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  “Just wait till I get my hands on you, Dad,” she said aloud, letting the branches receive the brunt of her anger.

  Did her father realize the impossible position he had put her in? What could he possibly have been thinking? Blackmailing Rand was an underhanded trick that went against the very core of honesty she had always known from her father. Karen wanted to shout at him every rotten name she knew. How could he have possibly done anything so unscrupulous? Rand had every reason to detest the backhanded methods Matthew had used to get them married. And yet as much as she disagreed with her father’s schemes, she could understand why he did it. Against the flint hardness of his will, against his better judgment, Rand loved her. But that love was doomed almost from the beginning. Without Matthew’s intervention, there would never have been a marriage. Now it was up to Karen to see that they remained married. With a new resolve, she walked back to the house.

  A movement out of the corner of her eyes caught her attention, and she found Carl watching her from the kitchen of his home. Impulsively, she gave him a friendly wave and watched the smile grow on his face before he returned her greeting.

  “Miss Karen.”

  She turned to find Carl’s long strides eliminating the space between them. The calico kitten James and Carter had given Rand was under his arm.

  “Hello, Number Nine,” she greeted the kitten softly. She was more cat than kitten, and Karen was surprised how much she had grown. “I wondered what had become of you.”

  “Mr. Rand asked the missus and me to keep the kitty while he was away, but …”

  “I’ll take her,” Karen offered, interrupting him to avoid explanations of why she was here and Rand in New York.

  Carl handed her the cat. “With Mr. Rand gone so much of the time, the kitty seems to think of my place as home. The missus has tried to discourage her, but she stands outside the kitchen door and cries until we let her inside. My missus has a soft heart,” he added.

  Karen concealed a smile. No doubt Dorothy was a warmhearted soul, but it didn’t take Karen long to realize Carl had a soft touch where animals were concerned. She’d found hay, food, and a salt block by the creek and knew he’d hauled it down the narrow path to feed the wild creatures in the woods.

  “Now that I’m here, Number Nine will know her home,” Karen said, her voice conveying the confidence of her newly formed resolve. “She’s had her shots and everything?” Rand was sure to want her spayed as soon as possible.

  “Oh, yes. First thing Mr. Rand had me do was take her to the vet.”

  “Thank you, Carl.” The older man was fast becoming both ally and friend. Karen was grateful for both.

  Without hesitation, Karen entered her new home, walking straight to the master bedroom. The cat followed her, jumped on the king-size bed, and curled into a little ball as if that were exactly where she belonged. I’ll do the same, Karen decided.

  One side of Rand’s walk-in closet had been cleared for her things, and Karen spent the rest of the morning unpacking. She found herself singing, her confidence building. As she placed her things around the room, a sense of rightness replaced her insecurities. If her father could convince her mother to marry him, certainly she should be able to persuade Rand, who she knew loved her, that they should stay married. She’d face him with that quiet, unshakable McAlister resolve, she decided. Feeling as if a weight had been lifted from her, Karen slept in the master bedroom that night, finding courage in the fact that she was acting like a wife, waiting for her husband’s return.

  Rand’s flight was due late Sunday afternoon. Karen waited impatiently as each minute passed with an incredible slowness. After pacing the floor innumerable times and checking the dinner she’d cooked, Karen decided she needed to vent some of her anxiety by walking.

  She followed the same path she’d discovered the day before, a winding trail that led into tall trees alive with a natural beauty. When she returned, strolling leisurely into the clearing beside the house, she saw Carl’s car had returned and was parked in front. Her footsteps hastened, her long strides filled with purpose.

  “Hello, Carl,” she called happily.

  He gave her a frown that confused her and stepped into the entryway carrying Rand’s suitcase. “I’ll be heading home to my missus,” Carl quipped, his tone showing obvious displeasure.

  He tipped his cap to Karen, his eyes avoiding hers. As Karen watched him go, her eyes clouded with confusion. Stopping to take a deep breath, she entered the house, but the welcoming smile died on her lips as soon as she moved through the door.

