A New Day (43 page)

     “
I want you." he whispered against her mouth.  “So much.  Honey.”

    
Tasha felt a tiny groan escape her lips as his mouth burned along her throat.  This was getting out of control quickly.  She was on fire in places she’d forgotten even existed.

     “
Tim.” she objected breathlessly.

     “
Hmm.”  he answered absently.  His hands on her waist were pressing her against his hard, sexy body.  His lips were setting fires along her throat.

     “
Please, stop.”  she gasped.

    
He sighed.  “Tell me you’ll marry me.” he challenged softly.  His eyes were soft with love and entreaty.

     “
I … can’t do that.”  she hissed.

     “
Why not?” he asked evenly.

     “
Because … I really don’t want to … get married.”

     “
That is a lie.”  he accused.

     “
No, it’s not!”  she huffed.

     “
It is, now.”  he argued.  “It may have been the truth a couple of days ago, but things have changed.”

     “
Not that much.”  she denied quickly.

    
He looked down at her with patient amusement.  “Say yes, Tasha, and let me put us out of our misery.”  he pleaded.  “Things don’t have to change so much.”  he promised.  “I’ll even be gone for awhile.  You’ll have time to get used to it all.”

    
She rolled her eyes.  “No.  I’m sorry.”  she said woodenly.

     “
So what are we going to do, then?”  he asked pointedly.  “This fire is not going to burn out.”

    
Tasha turned cool eyes up to him.  “What fire?”

    
It was Tim’s turn to roll his eyes.  “Don’t do that.”  he warned flatly.

     “
Do what?”

     “
Pretend.  I know better, Tasha.  What are you trying to do to me?”

     “
I’m trying to get you over your silly ideas about me.”  she answered steadily.

     “
Right.  Then why did you come here tonight?”

     “
Because I promised that I would attend the conference.  Remember?” 

    
He smiled tightly.  “Yeah.  I remember.”  he acknowledged.  “And I suppose you dress like this when you go to the grocery store, too.”

    
She gave him a hard glare.  “Sometimes.  I wouldn't hesitate to wear this anywhere.  Is it wrong to look nice?” she asked coldly.

    
He sighed.  “No.  God forbid that I should criticize you for that.  You’re breathtaking, you know.”  he said quietly.

    
She blushed.  He always managed to turn the tables on her.

    
Then, he was kissing her again, and Tasha knew for the first time that her heart was honestly in very deep waters.  This man was going to win, if she didn’t watch herself.  He wanted her, and he was coming after her, no holds barred.

     “
Tim.  Timothy,”  she objected gently.  “Listen.  Why don’t you … why don’t we just give this a little time?”  she pleaded.  “I’ll … I’ll need some time.”

    
He laughed at her, and it wasn’t nice.  “Quit thinking, and take the risk.”  he argued.

     “
No.  No, not about this.”  she denied.

    
Tim backed off.  She was ready to panic, and he knew he didn’t want that to happen.  If she cracked now, she’d run.  He gathered his patience, and took a deep breath.  “Okay.”  he agreed reluctantly.

     
He kissed her one last time, and lingered over her mouth with a hunger that wasn’t easily harnessed.  Then, he folded her in his arms and hugged her to him with a passion that sent fear to the depths of her heart.  This was real. 
He
was real.

    
Tasha was trembling from her soul outward, when he let her go.  She was shaken to the core, and there was nothing she could do to hide it from him.

    
Timothy watched her with a mixture of satisfaction and curiosity as she nervously tried to brush a few strands of hair away from her face.

     “
Want to ski tomorrow?” he asked lightly.

     “
Um.  No.  No, I have things to do.”  she answered uneasily.

    
Tim grinned.  “Okay.  I’ll see you tomorrow night, then.”  he agreed.  “Let me know if you have time for dinner.”

     “
Oh.  No.  No, I don’t think I will.”  she answered quickly.

    
Tim closed his eyes, and took another deep breath.  Then he just watched her, with a predatory smile and a twinkle in his eye.  “Don’t run too far.  Tomorrow night is the last night of the conference.  Then your promise will be fulfilled, and I’ll be getting on a plane.” 

    
She smiled nervously, and nodded. 

    
Timothy caressed her chin carelessly, and smiled.  “Then get in your car and make tracks for home, before I do something you might regret.”  he suggested.

    
Tasha obeyed.  Funny that she kept looking at his retreating figure in the rear view mirror.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

    
Tasha did not sleep well that night.  Too much had happened with Timothy; there was too much to handle, all at once.  She kept re-playing the evening in her mind, and all of the prior events in their relationship. 

    
She came to the conclusion that if God was truly in this, she would never escape.  Timothy would surely win.

    
And, it certainly looked as though he was headed for the victory.  She had never turned on the charm with any man that way, before.  Not since she’d first tried to snare Gary. 

    
It hadn’t worked with Gary, and it didn’t appear to be going the way she wanted it to with Tim, either.  Although Timothy was taking the bait she’d offered, he was still clearly in control. 

    
It was she who was sweating.  She who was trembling.  She who was on the point of breaking. 

    
Tim was not begging.  Tim was not breaking.  Tim was in control, and that was completely unacceptable to her.  She felt incredibly threatened, and vulnerable. 

