Texas fury (72 page)

"I thought ... I thought you wouldn't be here," Riley said quietly. "Aunt Amelia ... I'd give anything if she .. . You know what I mean. ..."

"Don't kid yourself, Riley," Cary said. "Her spirit is here somewhere. Amelia never missed a family bash." He did something then that made the family draw in their breath in unison. "Hey, babe, this is the kid's moment, right?" The crystals in the light fixture overhead tinkled. "See? I told you." Cary laughed delightedly.

"Thad. . . ?" Billie whispered "Thad . . . ?"

"Shhhh, honey. Let's all believe what we want to believe."

Cole's voice rang in Riley's ears. "If I need an introduction, something's wrong. We've had our moments, some of them good and some not so good. You're one guy I want in my corner for all time. You had my life in your hands on more than one occasion. You're more than a cousin, Riley. You're the brother I never had." They met in the middle of the room, eyes level with one another, hands on each other's shoulders. East and West, joined together not for the first time and certainly not the last.

"Am I supposed to give a speech or something?" Riley asked of no one in particular.

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"Not yet, Riley. There's one more testimonial. Sit down next to your grandmother," Thad said gently.

The room grew quiet. Riley waited. Riley reached for his grandmother's hand when his grandfather's voice came gently over the sound system. "My heart is bursting with love as I prepare this message for you. I regret that it was not my own idea, but the idea of Billie and Thaddeus. Your American family's love only exceeds my own. In this world of turmoil that we all live in, a man has the inalienable right to seek happiness. For a short while I forgot... how do you say in America?.. .To practice what I have preached for so long. Forgive me, Riley. My love for you has no boundaries and no restrictions. Soon my spirit will soar, and always I will watch over you. You are blessed, my grandson. My last wish to you is to live, love, and above all, be happy."

There was silence in the room. Thad broke it when he said, "We must obey my old friend's order, his direct order! We have the love, we're living, and now we're going to be happy! I propose a toast to Riley, the head of Coleman Enterprises!"

"Hear! Hear!" Adam cried, jumping up. "Now you can make a speech, as long as it only takes one minute. You Cole-mans are so damn long-winded."

Riley stood up, his hand outstretched to accept the heavy ring of keys Sawyer was holding out to him. "There are no words to tell you how I feel right now, so I won't even try. I love all of you, and I'll do my best to run our company the way you want. If I come up short along the way, I hope you'll come down on me . . . but not too hard. I think my minute's up. Oh, I enjoyed the entertainment. Your day is coming soon, Sawyer!"

It was four o'clock when the party broke up. The Cole-mans went their separate ways once more.

"Cole, can I talk to you for a minute?" Riley asked.

"A minute, no more. I know what you're going to say, and Riley, it isn't necessary. You belong here. You are one of them now. Just like I'm one of your family. All we did was switch places. I know I have you to thank for all I have, and will have in the future. Listen, if you ever change—"

"Never!" Riley said softly. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I'll never regret it and I'll never change my mind. It's as you said, we changed lives. I'm so grateful to you for. . . for just being you. Go along, now, before Sumi sends out a squad to look for you. I'll see you in a day or so. I

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have... I have to go to the cherry blossom hill. See you around, old buddy."

"Any time. Take care, Riley, and be happy!"

Adam executed a wide, flourishing bow and almost tripped over his own feet as he held the door of the low-slung sports car. "Your servant, Mam."

"Mam?" Sawyer chuckled as she swung her legs over the seat the way she'd seen Princess Di do on television. She was still chuckling when Adam maneuvered his lanky body into the seat alongside her.

"Yes. Don't you Colemans call your mothers Mam? Hell, I know you aren't my mother, but you are going to be Jeff's new mother, so I kind of thought... what I mean is ... he has to call you something ..."

"I love it, Adam. Would you mind terribly if we just sat here for a minute?"

Adam's face registered panic. "Are you ... are you having second thoughts about giving all... all this up?"

Sawyer's touch was gentle on Adam's arm. "Not even a little bit. However, it was all a part of my life for so long, I do feel a little sad. My work at Coleman Aviation helped me through the roughest time of my life. It's Riley's baby now."

"Do you think you can adjust to living in New York?"

