A Seductive Proposal (21 page)

The next day, after a fine round of golf and enough shopping at Tlaquepaque to stuff the large trunk of the Cadillac with packages, the group adjourned to The Cowboy Club for lunch. But even the unusual fare of fried cactus and buffalo burgers couldn’t enliven the struggling Napa group.

Once on the sidewalk, Quint drew close to Carly and murmured, “I’ve pushed Paul about as far as I can. Do you have any ideas? I would at least like to see Gerald a little happier. He looks bored.”

She turned around in the direction of Oak Creek Canyon. The clouds were piling up again on the Rim and a breeze was already sweeping down the main street. She smelled an early storm brewing. “I have an idea, but I need to make a call.”

“Sure.”

Carly walked a few feet away, her eyes pinned to the Rim. “Hi, Tina. It’s me. What do the drivers say about the storm? Are any of them going up?”

“All of them,” Tina said.

“Really? Is there a Jeep left for me because if I don’t inject some life into this group ASAP, Quint’s Napa deal is going to implode, right here on the sidewalk.”

“Where are you?”

“Across the street. Cowboy Club.”

“What kind of lame group have you got over there?”

“Don’t get me started. Do we have a Jeep?”

“Yes, you do. Come on over.”

“Excellent.” She closed her phone.

When she turned back to the group she extended an invitation to take them up in one of her Jeeps two thousand feet to the Rim.

Not surprising, the group split right down the middle. Three headed back to the house—Amanda, Paul and Hailey—and three agreed to chance some fierce Arizona summer rain and lightning in the open-air Jeep.

Carly led her group across the street. Quint caught up to her and took her hand. She whispered, “I had hoped Paul would come.”

“You have to roll with the punches. I’m fine with it. Really.”

“Well, I tried.”

“You sure did. Thanks. But this will be fun and we need that right now.”

She squeezed his hand. She looked up at him. “You’re going to love this.”

“I do already.” He met her gaze but a frown formed. “You’ve been a good sport, Carly. I’ll never forget that.”

Her heart seized again. Dammit, Quint was way too intent on saying good-bye. She just had to figure out some way of getting through to him.

The breeze blew in a steady stream now, heavy with the smell of rain.

She turned back to Gerald, Eve and Scott. “I should warn you again, we’re going to get really wet.”

All three of them, much to her great pleasure, grinned.

She left them at the Jeep bay and retrieved a set of keys from Tina. She grabbed her gloves from her office but decided to leave her hat. She looked down at her heels. Well, they weren’t at all fit for Jeep driving but they would just have to do.

As she walked toward the Jeep bay, she sidled close to Quint. “Ride shotgun,” she said.

He slid his hand around her waist and gave a squeeze. “Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else today.”

He’d said the same thing to her on the very first day.

She was convinced more than ever that Quint simply didn’t know what they had together. Her resolve strengthened. She knew what she had to do, but when to make her case?

Once she had everyone settled in the Jeep, she hurried to the driver’s side and climbed in. She cranked up the engine then pulled out of the bay.

She warned her passengers, “The trip to the Rim is on a very bumpy road, just so you know.”

Half way up the road to the Rim, the wind really started to blow. In the distance, off to the north the sky darkened and the light show began. The clouds had piled up fast and full of fury. The rain came. Thunder boomed. Expletives left every single mouth as the poor little Jeep bounced and jolted its way up the canyon.

“Anyone want me to turn back?” Carly cried.

“No-o!” resounded from the seat behind her.

Quint held on and smiled. Carly shifted and laughed. She had made this trip hundreds of times but this was by far her favorite, climbing into a storm. Sudden waterfalls started flowing down the hillside everywhere.

Once at the top, some of the Jeeps were already heading down. They honked at each other. All the tourists smiled. Everyone was getting soaked.

“We’re safest here in the Jeep,” Carly shouted against the wind. “There’s always a danger of lightning, but the rubber of the tires provides at least some insulation.”

“This is one helluva show,” Gerald shouted. The sky lit up. Thunder boomed and rumbled again.

Eve gave a good loud scream then laughed.

