"Did you remember to pack your copy of the script?"
"Yes."
"What about your daily planner?"
"Yes."
"What about-"
He stopped walking and turned to her. He squeezed her hand gently. "I"ve packed everything."
She gave him a shaky smile. "I don"t know why I"m asking you all these questions. You"re used to all of this, going away, leaving the country to make movies."
Sterling stepped closer and looked deeply into her eyes. "No, I"m not used to this at all," he whispered huskily, fiercely. A strong hand reached out to gently touch the nape of her neck. "This is the first time I"ve ever gone away and left behind the woman I love."
He leaned down and touched her mouth with his, placing his arms around her waist and bringing her closer to his body. The kiss deepened as he used his tongue to fill his senses with the taste of her, and to fill her senses with the taste of him. He slid his hands from around her waist to her rounded bottom, running his hand obsessively and possessively over her smooth curves, and at the same time absorbing her whimpered moans of pleasure in his mouth.
Sterling broke the kiss and pressed his lips against the hollow of her throat, breathing deeply, erratically. "I love you," he whispered as his lips, moist and warm, inched their way to her earlobe.
"And I love you, too, so very much," she said in a trembling, choked voice.
Sterling lifted his head. He leaned back and gazed into Colby"s eyes. They were glistening with tears that began running down her cheeks. She quickly swiped at them.
"Now see what you"ve done, Sterling Hamilton. I had promised myself I wouldn"t do this. But see what you made me do."
He pulled her into his arms understanding completely. He didn"t want to leave her, either. "It isn"t too late, Colby. You can change your mind and come with me if you want."
She smiled through her tears. "And let you accuse me of being a distraction? Never."
He grinned. "But you"ll be a distraction I"d like. You know how much I enjoy spending time with you, baby."
Colby grinned. "Yes, well, at least while you"re gone I"ll be off my back for a while."
Sterling"s laughter could be heard through the mountains and trees. "I thought you liked being on your back beneath me."
"I do." She took a deep breath and placed her hands on her stomach. "If I didn"t get pregnant before from our time in Barbados, I"m probably pretty pregnant by now."
Sterling"s hand covered hers. "How soon will you know?"
Colby shrugged. She would have a pretty good idea within the next couple of weeks. "How soon do you want to know?" she asked him.
He smiled smugly. "I already know. It"s you who"s the doubtful one."
The smile Colby gave back to Sterling was tender, loving. He was convinced he had gotten her pregnant in Barbados. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Time will tell, Mr. Hamilton. Time will tell," she whispered before pulling his mouth down to hers. And she realized as she curled into him, arching her hips closer toward him, just how much she wanted his prediction to be true.
Chapter 22.
Colby sat on the blanket she had spread out on the ground and watched a squirrel dart from one tree to the other. She loved the beauty of this particular area on Sterling"s land, a small clearing nested beneath a cl.u.s.ter of pecan trees. While he"d been home, Sterling had brought her here every day just to sit and talk. Sometimes, more often than not, they would also end up doing other things. She couldn"t help but smile when she thought of those other things.
She placed aside the book she had brought with her to read. Her mind just wasn"t on it right now. Sterling had been gone for ten days and she was missing him something fierce. At first he had called her every morning before he left for the movie set, and then again at night before he retired to bed. But for the past few days, he had only called in the mornings and then his conversations had been brief and rushed. And so far today, she hadn"t heard from him at all. She wondered how things were going with the filming of his movie. Some critics had predicted it would be Spielberg"s greatest achievement and with Sterling in the lead role, it would gross more than the amount being spent to make it. Sterling was one of the few actors who consistently delivered twenty-five-million-plus movie openings.
Colby didn"t know very much about the woman who would be his leading lady in this movie, Rachel Hill. He had told her he"d never worked with her before, and that she had starred in a British film a year ago that had been quite a success. However, this would be her first American film. Colby had seen a picture of the woman in a magazine and thought she was simply beautiful.
She managed a wry smile. Lucky for her this movie didn"t call for any love scenes. At least she hadn"t seen any when she had taken a peek at the script Sterling had left on the kitchen table one day.
Colby twisted around when she heard Mac call her name. She stood when she saw him and noticed the worried expression his face.
"Your brother just called, Colby. He"s at the hospital. Cynthia may be losing the baby."
"Oh, no." Colby began racing toward the house. "I have to get to Richmond, Mac," she said, knowing James was probably going out of his mind about now.
"I can"t believe James called and made the situation seem worse than it was," Cynthia said, smiling at Colby and frowning at James.
"That"s okay. I just didn"t know what to think when Mac said James had told him you"d been taken to the hospital and could be losing the baby."
Cynthia waited until after the nurse had left from taking her temperature before responding. "I complained about having a little stomach pain, and James literally freaked out."
"I was worried," James said in his defense, kissing his wife on the lips.
"Well, no harm"s been done," Colby said. "Mac drove my Jaguar here in record time." She chuckled. "It"s a wonder he didn"t get a ticket."
"How long will you be staying?" Cynthia asked.
"I"m staying in town tonight but I"m leaving to go back home first thing in the morning. If Sterling calls he"ll be wondering where I"ve taken off to."
The doctor then entered the room and told James that Cynthia would be released in the morning. The pains had been from an overactive baby making Cynthia"s abdomen slightly uncomfortable.
"Colby, do me a favor and take your brother home and put him to bed for a nap. I think this little excitement has worn him out," Cynthia said, laughing.
"Sure thing."
When Colby walked out of the hospital with James on one side of her and Mac on the other, she was unexpectedly surrounded by reporters. They were everywhere and were flashing their mikes and cameras in her face. Mac reacted quickly and placed himself between Colby and a number of the reporters.
