More Than a Mistress (9 page)

He carried her to the sofa and handed her a tissue.

Sara collected herself and blew her nose. “This is so humiliating.”

Calmly ignoring her embarrassment, Daniel took off his jacket. “If you lie on your stomach, I can start that back rub.”

Sara acquiesced, burying her head in a pillow.

“Upper or lower?” She felt the sofa dip as he sat on it.

“Lower,” she murmured.

At the first, firm touch of his hands, she moaned.

“Good?”

“Yessss.”

For several minutes he continued to knead the small of her back. Although the massage felt wonderful, Sara felt compelled to protest. “You don't have to do this.”

“I know.”

“Daniel—”

“Sara, relax. That's all I'm asking from you tonight. You don't have to be sexy, cute or even too polite. Just relax.”

And in spite of herself she did.

After Daniel finished the back rub, he pulled her beside him and wrapped his arm around her. “Do you remember the first time you heard about the birds and the bees?”

Sara nodded. “One of my foster parents gave me a short, vague explanation, but I didn't get all the details until health class in seventh grade. What about you?”

Daniel rubbed his chin against her hair and smiled. “My mother always wanted to be a country-music star.”

“Really? My mother wanted to be a Rockette.”

They looked at each other and laughed.

“My mother was always making up these crazy songs that didn't rhyme. When it came time to have ‘the talk,' she made up a song that described the reproductive process from beginning to end.” Daniel chuckled again. “To the tune of ‘Amazing Grace.'”

Sara stared at him. “I don't believe you.”

Daniel raised his hand as if he were on the witness stand. “I kid you not. I'd swear on a Baptist hymnal.”

“What did your father do?”

“My father adored my mother. He would have done just about anything for her, but this was one time when he drew the line. After she sang it to me, he told her that he would take care of ‘the talk' from then on. And he told me just to forget I'd ever heard Mama's little song.”

“Bet you remember it.”

“Word for word. It was…unforgettable.”

“She must have been wonderful.”

Daniel nodded, absently stroking Sara's hair. “She was very passionate about everything she did. She wasn't one for half measures. It was tough for all of us when she died. I used to think it was worst for Carly. She was so little, and she stuttered for a long time after Mama died.” He paused, deep in thought.

“But it was worst for my father. It was like someone turned out the light and nothing could turn it on again. I felt sorry for the woman he remarried, even though she could be mean as hell.”

Daniel made a face. “Eunice was always on Garth about something.”

His family was more important to him than he probably realized, Sara thought, hearing the intensity in Daniel's voice. “What about you?”

“Eunice didn't mess with me. I was old enough, and after Dad died, the farm passed on to me.” There was strength and confidence in his voice. Sara imagined a younger Daniel with all that confidence and understood why Eunice had never attempted to usurp his position. “She moved out when Carly was sixteen. I sent her money every month until she died.”

“At one time or another I imagine all of your brothers and Carly have looked to you when they needed something. It's amazing that you kept everything together.”

Daniel shook his head. “I haven't always come up with what they needed. Like with Garth—” He broke off, remembering a particularly tough period several years ago.

Sara hated seeing the pained expression on his face. “Who did Garth call when he and Erin had problems with the mare?”

“Me,” he admitted, and tugged her hair. “And you've heard enough about my family history tonight.”

Sara wasn't sure she would ever hear enough.

Daniel fascinated her. Everything she learned about him made her want to know more.

“Did your mother ever go to New York to audition for the Rockettes?” he asked.

“Not that I know of. She stayed in that same little town in Minnesota most of her life. If she hadn't had me, maybe…”

“Did she ever say that?” he asked in a low voice.

Sara hesitated. “Daniel, I don't have any cute little stories about songs my mother made up. She was young, alone and confused. I think she wanted to put me up for adoption, but something inside her wouldn't let her. And after all these years I'm not sure if that would have been better or not. I was jerked from one foster home to hers for a little while and back to a different foster home. I would have loved to have had one home, one person I could have been sure of, but there wasn't anyone. Stability will always be important to me. I think that's why I got…” She winced, unsure if she wanted to reveal anymore.

“Married?”

Sara nodded. “I found out there's a difference between physical stability and emotional stability. Big difference,” she murmured.

Daniel paused for a moment, watching different emotions flow across her face. He wished he knew what stirred those emotions. He wished he knew so much more about Sara. “What was he like?”

