Stormbound with a Tycoon (10 page)

He took in a calming breath. “I guess we all have things in our pasts that would come as a surprise to others.”

“Uh, what happened, if you don't mind my asking.”

“It seems that she was only using me to force some rich married man thirty years her senior to divorce his wife and marry her. She had me completely fooled as she played her little game. She pushed for us to get married right away, and I went along with it. There weren't any formal preparations, just a simple justice of the peace ceremony. It was a last-minute whirlwind decision prompted by what was supposed to be
love.
” He made no attempt to control the sarcasm and bitterness that forced its way to the surface. “The
other man
showed up and told her she had won…he had left his wife. That was the last time I saw her.”

Jessica reached out and touched his arm as a gesture of comfort and understanding. “I'm sorry. I didn't know. Justin never mentioned it to me.”

“I'm not sure he even knows. It's not something I like to talk about.” Or to be even more accurate, it was something he never talked about, just as he had never told anyone about what happened with the
Clarksons. A blanket of despair settled over him. He tried to shake it away, but became lost in his own thoughts, momentarily oblivious to what was going on around him.

A sudden wave of sadness and loneliness washed over Jessica when she saw the expression on his face. It was as if she had tapped in to his emotions. She had wanted to see beneath that smooth, perfect outer shell of Dylan Russell, but now that she had gained a glimpse of the inner person she wasn't so sure she wanted to know any more. It certainly explained where his cynical attitude toward marriage had come from. An overwhelming need filled her with a desire to say something. She wanted to let him know she understood the pain of a failed relationship, even though she couldn't possibly fully comprehend the extent of the impact caused by the way he had been used and dumped or the type of pain he still carried around because of it.

She ventured a tentative question, not sure of her ground or how much she had the right to ask. “Is that why you wanted to use the cabin? To kind of pull yourself together after…well, after your—”

Her question brought his attention back to the present. A bittersweet laugh escaped his throat. “No. My close brush with that
unnatural
state known as marriage was many years ago, right after I graduated from college.”

“‘Unnatural state'? I see you haven't let your experience stop you from keeping an open mind.”

He cocked his head, arched an eyebrow and leveled a steady gaze at her. “And what about you? You've been divorced for several years and have apparently chosen to devote your time and energy to work rather
than a personal life, even though you indicated that you wanted to have children.”

“Well…” Her defenses leaped into play. “That's entirely different. I've been building a career. I haven't had time to think about—” Her words came to an abrupt halt when she saw the teasing glint come into his eyes. An inner sigh of relief caught her by surprise. It was almost as if she was glad that he had apparently snapped out of his momentary despair. It had pained her to see him so despondent, although she wasn't sure exactly why.

“‘Entirely different'? I suppose you could rationalize it that way if you wanted to.”

He clasped her hand in his and started walking again. She welcomed the warmth of his touch. He had already shown a depth she never realized he possessed. There was a lot more to Dylan Russell than she had suspected. And she wanted to know it all. Was she repeating old patterns and falling under the spell of a charming scoundrel? If so, she was willingly allowing him to lead her on.

J
essica tried to keep the conversation going, torn between wanting to know everything about Dylan and not wanting to step all over his feelings. “Is that, uh, is that why you decided to become a con man?”

He came to an abrupt halt, released her hand and turned until he fully faced her. “A con man?”

She saw a strange combination of surprise and hurt flicker across his features. She regretted her bad choice of words. “I mean your business deals. Justin always referred to them as high-flying wheeler-dealer speculation. I just assumed that—”

He heaved an audible sigh. It was almost as if he had resigned himself to having to comply with an unreasonable request. “You certainly have some strange notions about who and what I am. Justin would say that to me, too, but it was always said as a joke.”

Her embarrassment inserted itself into her voice. “I
seem to be putting my foot farther into my mouth each time I say something. I guess it's just that…well…” Her gaze connected with his and held there for a long moment. Her pulse raced a little harder and her heart beat a little faster. “You've always been a kind of larger-than-life mystery—a globe-trotting playboy whose every action was unconventional, compared to my life. And Justin is always telling tales about your latest adventures. I assumed they were true. And, uh, I just never could get a clear picture about you.”

Another bittersweet chuckle was his immediate response to her revelations. Is this what his life had been reduced to? Speculation about his honesty? “Then I suppose I should straighten you out on a few things. You don't mind if we walk at the same time, do you? I seem to have a lot of pent-up energy that I need to work off.”

