A flicker of awareness heated her gaze. "What'll we do then?"
"I have an idea, if you're interested," he said, keeping his tone
deliberately casual.
Her lips parted. "Tell me," she whispered, sounding faintly
breathless.
He knew what she was anticipating, maybe even wanted, and heaven knew he wanted
to take her to his place, to his bed, but he knew without a doubt that she'd
regret it in the morning. Besides, there was a certain amount of fun to be had
in surprising her.
"Let's sneak over to the inn and go for a swim in the pool," he
suggested.
She regarded him with undisguised disappointment. "You want to go for a
swim?"
He nodded. "I do."
"But we don't have bathing suits," she said.
He winked at her. "I know."
She laughed then. "You really do enjoy leading me astray, don't you?"
"It's my very favorite pastime," he admitted, then grinned.
"Next to skinny-dipping, that is."
"If Jess catches us, we'll never hear the end of it."
He sealed his mouth over hers, lingering and savoring before releasing her.
"Then we'll have to be really, really quiet, won't we?" He leveled a
long, simmering look into her eyes. "What do you think? Are you game?
There was a time, you know, when I didn't even have to ask twice."
She hesitated for just a fraction of a second, then nodded. "I'm in."
"You know what, Ms. Abigail?"
"What?"
"I'm glad being married to that stuffy jerk didn't rob you of your
daredevil spirit. Did he know about that?"
She looked saddened for a moment, then shook her head. "No. No one's ever
seen that side of me except you." Her bright eyes seemed to shimmer with
the faint sheen of tears. "You may be the only man I've ever trusted that
much."
Her admission nearly shattered him. Trace wiped a tear from her cheek.
"Then I'll do my best never to let you down. I promise."
In fact, he'd sell his own soul before he'd hurt her or let anyone else break
her heart.
12
A
bby
had only gone skinny-dipping once in her life, and it was Trace, of course,
who'd talked her into it back then, too. He'd said earlier that he was a bad
influence on her, but that wasn't how she saw it. Somewhere deep down inside,
when she was being totally honest with herself, she knew that the only time in
her life when she'd felt as if she were really living was when she'd been with
him. As hard as she'd tried, as successful as she'd become, nothing compared to
the pulse-racing thrill of being with a man like Trace. Lately, too, she was starting
to remember the comfort of being with someone who knew and understood her, who
believed in and valued her.
There was a danger to the kind of full-throttle living Trace represented,
though. Not only was there the occasional push-it-to-the-limits risk, but it
made her vulnerable. Sometimes it was easier to live in a nice, safe cocoon,
rather than exposing her heart to the possibility of being broken. That seemed
even more critical now that she had two daughters relying on her. If her career
took her away from them too much, what would a relationship do to that bond?
She was stretched to the limits as it was.
Tonight, though, with the sky clear and star-filled and the air slightly cool,
she felt like taking chances. Borrowing Mick's car proved she was in a reckless
mood. Trace was right about that. Her father would flip out if he discovered
his precious Mustang had left the garage with her behind the wheel. It was
telling that she almost wished he were around to catch her.
As soon as she turned into the driveway at the inn, she cut the car's lights.
Behind her, Trace did the same. They parked behind a grove of trees. Then,
giggling like a couple of teenagers, they slipped around the side of the inn to
where the shimmering turquoise water of the pool beckoned. It had been scrubbed
clean, painted and filled just last week, so there was still the faint scent of
chlorine in the air. The lights in the pool were on, but the grounds around it
were shadowed, which gave the illusion they were secluded from the world.
Abby looked at Trace and caught the wicked glint of anticipation in his eyes.
"You go first," she told him.
He studied her, his expression dubious. "You're not going to chicken out,
are you?"
"Me? No way. I just want you in the pool, and preferably underwater, when
I undress."
"I've seen you naked before," he reminded her.
"Not since I had twins," she countered.
His gaze held hers. "That could only make you more beautiful," he
insisted, then added with unmistakable wistfulness, "I wish I'd been there
for that."
Seeing the appreciative gleam in his eyes made her wish he'd been with her back
then, too. Wes had only made her feel more ungainly, even though he'd loved
boasting to their friends about the fact that she was having twins. She
realized now that even during her pregnancy, his comments had always been
double-edged. As thrilled as he'd been about the twins, he'd always managed to
sneak in a dig about her size. It had all been in good-natured fun, of course,
or so he'd pretended. Now she wondered if that had been the case.
"Stop it," she murmured to herself. She'd gone through nearly seven
years of marriage with far fewer doubts than her sister and Trace had brought
to mind in a single day.