“He was older, a lawyer with grown children from his first marriage. He seemed lonely.” She gave a faint smile in remembrance, and Daniel felt a pinch in his gut. “I wouldn't go out with him at first, but he was so nice about it that I felt guilty. In the beginning he was easy to be with. I felt comfortable with him, and he didn't place any demands on me. When he asked me to marry him, I thought I'd feel secure. And I did, in a way, that first year.”

“But something changed after the first year,” he concluded, because she didn't look happy.

Sara pressed her lips together. “Yes. He found out about some of my background and—”

Within his arms Sara tensed, and Daniel could feel her distress. He frowned in confusion. “About your mother?”

“Yes.” She hesitated and continued. “He also found out from a colleague about another relationship I'd been involved in several years ago before I even met him. He was terribly embarrassed and felt betrayed. Before he was killed in a car accident, I think he was considering a divorce.” She cleared her throat, and Daniel could hear the defeat in her voice. “That last year wasn't much fun. He didn't want to be around me.” She bit her lip and looked away. “He wouldn't touch me.”

Sara must have been devastated. She was someone who craved physical closeness, and Daniel was more than happy to accommodate her need. He tightened his arms around her. “I don't think I would have liked your husband.”

“He was a good man, Daniel, well respected by everyone both professionally and personally. He just couldn't handle that I was—”

“Warm, beautiful and
human.
He wanted a woman with a pedigree and a perfect past. In my opinion he got something better and didn't know what to do with it.”

“Don't.” Sara shook her head. Tears welled in her eyes. “Don't make me into something I'm not. Don't make
us
into something we're not. I'm the wild woman, and this is your crazy, passionate affair. Don't ever forget that.” She drew in a deep breath. “Ever.”

“I'm telling you, Carly, Daniel's acting strange.”

Sara heard Troy's voice which carried through the open door of Carly's office, and stopped midstride.

“He got in late one night, and when I ribbed him a little bit, he nearly smashed my vocal cords. I don't know what's going on, but it must be some pretty heavy-duty stuff for Daniel to lose it. Has Sara said anything to you?”

“It's not really our business,” Carly admonished Troy.

“Guess that means she hasn't.”

Sara's breath froze in her throat. Troy's words replayed through her mind—
Daniel's acting strange…he nearly smashed my vocal cords…heavy-duty stuff.
She felt a rush of panic. Ever since that night when Daniel had come over and they hadn't made love, a new intimacy had bloomed between them.

Amazing what exchanging a few little secrets could do. It had left her feeling naked, raw and completely open to Daniel. She'd wondered if he'd been similarly affected. Now she
knew
that Daniel was getting in deep enough that it affected his relationship with Troy. She felt a painful twist at the thought of causing a rift between him and any of his brothers. Sara was particularly sensitive to family strife, since she had no family.

Swallowing hard, she struggled with an overwhelming wave of confusion. Should she break off with Daniel? Her heart sank. Could she?

Troy started to say something, but Sara had heard enough. “Carly,” she called. “I've got a selection of menus from the new catering service.”

She walked through the doorway and immediately saw the guilt in their eyes.

“Hi, Troy. How are you?”

He shifted his glance from Carly to Sara. “Fine. And you?”

How polite, she thought, staring at him in surprise. How unlike Troy. “Fine,” she managed, handing the menus to Carly. Lord help her, she needed a clear head. She needed some perspective, and there was no way she was going to get it with Daniel coming over nearly every night. A glimmer of an idea came to mind. “I've been thinking about that extra week of vacation you offered me at Christmas. Would next week be okay?”

“Next week would be fine,” Carly said. “I was wondering if you'd actually take me up on it. It's hard enough getting you to take a day off, let alone an entire week.”

“Well, it might just be a long weekend,” Sara said, considering her options,

Carly's eyebrows rose. “Oh. Any ideas about where you'll go?”

“Nothing firm.” That was putting it mildly.

Troy jingled the change in his pocket and looked as if he were getting ready to say something.

Sara looked at him expectantly. Troy had one of those transparent faces that hid neither his thoughts nor his feelings. Right now he reeked with curiosity. “Yes?” she prompted.

He shrugged, jingled some more and put a forced-looking smile on his face. “Hope you have a good time.”

Unprepared for the bland remark, Sara took a moment before saying, “Thank you.” If there was one thing the Pendleton brothers knew how to do, she thought, it was to take her by surprise.

 

She decided against a warm-weather trip to the islands and selected a skiing resort in West Virginia. The exterior of the main building reminded her of a castle. The carpet was red, the service impeccable, and thank goodness there wasn't a snow bunny or ski stud in sight.

