Desert Rain (21 page)

Cut! the director yelled. That was perfect, but I believe in insurance. One more time.
Hey, out there! Cut!

Slowly Linc lifted his head. His eyes were hooded, his mouth still hungry.

They think youre Roger, Holly said breathlessly.

I know. Ive been watching him kiss you all afternoon.

Lincs voice was as hard as his eyes. Before she could answer, his arms closed around her
like iron bars. His mouth came down swiftly, expecting resistance.

She responded with a force that equaled his, dragging his head down to her lips, probing
his mouth with her hungry tongue. She didnt care about the people on the beach, the
expensive dress whipping in the wind, the warm sea creaming around her calves.

She only knew that she was starving for the taste and feel of the man who had walked out
of the sun to hold her in his arms.

Shannon! Who the hell is that out there with you? Roger called indignantly. How did he get
past the ropes!

Holly ignored the shout, ignored everything but her overwhelming need to drink Lincs
presence into every pore.

When he tried to end the kiss, she held him all the more tightly. With casual strength,
Linc jerked free of her arms and walked back into the incandescent sea. Shaking, almost
wild, Holly held out her hand and called his name again and again. There was no answer.
Linc dove beneath a wave and vanished into the burning sea.

Shannon, are you all right? Roger shouted. Holly couldnt answer. He ran down the beach
toward her. Shannon? Can you hear me?

He didnt stop running until he was standing right in front of her, forcing her to
acknowledge him. Im fine, she said shakily. Who the hell was that? Linc.

Rogers lips turned into a thin, downward-curving line.

I should have guessed, he said bitterly. You kissed him like he was a god come to claim
you.

Shivering visibly with passion, Holly didnt disagree.

Roger took her face between his hands. His eyes noted every bit of the sensual excitement
blazing in her golden eyes and the hunger trembling in her red lips.

If you had kissed me like that, he said, I wouldnt have walked away. Shannon, let me make
Stop it, she interrupted harshly. Stop it! Trembling, she jerked away from him and stared
into the sea where Linc had vanished. She saw nothing but the distorted, blinding
reflections of the dying sun.

The director stormed up. He was waving his bullhorn about like a sword.

This is a zoo, a bloody zoo! the director yelled. I get the best shot of my life and Jerry
keeps yapping that its the wrong chap!

Couldnt you tell it wasnt me? Roger asked irritably.

Hardly, the director said, his voice clipped. A tall, well-built chap walks out of the
surf and kisses Shannon, right? Its been happening all day, right?

Right, Roger snapped.

The only difference, the director said angrily, is that this last time the light was
perfect, the wind was perfect, and the two of them damn near melted the lenses off the
bloody cameras.

You couldnt see his face, the difference in height? Roger asked. Youre in silhouette, your
face is in shadow, the director shot back. You have to bend over to kiss

Shannon. So did he. Am I supposed to notice that one of you bent down a few centimeters
farther than the other?

Bloody hell, was all Roger said. Too right, the director retorted. One more time. With
that he turned and stalked back up the beach, yelling through his bullhorn with every
step. Technicians scattered.

One of the light men walked up to the director, pointed to the sun. It was now barely a
fingernail above the horizon. Then the technician pointed toward the beach where lighting
equipment waited amid an orderly tangle of cables.

The director made an angry gesture at the technician and waved everybody into place.

Holly turned back toward the sea, but saw only Rogers retreating figure heading into the
water. She looked up the beach, beyond the ropes where people stared and pointed at her
and the cameras.

There was no tall, powerful man among them.

There was no one at all between her and the shimmering expanse of sand and rock leading to
the cliff-top hotel.

It was as though she had conjured up Linc out of her own tearing loneliness, but he had
been too potent to be held by her spell. He had pulled all the colors of her desire around
him.

And vanished.

Wake up, Shannon! shouted the director. I said action!

Empty, she turned and waited for the wrong man to walk out of the sea to her.

Like a nightmare, the scene repeated itself endlessly.

The dark outline of a man coming out of the scarlet sea.

The meeting of hands.

