She had come home soon after her conversation with Cathy; otherwise, she would have gone looking for her father just to cry in his arms. It just wasn"t fair that he felt responsible for the choices his wife had made over twenty years before, choices that had ultimately led to a sad tragedy. And if Senator Reed was intentionally playing with her father"s conscience, he would have to stop.
Once at the park, she found several scenes she could concentrate on and tried her hand at doing a few sketches, but her concentration wavered. A part of her wanted to call her brothers and tell them what she"d found out, but she resisted doing so. They would be in town next weekend, and she would tell them then. They would know how to handle the situation. She loved her father and if he really wanted to enter politics and become a senator, then he had her support. But if he was being railroaded into doing something out of misplaced guilt, then she definitely had a problem with that.
For the first time in years, she thought about the woman who had given birth to her. The woman had walked out of her, her father"s and her brothers" lives without looking back. When Duan had gotten old enough, he had tried contacting her, to satisfy his need to know why Susan Jeffries"s maternal instincts had never driven her to stay in contact with the three kids she had left behind. Instead of finding a woman who regretted what she had done, he had found a selfish individual who had been married four times and had never given birth to another child. Instead, she had been living life in the fast lane and was the mistress of a race-car driver, apparently working on hubby number five. That had been six years ago. There was no telling what number she was on now.
The more Olivia thought about her mother, the more depressed she became, and she found that even painting couldn"t soothe her troubled mind. It was strange that the happiest of her days were those she"d spent with Reggie. Not just sharing a bed with him, but sharing a bit of herself like she"d never shared with a man before. They would talk in between their lovemaking. Pillow talk. She felt so good around him.
A child"s laughter caught her attention, and she glanced across the pond to see a mother interacting with a child that appeared to be about three, the same age she"d been when her mother left. The woman seemed to be having fun, and the exuberance on the face of the little girl left no doubt that she, too, was having the time of her life. That"s what real mothers did. They put smiles on their children"s faces, not sad frowns that lasted a lifetime.
Aware that she had begun thinking of her poor excuse for a mother again, she shifted her thoughts back to Reggie. She would love to see him now, be held by him and kissed by him. It was hard to believe that they had met less than a week ago, but since then they had shared so much.
Half an hour later she was still sitting on the park bench, thinking about Reggie. They had spent most of yesterday together. Would he want to see her today? Would he meet her somewhere if she were to call, just to hold her in his arms and do nothing more?
Olivia swallowed. There was only one way to find out. She took her cell phone out of her bag and dialed his number.
"h.e.l.lo. This is Reggie Westmoreland."
The sound of his s.e.xy voice oozed all over her. "Hi. This is Olivia. I didn"t want to call you, but I didn"t have anyone else to call."
"Olivia, what"s wrong?"
She swiped at a tear. "Nothing really. I just need to be held."
"Where are you?"
"At a park. I came here to paint and-"
"What"s the name of the park?"
"Cypress Park."
"I know where it"s located. I"m on my way."
"No, it"s out in the open. Is there a place near here where we can meet?" she asked.
There was a pause, and then he said, "Yes, in fact, there is. My cousin Delaney and her husband, Jamal, own a town house a few blocks away. It"s on Commonwealth Boulevard. Delaney"s Square."
"A town house just for her?" Olivia asked.
"Jamal was the first tenant and decided to buy out the others so he, Delaney and the kids could have their privacy whenever they came to town. I have a key to check on things when they"re not here. Go there now, sweetheart. I"ll be waiting."
Olivia recognized Reggie"s car parked in front of a ma.s.sive group of elegant buildings, all town-homes, around ten of them, on a beautiful landscaped property.
She strolled up the walkway to the center building; her pulse rate increased with every step she took. When she reached the front door, she glanced around. She lifted her hand to knock on the door, but before her knuckles could make contact, the door opened and Reggie was there. He captured her hand in his and gently pulled her inside and closed the door behind her.
Olivia looked up at him, and he gently pulled her into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her face to his chest.
She inhaled deeply. He smelled of man, a nice, robust scent that sent shivers down her spine. This was what she needed. To be held in his arms. Riding over here, she kept thinking about how it would feel to be in his arms again. Her life was in turmoil, and right now he was a solid force in her mixed-up world.
Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted in his arms, and she linked her arms around his neck. "Where are you taking me?" she asked when he began walking.
"Over here, to the sofa, so I can hold you the way I want to, and so you can tell me what"s bothering you."
Olivia pressed her lips together, not sure she could do that without implicating her father, and that wouldn"t be good. He didn"t need to know that her father had felt compelled to enter the Senate race because Senator Reed, a man he felt indebted to, had encouraged him to do so, and that her father"s heart might not be in it.
Reggie adjusted her in his arms when he sat down on the sofa and angled her body so that she could look up at him. "What happened, Olivia? What happened to make you call me?"
She hesitated and then decided to tell him some of what was bothering her, but not all of it. "I was at the park and saw this mother and child. The little girl was about the age I was when my mother walked out on my dad, my brothers and me. Seeing them made me realize how easy it was for my mother to walk away without looking back."
