His Girl Friday (19 page)

"Oh, honey," he said softly. "I'm so sorry."

She burst into tears, and he went down on one knee in front of her, gathering her head gently onto his broad shoulder, his hands tender in her unruly hair.

"Now, now," he murmured. "It's al right."

"No, it's. .not," she hiccuped. Her hands wrapped around his strong neck and she buried her face in his shirt. It smel ed of fabric softener and cologne, the spicy scent he always wore, and it was heaven to have him close and warm mil not hating her.

He stroked her hair with his hand, noticing that Jenny had discreetly removed herself from the room and closed the door. He wondered what, if anything, Danet a had told her.

"Why did you run away?" he asked her. "You know."

"No, I don't." He forced her wet face out into the open and looked into her red-rimmed, drowning gray eyes. Rain gray, he thought, or doves-wing gray. So pret y. "Or maybe I do," he amended quietly, and his face grew solemn. "I didn't mean to give you the idea that I took what we did together for granted. I was upset." She lowered her eyes to his hard mouth. "So was I," she .aid. She traced his collar idly. "I've never done anything like, wel , like. . that. .before. I thought you were sorry about it, that you'd just wanted me and then when it was over, you wanted to get away from me." She shifted in his embrace. "I thought maybe you'd feel bet er about things If I just left quietly, without a fus ."

He drew in a long, slow breath and his eyes closed. "You don't understand. I don't know how to make you underhand what I felt. I'm thirty-six, and in al my life, al my encounters with women, I've always been in control. Then last night I let it get out of hand deliberately, and with a! virgin, of al people. I was ashamed of what I'd done. Guilty. Maybe a lit le afraid," he added tersely. "That much emotion is a bit unset ling."

She bit her lower lip, staring over his shoulder at the wal . Wasn't he saying that he regret ed what had happened?

"Wel , you don't have to worry," she said with quietly pride. "I won't embarras you or anything____" He drew back, searching her soft eyes. His thumb came up to wipe the tears away while he chose his words very carefully. "I'm not embarras ed," he said softly. He managed a tender smile. "But I think you are."

She blushed, remembering the way it had been, the feverish need, the expres ion on his hard face when his body; had convulsed with pleasure. She dropped her eyes with lit le gasp.

He caught her hand in his and brought its soft palm to hi mouth. "Don't be shy," he said, leaning forward to nuzzle his face against hers. "I don't have any intention of making suggestive remarks or teasing you about what happened. It isn't the kind of thing a man makes light of." That gave her enough courage to lift her eyes. She'd been terrified that he was going to make fun of her embarras ment. But he wasn't smiling, although there was a soft, quiet glow in his pale blue eyes.

"You mis ed breakfast," he said gently. "Want to go somewhere with me and have waffles?" She hesitated. "I can't leave Jenny."

"Then suppose we make some waffles."

She blinked away the rest of her tears and wiped her wet eyes. "Cabe, I don't have a waffle iron." He gave her an exasperated stare. "No waffle iron? What am I supposed to live on, if you can't make me waffles?" He felt and looked thoroughly confused. She lifted a slender hand to push back her long, light brown hair. "I can make pancakes," she faltered.

"I like waffles," he said firmly. "I do not like liver and onions or turnips, so don't ever fix them. I like my coffee him black and strong, and I'm partial to spaghet i, rare steak, macaroni and cheese cas erole and fried ocean perch, and apple and peach pies."

This was get ing confusing. Her gray eyes searched his. "Do you want them al right now?" she asked.

"I'm just listing the most important things," he explained. "Later we can go into specifics, like how I do not like my eggs cooked. Oh, and don't ever make quiche because I read in this book that real men don't eat it." He grinned.

She felt a smile tickling her mouth and gave in to it. She'd never known him like this. "Okay."

His chest swel ed with pure delight as he looked at her. It was going to be al right after al . He could win her over, If he worked at it very carefully. But he had to pace it right. he couldn't rush her, or move too fast. He'd already made One big mistake by let ing things go too far last night. Now he had to prove to her that it wasn't just physical with him. He had to reas ure her that his emotions were every bit as involved as his body. Waking up and finding her gone this morning had terrified him to his very bones. He'd been cold with the fear that she might mean to disappear where he couldn't find her. And here she sat, waiting. Sort of.