Trace frowned. "Stop what?"
"Not you. Me," she said. "I was thinking about things best left
in the past."
"Want to explain that?"
She shook her head and pointed at the pool. "Go, if you're going."
He kicked off his shoes, then stripped off his jeans and T-shirt. His briefs
could have served as a swimsuit, but as he got to the edge of the pool, he
yanked those off, too, and tossed them aside, giving Abby a wonderfully
provocative rear view of broad shoulders, narrow hips and an excellent bare
butt. She could have admired the view all night, but he dove in and swam the
length of the pool with sure, strong strokes that allowed her to watch the play
of well-toned muscles across his back.
While he was swimming, she peeled off her blouse and slacks, but left on her
bra and bikini panties, then ran and leaped into the water. She surfaced,
sputtering, only to discover that Trace was right there beside her, regarding
her with amusement. He tucked a finger under her bra strap and ran it along
bare skin, raising goose bumps.
"You cheated," he accused.
"I agreed to the swim. I don't believe I agreed to skinny-dipping."
He surveyed her with a simmering gaze that could have heated the whole pool.
"This may be better," he said, his gaze locked on her breasts. The
sheer lacy fabric of her bra was clinging to them. "It leaves a little
something to the imagination and trust me, mine is in overdrive."
Abby was tempted to stay where she was, enjoying his appreciative glances and
the desire swirling in the night air, but she wasn't quite brave enough to risk
where it was destined to lead. Not quite yet, anyway. The longer she remained
in Chesapeake Shores, the more time she spent with Trace, though, the stronger
this pull between them was likely to become.
"I'll race you to the end of the pool and back," she challenged.
"What do I get if I win?" he taunted.
"Satisfaction," she said, then winced at the instant gleam in his
eyes. "Not that kind of satisfaction, Trace Riley! Pride. You get to feel
proud of yourself."
"My kind is better," he said. "But okay. What do you get if you
win?"
She considered the question carefully. What did she really want from this man,
aside from the kind of kisses that would make her knees go weak? Suddenly it
came to her. "You'll sneak into the inn and steal a couple of towels, so
we don't have to drive home soaking wet."
"You want me to go inside, where your sister is probably asleep, and steal
towels?" he asked, his expression incredulous. "Isn't that just
begging to be caught?"
"Probably, which is why you're doing it instead of me."
"Yeah, but Jess wouldn't shoot you. I'm not so sure whether she'd be as
careful if she spots me inside and mistakes me for an intruder who's up to no
good."
"She doesn't own a gun," Abby assured him. "You'll be safe
enough." She tilted her head. "Of course, your concern about all this
tells me you think I'm going to win."
"I'm just trying to use good sense," he countered.
She grinned at him. "Well, that's certainly out of character," she
taunted. "That's the deal, though. Take it or leave it."
He met her gaze. "I'll take it. On the count of three, then. One,
two…"
Before he ever uttered the
three,
he was gone. "You dirty, rotten
scoundrel," she shouted, and took off in pursuit. She was a strong
swimmer, though he had the advantage of height. Still, despite his cheating,
she'd almost caught him by the time they made the turn at the far end of the
pool. She was close enough to get one hand firmly around his ankle. She gave it
a hard yank that threw off his nice, even strokes and allowed her to catch up.
Her fingertips touched the edge of the pool a fraction of a second before his.
"You cheated," he accused, though his eyes were dancing with
laughter.
"Not until after you did," she retorted.
A subtle cough suddenly caught their attention. Abby looked up into her sister's
amused gaze and felt her entire, barely concealed body grow hot with
embarrassment.
"Hi, sis," Jess said, humor threading through her voice. "Nice
to see you, Trace. All of you, that is."
Abby nearly choked at that, but Trace didn't seem even the tiniest bit
flustered. He grinned at Abby. "I guess we've been busted."
"I guess you have," Jess agreed.
"A good sister would have gone back inside and never mentioned catching us
out here," Abby suggested. "You seem to be taking great pleasure in
this."
"I am," Jess admitted. "I figure the two of you are going to owe
me big-time if I promise not to spread this little escapade all around
town."
"You would tell people about this?" Abby demanded, horrified by the
thought, especially with Wes in town.
"You bet," Jess said, grinning. "It's the best gossip I've known
in years and years. Mostly this town is pretty boring."
"I'm your sister," Abby reminded her, then pulled out the biggest
guilt card in her arsenal. "The one who's here to save this inn for you."
Jess nodded slowly. "That is a consideration, of course."
