Heart Of Gold (28 page)

“Despite
my cynicism, I think I've always known you were out there. I just didn't
recognize your face until you walked through my door.”

* * *

After
lunch, Nick was feeling very satisfied as they sat on her porch in the swinging
bench. He kept the to and fro rhythm up with his foot, pushing against the deck
with his heel. Carter was curled up in the seat, her knees tucked under her,
her head in the crook of his arm. Her eyes were closed.

Looking
up to the sky, he saw that the sun had begun its downward descent and he sorely

regretted
the day was coming to a close. Telling her he loved her had been much easier
than he could have imagined. The words just felt right and he was glad he'd
spoken them.

Though,
they weren't what he'd planned to say. Not even close.

He'd
meant to come clean about her father.

Carter
stirred in his arms, a smile spreading her lips as she looked up at him. He
reached down and stroked her cheek. There was an unmistakable glow in her eyes
and he felt himself harden.

She
uncoiled herself gracefully and then took his hand and led him upstairs to her
bedroom. As soon as they ascended to the pine-scented space, he took her in his
arms and kissed her while he undressed her. He took his time, savoring the feel
of her skin and the way she looked in all the light. When she was gloriously
naked, he tossed aside his own clothes and laid her down on her bed. Her smile
of anticipation took his breath away.

His hands
drifted across her breasts and stroked her flat stomach. As he kissed her and
swallowed her moans of pleasure, as he plied her moist secrets, he felt as
though she was really letting him in. Again and again, he pleasured her, driven
to make her feel the love he had for her so she would remember it always.

When he
entered her slowly, an aching tenderness in his heart, he watched as her head
arched back and her mouth parted. Her nails bit into his back and he threw
himself into her again and again, until they were wet with passion. When he
released, it was with a hoarse cry like nothing he had ever heard come out of
his mouth before.

They lay
together, still joined, for the longest time, until he felt a new wetness
against his neck and pulled back. Carter was crying, fat tears rolling out of
the corners of her eyes and strolling down her cheeks onto the white pillow.

He wiped
one of them away, concerned.

“Don't
mind my leaking,” she said in stilted tones.

“Did
I hurt you?”

She shook
her head. “I just never expected ... this. You.”

Nick
wiped away another tear and kissed her eyes. The tears came faster and he held
her close. Rolling them over, he rocked her side to side, stroking her back.

After her
crying eased, Carter pulled back from him. Her eyes glistened from her tears,
the blue in them as deep and dense as the midnight sky. She had an embarrassed
smile on her lips.

“I
must be a mess to look at.”

“You
couldn't be more beautiful,” he whispered.

Bringing
her to him, Nick kissed her long and slowly, tracing the edge of her lips with
his tongue. Her soft sigh of pleasure drifted up into the air.

“I'm
going to do my best not to ever hurt you,” he told her solemnly.

“God,
I hope so,” she murmured with a tremor of fear.

“Trust
me.”

“I'm
going to try.”

He pulled
her to him, kissing her with heartfelt intensity. When they took a breath, she
was smiling.

“So
tell me, Mr. Fancy Pants,” she said in a husky voice. “You ever been
in a cramped shower stall before?”

He
laughed softly. “Teach me, Master.”

After the
shower, which had much more to do with making love than it did with soap and
water, they closed up the house and headed back to the ferry. While they were
waiting to get on, Nick hopped out of the Jeep and returned with two ice cream
cones, which they ate while perched on the front bumper of her car. During the
trip across the lake, they sat on the upper deck, holding hands and watching
boats head home for the evening.

Just
before they returned to the car, she looked at him and said, “Thank you
for a wonderful day.”

“You'll
stay for dinner, won't you? I've got a dessert in mind I know you'll
like.”

Carter flushed.
“Does it come with whip cream?”

“Only
for you,” he said, leaning in and putting his lips against hers.

The bump
of the ferry coming into the dock separated them.

While
they were speeding over the mountain, Carter looked over at him. Her eyes were joyous,
full of a light that hit him square in the chest. “I'm sorry this day is
over.”