"Meanwhile," he said, "we'l go out and get some waffles. Jenny can come, too. Why don't you go and get her."

"I could fix us something here," she tried again.

"Honey, I'm dying for a waffle," he sighed.

She gave in. "I'l just find a sweater. I hadn't unpacked."

His eyes went to her suitcase and back to her wan expres ion in time to see the faint glint of fear in her face. "It's al right," he said quietly. His hand brushed over her cheek lightly. "Don't be afraid. We won't go over the line again, I promise."

She swal owed. "What do you want?" she asked because she had to know.

"You," he said simply.

"But you. ."

"But I what?" he asked, his voice deep and slow and velvety soft. "But I had you, is that what you're trying to say?" He smiled gently. "I jumped the gun and almost ruined everything, but I want to start again. This time, I'l get it in the right order."

She looked up at him in total confusion.

"We'l take it one day at a time," he said. "We'l go places together, I'l send you flowers and candy, I'l cal you at two in the morning just to talk, and we'l make love—

although," he added ruefully, "we won't let it go al the way again. Not until we know each other wel enough."

"And then?"

He took her by the shoulders and shook her gently. "An then, what do you think? That I'l drag you back to nr, place and make love to you until you can't walk for thre days?

God knows, it's what I'd like to do right now. But! I'm wil ing to wait until you're ready for that, until you understand that I'm not trying to make you into one of nr Saturdaynight specials."

"In other words," she said, fighting tears again, "you want me to be your mistres ."

His thumbs grew idly cares ing on her upper arms and he studied her for a long moment. "Why is it so difficult for you to believe that I could want you permanently?

I told you long ago that I wasn't a playboy."

' You told me a long time ago that you didn't want commitment or love," she added.

"That was before," he said doggedly.

"Before I went crazy in the garage and wound up like a straight pin in your conscience," she said. He let her go, exasperated. "You won't listen!"

"You just feel guilty and I know it," she mumbled, turning away from him. "You won't get around me by tel ing me fairy stories."

"No? I've got some great ideas for a version of Red Riding Hood," he muttered, his eyes narrowing on her straight back,

"Pervert!" she threw at him.

His eyebrows arched. "What?"

"An elderly lady and a furry wolf, what would you cal it!"

"I had in mind Red and the wolf, honey," he murmured dryly, "and you've got the animal part just about right."

"You stay away from me," she threatened. "I won't let you change my mind. I'm going to find another job."

"No, you aren't," he said with a wry smile. "If I have to give you a reference, I'l tel them al that you carry a submachine gun in your purse and you're part of a counterfeit car ring."

' Nobody wil believe you."

"Your uncle wil ," he reminded her. "You know, the one who thinks I manufacture photon torpedoes. .?" She backed to the wal . "Norman!" she cal ed to the giant lizard as a last resort.

Norman cocked an eye at her and closed it immediately.

"Turncoat!" she muttered.

"He likes me," Cabe told her. "I didn't back away from him, so now he respects me. We're going to be great buddies." He glanced down at the reptile uncomfortably and one eye narrowed. "Wel , maybe distant buddies," he amended.

"I can't work for you anymore," she tried again.

He shrugged. "I'l agree with that. You're going to have your work cut out at home."

She frowned. "What do you mean, at home?"

He stared pointedly at her stomach and pursed his lips. "Can you knit?"

Her mouth opened as she tried to find something to say. She couldn't believe he'd said what she thought she heard.

"Is it okay to come out now?" Jenny cal ed from the hal . "I've only just gotten to the apartment and I'm starved."

"We were just talking about food," Cabe lied glibly, turning with easy courtesy. "Get your sweater and we'l al go to that nice lit le chain-store breakfast place and stuff ourselves on pecan waffles."

Danet a escaped past him, so confused and unset led that it took her ages to fix her face and find a sweater. She didn't know what had gotten into Cabe Rit er, but whatever i was, she had a feeling that she was going to be on the run.

And so she was. It didn't stop at breakfast. He was back for supper, charming Cousin Jenny but never flirting or making eyes at her. He treated her as if she were one of his own relations, and his at itude toward Danet a turned warm and protective without any sexual undercurrents at al . The next day, his behavior at the office followed the pat ern he'd set the day before. He opened doors for her, took her sweater, brought her coffee, and general y treated her like his own lady.

