He stepped aside and allowed her to walk ahead of him and onto the yacht, through a canopy covered walkway. The first thought that came to her mind was not of her safety, for there was nothing in Creighton’s words or mannerism that made her worry about him or his plans for the evening, but rather her concerns were of her shoes. If they were going to walk the decks of a yacht, she really shouldn’t be doing it in four-inch heels.Creighton stepped up behind her, and as if reading her mind, slipped a large warm arm around her slender waist to steady her, then led her across the exterior deck and into what appeared to be a parlor. A middle-aged man in a black and white Steward’s uniform stood before the wet bar, nodding at them as they entered. The sounds of the piano she had heard were coming from small round speakers in the walls of the room, while several candles burned in the windowsills and on the tables, illuminating the room in a romantic glow. The floor was covered in a soft short
Sandra couldn’t think, but then she really didn’t want to as his tongue slowly began to trace the outline of her bottom lip before he gently tugged it between his teeth, sucking on the tender flesh. She moaned into his kiss, her back arched toward him while his very skillful tongue slipped effortlessly into her wine sweetened mouth, caressing, teasing and tasting her at once. She could feel the result their kiss had on him, when his hand holding hers pulled her tightly against his hips, holding her securely in his embrace. His tongue played and teased with hers until she found the courage to imitate his actions, her heart pounding wildly within her chest. A warmth she had never experienced before began to spread through her lower regions, making her feel dizzy and wanton. Creighton increased the pressure against her lips, deepening his assault on her mouth, his tongue eagerly battling with hers. Her head was swimming, the smoldering fire of need began to turn her blood into lava, warm
The alarm on the bedside table began to beep much louder than it had seemed the day before. Sandra reached over and shut it off, her head buried under her pillow as she stretched her arms above her head and groaned. Memories of last night began to filter through her mind and she smiled happily, reliving them for the millionth time since returning to her hotel room. Creighton was a thousand dreams come true, a true gentleman, the magnificent lover she had always read about, fantasized about, always dreamed of meeting. They ate the most delicious supper of pasta e fagioli and linguini with clam sauce. They lounged in plush cushioned chairs on the upper deck, sipping double caramel cappuccinos, while enjoying a soft piano concerto that echoed through the ship from the expensive stereo system. Creighton returned her to the hotel shortly after three o’clock this morning, kissed her gently on the cheek and made certain she was locked inside her room, before leaving with the promise of seein
“Très bien, merci,” Michelle said, unaware she had answered in French and quickly corrected the mistake with a blush. “Why are you here?”“I’m on vacation, er, holiday. It’s a lovely place. Are you staying here at the hotel?”“Oui, my boss owns this hotel. He is here as well. I'm sure he would like to see you again. I can arrange a time to meet with you, if you would like?”“Yes, thank you. That would be nice.” Lying was becoming a habit, she scolded herself, but quickly thought that meeting this boss may help Cathy and the mayor somehow. “Maybe tomorrow, I have plans until then.”“Good, yes, I will call him and let you know. It was nice seeing you again. You look great, by the way. You’ve lost weight, I think.” Sandra smiled at the woman’s observation.“I have, thank you. Well, I have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow, just leave a message where and when your boss can meet with me with the front desk.”“I will and have a good day.” Sandra walked away quickly, the smile remaining on her l
“Hi, sorry I’m running late,” she said shyly. Creighton’s smile increased, and he shook his head.“Not a problem. I don’t mind waiting for such a lovely lady. Did you find what you were looking for?” Her throat was suddenly dry as she looked in those dark-blue eyes.“Um, not really. I needed a pair of jeans, but I did find some very nice pants, thanks to the clerk.”“Jeans, eh?” he said and turned to the woman, speaking to her in French. The clerk smiled, replying in her native language and walked into the back of the store again.“What did you say to her?” Sandra asked suspiciously.“I told her you were looking for a pair of jeans. She couldn’t understand what you wanted. Her English isn’t very good. They usually don’t keep the jeans on the rack, but rather in the back room. They have them, but the French are very proud of their fashion designers and don’t usually display simple clothing.”“Oh,” was about all she could think of saying.Her thoughts were distracted when the young wo
“We have reservations for two o’clock.”“Two?” she asked in surprise. “Then we have plenty of time.” Instantly, she regretted saying this, watching an unnamed look cross his eyes. He closed them briefly and when he opened them again, he appeared to be contemplating his response.“Get dressed and let’s get some lunch. I have a very full day planned for us and pack your bathing suit. You’ll need it too.” She took the bag he handed her and hurried toward the bathroom. Just before she could cross into the tiled room, she felt his arm on her elbow causing her to turn back to him. “Wear that blue shirt, please?” His voice was more of a demand then a request, but she nodded regardless, closing the door behind her.Sandra pulled the dress off over her head and tossed it carelessly on the counter, leaving her lacy bra and matching panties on. She kicked her sandals across the bathroom floor, scarcely noticing as they landed under the vanity. With shaking hands, she pulled her new blue blou
