Lost in His Arms (4 page)

Elizabeth shook her head in amazement. “You certainly know how to get things done.”

He smiled a lazy half smile that once again made her tummy buck and jump. “Get me out of the woods and I'm fine. In civilization, money always gets things done.”

A knock sounded on the door, and he opened it to a young man who held a paper bag and twin plastic-foam boxes that emitted wonderful smells.

Hunger. That was what made her stomach feel so funny, she thought. It had nothing to do with Talbot's sex appeal.

Talbot thanked the man, then set the items on the table. He opened the bag first and handed her a chocolate shake and removed a soda for himself. When he opened one box and she saw the thick cheeseburger and French fries, she wanted to cry. Not because she was starving, but because he'd remembered what she'd said she wanted when they'd been lost.

She wondered how badly she'd misjudged Talbot in the past. She had always believed him to be a cold, unfeeling man who had exacerbated Richard's
problems by picking him up again and again and never letting him fall to the ground. Had she been wrong about him?

“Thank you.” She smiled. “How is your leg feeling?”

“Better. The hot shower worked out some of the soreness. I'm sure it'll be fine. How's your head.”

“It's fine,” she said as she touched the side of her head. “I called home. Richard and Andrew are there and seem to be okay.” She popped a fry into her mouth.

“I told you they would be.”

“Andrew was bubbling about all the things Richard had shown him in Twin Oaks. Something about a swimming hole?”

A smile flashed across his face. “It was actually a pond. Walter North's pond.” He paused to take a bite of his burger and chewed, his smile lingering. “It was the biggest pond in the area, and on most hot days half the kids in town would find their way there, much to Walter's consternation.”

“He didn't like you swimming in his pond?”

“Anytime he'd catch us, he'd chase us with his shotgun. But it was a game for all of us.”

“A game?” She tried not to notice how achingly handsome he looked with a smile curving his lips.

“He never chased us off in the middle of a hot afternoon. It was always around dusk when he'd
come out of his house, acting like he'd just seen us.”

Talbot took a drink of his soda, then laughed. “God, what fun it was. Walter was as skinny as his shotgun. He'd cuss and wave his gun and we'd all scream and yell and scramble out of the water.”

Elizabeth leaned forward, as if by closer proximity she could feel some of the warmth of his happy memories. She had never considered Talbot a warm, personable man before, but the smile on his lips and the humor that lit his dark gray eyes caused heat to spiral through her.

“I think it was as much a game for Walter as it was for us. He'd never chase us very fast, and I'd lay odds the gun wasn't loaded. Richard was younger than the rest of us and couldn't run as fast, so he'd throw himself at me and I'd run with him hanging on to my back and screaming into my ear.”

His smile fell away and was replaced by a deep frown. “That's enough inane chatter. We'd better eat up and get on the road.”

They ate in silence and within an hour they were in an economy rental heading back to Kansas City.

Elizabeth tried to focus on the scenery flashing by them, but her thoughts, her entire awareness, were fixed solely on Talbot and the time they had spent together.

She wished, in those two days, she'd discovered
him to be every bit as cold, as dictatorial, as arrogant as she'd once believed him to be.

Shooting him a surreptitious glance, she sensed the power that radiated from him, the strength. She'd always known he was a man comfortable with himself, a man who appeared to need nobody.

Elizabeth had always prided herself on the fact that she needed nobody. She'd once believed she needed Richard, but had quickly discovered that need was tremendously overrated and the people you believed you needed inevitably let you down.

In the past couple of days, she wished she'd found Talbot emotionally deficient and physically repugnant. Once again she directed her gaze out the window and sighed.

She didn't need anyone, especially not Talbot McCarthy, her ex-brother-in-law. But damn him. Damn him for making her want him.

T
albot tried to focus on the road, but it was difficult when the sunshine streaming in through the windshield stroked rich highlights into Elizabeth's hair and the memory of her slender body pressed against his through the night played in his mind.

Was she wearing those red panties, with the lace riding high on her hips? He could easily imagine the scarlet wisp of lace against her lightly tanned skin.

He gripped the steering wheel more tightly and stepped harder on the gas pedal, eager to get back and put this entire experience behind him.

He would drop Elizabeth at her apartment, then head to the family home in Morning View, Kansas. Once he was back in his own house, surrounded by his own things and busy with the business of run
ning McCarthy Industries, he would quickly forget these three days with Elizabeth.

Surely he would forget how her body fit perfectly against his, how her eyes looked sexy and darkened when she first awakened. Surely he would quickly forget the scent of her hair, the fragrance that seemed to be as much a part of her as her blue eyes.

Hearing the reasons for her fear of the dark had opened up a dimension of her he'd never realized, a vulnerability he wished she hadn't shared with him.

The death of his parents, the virtual demise of his own family, had left a gaping hole in Talbot's heart, and he'd yet to meet the woman he thought might help fill that hole. One thing he knew for certain, it could never be Elizabeth, especially if Richard had been contemplating reconciliation.

He glanced at her again. She was so beautiful with her dainty features and that luxuriant hair. She looked delicate, but Talbot knew that her physical appearance was deceptive. She was emotionally stronger than any woman he'd ever known.

