just what the women were thinking, and he let his arms drop away from Rori.

  Rori heard the tense emotion in Chance's tone, and when he released her as he did, she thought it was because he was upset over Bethany's having seen them kissing. She stepped away from him to face the three women who were staring at them in wide-eyed curious wonder.

  "Hello, Bethany," Rori greeted her with cool composure. She read clearly the surprise and outrage on Bethany's pale face and knew that she was shocked beyond belief by what she'd just seen.

  Bethany looked from Rori's torn blouse, messed up hair, and love-flushed features to Chance's rigid posture. "You . . . you slut! You jezebel!" She didn't wait to see the effect of her words, she just turned and ran from the house.

  "Bethany!" Chance called out angrily, wanting to explain things before the rumors started, but she did not turn around. "Damn!" he swore in frustration. He didn't go after her, though, but took a step closer to Rori. Protecting her from whatever the other two might say was more important.

  "We . . . ah . . . Evan invited us out for the day, but we had no idea . . ." Regina began stiltedly, glancing after her rapidly retreating friend.

  "Evan had to leave unexpectedly." Chance spoke up, shielding Rori's shattered reputation as much as he could, yet knowing that it was already too late. The damage had been done. Rori's disheveled appearance was the silent testimony. He had no doubt that wild gossip about them would be all over Boston by sundown.

  "Yes, well, I suppose we'd better go . . ." Sandra added uncomfortably. It was obvious to her that they had interrupted what had been meant to be a very private moment. She could hardly wait to get back home so she could tell her mother what they'd seen. Oh, what fun they were going to have with this one! The niece of the mighty Prescotts caught in an illicit rendezvous with Chance! It was just too delicious!

  "Yes, let's . . ." Regina agreed, backing from the room with her and quietly closing the door behind them.

  Rori was feeling terrible as she stood there with Chance. How had everything turned out so wrong? How had she and Chance ended up kissing? She knew Bethany was the woman he loved. But now . . . Rori sighed. She had never wanted to hurt Chance. She knew he cared for Bethany, not her, and yet their momentary indiscretion had ruined everything.

  "I'm sorry," she told him miserably.

  "You're sorry? Evan's the one who should be sorry," Chance stated fiercely. "He set this whole thing up, knowing you were young and gullible enough to fall for it."

  "Fall for what?"

  He was patient as he explained, "Our society dictates that if a young, unmarried woman is found in a compromising situation with an unmarried man, her reputation will be ruined unless they marry."

  Rori looked relieved. "Well, then everything is fine. Evan was gone when they got here."

  Chance smiled softly at her obvious naïveté. "Strickland may have been gone, but I was here."

  Rori blanched as she stared up at him. "They think you and I . . . We'll have to . . . "

  Chance nodded his response. He loved her, and he wanted to protect her. They would be married just as soon as it could be arranged. He was delighted with the way things were working out, but the stricken look Rori was giving him caused his heart to sink.

  Rori was beside herself with guilt. She didn't want to force Chance into a marriage. She knew he had only come after her today out of a sense of duty, nothing more. Now, because he had saved her from Evan, he was going to be stuck marrying her, even though he didn't love her.

  "We'd better go back, Chance," she spoke softly, dishearteningly.

  "Rori, I . . . " Chance was ready to tell her everything, but her next words temporarily silenced him.

  "Please, just don't say anything. Everything's so mixed up. Just take me home. Please."

  Suddenly, seeing how really distressed Rori was, doubts crept into Chance's thoughts. What if she didn't want to marry him? What if she didn't love him? He forced the thought away. If she didn't love him, he would make her love him. He had to, because marriage between them was now a necessity. There was no way around it. Once the gossips got hold of what had gone on here, her reputation would be in shreds.

  Chance still wanted to tell her everything, but she was already walking out the door. As upset as she was, he decided to wait until
later to declare himself. He would take her home now and talk to her later after she'd had time to calm down a bit.

  Bethany sat silently in the carriage on the ride back to Boston. Everything she had ever hoped and dreamed for was ruined. Her perfectly concocted scheme had failed and in the most awful way imaginable. She had expected Aurora to be marrying Evan, but now her own worst fears were coming to pass. Aurora and Chance were going to be married. Bethany knew that for a certainty for Chance was, above all, a man of honor. He would do the right thing by the other woman, and it broke her heart to think of it.