"The Big Apple! Lord, yes. I'm looking forward to being Jeff's mam and going to his school and picking out his clothes, like Grand did for me. I'm sorry he couldn't be here today."

"I'm grateful to you, Sawyer. For so long I thought you and I would never get together. I've loved you since I was a kid. You were always in my dreams. What do you see in me? I'm skinny, my ears are too big, my hair stands on end most of the time, I'm sloppy..."

Sawyer's face was serious, more serious than he'd ever seen it. "I don't see those things; I never did. What I see is a person who loves other people, and me and Jeff in particular. Looks, my darling," Sawyer said softly, "are in the eyes of the beholder, and I think you are the most beautiful person I've ever met. I'm just sorry we didn't get to this point sooner. I do love you, Adam, with all my heart."

Adam's voice was full of awe when he reached for Sawyer's hand. "And we never even had sex," he blurted.

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Sawyer threw back her head and laughed, a deep, throaty sound that sent shivers up Adam's arms. "There are a number of ways to rectify that. We can go back to Sunbridge, or we can drive to a motel, or we could decide to stay over for one extra day and go to the family's apartment upstairs. We could oil each other up and hop in the sunken Jacuzzi and do wild, wonderful things after which I will make you breakfast. It's a king-size bed. ... I know for a fact there are some silk sheets in the linen closet, and there are thick yellow blankets that are warm and fuzzy and sort of cling to one's oiled body. The towels have satin borders and drink up moisture. I have a stash of the sweetest-smelling perfume ... guaranteed to drive men over the brink. It's your ball, Jarvis."

"Jesus! I thought Cole lived there.... He's so... Spartan

"Bullshit! My brother is probably the most romantic man, next to you, that I know. Who do you think bought all that stuff? He said the oil is scented with honeysuckle."

Adam ground the gears of the car. "Show me the way home, honey!"

"Just follow the yellow brick road, right back to the parking garage." She leered at Adam, who leered back.

Sawyer threw her overnight bag on a wide sofa. She tossed her light coat after it. Her shoes sailed across the room. The overnight bag zipped open, the sound loud in the quiet room. She marched across the room to the stereo unit. It took her all of three seconds to make her selection. Soft, romantic music filled the air. She backed away slowly, beckoning Adam with her finger. Mesmerized, Adam followed her to the bathroom. Never taking her eyes off him, Sawyer bent over to turn on the tap. She pointed to the vanity. "The oil is in there."

"In there, uh huh. Right. I'll ... get it." But he didn't move. Suddenly Sawyer was like a whirling dervish, her eyes dancing wickedly as she ripped off her clothes. Seconds later she stood before him, warm and satiny, her face alive and beautiful with anticipation. "Need some help?" She grinned.

"Hell no! Yes . .. maybe .. . Get the goddamn oil!" Sawyer danced over to the vanity and withdrew a bottle of oil. She held it aloft, her eyes twinkling. She watched in delight as Adam stripped off his clothes. His mouth dropped open when Sawyer poured lavishly into the palm of her hand. She rubbed both her hands together till the oil was warm. Slowly she started to rub it on Adam's shoulders, back, and arms. Her

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gaze was sleepy and warm as she moved downward. Adam's gasp made her draw in her breath. Her touch became gentle and sensuous as she worked magic with her fingertips. Adam groaned when she poured the sweet-scented oil into his hands. His hands trembled, then steadied, as he stroked Sawyer's satiny body. His eyes searched hers to see if he was pleasing her with his gentle touches.

"Enough," she whispered. "Playtime!" He lifted her slippery body into the tub and then jumped in beside her. All twelve jets surged to life. For an hour they frolicked, they splashed, they kissed, they touched, and they explored each other's bodies in the warm, swirling wetness.

"Bubbles! We need bubbles!" Adam cried.

"You want bubbles, I'll give you bubbles!" Sawyer laughed as she upended a decanter of bubble bath. Instant bubbles of every size spiraled upward and over the edge of the tub.

"You put too much in," Adam laughed excitedly.

"I know. I always wanted to do that! Where are you, Adam?"

"Here! You better shut this thing off or these damn bubbles are going to go all over the apartment."

"I can't find the knob! Adam, I can't find it! We've been moving around so much, I don't know which side I'm on. I can't see anything," Sawyer gurgled.

