Love and Triumph: The Coltrane Saga, Book 8 (21 page)

“Later.” He turned to walk out.

Suddenly she sprang at him, pressing herself against his broad back and crying furiously, “Oh, Cord, my darling! How can you treat me like this after all we’ve meant to each other? How can you forget all the hours we made such beautiful love? I can’t believe you’ve turned to Marilee, that she could give you more than me…”

He knew she was nearing hysteria. Soon, someone would hear her, maybe even Marilee. Damn, he couldn’t risk that. Not now. Not when he needed her to trust him more than ever before.

With forced resignation, he turned and took Elenore in his arms. As he’d hoped, she yielded. “No,” he was able to say honestly, “I haven’t forgotten what we shared, Elenore, but you’ve got to realize these are tense times. I’ve other things on my mind right now than making love to you or any other woman. There are things I’ve got to do. Arrangements have to be made, and—”

“Oh, darling, darling.” She stood on tiptoe, smiling up at him as she trembled with anticipation. “You know I understand. We’re on the same side, remember?”

“And you remember I’ve got a job to do, and that job comes first.”

He released her, and she stepped back, now staring up at him petulantly. “Go, then. Do what you must do. Then come back to me, because I want to show you just how much I’ve missed you.”

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him long and hard. After a few seconds Cord realized that he wanted to respond. It had been a long time. Elenore
was
a desirable woman. Marilee had unknowingly driven him crazy with wanting her. He felt himself becoming aroused, not caring that it was Elenore and not Marilee, whom he truly desired. He pulled her close, wanting to feel her large, firm breasts against his chest, knowing how she’d always liked to feel his erection against her.

Boldly she reached to touch him, and the ache grew worse.

“When?” she whispered huskily, her tongue running across his lips as she continued to caress him through his trousers, now proud and sure of herself. “When can we be together, darling? When can I show you how much I’ve missed you? When can I make you tear me to pieces with your desire…”

“Dammit, Elenore!” How he wished he could take her then and there. The desire was so goddamn fierce he was aching.

“Promise me,” she begged.

“I’m not promising anything.” He managed to pull away from her and open the door behind him. He yelled to the guard, who was hovering outside. “Take her to the sun porch downstairs and see that she’s comfortable. Give her anything she wants, but keep her there.”

Elenore’s expression was stormy. “I’ll not forgive you if you don’t come to me tonight,” she whispered. “Now go do what must be done to carry out your orders, and then we’ll make our own plans to go back to Zurich, where we’ll be safe…and happy.”

Serge was waiting anxiously to hear what was going on, why Elenore had shown up unannounced.

“She has a way of manipulating people into doing what she wants,” Cord told him furiously. “Obviously she persuaded someone to let her bring important information.

“Where’s Marilee, by the way?” he asked suddenly.

“I took her to her room. She’s all right.”

They went to the kitchen, poured a cup of coffee, and sat at the table to discuss the situation.

Serge agreed that Marilee should not be turned over to the Bolsheviks. “But what do we do? If you don’t obey, they’ll take her away from us, and you can believe they’ll figure out that we’re counterrevolutionaries—which means we’ll be executed,” he finished grimly.

Cord sighed. “I know that. So there’s only one thing to do. I’ll get in touch with our people tonight for approval to go underground. It will mean confiding everything to Marilee so she’ll cooperate, but I was getting close to telling her, anyway.”

Serge smiled knowingly. “Yes, I would say you’ve been getting close to a lot of things—like falling in love.”

Cord looked at him sharply, but then he could not help grinning. “It shows?”

Serge nodded. “It shows.”

Cord downed his coffee in one gulp, pushed back his chair, and stood up. “I’ll slip out around midnight, and when I return, we’ll be able to make firm plans to get out of here.”

He started out of the room. “I’ve got a feeling that it’s not going to be easy to get rid of
her
,”
Serge said pointedly.

Cord nodded curtly, continuing on his way.

He found Marilee in her room, standing at the window with a pensive expression on her face. She did not turn when he entered. He walked over to stand behind her, wrapping his arms about her, his chin resting on top of her head as he held her close.

Still she did not move, and they stood together in silence. Then she finally whispered, “It
was
her, wasn’t it?”

He knew what she meant, just as he knew she’d figured out long ago he’d mistaken her for Elenore that night in the basement of Rudolf’s castle. Yes, he’d thought she was Elenore—but only for an instant, because once his mouth had pressed against her sweet, tender lips, he’d known it was the kiss of a stranger—a woman hungry for love and affection. It was only later, when he’d had time to think about the warm and wonderful curves of her body, the way she’d clung to him for just an instant, that he knew she was fire waiting to be ignited—that not only was there a hot, burning spirit of desire, but also a sweetness yet untasted, a sweetness that would eventually work its way into his very soul.

“Yes,” he whispered quietly, his arms tightening about her. “I was waiting for Elenore. She was supposed to meet me there that night. I found out later that Rudolf had locked her in with his mother.”

Her laugh was tinged with bitterness. “Yes, and then when he got drunk and I had to run away from him, I found my way to you instead.”

“And was it so bad?” he asked quietly.

She turned to face him, entwining her arms about his neck. “In fact, I think I knew it was you, before it was…” She shook her head in wonder, a sad smile touching her lips. “Oh, but that doesn’t make sense, does it? You can’t understand what it was like, my dreams haunted by a faceless man who held me and took me to heights of unknown pleasure, unknowingly searching for so long to find that man, and then there you were, and—”

He silenced her with a kiss.

Yes, he knew, for in his own way he, too, had harbored a dream of a love yet undiscovered. And quietly, like a thief in the night, she had stolen into his world, his being, and his heart, to make him want and love her as he’d never wanted or loved a woman before.

