Читать книгу Nyc Angels & Gold Coast Angels Collection - Lynne Marshall - Страница 32

THANK GOD HE’D brought Ellie with him, Ty thought for the hundredth time since they’d arrived in Texas. Everyone was so busy falling over themselves to meet the woman he’d brought that no one had mentioned the last time he’d been home.

His mother’s welcoming arms squeezed him tightly.

“I’m so glad you’re home, son.” Her voice broke just a smidge, causing his chest to constrict more than a little. Then she pecked his cheek and turned to the quiet, elegant woman standing at his side. “Eleanor, that’s the prettiest skirt I think I’ve ever laid eyes on. Wherever did you find it?”

First looking at him as if to gauge how he’d responded to his mother’s hug and to make sure he was okay, Eleanor turned to his mother and smiled.

“There’s this fantastic shop just a couple of blocks from the hospital. It’s owned by a family I met when their son was born a couple of weeks early. We’ve stayed in touch.” Her face became animated as she launched into a tale of some of the other bargains she’d found there.

Ty couldn’t help but think how pretty she looked. Beautiful, actually. Ellie was beautiful.

He was so glad she was at his side.

From the moment they’d arrived at the airport and been greeted by Harry, Eleanor had been truly wonderful. Despite her bout of travel sickness on the plane, she smiled at all the right times. She asked questions at all the right times. Surprisingly, his shy, quiet Eleanor had even kept up the conversation during the few short, awkward moments that had passed between him and his brother when their father had come up in the conversation.

By the time his brother had helped load their luggage onto the small private twin-engined plane in which Harry would fly them to the ranch, they’d been conversing like, well, like long-lost brothers.

“I’ll have to fly up to the city for a shopping trip with you,” his mother suggested, still going on about Eleanor’s skirt.

Harry and Ty both laughed. Their mother shopping in New York City? She was the most no-nonsense woman they knew, rarely even made it into Houston to shop, and that was only a couple hours’ drive away. She rewarded them with a motherly frown.

Ellie glanced back and forth between them, obviously confused by their laughter. She smiled politely at his mother. “That would be nice, but if you do, I’ll introduce you to my sister. She’s the expert shopper.”

Based on the dress she had told him that Brooke had arranged for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Ty couldn’t argue. That dress had accented Eleanor’s curves superbly, but the truth was it didn’t matter what she wore.

Over the past six weeks, seeing her at the hospital in her shapeless scrubs hadn’t helped one bit. He knew what she hid beneath and just the memory of her curvy body had his hands itching to touch, had him wanting to beg her to reconsider.

Ty’s mother hustled them toward the large eat-in kitchen. When Ty stepped into the room, he breathed in the smell of being home. The room held a lot of memories. Good memories of sitting in here with Harry and his mother while she cooked their breakfast on school mornings. Not-so-good memories of the last row between him and his father, which had also taken place in the room.

Odd, but most of the major conversations of his life had taken place in the Donaldson kitchen.

As if his mother knew exactly what he was thinking about or, more aptly, who, she patted his shoulder. “Your father hated not being able to be here to welcome you home, son, but he had to go to the rodeo to make sure things are coming along on schedule. He’s swamped with last-minute details.” Her eyes didn’t quite meet his, but she pasted another bright smile on her face and hugged him yet again. “Now, let’s get the two of you fed. I’ve left lunch out because I know you must be starved.”

Ty’s gaze went from his mother to Eleanor. Her thick lashes swept her cheeks. She probably was starved after her bout of travel sickness on the plane. She’d disappeared into the ladies’ room at the airport long enough to freshen up and to put her contact lenses in. That had surprised him, but he’d been grateful because nothing blocked his view of her face.

Plus, seeing her without her glasses reminded him of the night of her father’s fund-raiser. Which was really a reminder of what had happened after the fund-raiser.

Which made Ty realize he was starved.

But not for food.

Ellie was all he hungered for.

Despite the awkwardness between them since the night they’d spent together, he hadn’t stopped wanting her. He missed her and wanted her in his life. And not just at the hospital. Seeing her face light up with a smile did odd things to his insides and he wasn’t in denial now.

