The Best Bride Part 9

she swallowed thickly, then forced herself to look up at him. the fire in his eyes burned hotter than she'd ever seen it. his mouth was still damp from her pa.s.sionate kisses. she wanted to look down but didn't dare. she couldn't bear to see the proof of his need. she would think about how he would feel next to her, inside of her. it had been over a year since she'd made love, but some chilling little voice at the back of her head whispered this wasn't all about simply doing without. it was more about the man in front of her than the need within her body, and that thought scared her to death.

"i'm sorry," she said, her voice shaking. "we shouldn't have done that. it's better if it doesn't get out of hand."

he smiled then, a slow, lazy, satisfied and very male smile. the skin on the back of her neck tingled and her b.r.e.a.s.t.s swelled painfully.

"what do you mean-" it'? " he asked.

"you know. our relations.h.i.+p."

the smile turned into a grin. "i didn't know we had a relations.h.i.+p."

his amus.e.m.e.nt fueled her temper. "you're right," she snapped."

"we don't have a relations.h.i.+p, and i would prefer to keep it that way. "she turned and started to walk away.

he caught up with her instantly and touched her arm. she wanted to pull back, really she did, but she couldn't. it felt too good to have him touch her. a bright danger sign flashed before her eyes, but she had a bad feeling it was already too late.

"don't be upset," he said, his thumb stroking her forq arm.

"i'm not"

he arched his eyebrows. yeah, well she'd never been a very good liar. so what else was new?

"it was just a kiss, elizabeth."

she pulled free of his hand and continued walking down the hall. when she had turned the corner and was out of sight of the parlor, she raised the bouquet to her face and smelled the sweet flowers. then she touched her free hand to her still-trembling lips. it had felt like a whole lot more than just a kiss to her.

chapter seven.

cc qind then there was the time the blood bank brought one of those mobile trucks. you know the kind. they stay for a few days and take donations." rebecca paused long enough to finish setting the silverware, then looked up and laughed. " he dated both nurses."

"you're kidding?" elizabeth asked. "both. so much for monogamy, travis," she called, glancing back at him over her shoulder."

"i was monogamous. the first one didn't work out, and her friend wanted to comfort me," he said from his seat on the floor at the edge of the big dining room. it was one of the few rooms he'd actually bothered to furnish. the rosewood table and hutch had once belonged to his mother. she'd left it behind, along with everything else when she'd left him and his brothers. their father hadn't wanted the set. both jordan and kyle lived in apartments. craig had told him to take it because his three boys would destroy the beautiful pieces in a matter of days.

"travis, it's your turn to move," mandy said impa- enough, his friend was taking perverse delight in telling tiently. "hurry, 'cuz i'm winning." elizabeth a string of stories about his supposed conquests "i'm hurrying," he told the little girl. he rolled the dice with women. and counted out the squares with his marker. mandy"what about that trick roper you dated?" rebecca crowed when he landed on a chute that earned him almost asked. to the bottom of the board."

"guess you're going to win, elizabeth's eyes widened. "a trick roper. i don't think i huh?" want to hear about that one"

she nodded vigorously, her blond braids bouncing on her travis shook his head. "that happened about six years shoulders. she grinned. " mommy, i'm winning. come ago. long before you'd even heard of glenwood," he said, ming to rebecca. " you're repeating gossip. " fie? tu elizabeth turned in her chair and looked down at the'i qow. isn't it terri"she walked over and patted game. "very good, sweetie." she gave him a quick glance. " a tiny spot of color stained each cheek, but she didn't turn hq shoulder. i love this guy. he is the ultimate male weapon against women. one look and they go weak in the away.

travis was glad. he'd barely had time to recover from his he rolled the dice and moved three places. mandy rolled obvious and somewhat ainful reaction to their kiss when and won the game. she laughed with delight, then leaned rebecca had arrived for dinner. so far he hadn't had the forward and gave him a big hug. he held her close. funny chance to make sure elizabeth wqas all right. he told him- how both abbott women got to him. elizabeth made him self he hadn't meant to kiss her, but he knew he was lying. want dangerous things, while mandy made him feel a fierce he d been thinking about it ever since her first night here, nty] to protect her. and a longing to be more. he would when he d briefly touched her lips with his. he d wanted to give his soul to be a decent father to some kid. she planted know if the heat between them was real or imagined. the a wet kiss on his cheek. deep in his chest, he felt a sharp still-burning scars reminded him the heat was plenty real. stab of pain piercing his heart. their kiss had only made him want more. "you're the best, travis," mandy said.

