Damon, Lee (28 page)

One large rug indicated the lounge area at the end of the room nearest the deck. Between the door to the deck and the end wall was a small, natural rock fireplace, taking advantage

of the chimney rising from the double fireplaces on the first floor. A long, curving, deep-cushioned sofa covered in smoky blue velvet and piled with cream, gold and rose velvet cushions was flanked by intricately carved antique mahogany end tables, while a long, low Persian brass table served as a coffee table. Kitt stroked her fingertips over a bronze lion crouched on one of the end tables as she admired the porcelain table lamps, several other animal sculptures in bronze, pewter and jade, and an intriguing throw tossed over one end of the sofa.

"O'Mara, tell me I'm wrong. That can't possibly be a fur... what?... blanket? Rug? What is it?"

"Would you believe mink? Oh, yes, indeed. Don't look so stupefied, love. And, no, I didn't buy it. It was a gift, which it would be just as well for you not to question too closely. Just enjoy the advantages."

"What advantages would those be, you sybaritic Romeo?" Kitt gave him a very knowing look accompanied by a quirked eyebrow and the closest thing to a smirk that she could manage.

"I've never claimed to have had a monkish existence." His grin was totally unrepentant. "However, just consider that you, my lovely Kitt, are going to reap all the rewards of my... um... research. For instance, just try and picture a stormy winter's night, the sound of the surf crashing against the Rock, the room lit only by flickering firelight, and you and me lying naked on that mink rug in front of the fire...." The words trailed off, muffled against her mouth. After a moment, he lifted his head just far enough to add, "You'll love the feel of mink against your bare skin."

"O'Maraaa..." she moaned, desire flaming through her as the erotic picture he'd painted filled her mind. She pressed her full length against him, winding her arms around his shoulders and pressing her hot face into his neck. With effort, he kept his touch light as he stroked his hands up her sides and brought them to rest against her breasts.

"Why are you wearing that silly bra? You don't need it," he whispered.

"I—"

"Of course, I'd just as soon you took off the shirt, too, and—"

"Stop it, you beast. I've got to go down and face Andy and

Gus in a few minutes, and... and what's in those cabinets?" Determinedly pushing away from him, she moved toward the built-in cabinets along the end wall.

"Coward. All right, this time I'll let you get away with it. Go ahead and open them. Stereo, tape deck, records, tapes, speakers, color TV, odds and ends. You can examine it all later. Come on over here and see the rest of our conveniences."

He caught her hand and led her across to where a round brass table and two brass side chairs, with seats and backs padded in rose and cream velvet, were positioned on an oval Oriental rug in front of the windows near the deck door. "For breakfast, if we want to be alone, or midnight snacks. Before you ask, look down at the other end... see, the alcove beside the windows. That's one of those compact units that contains a sink, a small refrigerator and a couple of electric burners. Dishes and stuff are in the cabinets. Of course, anything elaborate would have to be fixed downstairs in the kitchen and carried up, but coffee and simple stuff can be kept here."

Kitt looked at him disbelievingly. "You're quite mad, aren't you? Do you have kitchens stashed all over the house? Not that it isn't a super idea and the absolute height of dissolute living, but—"

"Oh, no, it isn't. You haven't seen the, excuse the expression, bathroom, yet."

"What else would you call a bathroom?" asked Kitt in bewilderment.

"This one defies description. I... ah... got a bit carried away."

"Well? Where is it? Let me see it."

"Down here. You can check out our bed on your way by." He gave her a sly, laughing glance as they moved around the brass screen. "Well? How do you like it?"

"Good grief!" She stared in total amazement at an enormous bed, easily seven feet wide by eight feet long, with a fantastic brass tree as a headboard, spreading graceful branches the width of the bed and up to within two feet of the ceiling. The stretch of wall behind the headboard, between the brass screen and the corner, had been painted a smoky blue to match the silk spread on the bed, and the patina of the beautiful tree gleamed mutedly against the soft background color. The bedside tables were large squares of pale green marble set on narrow, gracefully curving brass legs. Kitt was so mesmerized by the huge bed that she barely noticed details such as delicate brass lamps with cream silk shades, matching Oriental runners at each side of the bed, and cunningly designed, small, fitted brass cabinets on each table to take the place of the usual drawers and shelves.

