Authors: Susan Squires
What a cad he was! He scrambled up. He should be taking care of her right now.
“Damn. I’m thoughtless. Let me get you a warm towel.” He brought the bedside light up a little, grabbed the package from the night table, and dashed into the bathroom. When he flipped on the bathroom light, everything looked more intense, the color more saturated than he remembered. Maybe he’d have to do something about the chartreuse. It was really awfully bright. He jerked the tap control over to burning hot. He filled the sink with steaming water and ripped open his brown paper package. There were several plastic bottles with twining vines and flowers all over them. He scanned the directions. These things better work. The good reviews had been by women. That had to mean something. He squeezed twice the amount the directions recommended into the full sink and swished it around. The eucalyptus scent was pervasive. Boy, that would clean out your sinuses. Was it really soothing? Then he soaked a hand towel and wrung it out. Hell, he could smell the disinfectant the cleaning crew had used underneath the scent of the stuff in the water. When had they been here? Two days ago? He’d have to tell them to start using less intrusive products. His body felt wrung out, yet energized. He could probably beat his own record at pushups right about now.
As he strode back into the bedroom, Jane was sitting up, the sheet up over her
breasts. Too bad. He had decided that Jane’s breasts were world-class. Those breasts had been concealed behind those modest one-piece swimsuits all these years and he hadn’t even known it.
He hesitated by the bed. Her lips were slightly swollen from kissing, her eyes big and languorous. A small smile edged onto her mouth and into her eyes. Her gaze took a brief tour over his body.
“You’re beautiful,” she said simply.
Kemble felt himself flushing.
“I think you stole my line.” He swallowed. “Here.” He held out the hot towel. What was he thinking? Was he going to make her do it herself? What about caring for her, protecting her? “I mean . . . let me. Make you feel better. I mean . . . this will make you less sore.”
She nodded and just watched him as he pulled back the quilt. The evidence of Jane’s virginity stained the very, very white sheets, bathing him in guilt, distracting him from Jane’s naked body. He could actually smell the blood.
“That must have hurt.”
“
Not so much. I was focused on other things.”
He shot her a glance. She was lovely, blushing a little bit like that.
He might actually be blushing himself. Had he ever felt shy about being with a woman? Well, once or twice early on. But it had been a while. “Well,” he said, his voice gruffer than he wanted, “this stuff is supposed to be soothing.”
He sat
next to her, hoping she didn’t see that he was at half-staff again. He wished he could tell her not to be self-conscious, but saying anything would only make it worse for both of them. So he just focused all his attention on what he was doing. He spread her legs gently and held the warm cloth to the tissues of her sex, which he knew must be swollen. He could feel her relax. Maybe the heat and the herbs did help. After a while he chanced a glance up.
“
Thanks,” she said, looking a little less embarrassed. “You’re very kind.”
Kind?
He was not a stranger. “I’m your husband, Jane. I’m supposed to look after you.”
Did she look a little disappointed?
“Of course. Of course you are.”
Oh. Maybe she thought he meant he was looking after her only because it was his duty. “I
. . . I want to do it, though.” Oh, God, how awkward was that?
She cleared her throat.
“Was that nice smelling stuff what you had in the package?”
“
Yeah. Did some research on the Internet.” He adjusted the towel and pressed it up between her legs. “There’s, uh, a feminine rinse and the, uh, necessary appliance in there if you want to use it later.”
She nodded.
“That’s really thoughtful, Kemble.”
His brows drew together involuntarily, along with the squeezed feeling in his chest.
“I . . . I wanted to make it good for you.”
She sat up abruptly and put her arms around his neck. That made her breasts press into the arm propped on the bed and his left pectoral. His cock jumped. She was killing him here.
“I know,” she whispered in his ear. “And it was. So good.”
How could her breath on his ear send shivers down him, after what they’d just done? She needed time to rest and recuperate. His cock didn’t seem to understand that. Maybe tomorrow night. He could wait until then.
Jane’s tongue darted into his ear, caressing it in wet circles and sending goose bumps down his entire left side, all the way to his feet. God. Should he tell her she shouldn’t do that if she didn’t want to provoke. . . .
Then she reached over and turned out the
bedside light.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“
Where’s Kemble?” Drew asked her father. She was thirty minutes late for their regular Thursday lunch meeting to review progress on the search for Talismans. But Kemble was later. Today she had to tell Senior about the vision of the Cup, and she needed Kemble’s support for that. Plus he’d said he would provide a file on the manuscript lead.
At least
she wasn’t holding her father up. That fell to Kemble. It wasn’t like him.
But ins
tead of looking impatient, her father gave a sly smile. “No idea. No sign of him.”
Drew felt her eyes widen. She couldn’t suppress a grin.
“You do so have an idea, Father,” she accused.
“
Yes.” He turned back to the screen, but his eyes were alight, and Drew’s half grin was a match for his own. “Quite a relief actually.”
Drew heaved a relieved sigh.
“Jane might be good for him after all. Maybe he’ll relax about an inch now.”
“
Maybe.” Her father finally managed to suppress the smile. “So what have you got for me?”
“Let me go get his file a
nd then I’ll tell all.”