which was, he acknowledged, an obvious problem. he"

" didn't want to get involved with elizabeth for several rca- i rest my case. rebecca headed for the kitchen.

mandy scrambled off his lap and followed"becca," as sons. not only was she a guest in his house, but he knew she called the other woman. he glanced up at elizabeth still better than to risk it all with someone like her. she was the kind of woman who believed in commitment and forever. sitting in her seat watching him.

he didn't know how to do that. if he was honest with him- "i took each of the nurses out once," he said, wonder self, he didn't have what other men had to make some- qg why he was defending himself. she wouldn't believe thing special last. four generations of failed relations.h.i.+ps him. no one ever did. "i don't think i even kissed the sec couldn't be argued with. ond one good-night: ' but the kiss had been tempting. he only wished he'd had"sure." she smiled.

a chance to ask elizabeth if everything was okay. but re- "the trick roper was an old friend. i'd known her in becca and mandy were in the room. if that wasn't bad college. you know people make up a lot of stories about me and my brothers. they think we get a lot more-" he hesitated, searching for a polite word.

"action?" she offered helpfully. "it wouldn't have been my choice."

G.o.d, she was beautiful. the skinny straps of her rose sundress showed off her tanned shoulders. the long line of her neck made him remember how she'd tasted when he'd kissed her there. her mouth was perfect, pulling into a wide smile. it was her eyes that always got to him, though. there was a wariness in her expression that seemed out of place. was it that sam guy who had made her cautious? what had happened in her life? what was the big secret? h.e.l.l, a man could go crazy thinking about it.

he rose to his feet and took the chair next to hers."

"a lot of people a.s.sume my brothers and i get a lot more action than we do. part reputation, part circ.u.mstances."

she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her small ear. "are you trying to make me feel sorry for you?"

"no, i'm trying to make sure we're still friends."

"i would think you have so many women in your life that one more wouldn't matter."

he leaned close to her, stopping only when their arms brushed. he was pleased that she didn't move away. "i'm not talking about women in general. i'm talking about you. friends?"

she glanced at the tablecloth. he couldn't see her expression, so he sweated it out. he hated that it mattered what she tbought.

"i'm not a jerk, elizabeth. i'm not what everybody says: '

"i know." she bit her lower lip. "you're a nice guy."

he winced.

"youare!"

"great." "

"you want to shake on it again?"

he'd rather kiss on it, but hey, he would take what he could. her hand felt small and delicate in his, but it was her smile that just about knocked him from his chair. she grinned up at him then leaned forward.

"so tell me the real story about the trick roper."

they had barely sat down to dinner when the doorbell rang. travis threw his napkin on the table. "i'll get it," he said, rising to his feet.

he walked to the front door and pulled it open. he grinned."

"austin, come in."

austin lucas strolled into the hallway and paused. he sniffed the air. "i smell dinner: '

"you hungry? louise left plenty."

his friend shrugged."

"i wouldn't say"

"travis, who is it?" rebecca called.

austin raised his dark eyebrows. "sorry. i didn't know you had company."

"it's not what you think: travis grabbed his friend's arm and steered him toward the dining room. austin let himself be pulled along, but travis knew his heart wasn't in it. austin didn't go out of his way to be sociable.

"look who i found on the doorstep," he said. elizabeth and mandy both looked up expectantly. rebecca rose to her feet and smiled, even though she couldn't see who was behind travis. he stepped to one side and let austin precede him into the room.

he raised his arm to austin's shoulder, as much to show affection as to keep the other man from bolting. austin didn't do crowds.

"austin lucas, this is elizabeth abbott and her daughter, mandy. they're staying here while elizabeth recovers from a bout with appendicitis. next to my brothers, austin is my oldest friend in glenwood."

elizabeth stood up and held out her hand. travis watched her sharply, waiting for the inevitable reaction. she said h.e.l.lo and smiled at him, but that was it. interesting, he thought.

"and you've already met rebecca," he said.

rebecca nodded several times. "the committee meeting on town support for the home. you were there." she paused. her brown eyes widened. "i mean, everyone was there, weren't they? all the people in the town." she paused."

"not all of them, of course, but a good many. not just you: color flared on her cheeks. she smiled tightly. "good to see you. again. here, that is: she reached for her water gla.s.s. her fingers slipped and she knocked it over on the table. " oh, no. i'll just-" she motioned helplessly toward the rapidly spreading pool of water. " i'll get a cloth: '

"i'll help," elizabeth said and followed her into the kitchen.

