Belinda (17 page)

Reeve had dark circles under his eyes, and
when he saw her went pale. Her first instinct was to reassure him.
Thank the Lord, her friends had given her the backbone to act like
she didn’t even care.

“Good morning, Reeve. Have you had
breakfast?”

“No. I’ll grab a bite in town.”

She took a certain wicked pleasure in the
fact that he wasn’t hungry. It served him right.

“Great! Have a good day!” She sashayed by,
putting an extra swing in her hips. He went out the door, and if
she wasn’t mistaken, slammed it behind him. Things were looking
up!

She found Quincy in the kitchen with the
children. Mark and Betsy jumped up from the table and hugged her
around the knees.

“Do you want to climb trees?” Betsy said.

“Go to the playroom and color first, then
I’ll come get you and we’ll climb trees.”

As they scampered off, Quincy put her hands
on her hips and turned to face Belinda.

“What’s that look on your face?”

“What look?”

“Devilment.”

“Oh, that! I’m just trying to figure out some
nice big open space where I can learn how to drive.”

“If you’re expectin’ me to teach you, you’re
barkin’ up the wrong tree.”

“My friend Clementine Brady is going is to do
that. All I need is for you to tell me where we can go and keep it
a secret.”

“If you mean not lie to Mr. Reeve, I can’t do
that.”

“Oh, no, Quincy. I don’t want you to lie, but
I don’t want him to worry while he’s gone, either. Just don’t tell
him till he gets back from France. By then, I’ll be so good I can
drive in a NASCAR race.”

o0o

Quincy’s brother, Australia, had a farm in
nearby Mooreville. On Sunday, Belinda careened wildly over the
rutted pasture while Clemmie cringed in the passenger seat of her
Toyota.

“Oh my God, Belinda! You nearly hit that old
man’s cow.”

“It was a bull.”

“Who cares! If you’d pay more attention to
your driving than the creature’s anatomy, you might get the hang of
this.”

“I’m hopeless. I told you I would be.”

“Turn right! Quick!”

Belinda made a sharp turn left and the Toyota
careened toward one of Australia’s prize Herefords.

“Stop!” Clemmie grabbed the wheel and
corrected direction. “What are you doing?”

“You said turn.”

“I said right. Let’s just stop and
regroup.”

Belinda got flustered and rammed the gas
pedal instead of the brake. The cow went bellowing off across the
pasture, and the car swerved toward Australia’s lake at top
speed.

Clemmie reached over and rammed her foot on
the brake, and the car shimmied to a stop at the lake’s edge.

“Lord, Belinda. I thought you were going to
baptize us.”

“I don’t think that would help scheming women
like us.”

They looked at each other and cracked up,
then sat there laughing till tears rolled down their cheeks.

By the time Australia arrived at the car,
intent on rescuing two crying women, they were nearly in hysterics
from laughing so much.

“Women,” he said. “I ain’t never gonna
understand ‘em.”

o0o

From: Belinda

To: Clemmie, Joanna, Molly, Janet, Bea,
Catherine

Re: Progress Report

I might learn to drive by the time I’m forty!
The good news is that with Reeve in Paris, I can practice in
Quincy’s car without having to sneak around. Things have been so
tense since his fake marriage proposal, it was a relief to have see
him leave. The thing is, I don’t know if seeing me drive will
change a thing for him. He’s likely to simply offer to buy me a
car.

Xo

Belinda

From: Clemmie

To: Belinda, Janet, Bea, Molly, Joanna,
Catherine

Re: Driving

Don’t let Belinda fool you. She’s doing
great!

Xo

Clemmie

From: Janet

To: Belinda, Clemmie, Catherine, Bea, Molly,
Joanna

Re: Driving

Every
woman needs to know how to
drive! I still question whether he’s the right man for you. Now
that he’s out of the house, think about whether you really love him
or you just got used to having him around.

Hugs,

Janet

From: Molly

To: Belinda, Joanna, Clemmie, Catherine,
Janet, Bea

Re: Paris

OMG, email Reeve and tell him to look me up
while he’s in Paris! I’ll sing your praises so loud he’ll think
you’re a cross between the Virgin Mary and Madonna (the singer, not
the saint)!!! OH, here’s another brainstorm!!! While he’s gone, put
your mark in his bedroom. You know, perfume on his sheets. I wear
Jungle Gardenia when I model, and it drives the artist I pose for
mad!!! The last time I went to a session, he chased me around his
gallery. As you can guess, he wanted to do more to my body than
reproduce it on canvas!

