The Fairest of Them All (5 page)

Russ groaned. His carefully planned strategy was starting to wear on his nerves, he thought darkly. It was pure hell keeping his hands off Carly every time he gave her that brotherly good-night peck at the door.

Still he didn’t want to scare her off. He needed to lure her slowly, but so completely that she wouldn’t question it when he suggested they make love. That was the plan. Just the thought of having Carly in his arms and in his bed made his palms sweat.

Russ knocked and waited patiently at her apartment door until she peeked out. She smiled a little uncertainly, but her eyes sparkled with excitement. He wondered at the curious combination of emotions until she opened the door the rest of the way.

She wore the most unvirginal white dress he’d ever seen in his life. It fell off one tanned shoulder, then molded to her curves with breath-stealing clarity. It showed more leg than it concealed. By the time Russ snapped his jaw shut, more than his palms were sweating.

“Hi,” Carly said.

“Hi,” was all he could manage to answer. Then he shook his head. Now he understood why her brothers had been so protective. It was a wonder they hadn’t wrapped her in a robe and thrown a veil over her face.

Carly carried the conversation during the brief trip to Mayor Goodman’s house. Russ was still trying to deal with the change in her. He was very careful not to touch her, because once he did, he knew he wouldn’t stop until she’d eased the ache in his loins. He pulled the car to a stop and took a fortifying breath before he got out and led Carly up the walkway.

With a pained smile on her face, Janet Goodman answered the door of the two-story home. A chorus of howls started up as soon as they walked through the door.

“The twins are teething, and my daughter went out on her first date,” Janet explained.

“So you lost your baby-sitter,” Carly concluded.

“I need another shirt,” Sam yelled from upstairs. “Robbie drooled all over this one.”

“Coming,” Janet called, then she turned back to Russ and Carly. “Please forgive me, but—”

Another chorus of howls broke out.

“Could I check on the boys?” Carly asked. “I haven’t seen them in a long time.”

Relief and gratitude crossed Janet’s face. “Oh, would you please? I know they’ll settle down soon. Just make sure you put on a smock so they don’t ruin that lovely dress.”

The doorbell rang.

“And Russ, would you please get that? I’ll be down in just a minute. Help yourself to the bar and the appetizers in the parlor.” Janet disappeared up the stairs.

Carly and Russ looked at each other and laughed.

“I, uh, guess I’ll see you later,” Carly said, wishing he would touch her, wishing she could touch him. He’d seemed so remote since they’d left her apartment.

The doorbell rang again, and Russ nodded.

Carly went up the stairs.

“Don’t stay too long,” Russ called after her in a low voice that stopped her midstep. “I might have to come get you.”

There was something faintly predatory in his tone. It sent a shiver up her spine and brought a warmth to her skin. She wondered what it would be like to have Russ Bradford
get her
.

After fifteen minutes of patting Ronnie and jiggling Robbie, the twins miraculously fell asleep.

When she made her way into the dining room, Janet and Sam greeted her with welcoming smiles. “You must be a miracle worker,” Sam said. “I’d been rocking those boys for a half hour.”

“They were just tired,” Carly said. She’d felt like curling up in that rocking chair herself. Last night, she’d stayed up a good part of the night stuffing envelopes with her new brochures.

“Wine?” Russ came to her side and offered her a glass.

He casually wrapped an arm around her waist, and she leaned closer to him. “Thanks,” she murmured. She stole a glance at him and noticed his gaze rested on her bare shoulder. A tiny thrill raced through her, and she gave in to the urge to tease him the way he did her.

“Hungry, Russ?” Carly asked in a low, seductive voice.

His gaze shot up to her eyes, probing and hot. “Very,” he growled and tightened his hold on her.

This tarnishing business may not be so difficult after all, Carly thought.

After the meal, the other guests left while Russ and Sam discussed Beulah County’s upcoming carnival. Janet showed Carly pictures of the twins’ christening. For the first time in a long time, Carly felt a twinge of longing over the idea of having a family. Janet and Sam seemed so happy.

