Emily and the Stranger (20 page)

She wasn't fond of large social gatherings, either, preferring smaller more intimate parties with friends. But Zed Banning had been more than kind to her in recent weeks. Not accepting his hand-delivered invitation would have shown a lack of good manners. Besides, she needed some sort of distraction to get her mind off Mitch Hayden. It seemed no matter how busy she kept herself or how often she saw Charles, she couldn't stop thinking about Mitch, who she assumed, due to his lack of social standing in South Alabama, wouldn't attend tonight's gala affair. Three weeks had passed since she had discovered his true identity. Time enough to have accepted that he could never be a part of her life. But her heart yearned for him. And her body ached with wanting.

"Come on, let's find something to drink. But not too much, or you'll be dancing naked on the tables before
midnight
," Emily told Nikki, then glanced around, looking for a waiter. "Not that you need to dance on the tables to get attention. Not in that outfit."

A waiter carrying a tray of champagne stopped. Nikki, Emily and Rod retrieved glasses of the bubbly. Charles declined the offer of liquor.

"What's wrong with my outfit?" Nikki asked.

"Nothing, if your purpose in wearing it is to attract male attention," Charles said.

Emily inspected the neat, tailored, black suit Nikki wore. The straight skirt hit Nikki midthigh, and her slender legs were encased in black silk stockings. The draped collar suit was stunning, the jacket tapering at the waist, where three gold-and-pearl buttons held it together. Nikki wore nothing under the jacket, which plunged to a provocative V in front, revealing the high, round swell of her small, firm breasts.

"Well, that
was
my intention." Nikki sipped her champagne. "I'm attracting your attention, aren't I, Rod?"

Rod choked on the sip of champagne in his mouth, coughed several times, then recovered his composure. "You look gorgeous, Nikki. You and Emily are the two prettiest women here."

"Now, that's what a girl likes to hear," Nikki said. "A man who proclaims you the fairest in the land before he even checks out the competition."

"I see that Banning has had a feast set up." Charles nodded toward the buffet tables.

"Good idea, Charlie. Why don't we fix ourselves a plate and mingle?" Nikki suggested.

Emily followed Nikki's lead, as did Rod and Charles, and the foursome made their way along the buffet tables. Nikki loaded her plate with a wide variety of edible delights, while Emily chose only cheese and grapes.

"Are you ladies enjoying yourselves?" Zed Banning placed his hand on Emily's back, but he stared directly at Nikki, then looked down at her plate. "Haven't eaten all day, Nikki?"

"As a matter of fact, I had pancakes for breakfast and then Emily and I ordered pizza for lunch." Nikki put on her best fake smile for Zed. "I'm just glad I'm not one of your simpering lady friends who nibbles on carrot sticks and lettuce and worries constantly whether or not she'll impress you with her gorgeous body."

"Well, Nikki, you don't ever have to worry about being one of my lady friends and impressing me with your body." Zed winked at Emily, who almost choked on a grape when she heard his remark.

"Thank God for big favors." Nikki released an exaggerated sigh.

"All right, you two," Emily said. "Take off the boxing gloves for one night."

"For you, Emily, anything." Zed turned his attention to the two men flanking Emily and held out his hand. "I'm Zed Banning, your host."

"Oh, forgive me," Emily said. "Zed, this is Charles Tolbert, a dear friend and my escort for the evening." The two men exchanged a brief handshake. "And this is Rod Simmons, one of my art students, and Nikki's escort." The two shook hands.

"Well, welcome to my little shindig, boys. Eat, drink, mingle and enjoy yourselves." Zed pulled Emily from her sandwiched position between the other two men. He placed his arm around her, then reached out and encircled Nikki's shoulders with his other arm. "You gentlemen don't mind if I steal the ladies for a few minutes, do you?"

"Sure, it's fine with me," Rod said.

"I'm not sure about—" Charles said.

"There's a gentleman here from Republic Books," Zed explained. "I'd like Emily to meet him."

"How did you know…" Emily let her question die midsentence. She'd been about to ask Zed how he knew she had written a children's book and meeting the publisher of a house that specialized in children's books would be a dream come true for her. Mitch must have told Zed. Had Zed asked the man here tonight for the sole purpose of introducing him to her?

"Well, you can introduce me to someone old and rich, with one foot in the grave and another on a banana peel," Nikki said. "A rich, old codger who has a thing for sweet, young innocents."

Glancing at Nikki's cleavage, Zed laughed heartily. "Sweet and innocent would rule you out immediately."

"Why would you want Emily—" Charles asked.

"That's great, Emily," Rod said at the same moment Charles spoke. "You can tell this guy from Republic Books about your Hannah book."

Charles's lips formed a soft oval, as realization dawned on him. "Oh, yes, of course, your little book. By all means, go meet this man."

"You'll excuse us, won't you?" Zed took the ladies away. Nikki kept her phony smile plastered to her face while Zed led her and Emily through the crowd, briefly introducing them to various men and women.

Zed stopped abruptly. "Hardy, I'd like for you to meet someone."

The dignified gentleman in his early sixties turned around and smiled. Emily thought he resembled the Colonel Sanders image, with his mane of white hair, mustache and beard.

"Emily, may I introduce Mr. Hardy Winston. Hardy, this is Ms. Emily Jordan. Emily is the young woman I told you about."

"I am enchanted," Hardy said.

"I hope you don't mind that I mentioned to Hardy that you've written a book he might be interested in," Zed said.

Emily smiled sweetly. "No, I don't mind at all."

Nikki cleared her throat.

"Oh, sorry." Zed pulled Nikki from his side and positioned her in front of him, her head just reaching his chest. "This is Emily's friend and business partner, Nikki Griffin. And I think it's my duty to warn you that she does bite."

