A Woman's Touch (22 page)

It slowly dawned on Kyle that the situation was out of control. She was going to tease him and bait him and torment him for God only knows how long before she came back to him. Rebecca Wade was running amok with power.

He took one long step forward and snatched the clipboard out of her fingers. „No, you don’t, Becky,“ he said bluntly. „This has gone far enough. I love you, and from all indications you love me. That settles it. We’ll get married as soon as we can get a license. I’m not going to let you put me through another set of hoops, lady. You’ve connived, manipulated and otherwise created enough havoc in my life. Be satisfied with your vengeance and let’s call off the war.“

She reached for her clipboard. „I want a courtship, Kyle. Hearts and flowers. Big wedding. The works. I’m not going to move in with you until I get it.“

„Becky, why?“ he raged helplessly. „It’s a stupid waste of time.“

„I don’t see it that way,“ she said softly. „It has become painfully apparent that the Stockbridge men need a bit of polishing.“

„And you’re willing to do the polishing?“

„It’s the least I can do for the man I love.“

Rebecca determined that Kyle would never know just how badly she had been shaking when she left his office that morning. She’d held her breath, but during the days that followed, it became clear that her gamble had paid off.

Kyle loved her, and he was willing to prove it with a courtship. Her office and hotel room were filled with flowers.

She was taken dining and dancing every night of the week. The dinners were candlelit and the dancing was intimate.

But the best part was that most of the shadows that had always cloaked Kyle were receding once again. In the days that followed Rebecca’s announcement of her intention to marry him, Kyle smiled and joked and laughed more than he had during the previous two months.

Over the candlelit dinners, Kyle began to open up and talk to Rebecca. About his past. About his father. About the future. It was as if he’d been freed from a time warp.

And he was insatiably curious about Rebecca, too. He wanted to know everything about her. She answered his questions, half amused, half enthralled and watched as he emerged into the full light of day.

There were times when the infamous Stockbridge temper flared briefly. Most notable was the first occasion when Rebecca had said goodnight to Kyle at her hotel-room door. He had accepted the fact that she would not come home with him, but he clearly had not been expecting her to refuse to return to the intimacy of their earlier relationship.

„Becky, this is crazy,“ he raged in a tight voice as he stood in the hall outside her room. „Let me in.“

„No,“ she said gently. „Not yet.“

„I want you.
Damn it. If you close that door in my face, I’ll break it down.“

A door opened down the hall, and a plump, middle-aged man stuck his bald head out into the corridor. „Hey, keep it down out there. We’re trying to sleep.“

Kyle sent the man a look that caused him to quickly close his door.

„You’re causing a scene, Kyle,“ Rebecca said. „I’d appreciate it if you didn’t. I know Stockbridges are good at scenes, but Wades don’t care for them.“

Kyle swore. „Let me inside. We’ll talk about this.“

„No, we won’t. If I let you inside, I won’t be able to get you back out again.“

His eyes gleamed. „I’m glad you realize that.“

„Get lost, Kyle,“ she said with a soft laugh. „I’ll see you at work in the morning.“

„Becky, this hotel must be costing you a fortune. You don’t need to stay here. Come back to my place. There’s a spare bedroom.“

„Which I’d never get a chance to use. No, thanks, Kyle.“ She yawned. „Excuse me. Got to get my sleep if I’m going to be any use to you in the morning.“

„I’ve got a use for you right now,“ he began and then swore again, this time with resignation as the door closed gently in his face.

Rebecca leaned back against the door and listened to his footsteps as they faded away down the hall. Then she smiled to herself and began to get ready for bed.

The man loved her. There could no longer be any real doubt. She’d been almost certain all along but now she was finding out for sure. She would wait a little longer, however, before she put him out of his misery.

She shook her head ruefully as she snagged her nightgown from the closet and went toward the bathroom. It was beyond her why the Stockbridge wives and the Cork women hadn’t ever figured out how to handle the Stockbridge men.

The trick was to stand up to them. After you did that, you put them on a short rein. The Stockbridges had all been strong men, and strong men needed strong women who didn’t put up with too much nonsense.

