Читать книгу The Texan's Tiny Secret - Peggy Moreland, Peggy Moreland - Страница 9

Suzy knew one thing for sure.

Gil Riley sure as heck wasn’t gay.

No man could kiss a woman like this and be anything but totally heterosexual. She couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move.

Well, maybe she could move, she decided belatedly and lifted her arms to loop them around his neck. The change in position brought him a step closer, his chest chafing against her breasts, his arms winding around her waist. With a skill that sent her blood racing, he teased her lips apart with gentle flicks of his tongue.

And forced her to add a new item to the governor’s already lengthy résumé: master seducer.

He’s good, she thought, giving herself up to the sensual rock of his mouth over hers, the erotic play of his tongue. Maybe too good, she thought with a shiver. Mesmerized by the pillowed softness of his lips, the commanding pressure of his mouth, she was only distantly aware of him sliding his hands from her waist to splay them across her buttocks. But when he tugged her up against him, she forgot about his mouth and the seductive lure of his lips, her attention snagged by the hard column of the erection nudging her abdomen. Alarm bells clanged in her head.

What are you doing! What is he doing! You don’t need this kind of trouble. Get rid of him. Tell him to get lost. Toss him out the door on his ear!

She intended to heed the warnings. She really did! And would have, if he hadn’t, at that moment, dug his fingers into her buttocks and lifted her, dragging her body up the length of his, until their groins were flush, their mouths perfectly aligned. With her held tightly against him, he deepened the kiss, softened it, then deepened it again, sending her pulse tripping, her mind reeling…and her good intentions skipping straight down the proverbial road to hell.

As he spun the kiss out, his tongue tangling with hers in an erotic dance for dominance, she lost all sense of time, all sense of place, all sense of self. She felt as if she were caught in the eye of one of Texas’s famous twisters, her body battered by a constant barrage of sensations and emotions, her mind stripped bare of all thought and reason.

She wanted this man, she realized with a suddenness that made her heart stumble a beat. More than she’d ever wanted any man before, she wanted Gil Riley. But even as her mind registered this need, he tightened his arms around her, all but squeezing what was left of the breath from her lungs. A groan rose from deep in his throat, and she sensed the regret in the sound, felt it as he eased his hold on her and let her slide back down his body, tasted it as he slowly dragged his mouth from hers.

Weakened, she braced her hands against his chest and drew in a shaky breath, telling herself that it was her imagination, that his kiss hadn’t held the power, the perfection that her mind insisted on attributing to it. But when she opened her eyes and met his gaze, saw the heat there, the same surprise and passion that clouded her own, she knew she was in trouble.

He touched a finger to the moisture he’d left on her lips, and a smile curved one side of his mouth. “You’re one hell of a kisser, Just Suzy.”

And so was he, she thought, gulping. Before she gave in to the temptation to throw herself back into his arms for a second go at him, she inhaled deeply, drawing in the oxygen she needed to clear her head, steady her pulse and ease from his embrace. “You’re not too shabby a kisser, yourself, guv.”

He laughed and the masculine sound filled the room and vibrated through her, filling her with an unexpected sense of longing and regret she couldn’t even begin to explain.

“I like you, Suzy.”

Because she was afraid that she was beginning to like him, too, she turned away. “So you’ve said.”

“My life isn’t my own right now, but I’d like to spend what free time I can manage with you.”

She closed her eyes, digging deep for the strength, the flippancy she needed to send him on his way. Plucking a pillow from the sofa, she slapped a hand against it, fluffing it. “Sorry, guv, but my dance card is pretty full.”

“There’s a private reception Friday night to dedicate a new children’s wing at one of the local hospitals. Will you go with me?”

She dropped the pillow back to the sofa and turned, a brow arched in question. “This Friday?” At his nod, she lifted her hands. “Sorry. I’ve already got plans.”

He stared at her a moment, as if weighing the truth in her refusal, then slipped his fingers into his shirt pocket and pulled out a small envelope. “If your plans should change, this will get you in the door.” He dropped the invitation onto the coffee table, then touched a finger to his temple, his smile returning. “See you around, Suzy.”

“What’s this?”

Suzy glanced over her shoulder and swallowed a groan when she saw the card Renee was holding. Wishing she’d tossed the invitation into the garbage, as she’d intended, she turned back to the sink and continued to wash strawberries. “Some stupid reception for a new wing at a hospital.”

“Are you going?”

“No.”

“Why not? Everybody who is anybody is going. I read about it in Paul Skinner’s gossip column. Even the governor will be there.”

“So?”

“So go! Rub elbows with the rich and famous. Play Cinderella for a night.”

