The Unknown Woman (11 page)

“Don’t move,” he warned as he stripped out of his own clothing and tossed it onto the chair. There was no way he could disguise his desire for her when he turned around.

He saw her eyes sweep over him, then she smiled and held up her hands, inviting him back into her em
brace. Scooping her into his own arms, he headed for the tub.

“Your bath awaits, madam,” he intoned before carefully lowering her into the water.

“Mmm, this is wonderful.”

“So are you,” he said.

“Are you coming in?”

He hesitated. “Do you want me to?”

“Very much,” she teased, her eyes darkening. “Very,
very
much.”

As Matt joined her in the mammoth bathtub, the water rose perilously close to the top.

He leaned past her and opened the drain to lower the level a few inches, then added a bit more hot water. When he lifted her, she laid her hands on his shoulders, and he reclined against the slanted end, then settled her on top of him, her back to his chest.

“I want to kiss you,” she demanded, not at all pleased with this arrangement. She expected equal access.

“If you cooperate, your every wish shall be granted,” he murmured as if he were a genie she’d released from a bottle.

She schooled the impatience and enjoyed their sensuous play. Matt was determined to drive her crazy, and she was willing to let him. She’d get her chance at sweet revenge.

“Consider me your love slave,” he finished on a sexy teasing whisper that tickled the hair at her temple.

He placed her head against his shoulder so her face was even with his, then he kissed her.

The playfulness disappeared when their lips met. The intensity was explosive and immediate. Never, Kerry thought just before her mind went hazy, could she have imagined passion to be so all-consuming. There was nothing else but
this,
the currents that flowed between them, in the entire world.

Matt had never felt so alive. The sensation of her skin against his was mind-blowing. When she moved slightly, her firm buttocks slid against him intimately, and he felt sure he was going to lose it right then. He tried to think of ice and snow, but all he felt was hot, intense need.

In this position, he was free to explore her without worrying about his weight on her. He took thorough advantage, sliding his hands over her perfect breasts, the plump nipples a rosy pink. They swelled into hard little beads as he stroked them.

Still holding her breast with one hand, he glided the other hand down to the juncture of her legs. From his position, he had a clear view of her body—the tiny mole close to her belly button, a thin white scar on her left knee, which she’d bent and rested against the side of the tub.

Mmm, he liked that position.

He changed hands, stroking the tiny patch of brown curls at the apex of her thighs, a slightly darker shade of brown than her hair, and heard her quickly drawn breath.

When he delved further, she buried her face against his neck, one hand clutching the side of the tub while the other caressed his hip.

“Matt,” she said in a voice filled with desire.

He ravished her mouth, taking special delight in the fact that she was just as demanding as he was. His hands kept up their dual caresses, and when she writhed against him in need, he had to grit his teeth to keep from claiming all of her right then.

But he wanted more for them. He wanted them to reach heights neither had climbed before. He wanted to experience the full possibility that could be unleashed by the desire flaming between them. He wanted…everything.

Kerry couldn’t stop the little moans and cries that demanded completion. He was driving her mad!

Yet she wanted more than this insane coupling in the bathtub, as fun and exciting as it was. “Matt,” she whispered. “The bed…let’s go to bed,” she managed to gasp when his fingers delved into her, causing her to move instinctively against him.

“In a minute,” he told her.

With expert care, he turned her, and cupping the back of her head, he kissed her until she was breathless. Opening her legs, she trapped his erection between her thighs and squeezed.

This time it was Matt who groaned and moved against her. He released her lips and gazed into her eyes, then helped her out of the cooling water and
wrapped a towel around them. Bringing a foil packet, he guided her back to the bed, swept the covers out of the way and settled her on the sheets.

He took care of protection before joining her. “This is going to be bliss,” he told her, his mood playful once more, but his eyes, oh, his eyes…

She wondered if anyone had ever drowned in eyes so blue, so filled with promises as they merged into one.

His trusts were deep and hard, and she was caught in a tide of swirling passion that lifted her higher and higher. She called out his name and clung to him as she was tossed to a far shore.

“Kerry, sweetheart,” she heard him gasp just before he joined her in that distant place.

A long time later, sated and experiencing the most profound peace she’d ever known, she said sleepily, “You were right. It was bliss. I’ve never experienced anything half so wonderful.”

A few minutes later, she felt him stir and lift away from her. She didn’t want to give up the closeness, the perfection of this moment.

