by Marie Force
She tilted her hips provocatively. “In a car . . .”
Travis swallowed hard. “If you’re going to have sex in a car, sweetheart, you’re better off doing it in the dark and not on a major highway.”
“It’s dark where I am,” she argued.
“If we ever got caught—”
“I thought you liked taking risks,” she said, sliding her hand into the front of his jeans.
He gasped when she stroked him.
“Come on,” she pleaded. “You wouldn’t deny me, would you?”
Knowing he could deny her nothing, he shook his head. “No.”
“Do you have a condom?”
“Wallet,” he managed to say as she unzipped him.
She tugged his wallet out of his pocket and handed it to him.
He pushed the blanket aside to get enough light to retrieve the condom.
She took it from him. “Let me.”
Travis fell back on the seat and gritted his teeth when she rolled on the condom.
She wiggled against him in the tight space as she removed her shorts and panties. “This is so exciting,” she whispered, her violet eyes sparkling in the early morning light.
He was filled with love for her as he brushed the hair off her forehead and tipped his head to find her lips. Shifting so he was between her legs, he kissed her deeply as he entered her.
She arched into his thrusts and pulled her legs back to give him better access.
“Liana,” he groaned. “You’re making me crazy.”
She laughed and clutched his back in encouragement. “Be crazy, Travis,” she whispered. “Let go of all that control you’re so proud of.”
Her words fired his passion, and he could feel the sweat pooling on his back as he pounded into her. For the first time in his life he cried out when he came, at the same instant she did. “Oh my God,” he said when he had recovered the ability to speak. “You’ve put some sort of spell on me, haven’t you?”
She giggled. “It must be the same spell you’ve put on me.”
He drew back to look at her. “I love you, Liana.” The words tumbled out before he could stop them.
She gasped.
“I know I wasn’t supposed to, but I do.”
Under him, she struggled to sit up.
Travis used a tissue to get rid of the condom and pulled his clothes back on while Liana did the same.
When they were dressed, Travis glanced over at her and found her face set in an unreadable expression. “Would you say something? Please?”
She looked up at him with violet eyes shining with tears. “I love you, too.”
Travis thought he would die from the relief of hearing those words from her. He reached for her. “Really?”
She nodded against his chest.
“For how long?”
“Almost from the beginning. What about you?”
“Since I saw you in that pink monstrosity at Enid’s wedding, and you were so worried about your mother.”
She sighed. “What are we going to do?”
He kissed the top of her head and hugged her tightly for a long moment. “Right now we’re going to kick Dash out of the front seat so we can go to New Hampshire. We’ll figure out the rest later.” Tilting her chin up he kissed her. “I love you. I’ve been dying to say that to you for days, and I can’t tell you how good it feels to be able to say it now.”
Nibbling on her lip, she looked up at him. “I’m scared.”
“Of what, sweetheart?”
“Of hurting you, of disappointing you, of so many things.”
“How about we do this for now—let’s just take today and tomorrow to enjoy being in love without any worries about what happens next. Can we do that?”
“Yes,” she said with a firm nod. “Yes, we can.”
Running through his to-do list on the way back to North Point, Beck made a mental note to talk to his staff about a couple of things he wanted to try to catch the vandals. He also needed to check in with the local police to see if they had gotten anything off the film they’d confiscated after the fire. They needed a break, and hopefully they’d get one before anything else happened.
Navigating the long access road that led to North Point, he couldn’t believe what he saw outside the gates. The media mob had easily tripled since the day before. “Jesus,” he muttered. He couldn’t imagine making a living by hoping for a glimpse of a celebrity.
Approaching the mob, he slowed to a crawl and laid on his horn to get them out of the street. “Freaking idiots.” Glancing to his right, he gasped as he made eye contact with the beady-eyed, dough-faced man from the mug shot Tripp had faxed to him. Beck slammed the truck into park, leaped from the car, and pushed his way into the crowd.
Unfortunately, they pushed right back.
“What the hell are you doing?” one of them cried. “Get your hands off me!”
“Get out of the way!” Beck shouted, pushing his way past the outraged photographer.
The rest of them closed ranks around their colleague and refused to let Beck through.
Scanning the nearby thicket of trees and brush, he reached for his cell phone and dialed 911. “This is Peter Beck, chief of security at North Point,” he said as loud as he could. “I just saw a level-three sex offender wanted in New York City among the press gathered outside our gates.”
Suddenly the mob wasn’t so resistant, and he was given access to the back of the crowd. By then, though, Spector had managed to meld into the mix. Despite a frantic effort, Beck couldn’t find him amid the hundreds of photographers and reporters. Sweating profusely, he searched every car in the long line of vehicles parked along the road.
When the police arrived a short time later, he filed a formal report and showed them a photo of the man he was looking for. As he was finishing up with them, he took note of a buzz circulating through the growing crowd.
“Is Jessica Stone staying at North Point, too?” one of them asked.
