His Tempest (3 page)

“We did a trade. A no-cash deal.”

“Well, you should have informed me before you made the trip.”

“You were out of town. Besides, I didn't think you were interested.”

“I am where finances are concerned.”

“Dad, why don't you let George and me run the—” Colin had to hold the phone from his ear while his dad fussed for a good three minutes before he disconnected.

“Want a drink?” Colin asked Noelle then. “I need one if you don't.”

“Sure.” Noelle hoped he wasn't in the habit of drinking his problems away. “Do you realize your phone and ring tone are just like mine?”

“You're kidding. Maybe one of us should change the ring or you might end up answering my phone.”

They slipped into a club where a blues band was playing. A woman with a huge voice was belting out a sad ballad. After asking Noelle her beverage preference, Colin ordered bourbon for himself and a club soda with lime for her. They listened to the music of struggle and heartbreak, which seemed to send Colin deeper into the shadows that consumed him.

Noelle watched the play of lights across his face, wishing she could calm the storm raging in his mind. But some things a man had to mull over before he settled on a solution.

They had been so lighthearted before, and now…

“How did you get involved in the farm?” Noelle asked when she thought Colin had contemplated long enough.

He scooted his chair closer to hers. “I started right after Grandpa bought in. I used to spend summers with him and some weekends. He put me to work right away, and I grew to love it. After I left school I bummed around a bit. Worked at the farm some for a year, then Granddad convinced me to go to college for a degree in equestrian science. Which I did.” He shrugged. “I graduated four years ago and returned to the farm. Granddad died two years after that. The farm was sinking pretty fast, except he and George had a stud whose offspring have been doing pretty well at the track. So we're slowly pulling out of debt.”

“You're going to make it, you know that?”

“Even I know wishing doesn't make it happen.”

“No, but you have to start somewhere. And I've got a good feeling about you.”

For the first time since they entered the club, his eyes brightened. “You know, you're good for me.”

“Am I?” She didn't know if it was him or the drink talking. Still, she couldn't deny that she understood where he was coming from. She was striking off across country to follow a dream.

She took his hand in hers and caressed it. There were layers to him she hadn't begun to unravel.

“Surely your father knows what this farm means to you.”

He shrugged, giving her a sheepish glance. “I haven't exactly lived the life of a saint.”

“What young man has?”

“You've got a point there. I like you, Noelle Greenwood.”

Without asking he pulled her onto the dance floor. They danced and listened to the music for an hour before they made it back to the car and he drove home.

He'd planned to leave her at the door just as he had the night before. But, awareness had shimmered in the air all evening, and when the door closed behind them, it was as if they'd been given permission to surrender to their deep-seated desire. The moment Colin's lips touched hers he felt as if a sunburst had exploded through his body. It shook him to the core. For a brief second he wondered if the same thing had happened to her. He drew his tongue over the seams of her lips and she opened to him like a flower spreading its petals to the sun.

“So sweet,” he whispered. Then he dipped his tongue into her mouth. Her moan opened the gates to the swell of emotions welling up inside him. He pressed her closer to him and ground his hips against hers. Their tongues dueled until he probed again. A feast was spread before him, yet he couldn't get enough to fill him.

It was crazy, Noelle thought. It was wild. What she felt was unlike anything she'd ever felt before.

The trail of Colin's finger on her cheek was intimate and unnerving. She smiled at him and he lowered his head and captured her lips once again. Time stood still as they lost themselves in new and exciting emotions.

When she felt his hands on her breasts, reason reasserted itself. “We can't,” she said on a shaky breath. “I don't know you.”

“You know my hopes and dreams. You know everything that's important,” he said as his lips grazed hers.

Noelle had never even contemplated going to bed with him. Especially after seeing him just twice. That wasn't like her. She heard Cindy's warning echo in her mind. But it was hard to listen to when desire was speaking louder. She knew she was just another notch on his belt. But what a notch he was!

Leaning her head against his chest, she closed her eyes tightly. She couldn't do this.

He must have felt it the moment she'd changed her mind because he leaned against the door with his hands aligned against the surface, his body was still pressed against hers. She knew how very much he wanted her, and how much she wanted him. Her hands were still gripping him.

