The Barons of Texas: Jill (9 page)

“Ms. Baron? Ms. Baron?”

“Yes?” She forced open her eyes. “What is it?”

“The massage is over.”

“It is?” Disappointment tinged her voice.

As the massage had continued, she remembered going into a kind of twilight rest, where she felt as if she were drifting on a cloud. Every once in a while she would become aware of Helen’s heavenly touch as the woman worked her fingers up and down her body, murmuring occasionally about knots. And she’d been conscious enough to turn over when Helen had
asked her. But after that, she’d sunk back into her cloud. And now she couldn’t feel a bone in her body.

“Sit up slowly,” Helen cautioned. “You may feel somewhat dizzy at first, but it will pass in a moment.”

She sat up just fine, but immediately wanted to lie down again for another hour of massage. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this relaxed. But Helen was carefully urging her off the table, even going so far as to kneel down and guide her feet into a pair of peach terry-cloth slippers—peach and green being the spa’s colors. The slippers matched the robe she put on a moment later.

Helen straightened and beamed at her. “Do you feel better?”

“Yes, thank you very much. You’re truly gifted.”

With a pleased nod, Helen led her out of the room. “Follow me. Your facial is next.”

“Do you know where Mr. Wynne is?” He had assured her that he would not leave the premises. At the time, her theory had been that he had brought her there and he could damn well stay as long as she did. He’d laughed and agreed.

“No, I’m sorry, I don’t.”

“Here we are.” Helen pushed open another door in a hall that seemed lined with endless doors, and Jill entered another dimly lit room to see three green-smocked women waiting for her. There was also the most comfortable-looking lounge chair she had ever seen. “Ladies, she’s all yours.”

Helen left, quietly closing the door behind her.

A woman with beautiful silver hair came forward. “My name’s Mary, Ms. Baron. I’ll be doing your facial.” She turned and introduced the other two ladies, Cordelia and Alyssa.

“Hello,” she said politely, and received a duet of hellos in return.

“While I’m doing your facial,” Mary said, “Cordelia will be giving you a manicure and Alyssa will be doing your pedicure.”

“How efficient,” Jill said with true approval.

“Some of our clients like to linger all day, while others would rather not,” Mary explained. “Mr. Wynne said you fell into the latter category.”

“He did, did he?” Colin knew her entirely too well. “Do you happen to know where he is?”

“I believe he’s in one of our private salons with Jacqui.”

Private
salon? “Do you know what they’re doing?”

“No, I’m afraid I don’t.”

Why should she care what Colin was doing? With the beautiful Jacqui? She didn’t, she told herself. She really didn’t.

“If you would please sit down, we’ll make you as comfortable as possible and begin.”

She complied, sank into another cloud and nearly groaned with delight. She had no idea who made this chair, but she was going to find out and order a dozen, she thought, as once again she drifted off into the twilight.

“Are you ready to wake up?”

Jill heard the question through cotton layers of sleep. The voice was soft, filled with amusement and very, very masculine. The voice was
Colin’s
. Jill instantly awoke.

He was sitting beside the cloud chair, holding her
hand and smiling over at her. “I gather the morning has been a relaxing experience for you?”

“It’s been okay,” she said cautiously. After all, she’d come here under protest, so she didn’t want him to be too pleased with himself. “I didn’t sleep all that well last night, so I took the opportunity for a catnap.”

“Good. I’m glad you were able to get some rest. Are you ready for lunch?”

If there was one thing she was dead certain of, it was that she was too relaxed to get dressed and go out to one of the trendy restaurants where the movers and shakers lunched. “No.”

His brows arched skeptically. “Don’t you want to get your money’s worth? It’s included in the package price.”

“Oh, I hadn’t realized.”

“Well, now that you have, come on.” He gave a light tug on her hand. “After lunch, you’ve got only one or two more things to do, and then we’re out of here.”

She was so relaxed she wasn’t certain she could have made it out of the chair without his help. When she was finally on her feet, she suddenly remembered that she was naked beneath the terry robe. She adjusted it and tightened the belt. She hadn’t been conscious of her relative nakedness until he had shown up.

He looked down at her and stroked her hair away from her face. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this relaxed.”

She gave a light chuckle. “I’m sure no one has. They not only relax your muscles here, I think they also relax your bones.”

He slid his hands along the sides of her face and tilted it up to his. “Relaxed looks good on you,” he said softly, huskily, the glints of gold in his brown eyes holding her gaze until she felt in danger of falling into them.

