Always (15 page)

Lisa could feel the hardness of his rigid muscles against her, but he wasn’t close enough. She cuddled nearer, rotating in a sinuous little movement into the cradle of his hips. He inhaled sharply. His heart was pounding so hard she could detect the movement through his white dress shirt.

His tongue darted in her ear and she moaned deep in her throat, arching against him as if he’d jerked a hidden string.

“Naked,” he muttered. “I’ve got to get you naked.” His unsteady hands were unfastening the barrette that held back her hair and then combing through the loosened tresses until they fell in a shimmering cloud down her back.

“Clancy, that barrette wasn’t exactly a significant body covering.” Lisa laughed shakily. “If you’ll let me go for a minute, I’ll see if I can improve on what you started.”

His hips moved slowly against her, rotating, stroking her sensuously, his hands cupping her buttocks to bring her in closer contact. Their
lower bodies were pressed so close that she could feel the heat of his arousal with every breath. “I don’t want to let you go,” he said. She could hear his ragged breathing as he pressed his fevered cheek against her temple. Then he was pushing her away. “Quick. For God’s sake, be quick.”

He didn’t need to urge her to speed. When he had pushed her away she’d felt an aching sense of loss, as if they had been joined and were now severed by a surgeon’s scalpel. She
needed
that joining.

She moved swiftly, pulling the caftan over her head and then dispensing with her slippers and underthings with equal speed. Then she was back in his arms and was aware of the shock of naked flesh against her own. Clancy had stripped with the same frantic urgency she had.

“Clancy …” Her fingers dug into his shoulders as she rubbed her body against him with exquisite sensuous pleasure.

The cloud of hair on his chest was teasing her sensitive breasts, the hard muscles and
bones of his thighs were locked and rigid with a leashed threat that was deliciously exciting. With every movement of her body he gave a little gasp that was almost a groan. She was gasping, too. Each breath was a shock of sensation as it brought her flesh in fresh contact with his. His left thigh insinuated itself between hers, and she could feel the thick muscles, lightly dusted with hair, pressing against her softness.

Her teeth clenched to suppress a cry that could well have turned into a scream. Heat. Wanting. His thigh moved with soft abrasiveness against her womanhood in an urgent, mindless rhythm that was making her mindless as well. “No more,” she whispered. “No more, Clancy.”

He nodded jerkily. “No more,” he agreed. His chest was heaving with the force of his breathing. “Come on.” He half pulled her across the room to the bed. Once there, he didn’t wait to jerk down the spread but pushed her down on the cool satin surface. His eyes were glazed and almost blind as he followed her down and settled himself between her
thighs. “Are you ready for me? I hope to heaven you’re ready.” He didn’t wait for an answer but plunged deep with a low groan that was almost painful. Fire, fullness, hunger. So much hunger surrounded them. She felt it in him even as he took, feasted, filled. Her own hunger, too, seemed completely insatiable.

She arched upward helplessly as he thrust with a force and passion that sent shudder after shudder through her body. Hot, slick, driving. Her nails dug into his shoulders with unconscious force. His face above her was heavy with the same hunger and a pleasure that was primitive and exciting as the act itself. The muscles of his torso were strained with unbearable tension.

She didn’t know how long that mindless rapture continued. The tension mounted constantly, spiraling, sparking, until she didn’t think she could stand it for one more minute. Her head thrashed back and forth on the satin spread, her hair splaying in wild abandon. She
felt
abandoned and wild and …

He was moving more forcefully within her.
Plunging, rotating, thrusting deeper when she hadn’t thought there was a deeper. A cry escaped from her as the tension broke and then splintered into a thousand sharp, glittering prisms of splendor.

She heard a low, harsh groan above her that sounded as if it had been torn from him, and then she was caught close to Clancy’s big body. Her arms closed around him fiercely, protectively, with a loving possession that she had never known before.
She
had brought him this wild, mindless pleasure. It had been her body that had assuaged his hunger and then made him tremble with satisfaction. That knowledge was almost as wonderful as the passionate glory that had gone before.

His heart was slowing now, though his chest was still laboring with the force of his breathing.

“Lisa …” His voice was oddly choked. “Lord, I’m sorry.”