“We
should do it again.”

“Fall
in love?”

“No,
we've already done that. I was thinking about getting away.”

Carter
was beaming as she turned off the main road and onto his driveway.

“I
think we should go to Montreal for dinner,” he suggested. “We could
drive up to the Ritz—”

Nick
frowned as they rounded the final turn.

In front
of the mansion was a black stretch limousine.

“Expecting
company?” Carter said, coming to a halt behind it.

The front
door of the house was wide open and, as they got out of the car, they could
hear voices.

When Nick
saw Bob Packert's round face and stocky body emerge from the interior darkness,
his heart went cold.

When no
one followed the man out, Nick's hopes soared. Had Wessex stayed behind?

Then her
father walked into the sunshine.

Nick
turned in slow motion and saw Carter blanch, wobble in her boots, and reach out
a hand blindly. He took it, steadying her.

“Well,
how do you do, Nick Farrell?” Packert asked in his broad Texas accent.
“I guess you weren't expecting us all until tomorrow. You're gonna have to
forgive my jumping the gun, but the three of us have a lot to talk about. Best
to get started early, you know what I mean?”

Nick
didn't even acknowledge the man. He watched as Carter pulled away from him,
horrified.

“Why
is he here,” she said softly as she lurched backward.

“Carter—”

Packert
spoke up. “Wessex, is this your little girl, the one you were nattering on
about? Real nice of Farrell here to get the two of you together again. You owe
him one now, don't you?”

Carter
spun on Nick, her eyes widening with alarm. He reached out to her, taking her
arm.

“I
didn't mean for this to happen.”

She
pulled herself free from his grasp. Her head was shaking back and forth, her
face a tight mask of horror. “Don't touch me. Don't you ever come near me
again.”

She ran
off toward the mountain, leaving the doors of the Jeep wide open, the key in
the ignition, and her backpack on the seat.

Nick
swore, long and hard.

“Well,
that's a fine hello,” Packert commented.

Nick
wheeled on the man, about to vent his fury when Wessex, who was looking shaky
himself, stepped between the two.

“How
about a tour of the house?” the man offered the Texan.

“Mighty
fine idea.” Packert leaned in close to Wessex and said in a stage whisper,
“This man looks like he's got a burr in his shorts. Best give him a little
time to cool off.”

As
Packert ambled inside the house, Wessex hung back.

Nick
fixed the man with a deadly expression. “What the hell are you doing
here?”

“I
tried to call it off, I really did. But Packert was determined to come up here.
He called while he was in the air, heading to Albany. I had no notice. I was on
the phone all day trying to warn you but you were out.”

Nick's
eyes flashed up to the mountain.

“Occupy
that asshole,” he said tersely. “I'll be back.”

Carter
had no recollection of her trip up the mountain. One moment she was looking
into her father's eyes for the first time in two years and the next she was in
her tent, packing. Even though her mind had shut down, at least her hands
seemed to know what to do. They had pulled out a bag and started to stuff
clothes into it.

Progress
was slow, however on account of the great rolling sobs coming out of her.

Suddenly,
the tent flap was pulled aside.

“We
found another one!” Ellie announced.

Carter
hid her face from the girl and wiped her eyes. “Another what?”

“Skeleton!
Quick come see—What are you doing?”

Carter
searched for a convenient lie. Nothing came to mind. “I have to go.”

“Why?”

“I
just have to go.” Carter resumed the frantic packing, not noticing as
Ellie disappeared.

Minutes
later, she heard Buddy's gentle voice. “Carter?”

“Go
'way.”

“What's
going on?” He started to open the flap.

“Don't
come in,” she said in a choked rush. “I don't want you to see me like
this.”

His soft
laugh preceded him into the tent. "I've seen you after a week without a
shower. In the morning before you've had your coffee. And what about in that
god-awful Bo Peep costume last Halloween? Nothing's going to scare me.”