He wanted her, was going to thoroughly enjoy the next few days of her company, and use the time to convince her they’d shared something special.

“Come along, Ellie. Let’s see what my mother has rustled up for us.” Ty took her hand in his and grinned at her surprised, pink-cheeked expression at his use of her nickname. Along with the entourage of family who tagged along behind them, he led her to the long solid oak table that matched the cabinets and woodwork.

Harry’s son, William, had taken an instant fascination with Eleanor and climbed into the chair opposite hers, staring at her as if she were some big-city goddess. The four-year-old had almost doubled in size since the last time Ty had seen him.

Nita, Harry’s wife, chatted a mile a minute about the one time she’d visited New York and how she’d like to come along for his mother’s suggested shopping trip, too. His mother busied herself with hostess duties. His brother had kicked back and was watching all the commotion with a lazy grin on his face. Their eyes met and they shared a grin.

Ty’s heart squeezed. This was his family. He’d missed them a whole lot more than he’d acknowledged. He should have come home a long time ago, been here for the holidays, been here where William wouldn’t have had to rely on the multitude of family photos all over the house to remember who his long-lost uncle Ty was.

But he knew the moment his father got home he’d recall all the reasons he’d left, that within seconds he’d most likely be ready to hop on the first plane back to New York.

“Ellie.” His mother used the name she’d heard Ty call her by, concern in her voice. “Is your food not to your liking, dear? I’d be happy to cook something else for you if there’s something you’d prefer.”

Ty’s mind jerked to the present, stunned to realize that he’d demolished every scrap of his mother’s delicious home cooking but Eleanor had barely touched her food.

Looking a little pale, she shook her head. “Everything is delicious. I just wasn’t that hungry. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, child.” His mother’s eyes softened as they regarded Eleanor. “If you’re not hungry then you’re not hungry.”

William nudged his mother’s arm. “See, Momma, I shouldn’t have to clean my plate when I’m not hungry. Grammy says so.”

Leaning forward, Harry winked at his son. “You’re a growing boy and need your meat and potatoes to make you grow up strong like your old man.”

“What he means is like your uncle Ty,” Ty corrected, but his eyes never left Eleanor. Her skin had grown pasty, almost a pale gray. “You okay, darlin’? Is your stomach acting up again?”

Bright red color splotched her cheeks as she lifted pleading eyes to him. Eyes that begged to get her somewhere private pronto. Purplish smudges darkened beneath them, almost as if her skin was bruised, and guilt hit him. He’d been so self-absorbed that he’d totally missed that she still wasn’t feeling up to par.

“A little,” she admitted. “I’ve never traveled well. Sorry.”

His mother must have read her look accurately, too, because before Ty could do more than reach for her hand, she jumped in. “Ty, take this poor girl to your room and let her rest for a bit. She looks exhausted.”

His and Ellie’s gazes met as realization dawned. He hadn’t really thought about where his brother had put her bags. Not in one of the guest rooms as there would be more family coming in for the rodeo and the house would be at full capacity, as would the guesthouse and the bunkhouse. Harry had put her belongings in Ty’s room.

Because everyone had assumed she was his girlfriend and that that was where he’d want her sleeping.

That was where he wanted her sleeping. With him.

Of course, if Ellie was in his bed, neither of them would be doing much sleeping.

Then again, with how frail she looked at the moment, he should keep his hands to himself. And other wayward body parts that had a predilection for her.

As much as he wanted her, at the moment he just wanted to take care of her.

“Come on,” he said, standing from the table and taking her hand. “Let’s get you upstairs for a nap. It’s been a long day already since we left LaGuardia this morning.”

“I …” she started to argue. He knew that was what she was about to do because her phenomenal etiquette would think it rude to disappear so quickly. But she stopped, which told him just how poorly she felt. Another wave of guilt hit him. How could he have been so lost in his own homecoming misery that he’d been oblivious to her exhaustion and just how much effort she was making to hide how ill she really felt? He felt a grade-A jerk.

He was a grade-A jerk.

Because when he’d not been lost in the past, he’d been thinking about the night they’d shared and how he’d been wanting a repetition ever since.

