Lone Star Millionaire (10 page)

Anastasia raised her head. Tears streaked her face. Behind her glasses, her eyelashes were spiky and wet. She sniffed. “How'd you know?”

“It's not so hard to figure out. I worried that Gram would die, or that I'd lose one of my sisters. Most of the time I didn't really care about my brother because he was a real pain.”

The joke earned her a slight smile.

Sabrina brushed away the tears. “Cal is a pretty great guy. He's never been a dad, so he's gonna make some mistakes. It wouldn't be so bad to cut him a little slack. You're the experienced one in the group. Maybe you could help him along. He's got flaws, but he's not a quitter. He's committed to you, Anastasia. He's not going to send you away.”

“You don't know that.”

“Of course I do. I make all his appointments and he hasn't talked to anyone about getting rid of you.” Sabrina took a deep breath. “He's just as scared as you are. He has this idea that he could really mess you up. We both know that's not true, but he believes it. See, when he was growing up, his parents didn't bother with him. They were gone a lot, and they thought he and his sister were just in the way. The staff took care of them. But the staff was always changing, so there wasn't ever anyone to worry about him, or love him. He wants more for you.”

“But he was rich.”

“He was lonely. And you know what that feels like, right?”

Anastasia nodded. “I get scared, and then I say stuff I don't really mean.”

“He knows that, but it would be nice if you could tell him yourself. Honey, he just wants to love you and take care of you. I think you two could have a wonderful relationship, but you need to meet him halfway. He'll never take the place of the father you remember, but there's still room in your life for him. It's okay to love them both. Hearts are funny that way. No matter how many people we love, there's always enough room for one more.”

Anastasia hugged her bear close. “You think so?”

“I promise.”

 

That evening Cal stared at the television, but he wasn't paying attention to the show. He was straining to hear something from upstairs. It had been a couple of hours. Sabrina had come down and said to let Anastasia work it out for herself, but he wasn't sure he could take much more of this. He felt that every time he turned around, he was doing something else wrong.

He heard footsteps and looked up. Anastasia paused in the entrance to the room.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi, yourself. You okay?”

She nodded. “I'm—” She cleared her throat. “I'm sorry about what I said before. I didn't mean it. Sometimes I just—” She shrugged. “You know. Say stuff. I don't even want to. It just comes out. I'm sorry.”

He crossed to her in three strides. Once he reached her side, he didn't know what to say. “Anastasia, I—”

She stared at her feet. “I know. It's pretty dumb, huh?”

“Not at all.” He reached out and took her hand in his. “It makes sense. But thank you for apologizing. That takes a lot of courage.”

She raised herself up on tiptoe, pressed a kiss to his cheek, mumbled a quick “good-night” and raced up the stairs. Cal stood staring after her. He felt like Sally Field at the Academy
Awards all those years ago when she'd said, “You like me, you really like me.”

His daughter liked him. Hot damn.

He knew he was grinning like a fool and he couldn't help it. Anastasia had made him very happy. He crossed the room and stepped out onto the porch. Sabrina stood at the railing, staring out over the water.

“Did you tell her to apologize to me?” he asked.

Sabrina turned toward him. In the half light spilling out from the living room, her red hair looked darker than usual. Shorts exposed long legs, although a loose T-shirt kept the top half of her charms completely covered.

“Anastasia?” she asked, then continued without waiting for an answer. “Of course not. I did talk to her and explain that you were her father and willing to meet her more than halfway. It was up to her to make the rest of the journey. I'm glad she decided to make it easy.”

He shifted from foot to foot. “I know this is really dumb, but she kissed me good-night. For that second I felt like her dad.”

“You are her dad.”

He moved next to her and looked out at the water. Lights from boats reflected in the moving surface. “I can sniff out an oil field a hundred miles away, but I don't know the first thing about raising a daughter. And I'm obviously a lousy judge of women. I still believe I should have known what Janice was doing, but I never guessed.”

“This is getting redundant, Mr. Langtry. None of that is your fault. You were willing to take responsibility as soon as you found out about your daughter. That's what matters. Let the past go, Cal. Worry about today and maybe a little about tomorrow. You and Anastasia have a chance to be a family together. Don't let go of that.”

He hoped Sabrina was right. “I like her,” he said. “I know she's a real brat at times, but I like her.”

“If you can say that after everything she's said to you, then you're going to be a great father.”

Cal bumped his shoulder against hers. Sabrina bumped him back, telling herself the action was just playful. He was thrilled that Anastasia had apologized for what she'd said. It was a big step in forming a bond. He had every reason to be happy.

