Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger (34 page)

Read Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger Online

Authors: Lori Copeland

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #General, #Contemporary, #Westerns, #test

 
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Unaware of the tension in the back seat, Mrs. Rhodes asked innocently, ''I'll bet you two newlyweds would rather be alone than at a noisy party tonight, wouldn't you?" she laughed. "But John and I have so little time to get to know our employees that we didn't want to pass up this opportunity to know the two of you better. You remind us so much of our son and his wife," she added warmly.
"Yes," Mr. Rhodes agreed with a chuckle, "it's hard for a new groom to keep his hands off his new bride, isn't it Garrett?"
"Very," Garrett muttered dryly, still glaring at Chandra. He raised his hands as if to strangle her.
"Now that you have the job, Garrett, have you and Chandra given any thought to where you'll want to live?" Mrs. Rhodes asked conversationally as the car sped along the highway.
"I suppose we'll find a small apartment," Garrett answered vaguely, finally breaking his defiant gaze away from Chandra's.
"You know, Sara, the thought hit me this afternoon after Garrett left the meeting, that he and Chandra would probably be interested in the house that the Millers vacated several months ago."
"Why, John! I hadn't even thought of that. Ed and Felicia's house would just be perfect for Garrett and Chandra." Turning to face Chandra, Mrs. Rhodes beamed brightly. "Oh, my dear, you are going to love that house. It's less than two miles from the plant. Why, Garrett could practically walk to work. It needs a little repair, but nothing major . . . and the price . . . well, didn't the company buy that house back from them, John?"
"Uh . . . Mrs. Rhodes," Chandra began tentatively, casting a panic-stricken glance over to Garrett. "Really . . . I think just a small apartment"
"Nonsense, Chandra," John Rhodes broke in. "Why would you want to take a small apartment when you could have a lovely, spacious home for the same price? We'll work the payments out to suit your budget, don't worry about that! You and Garrett will need a large house to do all the entertaining that will
 
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be required of you in his new position. NoI think that Ed Miller's old house would be just perfect for the two of you.''
Chandra's fingers dug into Garrett's leg frantically, silently pleading for him to put a stop to this conversation.
Dislodging her fingers from his thigh, Garrett winced and said huskily, "That's awfully nice of you, Mr. Rhodes, but"
"Then it's all settled. After you and Chandra see the house, you'll fall in love with it. I can guarantee it!"
"Oh, it will be so much fun to see that house come alive again." Sara Rhodes was brimming over with excitement. "Of course, you'll probably need new furnitureyou don't have your furniture yet, do you?"
"No" Chandra started.
"Well, no problem. I'll help you shop for some. The house already has almost-new drapes. Ed's wife had just had new ones made when he was transferred out to the coast with a satellite company of ours."
Chandra squirmed uncomfortably in the back seat. If Garrett wasn't going to put a stop to this, she would! "Mrs. Rhodes, I think you should know" she began just as a strong band of steel clamped down on her legGarrett's large hand signaling for her to "cool it."
"What Chandra means, Mrs. Rhodes, is that we want you to know we appreciate the generous offer, and we'll be more than happy to take a look at the house."
A small gasp escaped Chandra's lips as Garrett's steel-blue eyes shot her a look of annoyance. What was he doing? They were not going to buy a house!
"Oh, my goodness, we'd love to help you get settled. I'll get the key to the house, and we'll all take a look at it in the morning." Sara Rhodes turned around in the seat to face Chandra again. "Isn't this exciting! I can hardly wait to get started on it."
Chandra gave a shaky laugh. "I don't want to trouble you, really . . . don't you and Mr. Rhodes have other plans? I mean . . . I thought I heard someone mention you traveled a lot."
 
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''Yes, we do," she sighed, "but I've talked John into staying here at least a week before we go on to England. That will enable me to help you some."
"You were the one who made plans to spend Christmas with your sister, Sara, not me," John Rhodes gently reminded his wife.
"I know, but after this trip, John, I'd like to settle down somewhere for a while. I'm tired of all this traveling."
The long, black car was pulling up in front of a low, sprawling brick home, the neatly trimmed shrubbery in the front yard. aglow with strings of Christmas lights.
Mr. Rhodes parked the car in one of the last remaining parking places, and they walked to the entrance of the house, huddled against the brisk north wind that was whipping savagely around them.
The door was opened by a white-coated servant, and they all stepped inside the elegant foyer of the house.
"John and Sara!" A woman's high voice reached them as they took off their coats and handed them to the servant.
"Darlings, how nice to see you." She reached out to take Sara Rhodes's and Chandra's hands in her slender, jeweled ones. Chandra noticed she had rings on every one of her fingers. "You must be Chandra Morganson," she said happily.
Sara Rhodes beamed. "Yes, Gwendolyn, this is the wife of our new Vice President of Research and DevelopmentChandra Morganson. Chandra, this is the wife of one of our top engineersGwendolyn Parsons."
Chandra shook her hand politely. "Happy to meet you," she murmured.
"And this"she grabbed for Garrett's hand and pulled him forward excitedly"this is her 'hunk' of a husbandthe man behind the big titleGarrett." Mrs. Rhodes blushed furiously, aware of the term she had just used to introduce John's newest employee.
Garrett smiled pleasantly as he took Gwendolyn Parsons's hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Gwendolyn. I met your husband
 