  “Darling,” Cora purred, her arms entwined around Rand’s neck. “She must have left.”

  Eight

  “But I haven’t,” Karen interrupted, fighting to keep her voice even and to hide her shock.

  Gripping Cora’s wrists, Rand forcefully removed her hands, which continued to cling to him. “Karen, I …” He sounded unsure and disconcerted.

  “You must be exhausted from the flight, Cora,” Karen interrupted again. If Rand wanted to give her an explanation, he could do it later, privately. “I’ll have Carl drive you home.” She returned Cora’s cold glare with one of her own. Cora may have found encouragement in the fact that Rand had left her on their wedding night, but the woman had yet to discover the lengths Karen was willing to go to keep her husband.

  Carl must have been waiting outside, because the minute his name was mentioned, he entered the house. “I’m ready to leave, Miss Dibner.” He gave Karen a conspiratorial wink that did little to please Cora.

  “Rand,” she purred, giving the impression her feelings had been crushed by such a lack of welcome. But if she’d hoped for his support, she was again disappointed.

  “As Karen says, you must be tired from the flight. I know I am.”

  “You will phone me?” Cora’s attitude immediately changed from a feline on the prowl to the businesswoman she was. Professionally, Cora was Rand’s equal, her list of credentials as impressive as Rand’s. The look she flashed Karen let her know she had yet to concede the battle.

  “I’ll contact you in the morning,” Rand murmured without enthusiasm.

  Her eyes filled with resentment; she gave Karen an almost imperceptible nod.

  Karen returned with a slight dip of her head. “We’ll meet again. Good-bye, Cora.”

  With a cool sophistication Karen envied, Cora gave her a meaningful sidelong glare on her way out the door. “You can count on it,” she murmured for Karen’s ears alone.

  As soon as the door was closed, Rand crossed the living room and poured himself a stiff drink from the whiskey decanter. “I didn’t mean for that to happen,” he began, but his voice contained no apology, his posture defensive.

  “I’m sure you didn’t,” Karen murmured.

  “Where were you?” he demanded. “I walked in the door expecting you to be here.”

  For the first time since his arrival, Karen began to relax. “I went for a walk in the woods out back. I wasn’t exactly sure what time you planned on being here.”

  His face showed fatigue. “Did you discover the creek?” he questioned, then took a sip of his drink.

  “Yes, I did.” She was still standing in the same spot as when she’d come in.

  “Carl has seen several deer drinking from it. I believe he’s put some hay and a salt block out for them.”

  “I wondered about that,” Karen said stiffly. Why did they have to talk to each other like polite strangers? Why couldn’t they come to the matter that was uppermost in both their minds?

  “Would you like something to eat?”

  He shook his head dismissively. “I ate on the plane.”

  “Yes … of course you would,” She glanced at the meal simmering in the kitchen, feeling chagrined. He was three hours ahead of the West Coast, and by his clock it was nearly eight. He would have eaten long ago.

  Rand lifted his head and turned his face toward the kitchen. “You’ve cooked dinner?”

  “I didn’t go to an
y trouble; it’s nothing special.” She dismissed his concern and walked into the kitchen to turn off the oven. She had no appetite, and wouldn’t until things were cleared between them.

  He followed her, wrinkling his nose appreciatively. “What’s this nothing special you’re cooking?”

  Placing a rebelling curl of soft brown hair around her ear, she turned her back to the stove. “Cornish game hens in orange sauce.”

  The beginnings of a smile threatened his stiff mouth. “If you consider this nothing, I’ll look forward to your fancy meals.”

  She gave a small, nervous laugh. “Actually, I’m not a very good cook. I thought I’d ask Dorothy if she’d share some of her recipes.”

  “It was a very wifely thing to have dinner waiting for me.”

  Did she imagine an inquiry in his voice? If so, she wasn’t likely to ignore it. “Yes, it was,” she said as matter-of-factly as possible. “I … I am your wife, for the present, at least.”