Shock jolted through the euphoria she was feeling. “Sorry? Why on earth are you sorry?”

“You know why,” he said with self-disgust
as he shifted off her to one side. “I did just what I said I wouldn’t do. Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am. Just as if you were some call girl I’d ordered for a one-night stand.”

Oh, dear, if Clancy didn’t get over these romantic illusions of what she was due as his lady, they were going to have a difficult time of it. She sat up and brushed the hair from her face, then turned to look at him. “Do you know what a truly romantic man does, Clancy? He gives a woman what she wants.” She grinned down at him. “And I assure you, that’s exactly what you did just now. I wanted wham and bam, and a sincerely expressed thank-you wouldn’t be far off the mark, either. I certainly feel fervently grateful to you.” Her voice lowered to a whisper of tenderness. “It was beautiful. Thank you, Clancy Donahue.”

He looked at her searchingly, then pulled her down to kiss her with an exquisite sweetness that caused her throat to tighten with tears. “You’re welcome,” he said gruffly, then fell silent again. “There aren’t any words, you know. What happened was …” He shrugged
helplessly and repeated, “There just aren’t any words.”

“Then don’t try to say them.” She cuddled closer, nestling her head in the hollow of his shoulder, her fingers tangling contentedly in the crisp hair on his chest. “You certainly don’t need them. You do extremely well with body language.”

His chuckle reverberated beneath her ear. “I’ll remember which form of communication you prefer.” His lips feathered a kiss on the top of her head. “Nap a little, love, and then we’ll see if we can develop a few new innovations to the state of the art.”

There was the lightest brushing at the crests of her breasts, then a warm, wet teasing and probing, and then a tugging. It was all deliciously gentle and lazy and right. Sleepily Lisa opened her eyes to see Clancy’s dark head nestled at her breasts, and she smiled with contentment.

His head lifted and he smiled, too. “Hi,” he
said softly. His hand moved to cup the swelling globe that had been receiving his attention. “Did I ever tell you that you have fantastic breasts?”

“I don’t believe the subject has come up, but I’m glad one part of my anatomy meets with your approval. All I’ve been hearing lately is how skinny I am.”

“Well, these lovely things are definitely
not
skinny.” His tongue placed another caress on the rosy peak. His hand ran down her midriff to her belly, and he began to massage it gently. “Your hips are damned narrow, though, and you’re awfully tiny here.” He frowned. “You won’t have trouble with the baby, will you?”

She stiffened in surprise. She had completely forgotten that this heady delight also had a purpose. She might have a child as the result of this night. A quiet glow of joy swept over her. “I didn’t with Tommy. It’s the pelvis measurements that count.”

He was still frowning as his hand moved down to press the tight curls at the apex of her
thighs. “I’m so blasted big. Our child is bound to be—”

She reached down and covered his lips with her hand. “Hush, it will be fine. Let me worry about the actual production process. You just keep your mind on your part of the project.”

His lips parted and he nipped at the fingers covering them. “That won’t be hard to do. I’m having trouble keeping my mind on anything else when you’re around.” Suddenly his cheek was on her stomach, rubbing back and forth with loving affection. She could feel the slight roughness of his beard growth against her smoothness. It brought a sudden hot tingling sensation between her thighs that sent a ripple of surprise through her. So soon? His words were slightly muffled. “You’re not sorry? You haven’t changed your mind?”

“It’s a little late for second thoughts.” Her hand tangled in the thickness of his hair. “No, I’m not sorry. It was wonderful, Clancy.”

His lips caressed her. “For me, too. I think it’s very convenient that baby making is so damn enjoyable. I intend to work very hard on
the project, you realize.” His fingers wandered between her thighs and began stroking her lazily. “Morning, noon, and night.” She gasped as his fingers suddenly plunged forward. “And in between, of course.”

“What about your job?” she asked faintly. He was moving lazily, rhythmically within her, and her back arched helplessly.

“I can take a little vacation. I feel it’s my duty to devote all my energies to this project at the present time.” Unexpectedly, he was over her, entering her with one powerful movement. “There are certain priorities I have to keep in mind.” He looked down at her and the lazy humor faded. In addition to the heavy sensuality she had expected, there was a gravity that surprised her. “And you’re my top priority, Lisa.” He leaned down and kissed her gently. “Always.”