Dylan started down the trail again without waiting for an answer from Jessica. She stayed close at his side. He stuck his hands in his jacket pockets and furrowed his brow in concentration as he sorted things out in his mind. “I guess I should start with college. I graduated with a degree in finance and had just gone to work for a very prestigious stock brokerage firm. A little less than three months later my fiancée jilted me, then two weeks after that my mother died. I tried very hard to work within the parameters of the job requirements, but each passing day became more difficult. I couldn't put the restlessness aside or stick with the rigid atmosphere and rules of the brokerage house. I finally ended up resigning from the firm.

“That's when I sort of fell into my first big deal, and I was hooked almost like an adrenaline surge. I had found my calling. Everything took off like a
rocket—world travel, first-class lifestyle and lots of glamour. I thought I had it all.”

Another wave of melancholy assaulted his consciousness. He stopped walking and stared at her for a moment. “Then a few months ago something happened…and—” he glanced across the horizon as he tried to collect his thoughts “—it all fell apart for me. I finally made my way to what I thought would be a good place to figure what to do with my life. I ended up here.”

“So that's why you're here? To make plans for the future?”

“Something like that. I also have some, uh, well…
personal
problems to work out—some fallout from the last deal I put together.”

“What happened? Is there anything I can help with?”

He shook his head, not sure how to respond to her questions. “One of my projects went bad. None of my deals were ever scams or con jobs. I never knowingly participated in anything illegal or unethical. My business deals were speculative high-risk venture capital. Big risk hopefully resulting in big gain. I always carefully explained all the pitfalls and risks to all prospective investors.” A moment of reflection crept into his words. “I thought I was dealing only with people who could afford the loss if the risk didn't pan out.”

He continued walking again. “That's not to say that there aren't a lot of con men involved in the same type of activity. I've certainly seen my share of them—the leeches who prey on the unsuspecting—but I wasn't one of them.”

He thought of Rose and Stanley Clarkson again. His voice dropped to a barely audible whisper, and a hint
of despair returned. “Of course, sometimes things go wrong…. A deal can fall apart, and everyone loses their money without it being the result of any wrong-doing or anyone's fault.”

“Is that what happened? You lost a lot of money?”

“Me? No, it wasn't as simple as that. I didn't lose any money. If it had just been me it wouldn't have mattered.” He swallowed down the emotion that choked in his throat. He couldn't say any more. He wasn't ready to talk about the Clarksons. He'd already said far more than he had intended.

They walked along in silence again. He thought about his plan for the future. Even more pieces than he had fit together the previous night were coming together in his mind. What had been total chaos two days ago was now forming into a workable plan. It was as if being able to talk about what was going on inside him had helped make things clearer in his mind. And the person he had been able to talk to had been Jessica. A comfortable warmth settled over him, providing a surprising feeling of closeness.

Jessica again captured his attention when she linked her arm through his at the elbow. He liked the sensation the personal gesture conveyed. For three months he had been wrestling with the problem of what to do with his life. It had been a time of confusion and brutal introspection about who and what he had become. And now, less than forty-eight hours after waking up to find Jessica McGuire in bed with him, he had pulled those pieces of confusion together into the framework of a workable plan.

Could she have been the cause? The spark that set the wheels in motion? He wasn't sure, but if it was true, then he was well on his way to a very sincere
emotional involvement…something he swore he'd never allow to happen again. He was definitely in over his head, but had he been thrown an anchor that would weigh him down or a life preserver to keep him afloat? A little tremor ran up his back. Perhaps she was both…the anchor that would keep him grounded in reality while at the same time being the life preserver that rescued him from his inner turmoil.

He had never thought in depth about emotional matters before, never analyzed anything beyond the dollars and cents of the business deal he was working on. A wave of apprehension splashed through his consciousness leaving him a little uneasy. She was the type who made a man think about what could be, to strive for better things. Another tremor rippled through his body accompanied by an equal dose of panic.

They walked along the trail in silence for a while. Conversation began slowly and stayed superficial as they talked about nature, the scenery, weather, movies and books…safe topics that didn't require either of them to delve into painful areas or confront buried fears. They settled into a comfortable mode as they held hands and talked about likes and dislikes, favorite foods and generally got to know a little about each other.

Dylan laced their fingers together. He liked the feel of her hand in his. It had a calming effect on the uncertainty that had plagued him for the past few months. It gave him a sense of purpose, along with an overwhelming desire to seek her approval. He had never before been concerned with having someone else's approval. He had always known who he was, what he was doing and where he was going…until three months ago.

