PART-TIME WIFE

by Susan Mallery

  Danny's lower lip quivered. "I can too go on the ride, and I won't throw up. You're just a fat old mobyhead!"

  Ben lunged for Danny. C.J. stuck out a foot and nearly tripped him. Danny started to cry.

  "Boys, it looks to me as if everyone is a little tired," Jill said. "Maybe we should all go back to the room and take a nap."

  "No way!" Ben said.

  "Jill, come on, I wasn't doing anything wrong," C.J. told her.

  "I don't want to take a nap." Danny wiped his face with the back of his hand.

  Craig put his arm around her shoulders and grinned. "I'd like to take this moment to remind you that I did offer you the week off. You're the one who got excited and declared that you hadn't been to Disneyland in years."

  She laughed as she glanced up at him. "Everyone gets to make one mistake."

  As he winked, her stomach tightened slightly and she had to fight to keep her toes from curling inside her athletic shoes. "Okay, here's how it goes. Ben, you and C.J. get one of the cups and your dad, Danny and I will take another." She glanced at the youngest Haynes. "Danny, if you throw up, I'm going to be very unhappy."

  "I won't," he promised and leaned against her. The line moved forward as the brightly colored teacups the size of large dining-room tables twirled and spun on a rapidly spinning base.

  She'd agreed to come with the boys and their father to Disneyland for the reason she'd told Craig. She hadn't been here in years. In addition, she was concerned about Ben. He'd been on his low-fat, more-exercise program for a month and was doing great. However, a week at an amusement park could be a lot of temptation for a twelve-year-old boy. The last reason, the one she admitted only to herself, and only in the privacy of her hotel room late at night when she couldn't sleep, was that she wanted to know what Craig was like when he wasn't so caught up in work.

  It was a delicious form of torture. He was far too good-looking for a mere mortal man. Her heart was in a constant state of excitement; her palms sweated on an alarmingly regular basis. If she didn't know better, she would think she was coming down with some deadly tropical disease. But it wasn't anything that interesting. Only attraction to her boss. A condition so common, it was a cliché.

  Not that anything had happened between them. There had been that one kiss, then nothing. It was as if by agreeing to stay with the boys through the end of summer, she'd reminded him of her position in his house. He hadn't made another move. No matter how often she'd silently willed him to.

  The line moved forward again. The boys talked with one another. This was their second day at the park. They'd driven down in two easy days, stopping at several places along the way. They'd spent the night in a resort just north of Santa Barbara. For the first time, she'd seen proof of Craig's financial resources. He'd put himself and the boys up in a two-bedroom suite, complete with a stunning view of the mountains and a whirlpool bath that could float a battalion. Her room across the hall had been equally lovely, with a king-size bed, a sitting area and a pretty impressive tub of its own. She'd protested the expense, but Craig had just laughed.

  Now they were staying at the Disneyland Hotel. The sleeping arrangements were repeated. She had a mini-suite across the hall. After a long day of rides and adventures, it was nice to stretch out in the quiet. Occasionally, she wished for something more – someone to turn to, someone to hold her. If she made the mistake of closing her eyes and visualizing herself with someone, he always looked exactly like Craig.

  "We're next!" Ben shouted. The young man monitoring the ride motioned him to a cup on the far side. Ben and C.J. took off running.

  "We're together," Craig said, pointing at Danny, then at her.

  "Right over here, sir," the attendant said.

  The three of them walked toward the cup. Danny danced around them. "Can we go really fast? Can we spin so fast we fly away? Can we spin faster than Ben and C.J.? You think I'm gonna throw up?"

  Jill ruffled his hair. "Yes, we'll go fast, and, no, you're not going to throw up."

  She slipped into the cup and sat. Danny was next to her, Craig across from her. The area was tight. Their knees bumped.

  "What do we do?" Danny asked.

  Craig placed the boy's hands on the plate-size disk sticking up from the center of the cup. "Once the ride starts, turn this as fast as you can. We'll spin around."

  Danny bounced in his seat. "How do you know when the ride starts?"