Another couple of weeks of flowers and candlelite dinners, Rebecca decided, and she would tell Kyle it was time to give her the ring.

But the following Friday afternoon, Rebecca’s plans went awry. Kyle appeared in her office shortly before five o’

clock. He had changed his clothes. He was no longer wearing the suit and tie he’d had on all day. In their place were the familiar denims and the black Stetson. Something in Kyle’s green eyes put Rebecca on the alert. A strange shiver of anticipation went through her.

„You have plans for the weekend?“ she asked blandly.

„Yes, ma’am, I do.“ Kyle smiled, showing a lot of teeth.

Rebecca did not trust that smile. „What sort of plans? Are you going up to the ranch?“

„Right, first time. I always did say you were one sharp administrative assistant.“ He slapped the hat against his thigh and smiled again. „You’re coming with me.“

She put down the pen she had been holding and regarded him warily. „Am I?“

„Yeah.“

Rebecca thought about that. „I don’t think so. I’ve already explained to you that I’m not going to spend a night with you until after we’re married.“

„The problem with you, lady, is that you’re too damned rigid. You need to learn to give a little here and there.“ Kyle

’s teeth flashed.

„You think you can behave yourself for a whole weekend? Will you let me have the spare bedroom without pestering me?“

„You can have whatever bedroom you want,“ he said as he came around the desk. „But whichever one you choose, you’d better expect to find me in it.“

„Kyle!“

Rebecca yelped and jumped out of her chair, but there was no room to run. He caught her before she could even blink and tossed her lightly over his shoulder.

„Kyle Stockbridge, don’t you dare carry me out of here like this. What will everyone think?“

„They’ll think I’ve finally had enough of jumping through hoops. And they’ll be right. Lately I’ve been feeling like a bull being led around by a ring in its nose. I’ve given you courtship, Becky. Now I’m going to take you to the mountains and make love to you until you can’t think straight. I’ve had enough of your managing ways for a while.“

He carried her out of the office, heedless of the astonished, delighted stares of his staff. When he reached the elevator, Rick Harrison held the door and then stepped in behind his boss. He was smiling broadly.

„You two have interesting plans for the weekend, I take it?“ Rick asked blandly.

„We’re going up into the mountains,“ Kyle explained, patting Rebecca’s derriere. „Becky needs some fresh air and exercise.“

„I see. Have a good time,“ Rick said as the elevator doors opened on the ground floor.

„We will,“ Kyle promised as Rebecca made a muffled, unintelligible comment.

He stepped out of the elevator and carried his burden outside to where his black steed was parked in the president’

s slot. Then he put Rebecca into the Porsche and drove away with her into the night.

The night was chilled and clear, and there was virtually no traffic on the mountain road. Rebecca felt safe and snug inside the Porsche. Beside her Kyle drove with an easy control that reminded her of the way he handled his horse, Tulip.

The atmosphere in the car had been one of thoughtful serenity. Rebecca knew it was because they were both aware that the war was over. Kyle had accepted his punishment with relatively good grace but felt it had gone far enough. For her part Rebecca realized she had made her point and that it was time to end the sparring. They were two strong people who understood and accepted each other’s limits.

They were in love and now, finally, that was the only thing that really mattered.

They stopped for dinner at a small cafe. Neither Kyle nor Rebecca said much during the meal, but the silence between them was a comfortable one.

The Flaming Luck ranch house was waiting for them, dark and alone in the night. But when they entered and started turning on lights, the shadows were dispelled.

„I think this place may have a few possibilities after all,“ Rebecca said as she surveyed the stark, rustic interior.

„What it needs,“ Kyle said as he finished building a fire and went to pour two drinks, „is a woman’s touch.“

Rebecca smiled lovingly up at him as she accepted her glass. Then she stood on tiptoe and brushed his mouth lightly with her own. „That’s what Stockbridges in general have needed all along. They just didn’t know how to pick the right women to touch them.“

Kyle stood very close, looking down at her with eyes that gleamed with warmth and an aching longing. „I had the sense to pick you, didn’t I?“

„I suppose we’ll have to give you some credit, although you didn’t seem to know what to do with me after you picked me.“

„Now that is an outright slander. I knew damned well what to do with you. I made love to you as often as possible, if you’ll recall.“

Rebecca looked up at him. „And that’s what you’re going to do tonight?“

„That’s what I’m going to do tonight,“ he vowed.