When he lowered his mouth to hers and lightly brushed his lips back and forth over the full softness of hers, it was almost as if she’d been waiting for it. Suddenly nerve endings sprang to life, carrying tingling warmth to all parts of her body. And the thought fluttered through her mind that he wasn’t being fair. She was too relaxed to put up any defense against him. Not that she could remember that a defense had helped her last night when they had danced.

He slowly parted his mouth, and she parted hers in response. Heaven help her, she knew what was coming next, and she wanted it. His tongue delved deeply into her mouth, not with the force he had used last night, but with a leisurely gentleness that had her almost incoherent. Heat bloomed between her legs. Surroundings were forgotten. She could only concentrate on what he was making her feel.

His hand slid inside her robe to cup one bare breast, and his thumb stroked her nipple until a soft moan escaped her. As soon as it did, he pulled away.

Her next breath came hard. Her body had been left aching and hurting. She gazed up at him, confused and unsure. What was he doing to her?

He exhaled a long, shaky breath. His face seemed etched in torment, but his next words erased that idea.

He gestured vaguely. “That’s what Des would have done.” He took her hand and practically dragged her toward the door. “Come on.”

Dazed, she followed him out of the room and down
the hall toward yet another door. “Jacqui has set our lunch up in here so we can have some privacy.”

Privacy. Oh, yeah, right, she reflected with numbed sarcasm. That was exactly what they needed.

He opened the door to a brightly lit room awash in greens and peaches. The colors had been translated onto sumptuous fabrics that upholstered the chairs and couches. In one corner, where a green ficus grew tall and lush, there was a table set for two, with their plates and glasses already filled.

She headed for it and the champagne she saw. Without looking at Colin, she chose a chair and lifted the flute to her lips. When she’d emptied it, she looked for the bottle.

A second before she could grab it out of the silver bucket, he got it and refilled her glass. “It might be better if you ate something before you have any more.”

The suggestion, though gently made, was received with all the humor of an enraged rhino. Still, she did finally look at her plate. There were large portions of chicken, spinach and fruit salad, along with two small muffins.

With every one of her senses now alive, she realized two things: she was hungry, and she desperately needed to block Colin from her mind.

She picked up the sterling-silver fork and proceeded to attack the food. It was satisfying and delicious.

Her mind was blessedly blank, and amazingly, the relaxation she had gained this morning was still with her. By the time she was finished eating, even her heartbeat had returned to normal and the heat had
receded. But she remembered the kiss, the touch—oh,
how
she remembered.

She looked at Colin and saw that he was staring at her. She glanced at his full plate. He must have been watching her the entire time; he hadn’t taken so much as one bite of his food. Her gaze returned to him. He was reclining in his chair, his elbow propped on its arm, his face bracketed by his thumb and forefinger.

Carefully she laid her napkin over the arm of her chair. “You said something about one or two more things I had to do?”

He nodded.

“What?”

“A hairstyling and makeup lesson.”

“I don’t need makeup lessons, but I’ll agree to the hairstyling.”

“Good.” His expression was absolutely enigmatic.

What was he thinking? Did he remember, as she did, how she’d reacted to his kiss? Did he know how his simple touch on her breast had nearly leveled her? Did he know that she felt different from the person she had been the night of her party? And that the difference had started when she awoke the next morning to find that she had slept the night through all tangled up with him?

“And do you have anything planned after the hairstyling?”

He hadn’t once shifted position, nor had he dropped his gaze from her. She had the feeling that this was one time when he couldn’t figure out what she was thinking. That made two of them.

She looked down at her folded hands and absently noted the clear polish they had applied to her nails as she had slept. It was what she always wore. Her toenails
were another matter, though. They had painted them a hot pink. Colin had finally gotten a color on her toenails that made a strong statement.

“We’re driving to the airport, where we’ll board my plane and fly to the American Virgin Islands.”

He paused, obviously expecting her to say something, to object, but instinct told her to remain silent. There could be danger in speaking before she figured out what was bothering her. Besides, she knew there was more to come.

“A friend of mine owns a private island down there that he’s agreed to lend us for a few days.”

Once again he paused, but she continued to remain quiet. As motionless as she held herself, though, her mind was racing. A private island meant they would be alone, with the possible exception of a staff. Colin and she would basically be alone. For a few days, he had said. Her heart gave a hard thud.