"what's gotten into her?" travis asked no one in particular ; then he glanced at his friend."

"don't look at me. this is only the second time i've met the lady. she was a lot like this at the meeting, too. she must have dropped her pen a hundred times. " he shrugged.

elizabeth came back alone with a couple of dishcloths. she mopped up the spill. travis waited, but rebecca never reappeared.

"have a seat," travis said.

austin shook his head. "i just came by to tell you that i'll be here for the football game."

"great. but really, there's plenty of food."

"you're having dinner with two beautiful women. i don't want to get in the way."

"you wouldn't be." travis meant it. in the past several minutes, elizabeth hadn't even given austin a second glance. good news because his friend's reputation with women rivaled that of any of the haynes brothers. austin topped travis by at least three inches. he'd been described as handsome as the devil himself. between his self-made fortune, his solitary ways and the gold hoop earring travis and his brothers never tired of teasing him about, he drew women like a sh.e.l.l game drew suckers. so elizabeth was somehow immune to the infamous lucas charm. too bad he couldn't say the same about rebecca.

"mister?"

travis glanced down and saw mandy was tugging on the sleeve of austin's s.h.i.+rt.

"what?" austin asked.

"i'm beautiful, too. mommy said so."

austin drew back his head and laughed. "you're right, mandy. you are very beautiful. i'm sorry i didn't include you."

the little girl dimpled, obviously charmed.

"tell me, mr. lucas, how long have you lived in glenwood?" elizabeth asked.

austin looked at her. "it's austin, and i've lived here since junior high school: ' she folded her arms over her chest. the action pushed her full b.r.e.a.s.t.s up slightly. travis remembered the feel of them against his chest. his mouth grew dry.

she smiled slowly. with her long hair curling over her almost-bare shoulders and the rosqcolored dress outlining her feminine curves, he knew he didn't have the power to resist what she offered. fortunately for him, she wasn't doing any offering. the last thing he wanted to do was hurt elizabeth.

"i was wondering. i've heard all these stories about travis and his women. are the stories true?"

austin glanced at him. devilment twinkled in his pale gray eyes. "every word, ma'am. gospel."

travis jerked his thumb toward the door. "get out of here, you traitor." he followed austin down the hall toward the front door, all the while accompanied by the sound of elizabeth's laughter.

"i'll get you for this," he said as austin got into his car.

"i'm scared." austin gave him a salute. "enjoy the ladies" he pulled his car door shut and started the engine.

when travis returned to the dining room, rebecca had come out of the kitchen.

"oh, is he gone?" she asked, twisting her hands together'i hate it when that happens."

elizabeth glanced at the other woman. "what exactly happened?"

rebecca sank into her chair and buried her face in her hands. "i can't be around that man without turning into a klutz. i have a master's degree, i got good grades in school. i run the entire child services department for the county." she looked up at travis. "i do a good job, don't i?"

"the best. " he had to fight back a grin.

"don't you dare laugh, travis," she said. "i'm a pathetic creature. every time i'm around that man, i fall apart. i drop things." she grimaced at the tablecloth. "or spill them. i can't finish my sentences. i've only met him three times, but it's getting worse." she sighed. "maybe i should move."

elizabeth giggled. rebecca turned toward her. "this is not funny."

"i'm sorry. " elizabeth bit her lower lip, then burst out laughing." you have a crush on him."

"i know. it's awful: ' travis reached over and rested his hand on rebecca's shoulder. "be careful, kid. austin has broken more hearts than my brothers and i put together. he's not into relations.h.i.+ps except for the convenient kind."

she looked up at him and smiled. she was dressed in a floral print dress that floated around her body. the garment was loose enough not to even hint at curves below. with her long hair, minimal makeup and flat shoes, she looked like everyone's stereotypical idea of a librarian. or a sunday school teacher. the innocence lurking in her gaze had been one of the reasons nothing had happened between them. he didn't want that on his already-full conscienoe'i know that," rebecca said. "there's just something about him: ' "

"he's dangerous: '

"yeah, kinda like you: ' he and rebecca sat on the front porch swing while elizabeth put mandy to bed. he could hear the sounds of mandy's laughter floating out of the upstairs window. he liked the domesticity of their arrangement. if he couldn't have the real thing, this was a d.a.m.n close second best."

"elizabeth seems very nice," rebecca said, pus.h.i.+ng off the porch with her foot and causing the swing to rock."