She was happy for him. At least that's what she told herself. She was also on fire from standing so close to him. Had he always generated this much body heat or was she just now noticing it? And when had it gotten so warm in the evenings around here? She thought it was supposed to be cool at night.

She had to get out of here, she told herself. Before she said or did something really stupid. Her hormones were out of control, she couldn't stop thinking about Cal. If only he would dress in his suits, or even jeans. But the shorts were driving her crazy, what with the way they left his powerful legs bare. Sometimes on the beach, he wore no shirt at all and exposed his flat belly and the dark hair that taunted her. She wanted to put her hands on him and see if he was as hard as he looked.

She swallowed. Hard. Bad, bad choice of words. It made her think of other things being hard, of—

Stop it! she commanded herself.

“Thanks, Sabrina.”

Before she figured out what he was going to do, he turned toward her and pulled her close. She was too stunned to resist or pull back, then suddenly she found herself pressed against him—chest to chest, thigh to thigh, his face inches from hers.

“You're the best, little lady,” he said, deliberately exaggerating his drawl.

He was teasing and she was slowly melting. Well, at least he would never know how she felt, or how much she wanted him to kiss her. Pride wasn't much to keep her company, but it was going to have to be enough.

“Thank you, cowboy,” she said, but her voice sounded funny. Low and husky.

Cal's expression shifted from teasing to something else. Dear God, please, he couldn't guess. That would be too humiliating for words.

“Sabrina?”

She started to pull away. Really. That was her intent. But without warning, he dropped his head slightly and pressed his mouth to hers. Then she couldn't move, she couldn't think. She could only feel… The soft, firm pressure of his lips against hers, the way his hands cradled her so gently, the heat of him, his strength, the wanting that flooded her until she thought she would drown in the sweetest way possible.

She told herself it was a “thank you” kiss, that it didn't mean anything. But the seconds ticked by and he didn't bother pulling away. If anything, he deepened the pressure, as if testing…or waiting. For her? For a reaction? For her to jerk back and slap him, or did he want something else from her? Surrender?

Involuntarily, because she sure hadn't given them permission, her hands crept up his chest to link behind his neck. She raised herself up on her toes and angled her head slightly. That was it. She didn't do a single thing about his lips pressed against hers, but apparently the other cues were enough because he began to move.

He parted his lips and brushed them back and forth against hers. The gentle caress stole the last strength from her legs and she sagged against him. Her blood raced faster as a tingle started in her toes, working its way up her body, setting tiny fires of need as it went.

She'd thought about kissing Cal. Sometimes, when it was late and her defenses were down, she allowed herself to imagine what it would be like, but all that wondering hadn't even come close to reality. The taste of him, his scent, the powerful wall of muscles supporting her—he was so much
more than she could have dreamed. She wasn't even sure this was real. Maybe it was a fantasy brought on by the night.

“Sabrina.”

His voice was thick with desire. A shiver of anticipation rippled through her. As if he read her mind, he opened his mouth a little more and touched the tip of his tongue to her bottom lip. If she hadn't already been leaning against him, that single stroke would have brought her to her knees.

She clung to him. Her fingers curled into his muscles as she clutched his shirt. He, too, wore shorts, and the hair on his legs tickled her skin. Her breasts swelled, her nipples grew hard, and between her thighs the ache increased as her body grew slick in anticipation of a hoped-for invasion.

His tongue swept into her mouth and she was carried away. Everywhere he touched, she melted and wanted more. So much more. It was chemistry, or maybe physics, the attraction of magnets that sealed themselves together, or maybe molecules binding into more stable compounds.

One of his hands cupped her head, as if to hold her in place. As she answered his kiss, his touches and strokes, with playful forays of her own, she knew she had no intention of pulling back. But she liked the feel of his fingers in her hair.

With his other hand, he followed the curve of her hip, then moved around to squeeze her rear. The contact brought her pelvis forward. She felt his hardness, the proof that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. As she'd always wanted him. It was—

Her heart froze in her chest, her breathing stopped and she knew she was going to die. Right there on the porch on Balboa Island. Words replayed in her head.
As she'd always wanted him.
It couldn't be true. Not that. Not Cal. She knew better. He didn't really care about her, not as a woman. He didn't care about anyone romantically. She knew that. Falling for him would be incredibly stupid. She'd protected herself…hadn't she?

Cal stepped back. “Sabrina, what's wrong?”

