High-Stakes Passion (8 page)

He rolled her beneath him, flattening his body against hers. Deepening the kiss, he pushed his tongue in and out, playing hide-and-seek with hers. He groaned into her mouth, palming her breast, unbuttoning her blouse.

“Audrey,” he whispered as he kissed down her neck. “I want you.”

“Yes,” she whispered back, pulling his shirt from his jeans. She wouldn't stop him this time.

Gathering her breasts in his hands, he nuzzled his face between them, kissing to the edge of her bra. His fingers tugged her bra down, and he covered a nipple with his mouth.

She gasped and he jerked back. But she grasped the back of his head to bring his mouth back. He groaned louder and sucked. She shuddered at the intimate contact, and he moved his mouth over and gave equal attention to the other nipple.

“You feel so good,” he said in a strangled voice, bringing his mouth up to hers again. His kiss was fierce and hard. Hands trembling, he raised them to either side of her face. He pulled back, breathing hard, and looked into her eyes.

“Tonight…” Mark rolled off her, leaving the rest of his sentence unsaid. He sat up, turned away and, breathing heavily, ran a hand over his mouth and through his hair.

Audrey bit off a whimper of frustration. She wanted to reach up and pull him back to her. For a moment, she lay dazed and confused, until she heard the sound of grass rustling, and Helen and John carrying on a loud conversation a dozen yards away. Reality came crashing back. She stood and stumbled a few steps away to adjust her clothing.

Thank goodness they were still hidden by the trees, she
thought, brushing grass and pine needles from her hair and clothes. Once her heart rate and breathing slowed, she was absolutely mortified, not to mention amazed, that she, Audrey Tyson, had lain outside, half-undressed, almost making love to Mark Malone. And he'd said, “Tonight.”

But she knew there would be no tonight.

M
ark accompanied Audrey to the back porch in silence, helped her dismount and then took their horses to the stables. His fiery look promised pleasures she wouldn't be here to experience.

Audrey dashed up to her room. She grabbed her cell phone from her purse to call Mr. Burke. Two voice mails, one from him and another from her sister.

“Audrey,” her boss had said in the message. “What the hell is this about you staying on as a housekeeper? Have you got the story or not? Call me.”

She ignored it for now. She'd call him from the road.

The message from her sister was more frantic. Worried for her brother-in-law, Audrey quickly punched in her sister's number.

“Claire, what's the matter? Is it Danny?”

“He's sick, Audrey. He's got a fever and he won't let
me take him to the hospital. He's so stubborn! But he's going whether he wants to or not. Miranda's out of town and Dad has the flu. I don't want Devon sitting around the hospital all night.”

Audrey's nephew was only three. The hospital was definitely not the place for him in the middle of the night. “Of course I'll stay with him. I—I'm still at the ranch. I'll explain later. But I'm leaving now. I'll be there in two hours.”

Audrey grabbed her suitcase and overnight bag from the closet and threw them on the bed. She was still mostly packed, but snatched up a few things lying around the room.

As she flew down the stairs, Mark stepped into the entryway, directly in her path.

He folded his arms and scowled. “Where do you think you're going?”

Guilt and worry brought a sting of tears to her eyes. She quickly looked down and squeezed them back. This wasn't about her petty problems anymore. “My brother-in-law is sick. I'm afraid it might be pneumonia. I'm going to take care of my nephew while he's in the hospital.”

Before she'd even finished the last sentence, Mark had unfolded his arms and stepped closer, pulling her against him. She could smell the scent of new grass and pine from the heat of his body. “They're in Dallas?”

She nodded against his chest. “Arlington. I—”

“We'll take my jet. Have you there in thirty minutes.” He stepped back, still caressing her shoulders. “Leave it to me. I'll get you home.” Then he turned and strode to his study.

His jet? After a few seconds, Audrey became aware she still stood in the entryway with her mouth hanging open.

 

Mark was glad he hadn't gotten around to selling the airplane now. He called his buddy, Jake, who agreed to the
last-minute flight and met them at the airstrip along the back forty acres of the ranch. Within ten minutes, they were in the air.

Audrey was quiet. She fidgeted in her seat, but he saw nothing in her eyes except worry. Had a part of him hoped to impress her with his jet? How shallow could he get? Besides, hadn't she proven several times she wasn't interested in his money?

There was a municipal airport in Arlington that turned out to be only a few miles from Audrey's sister's home. Mark had arranged for a limo to pick them up.