Lifting her in his arms, he carried her to the bed and laid her down, then he stretched out beside her and gathered her close. His hands moved up and down her body, and she arched even nearer, wanting to meld into him. Their eyes met and held, blazing with passion and the love they could not deny.

Cord could restrain himself no longer. He lifted her skirt, caressing her thighs and leaving a path of fire as he danced his fingertips higher.

Marilee knew she was dangerously close to reaching a point of no return, yet she could not forget that he was the enemy and she, the prisoner. Was he merely using her to satiate his lust? Was she no more to him than Elenore had been?

But exactly what had Elenore meant to him?

Marilee reached to still his caressing hand, shrinking away from him.

“I must know…” She met his questioning gaze. “What was she to you? And why is she here if she means nothing more?”

Cord felt a deep wrenching inside. With a ragged sigh, he rolled away from her, staring up at the ceiling in frustration. He should have known she would demand an explanation.

“I know you won’t believe me, but she meant nothing to me, Marilee,” he finally said. “She’s attractive. She was there when I needed a woman. It was never more than that.”

“And I’m to believe that
I
mean more?” Marilee got up and went to stand at the window.

He made no move to stop her, but continued to stare up at the ceiling, his arms folded behind his head. “Yes, because despite the situation we unfortunately find ourselves in, you do mean a lot to me, Marilee,” he said miserably.

“And I’m to believe it’s all over between you and Elenore?” she asked sarcastically.

“Nothing ever really began,” he said tiredly.

“Then why is she here?” she asked once more.

He sat up then. “She’s a revolutionary, Marilee. Like me. That’s where I met her—at the Wolfa in Zurich, where a group called the Zealots gathered. She came here today because she has orders from the Bolsheviks concerning you.”

Marilee whirled around, her eyes wide with hope. “My father!” she cried. “They’ve found him? And he’s paying the ransom, and…” Her voice faded as she saw his expression of dismay.

“I’m afraid not.” He hated to tell her, but he had no choice. “They’ve finally decided that the plan to ransom you has failed. So now they want you turned over to them in Russia, to make your father come out of hiding.”

Marilee’s heart began to pound with excitement and anticipation. Going to Russia meant being nearer to her father. He was a smart man—he and his comrades would find a way to rescue her. She was far more likely to get out of her predicament there than where she was now. But one prickling question remained—what about her growing feelings for Cord? Despite the fact that he was the enemy, she could not deny how much she cared for him.

She knelt before him, and he cupped her face in his hands. She gazed up at him through tears of joy and trepidation. “You’ll take me there, then? We’ll have time to know each other even better, to grow closer. Maybe you will embrace my father’s beliefs, and—”

“Marilee, stop it!” He could not stand to listen any longer. The time had come for her to learn the truth.

He took a deep breath as she watched him anxiously. “Marilee, there’s something I have to tell you—”

“Oh, isn’t this sweet?”

They both looked up at Elenore.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Cord demanded. “I gave orders that you were to be kept on the sun porch.”

Elenore’s eyes narrowed. They were filled with such venomous loathing that Marilee wondered how she could ever have believed Elenore was her friend.

“So this is why there is talk at headquarters that you are becoming weak!” Elenore lashed out at Cord. “I’d heard rumors from the comrades that you were weakening for this icy little virgin, but I was too stupid to believe it. What secret does she possess that makes you such a fool, Cord? What is it she does that I can’t do better?”

Cord grabbed her arm and steered her out, coolly declaring, “I don’t have to explain anything to you.” The door closed behind them.

For a few moments, Marilee could only stand there in bewilderment. But then she came to her senses with a white-hot flash of realization.

It did not matter that Cord was the enemy.

That had nothing to do with the fact that she was falling in love with him.

And no matter what it took, she was not going to lose him to Elenore.

Chapter Twenty-One

For the first time in her life Marilee knew what she wanted, and nothing was going to stand in her way.

But when afternoon faded into evening, she could not deny the prickling feeling that something was wrong.

Serge brought her dinner tray, and she saw the worried look in his eyes when she inquired about Cord, and noticed his evasive tone when he told her that Cord was away on business.

Blocking his escape, she asked, “What kind of business did Cord have to take care of, Serge? Is he making plans for us to leave?”

Serge paled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do.” She gave him a confident smile. “I already know that the ransom won’t be paid because your leaders can’t locate my father, and they want me taken to Russia. So you can tell me where Cord has gone—and why.”

Serge shook his head. “He’ll be in to see you when he returns, I’m sure.”

He tried to move around her, but she remained where she was.

“Has Elenore left?” she asked curtly.

Serge drew in his breath and let it out slowly. “No. She’s still here. I think Brandt went for her orders, as well. I assume,” he added nervously, “that he told you she’s one of us?”

“Oh, yes.” Marilee nodded, frowning. “I was taken in by her, just like her brother. They both made a fool of me, but I’m wiser now.”

She stepped aside, then asked softly, “Tell me, where is she staying? I have a right to know. It
is
my home.”

“The sun porch on the first floor,” he answered readily.

Marilee hoped she was able to hide her anger. That room had been her mother’s favorite! To quarter a coldhearted, lying vixen like Elenore there was a sacrilege. But she was not about to say so, not to Serge, anyway.

He started to pass once more. “If you need anything—”

“I do!” Marilee interrupted quickly, feeling a sudden need to see Elenore. But first she had to get by Serge and down the stairs.

He looked at her expectantly. “Yes?”

“Uh, wine!” She snapped her fingers. “I’d like a bottle of chablis with my dinner. I’m sure Cord would enjoy a glass later. Would you mind terribly?” She opened the door with a beseeching expression, then turned and walked back toward the toilet alcove with its brocade dressing screen, pretending to be in a hurry.