Carly wrinkled her brow, remembering her grueling accelerated college program that had left no time for a social life. After that, she’d inherited
Matilda’s Dream
and immersed herself in making it a thriving enterprise.

Glancing at Russ, she wondered if she was missing out on something important. Of course, everybody knew Russ would never settle down. She would have to remember that. While he might be a good choice for tarnishing a woman’s reputation, he’d be horrible at marriage.

Russ looked up just then, and held her gaze. That lazy smile slowly eased up the comers of his mouth. With his eyes still on her, he said to Sam, “I think it’s time for us to go. Thanks for having us, Sam.”

After complimenting Janet on the meal, Carly and Russ stepped into the humid night. Clouds covered the moon in streaks of dark blue, muting the light. Crickets chirped in the lawn.

Russ guided her down the walk with a firm, warm hand on her waist. Coupled with the wine, his nearness made her pleasantly dizzy.

“I really like them,” Carly said.

“Yeah,” Russ agreed, then chuckled. “Janet looked a little frazzled when we got there.”

“She had to work hard to put on that welcoming smile.”

“The earring was what I noticed,” Russ said and chuckled again. “She was wearing only one.”

His low. deep voice so close to her made the blood bubble through her veins like champagne. Russ’s car was only a few steps away, and Carly felt reluctant to leave the evening behind. She sighed.

“Tired?” he asked.

She shrugged.

“It was nice of you to help Janet with the twins.”

“They’re cute. Robbie’s got dimples.” She looked up at Russ. The streetlight was broken, so his face was all hard planes and shadows. She touched his cheek.

Her feather-light touch stopped him in his tracks.

“Did you ever have dimples, Russ?” Carly asked and frowned. “I can’t remember.”

Thirsty for her touch, he shook his head. “No, but you did,” he whispered.

“Not anymore,” Carly whispered back.

Her eyes were as blue-black as the night, and she was looking at him in a womanly wanting way. He turned her in his arms, slightly, slowly, wondering if and when she’d pull away. To his surprise, she moved closer. Her fragrance wove its way around his mind, stealing his sense. Her breasts were one deep breath away from his chest. It would only take one step to feel her legs brushing against his tensed and waiting thighs.

Her lids lowered, hiding her eyes from his. Still her hand remained soft and caressing on his cheek.

“Russ, I don’t really care whether you had dimples or not. I just wanted an excuse to touch you,” Carly said in a voice so low, he almost couldn’t hear her.

His heart turned over. He took a deep breath, and she closed the miniscule gap between them.

“Know what I wish now?”

“What?” he asked, keeping his voice quiet, not wanting to disturb the magic of her closeness.

Carly looked up at him then and moved her hand behind his neck. The gesture was unmistakable. She pulled his head gently toward hers.

“I wish I knew what your mouth felt like,” she said in a husky voice.

His heart somersaulted, and his blood roared in his ears. He’d always considered himself a man with superior self-control, but when she tentatively touched her lips to his, he lost it all.

His hands clenched around her forearms. There would be bruises tomorrow. He took her supple mouth with the passion of a man who’d waited too long. He thrust his tongue past her parted lips, wanting to possess her body, mind, and soul with the kiss.

When she gave a soft little moan, he checked himself and gentled, letting her explore. With a mix of excruciating pain and pleasure, he responded to her sweet probes, molding her body to his. She pushed her fingers through his hair.

He ran his restless hands up and down that sanity-robbing dress of hers, stopping just short of her breasts. When she rubbed against him, he groaned and gave up on restraint and felt the shape of one plump breast in his hand.

“Oh,” Carly murmured against his open mouth. She edged her lips away, gasping for air. Her body hummed as if she’d been caught in an electrical storm. Still stroking her peaked breast, he kissed her neck and bare shoulder.

“You could push a man straight over the edge,” he muttered.

She could feel his hardness pressing against her. She could hear the desire in his voice. The knowledge made her blood pool low in her abdomen.

His breathing harsh and unsteady, Russ slipped his hand to her back. He pulled her to him, as close as they could get, clothed, under the mayor’s broken streetlight.