The open sides of the Jeep allowed the rain to soak them all. Quint leaned over to Carly and plucked at the silk that clung to her skin. Then he kissed her. “Thank you,” he said. “Thank you.”

Carly looked into his eyes. Tears clogged her throat. She loved him so much.

Another Jeep pulled up. “We’ve had word, Carly. Get down right away. Another storm cell is moving in from the east.” He took off.

Carly started her engine. “Hold on!” she cried. “We’re outta here.”

The caravan moved fast. Carly brought up the rear. The cell hit hard. Thunder cracked so loud that her ears throbbed. “Everyone okay?”

“Okay!” Eve cried out.

“You bet!” Gerald said.

“Damn straight!” Scott shouted.

Carly looked in her rear-view. With his red hair plastered to his forehead, Scott looked like he was about nine-years-old. Every time the thunder boomed he jumped in his seat.

She smiled. She felt satisfied to her bones.

“We’ll be down in no time,” she hollered back.

She felt Quint’s hand on her thigh. He kept it there all the way back, even through the jumps and bumps of a road encrusted with boulders.

* * * * * * * * *

Once back at the house, Carly knew something in the air wasn’t right, but she was too wet to do more than hurry to the master bedroom. She only hoped Hailey had behaved herself and wasn’t too drunk. She turned on the shower and stripped her clothes off.

Just as she was ready to hop in the shower, Quint called out, “Honey, I’m home.”

Uh-oh.

“You have a houseful of guests,” she cried.

“That didn’t stop us last night.”

“Everyone had gone to bed
last night
.”

He appeared in the bathroom doorway. She wasn’t even wearing a thong. “You shouldn’t be here,” she cried. She put an arm over her breasts, which was quite absurd.

Quint looked her up and down, smiled then laughed. He donned an innocent expression. “But look at me. I’m soaked. I’ll catch cold if I don’t get out of these wet things.” With that, he took off his shirt.

She gasped. “Quint, no.”

“Our time’s almost up,” he said, his deep voice driving through her. “I want to make the most of it.”

Her gaze raked him from head to foot. How was it she always seemed to forget how broad his shoulders were, how firm his chest, how flat his stomach. Her fingers felt itchy to touch him.

He shucked his pants and sexy black Versace briefs. Her gaze drifted lower and then her whole body grew weak. If there was a protest left in her anywhere she couldn’t find it.

“How about just a kiss,” he said, extending his arms toward her.

He crossed the space between them in less than a heartbeat. He grabbed her up in his arms and kissed her. He pressed his whole naked body up against her and nothing had ever felt so good or so right to Carly.

“The water’s running,” she said between breaths.

“That’ll do.”

He backed her into the shower.

“Oh-h-h.”

He chuckled against her ear.

She looked up at him. She fondled the muscles of his arms. She breathed in his rich earthy masculine scent.

“And are you really leaving tomorrow?” she asked.

He nodded.

“But you didn’t get my winery,” she said, smiling triumphantly.

His expression grew intense, his blue eyes darkening with passion. “I still have until tomorrow.”

She knew he was teasing. There was nothing he could do. She smiled and kissed him. He kissed her back hard, working her mouth as he always did, so that pretty soon she whimpered.

The water ran over her and in front of her and made a delicious river between her breasts.

She took his tongue and suckled. He groaned and grew very firm, dipping his hips and angling his body. He wrapped an arm around her waist and supported her. His free hand teased her shoulder, her arm, her breast, her hip, the soft curve of her buttocks.

She grew very hungry and spread her legs. He lifted her right leg to rest on his hip. He angled a little more and found his way inside, pressing her against the shower wall. She heated up the tiles behind her back. The two showers heads sprayed everywhere.

He supported her with his thighs and she lifted her other leg and wrapped them around his hips. He pressed himself within.

He made love to her.

He made love to her.

She sighed against his mouth. His lips slid away and found her neck. He kissed and suckled. His tongue found her ear. He kept finding things that made her shiver and moan. He kept pressing himself inside, drawing back and thrusting again and again.

“You were wonderful today,” he whispered against her mouth. “You were brilliant.”

She met his gaze as her hips engaged his deep thrusts. “Brilliant?” She panted the question against his neck.