Much love,

Molly

From: Joanna

To: Belinda, Molly, Janet, Clemmie,
Catherine, Janet

Re: His Sheets

Don’t just squirt perfume on his sheet,
Belinda! Roll in them! Sleep in them!!! You want your body’s own
musk to mingle with the perfume! OH MY!!! You’ll drive him
WILD!

Big Hugs,

Joanna

From: Catherine

To: Belinda, Joanna, Molly, Clemmie, Janet,
Bea

Re: Love it!

Do you want me to send your some French
perfume? There’s a fabulous little place on Bourbon that mixes
these really exotic fragrances.

XO

Catherine

From: Bea

To: Catherine, Belinda, Molly, Clemmie,
Janet, Joanna

Re: Perfume

Hot damn! I like it! It’s probably going to
take more than one night in his bed to get your scent on his
sheets, Belinda. Just
don’t
let him
catch
you!

Did you mean
erotic,
Catherine?

Hugs,

Bea

From: Catherine

To: Belinda, Bea, Molly, Clemmie, Janet,
Joanna

Re: French fragrance

That too, Bea!!

Belinda, good luck, sweetie!

Xo

Cat

o0o

Reeve arrived home from Paris at midnight. He
let himself in the front door, then carried his bag up the stairs.
He paused outside Belinda’s bedroom door. She would be sleeping,
her hair spread across the pillow like a bolt of silk and her long
eyelashes curved over her soft cheeks.

The urge to see her was so great he put one
hand on the doorknob.

Don’t be a fool,
he told himself.
Besides, what did he think he would do once he got into her
bedroom? Take her into his arms and kiss her hello?

Reeve set his jaw in determined lines and
headed for his own bedroom. He set his bag just inside the door and
stripped off his coat and tie. He was exhausted. It would be good
to climb into bed.

His belt buckle rattled as he tossed his
pants toward the valet and missed. He must be more exhausted then
he’d thought. He’d never missed before.

He squinted his eyes, trying to find his
pants and hang them up, but it was too dark. That was another
thing—what in the hell were the draperies doing shut in his room?
He liked moonlight streaming through the windows. It must be
Quincy’s doing. She was always changing little things, merely to
assert her power.

Reeve thought about opening the curtains, but
gave up on the idea. He was too tired even to walk across the room.
Stripping off his shorts, he climbed into bed. The cool sheet
settled over him.

Something stirred in his bed. Reeve
stiffened.

Soft murmurings came from the other side of
the bed, and the scent of roses wafted toward him.

“Reeve?” a soft voice whispered.

He sat up and snapped on his bedside light.
Belinda lay stretched upon his bed, her hair tumbled and her eyes
bright.

“What are you doing in my bed?”

She sat up, hugging the covers to her
chest.

“If you’re going to shout, the least you
could do is put on some clothes. I don’t fancy arguing with a naked
man.”

“I always sleep naked—and alone,” he said,
not even bothering to cover himself with the sheet. He was furious,
more at himself than Belinda. He had lost control. The bad part was
he couldn’t seem to get it back. Especially with Belinda only
inches away, her gown straps slipping down her shoulders and her
lips still pouty from sleep.

“Did you have a good trip?” She smiled at
him.

“Did I have a good trip!” He ran his hands
through his hair. “Hell. What kind of question is that?”

“It’s the kind a person asks when somebody
returns from a trip.”

“It’s midnight—or haven’t you noticed?”

“It’s hard to notice anything with you
undressed like that.”

She sounded composed enough, but he noted
with a certain amount of satisfaction that she was staring at him –
and blushing. He got up and stalked across the room to pick up his
shorts.

Keeping his back to her and his teeth
clenched, he rammed his legs into his shorts.

“Would you mind explaining what you are doing
in my bed?”

“Sleeping.”

“Sleeping!”

“I suppose that jet airplane has damaged your
hearing.”