They stood that way for several moments until finally sanity returned. With reluctance and care, he separated their bodies and looked into her dazed eyes. “Well, did you get your wish?”

He watched Carly’s gaze fall to his mouth. He felt the burning begin again and shook his head. If he kissed her again, he’d have a hard time not ripping that little dress off. Somehow, he managed to unlock the car and help her into it.

With jerky movements, he started the car and put it into gear.

“Russ,” Carly began, “know what I wish now?”

A strangled laugh bubbled from his throat. “Carly.”

“What?”

“Shut up.”

She did.

Russ spent the rest of the drive to her apartment wondering how to subdue the firecracker in his passenger seat without completely dousing the flame. He hadn’t counted on her initiating anything between them.
This wasn’t part of his plan
.

He knew it was too early to take her to bed. If he’d wanted her just for the night, he wouldn’t hesitate. She was ready. Lord knew, he was ready. That she’d tempted him beyond his self-control made him uneasy.

Grimly, he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, recalling the other time he’d given his emotions free rein. Talk about a nightmare. This head- over-heels business was for the birds, Russ thought, stifling a snort. He’d arrived at his decision to marry Carly after months of careful evaluation, and it comforted him to know he wasn’t selecting a mate based on emotional hogwash.

Carly’s trust was critical, however, and a too-early loving could mess that up. Other issues needed to be settled first. They needed to establish themselves as a couple. He wanted her to confide in him, to believe in him. Russ resolved to keep the logical sequence firmly in his mind.

Letting out a long breath, he pulled the car to a stop and turned to face her. The woman was a vixen. She was so sexy with her mussed hair and swollen lips. She was a provocative invitation to insanity and ecstasy.

She was also asleep.

There was a pleasurable irony to this situation, he realized, as he took her sleeping form into his arms and carried her up the steps to her apartment. She was dead to the world. It made him wonder what time she’d been getting to bed.

He shifted her weight slightly to pull the key from her white purse. When she started to fall, he jammed the key into the lock.

After shoving the door open, he paused to let his eyes adjust to the pitch darkness.

Out of nowhere a fist struck his jaw. He shouted at the pain. Carly jerked awake and screamed. Still reeling from the blow, Russ grabbed the door and tried to shove her outside in a protective maneuver.

The door slammed against the jamb, trapping his hand. Russ cursed, pushing Carly to the side, kicking and striking at two indistinct forms.

He felt the satisfying impact of his fist against flesh. He heard a grunt of pain. His foot connected with an animate object. A yelp followed. Then a very familiar voice growled, “What are you doing with my sister, you sonova—”

“Troy!” Russ shouted. He’d thought they were burglars or worse.

Carly hit the lights and stared down at her oldest and youngest brothers. They lay sprawled on the floor with dumbstruck, then sheepish expressions on their faces. Daniel was rubbing his shin, while Troy gingerly felt his eye.

With an audible wince, Russ pulled his hand from the doorway. “I’m not sure I want to know what this is all about,” he said, then looked at Carly. “I need some ice.”

Gritting her teeth, she motioned toward the kitchen. “In there.” Extreme embarrassment fueled her anger. She turned her furious gaze on her brothers.

“Aw, hell,” Daniel said, covering his face.

“You’re ten years older than I am,” Carly said. “You should know better. How’d you get in?”

“Your next-door neighbor let us in. I know. I know. I was at loose ends, and Troy suggested driving by to check on you.” He shrugged. “It was habit.”

“One you need to break,” she said emphatically. Daniel had always been the steady, even-tempered leader. Carly thought he’d seemed restless lately. “Get a life of your own.”

“Now, hold on, Carly.” Troy shuffled to his feet. “How were we supposed to know you were out with Russ?”

“You don’t have to know,” she shrieked. “I’m twenty-three years old.”

“Mama would turn over in her grave if she saw you in that dress,” Troy continued, ignoring her protests.

“Then shall I strip it off and take a walk down Main Street?” Carly asked vehemently.

Daniel muttered a barnyard curse.

Troy remained uncharacteristically silent. Shaking with fury, she pressed her hands against her heated face. “Am I going to have to move out of town to get some space?”