"O'Mara, where... oh, where... did you find that bed? Ez would give his soul for a bed like that. We could sleep a family of six in that bed."

"Not on your life. That bed is for us—you and me—and nobody else. Ez can find his own bed. Hero can sleep with Gus, and the rest of the kids can have the rooms across the hall." He pulled her back against his chest with his hands on her shoulders and nuzzled his warm mouth into her neck, whispering, "Lots of room to exercise all kinds of imagination, sideways, endways and even upside-down." He felt the blush spreading up over her neck and into her face and growled suggestively against her ear, slowly running his tongue around the rim.

"I... oh... I'm not... even going to ask about upside-down." Laughing breathlessly, she turned and slid her arms around his waist, stretching up to feather kisses across his cheek to the corner of his mouth. "It's a magnificent bed, but aren't you afraid you'll lose me in it?"

"Never. I don't intend to let you get out of reach." His hands, lightly curved to her buttocks, encouraged her another half-step closer as she shaped her mouth to his and hesitantly urged his lips apart with her tongue, tentatively exploring the textures and contours of his warm mouth.

This can't be me doing this. What will he think? I know what he's thinking. He likes it and wants more. He did say I could do whatever I wanted to, and I want to know what his mouth feels like... tastes like... he does it to me... and I love it, so he must. Does his stomach melt away when he does this? Damn that shirt... I can't feel his skin... such a long, strong back . ., oh, no... no, it's fine... he's not really holding me... I wish I could let him... but I can feel that cold knot forming when he starts to close his hands on my bottom and pull me close... but he let me shift back... Ican move away... umm... OH! Is
that
what you're supposed to do! Why didn't he tell me?... Beast. I can sense him laughing in his mind... he knows I'd never have thought of that by myself. Oh, yes, yes... give me your tongue, smarty, and just see how quickly I learn... now... now...

"If you're that fast on the uptake with everything I teach you, we'll have a very busy honeymoon, love." The husky voice was muffled against her neck, and the slow stroking of his hands up and down her sides was gentling rather than arousing. Her head rested on his shoulder while she tried to steady her breathing and convince her knees that they were not made of custard.

"Oh, you great gormless toad, why didn't you ever show me that before?" she groaned complainingly. "Look at all the time you let me waste. Do you realize that—"

"Love, love," he chided, a thread of laughter in his voice, as he held her away from him. "One thing at a time. Get used to this, and then we'll try the next step. Now, tell me, were you scared? I thought you started to tense up once."

"Just a little. It did start, but as soon as I moved away and you loosened your hands, it was all right."

"I thought—"

"Hey, Dad! Kitt! Andy says supper's on in ten minutes." O'Mara and Kitt half-turned to peer through the brass screen as Gus came bounding in from the hall.

"Okay. You're just in time to catch Kitt's first reaction to my bathroom." O'Mara ruffled Gus's hair as they grinned at each other conspiratorily. "What do you think she'll say?"

"I wouldn't even try to guess." Gus giggled. "Ez said 'Great pillars of Hercules!' and roared, so she'll probably come out with 'Shades of Charlemagne' or something weird."

"You two are killing me with suspense. What on earth is in this bathroom?"

"You gotta see it!" exclaimed Gus, grabbing her hand and tugging her toward the hallway she'd noticed in the end wall beyond the bed. O'Mara's guiding hand on her back kept her moving when she tried to stop to admire a pair of beautiful Chinese chests of black lacquer inlaid with flowers and birds of silver, ivory and jade, which flanked the entrance to the hall.

"Later, love. Now, along here on the right are all sorts of built-in drawers and fitted shelves for anything you could think of, and on the left—wait a second, Gus—through this door—
voil
à
!
a dressing room with more drawers and racks and stuff. No, you can look at it all later. Onward."

"Ready for this, Kitt?" Gus turned to grin up at her, one hand on another brass screen which was hung as a gate across the end of the hall. He pushed it open and led her through into darkness. Before she had taken more than two steps, lights started coming on in one area of the big room after another.