She realized she'd stopped kissing him and had dropped her hands to her sides. She shook her head, more to clear it than to answer his question. “Nothing. I'm fine. It's just…” She touched a hand to her lips. “I'd better go upstairs now.”

“Sabrina, wait. I'm sorry if I offended you. I didn't mean—”

But she was already running up the stairs and she couldn't hear him. She hurried to her room and closed the door behind her. Her heart had resumed beating in her chest, but now it was pounding so hard she thought it might explode.

As she crossed to the window to stare out at the night, she fought against the tears burning in her eyes. It had happened. She hadn't known, or she would have tried to stop it. She knew better, but in this case, that wasn't enough. Perhaps she'd been foolish to think she could escape. Close proximity and genuine affection had conspired against her. For an assortment of reasons, some that made sense and some that didn't, she'd fallen in love with Cal.

When had it happened? These past few weeks? She leaned against the window frame and closed her eyes. No, it had been longer than that. She wasn't sure how long, but at least a year. Maybe she'd always loved him.

A single tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. She brushed it away. There was nothing to be done, she told herself. She was already making plans to leave, so she would be safe. Her only concern was to keep Cal from finding out the truth. In the best-case scenario he would be momentarily interested, but it would only be in the chase. Once he caught her, he wouldn't want her. The worst-case scenario would be that he would only pity her, and she couldn't stand that.

Best of all was for him to never find out. Once she was free of him, she would find a way to get over him. Then she would be fine. It wasn't as if she was going to love him forever.

C
al rinsed the lettuce in the sink, then tossed it into a drainer. After nearly a week at their beach house, Sabrina had announced it was his turn to cook dinner. He'd tried protesting, but she'd informed him that even he could grill hamburgers on the built-in barbecue in the corner of their patio. He'd tried pouting and complaining, but she'd stood firm. They'd made a quick trip to the grocery store for supplies, including an assortment of salads from the deli. So here he stood, getting together lettuce, onions and tomatoes, along with pickles and mustard.

The kitchen opened up onto the living room. Beyond that he could see Sabrina and his daughter on the patio. They were playing a board game. Although the sliding glass door was open, their voices didn't carry to him. Still, he enjoyed watching them together.

Anastasia continued to gain weight. Her face had filled out, and her eyes didn't look so huge and lost behind her glasses.
In a couple of more weeks, she would lose the gaunt appearance of an underfed child. She continued to tan. Just yesterday, he'd caught a couple of teenage boys giving her a second glance. Fortunately Sabrina had noticed his reaction and had pulled him into the car before he could walk over and tell them to leave his daughter alone. She was only twelve.

Cal washed the tomatoes. As much as he wanted to change things, he couldn't. His daughter was practically a teenager, and the trauma of her dating was only a few years away. He could already feel his hair turning gray.

The sound of laughter caught his attention. He glanced up. Sabrina and Anastasia bent toward each other. The setting sunlight glinted in their hair. His daughter was dark like him, but Sabrina's hair glowed like fire. She tossed her head and flame-colored strands danced against the back of her neck.

Without wanting to, he remembered the feel of that skin against his hand. He'd touched her there, the night he'd kissed her. He'd stroked the softness, had experienced the warmth.

He told himself not to go there, but in the past two days, he hadn't been able to think about much else. What had started out as an impulsive, maybe even friendly kiss, had turned into something very different. Before he'd done it, he'd never really thought about kissing Sabrina. She wasn't that kind of woman, at least not to him. But when she'd been so close and he'd inhaled the scent of her body, something had happened. Something he couldn't explain but that he would very much like to repeat.

Sabrina. Who would have thought she could store all that passion inside and he would never have known? Once he'd gotten the idea to kiss her, he'd thought he might enjoy it, but he hadn't expected to be blown away.

Thoughts of kissing led to other thoughts…of things like making love with her. They'd fit so well together. That had surprised him. He'd liked how she felt in his arms and the way
her body had pressed up against his. He'd enjoyed the taste of her, the need he'd felt, the explosion that had nearly flared out of control. He couldn't remember the last time a woman had made him want to lose control.

Anastasia said something and Sabrina laughed again. He smiled as he watched the familiar crinkles appear at the corners of her eyes. He'd known Sabrina for years and he'd never suspected the truth about her. In his mind, she'd been a friend, an employee, someone he could work with, respect and even like. But desire? He shook his head. She wasn't his type. No obvious beauty, no flash. Just a quietly attractive, very special woman.

