“That ought to keep you till morning. Do you need anything else before I trot off to bed?”

What he needed would have shocked her. She was crisp and matter-of-fact again now. The lady of the house. The Honorable Kezia Saint Martin.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do need something before you ‘trot off to bed.’ I need a glimpse of the woman I sat here and talked to all night. You’ve got a poker up your ass again, my love. It’s a lousy habit. I’m not going to hurt you, or rape you, or plunder your mind. I won’t even blackmail you.”

She looked surprised and a little hurt as she stood across the room. “I didn’t feel you had plundered my mind. I wanted to talk to you, Lucas.”

“So what’s different now?”

“I just wasn’t thinking.”

“So you closed up.”

“Habit, I guess.”

“And I told you, a lousy one. Aren’t we friends?”

She nodded at him, tears bright in her eyes again. It had been an emotional evening. “Of course we’re friends.”

“Good, because I think you’re very special.” He crossed the room in three long strides, and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Good night, babe. Have a good sleep.” She stood on tiptoe and returned the kiss to his cheek.

“Thanks, and you too, Lucas. Sleep tight.”

He could hear a clock ticking somewhere in the darkened house, and there was no sound from her room. He had only been lying there for about ten minutes, and he was too keyed up to sleep. It felt as though they had talked for days, and he had been so afraid of frightening her away, of doing something to make her close the door again. That was why he was lying on the couch, and had settled for a kiss on the cheek. She was not a woman you could rush at—not unless you wanted to lose her before you began. But they had come a long way in one night. He was content merely with that. He ran over the hours of talking in his mind … the expressions on her face … the words … the tears … the way she reached out for his hand….

“Luke? Are you sleeping?” He had been so intent on his thoughts that he hadn’t heard her bare feet pad across the carpeted floor.

“No. I’m awake.” He propped himself up on one elbow and looked at her. She was wearing a soft pink nightgown and her hair fell loose past her shoulders. “Is anything wrong?”

“No, I can’t sleep.”

“Neither can I.”

She smiled and sat down on the floor near the couch. He didn’t know what to make of her reappearance. She was not always easy to read. Luke lit a cigarette and handed it to her. She took it, inhaled, and returned it.

“You did a nice thing for me tonight, Lucas.”

“What’s that?” He was lying down again, gazing up at the ceiling.

“You let me talk out a lot of things that have been bothering me for years. I needed that so badly.”

And that wasn’t all she needed, but the idea of dealing with that almost frightened him. He didn’t want to screw up her life; she had enough on her hands.

“Luke?”

“Yeah?”

“What was your wife like?” There was a long silence and she began to regret having asked him.

“Pretty, young, crazy, like me in those days … and afraid. She was afraid to go it alone. I don’t know, Kezia … she was a nice girl, I loved her … but it seems like a long time ago. I was different then. We did things, we never said things. It got all fucked up when I went to the joint. You have to be able to talk when something like that happens, and she couldn’t. She couldn’t even talk when our little girl was killed. I think that’s what killed her. It all knotted up inside her till she strangled on it and died. In a way she was dead before she committed suicide. Maybe like your mother.”

Kezia nodded, watching his face. He wore a faraway look, but his voice showed no emotion other than respect for the passing of time.

“What made you ask?”

“Curious, I guess. We talked a lot about me tonight.”

“We talked a lot about me yesterday in the interview. I’d say we’re even. Why don’t you try and get some sleep?”

She nodded and he stubbed out the cigarette they had shared, as she stood up.

“Good night, Luke.”

“Night, babe. See you tomorrow.”

“Today.”

He grinned at her correction, and then swatted one long paw lazily in the direction of her bottom. “Back-talker. Get your ass to bed now, or you’ll be too tired to show me the town tomorrow.”

“Can you spend the day?”

“I plan to, unless you have something better to do.” He had never thought to ask her.

“Nope. I’m free as a bird. G’night, Lucas.” She turned quickly in a flurry of pink silk then, and he watched her go, wanting to reach out and stop her. And then it was out, before he could swallow the words.

“Kezia!” His voice was soft but urgent.

“Yes?” She turned with a look of surprise on her face.

“I love you.”

She stood very still, and neither of them moved. He lay twisted on the couch, watching her face. And she looked awed by his words.

“I … you’re very special to me, Luke. I …”

“Are you afraid?”

She nodded, lowering her eyes. “A little.”

“You don’t have to be, Kezia. I love you. I won’t hurt you. I’ve never known a woman like you.”

She wanted to tell him that she had never known a man like him, but somehow she couldn’t. She couldn’t say anything. She could only stand there, wishing for his arms, and not knowing how to find them.

It was Lucas who went to her, quietly, wrapping himself in the sheet she’d used for his bed. He walked slowly toward her and put his arms around her, holding her close.

“Everything’s okay, babe. Everything’s just fine.”

“It is, isn’t it?” She gazed up at him with a sunny look on her face. This was different from anything she had known. It mattered, it was serious, and to the core of her soul he knew who she was.

“Lucas …”

“Yeah, Mama?”

“I love you. I … love … you….” He swept her up in his arms then, gently, easily, and carried her back to her room in the dark. And as he set her down, she looked up at him and smiled. It was the smile of a woman, mischievous, mysterious, and tender. “You know something funny, Luke? I’ve never made love in my own bedroom before.”

“I’m glad.”

“So am I.” Their voices had sunk to whispers.

Her shyness fell away from her as she held out her arms to him, and he carefully pulled the pink silk nightgown down past her shoulders. She unraveled the sheet from his waist. His hands spent the dawn learning her body, and at last she fell asleep in his arms, as the sky was turning pale gray.