Suzy snorted a laugh. “Yeah, right. Like I have any aspirations of being Cinderella.”

Renee picked up the colander filled with freshly washed strawberries. “Oh, come on, Suz. Every girl dreams of being Cinderella at least once in her life.”

Suzy followed Renee to the island, drying her hands on her apron’s skirt. She picked up a knife and selected a strawberry from the colander as she settled onto a stool beside her assistant. “Not me. I quit believing in fairy tales a long time ago.”

“Bull hockey.”

Lifting a brow, Suzy turned to level a look on Renee. “I beg your pardon?”

Renee ignored her and continued to slice strawberries. “Every girl dreams of being Cinderella and meeting her own Prince Charming. Even you,” she said, and stubbornly met Suzy’s gaze.

Huffing a breath, Suzy resumed her coring. “Even if what you said were true, and it’s not,” she added, slanting Renee a warning look, “I certainly wouldn’t find my Prince Charming at a hospital wing dedication.” She sputtered a laugh. “Imagine me attending a reception with a bunch of snooty old do-gooders.”

“Everyone there isn’t going to be old and snooty. Remember? The governor’s going and he’s definitely not old. And he’s not snooty, either. In fact, I think he’s about as down-to-earth and friendly as any person could possibly be. And if there is such a man as Prince Charming,” she added, “Gil Riley certainly fits the bill.”

Before Suzy could argue the point, the doorbell sounded and the telephone rang at the same time. Renee laid down her knife and rose. “I’ll get the door.”

Hoping that by the time her assistant returned to the kitchen, she would have forgotten all about the stupid invitation, Suzy picked up the phone. “Suzy’s Succulent Sensations,” she said into the receiver.

“Suzy?”

She squeezed her eyes shut at the quaver she heard in the familiar voice, recognizing it as a sign her mother was having a bad day. Determined to be cheerful, she tucked the phone between shoulder and ear, reached for the knife again and began to core strawberries. “Hello, Mother. How’re you doing today?”

“Okay…I guess.”

Suzy heard the self-pity in the response, but refused to fall prey to it. “That’s good. Are you planning to work in your garden today?”

“No,” her mother replied in a lifeless voice that threatened to suck Suzy down into an equally despairing mood. “I just don’t have the heart for it today.”

“But it’s a such a beautiful day,” Suzy insisted, knowing from experience that staying inside with the curtains drawn would only darken her mother’s depression more.

“Is it?” her mother replied vaguely. “I hadn’t noticed. Suzy?”

Suzy heard the tears building and tensed. “What is it, Mother? Has something happened?”

“No. No.” She sniffed noisily. “It’s just that last night I dreamed your father—”

Suzy stiffened, curling her fingers around the knife’s handle. “Don’t call him that.”

“I’m sorry, dear. The reverend, then. I dreamed the reverend called and wanted to see us. It seemed so real,” her mother continued, her voice quavering with a mixture of fear and hope.

“You know what the doctor said,” Suzy reminded her sternly. “You’re not to focus on your dreams or to even think about them. You’re supposed to occupy your mind on something else. Do you have any new books to read?”

“No.” Her mother sniffed delicately. “I haven’t felt much like getting out and going to the library.”

“How about a jigsaw puzzle? I’ll bet the new ones I brought you are still in the top of the hall closet.”

There was a slight pause, and Suzy could almost see her mother turning to gaze vacantly at the closet door.

“You brought me puzzles?” Suzy heard her mother ask, as if she’d totally forgotten about Suzy’s visit and her placing the boxes there.

“Would you like for me to come and visit you?” Suzy asked, her concern growing. “I have desserts to make for a party tonight, but I could come later this afternoon, after I’ve delivered them.”

“No, dear. I’ll be all right. I’ll just take down one of the puzzles you brought and work on it today.”

“Good idea, Mother. And go outside for a while,” Suzy begged. “Being out in the sun and fresh air will do you a world of good.”

“Oh, my gosh! Look, Suzy! Roses! Dozens of them!”

Suzy glanced up, her eyes rounding as Renee returned to the kitchen, carrying a huge vase of yellow roses. Dumbfounded, she angled the receiver back in front of her mouth. “Mother, I need to go. I’ll call later this afternoon and check on you, all right?”

“Yes, dear. That would be nice.”

At the click, indicating her mother had hung up, Suzy returned the phone to its base, staring as Renee set the vase of roses opposite her on the island.

“Aren’t they gorgeous?” Renee cried, laughing gaily. “And look! There’s one sunflower tucked right in the middle.” She quickly unpinned the small envelope from the ribbon wrapped around the sunflower’s stem and thrust it at Suzy. “Open it and see who they’re from.”

