The Surprise Princess (21 page)

“I can look out for myself.”

“I can see that.” His grin flickered then was gone.

“But none of that’s any reason for you not to have fun, too.”

His head came around, a strange expression on his face. “I suppose that’s why I decided to come.”

“I… I’m glad you did, Brad.”

His smile banished that strange expression, but she thought some lingered in his eyes.

They went in the Museum of American History to see the Star-Spangled Banner that Francis Scott Key had been watching the night he wrote the anthem’s words. But mostly they walked outside, enjoying a perfect spring day and marveling at the iconic images before them whichever way they turned – the Capitol Building in one direction and in the other the Washington Monument, with the Lincoln Memorial beyond it, and Arlington Cemetery rising on the hills across the Potomac River.

“We better get going,” Brad said. “The rental car will be at the hotel, and you know what Hunter said about beating the traffic.”

“I know. It’s … I’m coming back here someday. And I’m going to visit every memorial and every museum and every monument.”

For an instant, she thought he’d say something again about her future being somewhere far away. Instead, he said, “Count me in if you’re looking for company. I’d like to do all that, too. So you’re having a good time?”

“A wonderful time. I’m glad to have April as a friend.”

He cut his eyes to her, probably checking if she recognized that topic. She gave a small nod of acknowledgement.

“Turn right,” Katie read from Grady’s instructions.

“Onto this cowpath?” But Brad was already making the turn.

“It’s not quite that bad. It
is
paved.”

“Are you sure you didn’t miss a turn somewhere or add a couple?”

But she knew he was joking. Mostly, anyway. They definitely were not on the express route to Charlottesville.

“I’m sure. In fact – look. There’s the sign. Tanner Inn. There’s the drive. See it? And—oh my gosh, these bushes lining the drive are rhododendron. Amazing.”

“You plant these in front of your house and it’ll be almost as bad as that spruce fortress.”

“They wouldn’t grow to this size in Ashton or— Oh, it’s lovely.”

The drive had opened to a circle in front of a white frame building with a riot of flowers across its front, interrupted only by wide welcoming steps leading to a two-story screened porch.

“When Grady said this was on the way to Charlottesville, did he mean by way of Denver?” Brad grumbled, but good-naturedly, as he braked to a stop.

Katie was out of the car, turning around to take in all the plants and gardens around them.

“Welcome!” called a woman as she jogged down the porch steps, gray curls bouncing. “You must be Katie and Brad. I’m Karen Tanner.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Tanner. What wonderful gardens you have.”

“Please, call me Karen. And I’ll be sure to tell Marty – my husband – what you’ve said. I do the fun part – the planning and buying – but he handles all the manual labor and a little flattery can ease the aches.”

Karen led them through the porch, past open doors and into a gracious hall with parlors on either side, a stately stairway and, against the opposite wall, a breakfront fitted out as a reception desk.

Karen Tanner chatted away as she signed them in, then took Brad’s credit card payment first. Most of her comments centered on the theme “Grady and Leslie Roberts are such a special couple.”

As Katie reached for her wallet to make her payment, a thin man with only a gray border holding out against baldness came toward them from the other end of the hallway.

“Hello, dear,” Karen said, “these are the young people Leslie and Grady sent us, Katie and Brad. This is my husband Marty. Oh, and Marty, Katie’s been saying such lovely things about your gardens.”

“
My
gardens.” He winked at Katie. “I’m the beast of burden. Karen’s the visionary.”

“My visions wouldn’t come to anything if you didn’t do the work,” Karen said firmly. “Now we have you all set for your room.”

Room. Singular. Oh, no.

Katie had never even considered Grady and Leslie might assume she and Brad …

“Two rooms,” she said. “We want two rooms.”

“Speak for yourself,” Brad muttered.

Heat flashed across Katie’s cheeks. She didn’t know if either of the Tanners had heard him. They gave no sign if they had. “We need two rooms,” she said firmly.

The couple looked at each other.