“Okay, okay.” He swiped a hand across his face, tried to think logically. He knew it was too soon for intimacy, but his brain wasn't doing the talking right now.

Colin looked down at the woman to whom he was molded. She might be saying no with her mouth, but she was still clutching him. What on earth did she think he was made of? Stone?

She was staring up at him now as if she didn't know where to take it from there. He blew out a long breath, willed his heartbeat to slow down.

“I hadn't planned to jump you as soon as you got home. I'd planned maybe a movie, conversation, you know, a get-to-know-you-better kind of thing. My senses just seem to leave me whenever we're together.”

He had to keep reminding himself that she was more than a quick turn in the sheets. He would have had her against that door in a second, entered her and had his fill of her, but it wasn't right.

He bent and kissed her sweet lips once again. Hers were warm and slightly trembling. He loved their dewy softness, he basked in her response to him. This softness he felt for her was new.

He eased back from her and pulled her to the sofa where they sat like two teenagers with their parents in the next room. They looked at each other and laughed, easing the tension, if not the desire.

“So what are your plans for tomorrow? Are you working?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No. I've already quit my job. I'm packing for the trip. My brother is coming in a couple of days to help pack the truck and drive with me to Virginia.”

“I have work tomorrow, but how about I come by tomorrow night, and the next day I'll help you pack?”

She hesitated. “Things are moving too fast between us.”

“I'm just offering to pack. We can drive back together. It'll be a caravan…sort of. I'm driving Maggie Girl back as soon as things are finalized. And I'm taking Brent's mare also.”

“Did you see Maggie Girl today?” Noelle asked.

“Oh, yeah.” Brent chuckled. “We spent some time together. She's going to love it in Virginia with Diamond Spirit.”

Exhaling a long breath, Noelle finally relaxed. “Horse lovers are something else.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.” He looked so sure of himself and so smug, Noelle shook her head.

“And I know you're entirely too enticing.” With that, he stood up. “I'd better go before I end up making a fool of myself.” Without another word, he was out the door.

N
oelle was definitely curious. Colin seemed nothing like the man Cindy had described. She'd wanted him every bit as much as he wanted her. Not that she thought he was a saint by any stretch of the imagination, but he wasn't quite the ladykiller, either.

Too full of energy to sleep, she changed her clothes and was knee-deep in packing when the phone rang.

“How did it go?” Cindy asked.

Feeling foolish for her emotions for Colin, Noelle cleared her throat. She wasn't supposed to feel anything. This was a business deal, but her thoughts weren't listening to logic. “Fine, I guess.” It had been well over a year since her last serious date and she wasn't ready to be brought back to reality.

“The way he was undressing you with his eyes, that's all you have to say?”

“I guess it went better than I thought. Only I'm a little worried.” Noelle paused, wondering how much she should reveal. But Cindy was her friend, and she had a better feel for Colin. As a reporter, she read people more easily than Noelle did.

“I think he really has feelings for me.”

Cindy laughed.

Noelle couldn't believe the hussy was laughing at her. Friend or not, she wanted to hit her.

“I knew it,” Cindy said. “I just knew you'd be taken in. He's got a long history of lovin' and leavin'. Don't let his games fool you into bed. He's a player, girl. A champion at games.”

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, Noelle wished she'd kept her mouth shut. “I've been around enough players to know when someone is insincere.”

“There are players and there are
players.
Colin falls into the second category.”

“I think you're wrong this time. This is the first time you've met him. You're judging him by rumors. He seems so real.”

“There's usually a grain of truth in rumors.” Then Cindy's voice softened. “And good actors always seem real. Look. You're a smart woman. You graduated at the top of your class. Don't be a fool in the game of life,” she rambled on undaunted. “You get what you need out of him, and then tell him goodbye. And don't let him get in your panties in the meantime, you hear?”

Noelle's long sigh must have carried over the line.

“Trust me. He's run a line on a whole string of women, leaving heartbreak from Kentucky to Virginia. I don't want you to be one of them.”

Noelle wanted to relieve the concern in her friend's voice. “He just seemed so…so genuine.”

“Part of the game, girlfriend. So get to know him well enough for him to invite you to the farm and introduce you to your grandfather.”

