The Tawny Gold Man (12 page)

Although her voice was steady, Melly's eyes betrayed her unease.

"It's all right, Mel."

The change in him was almost unbelievable. Relaxed and easy, he laughed lazily, then drawled, "As a wedding gift to Anne, I'll let him live—this week."

The tension was broken. Melly's eyes laughed back at him.

"You're a devil, you know that?" she chided teasingly. "How dull my life would be without you." Her eyes lit with a mischief of their own. "Do you think you could stop playing El Macho long enough to give me some lunch?"

Jud threw back his head and laughed, the warm sound melting the ice Anne seemed to be enclosed in. Lunch was served and, although Troy and Todd remained resentfully quiet, Margaret finally gave in and joined the conversation to back up Jud's invitation to Melly to stay over for the ceremony.

"I wouldn't miss your wedding Jud—" Melly's eyes shifted to the twins "—any more than I'd miss Troy and Todd when they decide to take the plunge. Of course I'll have to call home but, as Frank's been doing so well, I'm sure it will be all right. Your Uncle Frank will be disappointed he can't be here as well."

The meal proceeded at a leisurely pace, Margaret, with Melly's prodding, getting into the swing of the sparse arrangements when she suggested, hopefully, that Anne and Jud wait, if only long enough for her to plan a proper, as she put it, wedding, but Jud shook his head uttering a decided "No."

Neck muscles tight with tension, pain beginning to throb at her temples, Anne thought the meal would never end. When finally they left the table, Anne sighed in relief and excused herself.

"I have a slight headache," she murmured when Jud asked quietly if something was wrong. "It must be the excitement."

Wanting to run, forcing herself to walk, she hurried up the stairs and into her room. She was standing at the window, staring at the black, angry-looking clouds, when the sound of her door being opened was muffled by a loud nerve-jarring crack of lightning that rent the sky directly overhead.

Anne gasped, startled by the sudden violence of nature.  She gasped again when large, masculine hands came down onto her shoulders.

"Getting cold feet, Anne?"

Jud's voice was low and, coming as it did with the sudden downpour of rain, Anne could not suppress a shudder or the tight note in her voice.

"No."

"Good, because I'm not about to let you back out."

His cool breath ruffled across the top of her head, his soft tone ruffled across her heart. Drawing a deep breath, steeling herself against the craziness of her body's response to his nearness, she replied steadily.

"The thought of backing out hadn't occurred to me."

"No?"

His fingers loosened and he moved closer until, his forearms resting lightly on her shoulders, his body was only a tingling whisper away from hers.

"Then why did you come tearing up here the minute lunch was over?"

"I really do have a headache, and I was upset." She hesitated, then added sadly, "I knew Todd and Troy wouldn't like the idea of us getting married, but I didn't expect—" She broke off, a sigh replacing the rest of the words.

His arms came toward her, crossed at the base of her neck, drawing her closer still to his body. Bending his head until it was lying beside hers, he said softly. "They'll get over it, Annie. You've all spoiled them, but I don't believe they're vindictive. They'll come around."

"I hope so, Jud." A small sob caught in her throat as she added, "It will all be so pointless if they don't."

At her words he went taut, his arms tightening their hold.

"Annie!"

At that moment another loud crack of lightning knifed the sky, followed by a window-rattling roll of thunder. Cringing back against him, she closed her eyes with a shudder. His teasing laughter tickled her earlobe.

"Surely you're not afraid of storms, little girl?"

"No, of course not." Her answer was quick and emphatic. "It was just so close, it startled me. And I wish you wouldn't call me little girl."

"Why not?" he murmured against her ear. "You are little and you sure as hell are a girl."

His hands moved caressingly over her shoulders, down her arms, causing a chill to feather her spine, fire to lick her blood.

"Soft too." His lips moved maddeningly down her neck, and she gasped when his tongue slid lightly along the curve of her shoulder. "Taste good, too. No doubt about it. You are definitely a girl."

The earlier unpleasantness, the tension, her headache, all combined with a sudden onslaught of desire that left her trembling and teary. Shaken by the depth of her own hunger for him, she went stiff.

"Jud, you must stop this."

"Why must I stop?"

His hand moved from her arm, fingers bringing devastation as they slid across her collarbone, down the V of her dress.

"I don't want to stop, Anne, I want you and I think you want me too."