    
She couldn’t stop feeling his lips on her throat, the hair of his mustache grazing her lips as he came near, to kiss her.  She was in torment.  The man was driving her wild.  And she didn’t want him to!  She couldn’t afford to let him.  It was that simple.

    
She finally got to sleep around five, and managed to stay in bed until about eleven.  She got up feeling wretched and nervous, and decidedly jumpy.  She took a long, hot bath but that didn’t help, either.

    
As she lay in the tub and looked down at her beautiful body, she could picture in her mind Tim walking through the bathroom door.  She could see his face as he would look, feasting his eyes for the first time on her breasts, the length of her legs.  Naked for him.

    
She closed her eyes.  There was nothing to be gained by letting her imagination run there.  It was frightening to realize that she could actually fantasize about having Timothy see her that way.

     “
No.”  she denied, shaking her head vehemently.  “No way.  I’m not getting married again.  I couldn’t possibly.”

    
Still, she was shaken by her intimate vision of him, standing in her bathroom doorway, his eyes blazing with passion as he devoured her loveliness.  She could almost imagine that he’d really been there, looking at her.

    
But, that was silly.  He had not been there, he’d not seen her.  He wouldn’t have looked if he had been there.  It wasn’t Timothy’s way.  When she was his wife, he’d look.  Not before.

    
She paled as she realized what she’d just thought …
when
she was his wife?  When she was his wife!

    
Tasha sucked in a panicked breath, and looked wildly around her.  Dear God!  She cast her eyes up to heaven and shook her head. 

     “
No, Lord.  Please.”  she begged.  “I’m happy.  I’m fine.  I don’t need a man.  I don’t even want a husband.  I’ve got everything.  Please don’t mess up my perfect life.  Please?”

    
There was nothing but silence.  It was the first prayer she’d uttered since the day Gary died.  And today, God was silent.

     It was only her promise to go, that made Tasha dress for the final night of the conference.  She would have given anything to stay away, but she couldn’t.  She was compelled, despite her fervent wish to be released from the promise.  God was still silent.

    
She fretted over what to wear.  She could never dress as she had the night before.  That had been a nearly fatal mistake.  Tim was stronger than she was.  Tim had the upper hand.  He had not been the foolish puppy she’d thought she could make him be.  And she should have known it would be so.  She was the fool.

    
She bit her long, beautiful nails as she perused her closet.  What to wear?  What to do?  How to control the situation? 

    
She realized that she didn’t want to disillusion Tim.  She cared about him.  That was dangerous – Very dangerous, but she couldn’t help it.  It was far too late for that.

Timothy’s phone rang at four o’clock that afternoon.  He was just coming in the door from a day of hard skiing.  “Hello.”  he answered it tersely.

     There was a short silence; then a tentative, feminine voice ventured, “Tim?”

    
Timothy’s blood raced as he recognized Tasha's voice.  His heart pounded with excitement.  “Hey.”  he said, in a much more friendly voice. 

     “
Hey.”  she answered shyly.  “I um … I wondered if you still want to have dinner tonight?”

    
Tim’s eyebrows went up sharply.  “Sure.”  he answered, masking the shock he was feeling.  This was the last thing he’d expected.  But it was certainly not unwelcome.

     “
Are you sure?”  she asked.  “You seem a little preoccupied, or something.”

     “
No.  No, not at all.  I was just coming in, that’s all.  I skied hard all day.  Still catching my breath.”

     “
Oh.  Well, where shall we eat?  At the Cedars?” she asked uncertainly.

     “
Sure.”  Tim agreed.  “Unless there’s something as good nearby.”

     “
Oh, there are a few places.”  Tasha said quickly.  “There’s a really nice steak and ale house.  They have good seafood, too.”

     “
Sounds fine.”  Tim agreed.  “Where shall I meet you?”

     “
How about at the restaurant, in an hour?”

     “
Okay.  How do I find it?”

     “
Well, look out your window.”  Tasha instructed.

    
Tim obeyed, and she went on.  “See the keg in red neon lights across the parking lot?”

     “
Yes.” 

     “
That’s the place.  It’s called Caesar’s.” 

     “
Okay.  At five.” he confirmed.

     “
Great.”  she said hesitantly.  “I’ll see you there.”

    
Tim hung up with a puzzled look on his face.  This almost seemed too unlikely to be real.  Then, he chided himself.  Where was his faith?  Why hadn’t he expected God to turn her heart so quickly?  Hadn’t he asked for it?  Hadn’t he proclaimed in his prayers that it would be so?

    
He shook his head, and laughed at himself.  This was a step in the right direction, but he had an immediate sense that the battle was not won yet.  Not by a long shot.

    
Tim waited for Tasha outside the restaurant, in the clear, cold sunshine.  It was a wonderful afternoon, and he loved the fresh, mountain air that was so crisp that time of day.  Evening was just falling, and the sky was turning a deep, rich color like star sapphire.  In fact, the stars were just beginning to appear, as he looked up. 

    
The snow cats were heading up the slopes to groom the hills, their loud engines echoing off the hills all around him.  He smiled and leaned back against the rustic, wooden porch pillar behind him, and sighed.  What would this last night bring?  What on earth would it bring?