“I’ll be back,” he promised.

She heard him go into the bathroom. In less than two minutes he returned to her, and she was snug in his arms once more. He lay on his side, with one thigh over hers, his head resting on the mounded pillows.

With her eyes closed, she felt his fingers touch her face, roam down her neck and follow her collarbone
to her shoulder, then back to her throat. Against her side, his chest rose and fell in a deep breath.

An impractical wish arose in her as she contemplated a life in which they could hold this moment forever. It was a ridiculous idea. They had less than a week left.

They made love once again, then lay propped against the pillows, listening to the wind and rain.

“Do you know what Dom Perignon said to his fellow monks when he found their white wine had undergone a second fermentation in the bottle and thus discovered champagne?” Matt asked her.

She opened her eyes and gazed into his. What an odd question, she thought. “No. What did he say?” she asked, not sure what to expect.

“‘Brothers, I have drunk the stars.’” He touched her lips with one finger. “And so have I.”

K
ERRY FELT
as bright and refreshed as the land appeared after the storm. She and Matt were on their way back to the city after a leisurely breakfast, then a passionate interlude in which they discovered the fascinating possibilities in an old-fashioned tub with a shower curtain encircling them.

As they left the heart of Cajun country and the statue of Evangeline, Kerry felt almost wistful, as if she was leaving a part of herself here. She studied Matt and wondered if he felt the same.

He glanced at her. “What?”

“How do you always know when I have a question or something I want to discuss?”

A slow smile curved his lips. “Maybe we’re soul mates.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, pretending skepticism but feeling a tiny pang at the idea.

“So what’s your question?”

“I’m wondering if we should talk to Ashley or some of the other workers on the float for some suggestions
about Patti. Maybe they know a place where her soul would be at rest.”

“I might have a clue,” he said, surprising her. “The medical examiner’s secretary gave me a packet. It’s in the inside breast pocket of my jacket. I was going to ask you if we should leave it with the ashes.”

“What is it?”

“Apparently some stuff Patti had with her the night she died.”

A flicker of dread went through Kerry. She looked into the back and spotted his sport coat. “Your jacket may never recover from the storm and being damp all night. We should have hung it in the closet.”

“The cleaners can fix it,” he assured her, giving her a quick smile before taking the off-ramp to the street that would lead to the hotel.

It seemed like a million years since their departure yesterday, Kerry thought. So much had happened that time seemed to have expanded into years rather than hours.

She withdrew the manila envelope from Matt’s pocket and opened it.

Inside she found a tiny purse with a long chain, a pair of inexpensive carnival earrings and the gold ring with the intricate love knot. The purse contained a driver’s license, a twenty-dollar bill and some loose change.

She stared at the ring as pain zig-zagged through her like a flash of lightning. “This ring meant something to her, something special.”

The gold felt warm to her touch as she twisted the circle around and around, trying to see if there was an inscription. The charms on her bracelet tinkled as she moved her wrist.

“Matt,” she said as another question rose in her mind. “What about Patti’s apartment and the things there? I don’t know about furniture, but she must have had clothing and other personal stuff.”

“The M.E.’s secretary said we could donate all of it to a local charity. She said they were used to handling things like that. I picked one off a list she gave me. I hope that was okay with you.” There was a question at the end.

Kerry nodded.

Matt parked and turned off the engine. “I thought that was too much to ask of strangers—to go through her personal effects and make decisions about them. The secretary assured me all would be taken care of in the proper manner. Whatever that is.”

Kerry squeezed his arm. “I couldn’t have done all this without you.”

He looked into her eyes for a moment, then, unsnapping both their seat belts, he leaned forward and kissed her, briefly but deeply, as if he knew every emotion that raced through her. “Some vacation this has been for you. Maybe someday you’ll return and have a better one.”

She noticed he didn’t include himself in the possible return trip. With a heaviness inside her, she
knew, on some deep instinctual level, that she wouldn’t return.

“You’ve already made it as wonderful as possible,” she said quietly, sincerely. She even managed a smile.

After they got out and made sure they’d left nothing in the rental car, they went inside. The hotel lobby was the same. The black, gold and burgundy carpet was on the floor, the furniture and plants were still in place, the staff bustled about. Kerry felt so different it seemed the world should reflect that change.

She nodded to Luc Carter, who smiled at them from behind his desk.

