Stormy Passion (43 page)

She had to get to the bathroom. Brenna had
always been thankful for the large rooms in this house. Until now.
Her bedroom had its own sitting area complete with couch and
chairs. Now she'd have to cross this expanse to get to the
bathroom. It was a good distance on one foot. But she was
determined and reached for the mantel for support. She had just
about made it to the end of the fireplace when the door swung open,
and the object of her wrath stood with crutches in hand.

Taylor's eyes focused on Brenna's body, which
was well defined by the flames of the fire. Her gown, in
see-through batiste, provided a lovely shimmering veil for her
breasts. Breasts that stood firm and straight. His mouth watered.
He could even see the pink of her nipples as she turned to the side
to face him. His tongue ran over dry lips as the memories of her
lovely body surfaced uninvited. Then, ever so slowly, his vision
moved lower until he spotted the darkness between her thighs. His
body responded, and with great effort, he resisted the temptation
to go and pull her to him. It had always been good between them and
had bonded their love solidly, or so he thought.

“
Are you through undressing
me?” Brenna snapped. Didn't the man see she was at his mercy and
couldn't reach her robe? More than that, she had felt her
traitorous body respond to the boldness in his gaze. Her nipples
had hardened and throbbed the minute he looked at her with those
drowsy half-lidded eyes.

“
Huh?” Taylor mumbled
before he pulled out of his stupor, telling himself he was reacting
much like a teenager. “I've brought you something to drink. I
thought you might like to go downstairs today, but I see you've
decided that for yourself.” He moved into her room with the
crutches in his hand. “Do I need to point out that you could have
injured yourself?”

“
No, you don't,” Brenna
snapped. “Should I point out you swiped my crutches, and I need
them to go to the
bathroom
?” He did have the grace to blush
as he handed them over. “If you'll excuse me,” she mumbled and
hobbled off.

He heard the water running and imagined
Brenna sponging cool water over her magnificent body. He could
picture drops of water dripping off the ends of her nipples and
that made him horny as hell. He shook himself, knowing he couldn't
let his thoughts continue this way, or he'd have a perpetual
hard-on all day.

When Brenna emerged with freshly-cleansed
skin, a bathrobe, and little else under the robe, Taylor moved near
her. Her French Lavender scent seemed to fill every pore of his
body. He brushed her creamy cheek with this thumb. “Your perfume
reminds me of other times,” he murmured, pushing Brenna's hair
behind her shoulders. He felt her tremble, and his desire blazed as
he lowered his head, preparing to capture her lush lips.

“
This isn't other times,”
she stated. “Should I remind you you're engaged?”

Taylor stiffened at the cold reminder. In
fact, he had forgotten Carol. His eyes locked with Brenna's. Her
words didn't match what he saw in her eyes, and he knew she was
putting on a front for him.

But you know she's right, Taylor. You've
promised to marry another
.

This traitorous conscience of his had to go.
It was proving to be a nuisance, reminding him of things he tried
hard to forget. “What would you like to wear?” He moved back away
from her. “I'll get it for you.”

He heard Brenna's sigh of relief before she
said, “There's a pair of slacks--no forget that. They will never go
over this foot.”

“
How about some
sweatpants?” he suggested.

“
That will work,” Brenna
said and sat down in the rose-colored chair, thankful for a rest.
Her overwhelmed senses had rapidly drained her strength. She wanted
to kiss Taylor so much she actually ached, but she knew she'd done
the right thing.

Taylor handed her a navy jogging suit with
DUKE UNIVERSITY written across the front. “I see you still pull for
our team?”

“
Of course. Yea, Blue
Devils!”

Taylor chuckled and moved to the door. “I'll
give you some privacy. When you get to the top of the stairs, just
holler and I'll come back and get you. By the way, I hope you liked
my flowers.”

So Taylor had been the one. But he was gone
by the time she looked back. She smiled at the arrangement of
daisies. Perhaps, she should pluck each one ... he loves me, he
loves me not. She laughed. As least she'd have an answer to the
mysterious question.