  Jill leaned close and grinned. "The floor starts moving."

  "Really?"

  Faint freckles stretched across his nose. She'd had the boys' hair cut before they left, so his bangs didn't fall all the way to his eyes. Like Craig and herself, he was dressed in jeans and a short-sleeved shirt. The Southern California spring weather was perfect. Clear skies, balmy days, cool nights. It was the stuff travel videos were made of.

  Suddenly the cup began to move.

  "Now!" Craig said and reached for the control in the center of the cup. Jill grabbed it, too. They turned together, pulling their teacup around.

  Danny forgot to help. He was too busy staring at everything. He spotted his brothers and screamed with delight. "We're going faster!"

  Ben and C.J. were hunched over, working frantically to turn their cup. Others around them swirled and spun until the area was a mass of wildly rotating teacups.

  Jill laughed. She looked up and saw the beautiful merry-go-round spinning out of sight. She had a view of other rides and blurry people before her attention focused on Craig.

  In an effort to keep the cup turning, they both spun the control. Their hands constantly brushed and overlapped. His skin was dry and warm, his fingers strong. Since arriving at the park, there had been a lot of touching. He often draped his arm around her while they were standing in line for rides. She'd held hands with him as they'd made their way through the crowd after the parade the previous night. Bodies had brushed on various rides.

  If she was foolish, she would allow herself to believe this was all real. She might even start to picture herself staying in Craig's home. But that wasn't going to happen. This wasn't her family, he wasn't her man. She was still on the outside, looking in.

  The ride slowed. When it stopped, Danny scrambled out and raced to his brothers. "I didn't throw up once, and we went faster than you."

  "Brat," Ben said good-naturedly and spun Danny around. The boy shrieked with laughter.

  Craig glanced at his watch. "I'm starving. Where should we go for lunch? I'd say fast food, but I don't want to do that to Ben." He stared at his oldest. "I can't believe the change in him. It's only been a month, but he looks like a different kid."

  Jill followed his gaze. The weight was falling off the boy. Between the low-fat food and his increased activities, he was becoming a new person.

  "I know what you mean," she said. "All his clothes were hanging on him. We had to buy new jeans for this trip."

  "It's not just how he looks. He seems to be enjoying life more. He's always running and jumping, and he's a hell of a lot more fun to be around. He looks happy."

  "Yeah." She smiled. "A few more pounds, and he'll be nearly as good-looking as his father."

  The words came out of her mouth without warning. She wanted to call them back, but it was too late. They hung there between them, loud and obvious.

  Jill clamped her hand over her mouth and blushed. She could feel the heat climbing her cheeks to her hairline.

  She risked glancing at Craig. He raised his eyebrows. "What I meant," she said, then cleared her throat. "That is—"

  He silenced her with a quick shake of his head. "I don't want to hear what you meant, lady. I like what you said just fine."

  "I bet," she grumbled.

  "For what it's worth, you're not half-bad yourself."

  "Gee, thanks. Not half-bad. I live for compliments like that."

  He smiled at her, but the fire in his eyes spoke of something else. Something tempting and potentially dangerous. She didn't dare indulge, but if he asked, it was go
ing to be hard to say no.

  She searched her mind for a safe topic that would change the subject. "C.J. looks a lot like you, too," she said brightly. "Only Danny is different. He must take after his mother."

  Instead of answering, Craig called for the boys, then returned his attention to her. "Let's head back to the hotel," he said. "We can use the rest, and there will be more choices, food-wise."

  "Good idea." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. If she wasn't mistaken, she'd upset Craig. But how? By saying Danny looked like his mother? She squeezed her eyes shut and fought back a groan. After all Craig had told her about Krystal, it wasn't surprising that he didn't want to be reminded of her. Dumb, Bradford, really dumb.

  She touched his arm. "Sorry," she said softly.

  He stared at her for a moment, then dropped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "Don't apologize," he said, brushing his lips against the top of her head. "You didn't do anything wrong. Let's go eat."