“All right. You've convinced me. I'll keep my guard up.” Noelle sighed and sat at the kitchen table. “Oh, Cindy. This is such a mess. I hope Dad doesn't think I don't love him or feel betrayed when he finds out.”

“He doesn't have to know.”

From the time Noelle had found out she was the product of artificial insemination, she'd been eager to meet her donor father and his family. She'd tried to make herself believe it was for medical purposes—needing to know his medical history so she'd know what to expect for herself and for the children she'd have one day. The truth was she wanted to see him face to face.

Her donor father, Mackenzie Avery, had agreed that she could contact him once she reached eighteen. Her relationship with her father was great and she felt as though she was betraying him by wanting to meet her donor father, so she'd waited until recently to contact him.

But the week after they'd spoken on the phone, Mackenzie had died. That was six months ago. He'd told her they'd met when she was a child and spent summers at her grandparents' summer camp. He'd given her riding lessons and she'd visited his veterinary office. Noelle vaguely remembered him. Not his face, but she remembered the gentle man who gave her lessons and the thrill of being in his office.

“Mackenzie seemed so nice when I talked to him. I wish I'd gotten the chance to meet him.” He'd promised to visit her, but had died before he'd had the chance.

Mackenzie's father, George Avery, was still alive, though, and lived in Virginia. At least she could meet him.

Noelle wondered again if she even needed to go through this charade. Deep down, she sensed someone was going to get hurt. Whenever she used deception, it always backfired. “I still think I should have gone to Virginia and tried to meet him on my own. I shouldn't involve anyone else.”

“My dad knows the family,” Cindy said. “He went to Mackenzie's funeral. I asked him questions about George Avery. They have a prize stallion, and they get a hundred grand every time he covers a mare. You better believe they guard that farm like Fort Knox. And after his son's death, Mr. Avery doesn't go out often. So this is the best way.”

“Still grieving, I'm sure,” Noelle murmured. “It has to be devastating to lose your only child. Maybe his family can give him some solace.”

“My dad told me he has a sister and some nephews and nieces who live in other states,” Cindy murmured. “So that's it, except for you, kiddo. Mackenzie never had other children. He and his wife divorced about three years ago. They sold the house and he moved back into the family home with his dad.”

“Well, thanks for talking your dad into using their stud for his prized mare.”

“It gave me practice for when I ask for a promotion and a raise. I learned some new skills negotiating that deal.”

“Thank you anyway.”

“So have you and Colin made any plans to see each other again?”

“He's going to help me pack.”

“You don't fool around, do you?”

“No, he doesn't fool around.”

Cindy's tone turned serious again. “I'll call you tomorrow. And remember, it's all a game to Colin. You're just his entertainment. He'll forget you as soon as he leaves the city.”

“I'll remember.”

Cindy was probably right, Noelle thought when she hung up. Noelle was always willing to give people the benefit of doubt, but her heart had been broken numerous times. This time she'd make sure her guard was up when she was with Colin because he was too convincing.

The kiss entered her mind again and this time she deliberately banished it. She had too much packing to do to think about Colin, and she worried about her dad finding out the main reason for her trip.

Franklin Greenwood was a great father. The fact that she wanted to meet her donor father wasn't a reflection on him. She was the apple of his eye, and she knew it. She'd never deliberately hurt him. He'd questioned why she wanted to move to Virginia, and somehow she didn't think the summer camp was a convincing reason.

She didn't usually lie to him—hadn't until now. And that didn't sit well with her. But she didn't know how to handle it any other way.

Never in his entire life had Colin met a woman who had had such a devastating impact on him.

It frightened the heck out of him.

When he woke the next morning, he felt foolish. He was pursuing her the way he went after the flavor-of-the-month. And she was nothing like that. She was serious—the kind of serious he usually avoided. He didn't understand this constant need to pursue her.

It was daylight when he got dressed, then he went to the Jamisons'. The grooms were already mucking out the stalls. He saddled Maggie Girl and led her out of the stable. Riding usually cleared his head.

After a walk, Colin urged the mare into a brisk trot. The cool winter air whipped against him.

It was going to take a little persuading to get back into Noelle's good graces. She was already skeptical of him, he thought, as he considered his next move. For a moment he wondered why he was going to the trouble. His only explanation was some magnetic force that seemed to pull him to her. Except, that made no sense at all.