After a moment Colin straightened in his chair. “One of the reasons we’re going down there is to give me the opportunity to teach you how to snorkel. Des loves to snorkel.” He fidgeted with the edge of his plate, then pushed it away and looked back at her. “So, as I said, we’re driving straight from here to the airport. As a matter of fact, our luggage is already in my car. I packed my bags this morning, and while you were busy with your massage and so on, I had Neiman’s send over a selection of things you’ll need, beachwear and the like, along with suitcases. Jacqui helped me pack the bags and assured me there was everything in them that you’ll need. I also called Molly, who drove to your home, collected your medicine, along with a few other things she said you’d want, plus your purse, then brought them over.
They’re all packed in a separate case, where you can get to them easily if needed.”

He had thought of everything, and he had taken it on himself to arrange everything behind her back. She knew he expected her to get angry, to tell him in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t going anywhere else with him, nor would she let him hijack her aboard his plane. She should. She also knew that, to Colin, she probably appeared eerily calm. She was.

But things were shifting and turning inside her as surely as if they were something tangible she could see on an X ray. She could
feel
them. It was as if she was having her own private, internal earthquake, and it felt every bit as violent as the shifting of tectonic plates. She just wasn’t sure yet what the changes were and why they were occurring.

“I promised Molly that you’d call her from the plane so that the two of you can go over anything you need to.”

If she stayed in town, she would throw herself back into her work with her usual intensity, and her questions would be shoved into the back of her mind. She would make sure of that.

Instinctively, though, she knew her questions were too important to go unanswered. Besides, why shouldn’t she take a few days off? She’d been working her whole life, starting when she was three years old, when she had begun to work so hard to please a father who could not be pleased.

“Jill?”

She lifted her gaze to him. He looked worried, wary. He wanted an answer. She would give him one. “Fine.”

J
ill stretched slowly awake. Sunshine and a mild breeze glided through a large open door, filling the room with light, the scent of tropical flowers and the soothing sound of the sea’s relentless movement. At the door, flowing, sheer, cream-colored curtains blew inward in a slow, undulating motion. It was the same material that was draped over the tall posters of the bed.

The sounds, the scents were all so completely different from what she was used to that for a few minutes she simply lay there, trying to orient herself.

When they had arrived on the island last night, Colin had shown her to this room and set her new pieces of luggage on two matching teak chests at the foot of her large bed. Two smaller bags had gone into the bathroom. He’d also said that when she was ready, there would be a late dinner served on the terrace, but
she’d been too tired. Instead, she had showered, rifled through the luggage until she had found a pink silk chemise, crawled into bed and gone straight to sleep.

In retrospect, she supposed the inner turmoil she had endured the past few days had left her exhausted. Even on the trip here, she and Colin had exchanged very few words. She’d taken him at his word and called Molly, issuing instructions as to how to rearrange the rest of her week. Then, instead of going to sit with Colin in the cockpit, she had taken a nice long nap. Even so, she had still arrived on the island feeling exhausted.

She slid out of bed and padded over to the doorway that led out onto a wide stone terrace. Last night, she remembered, Colin had driven them up a hill from the landing strip that he had told her was on the other side of the island from the house. He had said the strip had been carefully constructed so that, no matter where you were on the island, it couldn’t be seen, except from the air.

Last night she had been too tired to try to get her bearings. Now, though, she saw that the house did indeed sit on a hill.

She didn’t even have to step out onto the terrace to see the deep-green vegetation that carpeted the hill all the way down to a shimmering white beach and the multihued blue sea beyond. Flowers so brightly colored they didn’t seem real made enormous bouquets amidst the trees and bushes. She could even see white wicker lounge chairs with several matching small tables placed slightly to the left of her doorway, so that they would be convenient but wouldn’t block the view.

She had made a good decision to come here, she
thought. The island was an entirely different world, with a different kind of beauty than what she was used to. If any place could get her out of her normal routine where she lived, slept and ate business, it would be this island. The tranquil beauty would allow her a perfect environment to try to process all that had happened to her in the past few days. Yes, she had definitely made a good decision.

And since she was going to be here for a couple of days, she might as well get dressed and venture out to see what or who she could find.

Colin had said the purpose of the trip was to teach her to snorkel, so she rummaged in the suitcases and found six different two-piece bathing suits with matching cover-ups in an array of colors. She eyed a dark-pink two-piece with a critical eye. Skimpy. Decidedly skimpy. But the other suits didn’t look much larger.

With a sigh, she took the bikini and its cover-up into the bathroom and put it on.

