Battle Prize, page 9
At that thought a warm red stained her cheeks and she lowered her lashes once again, unable to meet the intense gaze above her.
“You sure as hell won’t need to wonder if I’m faithful,” Gage murmured on a note of contented masculine humor. “Dealing with you in my bed won’t leave me any energy for handling other women!”
Rani flicked him an appraising glance from behind the concealment of her lashes. “Are you trying to tell me something, Gage?”
“I’m only reaffirming what I said earlier.” He leaned over a couple of inches to plant a light kiss on her forehead. “We’re together now, you and I. There will be no one else for either of us.”
He was claiming her for an affair. Rani tried to sort through her muddled reactions to that information and found herself bogged down in quicksand. She honestly wasn’t sure what her feelings were at that moment They almost defied description. A part of her still resented the way he was driving her into an arrangement, but another part of her felt helpless to resist. How could she have been so thoroughly seduced by a man who was neither comfortable nor serene?
“Remember what I said about arrogant victors,” she tried to drawl lightly in an effort to meet the masculine satisfaction in him with something approaching nonchalance. But the words came out all wrong. They came out sounding fearful and defensive.
He didn’t seem to notice. “Are you admitting I’m the victor tonight?”
“Of course not!”
“Oh, well. I’ve still got a few more hours to try wringing the admission out of you,” he decided philosophically.
“Not a chance,” she asserted.
“If I can’t manage it here in bed, my coffee will probably do the trick in the morning,” he warned, and lowered himself to her once more.
Rani awoke the next morning with a temporary sensation of complete disorientation. She was not accustomed to waking up in beds other than her own, she thought wryly, glancing around the austerely elegant room. Doing so was unsettling. She really was set in her ways. In a strange house one didn’t just hop out of bed and traipse down the hall to plug in the coffee. On top of that, one had to spend time wondering where the bathroom was. And then there was the awkwardness of not having a closet full of fresh clothing from which to choose.
All her normal routines were going to be short-circuited that morning. I’ve become a creature of habit, she thought, sitting slowly up in bed as her gaze fell on the magnificent masculine body next to her. This man, she acknowledged, was going to be the cause of her learning some new habits. An affair with Gage Fletcher.
She rolled the words around in her mind, drinking in the expanse of his tanned back, which was exposed above the white sheet that was gathered at his lean waist. An affair with Gage Fletcher. The very thought sent a shiver of uneasy excitement through her, and the memory of the previous night’s passion reinforced that tremor.
How long would he want the arrangement to last?
That question was enough to send her sliding toward the edge of the bed. Standing up, her toes buried in the thick pile of the gray rug, Rani was suddenly conscious of a delicious ache in the muscles of her inner thighs. It was not all that different from the ache she had experienced after the horseback-riding session on King’s ranch. Grimacing, Rani reminded herself that the night before it was Gage who had done the riding. Not at all sure she liked that image, she began a determined hunt for the bath.
It wasn’t hard to find. Stepping inside and closing the door quietly behind her, she surveyed the impressive scene. The huge tub and the other porcelain fixtures were all done in a deep shade of red, and the room was mirrored completely on two walls. The tub was reached via a couple of tiled steps, so that when standing within it one had a tranquil view of an enclosed garden just beyond the glass wall. The room was tiled in a material that looked like lustrous gray granite. The towels were as red as the fixtures. Whoever had decorated Gage’s home had definitely had an eye for effect. But somehow the decor suited the man who lived in it Quiet, dark, menacing.
An affair with Gage Fletcher. With deep curiosity Rani poked and probed among the items of masculine paraphernalia sitting on the red marble countertop. How long would it last?
Until he had convinced her to go back to Prescott Services long enough to straighten out the mess she had left behind?
Rani froze as the possible answer leaped into her mind. Across the room she watched her slender figure in the wall of mirrors, seeing the uneasy, uncertain expression on her own face. But he wanted her, she told the image silently. After last night there could be no doubt of it And she wanted to believe him when he said the arrangement between them was separate from the battle they were fighting.
Thrusting aside the questions and the potentially disturbing answers, Rani stepped toward the tub, peering down at the brass fixtures. She got the temperature of the water adjusted and pulled the red shower curtain behind her as she stepped inside. It was strange showering while looking out into a garden. It was as if she were outdoors. Laughing silently at her own fancy, Rani gave herself up to the pulsing water.
Lost in a bemused state somewhere between rational thought and erotic memory, Rani was jolted back to full awareness only when the red curtain was tugged aside sometime later and Gage stepped in beside her. He grinned lazily down into her upturned face and kissed the tip of her nose.
“Good morning, Lady Knight,” he began with a grand flourish. “Or should that be lady of the night?” he amended thoughtfully. “Ouch!” Reaching down to massage his shin where she had lightly kicked him, Gage stared up at her with a distinctly hurt expression.
“I don’t care for jokes, bad or otherwise, at this hour of the morning,” she advised sweetly, grabbing a red washcloth and lathering it up hurriedly.