Kitt's mouth opened in amazement and her eyes grew wider and wider as they darted around the big room, skipping from one fascination to another and then returning here and there to take in details. She was vaguely aware of O'Mara and Gus watching her reactions with gleeful grins lighting their faces, but for a couple of minutes she was too busy taking it all in to think of anything to say. It was initially a jumble of impressions: the deep blue carpeting continued from the bedroom and hall... more brass screens with Oriental motifs separating areas of the room... a sauna?!... a shower room that looked big enough for a family, with pale green tile and a full-size tiger stalking through long grass across the back wall... two toilets in Chinese red porcelain just visible behind a screen... no, one's a bidet... twin sinks in the same red porcelain set in a wide, marble-topped counter... corner room with all those windows on two sides... whatever is that tiered platform?... a whirlpool tub!... big enough for a party... and red, too, with a brass fence around the edge of the platform and railings on the steps... clever idea to carpet the tread and tile the risers... where did he find that tile?... looks just like meadow grass and wildflowers... love those windows rising from the edge of the platform to the ceiling... how extravagant to sit in that tub and look out over the ocean and no one can see in... a lounge area?!... floor-to-ceiling windows in the front corner and that smashing old wicker lounge and the matching low table... like the white with red and green cushions, but it needs a big floor plant... a fig tree, maybe... and those neat wicker benches in front of that long vanity table... that must be the front wall and what a marvelous view in daylight to look at while doing your hair... a double length?... ah, that's a shaving mirror... clever... his-and-her dressing tables... oh, look at that wall above the sinks... what is it?... pillars and an Oriental garden... he had to have had these tiles specially designed... I don't believe any of this. "Kitt? Say something!"

"Scheherazade's skivvies! O'Mara, what
Arabian Nights
fantasy were you having when you dreamed this up?" She started laughing delightedly and waltzed across the expanse of blue carpet. "You could hold a party in here. How did you ever tear Ez away from that hot tub? It's even big enough to swim in."

"Not for Ez." O'Mara chuckled. "Gus might just manage a couple of strokes, though. Do you like it? I'll admit I got a bit carried away."

"A bit! You're totally balmy. Look at this shower. What kind of group sports did you have in mind when you thought this up? Never mind! I can tell by that gleam that you shouldn't answer that in front of Gus."

"Oh, Kitt," Gus giggled. "I'm not dumb. I'll bet you and Dad—"

"Thank you, Augustus, but I'll make my own plans for what Kitt and I will do in that shower. Come along, you two, before Andy sends out a search party for us."

Kitt was allowed only brief glimpses into the guest bedrooms on the opposite side of the central hall, receiving an overall impression of attractive color schemes and the warmth of antique furniture. O'Mara wouldn't let her linger to examine the many interesting-looking paintings along the hall or in the various rooms; she hadn't even had time to admire in any detail the several large seascapes in his suite. To all her cries of "Oh, wait a minute, let me see," he laughingly answered, "Later, love. Supper's on."

At the far end of the hall, beyond Andy's suite, O'Mara guided her through an archway and down an angled flight of carpeted stairs. At the bottom, she had just time enough to note a large laundry room and a lavatory before being guided through another archway into a big, cheerful, country-style kitchen.

"Well, it's about time," Andy said. "I was about to send out my last messenger if I could tear him away from this roast." She nodded, smiling, toward Hero, who was perched on a stepstool, his eyes fixed on her every move as she deftly carved thick slices from a beef roast.

"What a super kitchen!" exclaimed Kitt, walking around the center-island work area with its twin sinks, marble-topped work surfaces and various-sized drawers and cupboards. Above the island, dish cabinets had been suspended from the ceiling with fluorescent lights built into their bases to provide even, bright light over the work area. More marble-topped cabinets lined the far, inner wall and continued at right angles along under the wide window overlooking the courtyard.

"This must have been designed to cater for a crowd," Kitt observed. "Six... no, eight countertop burners and a double-size grill, two ovens, another one... oh, that's a microwave, and... What's this, Andy?"

"A warming mat, the man called it. It's that pyroceram material. You just flip that switch at the side and the whole piece heats up just enough so that you can drain vegetables and then put the covers back on the pans and set them on that. It keeps everything hot but won't burn it or cook it any more. I won't put good china on it, but it works fine with earthenware or the ovenproof dishes."