Matt went to her suite and deposited the urn before heading for his own quarters to change his clothes. Kerry wanted to freshen up, too, then…

She wasn’t sure what came next. Matt was different from any man she’d ever met, more caring, more insightful.

And a wonderful lover.

Sitting down, she hugged her arms across her middle and worried about being too deeply involved in what was, after all, a temporary affair. It was easy for her sister to tell her to enjoy herself, but it was another to become emotionally attached to Matt.

It wasn’t her way to fall headlong for someone, but her emotions were confusing. Was the whole situation being blown out of proportion because of Patti’s death?

Probably.

Maybe she should stick to her plan to go home Sunday, back where life was normal and she could think clearly.

But she would miss him…

A knock on the connecting door startled her. She unlocked the door and found Matt standing on the other side.

“Okay with you to leave this door open?” he asked.

She nodded, feeling as solemn as an owl.

“Kerry,” he said with a laugh, as if reading her sudden uncertainty, and swept her into his arms. “It’ll be okay,” he whispered, and proceeded to kiss her until she flamed with renewed hunger.

“I thought I wouldn’t want this so soon, I mean, after this morning at the inn and during the night—”

She stopped as a hot tide of blood rushed to all parts of her. Ohh, she mentally groaned. She sounded like her great-aunt Martha, the one she and Sharon had labeled “prissy” a long time ago.

She felt the laughter echo in his chest.

He let her down slowly, reluctantly. “Okay, how does coffee, beignets and a planning session sound?”

Her eyes lit up. “I’ll forever love beignets.”

“Me, too,” he agreed, ushering her out to a table in the courtyard.

“Shall we check out the float and its workers this afternoon?” he asked, once they’d been served.

Powdered sugar sifted down Kerry’s chin and onto her napkin as she tried to nod while taking a big bite
of the delicious doughnut-like confection. They still had the problem of Patti’s ashes. She could feel the sadness returning.

“Don’t be sad,” Matt said, picking up on her change of mood. “I have a feeling Patti wouldn’t want you to feel bad or regret what’s happened.”

Kerry thought of Jason and the love she sensed Patti had for him. “I think, Matt, that we should let Jason Pichante know about the ring. It’s a true love’s knot, so maybe he gave it to her. He may want it back.”

He stirred his coffee and gazed into the distance. “I think you’re right. We’ll go this afternoon. Around two?”

“Yes.”

“After lunch,” he said in all innocence, “we’ll probably need to rest for an hour or so.”

She couldn’t stop the snort of laughter. Sugar fluffed out in a white cloud on her black slacks and Matt chuckled. Several people, she saw, glanced at them with smiles on their faces.

She was reminded of a line.
All the world loves a lover?

Were they…could they possibly be falling in love, really in love?

The answer was easy. She could.

But what about Matt?

P
EOPLE SWARMED
around the float, diagrams and tools in hand, laughing, chatting and arguing as the work
proceeded at a steady pace. For some really weird reason, the float reminded Kerry of the Trojan horse, constructed to look like a gift but designed for deception.

Ashley spotted them as they paused at the open warehouse door. She came over. “You enjoyed yourselves so much the first time, you couldn’t stay away, huh?” she teased. “Come on in.”

“Oh, you’ve gotten the garden layout nearly finished,” Kerry said, pleased that the structure was actually taking shape. “Do you want to work on the supports again?” she asked Matt.

“May as well.”

He smiled in his agreeable manner, and Kerry wanted to give him a bear hug. Which she’d already done during their afternoon nap. Tingles radiated to every point of her body as she thought of their lovemaking.

“Great.” Ashley, who was the supervisor of their section when Jason wasn’t around, gave them gloves, cable ties and, for Matt, a pair of pliers. “Get to it,” she ordered in a friendly manner after showing them where to work.

An hour later, it was time for a break. They selected drinks and cookies from the refreshment cart and settled on the floor, their backs to the wall.

“Is Jason coming in today?” Kerry asked.

Ashley hesitated. “I don’t know. He’s normally here every afternoon after two, but lately…”

“He hasn’t been as reliable?” Matt suggested.

Ashley stared into the distance, a frown on her brow. “There’s trouble brewing in that family,” she said at last in a low tone. “Jason is very unhappy.”

Kerry, noting the worry in the other woman’s eyes, wondered if Ashley was interested in the Pichante scion. Was she a suitable match for Jason, one his family would approve and encourage?