  Rand scowled, and Karen’s heart sank. She couldn’t stand it for another minute. If he wasn’t going to say something, she would. “I think the question remains of exactly how long I am to be your wife.”

  A muscle flexed in his jaw, and Karen could see the pride that narrowed his eyes. “Yes, that does seem to be the question. What have you decided?”

  For a moment, Karen’s stomach pitched unsteadily. Her hands twisted together, and she looked around, wondering why she had to have the most important discussion of her life in a kitchen with her back supported by an oven door because she was too nervous to stand upright.

  “I’ve decided that my father played a dirty trick on the both of us. I know you believe I had a hand in this scheme, but I didn’t.”

  Rand’s mouth twisted.

  “I know you don’t believe me,” she continued, her voice shaky. “Someday, I pray, you’ll trust me enough to accept what I’m telling you as the truth. I do know”—she hesitated, her voice dipping slightly—“that I’m glad Dad did what he did. Admittedly, it was an underhanded trick, unworthy of my father, but you would never have married me otherwise, and Dad knew it.”

  “You knew that, too,” he said tightly, accusingly.

  “I only know you love me and that it hurt you just as much as it did me to walk away that night. I know that you’ll never hold another woman in your arms without pretending it’s me. I know that if you send me away, you’ll always wonder about the life we could have had together.”

  “I never said I loved you.” His upper lip curled into a defensive smile.

  Karen’s response was gentle. “You did the night you came back, the night of the deadline. But it doesn’t matter if you spoke the words or not. I would have known, anyway. I’ve known for a long time. Do you imagine you could have hidden it from me the night we walked along Commencement Bay? Or any number of times since when you’ve held me in your arms?”

  Ominously, Rand’s jaw tightened. His fingers raked his hair in a savage motion. “All right, I love you, but it doesn’t change things.” The words were hardly an admission of tenderness, but more a biting accusation.

  She met his fury calmly. “The only thing left to decide is the status of our relationship. Are we going to stay married, or are you going to allow that arrogant pride of yours to ruin both our lives?”

  Karen could actually witness the inner turmoil etched so painfully on his profile. “No, we’re married now. God knows it’s not what I wanted for either of us, but the deed is done, and I haven’t the strength to undo it.”

  “Okay,” she whispered on a lengthy, drawn-out breath. Her love-filled eyes searched his face.

  “All I know is I can’t bear to face life without you now. I can’t let you go again. It hurt too damn much the first time.”

  “I know,” she said, assuring him of her own pain. Still, they remained apart at opposite ends of the kitchen. “Will you meet me halfway, Rand?”

  His face relaxed, his look almost tender.

  They walked into each other’s arms, their grip tightening as if they never wanted to part again. When his mouth found hers, it was a gentle kiss that soon deepened. Karen’s body flooded with warm excitement, and she moved against him sensuously, her arms locked around his neck.

  No matter how deep their desire had run before, Karen had always tasted Rand’s restraint. Now he returned his love and physical appetite in full. Their needs rose to a fever pitch; his kisses left her panting and breathless.

  “I find I’m hungry,” he whispered huskily against her ear. “I’m starving to death, but my want is not for food.”

  Karen gave a demure laugh, his words touching a spark of urgency within her. Tears of happiness glistened in her dark eyes as she spread happy kisses over his face. “Then let us wait no longer to dine.”

  Gathering her close, he kissed her brow and then her lips longingly, smiling down on her. “Yes, let us wait no longer to dine.” He kissed her again, and her mouth parted in welcome. Again and again, their mouths met, each kiss more ardent, more rousing.

  A soft sigh escaped Karen as she laid her head on his chest. His fingers brushed the soft curls from her neck, clearing the way for his lips.

  Karen nestled against him, curving her womanly figure all the closer. “Will you carry me over the threshold?”

  She could feel the smile against the satin smoothness of her neck. “It’s raining outside.”

