Temptation Island (32 page)

Answers eluded him.  None would be found tonight. 

Carm waited silently for his reaction, a look of defiance and challenge on her face.  Marek knew she was ready for battle.  The woman didn’t expect him to take the news easily.  She had a backbone of steel and determination. Man he loved that about her.

Most any other time he would have loved to goad her, but with her love openly acknowledged and resting warm in his heart he needed time to think. 

Carm squared her shoulders and prepared to speak.  To cut her off Marek stepped forward and ran his hands over her satiny hair and looked in her blue eyes bright with emotion.  “I know you are, Carm.  I knew it the first time you slept with me.  Now go upstairs and get some sleep.”  Then he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

He felt her jerk like he’d slapped her and went rigid in his arms.  That backbone of hers had just snapped tightly in place.  Hiding a grin Marek stepped back and admired the fire that leapt in her eyes.  Oh, she was a joy to watch.  No wonder he was in love with her.

“Is that it?  Is that all you’re going to say?  I tell you I’m in love with you and you tell me to get some sleep?”  Carm glared at him and started to brush by.  “You’re an asshole, Marek.”

That’s my girl.  Damn, but I love you.
To give her something to stew over Marek flashed her a wicked grin as she stomped by and reached out a hand.  Giving her butt a nice pat Marek drawled, “I try, sugar.  I really try.”  When she slapped his hand away and offered a crude suggestion laughter escaped and echoed off the walls. 

His laughter followed her curses all the way upstairs.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Carm was still steaming when she went downstairs the following morning.  How dare he pat her on the butt and send her to bed like a child?  It’s not like she told him she was in love with him or anything. 

She pushed her way through the French doors into the kitchen, her mind still replaying the scene from last night, and came to an abrupt halt.  Marek stood at the counter with his back to her gazing out the kitchen window.  Carm’s heart slammed brutally in her chest at the sight of him.

Ok, so he did come to my room late last night to make up.  But I’m still pissed.  Damn it, there ought to be a law against a man looking that good.
Carm’s eyes traveled down his body, taking in his khaki linen button-up shirt and cream lightweight trousers.  He’d rolled the hem of his trousers again, revealing the sleek length of his tan calves and bare feet. 

Carm was suddenly very aware that she wore nothing more than one of his old t-shirts.  Very conducive clothing to hopping up on the counter and having her way with him.

Shaking off the thought—she was still made, after all, and a girl had to have some discipline—Carm raked her hands through her tossled hair and cleared her throat.  The tile floor was a cool relief for her feet as she stepped into the sun lit kitchen. 

Marek whipped his head around and locked eyes with her.  For a tense moment his eyes held hers, intense and unwavering.  Carm could feel her blood pressure hike dangerously at the way he stared at her.  Made her skin prickle with awareness as well.

Then the moment was lost and Marek tilted his mouth in a relaxed smile.  “Sleep well, Carm?”

She cleared her throat again.  Oddly it felt a bit parched.  “Um, yes I did.”

The smile finally reached his eyes, lighting the clear green.  “Good.  When I came to your room last night you were a little unsettled, so I climbed in next to you and you seemed to calm right down.”

She had been tossing and turning, her mind too restless for her to fall into a deep sleep.  But as soon as his large warm body had settled in next to her and his strong arms wrapped around her, she’d fallen asleep like a baby. 

By the look on Marek’s face he was feeling rather smug about that fact this morning.  His smirk stirred the embers of her anger, propelling her to goad him.  “Yeah, well, women tend to like to sleep with the men they’re in love with.  Tends to put us right out.  How’d you sleep last night, Marek?”

Carm issued the challenge as she walked to the coffee pot and reached for a cup hanging on the sturdy mug tree next to it.  She squeezed the oversized mug with palm trees on it and pretended it was his stubborn head.  There was some satifisfaction in that, small as it was.

Marek reached out a hand and brushed it over her tangled hair in a slow caress.  His voice was low and soft when he replied, “With you in my arms I slept better than I have in ages,
cheri
.”  He dropped his hand and his voice changed to casual and breezy.  “Do you like teaching, Carm?  Is it something you would do even if you had money to do otherwise?”

What an odd question.  What is he searching for? 
Carm glanced up from adding cream and sugar and nodded.  “Of course.  I love teaching children.  Why do you ask?”

Marek shrugged his shoulder and asked, “What would it take to get certified if you wanted to teach in another country?”

Ah-ha!  I know what game you’re playing at.  You can’t fool me, bucko.  Just admit you love me and want me to stay here, you stubborn buffoon.
Carm pretended to contemplate the question as she took a sip of her coffee.  “I’m not sure.  I’ve never really given it much thought.  I’m sure it wouldn’t be overly difficult.”

She watched Marek rub a hand over his chin in thought.  Holding back a grin Carm added, “But, I’d really like to stay home when I have children.  Maybe I’ll pursue something different then and go back to teaching when they reach school age.”

Oh, she could see the wheels turning in his head at that.  Smoke practically billowed out of his ears. Marek’s amazing eyes flashed with some unknown emotion when he asked, “You want children,
oui? 
How many?”

He didn’t look entirely comfortable with the conversation and Carm bit the inside of her lip to keep from laughing.  She should say something like eight children and see how he reacts to that.  “Oh, I don’t know.  Six or so?  The more the merrier in my opinion.”  She deadpanned.

When he blanched at her comment she couldn’t hold the laughter inside any more.  It burst out of her and filled the room.  Marek realized she was joking and glared at her even as his lips twitched.

Gaining control over her giggles Carm held a hand to her chest and said between gulps of air, “I’m kidding.  You should have seen the look on your face, Marek.  I thought you were going to be sick.”

