Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger (31 page)

Read Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger Online

Authors: Lori Copeland

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #General, #Contemporary, #Westerns, #test

BOOK: Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger
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Page 37
young people stood in the middle of the street looking at each other.
''He wants to pick you up here at nine o'clock in the morning," Chandra told him, stunned.
"I heard!" he snapped tersely.
The wind was whistling around her skirt tail, making her absolutely miserable. "Well, I'm freezing. Let's go in and call your cab."
They hurried up the walk as Chandra dug in her purse for the key to the front door and handed it to him. He inserted it into the lock and they let themselves into the heavenly warmth of the house.
She switched on the lamp beside the sofa, flooding the room with soft light. The dying embers in the fireplace surged rapidly back to life as Chandra threw a couple of sticks of wood onto the fire. She removed her coat and laid it on the arm of the chair.
She suddenly felt very shy and ill at ease watching him warm his hands in front of the fireplace, his tall, solid frame casting a shadow over the rug on the floor. He seemed to be mesmerized by the dancing, flickering flames as he stood staring down into the fire.
Chandra perched on the arm of the chair, not quite knowing what to say. Finally taking a deep breath, she offered lightly, "Did you want me to call you a cab?"
Coming out of his trance he turned to face her. "Chandra, you know how much this job means to me, don't you?"
Chandra took a deep breath before answering. "I think so."
"Then you won't be too surprised to learn that you're going to have a house guest tonight. As late as it is I'd no more get back to my hotel than it would be time to turn around and come back here to meet Rhodes. Like it or not I'm staying here tonight," he told her bluntly.
Chandra was on her feet in a flash, clearly disturbed by his statement, her patience finally coming to an end.
"No, I won't be surprised, because I'm not going to let you stay here! I
admit
I have made a total fool out of myself tonight,
 
Page 38
stupidly introducing myself as your wife, but I have played out the charade for the evening, which is
all
I promised to do, Mr. Morganson, so you can just call your cab and be on your merry way. You are not welcome to stay in my house for the night!''
Garrett watched her raving with the bored calm most husbands possess when they have angered their wives.
He walked over to the chintz-covered couch and sat down, making himself at home. "Are you through with your mad fit?"
"Are you leaving?"
"Hell, no!"
"Then I'm not through!" She walked over and shook her fist in his face for emphasis. "I'll scream to high heaven until you leave!"
"Go ahead. You won't bother me." He grabbed her flailing fist with one large hand. "But I'll tell you what
will
bother melosing a shot at the Vice Presidency at Rhodes Aircraft. Now as I've tried patiently to tell you all evening, you got me into this mess and you're going to get me out of it!"
"Patiently! Well, you've got your nerve. You have been nothing but downright rude to me all evening!"
"I'm going to get ruder," he warned, his blue eyes snapping, "if you don't calm down. All I'm asking is to stay the night in your guest room. I'm not asking for bed 'privileges' with you."
"If you were I'd turn you down flat!" Her hazel eyes stormed at him.
He jerked her up more tightly to him, his eyes catching and holding hers. In a calm voice, he stated, "Honey, there are a lot of women who would fight you for that invitation
not,
" he emphasized, "that it was ever extended to you. You have to be patient, Chandra. Wait until a man invites you into his bed."
Chandra flushed a bright red, trying to jerk angrily away from him. "You arrogant"
His hold on her tightened as he began to chuckle menacingly. "Don't start calling me names or you may never get the pleasure of sleeping in my bed. And make no mistake about it, Chandra Loring," his voice had dropped to a husky timbre, "I do make
 
Page 39
it a pleasure for my women!'' He suddenly thrust her roughly away from him and walked back over to the fireplace. "Now that you understand that I'm not after your body, why don't you show me where you want me to sleep tonight." He turned back to face her and said in a more reasonable tone of voice, "After tonight, this will be over. I'll figure a way out of all this tomorrow, but right now I need some time to think."
Rubbing her wrists angrily Chandra stared at him, trying to decide what to do. He was rightshe had gotten him into this mess, and if one night could rid her of him then she supposed she would have to relent and let him spend that night here. Anything to get this farce over with, and this Garrett Morganson out of her life! She could never be attracted to such an egotistical snob. Phillip suddenly seemed a warm refuge for her after being with Garrett all evening.
"All right, Garrett, but I want to warn you, in case you try anything funny, my parents are asleep in their room upstairs," she stressed as she swept swiftly by him. She wasn't about to let him know she was in the house alone.
"I
am
sorry, honey, but you're just not my type." He smiled at her sympathetically.
"And you
certainly
are not mine," she shot back angrily.
"Now let me guess what type you likeone that sends you flowers and writes you poetry. Right?" Garrett fell into step behind her.
"You wouldn't have the vaguest idea of what kind of a man a woman would like. I'd love to see what attracts you! Oh, pardon me, I forgot. I did see one of them. 'Red Satin' at the party was looking at you awfully hungrily tonight."
"Yes, and if it hadn't been for you, I would be . . . enjoying her company right about now," he responded crudely.
"I just bet you would," she spat out as she started to climb the stairs rapidly.
"You didn't say what kind of a man you went for," he reminded Chandra as he climbed the stairs behind her, trying to keep up with her angrily flying feet.
 