Beck turned toward the voice. Making an enormous effort to keep his face blank, he said, “No, she isn’t.”
“We have reliable information that she’s staying here,” another said.
“She’s not.”
“And you would know?”
“I know everything that goes on here.”
The local cop used a bullhorn to let the reporters know they were expected to stay out of the road and away from the North Point gate. “Anyone who creates an obstruction or nuisance will be arrested,” the cop added.
Beck shook his hand. “We appreciate the help.”
“No problem. Never seen anything quite like this in these parts.”
“No kidding.”
Beck got back in his truck and dialed Mike Tripp on his cell phone. “I saw him,” Beck said without preamble. “Spector. He’s here at North Point where we’re hiding Jessica. I lost him in a mob of photographers and media, but I saw him. I know it was him.”
“I’ll issue a warrant and get with your local folks. I may come up there myself if it comes to that.”
“How in the hell would he know she’s here?” Beck asked, his heart racing as he parked at The Tower.
“No idea, but I’d love to get my hands on whoever told him.”
“So would I,” Beck said from the elevator. “I’ll check in with you later.”
He let himself into Jessie’s apartment and went right to the bedroom where she was curled into a ball in the middle of the bed. Propping his hands on the doorframe, he hung his head with relief and exhaustion. His mind raced with plans and scenarios and ideas. He needed to get her out of here, but he couldn’t leave North Point. Not with the vandals still on the loose and Travis away. And how would he have a minute’s peace if he couldn’t see to Jessie’s safety himself?
“Hey, you’re back,” she said, yawning. “Come here.”
Beck went to the bed and stretched out next to her.
“Did Travis and Liana make a clean escape?”
�
�Uh huh.”
“You were gone a long time.” She snuggled up to him. “And you’re hot and bothered.” Her lips coasted over his jaw. “I’m the only one who’s allowed to get you that way. So who is she, and how can I kill her?”
He forced a smile and stared up at the ceiling, trying to decide how much he should tell her.
“Peter? What is it? You’re rigid with tension.”
“We need to talk.”
She went still in his arms. “I thought we resolved all that.”
“Not about us.”
Her body relaxed against him.
He rolled over so he was on top of her. “I’ll never leave you, Jessie. So don’t ever, ever, ever worry about that, okay?”
She ran her fingers through his hair and brought him down for a kiss. “Okay.”
“I don’t want you to panic or freak out or anything. . .”
“Is that why you’re lying on top of me?” she asked with a saucy smile.
“One reason.” He took a deep breath and leaned his forehead against hers. “Baby, I saw Spector outside the gate.”
She gasped. “No. That’s not possible.”
“It was him. I know it was, but he got away before I could grab him.”
“He can’t be here,” she said, a hysterical edge creeping into her voice.
“Listen to me.” He kissed her. “Are you listening?”
Big blue eyes flooded with tears as she nodded.
“He’s not getting in here. Every one of my staff has his photo. I swear to God he won’t get to you.”
Her body trembled beneath his. “I’m scared.”
Beck slid his arms under her and held her tight against him. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I promise you. I won’t let you out of my sight. No one will ever hurt you. Not ever again.”
“I should leave. I should go somewhere else. I’ll fly to Tahiti or something.”
“That’s an option,” he said, swallowing his own panic. He couldn’t very well force her to stay at North Point knowing her stalker was outside the gate, but how could he let her walk away from him, even temporarily, when she was in danger? “If you want that, I’ll arrange it.”
“Only if you come with me.”
“I can’t, honey. Not now, and especially not with Travis out of state.”
“Then I’m not going, either.”
“I hoped you’d say that.” He watched a different look come over her face, a gutsy courageous look that warmed his heart.
“I’ll stay here, and we’ll get through it together.”
He pressed his lips to hers. “That’s my girl.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Travis and Liana were quiet on the three-hour ride to Beck’s cabin in Holderness, New Hampshire, both of them struggling to process the change in direction their emotionless fling had taken. Through Boston and into New Hampshire, the radio provided the only soundtrack to the scenery.
From the driver’s seat, Travis stole occasional glimpses at her as he tried to stay quiet and give her the time she needed to get used to the idea that he loved her. That poor lip, he thought, wishing he could stop the car and take her into his arms. Soon enough we’ll be at the cabin, and I can hold her for two days. She loves me, too. That’s all that matters. We’ll figure something out as long as we both feel the same thing. Before she leaves on Sunday I’ll ask her to marry me. I can’t let her go—even temporarily—without telling her I want us to have a life together. I know she has commitments and obligations, but I can wait until she’s free. As long as I know she loves me, I can wait.
He reached for Liana’s hand and laced his fingers through hers.
She looked over at him and smiled, but her eyes were sad.
Determined not to let anything take away from the giddy joy he felt at the moment, he chose not to question the sadness. He would do everything he could over the next few days to show her that love was not something to be feared or regretted—and it certainly shouldn’t make her sad.