“Why did you stay with Richard for so long? You must have realized in the first couple of months, the first year, that things weren't going to work out between the two of you,” he said.

She frowned. “I was young, and I was pregnant with Richard's child. At first I thought he'd change, mature. I thought eventually there would come a
time when I would be more important to him than his buddies, when he'd work toward a future, instead of living in the moment.” She paused. “I knew the odds were against us from the very beginning because both of us were so young, but I desperately wanted it to work for us.”

“But you stayed for so long. Nine years.”

She looked out the windshield and didn't answer for a long moment. “I tried, Talbot. I kept thinking there would come a time when I'd have a husband and a child, instead of feeling as if I had two children. That time just didn't come.”

“I always admired your strength.”

Her gaze met his, and in those blue depths, he saw surprise and a small glimmer of gratitude.

She laughed, and the deep, throaty sound filled the interior of the car. Talbot realized how rarely in their past he'd heard her laugh.

“I don't know whether it's strength or stupidity and more than my share of stubbornness.” She raked a hand through her hair, causing it to ripple across her shoulder.

Her smile faded and once again the tiny wrinkle appeared on her forehead. “Talbot, I told you the other night that I grew up in foster care. I had some terrific foster parents and some not-so-terrific foster families, but in my entire youth, there was never any sense of permanence or family.”

Again she raked her hand through her hair, lifting
the cascade of honey-colored silk. “When I got pregnant, I swore to myself that my child would have the family I hadn't had—a mother and a father and perhaps a few siblings. The death of that dream was the most difficult thing I've ever had to face.”

He nodded and redirected his attention to his driving. He wondered what thoughts whirled around in her head. Did she still love Richard? Did she regret leaving him? If Richard wanted reconciliation, would she agree to it? Would she be willing to give him a second chance to find the happiness she'd once sought?

He dismissed his musings, knowing it was really none of his business what she thought or felt. She was his ex-sister-in-law, and their only real tie anymore was her son, his nephew.

Still, suddenly Talbot wanted the frown on her forehead to be gone. He wanted to hear her laugh again, see her eyes sparkle and shine. A heavy pall had fallen over the conversation, and he searched his mind for a way to lighten things up.

“It wasn't all bad,” she said, as if she'd read his mind and was also attempting to lighten the mood. She flashed him a smile. “Remember the picnic we had for Andrew's third birthday?”

He felt the answering smile that curved his lips. It had been a magical day. The weather had cooperated, providing one of those early-spring days where not a hint of winter lingered and the air
smelled of the promise of summer. The food had been delicious, Andrew had been charming, as only a three-year-old can be, and Richard had played the role of father and husband beautifully.

“What was the name of your date that day?” she asked, her eyes twinkling wickedly. “Cinnamon? Sugar?”

“Honey,” he replied, although he knew she probably remembered the name very well. He laughed and shook his head wryly.

“She was quite stunning.”

He nodded. “Yes, she was.”

Elizabeth's smile grew more wicked. “And she was so innovative in her dress for a picnic. Who would have thought of wearing spike heels, a leather miniskirt and a bustier to a birthday party for a three-year-old?”

“She's the only woman I've ever met who thought pâté was the bald spot on top of an old man's head.”

He was rewarded with her laughter. Rich and throaty, it filled the car, and he joined in as each memory called on another one of that crazy, glorious day.

“Every time she leaned over to look at the cake, I was afraid her, uh, assets might spill out,” Elizabeth continued.

Talbot laughed again. “I don't know what was
worse, her bending over to look at the cake or trying to play Frisbee in those shoes.”

“She might not have been overly bright, but I'm sure she had a good heart,” Elizabeth defended her.

“No, she didn't,” he protested. “She thought children were ‘yucky' and animals were dirty and believed a humanitarian award should go to Coco Chanel for finally coming up with clothing that women with breasts could wear.”

“Still, it was a nice party, wasn't it? Did you date her much after that day?”

“That was my first and last date with the lovely Honey. I liked her fine until she talked, and unfortunately the lovely Honey loved to talk.”

Elizabeth laughed again, then sobered and he could feel her gaze on him. “Why haven't you married, Talbot?”

Because the woman I wanted was already taken by my brother. He shoved the unwanted thought aside. “I don't know. I've been so busy building the business, I haven't taken much time for romance. Besides, I think I'm probably best alone.”

“Nobody is best alone,” she protested softly.

He glanced at her sharply. “What about you? Why haven't you remarried?”

She emitted a dry laugh. “Who has time? Besides, I'm not alone. I have Andrew. Between work and all of Andrew's activities, I meet myself coming and going.”

Talbot focused on the road again. They had reached the city limits of Kansas City, and traffic had become thick. He wanted to protest, to tell her that a son wasn't the same as a man in her life.

Instead, they both fell silent as Talbot battled the traffic, tried to concentrate on his driving and not on Elizabeth.

With the women Talbot had dated in the past, he'd always found that familiarity did, indeed, breed contempt. But with Elizabeth, it seemed to be breeding something quite different.