Sandra felt braver today than she had last night and quickly joined in the kiss, her tongue caressing his, battling in a wordless tournament of desire and want. Several long moments passed by and Sandra could feel his desire grow against her thigh, straining through the restraints of his pants. With a deep moan of regret, he pulled away from her, leaving her panting as he nuzzled her neck with his warm, moist lips.“We can’t do this,” he said in a hoarse whisper so soft she wasn’t sure if he had actually spoken, barely able to hear him over the thrumming of her heart in her ears. “This isn’t the right time, but it is getting very hard to resist you.” He looked down at her, his eyes burning with desire, a silent promise echoed in the curve of his lips.“We need to get out of here before it’s too late,” he told her, a little louder than she expected, and she suddenly realized she was very disappointed in his reaction. She didn’t want to leave, she wanted to stay there, and she wanted h
“Yep. Cows, pigs, sheep, crops, the whole works.” She smiled at the pride that echoed in his tone.“You don’t strike me as a farm boy,” she said with a chuckle, watching his cheeks turn slightly pink. Well, this was a change she thought.“I am a country boy at heart. I love the simple life, knowing your neighbors, the fresh air. I like the idea of going out to the garden or hen house and collecting what you need to make a meal. You know where the food came from, no chemicals, no pesticides and no preservatives.”“What about your family?”“My parents live in Yorkshire with my two younger sisters and still work on the family land. My father’s father died when he was a young man, so he dropped out of school to take care of the farm and helped raise his sister and brother. My Nana Ashford died when I was three. My mother’s father died when I was in grammar school and my Gram Armstrong died two years ago.”“How many siblings do you have?”“Four in all. Two elder brothers and two younger s
Sandra hung up the phone with a slam, then glanced to her grandparents who were sitting at the kitchen table. She was starting to get angry with all the rejections and dead-end avenues. She called Davies and told him she wanted him to get the plane ready to go to France, only to be told the police had restricted his flying. They were concerned that whomever it was that had killed her husband would try and sabotage the jet.She was getting frustrated and felt like she was being held back. If she didn’t know better, she would think she was being placed under lockdown. She could understand the police’s concern, but she had more men around her then they had at Fort Knox, and she would be willing to take all of them with her if she needed to.“I can’t leave the house, I can’t go to France, I can’t even gather eggs,” she grumbled as she joined the older couple. “What am I supposed to do? I can’t sit here and wait until doomsday to find out what happened to my husband.”“Honey, you’re going
The room was warm as the setting sun shone through the blinds. Two detectives sat on the sofa, watching as the man continued to pace the floor. Trying to keep him calm was growing increasingly harder with each hour.Creighton could only assume the horror his family was going through, not to mention Sandra. They had been having difficulties, but this made all of that seem trivial. He had to call her, he had to contact her somehow and let her know he was alive, but the police were refusing to allow him the chance. They had to keep him concealed for the time being, though it was steadily becoming impossible. The man was acting like a caged animal, anxiously trying to find a means of escape.“How much longer do we have to sit here?” he growled, looking to those gathered around.“We need you to remain patient for a little longer,” a bald-headed man told him. “Monsieur Ashford, we understand what you’re going through…”“Like hell you do,” Creighton snapped. “I have a pregnant wife at home w
“I know she’ll be happy when it’s over,” Emma said, returning to the room, her eyes red from the tears she’d been wiping away. “She can’t let Brandon go to school, and she has to keep the children inside instead of letting them go out to play.”“I’m sure they are going stir crazy,” Cathy said with a frown. “Especially Grace. That little girl is used to having the freedom of the farm to run and play.”“The only good thing is the weather,” William told them. “It’s been really wet, and she doesn’t like getting her dresses dirty.”“Sounds like her aunt,” Andrew said with a soft chuckle.“Maybe we should take this meeting over to my sister’s,” Cathy suggested with a sideways grin.“Let me call Derek and Kristin,” William said, standing and walking to the phone on the wall. “They wanted to know what you found out.”“Just have them meet us at Sandra’s,” Andrew told him. “We can discuss this all there.”“I thought Sabrina and Irena would be here,” Cathy said, looking at Emma who was wrapping
Parker and Harvey held off the reporters for as long as they could alone, then eventually had to call NHT’s security. Within a few short hours, there were enough burly looking men to scare off anyone trying to get near the house. Sandra kept her children inside, though it really wasn’t difficult. The rain had eased by supper, but just like the past several days, it picked up again this morning.Max growled as he laid of the entry. The noise of cameras clicking, and the soft hum of voices mingled among the breezes of the day. She had tried to watch television, but every station was reporting on the accident. Eventually, she had no choice but to surrender and put on Grace’s favorite princess movie. At least it kept them from listening to those who insisted that there was no hope in finding any answers this soon.Sandra drew a deep breath as she wiped the moisture from her forehead. She had decided to keep herself busy and baked two apple pies, along with nearly a hundred sugar cookies.