Viewing herself in a floor-length mirror, she frowned. The bottom half of the suit started inches below her navel and its legs were cut high. The top was little more than two bra cups held together by string. At the same time, nothing vital was exposed, and it wasn’t
completely
outrageous. She twisted around to get another view, and the conclusion she reached surprised her. She looked pretty good in the suit.

She smiled at herself. The very fact that she was here, with two scraps of fabric serving as a swimsuit, was yet another clue that she was changing. What she didn’t know, and what she was here to figure out, was whether or not she liked the changes.

Plus, she had never been on a tropical island before, and swimsuits did seem to be called for. She took one more glance at herself in the mirror. How stupid of her. Why did she feel she had to defend herself
to
herself?

The cover-up was a lovely soft drift of pink-flowered material. She slipped it under one arm and tied it at the top of the opposite shoulder. There, she thought with another smile at herself—nothing showed but a shoulder and her arms.

Last night she’d delved into one of the smaller bathroom bags only long enough to find a new toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste. Now she took a longer look in each bag and found the touch of the beauteous Jacqui in the variety of facial creams, cleansers and makeup, all bearing the Jacqui’s logo. According to several of her female acquaintances, Jacqui’s products were excellent, so okay, she would use them.

She didn’t have to look in the other bag. She knew it bore Molly’s touch and contained all her medications. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to use any of them.

She washed her face, brushed her teeth and slathered one of the creams on her face and neck. Then she turned to the task of her hair and found there wasn’t much to do.

The hairstylist who had cut her hair yesterday had layered it. The cut had lightened its weight and revealed the wayward natural curl she had fought all her life to tame. The stylist had also shortened her hair to brush her shoulders and added wispy bangs. As a result, all she had to do was run her fingers through it, wet or dry, and it looked the same as when the stylist had sent her on her way yesterday.

She briefly shook her head at her reflection in the mirror. The haircut was one change she definitely hadn’t gotten used to yet. Returning to her bedroom, she donned a pair of sandals she found in one of the suitcases and headed for the terrace.

But after only a few steps, she stopped. Colin was standing at the other end of the terrace, staring out at the turquoise sea, one hand braced against a post, the other hand holding a cup of coffee.

And he was wearing nothing but a pair of dark blue, tight, low-cut swim briefs.

Very brief. Very tight.

She flushed and swallowed with a suddenly dry throat. Seeing him in profile as she was, the bulk of his sex was obvious.

She was riveted by the sight, and her heart began to pound as if it were about to burst out of her chest. But why? She had already felt his size and shape when they had danced. In his arms, on the dance floor, encircled by other couples, she had nearly come apart at the feel of him pressed against her lower body. She still could remember how she had ached for him.

She couldn’t allow that to happen here. She wouldn’t.

Besides, as she had just told herself, they were on an island where bathing suits were called for. She might as well get accustomed to the sight of his hard body, his sex….

Unbidden, heat flowed into her veins, until her whole body felt feverish.

She barely managed to stop herself from retreating to her bedroom. This was
not
a good way for her to start off her visit here on the island. She had stopped
hiding in her bedroom closet a long time ago, and she had no intention of starting now, however metaphorical it would be in this situation.

Slowly she walked toward him, but she forced her gaze away from him and scanned the rest of the terrace. Behind Colin was an outdoor living area, complete with comfortable-looking couches and chairs covered with fabrics that faithfully duplicated the tropical colors around them. There was even a fireplace, and overhead, a ceiling fan turned, as did several others along the terrace.

His gaze was so fixed on the sea, he didn’t see her as she approached, which was just as well. No matter how hard she tried, she could no longer avoid looking at him. Closer now, she saw water droplets drying on his muscled body and golden-brown hair.

“Good morning,” she said. Hopefully conversation would get her mind off his body.

He turned with an uncomplicated smile of welcome. “Good morning.”

His smile warmed her in a way that had nothing to do with sex. Thank
goodness
. “Is it? Morning, I mean? Time-wise, I’m thrown. All I know is that I fell into bed last night, slept the sleep of the dead, and when I awoke, the sun was already up.”

“That’s pretty much all you need to know. Time really isn’t important here in the islands.” His gaze skimmed her attire. “You look lovely.”

“Thank you,” she said, then instinctively tried to deflect his attention away from her. “This island is dazzling.”

“I’m glad you like it.” His smile told her he knew what she was doing.

Damn it. He was back to reading her mind. “Have you already been for a swim?”

He nodded. “The water was great. You’re going to love it.”

She glanced toward the sea. “That remains to be seen.”