*****
Kemble’s eyes blinked open wide when he realized he wasn’t alone in the bed. For three seconds he was totally disoriented, until he saw Jane curled up beside him and felt her head pillowed on his biceps. Then he couldn’t help but smile. Her fair, fine skin fairly glowed. The sweep of her lashes on her pink cheeks made her look so innocent, so pure. She’d been surprising, wonderful, surprisingly wonderful last night. Who knew that Jane was secretly an eager and inventive lover? The bed was rumpled with their exertions, last night and in the first light of dawn this morning. Sheets tangled about their bodies. The scent of what they’d done together, several times, hung about the bed. He’d never felt more alive. Or more content. Or hungrier. Small channels of light lanced across the room from where Jane’s makeshift curtains hung slightly askew, illuminating the dust motes that swirled lazily in the sun. Sun. . . .
What time was it? He raised his head and looked at the digital clock set into the wall above the floating night table.
One? In the afternoon?
He almost bolted upright, but instead eased his arm out from under Jane.
“Jane, Jane, honey, I’ve got to get up.” Holy shit. He hadn’t showed up at the offices this morning, hadn’t called, didn’t even have the courtesy. . . . It was like those dreams he had where he hadn’t been to work in days and knew he’d be in trouble for it and wanted to go but kept getting interrupted by other things. Like Jane. . . .
“
What?” she asked, sleepily. Then she registered him and smiled. That smile was so satisfied, so innocent, it just melted Kemble’s heart.
“
I’m late for work,” he said, sounding like a loon. He’d better explain. “It’s one o’clock in the afternoon.”
Her mouth made a rueful curl that was actually very endearing.
“You’re definitely late for work. Is there anything pressing? You signed the contract for Redmond yesterday, didn’t you?”
“
Yes.” He raked a hand through his hair. He meant to leap up and jump into the shower. He did. “But Drew and I were supposed to report to Senior on the Talisman search at noon. He’ll be furious.”
“
But there isn’t anything to report, is there?”
He narrowed his eyes.
“You’re trying to tempt me into playing hooky, aren’t you? And yes, there is something to report.”
“
I could make pancakes and bacon,” she said in a little singsong of temptation.
His stomach growled. What would it be lik
e to know he had the whole day just to spend with Jane?
She mus
t have seen his doubtful look because she put her hand on his pectoral and pressed her advantage. God, but what her little hands did to him when they touched him. “You can call them, you know. Report over the phone. You never take a day off, not even when you’re sick.”
“
That’s because I’m never sick,” he reminded her. “Mother. Healer. Remember?”
“
Well, then you’re due.” Her little grin was that of an unashamed temptress. Where was his shy and biddable Jane? Right here. In bed with him. Naked.
“
God damn it. You’re right.” There were all kinds of obligations, and one just might be to his new wife. He scooped up his cell phone before he could change his mind and dialed the business number that rang in the office wing of the Breakers.
Drew picked up.
“Well, if it isn’t the Prince of Wales,” she drawled. “What’s up, bro?”
Kemble was about to ask for his father and tell him, just tell
him he was giving his report over the phone, once he could get his throat working, when he heard Senior’s voice in the background.
“
Tell him not to bother coming over, Drew.”
“
Am I in the dog house? I know it’s one o’clock and I didn’t even call. . . .” So much for having a spine. Kemble was starting to regret this whole thing. He’d just dress quickly and get over there, give Senior an apology. . . .
“
Of course not. . . .” Drew started.
“
I missed the meeting on the Talisman progress entirely. Did you tell him about the vision? There’s the file on the manuscript. . . .” Kemble lost courage. “I can come over now.”
“
I took care of it, Kemble. Really. You don’t have to come over. I used your file. I talked about my vision. It’s fine. . . .”
“
Give me that. . . .”
Oh, no. Senior himself.
“You’d better be taking the rest of the day off, Kemble, and tomorrow, and the next day. If I see you around here I’m going to kick your butt out. Understand?”
“
Yes, sir. I. . . . Did Drew tell you?”
“She did. And your file was very complete. Nothing to be done about it at the moment, but you two are making progress.
Drew can take care of looking for copies of the manuscript. History is her specialty.”
“If Morgan is in Athens, maybe she’s
. . . .”
“If she got the Talisman, she’ll bring it back with her next week. Nothing we can do until then.” His voice turned rueful. “Maybe not even then if she
’s surrounding herself with a dozen Clan members with powers. At any rate, nothing to be done for three days.”
“Maybe I should
. . . .”
“
Give the phone to Jane,” his father ordered.
Kemble closed his eyes and held out the phone. Now he was in trouble.
“Senior wants to talk to you.”
*****
Jane took the phone with some trepidation. She sure hoped Brian couldn’t tell over the phone that she was naked, holding a sheet to her breast in bed with his son. Or that she had been well and truly loved last night in what must be the most blissful night (and early morning) of her existence. “Hello, uh, Brian?”
“
Jane. Are you well? Is he treating you right?”
“
Yes, sir. He’s been treating me very . . . well.”
“
Ah. I can tell by the sound of your voice he’s finally gotten over his foolish fears. I was afraid after the first night he might just turn tail and run. A woman can scare a man, you understand, Jane. But it sounds like he’s doing right by you.”
“
He’s . . . uh . . . doing fine.” How could she be having this conversation with Brian? Not only Captain of Industry and thoroughly intimidating even under ordinary circumstances, but her new father-in-law, no less. That was a bit much to get used to in itself. But discussing his son’s performance as a husband? That bordered on the surreal.
“
Well, I’ve told him not to show up here for three days. Can you see to it that he doesn’t?”
“
I’ll try to keep him busy, Brian,” she said then realized how that must sound. She turned her horrified gaze to Kemble, who was beginning to chuckle. “I mean. . . .”