“Yes, brilliant.” His tongue found her mouth again.

She suckled once more. He groaned.

His hips began warming her up. She coiled around him, holding him, riding with him, then against him, then with him. Odd little tears slipped from her eyes and got lost in the stream of water pouring over her.

She held him tight, in every way. She didn’t want to let him go or lose the sensation of being joined to him.

She ached everywhere.

She loved him.

She wished she didn’t.

But she did.

So much.

She pretended that forever was in each push, each response of her hips, the way her body fit against his, the feel of his muscled arms, and his tongue that wouldn’t leave her possessive mouth.

“Quint,” she whispered.

He drove her hard, fast, rough.

“Oh-h-h,” she breathed, swirling her tongue against his.

Pleasure began to rise, climbing higher and higher. Her neck arched and then her back. Her mind grew foggy, clouded with ache and desire. Moans escaped his throat, wild grunts, deep, hoarse cries. Everything turned primal and surreal. Ecstasy rushed over her, a tense pointed sensation that traveled from her core and spread like lightning through her veins. She heard herself crying out at a great distance. She heard him climax. She felt the last hard thrusts that took her over the edge once more.

He collapsed against her. She was breathing hard. She worked to catch her breath. An infinite sensation of peace pulsed within.

Present sensations returned, the warm water flowing over her body, Quint’s gentle murmurs of satisfaction as he eased himself from her, the smell of the soap he took in his hands, the lather that he spread between her legs, water streaming over his black hair.

She found she couldn’t speak. She let him bathe her. She watched him lather and shower. He kissed her before he left the shower. She stayed within to come the rest of the way back to earth.

Only when she at last picked up her bottle of shampoo, did she blink back to reality.

* * * * * * * * *

An hour later, Carly had herself together. She was just about to go downstairs when she heard a loud crash.

She ran down the stairs. Paul lay on the tile floor, blood seeping from his mouth. Gerald stood nearby rubbing his hand. A broken vase lay in pieces at Paul’s feet along with all the silk flowers of the enormous arrangement that had been on the granite island. He looked shaken. Blood streaked his face and ran from his torn lips.

Gerald shouted at him, using language that made Carly blush. She heard a mewling sound from the family room. She glanced in the direction of the strange noise and saw that it came from Hailey who rocked herself on the sofa. She was sobbing and cried out, “But it didn’t mean anything, honey, I swear it. He’s nothing to me. I love
you
.”

Eve stood on the other side of Quint staring at her husband on the floor. He wouldn’t look at her.

Amanda and Scott came up behind Carly.

“We heard a crashing sound,” Scott said.

Gerald looked at Quint. “I’ll pay for the vase but I’ll be leaving right away.”

“What about me, honey?” Hailey cried.

“You have credit cards. Find your own damn way home. But once you get there, pack up. We’re through.” He whirled around and headed for the stairs.

Carly slid her hand into Quint’s. He squeezed gently. She knew what she’d be doing for the next few hours. She turned toward him and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her.”

He squeezed her hand again. He looked down at her, a funny expression in his eye. “I never worry when you’re around.”

She smiled. She wanted to ask him what he meant, to push him on the subject, to make him see that they belonged together, but this wasn’t the time.

Paul got to his feet, skirted the island, turned the water on in the sink then rinsed his mouth.

Scott approached Quint. “Look, I’m sorry but if Gerald leaves we have to go with him.”

“He’ll need his friends right now,” Quint said.

“Right. Thanks. Right.”

Paul dried his face, rounded the island then snapped at Eve, “We’re leaving, too.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“Don’t start with me, Eve.”

“I’m not starting. I’m finishing. To quote Gerald,
we’re through.
”

“Fine,” he said, his eyes narrowed. “Have it your way but you’d better be prepared for a fight.”

Eve smiled. “I am.”

Paul stalked from the room then headed up the second set of stairs to the guest rooms.

Carly glanced at Eve. “You okay?”

She nodded. She chuckled. “I’m good. Actually, I’m great.” She glanced at Hailey on the couch, “But I’ll be in the front living room until your winery thins out a little. And if it’s all right, I would like to stay until tomorrow. I think the roads are going to be crowded tonight.”