“No. I heard you perfectly well the first
time. I simply can’t believe what I’m hearing.”

“My bed was lumpy, so I used yours. I hope
you don’t mind.”

She climbed out of bed and stretched in a
luxurious way that had every one of her assets on mouth-watering
display. Where did she get a gown like that? He thought about
turning off the light, but she might fall and break a leg in the
dark. More to the point, he’d probably fall and break his privates,
which were making an embarrassing show of themselves.

“Not at all.” He tried to for casual, but
failed. “In fact, there’s no need for you to go to your room at
all. Just hop back into bed and we’ll continue our discussion.”

Her skin turned a lovely shade of pink, and
every emotion from satisfaction to worry passed across her face. As
he waited for her to leave, he managed to bring himself back under
control.

“It’s midnight, Reeve.” Belinda gave him a
Madonna-like smile. “Do you want to discuss this tonight, or do you
want to come to bed and get a good night’s sleep so we can be fresh
when we talk about it in the morning?”

Then the woman climbed back into
his
bed, and smiled at him again.

“I’ll take this side; you take that side. Is
that all right with you?” she asked.

“It’s just perfect.”

“Peachy!”

She rolled to her side and he found himself
crawling into his own bed trying not to touch any part of her.

A good night’s sleep?
Was the woman
out of her mind? The mattress shifted under his weight, and Belinda
rolled a little toward him. When her soft thigh brushed against
his, he almost jumped out of the bed.

“Oops, sorry,” she said, moving her leg a
fraction.

“That’s perfectly all right.” He snapped off
the light and lay rigidly on his side of the bed. “Good night,
Belinda.”

“Good night, Reeve.”

Her silk gown whispered against his legs and
her fragrance invaded his senses. He felt his passion rise. One
simple movement would put her in his arms, and he didn’t care how
foolish he’d look.

“Sweet dreams, Reeve.”

Sweet dreams, indeed.
She didn’t
know the half of it.

o0o

A sweet fragrance and the vague awareness of
being watched woke Reeve up. He opened his eyes and squinted into
the semidarkness. Belinda was sitting on a chair beside his bed,
faintly outlined in the gloom and smelling of roses.

“Good morning,” she said.

He turned his head toward the windows,
expecting to see the morning sun streaming through. Instead he saw
only darkness.

“What time is it?” He sat up and immediately
regretted it. He had a blinding headache, brought on no doubt by
jet lag and a sleepless night with Belinda in his bed.

“Eleven o’clock.”

“Eleven o’clock!”

“You needn’t shout. I haven’t lost my
hearing.”

“I never sleep until eleven o’clock.”

“It’s because you’re tired from your
trip.”

“It’s those damned curtains over my windows.”
He vaulted out of bed, intent on getting to the windows to draw his
curtains, when the pain in his head stopped him. He clenched his
teeth.

‘ ‘Reeve!’’ Belinda came out of her chair and
caught his arm. Her touch sizzled through him, and he gritted his
teeth anew. “Are you all right?”

“Fine,” he nearly shouted. Then, forcing
himself to moderate his tone, he stepped out of her reach and
snapped on the bedside lamp. “I’m fine, Belinda, just a little out
of sorts from having overslept.”

“I would have awakened you if I had
known—”

“It’s not your place.”

“If you’ll care to remember, you hired me to
help Quincy take care of things around here. I just came up to see
if you wanted me to bring you breakfast in bed.”

“Are you suggesting I’m so old I can’t get
out of bed after a long flight and make my way into the kitchen for
my own breakfast?”

“I’m suggesting no such thing. And you need
not raise your voice. I’m perfectly capable of hearing.” She gave
him that satisfied cat’s smile. “Especially after such a wonderful
night’s sleep.”

“You slept well?”

“Yes. Your bed is very comfortable.”

The last thing he wanted was for Belinda to
view him as
comfortable.
The next thing he knew she’d be
bringing his slippers and hanging a shawl over his shoulders. Is
that why she’d turned him down? Because he was too old for her?

He decided not to pursue the subject,
especially not at the moment. Waking up to the sight of Belinda in
his bedroom was doing diabolical things to his libido. If he
weren’t careful, he’d have his favorite nanny running for the
nearest employment office.