Chapter 12


“Good morning, my love. What do you want to do today?” She grinned at him with her chin on his chest.

“Oh, you know, the usual … tennis, bridge, whatever we’re supposed to do on Park Avenue.”

“Up your nose.”

“My nose? Why my nose?”

“I love your nose. It’s gorgeous.”

“You’re crazy. Stark staring cuckoo, Miss Saint Martin. Maybe that’s why I love you.”

“Are you sure you love me?” She was playing a game that women only play when they’re sure.

“Absolutely certain.”

“How do you know?” She ran a finger along his neck pensively and then let it float down his chest.

“Because my left heel itches. My mother told me I’d know it was true love when my left heel itched. It itches. So you must be the one.”

“Crazy nut.” He silenced her with a kiss, and she tucked herself into his arms, and they lay side by side, enjoying the morning.

“You’re beautiful, Kezia.”

“So are you.” He had a lean, powerful body that rippled with healthy muscles, covered by the smoothest of skin. She bit gently at his nipple, and he swatted her small white behind.

“Where’d you get the expensive-looking tan?”

“Marbella, of course. And in the South of France. ‘In seclusion.’”

“You’re shitting me.” He looked vastly amused.

“I shit you not. The papers said I was ‘in seclusion.’ Actually I went off on my own on a boat I hired in the Adriatic, and just before Marbella I did some research for a story in North Africa. That was terrific!” Her eyes shone with the memory.

“You sure do get around.”

“Yup. I did a lot of work this summer too. Gee, Luke, wouldn’t it be neat if we could go to Europe together sometime? I mean the good places like Dakar and Marrakech, Camargue in France, and Brittany, and Yugoslavia. Maybe Scotland too.” She looked up at him dreamily and nibbled his ear.

“Sounds delightful, but unfortunately it’ll never happen. Not for a while anyway.”

“Why not?”

“Can’t. My parole.”

“What a bore.”

He threw back his head and laughed, pulling her away from his ear carefully, and looking for her lips with his mouth. They kissed hungrily and long, and when it was over he chuckled again.

“You’re right, my parole is a bore. I wonder what they’d say if I told them that.”

“Let’s tell them and find out.”

“I have a sneaking suspicion you would.”

She grinned wickedly at him and he pulled the sheet from her body to look at her again.

“You know what I love?”

“My bellybutton?”

“Better than your big mouth anyway. At least it’s quiet. No, be serious for a minute….”

“I’ll try.”

“Shut up.”

“I love you.”

“Oooh, woman, don’t you ever stop talking?” He kissed her fiercely and tugged at a lock of her hair.

“I haven’t had anyone to talk to in so long, never like this … it just feels so good I can’t stop.”

“I know what you mean.” He ran a hand gently up the inside of her thigh with a passionate look in his eyes.

“What were you going to tell me?” She lay watching him matter-of-factly.

“Sweetheart, your timing is lousy. I was about to ravish your body again.”

“No, you weren’t. You were going to tell me something.” She looked almost angelic.

“Don’t be a tease. And I was going to tell you something before you interrupted me. What I was going to say is that it’s incredible how last week I didn’t even know you, and three days ago you appeared at one of my speeches, and two days ago I told you the story of my life. By yesterday, I had fallen in love with you. And now here we are. I didn’t think things like this happened.”

“They don’t. But I know what you mean. I feel like I’ve known you forever.”

“That’s what I mean. Feels like we’ve been hanging out together for years. And I love it.”

“Have you ever felt like this before?”

“Women! What an impertinent question. But for your information, no, I have not. One thing’s for damn sure, I’ve never fallen head over heels in love in three days before… and never with an heiress.”

He grinned at her and lit a cigar. Kezia reflected gleefully that her mother would have died. A cigar in the bedroom? Before breakfast? Good lord.

“Lucas, you know what you’ve got?”

“Bad breath?”

“Aside from that. You’ve got style.”

“What kind of style?”

“Gorgeous style, sexy style, courageous style, ballsy style … I think I’m crazy about you.”

“Crazy, for sure. About me, in that case I’m damn lucky.”

“So am I. Oh Lucas, I’m so glad you’re here. Imagine if I hadn’t given you my phone number!” The thought appalled her.

“1’d have found you anyway.” He sounded totally confident.

“How?”

“I’d have found a way. Bloodhounds, if I’d had to. I wasn’t about to let you slip out of my life in one breath. I couldn’t keep my eyes off you all night at that first speech. I couldn’t figure out if you were the writer who was coming to interview me.” It was delicious sharing the secrets of their first feelings, and Kezia was smiling as she hadn’t in years.

“You scared me that first morning.”

“Did I? Jesus, and I tried so hard not to. I was probably ten times as scared as you were.”

“But you didn’t look it. And you looked at me so pointedly, I kept thinking that you could see whatever I thought.”

“I wish to hell I could have. It was all I could do not to jump up and grab you.”

“Masher.” She rolled closer to him, and they kissed again. “You taste of cigar.”

“Want me to go brush my teeth?”

“Later.” He smiled and rolled onto his stomach, the pink nightgown still tangled near his feet. He kissed her again and held her close in his arms, his body slowly taking hold of hers, his feet pressing her legs wide apart.

“Okay, lady, you said you’d show me the town.” He sat naked in one of the blue velvet chairs, smoking his second cigar of the day, and drinking his first beer. They had just finished breakfast. And she looked at him and started to laugh.

“Lucas, you look impossible.”

“I do not I look extremely possible. And I feel better than hell. I told you, babe, no class.”