At the house, the door was opened by a beautiful woman with long blond hair, a flawless complexion and penetrating violet-blue eyes. He'd never seen blue eyes quite that shade before. She was tall, too thin and sported circles under her eyes darker than some football players. He removed his hat and finger-combed his hair.

She looked at him in confusion until Audrey stepped in and hugged her. “Is Danny all right? I wasn't thinking. We could have met you at the hospital.”

Audrey's sister hugged her back, her brows creased. “I didn't want Devon there. You're early. What'd you do, fly?”

Audrey stepped back and gestured to Mark. “Oh, Claire, this is, um…the new job I told you about, he offered to…”

Mark stuck out his right hand. “Mark Malone. Nice to meet you, Claire. And yes, we flew.”

Claire's gaze darted to Audrey, but she didn't ask any more questions.

A man in an electric wheelchair rolled up. He couldn't have been older than thirty, and had the look of an athlete who'd stopped working out. But Mark knew this guy had had no choice. His face was pale and his eyes were glassy.

As her sister retreated into the house, Audrey bent down and gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. She put her hands on her hips and flashed an exasperated look. “Are you giving my sister a hard time?”

The brother-in-law nodded and grinned.

Audrey pointed her finger at him. “You better take care of yourself. Us Tyson girls stick together, you know.”

Again, her brother-in-law nodded and smiled.

“You don't have to hog every conversation,” Audrey teased. “You could let me get a word in every once in a while.”

The man slid his eyes over to Mark and raised his brows.

“Oh, I'm sorry. Danny, this is Mark Malone, he gave me a ride.” She finally looked at Mark. “Mark, this is my brother-in-law, Danny Grant.”

Danny turned his head, grabbed a stick with his mouth and pushed a few buttons on the screen of a machine attached to his chair. A stilted male voice said flatly, “Nice—to—meet—you.”

Audrey's sister came back carrying a small boy who was a miniature version of the man in the wheelchair. He had big brown eyes and dark curly hair. Audrey swooped the boy into her arms and raised him above her head. “Devon! Give me a kiss.”

He gave her a big smooch on the cheek.

The boy wiggled down and moved to stand before Mark. He fingered Mark's hat and said, “Cowboy?”

Claire chuckled. “Devon loves Cowboys and Indians, Mr. Malone. You, uh, still have your horse?”

“Horsies,” the kid squealed.

Mark wanted to squat down to the boy, but knew his leg wouldn't hold him. So he bent at the waist and placed his
hat on the kid's head. Man, this kid reminded him of Keith. Then an idea hit him. “I've got lots of horses on my ranch. Would you like to ride one?”

The kid's eyes got wide as he nodded.

Audrey gasped. “That's nice of you to offer. But he'll do better in his own home.” Out of the corner of his eye he could see her shaking her head and waving her hands at her sister.

Mark ignored her and appealed to the kid's mom. “He could stay for a few days. Get to see a real ranch, ride a pony….”

Claire said, “So, Audrey's staying on for a while longer?”

“No.”

“Yes,” Mark said at the same time Audrey denied it. Mark clenched his fists. She wasn't getting away from him that easily.

Claire grinned at him. “Are you sure he wouldn't be an imposition?”

Silently, Audrey glared at her younger sibling.

Man, she was cute when she was mad.

Mark looked Audrey right in the eye and said to her sister, “I wouldn't mind at all. We'd love to have him.”

Audrey moved in front of her sister and bent down to Devon with her hands on her knees. “Wouldn't you rather stay here with Aunt Audrey and make popcorn and watch a movie?”

“No! Horsies!” the kid exclaimed.

A rush of triumphant adrenaline hit Mark's veins. Just as when he'd had a good ride. He knew he'd won. “He'll have a good time and I'll keep him safe.”

Claire looked down at Audrey and back up at him. “Well, I think it's a great idea.” She put her hand on Dan
ny's shoulder. “Devon needs to get away for a few days. I'll go pack him a bag. Danny, take Devon to get his toothbrush, will you?”

The man and the boy wheeled out of the room, and Audrey turned on Mark. “I can't go back!”

“Why not?”

She frowned and looked at the floor. “Well, I— Because I—” she stuttered.

Maybe he should let her go. But there was too much passion between them. Too much left undone. “It's too late. Your nephew's got his heart set on riding a horse.”

“Mark!” She grabbed his arm when he turned to leave. His skin burned at her touch.

He stopped and turned back to her.

“I know you can find another housekeeper.”