  The iciness that had encased her shattered before the violent fury that swept through her. Damn Evan! Damn him! Where had he gone? Why hadn't he been there! And what, oh what, had Chance been doing there?

  Chance . . . despair drained her anger from her. There was no point in going on. There was no point in fighting any longer. It was over. The man she'd loved above all others was now lost to her forever.

  Rori knew people were staring at them as they rode double on Chance's mount back into Boston, but she didn't care. All she wanted to do was get home. They didn't speak during the entire trip, and when Chance finally reined in before her house, she didn't wait for him to help her down, but slid unaided from the horse's back.

  "Rori." Chance dismounted and went after her as she started inside. "Wait. I want to speak with your aunt."

  "Don't worry about it," Rori told him, trying to let him know that he was free to go to Bethany. "I'll handle it. I'll make up something to explain all this. You don't have to get involved at all."

  "Rori, I am involved."

  "But you don't have to be! Don't you see?"

  "No, you're the one who doesn't understand. How do you think I found out that you were at that lodge with Strickland?" At her blank look, he went on, "Your aunt told me. She asked me to go after you. There's no way you can pretend that I wasn't there, Rori. Besides, Bethany, Regina, and Sandra saw us." He was disgusted as he said the last, because he knew what kind of gossip was probably already making its way through the rumor mill.

  Rori heard the disgust in his tone and assumed he was upset because Bethany had seen them kissing.

  "Then I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen." She opened the door and came face to face with the butler.

  "Miss Aurora! What happened to you?"

  "Nothing. It's not important," she answered wearily. "Is Aunt Charlotte here?"

  "No, Miss Aurora, she's out."

  "See, Chance," she threw back at him as she crossed the foyer and started up the staircase, "she's not even here. You can go on and leave."

  For a moment, Chance watched her mounting the steps slowly, almost as if she was defeated. His spirits sank because he thought she understood that they would have to be married right away, and she didn't want to marry him. "All right, Rori, but I'll be back."

  Depressed, Chance let himself out and headed home to tell his mother and Charlotte what had happened.

  "Oh, my," Agatha said after listening to Chance's explanation.

  "Oh, my is right, Agatha dear," Charlotte added. She was fighting down an urge to smile, for in her opinion things couldn't have worked out any better. "How is Rori taking it?"

  "She wasn't happy, that's for sure," Chance remarked. "And she kept apologizing, although I don't know why. None of this was her fault. If I just hadn't kissed her . . ."

  "It still would have looked equally as compromising, Chancellor," his mother pointed out. "Judging from what you've told me about the state of Aurora's clothing and hair, she looked rather unkempt. Is that true?"

  "Yes."

  "So even if you hadn't been kissing her, just the fact of your presence there with her would have ruined her."

  "I know," he admitted reluctantly. "How soon do you think we can arrange a marriage."

  "Reverend Bailey is a dear family friend," Charlotte said. "I'm sure we can work something out for tomorrow—late afternoon, shall we say? I'd love to hold the ceremony at the house, if the reverend approves."

  "That'll be fine," Agatha pronounced pleasantly, "and I'll plan to have the wedding feast here afterward."

  "Sounds delightful. Shall we see about making our plans?" Charlotte was eager to begin.

  "By all means. Just think, by this time tomorrow, we'll be family." The two older women shared a secret smile and then bustled from the room to begin their tasks of love.

  When they had gone, Chance remained alone in the parlor, thinking about the events of the day. When Strickland's deception came to mind, Chance's anger returned. He hated the man. He had for a long time, and this whole ordeal just served to convince him that he'd been right. The man was a no-good opportunist. He had lured Rori to the country on false pretenses, and now her reputation was in ruins. None of this would have happened if it hadn't been for him. Yet, as Chance thought about it, he realized that he really should thank Strickland. Tomorrow, because of him, Rori would become Mrs. Chancellor Broderick.

  Chance thought about his future . . . and the woman who would be his wife. He thought of the first time they'd met when he'd rescued her from the fight in the street, and a tender smile curved his lips. He'd been in love with her from the first time they'd touched. She was all fire and passion and everything he'd ever wanted in a woman. He had to admit that he was really glad that the whole thing had happened. He wanted this marriage. He loved Rori, and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. What bothered him was that he wasn't sure she wanted that, too. Somehow he had to convince Rori that he loved her.