He wanted her. He wanted her in his bed, naked and willing. He wanted to know if there was the same magic between them as there had been when they'd kissed. Even though he knew better. He knew what happened when he went after a woman. He wanted her until he caught her. Once he'd won the chase, he was no longer interested in the prey.

He couldn't afford that with Sabrina. She was too important to him. He didn't want to have to worry about getting rid of her or having to replace her. For one thing, she was damn good at her job. For another, he would miss her. So, for the sake of his business, their friendship and his daughter, he would keep it platonic.

Which meant no more kissing.

He sliced the tomatoes and placed them on a plate, then dried off the lettuce and tore it into hamburger-size pieces. When everything else was ready and on the table, he returned to the refrigerator and reached for the hamburger patties. Of course there were going to be regrets, he thought. He regretted that he couldn't find out if they would be as good together as he imagined.

He was halfway across the kitchen when the realization hit him. The answer was so incredibly simple he didn't know
why he hadn't thought of it before. It was true that he was more interested in the “getting” than the “having” where women were concerned. But he already knew and liked Sabrina. So once he had her and lost interest, all that would change was that he wouldn't want her in his bed. He would still need and trust her as both an employee and a friend. Their relationship would return to its pre-kiss uncomplicated state and his curiosity would be satisfied. The perfect solution. All he had to do was seduce Sabrina into agreeing with his plan. Fortunately, seduction was something he was very good at.

 

“But I don't want to,” Anastasia whined the next afternoon.

Sabrina told herself to stay patient, that the girl was just reacting to the unfamiliar, but her patience was being stretched thin. What she wanted to say was “Shut up. We're doing this so you'll have a good time and enjoy life, but if you want to go sulk in your own room, fine.” Instead, she smiled brightly.

“Anastasia, in-line skating is a lot of fun. You're going to like it. The beach is a great place to learn. When we get back to Houston, you'll be able to do it there, too, because it's practically the flattest city on the planet. I've seen tons of kids your age in-line skating all over. You'll be able to meet them and hang out.”

Anastasia looked around at the boardwalk. They were outside a rental shop. It was midweek, so the skate-bike-people traffic wasn't too bad. “I'm not good at this kind of stuff. I'm gonna fall.”

Cal plopped down on the bench next to his daughter. “Hey, kid, there's plenty of padding. You might end up with a bruise or two, but it'll still be fun.” He leaned close and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Look at it this way. Sabrina and I are way older than you and we can both blade. You're young and athletic. Once you've picked up the sport, you'll be
skating circles around us. Isn't that worth a couple hours of looking awkward and silly?”

The girl shrugged. “I guess.”

“I guess,” Cal mocked. “There's enthusiasm. I don't know, Sabrina. What do you think? Should we just lock her in the car while we go have a good time without her?”

Sabrina pretended to consider the suggestion, then shook her head. “No, let's give her a chance.”

Hearing Cal teasing his daughter and watching him smile was enough to blow away her ill-temper. It wasn't Anastasia's fault, she reminded herself. She, Sabrina, had been out of sorts ever since the kiss.

She followed father and daughter into the rental shop. Telling herself it had just been a kiss didn't seem to be helping. No matter how many times she thought she'd put it into perspective, it just kept coming back. At night, before she fell asleep, she relived the moment. At odd times during the day, when Cal smiled at her, or accidently touched her, she thought about it again. To make matters worse, he seemed to be touching her a lot. It was starting to drive her crazy. Because when she thought about the kiss for very long, it was too easy to think about other things, like touching him back all over—and having him kiss her on places other than her lips.

They rented skates for the three of them, then went outside. Cal helped Anastasia into her gear while Sabrina slipped on hers. She hadn't been skating in a while, and the narrow wheels felt awkward. But after a couple of minutes, she was able to glide up and down the boardwalk.

“See,” Cal said, pointing. “She's kinda old and she can do it.”

Anastasia giggled. Sabrina gave him a mock glare. “‘Kinda old'? I don't think so. Anyway, if I'm kinda old, what does that make you? A fossil?”

“I'm a man in my prime. Everyone knows women don't age as well.”

“Hit him!” Sabrina commanded. “Hit him, then hold him until I can get there.”

Anastasia laughed out loud. Sabrina skated toward them. Cal easily sidestepped her, caught her hand as she came around and pulled her close. He hadn't bothered with his skates yet, so she was nearly at eye level.

“I could take you out with one punch,” she told him.

“You and what army?”

Amusement glinted in his brown eyes, amusement and something that called to her. Desire? That's what she wanted it to be, but she wasn't sure.

