A Walk In The Wilderness (4 page)

     He had a show to do, and he was obviously turning his mind and efforts toward his coming performance.  She forced herself to relax.

      He turned on a light that made the keys gleam.  He let his fingers run over the keys, in a melodic pattern, and closed his eyes.

     “You’re the one who makes my heart tremble.  You’re the one I can’t deny.  You’re the one that makes my heart beat.  When I’m with you, I can touch the sky.  You’re the one that I long for.  You alone, my precious one.  Stay beside me, don’t ever leave me.  You’re the one.  It’s you alone.”

      He sang it quite soulfully, and yet quietly.  Intimately.  It could have been a song for Jesus, but Caitlin felt uneasiness creep into her bones.  There was also a fluttering excitement.  They were here alone.  He couldn’t be singing these words to her, could he?”

     She blushed at the ludicrousness of that thought.  He just wasn’t thinking of it that way, she was certain.  He was just singing.  That’s all. 

     He let the notes trail off into silence and stared down at her.  She flashed a smiling look into his waiting eyes, and then lowered her gaze.  “How beautiful.  Did you write it?”  she asked brightly.

     “You could say that.”  He admitted. 

     Caitlin ventured another look at him.  She couldn’t read his eyes.  She felt caught in his spell as he stared at her.  She knew that he was going to kiss her.  Her heart and stomach began fluttering convulsively as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and moved in.  She saw a flame burning in his eyes.

      She closed her eyes as his mouth took hers gently, tasting.  When she didn’t protest, he went deeper.  Before it was over, he was taking with a need that he was desperate to fill.  When he finally stopped, she was limp and breathless in his arms.  He put his lips against the hollow of her throat and tasted the soft, fragrant skin.

     “Caitlin, I’ve tried to be careful, and take it easy with you.”  He said helplessly.  “But then I sat down at the piano and that song just came out.  I can’t hide it anymore.” 

     She closed her eyes and tried to sort through what he was saying.

     “You’re incomparable.  Irresistible.  Caitlin, tell me.  What do you plan to do with me now that you’ve captured me?”

     She laughed nervously, and pushed against his chest.  “Are you playing with me?” she asked suspiciously.

    “Far from it.”  He assured her.  “I’d never do that to you.  Caitlin, please believe me, I’m very sincere.  I want to be in your arms at night, making love to you.  I don’t want anything but that, I haven’t since the moment I saw you.  Will you … marry me?”

     She gasped sharply.  She couldn’t even comprehend what he was saying!  It was only their first date! 

    “Caitlin, you’re lovely.  You’re sweet.  You’re tantalizing.  I’ve never met anyone like you and I know I never will again.  Will you have me?”  

      Caitlin gasped in outrage.  She was speechless.  “Skyler, I don’t know.  I have no idea what to say to you!” 

      He watched her battle with confusion and fear.  He sighed and shook his head ruefully.  “I tried to keep quiet.  I bit my tongue a thousand times.  I was afraid I’d scare you away, Cait.  But my time here is so very short, and after all, my feelings got the better of me.” 

    “Please, don’t be afraid of me.  I’m no madman, though you may be convinced that I am, just now.  I know that I’m behaving like a fool.  Cait, can you just see your way to give me a chance?  You’re very special.  I don’t want you to slip through my fingers.”    

     She looked up at him with baffled eyes.  “I don’t know, Skyler.  This is simply incredible.  I mean, I like you.  I like you a lot.  But I don’t know.”

     Skyler closed his eyes.  “Please tell me I haven’t botched it completely.”  He begged her, brokenly.

    Compassion melted in her eyes as she looked up at him.  “Don’t be silly. I’m just a bit overwhelmed.” 

     He laughed, and shook his head ruefully.  “So, if I stole another sweet kiss, you wouldn’t walk out on me, would you?”

     She stood up quickly and backed away from the piano.  “Let’s just … give this a little bit of time.  Please.”  She objected nervously.

     He smiled grimly.  “All right.  I can understand, Caitlin.”  He said.  He stood and towered over her.  “But know this: you
are
going to be all mine.  Now I just have to convince you.”  He said persuasively.  “I need you, so much.”

     Caitlin blinked and turned away with a nervous smile.  She didn’t know if she liked this kind of talk.  “Tell me about your home.”  She asked, putting some distance between them.