The kiss.

Each time it was worse. Each time it was harder for Holly not to show the rebellion of her
mind, her body, her very soul at having to endure another mans touch.

It was Linc she wanted.

Only Linc.

The nightmare continued. Warmth drained from her body even more quickly than light drained
from the sky.

When the director finally decided that there was no point in continuing, the sky held only
a faint blush of orange.

Shivering, aching, chilled despite the heat, Holly walked beyond the reach of the luminous
waves.

And Roger.

Quickly he caught up with her. He walked very close to her, but was careful not to touch
her. His brilliant blue eyes watched her every movement, measuring her strain in the
tightness of her body and the bleak lines of her face.

Common sense told Roger that she should have looked less appealing to him now that she was
strained, almost haggard.

Yet she didnt.

Holly simply looked withdrawn, mysterious, her beauty heightened by the darkness that
moved just beneath her golden surface.

Silently Roger cursed the man who had gotten past Hollys legendary guard, only to cut her
to her heart. When the director would have come over to her, Roger waved him off. But we
could try it with began the director. Stuff it, Roger said curtly. Cant you see that shes
dead on her feet?

Without another word he led her through the bustle of technicians to the tent she used for
changing costumes.

Inside the tent hung three more dresses just like the one Holly wore. They were expensive
insurance against the random leap of waves. Two of the gowns showed stains of salt and
water at the hem, testimony to the unpredictable ocean.

Roger began unfastening Hollys dress with the deft, impersonal fingers of a man who made
his living clothing women.

Abruptly she came out of her daze.

No, she said.

Dont be ridiculous, he said. Ive undressed you a thousand timesand dressed you, for that
matter.

She stepped beyond his reach. Not this time, she said flatly. Ill wait outside, then.

You dont have to wait.

Im taking you to supper, Roger said.

No.

Thats an order, Shannon, not an invitation. Ill be damned if Im going to take in those
dresses again.

But Linc

If Linc wanted to be here, he would be here, wouldnt he? Roger interrupted.

Holly looked away, unable to meet the anger and compassion in Rogers blue eyes.

Hes probably at the hotel, waiting for me to finish working, she said.

Roger grabbed a cordless phone off a wardrobe trunk and turned his back on her.

Change your clothes, he said curtly.

After a moment of hesitation, Holly began taking off the clinging dress. She heard Roger
talk to the hotel desk and waited with her breath held while Lincs room was rung.

No one answered.

Roger asked for Lincoln McKenzie to be paged in the hotel restaurants and lobby.

No one responded.

Right, Roger said.

He hung up and put the phone back on the trunk.

Holly didnt say a word.

Linc must be having supper somewhere else, he said.

His tone saidwith someone else.

Numbly she pulled on the soft, loose cotton float she had worn down to the beach that
morning.

Supper, Roger said firmly.

She went past him, headed toward her room. All she wanted was a shower and the peace of an
empty room.

Not quite all,she admitted.What I really want is Linc. But Linc had disappeared as
unexpectedly as he had appeared in the first place. Roger walked Holly to her room. Along
the way he made conversation that she didnt really hear and

didnt bother to answer.

Eagerly she unlocked her door. If she couldnt have Linc, she wanted the solitude that
waited just inside. But before the door opened more than a few inches, Roger put his hand
on her arm to prevent her from slipping past him.

Ill pick you up in forty-five minutes, he said.

Im not hungry.

How would you know? You havent tried eating for five days. You might find youre starving.

Holly shrugged.

He looked closely at her. His eyes changed, darker now, the color of twilight.

If not food, then something else, he said. Invite me in, Shannon. Youll never be hungry
again. I guarantee it. You know how good I am with a womans smooth body.

Dont, Roger, she whispered. Please dont. I

The rest of her words were lost in a gasp as the door to her room was jerked open from
inside.

Im afraid youll have to put it on hold, Linc drawled almost lazily.

But his eyes were cold when he looked at Holly. They were even colder when he shifted his
glance to Roger.