“After our trip this morning, resting for a short while would be heavenly. Thank you.” Still, she turned to his mother. “Can I help you clear the dishes before I go?”

His mother beamed at her perfect manners, shot Ty a thumbs-up, I-like-this-girl look. “No, Carmelita has already taken care of everything else so there’s only these. She and I will get everything cleaned up in a jiffy. Nita will help.”

Watching the conversation curiously, Ty’s sister-in-law nodded her agreement.

“You go and rest so you will be refreshed for the rodeo this weekend and meeting the rest of the family. They’re all looking forward to meeting the first woman Ty’s ever brought home to meet us.” As if she couldn’t stop herself, his mother pulled her into her arms for a big hug. “We are so glad to meet you, Ellie, and to welcome you to our house and family. This is just wonderful.”

Eleanor bit back both her wince at Ty’s mother’s use of “Ellie” and the nausea she’d been fighting from the moment she’d smelled food. What was wrong with her? Usually her bouts of nervous stomach didn’t last so long.

Then again, usually her bouts of nerves weren’t triggered by a trip to Texas with a gorgeous hunk she’d spent a night naked with several weeks ago.

Ha, it had never been triggered by that until Ty and this trip. She’d truly believed he’d have invited someone else or have gone alone.

Not that he’d been linked to anyone since her.

Or if he had, she hadn’t gotten the gossip memo.

Since Ty seemed to be Linda’s favorite topic of conversation these days, Eleanor was positive she would have heard if Ty had so much as looked in another woman’s direction. He hadn’t.

Why hadn’t he?

He led her up a majestic curved gleaming oak staircase to the second story of the sprawling Texan mansion that spoke of wealth, functionality and family.

Because unlike the magazine picture-perfectness of her parents’ various homes, the Donaldson mansion was filled with love, with family photos and knickknacks that, without asking, Eleanor knew had special meaning. The house was lived in and full of love.

“I like your family,” she said when they were almost to the top of the stairs.

Holding her hand tightly in his, Ty snorted. “You may want to withhold judgment until you meet my father. He’s the scary one, remember?”

Eleanor’s heart squeezed at the pain she heard in his voice. All her life she’d lived knowing that she didn’t quite fit in with her family, but never had she doubted that they loved her in their own way. Even Brooke had her loving-family moments such as when she’d insisted upon helping Eleanor pack yesterday and had given Eleanor a pair of bright red designer boots for her trip to Texas. Ty’s voice didn’t convey that same knowledge of love. Not where his father was concerned.

“You want to talk about it?”

He shook his head. “No, I just want to get you into bed.” He waggled his brows and grinned. “For once not so I can take your clothes off you. Seriously, Ellie, you should have told me you still weren’t feeling well. We didn’t have to do the whole family thing right then. They can be a bit overwhelming. You could have rested first.”

Although she knew he was purposely distracting her from the conversation he didn’t want to have, she let him. If he didn’t want to tell her about his relationship with his father, what right did she have to pry? After all, she was only the date he had bartered with her father for.

Plus, she really did feel exhausted and so nauseated that she really might throw up again. She hoped not. How embarrassing would that be?

“Honestly, I felt better until we walked into the kitchen. When I smelled the food I just …” She paused, realizing what she’d said and feeling horrible. “I didn’t mean that there was anything wrong with your mother’s cooking, just that—”

He grinned. “Relax, Ellie. I know what you meant and it’s okay.” He winked, then opened a door and stepped back for her to enter first.

Immediately on stepping into the room, she was overwhelmed with Ty. With his past and his present. There were all sorts of paraphernalia from his life scattered throughout the darkly masculine room. Obviously at some point his mother had thought the room needed updating to her grown son’s tastes, but she hadn’t been willing to let go of her little boy either.

“You used to compete in the rodeo?” she asked, walking up to a shelf that was filled with various trophies, plaques and photos of Ty on horses, of Ty roping a calf, of a teenage Ty sliding onto the back of a monstrous-looking cow. “I thought you said you were too tall.”

Although he’d paused on stepping into the room, his room, which he hadn’t been in for years, that crooked grin of his slid into place. “I’m a true, full-blooded Texan, darlin’. Of course I competed in the rodeo. Besides, I wasn’t always this tall.”