“Have you spent any time up here before?” Travis asked when the silence in the car began to get long as they headed toward the White Mountains.
“My parents and Enid’s parents used to bring us up to ski every winter.”
“Were you two always close?”
She nodded. “We were both only children, so we were like sisters only better. We could go to our own homes at the end of the day and weren’t on top of each other all the time the way sisters are.”
“And brothers,” he added.
“You would know about that. How many do you have?”
“Four brothers, two sisters, seven nephews, and three nieces.”
Liana shook her head. “I can’t imagine having such a big family. Are you close to any of them?”
“Just Evan, really,” he said, looking almost pained. “The others not so much. Our lives have gone in different directions since I left home. None of them went to college, and they kind of hold it against me that I did.”
“That doesn’t seem fair.”
He shrugged. “What they fail to get is I had something none of them have ever had—ambition. Even without the athletic scholarship I would’ve found a way to go to college. That’s the difference between me and them—they’d rather bitch about not going than do whatever it took to get there.”
Liana twisted around in her seat so she could see him better.
“I’ll tell you what,” he said with a bitter grimace. “None of them have any trouble asking me for money—often.”
“Do you give it to them?”
“Most of the time, but I’ve started saying no a lot more than I used to.”
“I’m sorry, Travis.”
“It is what it is. You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family,” he joked. “Luckily, I have Evan. I’d take ten of him over one of the others.”
Liana smiled. “What’s the age difference between you?”
“I was eleven when he was born, and I adored him from day one. While everyone else was caught up in what was wrong with him, all I saw was the cutest baby ever.” He glanced over at her. “Remember when I told you I set my parents up before I spent any money at North Point?”
She nodded.
“I kind of blackmailed them into making me Evan’s legal guardian before I gave them the money. I didn’t like the way they were treating him, so once I was his guardian I got him placed in a good group home and helped him find a job he loves.”
“Where does he live?”
“In Newport.”
“Really? I didn’t realize you had him so close to you.”
Travis nodded. “He spends a couple of weekends a month with me, and we talk most days on the phone.”
“Do you think I could meet him?”
“I’d love for you to meet him.”
She leaned over and kissed his cheek.
“What was that for?”
“For being a good guy.”
“I guess that’s better than sensitive.”
“That, too.”
He groaned. “We’re almost to Holderness,” he said, anxious to change the subject.
Liana glanced out at the lake region scenery. “It’s so pretty, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” he said, looking at her and not the scenery. “It sure is.”
“You seem to know exactly where you’re going.”
“Beck and I come up here to go fishing all the time.”
“Can’t you do that at home?”
“I find it hard to relax when I’m within a hundred miles of North Point,” he confessed. “Plus the skiing is better here than in Rhode Island.”
“That’s true. How did you meet Beck?”
“We played football together at Ohio State. He was my favorite receiver. His grandfather built the cabin and left it to Beck when he died.”
The SUV bounced along the unpaved road that led to the cabin. Travis parked the car and walked around to open the back door for Dash and the passenger do
or for Liana.
She got out and took a deep breath of the pine-scented fresh air. “Oh, this is beautiful,” she said, taking in the view of the lake in front of the log cabin.
“Go check it out. I’ll unload the car and come find you.”
“I’ll help.”
“I’ve got it.” He lifted the cooler out of the car. “Go ahead. Keep half an eye on Dash.”
“All right.”
Liana wandered toward the path that led through the trees to the lake where Dash already splashed about. She sat on a log and watched the dog play. For the hundredth time in the last few hours she thought about Travis professing his love for her. What am I going to do? All I think about is him. All I want is to be with him.
Dropping her head into her hands, she thought about the months of work she had ahead of her. On Sunday she’d be on her way back to Milan for two days to redo portions of the Vogue job that, fortunately, they had been unable to reschedule during her vacation. Then she had three weeks in Spain to shoot the first part of the next Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. After that came the fall fashion shows in Paris, Milan, and New York, followed by two weeks or more in the Bahamas to finish Sports Illustrated. Then there was a catalog job, a couple of charity events around the holidays, and whatever else Artie had committed her to since she’d been on vacation.
Just the idea of all that work brought Liana to tears. How am I going to get through that when I only want to be with him?
That’s when Travis found her. He dropped to his knees in the sand in front of her and put his arms around her. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
Liana clung to him.
Dash whimpered and lay down in the sand, her head on Liana’s foot.
Travis held Liana close to him for a long time.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He wiped the dampness from her face. “Don’t be sorry, sweetheart. Just tell me what I can do for you.”
“Nothing.” She caressed the face that had become dearer to her than any other. “I’m the only one who can do what needs to be done.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Would you believe me if I told you it has nothing to do with you?”
He kissed her hands. “Would you believe me if I told you that after this morning everything about you has something to do with me? I want to make you happy, Liana. That’s all I want.”