A terrible pain lodged in the center of Kerry’s being. She glanced at Matt’s handsome, attentive face. Was
she,
a small-town hygienist, suitable for someone like him, a sophisticated wine expert?

But Matt was at ease everywhere he went, she thought. He was just as comfortable and charming among the warehouse workers as he’d been with the members of that exclusive country club.

Had that only been a few nights ago?

She counted back. Yes, the dinner, wine-tasting and dance had been on Monday night. Today was Thursday. They’d met on Saturday night. Not even a full week and they were as involved as if they’d been together for months…years…eternity.

Old money, he’d said of his family. While he didn’t seem particularly close to them, it was still a different world from the one she inhabited.

And why was she thinking about something that was totally irrelevant to her life? After this week, each of them would be a fond memory for the other, two strangers who’d met under rather eerie circumstances and whose lives had intertwined for a few days.

She sighed. There were other things to be taken care of at present. “Ashley,” she began, “Matt and I want to perform a healing ceremony for Patti—”

Ashley interrupted her. “One of the workers said you were at a healing ceremony with the old voodoo queen last Sunday. She said the queen said you should do a cleansing ceremony.”

Kerry wondered if the worker was as the young voodoo queen who’d led them back to the taxi. “We were told a cremation would take care of the cleansing. That’s done. Now we want to scatter the ashes where Patti’s spirit will find rest. Do you have any ideas about that?”

For a second, Ashley looked as if she might burst into tears, then she shook her head. “Did you try to find the plantation, the one I told you about?”

“Patti never lived at Cordon Rouge,” Matt spoke up. “It was a ruin, long reverted to swamp, before she was born.”

“Then I don’t know.” Her face brightened. “Here comes Jason. Maybe he can tell you.” She rose. “Jason! Over here.”

Kerry’s eyes met Matt’s. He frowned, then shrugged slightly as if accepting the inevitable.

“Jason,” Ashley said when he came over to them, “Kerry and Matt have some questions about Patti, about what to do with her ashes. I thought you might have some ideas.” She glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to get back to work.”

With that, she walked off, leaving Kerry, Matt and Jason eyeing each other in dead silence.

“Let’s go outside,” he said abruptly and headed for the door as if the fires of hell nipped at his heels.

Matt took Kerry’s arm and helped her up, then they followed Jason outside the warehouse and down the street to a small park. Jason stopped by a bench under the shade of an oak tree draped with moss. The wind from the river caused the strands of moss to swish back and forth.

An image of Patti and her long, beautiful tresses came to Kerry.

“What do you want?” Jason said, ungracious to the point of rudeness.

Matt nodded at Kerry.

She took a slow, deep breath, then asked, “Were you with Patti when she died?”

Jason’s darkly handsome face looked as if it had been carved from stone at the question, but he didn’t answer.

“Did you buy her the love potion?” Kerry continued. Anger rose in her at his stark silence. It seemed a denial of Patti and the love she’d had for him. “Did you abandon her when she became ill?”

Jason’s face turned white. The red spots formed on his cheeks as they had once before when they had asked him about Patti. He opened his mouth, closed it. Finally he turned to the tree, put his forearm on it and pressed his face into the crook of his elbow.

She felt his sorrow, his regret, his shame, and began to tremble herself. Matt stepped closer to put a supportive hand at the small of her back, and she leaned into him, needing his strength.

After a moment, when Kerry wondered if they should leave, Jason began to speak. His voice was so hoarse, it was difficult to hear him over the traffic noises.

“I was with her,” he said. “I didn’t…I didn’t abandon her. She said she felt ill and was going to the restroom, but then I saw her go into one of the patios along the courtyard. I went over there to rescue her before someone thought she was a thief or something.”

“And then?” Kerry asked.

“She wasn’t there. The door was open and a lamp was on. The bed had been turned down and…and Patti was on it. I tried to tell her we had to leave, but she held my hand and wouldn’t let go. I realized she was having trouble breathing.”

Kerry put her arm around Matt and held on as wave after wave of dizziness washed over her. She recalled the patient who had clawed at her throat when she couldn’t breathe.

“I tried CPR,” Jason said, lifting his head and staring at them, his eyes dark and desperate. “I tried, but she shook her head and…and touched my face…then she simply closed her eyes…as if she’d gone to sleep.”

The wind through the oak made rustling sounds, as if nature were mourning with them.