His confidence, his obvious experience against her total inexperience, made her wary. And with her caution came the bitter thought
, He's getting everything he wants so easily that now he thinks he can have me easily as well.
 
The very idea that he could think of her as easy quenched the fire in her veins. Bringing her hands up to grasp his arms, she pulled them apart, stepped away from him.

"You're mistaken, Jud," she said flatly, then barbed coldly as he moved toward her. "You're using me to get what you want in the firm. I won't let you use me physically as well."

Incredulity, followed by blazing anger, narrowed his eyes. In an oddly strained hoarse tone, he growled, "Use you? That isn't what I would have said, but never mind."

He turned abruptly and walked to the door; then with his hand on the knob he turned back and said coldly, "Don't worry, Anne. I won't bother you with my attentions again. And I hope you freeze in your empty bed."

The soft click of the door closing behind him sent a shaft of pure misery through Anne. Anyone coming along the hall and hearing his last words may have looked out of the window and been puzzled, for it was June—stormy, warm, and sticky. But Anne knew what he meant and she was very much afraid that his hope would be realized.

The following week was full of uncertainty and unhappiness for Anne. At the breakfast table Monday, Jud stated calmly that Anne was not to go into the office that week. Anne and Jud were alone in the dining room, as Margaret and Melly were not yet up and Troy and Todd had already left the house, presumably choosing to go without breakfast rather than sit at the table with Jud and Anne.

"Not go in?" Anne felt the first strings of uncertainty. "But why?"

"Anne," Jud sighed patiently, "I told you I want to do this as fast as possible and one assumes that every woman has things to do the week before her wedding."

"But this isn’t a normal wedding," Anne insisted rashly. "And I'm not the usual blushing bride."

Jud's eyes and tone went hard. "I know that. But no one else does, do they? You agreed yesterday to play this to the hilt. Have you changed your mind since then?"

Her uncertainty deepened at the sharp edge to his voice and with surprise she realized he was very, very angry. But why? Did his anger stem from frustration at being rejected the night before? Not wanting to even think about that, Anne answered quickly.

"No, I haven't, but I don't see what that has to do with—"

Her words faltered when he pushed his chair back angrily and stood up. Looking down at her coldly, he seemed to tower over her and unconsciously Anne shrank back against her chair. His eyes and face mirrored his scorn and he grated, "Relax, I'm not going to touch you, and I have no time to stay here arguing with you, either. I have a lot to do this week if I'm going to be out of the office next week."

"Out of the office," she repeated in astonishment. But why?"

Apparently his patience had reached the end of its tether.

"If you can refrain from interrupting," he snapped, "I will explain why."

Speechless for the moment, Anne nodded mutely.

"I would like to have the ceremony Sunday." He paused, then added sarcastically, "If that meets with your approval?"

Again the mute nod.

"Very well. I would also like to leave for New York immediately after the ceremony, as I have several appointments there next week I can't miss. Are you with me so far?"

Uncertainty was being nudged aside by his condescending tone, and Anne hissed, "Yes."

"Good," he rapped back. "I want you to meet me for lunch at one at the Elegant Spoon. While we eat I'll outline the arrangements I've made to that point. All right?"

Anne nodded angrily.

"Okay. Now, if you'll excuse me," he jibed nastily, "I have work to do."

He strode from the room and Anne sat perfectly still for several minutes, her hands clenched into tight fists. Who in the hell did he think he was? she fumed. The memory of his cool voice taunted,
 
"The Boss."

* * * *

Her anger still a fierce glow inside, Anne met Jud at the restaurant. The anger was soon coupled with amazement as, forcing food down her throat, she heard him tick off the arrangements he'd made during the morning. Everything was taken care of, he told her smoothly, ignoring the warning flash in her eyes, from their stop directly after lunch at the license bureau, on through the name of the district justice who would perform the ceremony and the time of their flight to New York afterward.

Anne's mind latched onto the last of his plans.

"I'm to go with you to New York?"

Jud opened his mouth, then closed it again with a snap, glancing around the well-filled room as if suddenly aware of where he was. White lines of anger tinting his lips, he drew a long, deliberate breath through nostrils flaring in fury.

"Of course you're to go with me, you fool. By then you will be my wife."

Reaching across the table he grasped her hand painfully and, although his voice was low, none of its fierceness was lost.

"My God, woman, how would it look if I left you alone on our wedding night? Will you start thinking, please?"