Carter
tried to keep up the pace by grabbing another bag to pack. It kept slipping out
of her hands.

“Talk
to me,” he begged. “Please.”

But she
just shook her head and began to disassemble her cot. Buddy stopped her by
putting his arm around her and sitting her down.

“Take
a deep breath and tell me what's wrong.”

“I
have to leave.” The words came out disjointed and roughly.

“Okay.
Why?”

“I—he's
here. He invited him, here. Purposely.” Desperation and hurt caused her
voice to waver.

“Who's
here?”

Carter
sagged against her friend's shoulder. “Oh God, Buddy, he used me. He knew
exactly what he was doing. The whole time we ...”

Stroking
her. hair and murmuring softly, Buddy let her ramble until she exhausted
herself.

When she
finally lifted her head, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said
patiently, “Who's here?”

“My
father.”

His eyes
widened. “Good Lord. Why?”

“Nick
invited him.”

Buddy
frowned. "Does Farrell know how it is between you two?”

“I
told him. He knew weeks ago.” She wiped her eyes. “What a fool I've
been.”

“You
aren't a fool.”

“What
else do you call someone who throws herself at a master 'manipulator? Brilliant
sure doesn't fit.” She got to her feet. “Nick engineered his visit.
On purpose. As a favor to my father.”

“You
don't know that.”

“Yes,
I do. I watched as he tossed Candace out like garbage. Why am I surprised to be
treated just as badly? He's a born liar and a knee-jerk opportunist.”

“Carter,
you're rambling. If you could just calm—”

“He's
got a hell of a track record with women. And I knew that going in. God, I can't
believe I let myself get involved with a man like that.”

“I
don't understand.” Buddy's eyes crinkled from thought. “What would he
get out of inviting Wessex up here?”

“My
father is a powerful man and would do anything to see me. He'd owe Nick a hell
of a favor for pulling off a stunt like this.” Carter started pacing.
“I just need to get out of here. I need to go. You finish the dig if you
want but I'm through.”

“Hold
on,” Buddy put out his palms in a show of caution. “Just slow down a
minute. Stop and think about what you're doing.”

“Believe
me, I am.”

“Carter,
I want you to do whatever you think is right, but your name's the one on the
grant. You walk and the dig is over.”

“So
go to Grace and replace me as the principal investigator, I don't care.”

“But
we can't leave the site unattended, even if it's just for a day so I can go
meet with the Hall Foundation board. Whoever made off with the log books could
pick the site clean, Ivan or no Ivan.”

“Christ,
Buddy, what do you want me to do?” She threw her hands up. “I don't
care if they take the whole mountain away in pieces. I can't stay here
and pretend everything is okay.”

“You
don't have to pretend.” His eyes were unwaveringly sympathetic but firm.
“I don't want to come across as insensitive but you should finish what you
started.”

“I
just can't,” she cried.

“Look,
it's only a couple more weeks. You think you're going to feel any better
prowling around your house? Stay up here and bury yourself in the work. I'll
take care of everything else. You won't have to leave the mountain until we
pack up and go.”

Carter
pictured her house, which had now been contaminated by memories of Nick. Her
porch where they had sat and talked about the renovations she'd done. Her bed,
where they had made love. Her shower, for God's sake. Suddenly, the idea of
going home and being alone with her memories seemed worse than staying at camp
with her friends.

Besides,
no matter where she went she knew there'd be no escaping from the hurt. She had
been betrayed by Nick, used as a pawn in the business world he dominated. No
change of zip code was going to make that go away.

She
struggled to hold on to her composure. “I don't know how to get through this.
Here or anywhere. God, I knew I should never have trusted him.”

Buddy
stood up and put his arm around her. “I'm on your side. Anything you want
or need, I'll make it happen.”

She
raised troubled eyes to him. “Can you make it all go away? Can you change
him into who I wanted him to be?”

He shook
his head sadly. “I wish I could.”

* * *

Nick was
striding across the lawn, with Carter's backpack and keys in his hand, when
Ivan stepped in his path.