The bellman escorted her to her room, and after she sank down on the big bed with a white chenille bedspread, Sara breathed a deep sigh of relief. She appreciated the elegant but comfortable decor of the room with its reproduction furniture, tasteful pastel wallpaper and floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a snowy, mountainous view that would put any picture to shame.

The ambience totally relaxed her until she caught sight of the violets. Immediately rising from the bed, she crossed the room to the small desk and stared at the lovely arrangement. Tentatively she removed the card and read it.
Thinking of you, Daniel.

A rush of emotion shook her. She put the card to her lips. “Oh, Daniel,” she whispered, “what am I going to do with you?”

Sara remembered when he'd learned she was going away. He'd found the reservation confirmation on her kitchen counter one evening and asked how long she'd be gone. Fighting her awkwardness, she'd told him and he hadn't mentioned it again. He didn't ask if she was going alone. He didn't ask if she wanted him to come along. He didn't ask anything.

He was respecting her privacy, and she should feel pleased. But for some contrary reason that eluded her, she didn't. Suddenly the room felt too big. The bed was designed for two. The closet would easily hold both Daniel's clothes and hers. Even the bathtub would have accommodated his big body and her smaller one.

Swearing, she put down the card and decided to soak in that bathtub until she could model for a prune commercial. And she would enjoy every damn minute of it.

The following day she spent the morning on the slopes, indulged in an afternoon nap and took the late seating for dinner. She thanked the maître d' when he placed her near the crackling fireplace in the large dining room. After making her dinner selection, she kept the menu, which not only listed the food but also described the history of the resort. She was reading when the waiter brought a bottle of champagne to her table.

“I didn't order—”

The waiter smiled. “A gentleman sent it as a gift. He would like to join you for dinner.”

Feeling awkward, Sara lifted her shoulders. “I really hadn't planned…”

The waiter tilted his head in the direction of a small bar. “He's the tall one at the end.”

Sara looked up and met the violet-eyed gaze of the man she'd been trying to put into proper perspective. Her pulse kicked into overdrive.

Daniel's mouth slid into a cocky grin. There he sat emanating a confidence that bordered on arrogance, and Sara knew every other woman in the room was probably staring at him in fascination.

She pulled her gaze from Daniel's. “Please tell the—” she hesitated briefly, then continued “—gentleman that I don't dine with impudent men when I'm on vacation.”

The waiter nodded, then, looking warily at Daniel, headed toward the bar, the bottle of champagne in his hand.

Sara sipped her water and watched out of the corner of her eye as the waiter gave Daniel her message. Daniel didn't bat an eye. He just laughed out loud, walked straight to the other chair at her table and sat down.

“I could have you thrown out,” she told him. Her physical and emotional reactions to him were immediate. Her blood pumped through her veins, she felt a flush of heat burning her skin, an indescribable joy tighten within her, and she didn't like any of it one bit.

He motioned the waiter toward them. “Honey, if I get thrown out, you're coming with me.” Daniel instructed the waiter to open the champagne. He tasted it and nodded. “Good.”

Still looking uncertain, the waiter retreated.

“Didn't you say you had several things you needed to take care of this weekend?” Sara ventured. He wore a corduroy jacket over a sport shirt and casual slacks. His eyes glinted with cocky humor, and his hair was attractively mussed. Damn, he looked good.

“There's always something to do on a farm, Sara.” He snagged her hand and wrapped his around it. “Ever since I got involved with this wild woman, though, I've finally been doing some things I always wanted to do.”

He gave her a look that said he liked doing all those things with her. Sara's stomach danced at the sexual intent in his gaze. “Is that so?”

Daniel nodded. “It is. Do you know how long it's been since I took a real vacation?”

She shook her head. “How long?”

“Seven years. I've got three days and three nights to make up for all that time.”

“What possessed you to take one now?”

He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “You didn't really think I'd be able to stand the idea of staying in Beulah when the woman I want is all alone at a ski resort, did you?”

“It was only for four nights, and—” Sara glanced down at the table, then back at him “—I'm not the only woman in Beulah.”

“As far as I'm concerned, you are,” he said. Then he lifted her hand and pressed it to his mouth.

At that moment Sara lost any perspective she'd gained.

 

After finishing their meal they walked to the elevators. “My room's on the second floor,” Sara informed Daniel.

He pushed the up button. “Mine's on the third.”

Surprised, Sara swung her head around to look at him. “I thought you—”

“You thought I'd assume that I would stay in your room?” The doors opened, and he guided her into the elevator. He pushed the button for the third floor. “I may be pushy, but I don't make a lot of assumptions. It's your choice whether you sleep alone or not.”