Once she was downstairs, Brenna's spirits
automatically lifted as she hobbled to her office in hopes of
getting some work done.

“
I hope you don't mind that
I've been using your office,” Taylor said from behind her. “But
I've had some business to take care of.”

“
My office is your office.
After all, it's the least I can do for your kindness,” Brenna said
before taking her seat behind the desk.

Taylor pushed away from the door and moved
toward the desk. “I have some errands to run.” He picked up a
folder full of papers and tucked them in his briefcase. “I'll be
back in time to help Geraldine tonight.”

“
Maybe I can help
too.”

“
Maybe.” He grinned and was
gone.

But not gone from Brenna's mind. Taylor was
everything to her ... good ... kind ... thoughtful ... and every
inch a man. If there were only some way they could work things out,
bury the hatchet and start fresh. “Wishful thinking,” she sighed
and started flipping through the mail. She'd felt so useless this
past week that even paying bills was a welcome relief. When she got
to the end of the stack, she saw an envelope sticking out from
under her desk pad and suddenly remembered putting it there last
week to pay.

“
Damn!” How could she have
forgotten to make the house payment? If she got behind one more
time, they would probably kick her out. Would money plague her the
rest of her life? She reached for her checkbook and started
writing. Having Sleepy Hollow full for the last two months had
certainly helped her bank account. She smiled as she sealed the
envelope, thankful that at least one worry was behind
her.

The rest of the afternoon she tried to keep
busy, but a restless agitation nagged at her. The house seemed much
too quiet, which usually didn't disturb her. She couldn't figure
out what was bothering her until Taylor came home.

Good heavens, she had missed Taylor. Somehow
she had let him back into her life. What was she going to do about
it?
Lord, only knows
.

“
See who I found on her way
home from school,” Taylor said and produced Lisa from behind
him.

“
Brenna, look at you,
you're walking!”

“
If you call this walking.
I'm not real fond of these things.”

“
Now I can ask you,” Lisa
said with a childish giggle.

Brenna shoved her hair over her shoulder.
“Ask me what?”

Lisa held her hands in front of her as if she
was praying. “Can I have a pajama party next weekend? Please ...
Please.”

Brenna felt slightly guilty. So many things
had happened over the last week that she'd forgotten her sister's
birthday was next Saturday.

“
Please,” Lisa begged at
Brenna's hesitation. “Taylor said he'd help.”

“
Really,” Brenna replied,
tilting her head to look at him. Taylor was fast becoming a part of
her family. “Since it must be a special day, even though I can't
remember exactly what that day is,” Brenna teased. “I suppose it
can't hurt.”

“
Great!” Lisa jumped up and
down clapping her hands. “We won't be any bother.”

“
I'm sure we won't even
notice fifteen young ladies.” Taylor chuckled.

Brenna couldn't help noticing how Taylor
seemed to take charge of everything. She wasn't sure if it
irritated her or she liked it. And then he smiled and she glimpsed
a man from long ago. “Go put your books away and help set the
tables for tonight.”

When Lisa left, Brenna looked at Taylor. “How
did your business go today? I hope you found everything you needed
in our little town.”

“
Very well.” Taylor placed
his briefcase on the desk behind the stairs. “I'm beginning to find
my way around this town. But enough about me. How are you
feeling?”

“
Not bad. I was just on my
way to see Geraldine.”

“
Good. I was,
too.”

When they neared the kitchen, a terrible
commotion of aluminum pots hitting the floor made Brenna smile.
“Sounds like Geraldine is having a temper tantrum.” Brenna pushed
open the door and they both peeked in to see if it was safe.

“
Where the Sam-hell did
that dang pot go?” Geraldine swore, and another lid slid across the
kitchen floor.

The only thing Brenna could see was
Geraldine's ample bottom stuck up in the air. The rest of her was
hidden in a cabinet.

“
Lose something?” Brenna
asked, trying to hide the amusement in her voice as they eased into
the room.