  They headed for the monorail that would take them back to the hotel. Craig kept his arm around her shoulders, although Danny ducked between them. C.J. took his father's other hand, and Ben surprised her by grabbing her arm and hanging on. It was a perfect moment and she wanted it to last forever.

  * * *

  "More wine?" Craig asked, holding up the bottle.

  Jill glanced at him, then shyly averted her eyes. "Sure," she said, holding out her glass.

  He poured the pale liquid, then set the bottle back into the portable ice bucket next to the table. Candlelight flickered from all the tables. In the corner, a small four-piece combo provided soft music, and several couples filled the small square of dance floor next to them.

  He drew in a deep breath and raised his glass. "To the peace and quiet."

  She smiled. "Without the boys around, I'm not sure I'll know what to do with myself."

  He wanted to tell her he would think of something. Just staring at her brought several suggestions to mind. But he didn't voice them. They hadn't even had the salad yet. However, the lack of food didn't keep him from wanting her.

  Women's ability to transform themselves had always amazed him, and Jill was no exception. This afternoon she'd been funny and charming in jeans and a white shirt that shouldn't have been sexy but was. She'd worn athletic shoes and a Goofy hat, complete with floppy ears. She'd eaten cotton candy with Ben, ridden the scariest rides without flinching and had generally been one of the guys.

  Tonight, just a couple of hours later, she was every man's fantasy. Her hair looked casually tousled, with a few wisps falling on her forehead. Makeup deepened her green irises until they glowed like emeralds. She wore a dress that matched her eyes. The silky green fabric clung to her curves in a way that made his mouth water. The deep scoop neck gave him a glimpse of creamy breasts. Except for a delicate gold chain around her wrist, her arms were bare. She swayed in time with the music and he was mesmerized.

  If only she wasn't so damn small. As he studied her, he couldn't help but picture her naked … in bed … wanting him. But that's as far as his imagination went. Would he hurt her? If he forgot himself in the heat of the moment, could his weight crush her? He'd had his share of lovers when he'd been in college, and they'd all been tall women, with long legs and torsos. Feminine, but not fragile. And fragile was the word he used when he thought of Jill.

  It's not going to be a problem because you're not going to do anything, he reminded himself. He was taking her out for a nice dinner to thank her for all she'd done on this trip. Also, because he liked being alone with her. But it wasn't a romantic rendezvous, no matter how much he wanted it to be.

  She took a sip of wine and sighed.

  "What's wrong?" he asked.

  "I'm just worried about the boys. Do you think they're all right?"

  He laughed. "They're in a huge suite with unlimited junk food, cable TV and a baby-sitter who was pretty enough to play Cinderella in the parade. I think they're really happy."

  "Well, if you put it like that." She glanced up at him. "I'm having a wonderful time, Craig. Thanks for inviting me."

  "Thank you for coming with us. It wasn't part of your job description."

  "I know, but what would I have done if I'd stayed behind? With you and the boys gone, I would have had too much time on my hands."

  The waiter approached and set their salads in front of them. Craig thanked him and picked up his fork. "So what do you think of the Magic Kingdom?"

  "It's wonderful. No matter how old I get, I always have a wonderful time at Disneyland."

  "Good. I thought we'd spend most of tomorrow on Tom Sawyer's Island."

  "Do I get to be an Indian?" she asked, her eyes glowing with amusement.

  Heat seared through him, sparking an arousal that threatened his composure. "You get to be anything you want."

  They ate in silence for a few minutes. The quiet wasn't uncomfortable. In addition to finding her damned attractive, Craig thought Jill was easy to be around. She didn't expect a lot of chatter or mind if the conversation strayed from her interests. In fact, he thought, frowning, she rarely talked about herself. He didn't know very much about her at all.

  "I never thought to ask," he said. "Is being here bringing up memories of your stepchildren?"

  She glanced up, obviously startled. "No. I never thought about it. I'm sure Aaron and I brought the girls here, but I don't remember much about our visit. I guess it wasn't very memorable."

  "He has two girls?"

  She nodded.

  "Are they really different from boys?"

