Promoted to Wife (Destiny Bay) (18 page)

“I know you're very aware of the fact that you're a servant here and that I'm not,” Rick was saying. “But I don't care about that. I don't care who you are. I don't care who I am. You're a woman and I'm a man. And that's all I can see.” His fingers dug into her shoulder. “It's inevitable and you know it.”

“Yes,” she whispered, beyond hope.

His dark hand slid down below the white bubbles and she gasped as she felt his touch on her breast.

“It's tearing me apart,” he said huskily, “this need for you. It's with me every minute of the day.” His fingers enclosed her nipple, gently tugging, sending an arch of electricity through her.

She moved involuntarily, moaning softly and turning to him, her mouth eager for the pressure of his. He moved closer, his hand sliding from one breast to the other beneath the silky water, caressing, exciting, and he parted the bubbles so that he could see the beauty of her form through the water.

“Is it like that for you, too, Terry?” he whispered, his voice urgent and throbbing with passion. “Do you want me?”

There was no point in trying to hide it. “Yes,” she whispered back. “Oh, yes,” and she used both hands to pull his face to her so that his mouth could capture hers and plunder its deep warmth.

The hand that had been caressing her soft breasts now flattened and began to move down, across her ribs, across her flat stomach, until his fingers reached far enough to tear a cry of primitive need from her throat, his stroke making her arch into the pressure of his touch.

“Oh, Terry, let me love you,” he murmured, and she whispered, “Yes... yes,” still moving to the rhythm his hand created. He slid her up out of the water and buried his face against her wet breasts. She dug her kneading fingers into his hair, gasping at the incredible storm that was rising in her body.

Her mind was caught in the whirlwind. It would be so easy to let things fly. But a shred of her common sense remained, and that one little shred wouldn't let her lose herself to desire without a fight.

“Wait,” she murmured as Rick's arms tightened around her. “We can't do this now. Not here.”

He froze, eyes closed, and held her tightly.

“Not here in this house,” she went on breathlessly. “Not with your aunt here, and the children ...”

He drew back and stared at her, his eyes slightly wild. “No, Terry,” he stated flatly. “You can't get away with that any longer.” One swift movement lifted her into his arms.

“Rick!” she cried out.

He paid no attention. Holding her tenderly but firmly, he carried her out of the bathroom, dripping sudsy water across the carpet, and into her bedroom, kicking the door closed behind him.

“The children,” she murmured almost desperately as he laid her down upon her golden spread, her body white as ivory, her hair jet black, her nipples pink as roses.

He touched her, his hand sliding along her satin skin with a soothing stroke. “There are no children,” he told her huskily. “There's no one in the world but you and me.”

Her eyes were huge as she stared up at him. “You and me?” she whispered.

“You and me,” he repeated firmly.

He shed his clothes and his body gleamed in the shadowy lamplight, dark and hot and hard. When he lay on
the bed beside her, she moaned and stretched to touch
him with every part of her body, her feet curling around his ankles, her hips tempting his, her breasts rubbing against the hair of his chest, her mouth on his, searching,
begging, demanding all he had to give. The time for
doubts was over. She was all need, all desire.

“Oh, Rick!” she cried. “Oh, please!”

His surge was her lifeline, and she clung to him while he filled her, fulfilled her, turned the night into blazing
glory.

When it was over she wondered if she'd dreamed it.
The passionate memories and emotions remained, but
they were almost too wonderful to believe.

And then there was a sound in the hallway.

“Terry?” Jeremy's timid voice was at her door before
she'd even caught her breath after the lovemaking.

“J-Jeremy?” she answered, looking at Rick in horror.

“Terry?” the boy called in a gruff tone he seemed to
think was a whisper. “Terry, I had a bad dream and I
can't find my daddy. Can I come in and sleep in your
bed?”

Rick drew away from her, half laughing, half cursing, shaking his head.

“Terry, Terry, darling,” he whispered as he gathered
his clothes. “I'm so sorry. This is no way to conduct a
love affair.” He bent to kiss her quickly. “We'll get some
time alone to do this properly,” he told her, looking deep
into her troubled eyes. “Until then...” His kiss was
full of tantalizing promises.

And then he was gone, leaving through the bathroom.

“Just a minute, Jeremy,” Terry called as she gathered
up her bathrobe. Her hands were trembling and she
dropped the robe twice before she managed to get it on.

This was crazy. She was crazy. But she couldn't help it
any longer. There was a soaring, searing sensation in her chest. She would risk her job, her self-respect, everything. Because she
was
crazy—crazy in love with Rick.

The next few days seemed to spin by like old-fashioned tops, all frenzied activity with no time for thought. Caren departed, ignoring Terry's profuse apologies and throwing smoldering glances Rick's way, but nothing more was said about the incident at the pool party. Jeremy got very busy building an insect collection and Erica kept to her room. Aunt Julia spent her days making lists for the charity ball.

And Terry moved in a cloud of wary happiness. Every contact with Rick only reinforced how she felt about him. She needed the sight of his handsome face, the touch of his hand, as she needed air to breathe. She needed him, and she wouldn't let herself think any further than that.

The moment that they'd shared stuck in her memory. She could hardly believe it had really happened; it felt like a dream.

Things were going smoothly as far as running Mar Vista was concerned. Every now and then she hit a snag, but a quick call to her father or, more often now, a bit of thought and her own ingenuity, and the snag was smoothed over. She was doing a good job, and she didn't even need anyone else to tell her so. She could feel it within herself. And that was very rewarding.

The charity ball was going to be her showcase. If that was a success, she would hand over the reins to her much-improved father with a sense of triumph that she was looking forward to. To finally succeed at something real and tangible! That would be wonderful.