“I’ll try to remember that,” he muttered, straightening. But his eyes gleamed as he eyed her. “Actually, I’m not accustomed to making jokes at this hour of the day. Which probably explains why it didn’t come off too well. Here, let me do that” He removed the washcloth from her grasp and began moving it energetically across her shoulders and down to her lower back. “You look good here in my shower. I could get used to the sight of you hanging around.”
“Thanks. Don’t say anything more; it may go to my head.”
“On the mornings when I happen to wake up in your bed and use your shower, you’ll have to remember to say something equally gracious,” he told her smoothly, snapping the washcloth playfully at her rounded bottom.
“Ouch!” It was her turn to yelp. “That wasn’t kind,” she reproached him, her hands going to the injured portion of her anatomy.
“Remember the next time you decide to kick me that I always get even. Not mad, just even.” Closing his eyes in contentment, Gage turned his face up into the water, effectively cutting off Rani’s portion.
“Hey, you’re stealing all the water!”
“Sorry, I’m not used to having to share,” he returned honestly, opening his eyes again. His mouth edged upward. “And you’re such a little thing, you could easily get lost here in the tub if I’m not careful.”
“I’m not that small. You’re just oversized.”
“Last night,” he reminded her quite gently, “everything seemed to fit perfectly.”
She felt herself going as red as the tub for no good reason and hastened to step out of it, grabbing for one of the thick red towels. Firmly she closed the shower curtain on his interested expression.
Back in the bedroom she slipped into her black dress, belting the leather sash with a wry expression not untinged with a flicker of excitement. The man was a barbarian in some respects, a conquering warrior of the old school. She must be crazy to be so enthralled with him!
Later, wearing jeans and a long-sleeved shirt with rolled-up sleeves, Gage puttered familiarly around the kitchen, fixing coffee and pointing out the location of eggs and toast There was an unexpected ease about the way they managed to get breakfast ready between them.
“We do this as if we’ve been doing it together for years,” Gage observed complacently as they sat down to the meal. He poured her coffee and handed her the cream.
“Bored with domestic routine already?” she teased, lifting the cup to her lips.
“On the contrary. I find it rather comfortable.” He looked up and caught her gaze. “What about you?”
Not at all certain where this was leading, Rani hesitated and then spluttered as the strong coffee went down. “You may have been right about the coffee,” she gasped, adding another dose of cream. “Definitely a secret weapon!”
He frowned. “Sorry. As I said the other day, I’m not used to fixing it for anyone else. But I can learn,” he added cheerfully. He waited.
Rani faced him warily. She knew he was waiting for some further response and wasn’t sure what that response was supposed to be. He saw the confusion in her and smiled.
“Honey, in a few days, when this Prescott business is behind us …“He broke off as she interrupted him with a silently arched brow. “Don’t look at me like that We are going to get it settled, you know. You’re going to go back and satisfy Aaron Prescott.”
“No.”
“Damn it, don’t sit there and say no like that! You’re going back if I have to drag you by the heels. It’s for your own good, you little idiot, can’t you understand that?” he snapped, gulping the strong coffee in irritation.
Rani tried a bright smile. “Does this mean the affair is over already? I told you taking me to bed wasn’t going to make any difference in my decision.” But something inside her wasn’t feeling very bright or breezy. Rani suddenly discovered she was growing rather anxious. She realized she definitely did not want the affair to end after only one night.
“The affair is not over!” Gage grated, glaring at her across the rim of his cup. “It’s just begun, and as I was about to say before I was so rudely interrupted, in a few days—when you’ve gone back to Dallas and straightened everything out—I thought we might try living together.”
Rani blinked, not knowing whether to be relieved or more cautious than ever. “Did you?”
“Look, I know neither of us is used to living with another person, and I’m not saying we should rush into that sort of setup without giving ourselves plenty of time. After all, we each have our own routines, our own way of doing things, and living together would be quite an adjustment for both of us. I understand that, believe me. But I think you and I might manage a cooperative effort, sweetheart,” he concluded, his mouth softening as he regarded her intently.
“After I return from Dallas?” she clarified blandly.
“There’s plenty of time.”
Rani stared blindly down at her plate. “I’ll, uh, give it some thought.” She stood up abruptly. “Now I’ve really got to be on my way, Gage. I’ve got a number of things to do today and I imagine you do, too. …”
He didn’t try to detain her. Instead he walked her out to the car when she was ready, leaning down to kiss her good-bye through the open window. “I’ll see you later this afternoon, honey. We’ll have dinner again. My treat this time.”
“Fine.” Rani accepted the order without pausing to think, anxious now only to escape from his presence long enough to sort through the mix of her emotions. Live with him? Was that what she wanted? Would that satisfy the strange uneasiness that had been coming and going all morning since she’d climbed out of his bed?
She drove back home, no nearer to an answer than she had been when she’d left Gage’s side. Her mind was so occupied with the turmoil of her thoughts that she didn’t notice her sister standing at her front door until she was in the drive.
“Rani! Where in the world have you been? I tried to call you last night and first thing this morning. I finally decided to drop by on my way to work and … What in the world … ?” Donna Cameron stopped short, staring as Rani got slowly out of the yellow Mazda. With an older sister’s practiced eye she scanned the black dress, the high-heeled sandals and Rani’s casually knotted hair. “I don’t believe this! My little sister, who hasn’t been serious about a man in five years, is coming home from a night out on the tiles?”