“No, it’s about assuming you knew what I would want. You did this, claiming it was for us when it was for you. You can’t stand the idea that your little sister has something you never would. It was bad enough when I felt like I was competing with Creighton for your attention, but now I’m watching you compete with Sandra for the mother of the year award.”“Stop comparing me to Sandra!” Cathy screamed. “It’s not my fault she’s perfect. She’s always been everyone’s favorite. I can’t tell you how many boyfriends I’ve dumped after I found out they were using me to get close to her. I didn’t want Creighton, but after he chose her over me, it made me angry. I was competing with her again, and she was too stupid to realize it. He chose that simple, no makeup, no fuss girl over me. She shares his bed, when I’m a better lover then she would ever be. She has his money, his admiration, your parents’ admiration, even my grandparents enjoy spending time with her over me. She even has a perfect body
“Maybe Michelle heard from him,” the boy said hopefully.“I haven’t spoken with her, but I want to call in the morning. She may know something more than the police do.”The two were silent for a long time as they considered their own thoughts, until Sandra realized the tea was gone. She looked to Brandon who looked like he was finally able to fall asleep, then stood and took the cups to the sink.“Come on, son,” she told him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. “Let’s see if we can get some sleep.”“Mum, can I come sleep with you?” Brandon asked once they reached the second floor of their house.Sandra smiled and hugged the boy, nodding as he looked up to her.“You can sleep on your daddy’s side,” she told him. “Just don’t tell him I let you in our bed. He may get jealous.”Brandon smiled as he walked with her into the bedroom. Sandra helped him between the covers and tucked him in, then left to check on Grace. The house was silent and soft snores of her little girl could be heard
Sandra paced her bedroom trying to stop her mind from racing through the events of the day. Derek had come home after his mother called him, insisting on picking up Brandon from school. Sabrina called to say the reporters were going crazy with the news of the Tornado’s fire and that she and Giovanni would be home as soon as they could get there.Irena spoke with her parents and insisted on calling in a prescription for Sandra’s nerves, though she refused to use it. She needed to stay alert and concentrate in order to determine what was going on. The last thing she needed was to surrender to the effects of a drug.After speaking with Andrew, William informed the rest of the family about Cathy’s surgery, though he wouldn’t go into detail. He assured them he would check into the reports from his end and stay abreast of the investigation. Once Cathy felt like traveling, they would drive out to Yorkshire to be with the family.Nana tried to get Sandra to let her stay overnight, but she was
Sandra opened her eyes and looked around. She was in her bedroom, yet she couldn’t remember laying down. The house was silent and the soft pattering of rain outside reminded her that the dog had made a muddy mess of the entry. Then she remembered her grandfather and William coming over, and slowly began to piece together the last thing she remembered.There had been an accident on the Tornado and three bodies were found. She knew in her heart it wasn’t Creighton. She couldn’t even begin to guess who would have been on their ship, or how it ended up at sea, but she knew her husband wasn’t the one killed. Now all she had to do, was convince the others into believing her.Sandra stepped down the stairs to hear Grace talking to her great-grandfather, the dog running from one room to another as he chased his rope and the smells of food drifting out of the kitchen. She stepped into the living room and saw Papa sitting beside Grace, one of her own books open in front of him as he listened to
Sandra stared at the two men for a long moment as their words began to sink in. When she spoke with her husband earlier that morning, he was still at the hotel. He didn’t mention having plans of returning to the yacht. Why would he go back there when he told her he was packing to come home?Then she thought about the bodies found. One was female. Who was it? Did Creighton lie to her about not being involved with Garcon’s assistant? Had he gone there to meet with her, perhaps a final rendezvous before coming home to his family?“Did you hear what we said?” Papa asked her.“It’s impossible,” she began, her anger taking over her words. Sandra looked down at Grace who was trying to wipe the muddy water from her little dress. She hadn’t understood what her grandparents were saying. All she cared about was her soiled outfit.“Sweetheart, go upstairs and find a clean dress,” Sandra told the little girl. “Put that one in the hamper and warsh your hands. We’ll make lunch when you’ve finished.