“Should I try to stand?” Anastasia asked, breaking the mood.

“It's a good place to start,” Cal said, releasing Sabrina and moving to his daughter's side.

She rose to her feet and wobbled back and forth. Cal put his arm out and let her steady herself by holding on to him.

“Why don't you show her what to do,” Cal said, glancing at Sabrina and smiling.

It didn't mean anything, she reminded herself. They'd always worked well as a team. That's all this was. Teamwork to help his daughter.

“In in-line skating, the key is to keep your center of gravity as low as possible,” Sabrina said. “So skate with your knees bent. When you feel yourself losing your balance, the instinct is to reach up and back. That's just going to ensure that you fall. Instead, drop into a crouch and bend forward.”

She demonstrated the action.

“That's important to remember,” Cal said. “You've got knee pads, elbow and wrist guards. If you fall forward, you're protected. If you fall backward, you're going to get bruised.”

Anastasia looked doubtful but took a tentative step forward.

“Glide,” Sabrina instructed. “Push out to the side, not forward.”

“Come on, you can do it,” Cal told his daughter. “I'll stay right with you.”

It was a perfect summer afternoon, with the sky clear and the ocean sparkling just beyond the beach. Not that many people were out and they had a lot of room to practice. Anastasia was slow and off balance, but she managed to skate a few feet without holding on to her dad's arm.

She was tall and thin, still awkward, but Sabrina saw the hint of elegance in her carriage and facial bone structure. In just a couple of years, she was going to be a beauty. She was bright, sometimes too bright, and she was a survivor. All in all, Cal had done well with his daughter, and the young girl had gotten lucky with her father.

In the past few days, they'd started making peace with each other. They still had a lot of things to work out, and Anastasia wasn't going to be an easy teenager at times, but Sabrina knew they would form a bond that would last them forever. The love would be more precious for having been hard won.

When Anastasia could skate about a block without wobbling too badly, Cal put on his rented skates and joined them.

“Race you to the ice cream store,” he said, pointing to a bright pink building up about two blocks away. “Winner has to buy.”

“There's motivation not to win,” Sabrina said, and laughed.

“You know I'm going to buy, anyway,” he told her. “Where's your competitive spirit?”

“In my suitcase.” She eyed his easy grace on the skates. While she could hold her own on a straight path, she wasn't the least bit athletic. Cal, on the other hand, could skate backward, do crossover turns and had, a few years before, spent a summer playing in a roller hockey league. His constant travel had forced him to drop out.

A warm breeze caressed them. Sabrina inhaled the scent
of salt air and ocean and knew that whatever happened she would remember this time with Cal and his daughter.

“Dad!” Anastasia called as she realized the boardwalk had taken a slight dip and she was moving faster than was comfortable. “Help me.”

Cal stood frozen in place, his expression wide with shock. “Catch her,” Sabrina told him, and gave him a little push in his daughter's direction. She knew exactly why he was so stunned. She felt herself tearing up slightly as Anastasia plowed into her father.

The preteen probably didn't realize what she'd said, and if she did, she might get scared and embarrassed, only to retreat into sullen silence or rudeness. But she and Cal had heard it, had heard his daughter call him “Dad” for the first time.

Cal wrapped his arms around the girl. “Good going,” he said, his voice gruff. “You're doing really well.”

“Think so? It's fun. A little strange, but fun. Back in Ohio, a few kids had skates, but not that many. They're kind of expensive, aren't they?” She sounded wistful.

“If you want to start skating, I think we might be able to buy you a pair,” he said. “I like skating. It could be something we do together.”

Brown eyes met brown eyes. They were both a little scared, both wanting to reach out but terrified of rejection. Sabrina held her breath.

“Okay,” Anastasia said shyly. “Can I get pink ones?”

Cal gave her a hug. “Sure. The brightest pink they have in the store. Maybe Day-Glo so you can put them on your bookshelf in your room and read by them instead of a lamp.”

His daughter giggled.

“Now, what about that ice cream?” Cal asked. He looked at Sabrina. “I'll give you a head start.”

“Five minutes,” she called, and started skating.

“No way. A minute.” His voice carried on the wind.

“Two,” she yelled back, but it was too late. She heard Cal starting out behind her. His stride was long and powerful and she knew she didn't have a chance.

“Dad, wait,” Anastasia said, unable to keep up.

Sabrina glanced over her shoulder and winked. “Yeah,
Dad,
wait for your daughter.”