The Tawny Gold Man Read online

  “You were at the cemetery?"

  "Yes, I was at the cemetery." He cocked a pale brow at her in self-mockery. "And when I walked into the library afterward, I knew nothing had changed for me, I still loved you, I still wanted you, and I still thought of you as mine. As for Lorna, she is a good secretary and a good friend and nothing more."

  "Then why did she answer the phone in your apartment the day I called?" The strident note of jealousy in her own voice startled Anne and she caught her lip between her teeth.

  "What day?" The sharpness of his tone conflicted with the genuine bafflement in his eyes.

  "The day I left to go to Melly's," Anne whispered, suddenly not sure she wanted to hear the reason Lorna was there. "I called the apartment because of a problem at the mill I didn't know how to handle," she explained hurriedly. "When Lorna answered, I hung up."

  "Having jumped to the obvious, but incorrect, conclusion." Jud's arms tightened around her as he lowered his head, rubbed his cheek against her hair. "If you hadn't hung up, you'd have learned there were several people with me that night, including Lorna's father. We were having an informal, if serious, business meeting over dinner. Lorna was there as my secretary, nothing more." He sighed, drew his head back to look at her, a teasing light entering his eyes. "Although I must admit that a few times I deliberately used Lorna's name in the hope of getting a reaction from you." His arms tightened even more, almost painfully. "I was so damned jealous of Andrew and I wanted you to feel something, if only a tiny measure, of the pain I was in."

  "But there was no reason to be jealous of Andrew," Anne exclaimed. "Not ever."

  "Now she tells me," Jud murmured ruefully.

  By now his hand was on her hip, pressing her tightly against him. His blatant need ignited an answering one in her. Lightheaded with happiness, starving for his love, she ran her hands up and over his chest, fingers sliding through the dark-gold hair.

  "My legs are getting very tired standing here, Jud," she whispered. "Couldn't we find a more comfortable place to talk?"

  His soft laughter rippled over her again and he gave her a swift, hard kiss before swinging her off her feet into his arms. "Yes, but not here." Carrying her effortlessly he went through the connecting bathroom into his bedroom. Standing her on her feet beside his bed, he stared into her eyes a long moment, the amber of his eyes seeming to glow like hot, melted honey. Then, his hands gentle, trembling slightly, he sensuously undressed her. Still moving slowly, as if savoring every minute, he eased her back onto the bed, caught her wrists in one hand and pulled her arms taut over her head.

  "I had to see you like this. I had to." Jud's voice was raw with hunger, his eyes molten as they burned over her. "For almost eleven years my mind carried a picture of you stretched out across my bed. At times that picture damned near drove me mad."

  "Oh, Jud." The two whispered words were all Anne could force out of her emotion-clogged throat. Desire, hot and fierce, clamored through her body and she thought that if he didn't kiss her soon, touch her, she'd go out of her mind.

  "The reality puts the picture to shame." His soft, hoarse voice was a seduction in itself and Anne's body moved with the tremor that rippled through her. She heard his sharply indrawn breath before he lowered his head, brought his mouth close to hers, whispered, "Part your lips for me, Anne."

  The gentle touch of his mouth on hers was a covenant, a seal, a blessing that quickly changed to an urgent, fiery demand. He did not make love to her. He had made love to her while they had been on the island. Now, he worshipped her. With his hands, his mouth, his entire body, he worshipped her.

  His mouth left a trail of fire from her throbbing lips to her aching breasts, wrenched a gasp of pleasure from her with his teasing, tormenting tongue. His stroking hands sent shivers chasing each other in a tingling cascade to the base of her spine, drew a longing moan from deep in her throat when they caressingly feathered the inside of her thighs. His hard, muscular body, tawny hide warm under her fingers, moved against her with maddening slowness until, her hands gripping his hips, she drew him to her with a sobbing outcry.

  "Jud, please, please love me."

  He did. Long into the night, stripping away all inhibitions, all shyness, he brought her to full womanhood, fulfilled and fulfilling.

  * * * *

  When Anne opened her eyes, the room was bright with sunshine from outside and Jud's eyes, lazily studying her face, were bright with a light from within.

  "I love you." No frills, no curlicues, his voice held a steady, truthful ring.

  "I don't love you." Anne turned her head, pressed her lips to his throat.

  "No?" Jud drawled indulgently.

  "No. I adore you, I worship you, I—"

  "Enough," he laughed softly, lowering his head to brush his lips across her temple. "I'll settle for that."

  His arms drew her close, tightening in a fierce bear hug, before he released her completely and sprang out of bed. Throwing his head back, he lifted his arms high over his head to stretch luxuriously like a large contented cat.

  Her eyes moving slowly over his beautiful body, Anne was surprised, after the loving night she'd been through, at the growing ache deep in her body, the tingling arousal of her nipples.

  "God, I feel good," he joyfully told the ceiling, then his head swung down and around, eyes fastening on her bemused, smiling face. "Rustle that enticing tush, woman," he ordered. "We have places to go. Things to do."

  "Where do we have to go?" Startled out of her erotic musings, Anne flushed pink. "What do we have to do?"

  Moving around the room restlessly, totally unconcerned with his nakedness, Jud said, "First we are going to call your mother, Troy, and Todd, tell them to stay away at least two more weeks." White teeth flashed in a quick grin. "I may even set their minds at rest by assuring them that I really do love you. After that I'm going to take you for something to eat before we go shopping for a wedding gift. We were invited to a wedding today, you know."

  "You really want to go to that wedding?" Anne asked in astonishment.

  "I'm afraid we slept through the wedding, honey." Happy laughter rippled from his throat. "But, yes, I want to go to the reception. After we've chosen a suitable gift I'm going to shop for you, buy you the most fantastic dress we can find." His eyes lit with deviltry. "Then I'm going to escort you to that damned reception and watch every man there eat his heart out, because you belong to me."

  "Jud, you're crazy," Anne laughed. "Now tell me the real reason you want to go."

  "Because I want to celebrate," he grinned. "And Andrew and Lorna's party is as good a place as any. Besides, all our friends have been concerned about you. It will please them to see the completely satisfied look you're wearing."

  "Completely satisfied?"

  Letting the sheet slip from her, Anne sat up slowly. Doing her own impression of a stretching feline, she felt her breasts rise tautly, hardened tips point at him. Through her lashes she watched his eyes narrow, the instant response of his body.

  "The hell with it," Jud purred, moving toward the bed. "We'll mail the gift."

  With a delighted squeal Anne moved to get up. Jud's diving body pinned her to the bed. His lips moved against hers. "We can call the family later. Much later."

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