"And she"s never tried contacting you?" Reggie asked, softly stroking the side of her face with the pad of his thumb.
Oliver shook her head. "No, she never has."
Reggie tightened his hold on Olivia, and she clung to his warmth. She wasn"t sure how much time pa.s.sed before she lifted her head to look at him. He looked at her, studied her face. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.
She nodded. "I am now. But I have to go. Dad will worry because it"s getting late."
He stood with her in his arms and let her slide down his body until her feet touched the floor. For a long moment, she stood there and stared at him, realizing that he hadn"t kissed her yet. He must have read her mind, because he lowered his mouth to her. She craned her neck to meet him halfway and let out a deep sigh when their lips met.
His tongue was in her mouth in a flash, moving around in a circular motion before winding around hers, taking it in total possession. She wrapped her arms around his neck and groaned out loud when he deepened the kiss. Sensations throbbed within her, and she felt a shiver pa.s.s through her body.
Moments later, she pulled back from the kiss, gasping for breath. n.o.body could kiss like Reggie Westmoreland. She was totally convinced of that. They had to stand there a moment to catch their breaths. In a way, it did her heart good to know he had been just as affected by the kiss.
"Do you want me to show you around before you go?" Reggie asked her in a ragged voice, taking her hand in his.
Olivia glanced around. The place was absolutely beautiful, with its sprawling living room that was lavishly decorated in peach and cream, its bigger-than-life dining room and kitchen and its spiral staircase. Fit for a king. And from what she"d read, Sheikh Jamal Ari Yasir would one day inherit that t.i.tle.
"Yes, I"d love to see the rest of it."
Reggie showed her around, and she was in total awe of the lavishly decorated bedrooms and baths, and when they toured one of the beautifully decorated guest rooms, with a huge four-poster bed, he didn"t try to get her in it. Instead, he looked at her. "Sat.u.r.day night will be ours. Today you just needed me to hold you," he whispered.
His words went a long way to calm her, soothed her troubled mind and actually made her feel special, mainly because she had called and he had come. "Thank you for coming, Reggie."
He looked down at her and pulled her closer to him. "I will always come when you call, Olivia."
She met his gaze, thinking that was a strange thing to say. They didn"t have a future together. At the end of two months, she would be returning to Paris.
"Come on. Let me walk you to your car," Reggie said huskily as he placed his arms around her shoulders.
Olivia regretted that her time with Reggie was about to end and appreciated that he had been there for her when she had needed him. That meant a lot.
Nine.
T he following week Olivia kept busy by attending several functions with her father. She had decided not to discuss her conversation with Cathy with him. Instead, she would meet with her brothers and get their take on the matter when they came to town later that week. he following week Olivia kept busy by attending several functions with her father. She had decided not to discuss her conversation with Cathy with him. Instead, she would meet with her brothers and get their take on the matter when they came to town later that week.
She had to catch her breath whenever she thought of the times she and Reggie had spent together, especially on Sat.u.r.day night. On Wednesday he had called and asked her to have a midday snack with him at Chase"s Place. It was then that she had met Chase"s wife, Jessica, who was expecting the couple"s first child. Jessica, who liked to bake, had treated her to a batch of brownies, which had been delicious. Olivia wondered what Reggie had told Chase and Jessica about their relationship, and if they knew that she was the daughter of his opponent in the Senate race.
Olivia couldn"t help but note over the past few days that her father seemed excited about this weekend. He would have his three children home to attend the huge barbecue that was being planned for all the candidates on Sat.u.r.day evening.
Tonight she would attend yet another political function with her father. All the candidates would be there. She and Reggie would have to pretend they barely knew each other. They had talked about it on Wednesday, and she knew he wasn"t overjoyed at the thought of that, but he had promised to abide by her wishes. She wasn"t crazy about them sneaking around to see each other, either, but under the circ.u.mstances, it was something they had to do.
She smiled as she continued to get dressed, thinking that sneaking around did have its benefits. It made them appreciate the time they were together, and they always found ways to put it to good use. It would be hard tonight to see him and not go over to him and claim him as hers. And a part of her felt that he was hers. Whenever they were together, he would use his mouth to stamp his brand all over her, and she would do likewise with him.
She tried not to think about the day when the campaign would finally be over and she would have to return to Paris. She was even thinking about calling the Louvre to see if she could extend her leave for a couple more weeks. She wanted to be able to be with him in the open after the election. She didn"t want to think about how he and her father would feel about each other then, depending on which one of them was victorious.
She glanced at her watch. She needed to hurry, because the last thing she wanted was to make her father late to a campaign event. Besides, although she had just seen Reggie yesterday, she was eager to see him again.