“Oh, dear. I’m certain Grady made the reservation for one room. We discussed it, because he asked which one I recommended. They take the separate cabin when they have the children. Otherwise, Leslie and Grady have a sentimental attachment to a room at the back of the house that belonged to our son before he went in the Air Force. That’s where they stayed the first time they came here. Such a rainstorm that night. A regular deluge, and here they came rushing in, needing someplace – any place – to sleep. And we only had Teddy’s room. Not at all what we like to provide our guests. Not like the Albemarle Room we have for you.” She beamed at them. “It’s a lovely room.”

“I’m sure it is. And I’m certain Brad will appreciate it. I’ll be happy to have your son’s room. Truly.”

“But my dear, it’s not available. We renovated years ago, and it’s spoken for, like every other room. We’re going to be absolutely full up as soon as the Crawfords arrive. That won’t be until after dinner, but of course that doesn’t help you any.”

Nothing was going to help her any. That was quite clear.

She was going to share a room with Brad.

She did her best. She smiled. She remained calm. She reassured Karen.

But apparently she hadn’t been as convincing as she hoped, because Karen apologized again while giving them a tour of the grounds and a third time when they arrived in the dining room for dinner.

Karen hesitated a moment before seating them, glancing toward the remaining unoccupied table for two, then steering them toward a long table with a mix of groups.The dinner was delicious, the people convivial, and the conversation interesting. After peach cobbler for dessert, the couples at the individual tables, while everyone from the long table, joined by Karen and Marty, went to the porch, talking and laughing as the sunset sky dragged its feet through red and purple, then orange and rose splashes before finally relinquishing the stage to star-glittered night.

The innkeepers excused themselves to deal with inn business and soon after, the others departed in pairs or family groups.

“I’m going up,” Brad said after a spell of quiet. “Unless you want me to sleep down here.”

“Of course not. There’s nowhere you’d fit.”

She did fine until they were both in the room with the door closed behind them.

“Don’t look so worried. I’ll take the couch, Katie,” he said. He dropped down to sit on what was barely more than a loveseat.

That left her to stand, which seemed awkward, or to sit, which presented other kinds of awkwardness. The bed was high enough to require having a step stool on hand, plus there were certain connotations…

All those calculations took less than half a breath.

She sat on the somewhat less than half of the loveseat not occupied by Brad. As close to the arm as she could get without making a spectacle of herself.

“You are not sleeping on this,” she said. “Your head or your feet or both would dangle off the ends.”

“I’m glad you feel that way. We’re adults and I promise—”

“I’ll sleep here. You sleep in the bed.”“Katie.” His voice held strain and something more. “That’s not necessary. I won’t—”

“It’s not a problem. I’ll curl up here and be perfectly comfortable.”

He sat forward abruptly, elbows on his knees, hands clasped and looking straight ahead. “You have reason not to trust me, but I swear, Katie—”

“Not trust you? Of course I trust you. After everything you’ve done—”

The sound he made held no amusement. “Yeah, everything I’ve done. What I did Saturday morning.”

“I know you were trying to make me feel better.”

“Make you feel better? Right. I scared the hell out of you.”

“How can you think that, Brad? You’ve never scared me.” What she felt for him, oh, yes, that scared her. Scared her mightily. But Brad himself? Not possible.

“Oh, Brad, you really thought—? No. Never.”

He turned to her. She brushed hair back from his forehead. Instinct brought her lips to the spot.

His hand grasped her wrist, stilling the hand in his hair.

“Katie.”

She heard in her name his question, his warning. But heard more than that. She heard desire.

Longing, even.

It was a seduction – unknowing on his part – she could never resist.

She shifted lower, taking her lips to the corner of his mouth.

His breath went ragged and she liked that. She liked it a lot.

“Katie,” he said again. Everything was there in his voice again, only stronger now.

“Brad,” she answered evenly. Then she flicked the tip of her tongue along the seam of his lips.

She held her breath. She had to
show
him now that he didn’t scare her. Not him. Never him.

Watching her face, he drew her wrist up, around his neck. He released his hold, and she tightened hers.

Heat and more flickered across his eyes.