"What do you want to keep quiet?" Trace asked, though the spark in
his eyes suggested he didn't much care if Jess spread this news far and wide.
Jess's expression turned thoughtful. "I'm not sure just yet. For the
moment, I'll settle for the satisfaction of having something to hold over both
your heads. Something tells me that will come in handy eventually."
Abby frowned at her. "We'll discuss this later," she said direly. She
emerged from the pool and went to pull on her clothes.
"I tossed a couple of towels over there," Jess said, then grinned at
Trace. "Maybe you should have Abby bring you one before you get out of the
water."
Naturally Trace took that as a challenge. He was about to hitch himself up and
over the side of the pool, when Abby rushed over and handed him one of the
oversize fluffy towels that Jess had insisted were essential. Right now, Abby
was glad she had. It was large enough to wrap securely around Trace's waist.
She whirled on her sister. "Go inside," she commanded as if Jess were
a disobedient kid again. "I think you've had enough fun at our expense for
one night."
Clearly undaunted, Jess returned her gaze evenly. "I'll go, but if you
have an ounce of sense, big sister, your night is just beginning."
After Jess had gone, Abby dared a look at Trace. He didn't seem to be the
slightest bit embarrassed about what had just happened.
"She has a point," he said instead.
"Are you crazy? We were just caught cavorting in a pool where we had no
business being. You didn't have a stitch of clothes on, and I barely did. Now
you want to do what? Rob the bank?"
He laughed. "I don't think that was what Jess had in mind."
Abby knew it wasn't, but she didn't want to mention what had been in her
sister's mind. If she said one single word about sex, it would open up a can of
worms that was best locked up and sealed.
Instead, she tugged her clothes on over her soaking-wet bra and panties, then
jammed her feet into her sandals. "I'm going home."
"I figured as much," Trace said with an air of resignation. "I
don't suppose—"
"No, you are not coming with me. You are not sneaking into my room. We
tried that once, and Gram caught us. It would be too humiliating to have that
happen again at my age."
"Of course, at your age, we could just walk boldly upstairs and go
straight to your room," he suggested.
Abby refused to admit, even to herself, how very tempted she was by that idea.
Instead, determined to cut it off without discussion, she said one word:
"Wes."
He sighed. "Yes, his presence does put a damper on things, doesn't it?
Okay, then, you go home all alone. I'll go home all alone. And neither one of
us will get a wink of sleep."
"Speak for yourself. I intend to sleep like a baby."
He stepped closer, tucked a finger under her chin, then covered her mouth with
his. It was a splendid kiss. When he ended it, he grinned. "Bet you
don't."
She blinked, trying to unravel what he was talking about. It was tricky, since
she could barely remember her own name. "Don't what?"
"Sleep like a baby."
Yeah, she was beginning to have her doubts about that, too.
*
* *
Abby was sitting in the kitchen on Sunday morning, hoping
that a second cup of coffee would kick-start her exhausted brain, when Jess bounced
in looking as perky as if she'd had a full eight hours of sleep.
"Gee, sis, you don't look so good," Jess said, her eyes sparkling
with laughter. "Late night?"
"Go to hell," Abby muttered. "And don't you dare say one word
about anything that went on last night. Wes could wander in here any
minute."
Jess immediately frowned. "Sorry. I forgot all about him." She poured
herself a cup of coffee and sat at the table. "Where's Gram? She's usually
down here making pancakes by this time on a Sunday morning."
"So you came for the pancakes and not to torment me?" Abby queried.
Jess grinned impishly. "Actually I came for both, but I will refrain from
all those comments on the tip of my tongue to protect you from the wrath of my
former brother-in-law."
"I appreciate that."
"You sure he's here? I didn't see his car outside. Maybe he went into town
for an early breakfast."
Abby's head snapped up. "His car is gone?"
"I didn't see it," Jess said, studying her with concern. "What's
wrong? Why do you look like you're going to pass out? Every speck of color just
washed right out of your face."
Abby didn't waste time answering. She flew up the stairs to the girls' room and
threw open the door. They were gone. Her babies were gone!
"Oh my God, he's taken the twins," she shouted at Jess, who was right
on her heels. "We need to call the police."
Jess grabbed hold of her. "Calm down. What do you think Wes has
done?"
"I think he's taken the girls away with him, back to New York."
"He wouldn't do that, would he?" Jess said, her expression
disbelieving. Then she shook her head. "Of course he would, the pig."
She stepped past Abby and surveyed the room, then frowned. "Their things
are here, though. Are you sure he's taken them?"