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this afternoon, and I'm looking forward to working with him.'' He pulled Chandra beside him, his arm nonchalantly around her waist.
"Michael has spoken quite highly of you, Garrett. We're so happy to have you as one of us now. Come on in and meet the rest of your coworkers. After all, this party's for you and your lovely wife."
They moved on into the crowded living room, and for the next hour Chandra smiled and shook hands with at least fifty people. Garrett kept her close to his side, the two of them presenting the picture of a happily married couple.
By the middle of the evening Chandra had grown quite accustomed to Garrett's arm draped casually about her waist or his hand-holding hers lightly as they stood and talked with other couples.
Chandra had nursed a single drink along almost all evening, carrying it with her as they moved through the crowd chatting casually. Garrett had been too preoccupied with meeting his fellow employees to notice how many drinks he was putting away, but Chandra had. Every time a waiter had walked by and offered Garrett a drink he had taken one. By the middle of the evening, Garrett was clearly "feeling no pain."
"Don't you think you're drinking a little too much?" Chandra murmured with a smile as they walked away from an older couple they had been visiting with.
"Me?" Garrett asked innocently, giving her a silly grin. "I haven't had over two or three drinks."
She looked at him in disbelief. "Three drinks?! Really, Garrett. You'd had three by the time you took your coat off. You better take it easy, you didn't eat any dinner, you know," she reminded him cautiously.
Garrett playfully pulled her around the corner into the empty kitchen, trapping her against the wall with both arms and leaned down, his face only inches from hers. "Now you're sounding like a wife again. Are you trying to tell me that not only can I not cussI can't hold my liquor either?"
 
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''I'm not trying to tell you anything," she replied indifferently, a little disconcerted at his closeness. "I just pointed out you were getting awfully happy." Chandra pushed at his chest, trying to escape.
"And why shouldn't I be?" he asked brightly, pressing in even closer. "I just landed a hell of a good jobI've got a knockout of a broad'scuse me . . .
lady
," he amended, bowing courtly to her, "for a wife. That's enough to make any man happy!"
"Garrett, you're getting cross-eyed drunk," Chandra told him sternly, trying in vain to push him away.
"Aw, come on, sweetheart, loosen up. If you're going to be a good wife to ole what's his name . . . Philpott . . ."
"Phillip!" Chandra corrected curtly.
"Ah, yes, Phillip! Well, as I was sayingif you're going to be a good wife to ole Phillip, you're going to have to loosen up a little." He dropped his arms down around her waist, pulling her in closer to blend into the lean, hard contours of his body. "What you need, lady, is for some man to teach you how," he said, bending his head down to nuzzle her neck gently.
"Garrett, stop that," she whispered sharply, his lips trailing light kisses around her ear, sending cold shivers rippling up her spine.
"Ummmmm . . . you smell good," he sighed, his mouth searching down her neck sensuously. "Why don't you get off your bandwagon, sweetheart, and take a break." His mouth was slowly making its way to her lips.
"Garrett . . . ummmmmm . . ." Chandra's remark was cut off by his lips as they found hers. She could faintly taste the liquor as his mouth opened over hers, his tongue reaching out to brush gently with hers. For some reason Chandra gave no thought to resisting his kiss this time. On the contrary, her arms came up to circle his neck as she leaned into his strong body, her tongue joining his with a sigh of ecstasy.
"See how much nicer this is," he murmured in a low, husky growl as his mouth left hers to wander over her eyes, her nose, then back to capture her lips again. His hands were running
 
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lightly across her back, his fingers gently caressing each place that they touched.
''Garrett, I've got to get you home," she groaned softly. He cut off her next words with another long, seductive kiss. Chandra knew she should pull away from him, but all her powers of reasoning had simply vanished. Even though she knew he was slightly drunk and it was the liquor that provoked his amorous mood, she couldn't will herself to break the close embrace.
"Thasssss a good idea, sweetheartlet's go home. I want to make love to you," he agreed in a slurred tone of voice, his hands becoming more aggressive. This time as his mouth found hers it did so with a hungry urgency, his kiss growing from a gentle, exploring inquiry to a hot, demanding explosion of desire. Chandra swayed against him, her knees turning watery as he pressed her up close to his taut thighs. She could feel his mounting desire for her pressing into her leg. Her hands gripped the solid wall of his chest as she forced herself to push away from the kiss.
"Stop it!" she rasped out curtly, her breath coming in short gasps. "I've got to get you out of here before anyone notices just how drunk you are."
Garrett laughed stupidly, his voice becoming more slurred with each word. "I think you may be right, cupcake! I think I may have had one too many." He leaned against her heavily, pinning her against the wall again with his solid, heavy frame. His slightly muddled blue eyes met hers intently. "Will you do something for me, honey?"
"It depends," she told him skeptically. "What do you want?"
Garrett giggled and buried his face in her shoulder. "Get me another drink on the way out!"
Chandra pushed him away disgustedly. "You're not having anything more to drink tonight but black coffee." She led him over to an empty chair in the corner of the kitchen and sternly sat him down. "Now you sit right there until I get back. I'll go in and tell the Rhodeses we've decided to leave early, then I'll call a cab." She paused and looked at him unrelentingly. "I mean

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