Reggie clung to his patience when he glanced at the entrance to the ballroom. He had thought about Olivia most of the day and couldn"t wait to see her. Last night he had begun missing her and wished he could have called her to ask her to meet him somewhere. This sneaking around was unpleasant, and his patience was wearing thin. He wasn"t sure he would be able to hold out for another month. Because her brothers would be arriving in town this weekend, she"d said it wouldn"t be wise for her to try to get away for a tryst at the Saxon on Sat.u.r.day night, after the barbecue. The fact that Duan and Terrence Jeffries would be in town until next Wednesday meant his and Olivia"s time together would basically be nonexistent.
"And how are you doing this evening, Westmoreland?"
Reggie turned to look at Senator Reed. The one man he really didn"t care to see. "I"m fine, Senator. And yourself?" he asked, more out of politeness than a sense a caring.
"I"m doing great. I think, for you and Jeffries, it will be a close election."
Reggie wanted to say that this view was not reflected in the most recent poll, which indicated that he had a substantial lead, but he refrained from doing so. "You think so?" he said.
"Yes, but what it all will eventually boil down to is experience."
Reggie smiled.
"And the candidate I endorse," the senator added.
What the senator didn"t add, Reggie quickly noted, was that he was not endorsing him. That was no surprise. The man had already endorsed Orin Jeffries and was working with Jeffries"s campaign. "Sorry you think that, Senator, since I"m equally sure that I don"t need or want your endors.e.m.e.nt."
"And I"m equally sorry you feel that way, because I intend to prove you wrong. I will take great pleasure when you lose." The older man then walked away.
"What was that about?" Brent asked when he walked up moments later.
"The good senator tried convincing me of the importance of his endors.e.m.e.nt."
Brent snorted. "Did you tell him just where he could put his endors.e.m.e.nt?"
Reggie chuckled. "Not in so many words, but I think he got the picture."
Brent glanced to where the senator was now standing and talking to a wealthy industrialist. "There"s something about that man that really irks me."
"I feel the same way," Reggie said. He was about to tilt his gla.s.s to his lips when he glanced at the ballroom entrance at the exact moment that Olivia and her father walked in. He immediately caught her gaze, and the rush of desire that sped through his body made him want to say the h.e.l.l with discretion, cross the room and pull her into his arms. But he knew he couldn"t do that.
Brent, who was standing beside Reggie, followed his gaze. "Do I need to caution you about being careful? You never know who might be watching you two. I don"t trust Reed. Although he"s backing Jeffries, I wouldn"t put anything past him."
Reggie"s gaze remained on Olivia"s face for a minute longer, until she looked away.
Senator Albert Reed frowned as he watched the interaction between Olivia and Reggie. He had a strong feeling that something was going on between them, but he didn"t have any proof. And that didn"t sit well with him. He had suggested to Orin that he send for his daughter under the pretense that she could be an a.s.set. But the truth was that he really wanted Olivia for himself.
He had discovered that women her age enjoyed the company of older men, especially if those men were willing to spend money on them. With his wife bedridden, he had needs that only a younger woman could fulfill.
When he had seen all those pictures of Olivia that Orin had on the wall in his study, he had made the decision that he wanted her as his next mistress. Getting her into his bed would be the perfect ending to his quest for revenge against the Jeffries family for what Orin"s s.l.u.t of a wife had done. Orin felt guilty, and as far as Senator Reed was concerned, his guilt was warranted. He should have been able to control his unfaithful wife.
He took a sip of his drink as he continued to watch Olivia and Reggie looking at each other. Umm, interesting. It was time to take action. Immediately.
"I"m sure England is just beautiful this time of the year."
Olivia nodded as Marie Patterson rattled on and on to the group of four women about her dream to one day spend a month in England. Then Olivia took a sip of her drink and glanced around the room, her gaze searching for one man in particular. When she found him, their gazes met and held.
She knew that look. If they had been alone, she would have crossed the room to him and wrapped her arms around his neck while he wrapped his around her waist. He would have brought her close to him and pressed his hard, muscular body against hers to the point where she would cradle his big, hard erection at the junction of her thighs.
"So, what about Paris, Ms. Jeffries? I understand you"ve been living there for a while. Is the weather there nice?"
Olivia swung her attention back to Mrs. Patterson when the woman said her name. She took a quick sip of her wine to cool off her hot insides before answering. "Yes, the weather in Paris is nice."
When the conversation shifted from her to the latest in women"s fashion, Olivia"s gaze went back to Reggie. He was talking to a group of men. Because the men had that distinguished Westmoreland look, she could only a.s.sume that they were relatives of his-brothers or cousins.
She was about to turn her attention back to the group of women around her when Senator Reed, who was standing across the room, caught her eye. He was staring at her. For some reason, the way he was looking at her made her feel uncomfortable, and she quickly broke eye contact with him.
Reggie had endured the party as long as he could and was glad when Brent indicated he could leave. He headed for the door, but not before finding Olivia. He smiled at her and nodded. He knew she would interpret the message.
He had been in his car for about five minutes when she called. "Where are you, sweetheart?" he immediately asked her.
"The ladies" room. I"m alone, but someone might walk in at any minute. You wanted me to call you?"
"Yes," he said hoa.r.s.ely. "I want you."