Chuckling softly, Hardy inspected Nikki from head to toe. "Delighted to meet you."

"Nikki, why don't you and I dance and give Hardy and Emily a chance to talk," Zed suggested.

Nikki frowned, but accepted Zed's arm and followed him onto the dance floor.

"Would you care to dance, Miss Emily?" Hardy asked, in his thick Southern drawl. "It would give an old man great pleasure to dance with such a lovely young woman. While we're dancing, you can tell me about this book of yours. Zed seems to think I'll want to publish it."

"I… Yes, I'd like to dance." Emily wondered where Charles was and if he was terribly annoyed with her for inviting him to this party and then deserting him shortly after arriving. When this dance ended, she'd have to find him and make amends.

Hardy escorted Emily onto the dance floor. The band was playing a Kenny G. hit called "Morning." Hardy took Emily into his arms, his movements practiced and precise. She smiled at him when he told her what a marvelous dancer she was.

Across the room, on the edge of the dance floor, Mitch Hayden, wearing a tux he'd borrowed from Zed, stood watching Emily in another man's arms. It took every ounce of his willpower not to storm across the dance floor and take her away from the other man. Jealousy ate away at his insides as he saw her smiling at and laughing with someone else, even if the guy was old enough to be her father.

He hadn't wanted to attend Zed's party. But when Zed told him that Emily would be there, he had accepted. He would gladly face the demons of hell for a chance to see her, to talk to her.

She looked more beautiful tonight than ever before. So soft and delicate. So utterly, completely feminine. The cinnamon-colored silk dress she wore skimmed her ankles, sweeping around her legs as she swayed to the music. The waist was fitted, showing off how small she was there, and the shirred bustline enhanced her round, full breasts. Hannah McLain's gold locket dangled from the gold chain around her neck.

"There's no point in eating your heart out over Emily dancing with someone else." Nikki Griffin slipped her arm through Mitch's.

Mitch tensed at Nikki's touch, but he didn't pull away from her. "Where'd you come
from?"

"From Zed Banning's evil clutches," Nikki said. "He asked me to dance with him, but once we were where Emily couldn't hear, I told him I'd rather dance with King Kong."

"I'm sure Zed was crushed."

"Yeah. You couldn't put a dent in that guy's ego with a guided missile." Nikki tugged on Mitch's arm and smiled. "Come on, Mitch. Dance with me."

"I'm surprised you'd even speak to me," Mitch said. "Considering who I am and what happened between Emily and me, I thought you'd hate me."

"How can I hate you when you're the man who brought Emily back to life?" Nikki led Mitch onto the dance floor. "She may be hurt and confused right now, but sooner or later she's going to realize that you can offer her something she desperately needs,"

"And what do you think I can offer Emily?"

"Love and acceptance."

Mitch took Nikki into his arms. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Hang around for the long haul and you'll figure it out."

Mitch eyed Emily across the room and he knew he had to dance with her. He needed to hold her in his arms again, if only for a few stolen moments.

"Are you interested in changing partners for a third time?" he asked.

"What?"

Mitch nodded toward Emily and her dance partner.

Nikki grinned. "Sure, come on."

Mitch maneuvered Nikki across the dance floor, leading her closer and closer to his objective. Whirling Nikki around, Mitch released her, then tapped Emily's dance partner on the shoulder.

"Change partners," Mitch said. And before anyone had a chance to agree or protest, Mitch stole Emily out of the other man's arms, leaving him
little choice but to accept Nikki
or make an embarrassing scene.

"How dare you!" Emily tried to pull out of Mitch's arms, but he held fast.

"I dare," he said. "Dance with me, Emily. People are looking at us, wondering why we aren't dancing."

"I don't care."

"One dance."

She didn't verbally agree, but she allowed him to lead her into the dance. When the music stopped, she turned from him. Mitch caught her by the wrist and tugged her back into his arms. She went, reluctantly at first, but finally accepting the fact that she wanted to
be in his arms. The band played another
Kenny G. hit, the utterly romantic "Forever in Love."

Mitch didn't say a word; neither did Emily.

To simply hold her was enough.

To be in his arms was enough.

The music wrapped its bluesy sweetness around them, cocooning them in its warm, dreamy depths as he held her close, her head on his chest, his lips pressed against her hair.

If only the past didn't exist. If only there were no yesterdays, just tonight. Emily tried not to think, simply to feel, to enjoy these precious moments when her thoughts alone could destroy the pleasure.

"I miss you." Mitch whispered so softly he wasn't sure she'd heard him. He didn't want to say or do anything to make her run away.

She willed herself to stay calm, not to overreact to what he'd said. Was she prepared to be honest with Mitch? With herself? "I've missed you, too."

He hugged her closer, one hand tightening at
her waist, the
other caressing her neck. Slowly moving his fingers into her hair, he grasped the back of her head. Emily closed her eyes, experiencing the sheer ecstasy of feeling Mitch's blatant desire for her. How could she still want this man? How could she still love him?

Don't think! Don't remember! The plea was his as well as hers.

"I came here tonight because Zed told me you'd be here."

Mitch led her across the dance floor and through the crowd
toward the balcony.

She went with him, powerless to stop herself. The half-full moon shined like a bright, partially formed ball of cream in the darkness.

"It's been more than three weeks since you found out who I am, nearly two weeks since we last spoke." Mitch held her around the waist, fastening his hands just above her hips. "Has anything changed? Have you reconsidered giving us another chance?"

"I've tried not to think about us, about what I'd hoped…" Emily pulled away from him. He let her go.

"I haven't been able to think about anything else but you. I'm worried about your safety. I want to be there for you, Emily. I want to take care of you. Protect you."

Turning her back to him, she gazed out over the long stretch of beach and the dark, pulsating ocean.

"I can't allow you to come back into my life because you think I need a bodyguard."