Dont worry, he said to Roger. I cant stay long. Youll understand if I dont invite you in.
Roger grimaced. Linc gave the handsome designer a sardonic smile. But I do appreciate you
warming her up, he added smoothly. Like I said, I dont have much time. With that, Linc
pulled Holly inside and locked the door.

That wasnt necessary, she said tightly. Ive said no to Roger before without your help.
Really? he said, reaching for her. I didnt hear a damn thing that sounded like no. Linc
She turned her face aside, avoiding his lips. Whats the matter? Wrong man?

Lincs expression was harsh. He let go of Holly and reached for the door. Ill call Roger
back, Linc said. Thats not it!

Oh?

His voice was still lazy, and his eyes were still like polished stones.

Then whats the problem? he asked. Do you need a camera to perform?

She stared at him, too shocked to answer.

He shrugged.

That shouldnt be hard to arrange, he said coolly. This is Mexico, after all. A bribe gets
you anywhere, even into locked hotel rooms. One camera, coming right up. Or do you need
more?

Why are you doing this? Holly whispered. Doing what? I cut short my trip to Texas I didnt
know you were she interrupted. You didnt ask aboutmy work, Linc interrupted curtly. I
thought the Mountains of Sunrise she began.

Linc talked over her.

I was looking over some Arabians in Texas, he said, but I couldnt stop thinking about you,
about what youd said.

About us?

His eyes became shuttered.

About modeling, he corrected. I realized that maybe I didnt really know what professional
models did for their pay. So I chartered a plane to Cabo San Lucas.

Holly let out a long sigh of relief. Then you understand what its like, now, she said.
Lincs lips twisted in a travesty of a smile. Yeah, he said. I sure as hell do. A chill
went down her spine. Just what do you think you understand? she asked.

Nothing new. I spent the afternoon watching your half-naked boss kiss you and listening to
the men around the rope speculate about what youre like in bed. Hell of a way to sell
clothes.

Im glad it was so exciting for the spectators, Holly said harshly. For me, it was about as
romantic as cleaning fish.

Linc looked startled.

For me they were stage kisses, she continued in her hard Shannon voice. All show and no go.

All of them? he asked skeptically. All afternoon?

Except once, when you walked out of the sea and kissed me and I felt like I had fallen
into the sun.

His expression changed as her words sliced through his anger to the hunger beneath.

It was the same wild hunger he sensed beneath the anger in Hollys words and glittering
eyes.

I doubt that Roger would agree about stage kisses and cleaning fish, Linc said.

That is Rogers problem, she said, clipping each word.

Lincs hand rubbed through his hair.

And my problem? he suggested quietly. Is Roger my problem, too?

Only if you want him to be.

What does that mean?

It means that I want only one man on earth. You.

Lincs breath caught.

Shocked? Holly asked. I dont play games, Linc. I love you too much for that.

Then why wont you quit modeling?

Now his voice was neither angry nor hard, simply curious.

Wrong question, she said.

Why?

What you really want to know is why I wont destroy half of myself to please you, Holly
said. Thats not love, Linc. Thats hate.

But he began.

She kept on talking.

If I asked you to kill the part of you that loves the ranch, she said, what would you call
it? Love or hate?

Linc drew in a sharp breath.

Love you, love your modeling, he said. Is that it?

Modeling is a part of me just as the ranch is a part of you. If you cant accept that, then
you cant acceptme .

There was a long silence.

I didnt come here to argue, he said.

Really? Then why did you come? she asked.

You know why. You knew it when you kissed me.

Hollys eyes widened. Shadows moved in their tawny depths as she remembered the wildness
and passion Linc drew so effortlessly from her depths.

Is that all you want from me? she whispered.

Its the same thing you want from me. Dont bother to deny it. Ive never been kissed like
that.

She shivered. Because I love you.

Linc gathered her close to him. He groaned deep in his throat as his hands felt her naked
warmth through the thin cotton dress.

Kiss me like that again, he said. Send us both falling into the sun. But He pulled her
against his thighs, letting her feel his need. Tomorrow, he said thickly. Well talk
tomorrow.