She gestured to the vast display of awards. “Looks like you were pretty good.”

His grin widened and mischief twinkled in his eyes. “Was there ever any doubt?”

She gave him a small smile. “Never. I bet you always won the cow-riding events.”

He burst out laughing, slid his hand around her waist and turned her toward the bed. “It’s bull riding, darlin’,” he corrected her. “Come on. You can check out all this stuff Mom keeps out later. Right now, I want you resting.”

He led her to the king-size bed that suddenly dominated the room. They both stopped, stood staring at it.

“You grew up sleeping in this giant bed?” Had her voice just broken?

He shook his head. “Early on Harry and I shared bunk beds. Later, when we went into rooms of our own, I got this furniture. Guess Mom expected us to keep growing.”

“She’s tiny, so your dad must be a giant of a man.”

“He is.”

Ty’s soft words twisted her heart, made her want to wrap her arms around him and hold him tightly to her.

“You look exhausted, Ellie.”

She did feel worn out, which was unlike her. It was probably that she hadn’t slept well due to nerves the night before and the travel sickness on the plane had also taken its toll. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to climb into Ty’s bed so she stood, staring at the big bed.

“Here, let me.” He yanked the deep brown comforter back, then gently pushed her down onto the bed in a sitting position.

What he did next surprised her. More like stunned her.

He dropped to his knees, slipped her shoes off her feet and set them aside. His hands slid up her calves, massaged along the way, paused at her knees, leaning forward and kissing each one, then, over her skirt, up her thighs, her hips, to her waist.

He placed his palms against her upper arms and gent ly guided her backward. “Lie back, Ellie, and take a load off.”

She did, letting him pull the covers around her and tuck her in as if she were a small child, then he straightened, stood staring at her with an odd look in his eyes.

Suddenly she felt terribly alone in the big bed.

“Ty, hold me.”

His brows went together in a surprised V, but he kicked off his shoes and slid into the bed next to her.

He wrapped his arms around her, held her close to him in spoon fashion and dropped a kiss on her hair. “Now, close your eyes and be very still, Ellie, or else we’re going to have a problem.”

It only took her a second to realize what he meant. Giddiness bubbled up inside her. She twisted around to face him, stared into his beautiful eyes and couldn’t keep from smiling.

“You really find me attractive, don’t you?”

He gave her a quizzical look. “Why wouldn’t I find you attractive? You are a beautiful, amazing, sexy woman, Ellie. Any man would have to be blind not to find you attractive.” He slid his palm over the curve of her hip. “Of course a blind man would have to feel his way. Then he’d know how hot you were firsthand, too.”

Eleanor’s insides melted. Unable to stop herself, she stretched forward and closed the distance between their lips. Just a soft brushing of her lips against his. It was the first time they’d kissed since the night of the fund-raiser. Instantly, longing shot through her. Longing for the way she’d felt that night. Longing for the way she felt at this very moment, touching him.

“Now you’re just tempting fate,” he warned in a low voice. “You’re supposed to be resting.”

She blinked at him, not so innocently. “What if I don’t feel so very tired anymore?”

Amazingly, she didn’t. That was crazy, as moments before just holding her head up had almost required too much effort, but lying in Ty’s arms, kissing him, energized her, cured her finicky stomach.

His brow arched, a boyish grin on his face, his eyes twinkling with delight. “Darlin’, were you playing possum to get me into bed and take advantage of me?”

Her gaze not wavering from his, she shook her head and with great clarity knew exactly what she wanted. “No, but kiss me, Ty. Kiss me as if you mean it.”

His expression growing serious, his eyes darkened. “I do mean it, Ellie. When I kiss you, I mean every touch.”

She wasn’t sure what he meant by his words or even what she’d meant by her request. Not until his lips touched hers.

Then she knew.

He kissed her softly and slowly, yet with an undercurrent of urgency that let her know he wanted more, that he struggled to keep from deepening the kiss. His hands ran over her body just as softly and slowly, as if she were a prize to be treasured.

That was how he made her feel, how he’d made her feel that night. Like she was the most important woman in the whole world to him. Like she was the only woman.

For now that was enough.

That was everything.