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''I like a man who knows how to treat a woman like a woman. One who sends me flowers, treats me kindly, whispers sweet nothings in my ear, sends me love noteall those silly things you have probably never even thought of doing for a woman. And, yes, I
love
poetry!"
Garrett paused on the top stair, a small grin on his face. "Now how would you know how I treat my women?"
Chandra stopped and looked him square in the eyes. "Women mean one thing for men like you," she flashed. "You would never appeal to me, Mr. Morganson. Sorry."
Garrett's face was uncomfortably close to hers as he leaned negligently against the top rail of the stairs. His eyes roved intimately over the straining bodice of her dress, and her pulse began to pound. The soft curve of her breasts caught his appraisal, his eyes lingering for a brief moment on them before traveling on down her body. Chandra felt as though he had virtually undressed her while they were standing there on the stairs. She would never admit it but at that moment she was sure he would be every woman's fantasy in bed.
He finally spoke in a quiet tone, his words clipped and concise. "If I had time, lady, I'd show you what it meant to be my woman. You would have all those things you want"his eyes surveyed her suggestively"and more. I promise you that."
Chandra's knees felt rubbery as she tore her gaze away from him and proceeded down the hall. She pointed to a closed door. "You can sleep in there tonight."
She heard his soft chuckle as he opened the door to the guest room. "No good-night kiss, wife?"
"You are to be out of here by nine o'clock tomorrow morning," Chandra returned sternly, her back turned to him as she continued down the hall.
Garrett stood watching her walk, her slender hips swaying provocatively in the black clinging dress. He quickly smothered an unwelcome feeling of desire as he watched the petite, good-looking blonde enter her own bedroom and slam the door loudly.
Careful old man,
he cautioned himself under his breath as he
 
Page 41
entered his own room and sank down onto the bed.
Dames like that are nothing but trouble. They want the marriage, home, and baby-carriage routine, and will settle for nothing less
. Garrett Morganson wanted no part of marriage. When he walked out of that dippy blonde's life in the morning, that would be the end of that!
Garrett shrugged tiredly out of his clothes and was asleep five minutes after his head hit the pillow.
 
Page 42
Chapter Three
Chandra spooned fragrant coffee grounds into the paper filter in the basket of the percolator and plugged it in. Within seconds the stimulating aroma of coffee filled the small kitchen. She pushed back the freshly starched curtain hanging at the window of the small breakfast nook and looked out on the gray, frosty morning. The stark, bare branches of the large old oak that stood beside the kitchen window swayed lightly in the gusty, early morning wind. She poured a cup of coffee and sat down at the table, her mind mulling over the events of the previous night.
It had taken her a long time to fall asleep; the image of a tall, handsome man with clear blue eyes appeared every time she closed her eyes. She would be relieved when she saw the last of Garrett Morganson. She sighed and took another sip of her hot coffee. She wasn't going to spend her day worrying over Garrett. Today she would sit down and tackle the wedding invitations. She would address them all this week and mail them the next.
''Good morning."
Chandra jumped at the sound of the deep male voice greeting her. She glanced up quickly to see Garrett standing in the doorway, his hair still damp from the shower.
"Good morning," she murmured coolly.
"I hope you don't mind, but I used the shower in the hall bathroom a few minutes ago and shaved with a pink razor I found in there."
Chandra couldn't help smiling as she watched him rub his large hand over his face. "That's mine. I'm sorry I neglected to
 
Page 43
show you where the bathroom was last night.'' Chandra stood up and walked over to the kitchen. cabinet. "How do you like your coffee?" she asked as she opened the cabinet door, pausing as her eyes rested on the coffee cups sitting on the second shelf. Her mother was a good three inches taller than Chandra so the cups were no obstacle in her kitchen, but they were way beyond Chandra's reach.
"Black is fine," he said, watching her drag a small step stool over to the cabinet and climb up on it.
Chandra was preoccupied in her search for a cup, unaware that he'd come up to stand behind her. His eyes lazily inspected the bare expanse of the slender leg that was propped up on the cabinet for support.
"Can I help you with something?" He reached out and held Chandra around her small waist with his hands. Chandra was startled at his touch, and her hand knocked over the cup she had been reaching for. The heavy mug came tumbling down, hitting him squarely on the forehead.
"Son of a" he yelled, grabbing at the inch-long cut on his head. Bright-red blood covered his fingers instantly.
"Oh, my gosh!" Chandra hopped down off the stool and reached for a paper towel. She wet it with cold water, then steered Garrett over to the table to set him down gently. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea you were behind me!" she exclaimed, dabbing frantically at the open wound.
"Ouch! Take it easy!" He twisted around in his seat like a two-year-old with a skinned knee. "How bad is it?" he asked, his face turning pale.
Chandra examined the wound carefully, then assured him, "You'll live."
"Come on, Chandra, it's not funny. It hurts like hell." He reached up to feel a bump the size of a goose egg swelling up instantly beside the cut.
Chandra swallowed her giggles and made an attempt to look serious. "Just hold still while I get the first-aid kit." Chandra

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