  “I meant the threshold of our bedroom,” she whispered.

  Rand groaned; their lips met again, rousing Karen until she gave a deep, heaving sigh of longing.

  His hands caressed her back, sliding over her hips and buttocks, pressing her softness against his solid length. Bending slightly, he placed his arm behind her knees and lifted her from the floor. Her arms automatically went around his neck, and she rested her head on his shoulder. The tip of her tongue found the sensitive area behind his ear. When he gave a muted groan, she turned her attention to the thick column of his neck, spreading delicate kisses there until he shuddered.

  A whisper of a sigh escaped her as Rand placed her with infinite care on their bed.

  “Wait,” she pleaded breathlessly.

  “Wait?”

  She thrilled to the impatience in his voice. “I’ll be right back,” she promised in a gentle whisper.

  He released her reluctantly, his fingers never quite loosening their hold as she slipped from his embrace. The lovely silk gown her sister had given her was at the foot of the bed. Karen undressed, almost wishing Rand could watch her as she removed each item of clothing and placed it aside.

  Wordlessly, she went to him and slipped her arms around his neck, urging his mouth to hers. They were locked in a frantic embrace, an all-consuming desire. Trembling, she buried her face in his shirt, her body shuddering with the effort to breathe. Their kisses were now wild and fierce; his hands loosened her gown and leisurely caressed her.

  Unbuttoning his shirt, she placed her hands on his hard ribs, gliding them upward over the hair of his chest, her fingers caressing and stroking as his heart thundered beneath her palm.

  “Karen, Karen,” he rasped, his mouth seizing hers in a passionate kiss. Deftly, his fingers released the tie of her gown and slipped it away. Her soft breasts seemed to sear his chest, and he groaned before kissing her lips, then descended lower, spreading a molten path of desire that left Karen quivering with anticipation. She clung to him, eager to give herself to his passion. It was a tender, intimate moment, and Rand hoarsely whispered his love as he parted her thighs and gently entered her trembling body. Karen’s eyes widened at the sudden influx of pleasure; she arched against him, murmuring her love, and surrendered to the swirling excitement.

  Afterward, they lay together, Rand’s arms protectively holding her as she rested her head against the cushion of his chest. Each was spent by the fierceness of their lovemaking.

  When they spoke, it was whispered phrases of love, their emotions too strong to express with mere words what their bodies had said for
them. Soon they slept in a deep, untroubled slumber.

  Karen woke around ten, the room dark and still. A surge of love for the man sleeping beside her overcame her, and she nestled closer in the haven of his arms. Rand loved her as she loved him; together, they would build a good life. With a languid sigh, she rested her head in the crook of his arm. Playfully, her fingers ran through the hair on his chest. When he stirred, she asked him softly, “Are you awake?”

  Karen could hear the amusement in his voice. “How do you expect me to sleep with your fingers driving me insane?”

  Karen laughed, her arms tightening around him. “I’m hungry.”

  Rand turned so his body lay above hers, his mouth parting her lips with an urgency that almost startled Karen.

  “Rand.” She pressed her face against his throat. “I’m hungry for food.”

  He paused, although his hands enjoyed the freedom of her pliant, soft body. A low protesting moan followed her words as she slid out of his arms and climbed from the bed.

  “Do you want something?” she asked while tying the sash of her robe.

  Rand raised his brows and sat upright. “Yes, but I think it’ll have to wait.”

  With a smile of contentment, Karen wandered into the kitchen and fixed herself a sandwich. Her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten since breakfast.

  Rand was on the phone when she entered the bedroom. She sat on the bed, waiting for him to finish, her eyes studying the man she loved. There was a tenderness about him she hadn’t seen before. The lines of fatigue were gone, and his eyes held a warm light.

  “I’ve canceled my classes for tomorrow,” he said, breaking into her thoughts. “It seems I have an urgent business matter that needs attending to at home.” His eyes grew intense. “Come here, urgent matter.”