"Find the edge of the tub and crawl out!" Adam shouted.

"I'm out, but I can't see anything."

"I can't either. Get down on the floor and crawl to the door. Try and find the door!"

Five minutes later they were both in the master bedroom. Both of them were covered from head to toe with bubbles. "It's like a damn monster; they're coming out here!"

Sawyer couldn't stop laughing. "Shut the door! Shut the door! There's a switch out here to turn it off. Safety reasons or something."

"Or something," Adam groaned. "I'll say one thing for you, Sawyer; you do know how to seduce a guy!"

"Oh yeah? Well, you ain't seen nothing yet! C'mere," she whispered huskily. "See that bed over there? That's where I want to be."

"Me, too. I feel like I've been caught in an oil slick," Adam laughed.

"Oh shit, I forgot the silk sheets," Sawyer grumbled.

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"I don't need silk sheets. Do you need silk sheets?" He reached for her, drawing her close.

Sawyer's heart was tripping beneath her breast. Every sense was tuned to Adam, to his every touch and action. Some of her girlhood passion and excitement was stirring, blending with the patience and maturity of a woman. When he moved closer, she melted into his embrace, holding him close, the full length of her body pressed against him, her lips finding the hollow at his neck and nuzzling in the crisp hairs of his chest. She reveled in the scent of him, clean and faintly soapy, but she was sharply aware of the deeper male scent beneath. His hands were in her hair, stroking. His lips were tracing little concentric circles near her temples. It felt so good to be held this way, close against him, almost a part of him. And his tenderness was unhurried. He would woo her, court her, and only when she wished it would he take her. He was kissing her sweetly, gently, the way she wanted to be kissed. He was her master, her teacher and guide, and his only concern was for her pleasure. He was touching her gently, as though she were a delicate flower that would bruise and wither with an indiscriminate touch.

The kisses that he was tracing along her neck sent delicious little quivers down her spine. The hunger in his voice when she touched the tip of her tongue to the base of his throat echoed within her. Expectation plucked at her nerve endings and heated her blood.

As her hands caressed the smooth of his back, those muscles and planes became familiar and intriguing. Her pelvis undulated in a dance, pressing against his stomach and loins with a hungry need of its own. Although the room was dimmed, curtained and shaded against the night, her mind's eye saw him clearly, knowing his body. This was Adam, her soon-to-be husband, the man who would share all of her tomorrows.

His possession of her was tender, sweet and unhurried. A new beginning. Sawyer felt her tenseness melt away, leaving her clean and pink and fresh. She turned her face into the palm of his hand, breathing the scent of herself mingled with his own, feeling the tips of his fingers softly touch her lips.

"My own sweet Sawyer," he whispered, pulling her downward to meet his kiss. It was then, when she felt the moistness on her cheeks, that she realized she was crying. Her tears mingled with his, and the hungry fulfillment of their bodies was secondary to the needs of their hearts. Overwhelming emotions engulfed her, drawing her body closer to his in an

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effort to touch his soul. Was it to be? Was she at last a part of Adam? Yes, her heart cried joyfully.

She heard her name upon his lips, saw the expression of love in his eyes. Her inner being reached out with long, tender fingers, groping through years of denial and darkness to find him. Her soul seemed to feel him close, so close, closer than a breath away. She lay weeping in his arms, joyful tears of love. As Sawyer drifted off to sleep in Adam's arms, she murmured, "We have all our tomorrows ahead of us."

"Hmmmn," Adam agreed.

{{{HUH CHAPTER })}}})}}} TWENTY-SEVEN ,nnnn

Cary Assante took a last look around the apartment. Every-thing was packed, the furniture covered. Maybe someday he'd sublet it, but for now he didn't even want to think that far ahead. He would dive into work. He'd get the refinery operational and move on to his memorial to Amelia, a lifetime of work. His work—to plan and build a perpetual tribute to his wife. A house had been rented, not far from Maggie and Rand's. Maggie promised a housekeeper when he arrived.

The only thing he had to do was lock the door and call Billie from the airport.

Outside in the brisk air Cary noticed for the first time that the trees were dressed for autumn, Amelia's favorite time of the year. He was leaving autumn behind him now but he'd be back for the next one. Warm trade winds, blue skies, and warm water would be the call of the day this year.