But a nagging problem that still bothered her was
Erica. Jeremy had opened to his father as though they'd never been apart, but the older girl remained aloof and unapproachable. The harder Rick tried to reach her, the more she retreated. Terry wished she knew what to do
to remedy the situation.

“Take the children out to see your ranch,” she suggested a day or so later when Rick had waylaid her in
the linen closet for a stolen kiss. She knew he went out to
the ranch at least twice a week to keep an eye on things.

“You think they'd like that?” he asked dubiously, his hand sliding down her cheek, his eyes narrowed as he selected just which delectable part of her soft mouth to
kiss first.

“Oh, yes,” she sighed, drugged by his sensual caress.
“They ought to get a look at the 'real you.' “

He nibbled on her lower lip, his body pressing her back
against the pile of sheets. “So should you,” he muttered.

She blinked at him: “What?”

“Get a look at the 'real me.' I'll take them to the ranch. But only if you come too.”

“But…”

“No excuses. The place needs the careful eye of a good butler. You can be along as a consultant. Nothing more.”

And so, one hot summer afternoon two days later, they
were all out riding across the Santa Ynez Valley on
Rick's horses. Jeremy had a pony that just suited him.
Terry had learned to ride for her acting career, and though she didn't feel entirely at home atop a horse as
yet, she knew what to do. The surprise was Erica. She quickly grew to love the horses and was soon riding with
a natural skill that rivaled her father's.

“She's doing wonderfully!” Terry said as they ap
proached the spot they'd selected for their picnic and Erica raced ahead to be the first to arrive.

Rick looked so different here on his ranch. The smooth, sophisticated playboy disappeared, and in his place was a cowboy rough enough to star in a Western. He always seemed to move through life with an air of casual command, but here there was even more—a quiet confidence, and masculine pride and satisfaction that made him even more attractive than ever.

“I would have had her out here from the first if I'd known how she'd take to it,” Rick said, gazing at the little girl.

They spread a checkered cloth in a shaded, grassy area near a stream and ate their fried chicken and laughed. Even Erica's reserve melted a bit.

They'd finished eating and were cleaning up the scraps while Jeremy played beside the stream when Erica burst out with a statement that destroyed the pleasant mood.

“It's so funny having you here with us, Terry,” she said suddenly, her eyes cool. “People don't usually take butlers along on outings like this, do they?”

The atmosphere was deathly still as they each digested her words. Terry glanced at Rick. What Erica had said was true. Terry had been trying to ignore the issue, but the girl had flung it in her face.

“Terry isn't an ordinary butler,” Rick said slowly, watching his daughter. “She's much more than that.”

“I know,” Erica said, and her tone of irony was unmistakably sharp. “I've noticed.”

Terry went cold. Of course she'd noticed. How could they have been so stupid as to think they could hide anything from her? Love was blind, it seemed, in more ways than one.

“But it's okay with me,” Erica added, not looking anyone in the face. “Better her than the kitchen maid,” she said with false
bravado, and then she was walking quickly toward the
stream and away from Rick and Terry,

“Terry...” Rick started toward her but she
pulled her arms in about herself and pulled away.

“She's right, Rick,” she said hollowly. “I don't be
long here. We're being so obvious....”

He took her by the shoulders and forced her to face
him. “You're here,” he said roughly, “because I want you
here. No one is going to keep me away from you,
Terry.” His eyes were fierce with determination. “No
one.”

She looked up into his gaze, desperate for a reassur
ance she knew he couldn't give. She didn't really trust
him any more than she trusted herself. And most of all,
she didn't trust her heart.

Jeremy's cry of anguish interrupted them and they
both turned to see what was happening at the stream.

“My koala!” Jeremy shrieked, and at the same time
Erica began running along the banks of the water.

“I'll get it,” she cried, and then she was plunging into the stream, heedless, for once, of getting wet and dirty.

Rick and Terry raced toward where the children were playing, but by the time they got to the stream,
Erica was slogging out, carrying the soggy bear.

“Just look at me!” she complained, aghast, stopping a few feet from shore as though there was no longer any
hope. “I'm such a mess!”

She looked so comically tragic, they all had to laugh.

“Me, too,” said Jeremy, and he put a foot into the cool
water and kicked it high.

“Me, too,” Rick echoed mockingly, and leapt into
the middle of the stream, letting the water cascade above
his knees.

Erica's face registered horror, then doubt. She wasn't
sure if she was being made fun of.

“The more the merrier,” Terry cried. She took one
step in. The water felt heavenly on her hot skin. Casting
caution to the winds, she let the water knock her over
and carry her to where Rick was waiting to catch hold
of her.

Erica looked uncertain for a moment, and then a tenta
tive smile curved her lips. Rick pulled Terry up out of
the water and she deliberately splashed him.

“Oh, so that's your game!” he cried, lifting her high
above the little rapids and threatening to drop her.

Jeremy plunged in to the rescue, and after a second or two of hesitation, Erica came to join him, and then they were all splashing and pushing and laughing, until each
was as wet as the other.

Climbing up on the bank, they all stretched out to dry
in the sunshine.

“Hey, Erica,” Rick called from his resting place beside Terry. “Have you ever been this messy before in
your life?”

“No,” she shot back, carelessly returning his grin.
“But since I
am
your daughter, I should have a natural-born ability to deal with disorder and chaos, don't you
think?”

Everyone laughed, even Jeremy, who didn't know
what they were talking about. But he could feel the grow
ing warmth between them all, so he laughed, just for the
joy of it. A few moments later the good feeling was rein
forced when Erica offered, with no urging at all, to help
Terry clear up the food and pack things away.