Fearing she already knew who had sent the roses, Suzy plucked a strawberry from the colander, pretending disinterest. “Probably some grateful hostess we catered a party for.”

“Then you won’t mind if I look.” Without waiting for permission, Renee ripped open the envelope and pulled out the card. She gasped, slapping a hand over her heart. “Oh, my God, Suzy! They’re from the governor!” She lifted her head, her eyes wide, then dropped her gaze to the card again, and read, “‘The roses are standard trying-to-impress-a-woman fare, but the sunflower is simply because it reminded me of your sunny smile. Hope to see you tonight.’”

Her cheeks burning, Suzy snatched the card from Renee’s hand and stuffed it into her apron pocket.

Renee rounded the island, her mouth sagged open. “The governor sent you the invitation to the dedication?”

Suzy lifted a shoulder. “So what if he did? I’m not going.”

“But you have to go!” Renee slid onto a stool, her knees bumping Suzy’s as she spun to face her. “This is the opportunity of a lifetime! A date with the governor, for cripe’s sake! The hunkiest and most lusted-after bachelor in the entire state. You’d be a fool not to go.”

Suzy slipped off her stool, gathering the pile of cut stems into her hands. “Then I’m a fool.” She crossed to the sink and poked the cuttings down the disposal. “Because I’m sure as heck not going anywhere as the governor’s date.”

And she wasn’t going to the dedication as the governor’s date, Suzy assured herself as she stopped inside the hospital’s lobby to tug the strap of a high-heeled sling back over her heel. She was going to the dedication to prove a point…both to herself and Gil Riley.

They were totally unsuitable for each other.

She had known he wasn’t the man for her from the moment she’d seen his picture on a billboard and felt the first flutter of attraction. That realization was confirmed the evening he’d slipped into the kitchen at the party she’d catered and she’d experienced firsthand his particular brand of heart-fluttering charm. And she’d had her nose all but rubbed in their unsuitability when he’d stood in her living room and kissed her senseless.

Yet, in spite of the obviousness of their unsuitability, Gil remained clueless…and persistent. But Suzy was willing to take whatever steps necessary to prove to him what she’d already ascertained, even if it meant possibly exposing herself to the public eye. Prior to going to the dedication, she’d carefully weighed all the dangers and convinced herself that she could conceal her identity from the unsuspecting guests. It was a private party, after all, thus the press wouldn’t be present. Besides, she had chosen a disguise so outlandish, her own mother would have trouble recognizing her!

Straightening, she wiggled her hips to ease the body-hugging spandex fabric of her black micro-mini skirt back into place. She spotted the entrance to the new wing just ahead of her, and a smug smile curved her lips as strains of Mozart’s “Moonlight Sonata” played by a violinist drifted out to her. She could just see the expressions on the faces of the stodgy, stiff-necked guests when she made her entrance. She knew she and Gil Riley were unsuitable…and, before the night was over, so would he.

Tossing over her shoulder the long tresses of the red wig she’d chosen to wear for the evening, she headed for the entrance.

“Excuse me, miss.”

Suzy stopped and glanced to her right. A prune-faced woman stood at the entry, dressed in a pink slap-me-if-it-isn’t-a-grandmother-of-the-bride silk shantung suit. Suzy arched a brow—the one she’d adhered a rhinestone to its end. “Yes?”

The woman lifted her chin, looking down her nose at Suzy in disapproval. “This is a private party, by invitation only.”

“Yeah, I know.” Hiding a smile, Suzy glanced over the roomful of guests. “I’m supposed to meet my date here.” She caught a glimpse of Gil standing with a group of distinguished-looking men and looking positively mouth watering himself in a black tux and silk crewneck, off-white sweater. “There he is now.” She lifted a hand. “Hey, Governor!” she shouted, waving her hand over her head. “Over here! I forgot my invitation, and this chick won’t let me in.”

Gil glanced her way—as did nearly everyone else in the room. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity to prove her point, Suzy gave the deep vee of her sequined halter top a tug closer to her naval—silently thanked God for double-sided tape—then cocked a hip and crooked her finger.

A hush fell over the room. Even the violinist stopped playing. Though embarrassment burned through her as the crowd openly stared, Suzy kept her expression sulky and her posture slutty, holding her breath while she waited for Gil to turn his back on her, refusing to acknowledge her as an acquaintance, much less as his date. Once he did, she promised herself, she was out of there, point proven.