He rode for nearly half an hour, letting his mind clear of everything except the pleasure of the ride before he brought Maggie girl back to the stables and cooled her down. Then he brushed her before he left.

Roses. A huge pot of them greeted Noelle when she opened her door. Beneath the roses was a pair of legs. All she could see were legs and roses.

Then a hand slipped around the huge bundle to reveal a white bag whose enticing aroma mixed with the fragrance of the roses. “Breakfast,” Colin said. She had yet to see his face.

Noelle laughed.

Smiling, Colin came into the room and placed the vase of flowers on the table.

“What did I do to deserve all this?” Noelle asked, still standing near the door.

“Look. I moved a little fast yesterday. I admit it. I don't know what came over me. It's just…” He walked closer to her, but not close enough to touch her. “From the moment I saw you, you took my breath away, even on that first day when you couldn't get rid of me fast enough in front of the building. I'm used to taking what I want and women don't usually put up resistance.”

“That's what worries me,” Noelle said. “Your reputation precedes you.”

He sighed. “I know. It's just…things seem different with you. I don't know what's come over me. I've only known you a couple of days…”

“Right.”

“Have you ever wanted something so much that you act a little crazy?” he asked.

“Like the way you feel about your horses?”

He chuckled. “I wouldn't quite put you in the same category as I would my horses.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “A close runner-up, maybe?”

“Not even close.” He still held the bag in his hand. “I came with gifts. First I feed you, then I work.” He closed the distance between them and held the bag out.

But she still wasn't quite ready to take a step with him. “Don't think the most gorgeous arrangement of roses I've ever seen and breakfast is going to change my opinion of you.”

The cheeky grin he revealed was enough to make her run screaming in the opposite direction.

“I hope you'll get to know me and then you'll see I'm a good guy after all. We're going to be neighbors. I want to make a good impression.”

Shaking her head, Noelle took the bag from his hand. With that look he could melt snow. “If you're trying to impress me, it's working.” Unable to resist the enticing smells, she opened the bag. “How did you know I was starved?”

“Calculated guess.”

She couldn't stand his scrutiny any longer. She regarded the lavish arrangement. “Oh, my gosh. The roses.”

She didn't know how he kept from stumbling over boxes. What an apology. She was being drawn into Colin's spell.

He moved the vase of flowers to the center of the table. Noelle leaned over and smelled the petals. They actually had an aroma that was often missing from the hothouse variety.

“You didn't get these from the local supermarket.”

“Nope. I wanted to make sure you didn't toss them back at me.” His grin was enticing. “So, breakfast, then work?”

Noelle thought she'd sorted things out as far as Colin was concerned. And then he sprang this on her. If this was just an act he was good enough to win an Oscar. But suddenly he leaned close and kissed her. “I know it sounds trite, but no woman has ever appealed to me the way you have—especially not so quickly. I'll be the first to say I'm a ladies' man. But with you, it's all different.”

Colin couldn't believe he was baring his soul this way, and what he spoke was the truth. He tugged Noelle into his arms and held her close to his heart.

“I want something sweeter than breakfast.”

“You're undoing what you've accomplished so far.”

“I know. But I want to kiss you. Just one kiss. That's all.”

He felt her hesitate. “That's what they all say.”

He spread his fingers through her heavy hair and smoothed it back. He tilted her head so that her lips were positioned for him.

“Just one kiss,” he whispered again. “I won't take it any further. Promise.”

And then he kissed her. She tasted so sweet, all thought rushed out of his mind, and he lost himself in the emotions of the moment until the sound of a car horn passing on the street brought him back to reality.

Suddenly he pulled away from her. He gazed at her, wanting to imprint her in his memory. Her breath was as ragged as his. Her lips were slightly swollen and moist, her breasts rose and fell with each breath.

He swiped a hand across his face. “Tell you what. I'll start packing while you eat.”

Noelle was in trouble. If she was this heated up over a simple kiss, what would her reaction be if they took it to another level? As unwise as even the kiss had been, she was definitely curious. Maybe they were moving too fast, but he seemed every bit the skilled man Cindy had described.

When Noelle opened her door two days later, she was shocked to see her brother and father standing there. She'd known her brother was coming, but her father's presence was a complete surprise.