     He shrugged.  “It’s a little farm out in the country.  I’m not often there.  The French influence is very strong in that part of Canada.”

      “And do you have French ancestry?” she asked tensely.

    “Yes.  French, English, and bit of Indian.”  He stood watching her with his hands on his hips.  “You are very, very beautiful, Caitlin.  I want to thank you for coming with me tonight.  For taking a chance on me.”

      She smiled.  “It’s going to be a treat to hear you play again.”

     He lifted an eyebrow.  “Really?  Then perhaps you’ll see me again after all.  I’ll just keep inviting you to my concerts.”  He teased.  But there was a hungry challenge in the words and in his eyes.  “But for now, I should probably back up a step or two.  When all the people come rolling in here, I’ll have to introduce you.  I could say that you are my beautiful fiancee.  Or I could say that you’re my lady.  I can’t think of anything else that’s acceptable.  So tell me what I can get away with, sweetheart.”

She shot him a very stilted look.  “You might say that I am your date.  Skyler, that is all that is true; and all that I will allow.”  She assured him stiffly.

     He sighed heavily and gave her a penetrating look.  “When a man is yearning and crying and burning to become a woman’s lover, he wants to say much more.” 

   She stared at him woodenly.  He was becoming more outrageous by the moment.  He laughed and captured her hands.  “You look scared to death.”  He accused.  “Honey, don’t be afraid of me.  Please, just give me something to hold onto so that I can get through this concert tonight.  Please, give me peace of mind.”

      “I don’t know that I can be responsible for all that.”  She refused uneasily.

     “Just tell me that you’ll be backstage when I’m done.  Promise that you won’t leave without me.  That will be enough.” He begged.

      “All right.  I will stay under one condition.”  She agreed.

      “What’s that?”

      “No more for tonight.  You need to back off and let me think this all over.”

      “Not even a goodnight kiss?” he asked in outrage.

      “Not tonight.  I don’t usually even kiss once on the first date.”       

     He made a sound that described his frustration and disgust.  “Well; I guess I have no choice, then.”  He conceded.  “I will behave.”

      “Thank you.”  She answered nervously.

      “Good evening, Skyler.”  A male voice said from the wings.

     Skyler turned, and faced his manager.  “Hello, Roland.  Say hello to Caitlin.  You remember, she was here night before last.”

     Roland Eyres gave her a hard look.  “Yes, of course.  How are you?” he asked tersely.

     “Fine, thanks.” She answered, wondering why her presence ignited this man’s displeasure. 

      “Caitlin is going to be my guest here for the duration of our stay.  Please see to it that she has access backstage, including my dressing room.”  He ordered quietly.

     Roland pursed his lips, with speculation and a hint of challenge in his eyes.  “Okay.”  He agreed.

     “I’d like to have her here, backstage throughout the performance.  Put her in a chair that is positioned where I might look up and see her and where she can also see well.  Get one of the comfortable chairs from the reception room, will you?”

     “Yes, Skyler.”  Roland assured him.  “But right now, you’d better get ready.  Leave the lady to me for a few moments, will you?”

     Skyler’s chin jutted a bit unpleasantly; and he gave his manager a look that could not have been mistaken for anything but a clear warning.  “Absolutely.  Make sure the lady is comfortable and taken care of, then.”

     “Of course.”  Roland agreed smoothly.

    The two watched Skyler walk away, and then Roland began yelling to crew members to get the chair.  Caitlin walked to the curtain and looked out at the auditorium as it filled with people.  Activity was picking up backstage, as well. 

     She stood there, out of the way until the chair was placed for her.  She felt ridiculous, sitting down in the center of the wings like some kind of princess.

     “May I get you something to drink?”  Roland asked politely.

     “No.  No, thank you.  I’m fine.”

    “It would be no trouble.  Please don’t allow Skyler to think I’ve not seen to your needs.  He doesn’t perform well when he’s upset.”

     Caitlin smiled uncomfortably.  “Just some ice water, then.”  She agreed.

    Roland nodded and returned with a pitcher of ice water and a glass.  He smiled and put them beside her, on a standing tray.  “There you are.  You and Skyler went to dinner, did you?”  he asked curiously.  His interest didn’t sound as benign as he hoped, to Caitlin.