Then he started to move and she forgot everything but the web of passion he was weaving about her.”

–––

“Where are you going?”

Lisa settled the caftan around her hips and slipped on her shoes. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I just thought I’d go back to my room and shower and change before breakfast. I wasn’t exactly prepared when you decided to sweep me off my feet and into bed.” She winked. “At last.”

“You should have been. I was aiming at being a romantic, not a complete idiot.” He crossed his arms under his head and leaned lazily back on the pillow. “But now I’ve decided to become a satyr instead. I’ve discovered I’m suited for it both psychologically and physically. Come back to bed, Lisa. I need some practice in the role.”

She lifted a slightly derisive brow. “After last night?” Neither of them had counted the times they’d come together in a passion that had seemed unquenchable. Even now she was tempted to do as he asked and go back into his arms. “After breakfast we’ll discuss it again. I wouldn’t want you to dwindle down to a mere shadow.” She crossed the room and opened the
door. “I’ll meet you in the dining room in an hour.” She started to close the door, then stopped in surprise. “What the devil is this?” She held up a small leather drawstring pouch. “I found it hanging on the doorknob.”

Clancy took one look at the pouch and a smile tugged at his lips. “Marna. It’s a charm of some sort. I’ve seen them hanging on Kira’s doorknobs on occasion.”

Lisa lifted the pouch to her nose and sniffed, experimentally. “Well, it doesn’t smell of garlic, so evidently we’re not threatened by vampires. I wonder what it could be.”

“There’s no telling. Why don’t you go ask her? I was going to call Alex before breakfast anyway.”

“Do you think I should? After all, it was hanging on your doorknob. She might tell me it’s none of my business.”

“I doubt that. Marna has an uncanny way of knowing what’s going on around her. I’m sure she knows you were occupying this room last night.” His expression grew sober. “Not only last night, I hope. I know it’s not considered
chic for a couple to occupy the same bedroom these days, but I’d like very much to have you move in with me.” Gruffly he added, “I’ll try not to get in your way.”

“I’d like that, too,” she said. “I’ll pack and move my things from my room right after breakfast.”

“You won’t miss your tower, princess? I hate to be an Indian giver. You occupied that room for less than an hour.”

“Not a bit. I’ve decided that towers are too lonely for me, anyway.” She blew him a kiss and closed the door.

Her step was as springy and light as her mood as she strolled down the corridor. Now if she could only manage to find her room in this labyrinth, it would make her day. She hadn’t been paying any attention to where they were going last night when Clancy had been playing Rhett Butler. For that matter, she hadn’t noticed anything but Clancy.

Lisa only lost her way once in the twisting corridors before she found the right wing. Next time she ventured in this area, she told herself,
she’d have to leave a trail of bread crumbs like those children in the fairy tale. However, Marna would probably not appreciate bread crumbs in her immaculate halls, she thought ruefully. The gypsy housekeeper would soon be putting a pouch on her doorknob to attract vampires instead of keeping them away.

She opened the door to her room and went directly to the closet to get a robe. She stood stock still, a puzzled frown creasing her brow. The closet was almost empty. There was a terry-cloth robe, a blouse, and a pair of slacks on the padded hangers. What had happened to the rest of her clothes? She had unpacked and hung up everything last night before she’d dressed for dinner.

She slipped the robe from the hanger and crossed to the bureau. One set of underwear remained in the middle drawer. Everything else was gone. In the adjoining bathroom her makeup and toiletries remained on the vanity. Whoever had removed her belongings had been very selective. Marna? Lisa doubted if any of the maids would have dared touch her things
without Marna’s approval; she clearly had them all under her control. It was evident there was something to discuss with the housekeeper besides the talisman.

After Lisa had showered and dressed, she set out to try to locate Marna for that discussion. Finally she tracked the housekeeper down in the kitchen, which proved to be a converted scullery in the cellars of the castle. Marna was standing beside a modernistic microwave oven, consulting in a low voice with a white-clad boy.

She turned an expressionless face as Lisa approached her. “Breakfast will be served in twenty minutes. You wish something special?”