His attitude toward her the rest of that afternoon was one of cool, withdrawn politeness. In growing wonder Anne observed the deference Jud was accorded wherever they went and the speed with which his smallest request was carried out. She had had no idea he had so many friends, and in such high places. It became increasingly obvious to her that as far as Jud was concerned, when he set a ball in motion, that object damned well better roll, and smoothly. For herself Anne was beginning to feel as if it were rolling over her, somewhat in the manner of an avalanche.

By the time Anne slid into bed that night, the bemusement and wonder that had kept her quiet and docile all afternoon began to burn off, leaving in its wake a residue of cold resentment.

Other than the actual day of their marriage, she had not been consulted at all about the other arrangements, she thought furiously. And if she was not to go to the office, exactly what was she to do with the rest of the week? Twiddle her thumbs like a good little girl?
 
Bump him,
 
she decided scathingly. She damned well would go to the office, and just let him try and send her home again. The decision made, Anne rolled over and went to sleep.

Her rest deep and undisturbed for once by nightmares, Anne woke refreshed and prepared to face any obstacle the day might bring, including Judson Cammeron.

In a mood of defiance she abstained from joining Jud at the breakfast table, waited at her bedroom window until she saw him back the Navigator out of the garage, then, avoiding her mother and Melly, slipped out of the house and drove to the mill—in her own car.

She had no sooner closed her bottom desk drawer when Jud's voice barked from the connecting room, "Anne, come in here."

Swallowing back the sudden brackish taste of fear that rose in her throat, Anne squared her shoulders, set her chin at an obstinate angle, and walked slowly into his office.

Leaning back lazily in his swivel chair, his hands toying with a pen, he looked deceptively relaxed and pleasant.

"I thought we'd agreed you would not come in this week." His voice matched his demeanor in deception.

"I don't remember agreeing to anything of the kind," she replied with forced mildness. "You said you have a lot to do this week; well, so have I. And it's not going to get done if I sit at home cooling my heels all week."

He moved forward with a snap and, casting aside all pretense, he let his annoyance show by flinging his pen onto the desk.

"Have you no sense of self-preservation at all? Why the hell do you even want to be here this week? Do you have masochistic tendencies?"

Taken aback by the force and harshness of his attack, Anne stepped back in alarm.

"I—I don't understand?"

"Don't you, really?" he sneered. "Tell me you haven't heard the rumors."

Jud stared at Anne intently a few seconds; then, apparently deciding she was truly ignorant as to what he was talking about, he walked around his desk to her. His face inches from hers, he raised his brows exaggeratedly.

"Where have you been the last few weeks, permanently out to lunch? How did you manage to miss the stupid female, and male, twitters emanating from the outer offices?"

His exasperation with her was a tangibly felt presence reaching out to figuratively shake her. Feeling stifled by that presence, she snapped, "Do you think you could leave off with the insults and tell me what these rumors were?"

"Of a very basic nature," he bit back. "Having to do with the convenience of us living in the same house, if you get my drift?"

Anne's eyes flew wide with shock.

"But that's ridiculous!"

"How well I know it," he drawled sarcastically. "But not unexpected from a certain type of malicious mind."

Stunned beyond speech, Anne just stared at him biting her lip savagely. He watched her, hard-faced, for some time; then, with a sigh that sounded like one of defeat, he said softly, "Anne, you know as well as I do that our sudden decision to marry will run like wildfire through this place. And that the general consensus will be that you are pregnant. By asking you to stay away this week I was simply trying to spare you the embarrassment of listening to their stupid gossip. Now, will you go home?"

"No."

Unable to withstand the renewed flare of anger in his eyes, Anne lowered her own, studying the carpet as if it were the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen.

"Dammit, Anne, why must you be so stubborn?" Grasping her arms, he gave her a little shake, jerking her head up in the process. Shrugging herself free of his hands, she moved away from him.

"Probably because I grew up surrounded by Cammerons,"

He rewarded her with a quick grin and made bold by his softened expression, she went on, "I'm not all that fragile, Jud. If I overhear the gossip, I'll dismiss it, as I've done with all the gossip I've heard here."

With a shrug that said "Do as you please," he gave in with a brusque, "Okay, if you're determined to stay, let's get to work."

Being in the office helped her get through the week, but even so, as Sunday loomed ever closer, her stomach proceeded to tie itself into tiny little knots.