Slowly, she closed the last inches between them. She kissed him softly. Felt his lips cling to hers.

Then his mouth opened, and his hand splayed across her back, so warm and sure.

The relief of it was so strong.

He was dizzy with it.

Relief, hell. He was dizzy with her. With the taste and touch of her.

He slid his hand down the side of her throat. It nestled under the fabric of her collar.

And he made a welcome discovery. The v-neck of her top was far more accommodating than it appeared to be. Specifically, it accommodated his hand, allowing it to skim across her shoulder, his fingers brushing her bra strap.

The tip of her tongue flicked at his lips. His tongue matched hers. Brief, light meetings becoming longer and deeper and sweeter.

His hand returned to her shoulder, fingers underneath the bra strap this time, absorbing the smooth warmth of her skin. Then seeking more of that smooth warmth with a slow slide down. He felt the beginning rise of her breast, the cadence of her heartbeat – accelerating.

The strap slid off her shoulder, opening his way. He swept lightly along such incredible smoothness, his fingertips feathering the tips across her nipple.

She made a sound. A small, moaning sound, into his mouth. He wanted more of that. Much, much more. Would she make that sound as he entered her? When they moved together? When she climaxed? When he did? Or would her sounds be different? Less restrained?

Discovering Katie was becoming an obsession.

He cupped her breast with his large palm, feeling its sweet weight and the nudge of her hardening nipple.

She made that sound again. And he might have groaned.

Then another sound. Not from Katie. Not from him, either. It tugged at him, nagging that he identify it, when all he wanted was to sink deeper into the sensations of Katie.

Knocking.

Someone was knocking on the door.

Katie gasped and jolted, pulling up her bra straps and tugging her shirt together.

“Aren’t you going to – You have to answer it,” she said.

He looked down to his lap. Her gaze followed, then bounced away. “I’ll answer it,” she said quickly.

He grasped her wrist to stop her from standing, called out to the knocker, “Just a minute,” then said to her in a low tone, “You can go in the bathroom—”

“I’m okay. I’ll answer.”

He shook his head and rose. It wasn’t the most comfortable he’d ever been and he pulled the other side of his shirt out for more cover, but he made it to the door and opened it.

“I hope it’s not too late,” Karen Tanner said with a worried smile.

“Not too late,” he reassured her. Another few minutes and then, yeah, it would have been too late. “C’mon in.”

“I wouldn’t disturb you but I know how set you—.” She looked toward Katie then back to him. “—were on having a second room, so I wanted to let you know the Crawfords just called to cancel. Their flight was delayed so they missed their connection in Atlanta and won’t be here until tomorrow.”

Apparently Katie was as devoid of a response as he was because this announcement was met by such absolute silence that the insects outside could be heard despite the closed windows and air-conditioning.

“Th—that, uh, means we have a room available. Two in fact, though, of course you don’t need …” Karen gave her head a little shake. “As I said, you were so set on a second room, Katie, and I don’t want you to be uncomfortable under our roof.”

What? The innkeeper thought he was some ravening satyr?

Well, maybe she wasn’t too far off.

To ease the concern in the woman’s kind eyes, he said, “It’s okay, Karen, we’re—”

“Delighted to have the second room,” Katie interrupted. “It’s so kind of you to let us know this late in the evening.”

“Not at all. I can leave you the key or—”

“No, no, I’ll go with you now.” She picked up her unopened bag. “Good night, Brad.”

He responded to both their good nights automatically. Most of him was preoccupied with mentally damning the Atlanta airport.

And himself.

Rules weren’t enough. He needed to keep her out of his reach.

B
rad was already having breakfast when the Tanners ushered Hunter and April in to the otherwise deserted dining room and insisted they eat, too.

As soon as the three of them were alone, Brad asked Hunter, “How fast could the results of that DNA test be back.”

“A day. Less.”

He nodded to mask his need to swallow. “Fast.”

“For something like this, yes,” Hunter said.

April said quietly, “You’ve encouraged her to take the test, haven’t you.”

“Yes.”

“I’m glad. Are you… Are you hoping it comes out one way or the other?”