Geraldine's head immediately appeared from
its hiding place. “Dang right. My favorite pot is gone.”

“
That wouldn't be the big,
silver pot with the long black handle?” Taylor asked.

“
Yep. That's
it.”

“
Whoops.” Taylor chuckled.
“I'm afraid I'm the thief. I took it outside to tighten the handle
and my cell phone rang and I got side-tracked. I'll be right back,”
he said as he disappeared out the back door.

Geraldine watched him and smiled. “I like
that young man of yours.”

“
He isn't mine.” Brenna
hobbled over to the dryer and peeked inside to see if there were
clothes to be folded. “He belongs to Carol and is only here for a
short visit.”

Geraldine moved a chair over by the dryer.
“Here ya ken sit and fold towels and make yerself useful. And I
think he's more yours than ya know.”

Brenna couldn't respond because Taylor
appeared with the missing pot. He handed the missing item to
Geraldine and gave her a boyish smile. “Forgiven?”

“
I reckon.” Geraldine
raised a brow. “Ya up to makin' a salad tonight?”

Taylor went over to the sink to wash his
hands. “What are you planning for dinner?”

“
Spaghetti.”

“
In that case, let me make
the sauce and you do the salad.”

Brenna watched in amazement as Taylor rolled
up his sleeves, slipped an apron over his head, and picked up a
knife to start cutting onions. Here was another side of him she'd
never seen. When he'd lived with his mother, Taylor had had
servants to do everything for them.

“
I didn't know you knew how
to cook,” Brenna said, voicing the question she'd been thinking.
Taylor seemed to fit into the kitchen just like he was at home, and
he didn't mind one bit.

“
There are lots of things
about me you don't know,” Taylor told her, but he didn't look up.
Instead, he kept slicing the onion.

His words held a double meaning and Brenna
blushed, but she quickly busied herself with the towels and only
allowed her eyes to glance ever so often at the man who made her
blood boil. Maybe he was right. Her brows drew together in a frown.
She didn't know him at all.

If she had another chance with him ... this
time she wouldn't blow it.

The dinner hour arrived. The house smelled of
spices and held a warmth that made guests smile as they entered the
door. Brenna replaced Nell as hostess so she could wait tables. It
felt good to be doing something useful again. Brenna moved
awkwardly as she showed a couple to their seats. Surprisingly,
everyone was understanding and asked all kinds of questions on how
she'd broken her foot. She'd never been so pampered in her
life.

She had just finished stacking menus when she
looked up to see David coming in through the front door with a
bouquet of red roses.

“
How
thoughtful.”

“
I know I wasn't supposed
to come until tomorrow, but I just heard today that you had been
hurt, and I couldn't stay away another minute.”

Brenna leaned over to smell the roses. She
couldn't tell David she'd forgotten completely that he was coming
over tomorrow. As a matter of fact, she hadn't thought of him since
the day of the festival. He was so sweet she couldn't hurt his
feelings. “I'm glad you came.”

“
Have you
eaten?”

“
Not yet. I wanted to seat
all the guests first.”

“
Good. I was hoping you
hadn't. Now you can have dinner with me.”

Brenna smiled. She had planned on eating with
Taylor, but now it would have to wait for another time. “Why don't
you have a seat at the corner table, and I'll take these lovely
flowers to the kitchen and join you in a minute.”

Nell came by just as Brenna was trying to
figure out how she'd get the flowers to the back. She couldn't do a
damn thing without help. “Will you help me?”

Nell smiled and took the arrangement from
her. Brenna lumbered behind her to the kitchen. She was sick of
these crutches already. They were rubbing the skin raw under her
arms. And she hated this feeling of helplessness.

Lisa's eyes brightened. “Look, flowers. Where
did you get those? From Taylor I bet.”

“
Guess again, muffin,”
Taylor said as he stomped the snow from his boots. His cheeks were
cinnamon-colored from the cold. Evidently, he'd been getting more
wood.