“Right.” He reached for a blue-printed T-shirt that matched the blue of his swimsuit, slipped it over his head and down over his chest. Water quickly stained it in the places where he wasn’t yet dry, such as his chest, where she’d just seen water droplets glistening. She closed her eyes, as if the act would banish the sight from her mind. It didn’t work.

“First things first,” he said briskly. “Since you missed dinner last night, I bet you’re hungry.”

“You’d win that bet,” she said, glancing around and seeing a long rectangular table off to the side of the living area. It was set for two.

He took her hand. “Come with me.”

It seemed that was all she had been doing for the past three days.

She settled into the chair he held out for her; then he took a chair at a right angle to her. There were several covered dishes already on the table, along with a large fruit centerpiece.

As if on cue, a caramel-colored young beauty with close-cropped black hair glided into view, carrying a white carafe. “Coffee, ma’am?”

“Yes, thank you. Oh, I need decaffeinated, please. Is that a problem?”

“Not at all. That’s what this is.”

“Jill, this is Liana. Liana, this is my friend Jill.”

“Hello,” Jill said and received a warm smile in return.

“Welcome to Serenity,” Liana said as she poured Jill’s coffee.

“Serenity?”

Liana moved to a sideboard, exchanged carafes, then strolled around the table to replenish Colin’s cup. “It is the name of our island.”

“Liana and her family are caretakers of the island,” Colin inserted.

“How nice,” Jill said, looking back and forth between the two of them. “I can already see that the island was well named.”

Liana and Colin exchanged smiles, and something clutched at Jill’s heart. Their smiles were filled with intimate familiarity. Were they involved? Was Liana the woman with whom he had fallen in love? And if so, how had she broken his heart? Obviously they still felt warmly toward each other.

Liana directed her lovely black-eyed gaze on her. “Was there something special you’d like to eat this morning, Ms. Baron?”

“I’m not sure,” she said, staring at the island beauty, reflecting that Colin had a way of drawing beautiful women to him. Yesterday it had been Jacqui. Today it was Liana. She gave a soft sigh. What did it matter, anyway? “I am hungry, though.”

“Just name your first choice,” Colin said. “If we don’t have it, you can go on to choice number two.”

“All right, then. How about French toast with—” she glanced at the fruit bowl “—kiwi fruit, and crisp bacon on the side?”

“We can do that, ma’am.”

“Wonderful.” She stared at Liana’s warm smile and decided she couldn’t blame her if she was in love
with Colin. It sometimes seemed as if half the women she knew were. “And please, call me Jill.”

“Thank you, Jill. Colin?”

“What she’s having sounds good.”

“Mama and I will get right on it.” Liana turned and disappeared through a doorway.

Just then a gust of wind blew through the covered terrace and ruffled Jill’s hair. Instinctively she lifted her face to the breeze.

“You look as if you belong here,” Colin murmured.

Slightly embarrassed to be caught in what had been an unguarded moment, she turned the comment back on him. “So do you. You must come here often.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because you and Liana seem to know each other well.”

He nodded, eyeing her thoughtfully. “Well, to answer your question, I do come here often—or rather, as often as I can manage. And yes, Liana and I know each other very well.”

“How well?” As soon as she said it, she wished for the words back.

Suddenly Colin’s eyes began to twinkle. “What have you got going on in that beautiful head of yours? Do you think Liana and I are lovers?”

The sight of gold lights dancing in Colin’s eyes was something to behold. She felt a quickening low in her belly. It could mean she was just hungry, but she seriously doubted it. “Are you?”

He shook his head. “No, Jill. I’ve known Liana and her family for ten years, ever since I started coming here. We’re good friends, and that’s it. Plus, I
don’t think her husband would approve.” He tilted his head and gazed thoughtfully at her. “Okay?”

She shrugged as if it didn’t matter one way or the other. “Sure.” She reached for a glass pitcher of orange juice and poured herself some. “So you’ve been coming here for ten years?”

“Yes.”

“The person who owns this island must be a very
good
friend.”

“He is.”

“
You
own this island, don’t you?”

He smiled. “Along with Des.”

“I didn’t realize you two were so close.”

“I told you right from the beginning that we were good friends.”

She chewed on her bottom lip. She supposed Colin had done her a great favor by bringing her to an island Des owned half interest in. So why did she feel a sudden panic?

“Why didn’t you tell me who owned the island?”

“Because I was afraid if you knew it was partly mine, you might feel trapped in some way.”

That was
it
. Her panic had nothing to do with Des and everything to do with Colin. He had her in a place from which she couldn’t escape—escape from
him
.