She was halfway between heaven and earth, so shocked at the change that she mes ed up half the let ers as she typed them and had to do them over again. But the real shocker came when Karol stopped by the office and demanded to see Cabe.

Danet a buzzed him, but instead of having Karol come In. He came out.

"There you are,darling, your lit le petunia here wasn't veryforthcoming," Karol murmured sweetly, set ling her body as close to his as she could get it. "Are we going dancing tonight?"

"Sorry, honey, I'm off the market as of Saturday," he •aid with a pleasant smile. "Danet a and I are going to Big Tom's for supper and then I'm taking her to meet an uncle of mine who lives in West Tulsa."

Karol stared at him blankly while the words sank in. "You're taking your secretary out on a date?" she asked. Danet a was sure she looked as stunned as Karol did, imperial y when Cabe glanced at her with a smile that could have taken rust off a waterlogged iron skil et.

"That's right," Cabe replied.

"Why?" Karol demanded.

"To get the family used to her, for one thing," he said, deliberately obtuse. "My dad and my stepmother like her, mid my brother's crazy about her already. We had a great weekend out at Dad's ranch."

"So that's where you were," Karol said icily. "Wel , don't expect me to stand around waiting while you take this child out on dates. I've got bet er things to do with my lime!"

"Glad to hear it," Cabe agreed with a smile. "Why don't you go and do some of them?"

Karol gave him a furious glare and stormed out of the office.

Cabe brushed his hands together. "So much for that complication." He turned to Danet a. "Bet er reserve us a table at Big Tom's," he said. "And wear something bright for Uncle Abe. You'l like him. He used to be a Texas Ranger, and he can tel some tales!"

"You meant al that you told her?" Danet a asked.

"Sure I did." He frowned, sticking his hands into his pockets. "You don't get it, do you? I'm serious. No more: women for window dres ing, no more al -night poker games with my old cronies, no more long trips out of town. I'm set ling down. Not that I expect you to believe me without some proof, so you can see for yourself as we go along that I mean it."

Her heart was doing a wild dance number in her chest. "Al this. . is for me?" she asked shyly.

"Not for anyone else I know," he said, smiling. "You're pret y when you smile like that. You warm my heart." She blushed, touched by the softnes of his deep voice, by the flowery words. Probably he'd said these things before, but they sounded genuine to Danet a.

"Make the reservation," he said gently. "What kind of flowers do you like, by the way?"

"Daisies," she replied.

"I thought so." He went back into his office without another word.

That night she had a corsage of daisies to wear on her dres . They ate at Big Tom's and then went to see Cabe's Uncle Abe, who seemed to enjoy the visit as much as Danet a did.

"He's delightful," she told Cabe when they drove home in a misting rain.

"I love the old rascal, although most of the family can't take him in large doses." He glanced at her. She looked lovely in her black cocktail dres with the daisies at her breast on the lacy jacket that covered the spaghet i straps, "I thought you might like him." He put his cigaret e to his lips and took a long draw. "But then, you like everybody, don't you, honey?"

"Most people," she said. "Some are hard to like. You hive to look under the surface sometimes to find the warm places."

"Does the green lizard real y have a warm place?"

"The books al say that lizards aren't affectionate, and some books say that iguanas are stupid." She shrugged and smiled to herself. "Maybe they're right, but Norman listens to me when I talk to him, and he comes when I whistle and just occasional y he does actual y seem to understand what I say. I don't know if it's intel igence or Instinct, but he's different with most people than he is with me."

"He liked Nicky."

"Oh, so did I," she said.

He put out the cigaret e as they wound down Tulsa's city streets on the way to her apartment, the bright lights looking cozy and intimate in the rain and the darknes of night. "I never gave Nicky a chance. Or Cynthia, either, for that mat er. But Dad and I had a long talk yesterday, and I'm only beginning to see what a fool I was. Nicky deserves more at ention than I gave him. Fortunately he's stil young enough not to hold grudges. I plan to make up for my at itude." He pulled the Lincoln up in front of her building mid cut off the lights and the engine. "He could stay with us once in a while, if you wouldn't mind."