Abby didn't know what to think. "Well, not a hundred percent sure, no, but
the clothes don't mean anything. They keep a whole wardrobe of stuff at his
place."
Just then Gram joined them. "What's going on? Why are you two so
upset?"
Jess spoke up. "Abby thinks Wes may have taken off with the girls."
Gram regarded her with dismay. "Why on earth would you leap to such a
conclusion? He's just taken them to Sally's for breakfast. He promised them
last night that he would."
Abby nearly collapsed with relief. "Are you sure?"
"I was right there when they talked about it. That's why I slept in this
morning. I figured no one would be around expecting breakfast before
church."
Abby wanted desperately to believe her grandmother was right, but until she saw
the girls for herself, she couldn't. "I'm going to town."
"I'll drive," Jess said. "You're liable to run off the
road."
"Whatever," Abby said, running downstairs and grabbing her purse in
the kitchen on her way out the door. Jess was right on her heels.
"Call me," Gram shouted after them. "Let me know that
everything's okay."
"I will," Abby promised. Clutching her purse in her lap until her
knuckles turned white, she turned to Jess. "Gram has to be right."
"I'm sure she is," Jess soothed. "When has she ever been
wrong?"
"I can't wait till we get there to know for sure," Abby said,
reaching for her cell phone. She punched in Trace's number. He sounded groggy
when he answered. "Trace, I'm afraid Wes might have left town with the
girls. Gram swears they were going to Sally's this morning, but I have to know
for sure that they're there. Can you check?"
"I'll call you back in two minutes," he promised. "Sit
tight."
"Actually, I'm already on my way into town."
"What the hell are you doing behind the wheel of a car when you're this
upset?"
"Jess is driving."
"Okay, then. I'm on my way out the door. Give me another minute and I'll
call you back."
She ended the call, but continued to hold the phone in a trembling grip.
"You know we'll be there ourselves in less than five minutes," Jess
said.
"Right now every second feels like an eternity," she told her sister,
tears welling up and spilling down her cheeks. And if they weren't there, if
for any reason her ex-husband had taken off with her daughters, she knew she
was going to need Trace with her. She had Jess, of course, and Gram, but she
was counting on Trace to find them and bring them back. Maybe he'd even beat a
little sense into Wes while he was at it.
Her phone rang. She punched the wrong button, then finally hit the right one.
"Yes?"
"They're here, safe and sound," he told her. "I'm standing right
outside Sally's. They must have gotten themselves dressed this morning. Carrie
looks as if she tried to fix her own hair. Caitlyn's wearing one pink shoe and
one red one."
The description, clearly intended to make her smile, only made her cry harder.
She was sobbing and shaking like a leaf when Jess pulled to the curb down the
block from Sally's. Trace was there at once to open the door and pull her into
his arms. When she was calmer, she hauled off and punched him in the chest.
He blinked and captured her fist when she would have done it again. "Hey,
what was that for?"
"You planted that idea in my head, that he might want to take the girls. I
would never have thought of it otherwise."
He regarded her evenly. "No, he was the one who planted it in your head.
He's the one who mentioned taking them back with him today. You told me that
yourself."
"But you thought it might be true. You upped the stakes."
"So what? You're blaming the messenger? All I said was to keep your guard
up."
"Well, I feel like an idiot. I got Jess and Gram stirred up for no good
reason."
Jess stepped up to join them. "I don't think it was for no good
reason," she said quietly. "And don't worry about Gram. I've called
her and told her everything is fine."
Abby frowned. "What do you mean about it not being for no good
reason?"
"I think Wes deliberately brought those girls into town this morning
without leaving a note just so you would be scared to death."
Abby didn't want to believe that. "He probably thought Gram would tell me
where they were, which was exactly what happened."
"I don't believe that," Jess said solemnly. "And I don't think
you do, either."
"I'm with Jess," Trace said, his expression grim. "If it
wouldn't upset the girls, I'd go in there right now and tell him just what I
think of him and his stupid games."
Abby tugged on his hand. "Let's just leave. Carrie and Caitlyn are fine.
They'll be back home soon."
"I vote we stay right here," Jess said. "There's nothing to
prevent Wes from leaving here and heading straight to the airport. Besides,
he's seen us. It will look odd if we don't go in there now."
Trace nodded. "I agree. In fact, there's a booth opening up. Let's have
breakfast. I'm starving."
"Me, too," Jess said, challenging Abby with a look. "You know
you'll feel better if the girls aren't out of your sight."
Jess was right, Abby thought. In fact, Abby was just about certain she'd never
willingly let them out of her sight again.