She watched him murmur something to the men he was standing with, then, to her amazement, he headed her way. Was that a smile twitching at his lips? she thought in dismay. By the time he reached her, he was laughing fully.

The prune-faced woman hovered nearby, wringing her hands. “I’m so sorry, Governor. I tried to tell her the party was by invitation only.”

Gil looked down at Suzy, his eyes filled with amusement. “It’s all right,” he said, and offered her his arm. “She’s my date.”

Suzy slipped her arm through his and, unable to resist, tossed the wide-eyed woman an I-told-you-so smirk as Gil escorted her into the room and toward the buffet table.

“You really know how to make an entrance.”

She looked up at him, all innocence. “An entrance? Me?”

He seared her with a look from the top of her trailer-trash hairdo to the tips of her scarlet-woman painted toenails. His lips quirked in a smile as he returned his gaze to hers. “Yeah, you.” He unwound his arm from hers, picked up a plate from the buffet table and handed it to her, then selected one for himself. “But what I’m wondering is,” he said, as he levered thin slices of smoked salmon onto first her plate, then his, “who you’re trying to fool with that getup.” He glanced her way and arched a brow. “Want to tell me about it?”

This wasn’t going at all as she’d planned, Suzy reflected miserably as she fixed a smile on her face and shook the hand of yet another guest Gil introduced her to. Although she had succeeded in shocking nearly every person at the dedication with her trailer-trash hairdo and slutty outfit, her appearance hadn’t seemed to faze or embarrass Gil at all. In fact, he’d treated her as if she were visiting royalty, insisting upon escorting her around the room and introducing her to what seemed an endless stream of people.

And if she’d had any clue she was going to have to march a country mile at the stupid dedication, she sure as heck wouldn’t have worn these four-inch spiked heels!

Wincing, she braced a hand against his arm and lifted a foot to readjust the high-heeled sandal’s strap, in hopes of easing the ache in her arch.

“Shoes hurting your feet?”

She glanced up, saw the amusement in his eyes and quickly dropped her hand from his arm and her foot to the floor. “No.”

He bit back a smile. “Liar.” He caught her elbow and guided her toward the entrance. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Suzy?”

At the sound of her name, Suzy stopped and turned, dragging Gil to a stop, as well. Her eyes widened when she saw her friend, Penny Thompson, hurrying toward her. “Penny!” she cried in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

Laughing, Penny grabbed her hands. “Me? What are you doing here?”

“I asked first.” Suzy shifted her gaze higher, as a tall, handsome man stepped up beside her friend. “Don’t tell me,” she said dryly. “Let me guess. The Cyber Cowboy is a major contributor.”

Grinning, Erik Thompson, Penny’s new husband and the owner of Cyber Cowboy International, looped an around his wife’s waist. “Okay, I won’t tell you.” He bent to drop a kiss on Suzy’s cheek, then straightened, choking on a laugh as he got a good look at her attire. “I thought girls like you hung out on street corners.”

Batting her eyelashes, Suzy sidled up to him and dragged a finger down the front of his tuxedo shirt. “Why, when all the johns with money are right in here?”

Penny slapped her hand away. “Watch it, sister. He’s taken.”

Laughing, Suzy fluffed her hair. “That’s the kind of man I like best.”

“I’ll have to remember that.”

Having forgotten all about Gil, Suzy shot him a frown as he joined them. “Trust me. It wouldn’t help your case any.”

Chuckling, Erik stuck out a hand. “Hello, Governor. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“Good to see you, too,” Gil returned, then smiled at Penny as he caught her hand between his. “And you must be the woman who knocked Erik off the Most Eligible Bachelor List.” He winked at Erik in approval. “An easy fall to take, when a man has a woman as pretty as this one to come home to.”

Rolling her eyes, Suzy grabbed Gil by the sleeve. “Come on, Governor Smooth, before I’m forced to put on boots to wade through all this BS. Call me, Penny!” she tossed over her shoulder as she dragged Gil away.

When they reached the entrance, a man stepped forward, obviously one of the hosts for the evening.

“You’re not leaving so soon, are you, Governor?”

“Not just yet. I thought I’d show my friend here some of the rooms in the new wing.”

The man spread an arm in welcome. “Please, be our guests.”

With a nod of thanks, Gil led Suzy to a bank of elevators. Once inside and the doors had closed, he dropped to a knee, and reached for her foot.

Startled, she tried to pull away. “What are you doing!”

He managed to slip off the left shoe, then glanced up at her. “Taking off your shoes.”

He shifted to reach for the other, and she shoved at his head, tottering as she tried in vain to angle her foot out of his reach. “If I wanted my shoes off, I’d have taken them off myself.”