Sara pondered that all the way to Daniel's room. Watching him curiously, she sensed his tension and wondered what had put him on edge. Overbearing yet caring, he was so complex that she hadn't quite figured him out yet. Whatever she did or didn't understand about him, Sara was certain of one thing: she would do whatever she could not to hurt him.

Seven years since he'd taken a vacation, she thought, shaking her head. He'd been too busy being what everyone else needed him to be, too busy taking care of everyone else's needs to take a well-earned break. Determination swelled inside her. If Daniel Pendleton wanted a vacation with her, then she'd damn well give him one he wouldn't forget.

She squeezed his arm as he unlocked the door to his room.

“It's a suite,” she said upon entering, impressed with the size. “And I thought my room was huge.” She skimmed her hand over the back of the sofa, then peeked into the bedroom. A wall of windows offered a breathtaking view of the mountain, and a gas fireplace was ready to be lit. “I've always had a weakness for fireplaces.” She stepped into the bathroom and made an “Oooh” sound of pleasure. “A Jacuzzi.”

Leaning against the doorway, Daniel relaxed slightly. He knew he'd taken a risk by showing up unannounced. His brothers had thought he'd gone completely nuts when he'd told them his plans yesterday. Halfway to West Virginia he'd started to agree. What if she'd already met somebody?

Pushing back his uncertainty, he strolled toward her and put his hands on her slim shoulders. “That tub's big enough for two.”

“Two? It's big enough for ten.”

He laughed. “I wasn't interested in having that big of a party.”

Sara became very still. “Were you planning a party?”

“If two people can have a party, yeah.” He squeezed her shoulders, then hooked his arms around her. When she rubbed her cheek against his arm, he felt some more of his tension ease. “I'm sending only one invitation. If I can't have a party with this person, then I won't have one at all.”

“Sounds like a very private party,” she murmured, turning in his arms to face him.

Daniel swallowed. “It will be. The invitation's very specific. I'll do my best to keep my guest happy, but I want her to stay all night.”

Sara's eyes grew dark. “All night?”

Holding his breath, he nodded. “I want to do something I've never done before.” He leaned forward and matched his forehead to hers. “I want to wake up in the morning with Sara Kingston in my arms.”

Sara closed her eyes. “Oh, Daniel.”

He swallowed a curse. “Oh, Daniel what?” he asked in a tight voice.

Sara bit her lip and shook her head.

Daniel's heart fell to his knees. He couldn't read her. Her face was saying yes, but she was shaking her head no.

“Yes,” she finally said, putting him out of his misery.

He blinked. “Yes?”

“Yes,” she repeated, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “But do I get the chocolate the maid left on your pillow?”

She could have asked for a lot more and Daniel would have given it to her.

He lit the fire and ordered another bottle of champagne from room service while Sara popped microwave popcorn. It was a crazy combination, but the night seemed to call for craziness. Twenty minutes of easy conversation, two glasses of bubbly, and Daniel watched Sara turn delightfully, deliriously tipsy.

Her fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt. “Do we dance or go swimming?”

“Swimming?” he asked, letting her fumble all she wanted. It was sheer pleasure to be the single object of Sara's attention.

“In the Jacuzzi.” She frowned in concentration and pushed his shirt from his shoulders. “I think dancing first, don't you?”

Actually the bed appealed to him. “How about—” he began, but she'd whirled away from him to fiddle with the radio. She found an easy-listening station and was humming along with a popular tune.

Her gaze fixed on his, she unbuttoned her silky blouse and let it slide from her shoulders to the floor. Her skin shimmered like satin in the firelight, and Daniel's attention was caught by the way her nipples nearly spilled from her sheer, low-cut, bra.

When Sara opened her arms, he went to her and brought her close to him. “I thought you wanted to dance,” he murmured, running his lips along her neck.

Sara shivered. “I do.”

He unfastened the clasp of her bra. “It's gonna be tough to concentrate on dancing when you don't have any clothes on the top half of your body. I'll be the first to admit I'm very—” he cupped her breasts and groaned “—distracted.”

Closing her eyes, Sara pushed herself into his hand, and he felt her nipples peak stiffly against his palms. “You think it's tough to concentrate now. Just wait until the rest of me is bare.”

“Ahh, Sara, I'm not sure this is gonna work.” He rubbed his aching masculinity against her belly.

“Sure it will,” she said breathlessly. “You said you wanted a private party with a wild woman, and that's what I'm going to give you.”