     “Yes.”  She admitted warily.

     “I hope that you had an enjoyable time.” He said lightly.

     “We did.  Thank you.” She answered shortly.

    Roland smiled, nodding and watching her intently.  Though he looked as though he’d like to say much more, he kept his lips tightly pressed together.

     Skyler reappeared and put a hand on her shoulder.  She looked up to find him dressed all in a white suit with a silver shirt.  He sat on the arm of her chair and peered out at the stage.  He seemed slightly distracted and displayed none of the lover-like tendencies that he’d showered on her when they’d been alone.

    Soon he was being introduced.  With a smile, he squeezed her hand, touched her cheek, and went out to join a roaring audience.  The sound was massive and overpowering, where Caitlin sat.  Rather like an ocean magnified to terrifying volume, or a thousand hungry lions!   She was shaking as he began to play.      

  Roland stood nearby throughout the performance.  He chatted with her nonchalantly at times.  As he was standing beside her, a woman came to Roland with a message. 

   “Connie called for Skyler, hoping to catch him before he went on.  It seems that Jamie is quite ill and they may have to take him to hospital.”

    “Well, it will have to wait now.”  Roland snapped.  “Thanks.”

   Caitlin wondered what it was all about, but Roland gave no explanation. Caitlin turned her attention back to the concert and found herself even more fascinated with Skyler’s talent than she had been on the previous occasion.  He was truly incredible.

     “He’s better tonight.”  Roland commented.  “He had jitters, opening night.”

    Caitlin shook her head.  “I can’t believe that he could be any better, but it’s true.” She agreed. 

    Roland nodded in satisfied agreement.  “I believe that he is going to be an absolute sensation before it’s over.”

     Caitlin got very involved with the music.  Once, Skyler looked up and gave her an intimate stare.  She smiled at him and he grinned at her.  Then he turned his attention back to his work.

    Just as he had on the previous occasion when Caitlin had seen him, Skyler was soaking wet with sweat and breathing hard when he came backstage.  The crowd was nearly rioting behind him.  He took the hand towel that Roland handed him and mopped his face and neck. 

     “I’m going to have to have a fresh shirt now.  I am not doing another encore without it.”  He insisted.  He was unbuttoning his shirt as he talked, and Roland was hustling to get him a crisp, white shirt with silver piping.

     Caitlin watched despite herself as his slim, attractive arms and chest came out of the shirt.  This man wanted to be her lover.  What would it be like to feel those bare arms holding her?  How would his chest feel under her fingers?  She wondered.  There was not one ounce of fat around his trim waist.  She took notice.

     He guzzled some water from a bottle as Roland helped him pull on the shirt.  Then he managed a wink at Caitlin before he went back on stage with his shirt open and his tails hanging.

     The audience went wild as the lights flashed on and he sat down again at the piano.  There were two encores before it was over.  When he finally came backstage for the last time, Roland handed him the note with a smug look. 

     “It appears that you’d better call Connie right away.”  He advised.

     He gave Roland a narrowed look.  “All right.  Caitlin, please excuse me for a few minutes.  Wait here and I’ll be back for you as soon as possible.”  He said.

     “Sure.  I’ll just find the loo, and then I’ll wait for you here.”  She agreed.

     “You’re a doll.”  He said with a grin.

     Caitlin went into the restroom and locked herself in the back stall.  She was soon joined by two women who seemed to think that they were alone, if their conversation could be judged.

      “So, who is the woman with Skyler?”  one asked tauntingly.

      “I don’t have a clue.”  The other replied.  “Pretty thing, isn’t she?”

     “She won’t be if Connie gets her hands on her.  I think that I saw her at the motel desk, come to think of it.  I wonder if they have an ‘ooh-la-la’ service at the inn?”

      “Could be.  Connie would take that better than she would a romance.  It does surprise me to see Skyler going after women on the road, so soon.”

      “It sure doesn’t do much for his image.”  The other replied readily.

The other woman snorted.  “Well, that’s peanuts.  The real trouble will certainly be the fireworks when Connie finds out.  She’ll make that soft little girl wish she’d never been born.”

      Caitlin felt her legs grow weak as the women left her alone again.  Who in the world was this Connie?  Had Skyler lied to her?  Did he have a woman back home?