„Good. If you want to know the truth, I was getting awfully tired of that hotel room.“

Kyle laughed softly. „But you were too damned proud to admit it. That’s why I decided to take matters into my own hands tonight. I felt sorry for you.“

„Sorry for me!“

He smiled with slow promise. „Sure. Don’t you think I know what pride can do to a person? Hell, I’m an expert on the subject. You had yourself backed into a corner. I just reached over and hauled you out.“

„Is that right? I’ve got news for you, cowboy – I was getting ready to tell you it was time to buy the ring and set the date.“

„Too late, my managing little executive assistant. I’ve already taken care of both items.“ He reached into his chest pocket and took out a small package. „If you’d been in a more cooperative mood this past week, I’d have asked your opinion on the ring, at least. But since you were still having too much fun playing the lady-with-the-iron-fist-in-the-velvet-glove, I went ahead without you.“

Rebecca smiled brilliantly as she opened the small box and peeked at the contents. „It’s beautiful,“ she said simply.

„Thank you, Kyle. I love it.“

„Just as well, since I’ve scheduled the wedding for next Thursday.“

Rebecca’s mouth fell open. „Thursday! How in the world am I ever going to get ready by Thursday? Kyle, you can

’t rush something like a wedding. It takes time. We have to choose a caterer and flowers and a dress and send out invitations… mmph.“ The rest of her complaint was trapped behind her lips when Kyle bent down and kissed her into silence.

„Everything’s been taken care of,“ he told her when he lifted his head.

„Who took care of it?“ she demanded.

„I did. You think you’re the only one capable of a little organization and efficiency?“

Rebecca was torn between outrage and laughter. She finally settled on laughter. „You’re impossible.“ But she put down her glass and threw herself into his arms.

„I’m a man in love,“ he corrected as he set down his own glass and gathered her close. „That makes me capable of impossible feats.“

„You’ve even picked out a dress?“ she asked, awed.

„All by myself.“

„What about the size?“

„Becky, honey, I lived with you for ten days, remember? I know your dress size. I also know your bra size and your shoe size. There is very little, in fact, that I don’t know about you.“

She closed her eyes, leaning her head against his chest. „And you love everything you do know?“

His arms tightened around her. „Everything. I fell in love with you on sight, you know.“

„Let’s not get into that,“ Rebecca mumbled.

He shook her gently. „It’s true. I was so busy trying to juggle all the problems I’d created for myself in the process of falling for you, that I didn’t stop to put a name on my emotions. But I know now that what I felt from the beginning was love. I just didn’t want to admit it. I think I was afraid to admit it.“

„Afraid?“

„The Stockbridge luck never holds with women,“ he said quietly.

She raised her head and smiled up at him. „When it comes to love, Stockbridge, you’re not supposed to rely on luck.“

„I think I’ve learned that lesson.“ He bent his head again and kissed her thoroughly.

Rebecca relaxed against him, savoring the warm promise of his lips. It might have been luck that had brought them together, but she knew it wasn’t going to be the bond that held them. The road had been a rocky one, but at the end of it they had acknowledged what they wanted. Their commitment to each other would be unshakable.

„I love you, Becky,“ Kyle said hoarsely. He sank down on the sofa, pulling her down on top of him. „God, how I love you.“

Sprawled on top of his hard length, her legs trapped between his, Rebecca cradled Kyle’s face in her palms. „I love you,“ she echoed softly. „For ever and always. Nothing you could do would ever drive me away from you.“

„Becky.“
He snagged his fingers in her hair and brought her face close to his own. His mouth was tenderly ravenous, asking for complete surrender even as he silently vowed his own, unconditional capitulation.