"Have you seen this morning"s paper, Mrs. Hamilton?"
"What comment would you like to make?"
"Did you have any idea about the affair going on between your husband and Diamond Swain?"
"Why did he order that she replace Rachel Hill in his latest movie?"
"Is it true he has left you for Swain and that he"s filed for a divorce?"
Colby was taken aback by the bombardment of questions coming at her all at once. "What are you talking about?"
One reporter replied for the others. "We"re talking about the picture and article appearing in this morning"s paper."
Colby"s face showed her confusion. "What picture? What article?"
No sooner had she asked the questions, than a newspaper was practically shoved in her face. She saw the front page picture of Sterling holding Diamond Swain in his arms. The headlines read, The Hamilton-Swain Fling is on Again!! The Hamilton-Swain Fling is on Again!!
Colby frowned. Then she neatly folded the paper and handed it back to the reporter. "I can"t believe someone would print such garbage."
"Then you don"t believe it?"
"Of course not."
"Did you know your husband asked that Diamond Swain replace Rachel Hill as his leading lady in the movie he"s currently filming in Spain?"
"Did you know he"s carrying on an affair with Diamond Swain while the movie is being filmed?"
Before Colby could respond the reporter continued. "That picture on the front page of today"s paper shows them embracing right after he left her hotel room around three a.m. this morning."
"Come on, Colby, you don"t have to listen to any of this," James said, taking his sister"s hand and leading her away.
Another reporter seized that opportunity to yell out, "The truth is in that photograph, Mrs. Hamilton. You can"t deny it. Take a good look at it and you"ll see two people who care a lot for each other. It seems Sterling Hamilton is playing you for a fool."
An angry Mac pushed their way through the reporters. It was only after Colby was securely settled into the back seat of the car with James getting in with her and Mac at the wheel, that she gave into her tears and cried on James"s shoulder.
James looked at his sister as she sat at the kitchen table eating the sandwich he had made for her. "I can"t believe how calmly you"re taking all of this," he said.
Colby stopped eating and glanced up at him. "Calmly? I don"t call crying my eyes out on your shoulder taking anything calmly. I feel sorry for whoever wrote that article and took that picture. Sterling"s going to be furious."
James came and sat down at the table across from her. "I take it you don"t believe any of it?"
Colby thought long and hard about James"s question. Sterling"s relationship with Diamond Swain was something the two of them had never discussed since they had gotten married. But deep in her heart, she believed he would not be unfaithful to her. She refused to believe these past few weeks with him had been a lie and that he would think so little of her and sleep with another woman.
"No, I don"t believe it," she answered softly.
"Then why were you crying?"
"Because I was mad. The media has gone too far. How can anyone stoop so low and print something like that? It"s like those reporters want to think the worst of Sterling."
"Diamond Swain has has replaced Rachel Hill on the set of that movie Hamilton is filming in Spain, Colby. The midday news confirmed that," James pointed out. replaced Rachel Hill on the set of that movie Hamilton is filming in Spain, Colby. The midday news confirmed that," James pointed out.
She nodded. "Yes, I know, but there has to be a good reason she was replaced by Diamond Swain."
"Okay, then explain the picture, Colby."
Colby shrugged, not wanting to think of the picture right now. "I can"t explain it, but I"m sure Sterling will when he calls." She leaned back in her chair and held her brother"s gaze.
"I trust him, James. And I believe he loves me just as much as he says he does because he has no reason to lie about it. I know you don"t think he loves me but-"
"You"re wrong. I do think he loves you."
Colby wasn"t prepared for what her brother had just said. "What! Just a few weeks ago, when you found out about Morton Industries, you were almost certain he didn"t."
James leaned back in his chair and smiled wryly. "Well, yes, but that was before Hamilton paid me a visit."
A surprised expression covered Colby"s face. "Sterling came to see you? When?"
"When he was on his way to Spain. He thought we should settle the issue once and for all about your marriage and how he felt about you."
Colby was silent for a moment before asking, "What did he say?"
James chuckled. "Quite a lot. And what he said and how he said it left little doubt in my mind about his feelings for you."
He reached out for her hand. "But there are a lot of people who"ll read that article and see that picture and believe the worst. That photo is pretty damaging."
Colby shook her head. "It"s not damaging to me because I don"t believe it, and I don"t care who may read it and believe it. In my heart, I believe Sterling loves me and that"s all that matters."
"I"m glad to hear you say that, Mrs. Hamilton," Mac said, coming into the room. "I didn"t mean to listen in but I just happened to be standing outside the door a few seconds ago."
He came farther into the room to stand in front of Colby. "I think we should leave this afternoon for North Carolina."
Colby frowned. "Why? What"s wrong with waiting to leave in the morning as we planned?"
Mac sighed heavily. "I tried calling Spain and Sterling"s not there. The person I talked to said he walked off the set to return to the States the moment he saw the headlines in the papers."
Colby blinked. "Sterling"s on his way home?"
Mac nodded. "Yes." Then he looked at her thoughtfully. "And I have a feeling he thinks he"ll find you packed and gone when he gets there."
Colby"s face went completely blank at Mac"s statement. However, James asked the question before she could. "Why would he think that?"
Mac"s expression was solemn for a moment before he answered. "Because of the Hamilton curse. No Hamilton man has been able to keep a woman for long. All Hamilton women end up divorcing Hamilton men and leaving them."
Colby rolled her eyes to the ceiling. She remembered that bit of family history Sterling had once shared with her. She stood from her seat. "Well this Hamilton woman has no intention of leaving. I married my Hamilton man for life. Get the car ready, Mac. We"re going home tonight."
Chapter 23.