The car accident his parents had when he'd been twenty-one had stolen his mother's life instantly, but his father had lingered for two long days in the hospital. “Promise me,” he had said as Talbot gripped his hand and begged him to fight for life. “Promise me you'll always take care of Richard. He's not strong like you.”

And Talbot had promised. Even before his parents' deaths, there had been times when Talbot felt more like Richard's father than a brother.

As Talbot wheeled into the apartment complex where Elizabeth lived, he pushed aside thoughts of the past.

He pulled up before her building and stopped the engine, surprised by the vague sense of disappointment that seeped through him. “Guess the adventure is over,” he said.

“Yeah, guess so.” For a moment, he thought he
heard the same disappointment he felt in her voice. “Are you coming inside?”

“No. I need to get home, and you need to talk to Richard.” He got out of the car as she did the same. He grabbed her suitcase from the back seat and handed it to her, then walked with her partway to her door.

“Thanks for taking care of me, Talbot,” she said.

He smiled. “I didn't take care of you. If you were in the woods by yourself for a week, my bet would be on you.”

“Still, it was nice not to be alone…to have somebody with me during the darkness.” A slight blush stained her cheeks, and God help him, he wanted to reach out and stroke her skin.

It was an ache deep within him, the need to touch her one last time. “Just tell Richard I'll see him back in Morning View.” He bent forward to give her a perfunctory kiss on the cheek.

He wasn't sure what happened—whether he aimed wrong or she turned her head at the last moment—but suddenly his lips were on hers.

 

The kiss was no more than the mere touching of lips, but Elizabeth felt the power of the intimate connection right down to her toes. His mouth, which always appeared rather stern and forbidding, was in reality soft and sensual and filled with heat.

However, before she had time to respond in any
way, he released her, turned on his heel and stalked away.

As Elizabeth watched him get into the car, she raised a trembling hand to her lips where the imprint of his mouth felt like a brand.

He'd kissed her. Talbot McCarthy had kissed her. Why on earth had he done it? What had prompted him to kiss her?

His car pulled out of the parking area and disappeared from sight. She stared after it for a long moment, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

She turned to go into her apartment, confusion whirling inside her. The kiss had been so unexpected. And what confused her more than anything was the knowledge that someplace deep inside her, she'd wanted him to kiss her, again and again.

Andrew greeted her at the door, banishing any other thoughts from her head. He gave her an exuberant hug, and for a long moment Elizabeth clung to her son, grateful that everything had turned out well and everyone was all right.

“Elizabeth, I'm so glad you're okay,” Richard said as he rose from the sofa. “Where's Talbot?”

“He headed on to Morning View,” she replied. “He said he'd see you there.” Elizabeth looked at the man she had married so long ago.

Richard wasn't as striking or as potently male as his brother, but he was a pleasantly handsome man,
with warm brown eyes that had always sparkled with boyish enthusiasm and a mischievous glint. At the moment neither the glint nor the spark was apparent. His eyes held a somberness Elizabeth had never seen before.

“Dad made pot roast,” Andrew said. “With carrots and potatoes.”

“He did?” Elizabeth looked at Richard in surprise. “I didn't know you knew how to do a roast.”

Richard shrugged. “Andrew can't eat junk food all the time when he's with me. It isn't good for him.”

Elizabeth stared at him, wondering when a pod person had replaced Richard. The man she'd known for the past ten years had never worried about the effects of junk food on himself or his son.

“That sounds marvelous,” she finally said, and realized the meal with Talbot had been hours ago and she was hungry again.

“It's ready when you are,” Richard replied.

“Just let me go wash up and I'll be ready.” Elizabeth went into the bathroom. Richard had cooked a pot roast and Talbot had kissed her. This had to be the strangest day of her life.

For a moment she stared at her reflection in the mirror, surprised to find her lips weren't swollen or red. There was no lingering indication of Talbot's kiss other than the burning memory of his mouth against hers.

She sluiced her face with water, hoping the cool liquid would banish the heat of that memory, the taste of him. Why had he kissed her? And, more importantly, why had she wanted him to?

The moment had obviously been one of those anomalies of nature, an uncharacteristic act between two people who had shared an unusual or life-threatening situation. She'd heard of such things—people making love in the midst of disaster, kissing strangers when a stressful situation was over.

They had narrowly escaped death when the plane had gone down, had shared two nights and days together, lost in the woods. Reaching the apartment complex had indicated an end to the drama, and surely that was what had prompted the kiss. It had really meant nothing to him, and she certainly didn't intend to make anything of it.

She dried her face, then left the bathroom and went into the kitchen where Andrew and Richard were already seated at the table.

The dinner conversation remained pleasant and light. Andrew told her everything they had seen while in the tiny town of Twin Oaks. When he mentioned the swimming hole again, he added, “Dad said sometimes they would go skinny-dipping!”

Elizabeth fought the image that filled her mind—that of a naked, dripping-wet Talbot emerging from a sparkling pond.

“That must have been the pond where the farmer
would chase you with a shotgun,” she said to Richard.

“Really?” Andrew looked from his mother to his father.

Richard looked at her in surprise. “Talbot must have told you that.”