He raised a brow and lifted her cold, trembling hand from his arm, taking it in both of his. “Remember what I said, Audrey. You started this. You wanted me sober.” He leaned in, lowered his head. “Now I want you.” His lips lingered just above hers.

Her eyes fluttered closed.

“And I'm not letting you go,” he breathed into her parted lips. “Not yet.”

 

Mark opened his bleary eyes Monday morning and found a pair of dark eyes peering at him as if he were a strange specimen in a petri dish. What the hell had he been thinking bringing this kid to his ranch? He couldn't be any kid's hero anymore.

“Are we going to ride a pony today?” asked the little boy.

“Uh…not right now.” Mark sat up, rubbed his face and ran a hand through his hair. “Go find your aunt Audrey.”

The boy stared at him with sad brown eyes. “Yes, sir.” He turned to go, his chin lowered, his bottom lip trembling.

Mark felt as if someone had reached inside his chest and squeezed his heart. He remembered Keith looking like that all the time. Aw, hell. “Kid. Wait.”

The little boy stopped and turned, his expression still bleak, as if he expected more bad news. “Let's go get you a pony.”

The boy lifted his face to Mark. “Really?”

“Yeah, let's see. First, you need the right equipment.”

The boy's—Devon's—eyes widened. “Can I have a hat, Mr. Lone?”

“Uh, yeah. And call me Mark.”

Three hours later, Mark walked into the kitchen with a new little cowboy. Devon was outfitted in Wranglers, a western shirt, boots and a black hat. He swaggered in like a miniature John Wayne, then ruined the effect when he scampered to Audrey. “Audey! Mark got me a pony! I'm a real cowboy!”

Mark was worn out, but it was worth it to see Audrey smiling at him as if he just roped the moon and stars and laid them at her feet. The way he'd longed for her to smile at him since they'd first met.

Audrey instructed Devon to give Mark a hug and tell him thank-you.

“Thank you,” the little boy mumbled, wrapping his arms around Mark's bad leg. What he really wanted was a hug from the kid's aunt.

Before he'd finished the thought, Audrey was in his arms and squeezing him tight, her cheek pressed hard to his chest.

This is where she belonged—in his arms. Yesterday's picnic had been a revelation. He'd never talked so freely
about himself with anyone. Or lost control. He'd snapped like stressed barbed wire.

This was becoming more than a game. She'd gotten under his skin. When he saw her hugging her sister and brother-in-law with tears in her eyes, how caring she was with her nephew, it made him think about families. Made him dare to dream about having one.

And that was dangerous.

With a beautiful smile, she looked at him, worship in her eyes, and whispered, “Thank you.”

Heaven help him.

Mark's throat tightened. He'd never been the recipient of such gratitude for so little. Unable to stop himself, he swooped down and kissed her, starved for the taste of her soft lips. He kissed her possessively, longing for more.

Audrey pushed away sharply, and he felt as if he'd been doused with ice water. The sound of the kid's high-pitched giggling finally penetrated his passion-numbed consciousness. Confused and uncertain, he stood there as she ushered her nephew upstairs, instructing him to let Mark rest, but rest was the furthest thing from his mind.

He took himself out to the corral to saddle the pony, contemplating the days to come. John rode up just as he was tightening the cinch of the child's saddle. The older man dismounted and ambled over to the corral, hooked a booted foot on the bottom rung of the fence and hung his arms over the top rail. “That nephew of Audrey's sure is a cute little rascal,” he called across the corral to Mark. “Gonna teach him to ride?”

Mark cocked a brow. “You might say I was roped into it.”

John threw his head back and laughed.

 

Audrey made Devon a sandwich for lunch and berated herself for oversleeping. When she hadn't found Devon in his room, she'd feared he was bothering Mark. She'd been amazed when she'd found the note stuck to the refrigerator with a magnet. “Kid and I've gone to town. Mark.”

She smiled to herself. She couldn't believe he'd bought Devon a pony. But why was she surprised? He'd always been good to children.

Except he'd looked ill at ease when he'd first come home with Devon, standing by the door, hands in his pockets and hat pushed back. If she hadn't known he'd once brought foster children to his ranch, she would have sworn he was uncomfortable around the little boy.

But when Devon had hugged Mark's bad leg, and he'd put his hand on Devon's shoulder, Audrey's heart had turned a somersault. In that moment she'd known she couldn't pretend it was a leftover crush any longer.

She was madly and deeply in love with Mark Malone.