  She grinned. "Let's put it this way. Patti and Heather never had a farting contest in the car, or anywhere else for that matter."

  The waiter returned and cleared their plates. The combo started another song – a slow and sultry number that made him long to be close to her.

  "Dance?" he asked, rising to his feet and holding out his hand.

  She hesitated. "I'm not very good."

  "Neither am I."

  She took his hand and allowed him to lead her to the tiny floor. Several other couples were already there, swaying to the music. There wasn't room to do anything fancy, and he was grateful. He just wanted to hold Jill in his arms and torture himself into mindlessness.

  She was wearing high heels and her head nearly cleared his shoulders. He placed one hand on the small of her back and linked his other with hers. Three inches separated them. He waited until they'd found their rhythm together before drawing her closer.

  He'd thought she might resist the contact, but she flowed against him like water over stone, molding herself to his body. Her curves teased him. Through his suit jacket and shirt, he felt the soft imprint of her breasts. Her breath heated his skin and her legs brushed against his.

  They took small steps, circling with the other dancers, not talking but absorbing the sounds and sensations. Without thinking, he released her fingers and pressed both his hands against her back. She was fine-boned and all woman. Need rocketed through him. She fanned the desire when she slipped her hands under his jacket and hugged his waist.

  Their breathing became synchronized, their steps, smaller. With the slightest hint from her, he would have carried her back to her hotel room and made love with her until they were both too exhausted to do more than cling to each other. But she didn't hint and he didn't offer. So when the song ended, they parted, clapping politely, and he led her toward their table.

  They passed an elderly couple. The woman smiled at him. "You and your wife are very lovely together. Are you celebrating an anniversary?"

  "No," he said, thinking it would be too much trouble to correct their false impression.

  She winked. "Maybe not tonight, but my guess is you'll be celebrating many, many more."

  "Thank you." He nodded and placed his hand on Jill's back. She moved forward, then slipped into her chair before he could pull it out for her.

  She was quiet for the rest of the meal. She didn't meet his gaze, and when the
main course came, she only ate a small amount.

  "Did you like your dinner?" he asked when the waiter took away her nearly full plate.

  "It was delicious. I just wasn't hungry."

  "Why?"

  She glanced around. "Can we leave, please?"

  "Sure." He signaled for the check.

  In a matter of moments, he'd charged the meal to the room and followed her outside. A dull ache began at the base of his neck and worked its way down to his shoulder blades.

  "Jill, what's wrong?" he asked.

  There were several couples standing outside the restaurant. She shook her head and started walking. Just past the dancing fountains was a small wooden bench, partially hidden by the lush foliage. She sank down onto the seat.

  "Jill?"

  She stared up at him, her eyes twin pools of confusion. Without thinking, he settled next to her, gathered her in his arms and kissed her.

  Her mouth was as soft and sweet as he remembered. Her lips parted instantly and he touched the delicate surface of her tongue. She responded by clinging to him. Their breathing increased. The steady throbbing between his legs quickened to an unbearable cadence of pulsing pressure.

  He moved his hands over her back, tracing a line from her spine to her derriere, then cupping her hips. Before he moved higher and touched her breasts, she broke away.

  "Stop," she said hoarsely. "You must stop."

  "Why?"

  Her laughter had a sharp edge. "Because I'm not doing this again."

  "What are you talking about?"

  She moved back on the bench until they weren't touching at all. Her face was in shadows; only her eyes were lit by the lights along the path in front of them. She rested her hands on her lap. She seemed calm, even relaxed. Only her fingers betrayed her as they twisted together.

  "This isn't right. At least it's not right for me." She cleared her throat. "I can't do this again."

  "Do what?"

  "Be used. All my life men have used me."

  He stiffened. He wanted to protest that he hadn't used her, but sensed this wasn't really about him. "What do you mean?"

  "Men have used me to get what they want. They've never cared about me. My father used me to upset my mother, before and after the divorce. My stepfather pretended to be my friend in front of other people, but when we were alone, he told me I was stupid and ugly and that he didn't like me at all."