Marek took her coffee cup from her hand and placed it on the counter behind her and stepped in front of her, effectively pinning her in.  He settled both his hands on each side of her and leaned forward until they were a few inches apart.  “It’s not nice to tease a man about a thing like that, sugar.  Could give him a heart attack.  You’re supposed to say only one or two.  We can handle that.”  He placed a soft kiss on her jaw and murmured, “Do you realize if we had children they’d be of mixed heritage,
cheri
?  Have you thought about how you’d feel about that?”

Memory of last night’s conversation flashed through her mind and the pain in Marek’s expression when he’d talked of his father’s digust because of his mixed race.  Outrage and insult tried to grab hold but fell flat before it had a finger-hold.  She understood why he asked such an insulting question.  He wanted to be reassured they would be loved and accepted, like he never was.

Because she knew it was a delicate rope she walked Carm kept her tone light but filled with conviction when she responded.  “I don’t need to think about that, Marek.  They’re my children.  I would love them with everything I have in me and nothing less.  The rest doesn’t matter.  I love you and I would love the children you made every bit as much because they are part of you.  And you know, we would make beautiful babies.”

Marek had stilled his kisses along her jaw when she’d replied and continued to look deep in her eyes, his expression unreadable.  Suddenly they softened and his lips relaxed in a half-smile.  He leaned forward and placed a warm kiss on her forehead, then on the tip of her nose.  “We would make beautiful babies, sugar.”  Pushing with his arms Marek stepped back and put some space between them.  “Until then I have to go down to the station to report the vandalism to my jeep.  There’s also that issue Landon and I need to discuss with the detectives.”

Carm placed her hands on the counter edge where his had been.  Soothed by the warmth she found lingering there Carm took a deep breath and said on the exhale, “Marek, we need to talk about us.  What you want.  What I want.  Kate is going to send me my birth certificate as soon as I call her this morning, then I’ll be free to leave.  And I can’t stay here.  Kate needs me there when she gives birth.”

Marek didn’t like the idea of her going anywhere.  Just her mention of it brought out the fight in him.  It made him want to tear up her birth certificate when it arrived.

But, her sister needed her.  That was fact.  He understood how important family was.  If she says she has to go, well, she has to go. 

But, she was damned well coming right back.

Marek knew she was waiting for a response.  At the moment he didn’t have on. 
Merde,
he still had so much to work out in his mind and she’s talking about leaving. 
Cut a guy some slack, sweetheart. 

His attention was drawn toward the doors leading to the pation when Sunny appeared.  A snort escaped him after seeing what she held in her mouth.  The orange tabby yowled around her treasure and pawed at the glass. 

Marek planned to ignore her and finish the discussion with Carm, but part of him was most definitely relieved at the interruption.  It gave him a moment to collect his thoughts.

Until Carm screamed. 

“What, what’s wrong?”  Marek straightened from the doorframe leading to the living room and strode over to her.  With his heart in his throat he examined her for any bodily injury, any burns.

She pushed his probing hands away and covered her mouth with her own.  With the other hand she pointed toward the patio, her big blue eyes bright with emotion.  From behind her hand she squeaked, “Look!  Your cat, Marek.  Oh, shit.  Look what she has in her mouth.”  Carm flinched and avoided her gaze.  Staring up at Marek she demanded, “Go get it.  Get it and see if it’s still alive.  You can’t let her have it.”

Marek looked from Carm’s highly agitated face to what Sunny held proudly in her teeth.  The woman was squeamish and too damned soft for her own good.  Damned if it didn’t warm his heart. 

Placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder Marek swallowed a grin and said, “Carm, it’s just a little bird.  Sunny catches them all time.  I’ve been told cats tend to like to do that upon occasion.  Something about it being their natural food source and all.”

Carm slapped his hand away and snapped, “I don’t give a tinker’s damn about any of that.  I want you to save the poor thing.”  Then she turned those gorgous blue eyes on him and added, “Please.”

He figured it probably wouldn’t be good to mention that the bird was probably already dead.  She might get a tad upset over that, considering she was hopping from foot to foot and wringing her hands together right now.  The vulnerable look on her face kept that comment unspoken.

Hell, if he got to be the hero, why not?  Marek quickly strode across the terra cotta tiles and placed his hand on the doorknob.  Turning it the door swung silently open and Sunny yowled and tried to bring her prize inside.

Another squeal sounded behind him and a terse, “Don’t you dare let her inside with that!  Get it from her Marek before she kills it. Ewww, oh, ewww.  That’s so gross.”

Oui
, wouldn’t help the situation to tell her the limp bird was already dead.  Blocking the cat’s passageway Marek glanced over his shoulder and grinned at the sight of competent, assured Carmen Hogue dancing around and screeching like a little girl.  Now she was shaking her hands at her side while she hopped around on her bare feet.  It was quite a sight to see with her messy hair and his big t-shirt riding high on her thighs.

Sunny growled and tried to wiggle past him into the kitchen.  A chuckle escaped him when Carm flinched and closed her eyes.   “Look, Carm.  She’s trying to bring me a present.  She’s letting me know she loves me.”

“Yeah, well, she can tell you that with a nice thank you card.  Get that thing out of here.”  She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

He figured he’d tormented her enough and kneeled down.  Wedging his leg in the door, Marek turned sideways and reached an arm out through the narrow opening.  The early morning scent of dew covered flowers wafted up to greet him.  This was his favorite time of day, when the sun was barely over the horizon and the freshness of morning still clung on the air.

A shrill yowl caught his attention and Marek glanced down as Sunny backed away from the door.  In the past he’d made the mistake of opening the door fully.  The cat had pranced right on in, her catch in her mouth.  He’d since learned not too.