  Rori was lying on the bed in her room with Big Jake, trying to figure out what to do next. She was considering going to see Bethany to tell her that there was nothing between her and Chance, that the embrace she'd witnessed had just been an accident and that she was the woman he really loved. She wanted Chance to be happy, and she thought that clearing things up with Bethany would make him happy. Rori had almost decided to do it, when the knock came at her door.

  "Yes?"

  "It's me, darling," Charlotte responded. "May I come in?"

  "Sure, Aunt Charlotte." Rori was a bit nervous about what her aunt was going to have to say.

  Charlotte entered to find Rori sitting in the middle of her bed with her dog. Rori had changed into a plain blouse and skirt and had pulled her ebony hair back away from her face before letting it tumble freely down her back. She looked very young and vulnerable, despite the slight wariness reflected in her eyes.

  "Aurora . . ." Charlotte regretted deeply that their carefree days together here were ending. Tomorrow, a whole new life would be opening up for her. Tomorrow, Rori would marry Chance.

  "Yes?"

  "Do you think we could talk for a while?" she ventured as she closed the door behind her and came to sit beside her on the bed. "There are a few things we need to discuss."

  "I know," Rori replied with a heavy sigh.

  Charlotte slipped a supportive arm about her shoulders and gave her a warm, loving squeeze. "Come now, it's not as bad as all that."

  "Have you talked to Chance? Do you know what happened?"

  "Yes. I know everything."

  "You do?" The news surprised her. "Oh, well, would you care if I went over to Bethany's house then, and tried to get this whole thing straightened out with her? I figured if I just told her the truth, everything would be all right. She wouldn't be so mad at Chance, and everything would be 'fine between them again."

  "I know honesty seems like the simplest approach, but I'm afraid it won't work in this situation," Charlotte told her gently.

  "Why not?"

  "It's too late. The wedding arrangements have already been made for tomorrow afternoon, sweetheart." Her heart ached for Rori as she read the misery in her face.

  "But Chance doesn't want to marry me!"

  "You may rest assured that Chance wouldn't marry you unless he wanted to." Charlotte said confidently.

  "Why is he doing this?" Rori cried miserably.

  "He doesn
't want to see you hurt, dear."

  "But this is all Evan's fault! He shouldn't have to pay the price for Evan's deceit."

  "It doesn't matter whose fault it was. The point is Bethany, Regina, and Sandra walked in on you and Chance in what is regarded as a compromising situation. Your blouse was torn and your hair . . .?"

  "Yes. Evan and I had a little run-in before Chance showed up, but he didn't hurt me. If Evan had just brought me home when I asked him to, then none of this would have happened!"

  "But you must understand that Evan had no intention of bringing you home until after you were discovered by the others. Now, tell me." Charlotte paused as she gently turned Rori to face her. "Would you rather be marrying Evan tomorrow?"

  "Well . . .no." Rori admitted reluctantly, her green eyes dark and clouded with worry.

  "Then let's not talk about what might have been. There's no point in going over it anymore." Her tone lightened as she continued. "Right now, we have your wedding to plan."

  "My wedding . . ." Rori repeated, still stunned by all that was happening so quickly.

  "Aurora," Charlotte said her name more solemnly as she held her hand in hers, "I'd be honored if you'd wear my wedding dress."

  "But why?" she asked, not understanding the tradition.

  "Because I love you very much. You're the daughter I always wanted but never had."

  Rori gave her aunt a pleading look. "Aunt Charlotte, I don't want to marry Chance. He's not in love with me. Bethany's the one he loves."

  "You're wrong, Aurora," she said firmly, her steady, assured gaze holding Rori's.

  "I wish I was," Rori began, almost opening up and telling her everything, but she stopped, knowing there was no point in discussing it, "but I know I'm not."

  "Time will tell, my dear," Charlotte said calmly as she patted her hand. "Now, about the ceremony . . . it will be held here at midafternoon, and . . ."

  Some time later, Rori lay upon her bed, tossing and turning and unable to sleep. So much had happened and in such a short period of time that she felt dazed and confused. How could a day that had promised to be so much fun have turned into a disaster? She had started out that morning thinking she was going to have a day in the country and had ended up a ruined woman.