“Don’t laugh at me, Donna. I’ve had a difficult morning.” Rani allowed herself a wry expression as she fished for the apartment key.
“Preceded by a hard night?”
“It’s not nice to tease your little sister.” Rani pushed open the door, entering the sanctuary of her home with a feeling of vast relief. Everything was comfortable and known there. There she was definitely the one in charge.
“I’m not teasing you.” Donna grinned. “At least, not much. To tell you the truth, I think I’m delighted. Shall I make you some coffee while you get properly dressed for the day?”
“Nice, mild coffee, please. And what the hell do you mean, you’re delighted?”
“You were with Gage Fletcher, weren’t you?”
“Does it matter?” Rani shot back, annoyed.
“I like him, Rani.” Donna moved into the kitchen. “If it had been King Tanner, I would have grave doubts. But I think Gage is perfect for you.”
“What’s wrong with King?” Rani felt obliged to defend the absent cowboy. “And how do you know I was with Gage?”
“If you’d been with King, you would have been driven home in that rhinestone-studded Lincoln. Besides, I knew Gage was taking you out last night. He told me the day before yesterday when he stopped by the shop, looking for you, that he didn’t intend to let you go out with King the Wonder Cowboy again.”
“Did he indeed?” Rani snapped waspishly. “You two seem to have had quite a talk.”
“We discovered we had a mutual interest. You.”
A thought struck Rani and she paused in the doorway, her fingers splayed against the jamb, her tawny eyes darkening with anxiety. “During this little talk did you happen to mention that I’m going to be buying the shop, Donna?”
Her sister glanced up, surprised. “No. The subject didn’t arise. Why?”
Rani shrugged. “I’d rather you didn’t tell him, that’s all.”
“But why, Rani?”
“I just don’t want the man knowing every aspect of my life.” She pulled away from the door frame and started down the hall to change into jeans and a cotton knit shirt.
“But, Rani, why shouldn’t he know?” With characteristic persistence Donna followed, watching as her younger sister stepped into the jeans and drew up the zipper.
“Forget it, Donna. But please don’t let him know. It’s important to me. I’ll explain it all some other time.” She snatched up the turquoise knit shirt and slipped it over her head before stuffing her feet into a pair of sandals.
“Okay, okay,” Donna soothed. “I’ll go finish the coffee.”
Rani watched her leave the room and then glanced down at the black dress lying on her bed. The leather sash was draped menacingly across the folds of the fabric. She knew now why she didn’t want Gage to know about her plans for buying The Miniature World. It was all suddenly quite clear.
If he realized that her future was quite secure, he was also bound to recognize that none of his basic arguments would have enough leverage to force her back to Dallas.
There would no longer be any point in offering her money to tide her over during the uncertain period between jobs, and there would no longer be any point in insisting that she needed Prescott’s goodwill. In short, if he knew she was buying The Miniature World and had her future planned out, Gage would also know he could give up on his task of trying to get her back to Dallas.
And until she knew for certain that he was truly interested in her and would remain so even if the business between them ended badly for him, Rani didn’t want him knowing how hopeless his task really was.
The realization that she was deliberately hiding that fact from Gage made Rani uncomfortably aware of how much she wanted him to stick around. She simply couldn’t bring herself to take the chance of discovering that he was only interested in her because she was a job for him.
She needed a little time, Rani decided as she went to join her sister in the kitchen. A little time to be sure that what she and Gage had between them was real and would last once their business was concluded. She would let him think that all he needed to do was to keep arguing, keep pounding away at her defenses with combinations of logic and financial incentive in order to get her to return to Dallas. When she was more certain of him and of herself, she would tell him the whole truth and take the risk.
“Gage seems entranced with the miniature soldiers,” Donna observed chattily as she poured coffee and sat down at the kitchen table. “He has an amazing knowledge of military history, though, so I suppose the military miniatures are a natural for him. It’s a wonder he hadn’t discovered them before.”
“Yes.” Rani honestly couldn’t think of anything else to say to that. It was clear that Donna was quite taken with Gage Fletcher. “Did you get the photographer squared away yesterday?” Anything to change the subject!
“Finally! Lou and I must have gone to nearly half a dozen places, trying to choose just the right one, but we finally found it. It’s a young couple and they do absolutely beautiful work. This will be the most stunning wedding album, Rani! I can’t wait!”
Rani grinned at her sister’s unabashed enthusiasm. “Maybe you should become a professional wedding planner when you move to Denver. You’re certainly enjoying yourself with this one!”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Donna began seriously and then laughed. “Time enough to worry about that later. I’m just lucky at the moment that Lou is the patient type and willing to humor me while I plan the perfect wedding.” Her smiling eyes narrowed thoughtfully at her sister. “I have the feeling Gage wouldn’t be nearly as accommodating.”
Rani started, her coffee cup rattling a bit as she replaced it in the saucer. “The issue doesn’t arise and won’t arise. Gage is not interested in marriage, and besides, the relationship isn’t anywhere near serious enough to even think about it!”