He stopped walking, pulled her into his arms and captured her mouth with a kiss that radiated part physical desire and part deep emotion. He wanted to know her more than he had ever wanted to know anyone.

 

Jessica bounded up the steps to the porch and plopped down on the bench next to the door. “I'm starved. I think I could eat the contents of an entire grocery store.” She pulled off a muddy boot.

Dylan's spontaneous laugh filled the air. “If you deplete the world's food supply that sure doesn't leave anything for me, does it?”

He knelt in front of her, motioning for her to extend her other leg. “Here…let me do that.” He pulled off her other boot and dropped it on the porch.

Their long walk had produced a day of carefree ease, a time of sharing personal feelings and even tentatively allowing some inner fears to show. It had been an exhilarating experience that brought them closer together. Hand holding and casual kisses had led to some decidedly heated kisses. There was a definite chemistry working between them that neither could deny. And they still had the entire evening and night.

She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. A slight smile turned the corners of her mouth. “We've been walking for hours. It sure feels good to sit down.”

He studied her a moment. Her delicately sculpted features tugged at his senses, and her very kissable mouth sent a rush of excitement through his body. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers hoping it would satisfy the urge to sweep her into his arms again and this time carry her upstairs, but all it did was whet his appetite for more. He tugged at her hand,
pulling her up from the bench. A moment later he folded her in his embrace and brought his mouth down fully on hers.

The moment his lips touched hers all she could think about was how much he excited her, how much she wanted to be part of his life. She allowed the delicious kiss to continue for several seconds. Once again being in his arms transported her beyond the concerns and fears of what might be. He stirred more in her than sensual desires. Oddly enough, he also made her feel protected and cared for. It wasn't logical, certainly didn't make any sense, but she could not deny the truth of it.

She broke off the kiss, but her breathless voice gave away the emotional depth of her involvement. There was more going on than her physical response to his action. She looked up into his eyes and saw the same things she was feeling…or perhaps it was just wishful thinking. Another wave of desire swept through her. She took a couple of steps away from his touch, hoping to break the pull his magnetism exerted on her.

“I…I think I'd better see what there is to fix for—” she glanced at her watch “—well, it's definitely too late for lunch, and it's a little early for dinner.”

He reached out and grabbed her hand. “I'm hungry, too.”

The look in his eyes said he was hungry for more than food. A little shiver of trepidation raced up her spine. Was it a portent of what the evening would bring? The level of excitement rose, only to be tempered with caution. Her gaze locked with his. Neither of them moved. She rubbed her hand across her nape to still the shiver, then pulled away.

“Whatever we have for dinner, it might have to
come out of a can. Do you prefer chunky thick vegetable soup or beef stew?”

He took a calming breath as he attempted to cool off his heated desires. He held the door open for her and flashed a casual smile. “Why don't you surprise me?”

They went directly to the kitchen. She opened a cupboard and peered inside. “I see some pasta that I can cook and serve with canned marinara sauce.” She moved a few things around. “We also have some backpacker's meals…ham with green beans and scalloped potatoes or chicken with sliced carrots and rice pilaf. It's amazing what you can buy nowadays that doesn't need to be refrigerated. And it tastes surprisingly good, too.”

He pulled her into his arms. “That's not the only thing around here that tastes good.” He nibbled on her ear, then slid his lips around to her mouth. It was a brief kiss, but one filled with the promise of things to come. His gaze lingered on her mouth, then captured her gaze and held it for several seconds.

He stepped back from her as he took a deep breath in hopes of breaking the now-familiar tightness across his chest. Even though the afternoon had ended up being a carefree time devoid of tension, he still carried the memory of her comments about him being a con man and all the unsavory associations that went with it.

He brushed a quick kiss across her lips. “I intend to change your initial impression of me.”

“My first impression?” She flashed a teasing grin. “You mean back when I was fifteen years old?”

He cocked his head, his amusement spreading
across his features. “Fifteen? I think we can safely say we've moved past that.”

Her initial opinion of the type of man he was had already changed drastically from her preconceived notions of the man she found in her bed. The part of him he had shared during the course of the day had shown her a man with much more substance than she had at first believed him to have. Yes, her original judgment of him had definitely changed, but exactly how did she feel about him now? She knew more about him than she had, yet she suspected there was a great deal more that she didn't know.

And she wanted to know it all.

He glanced toward the fireplace, then the front porch before returning his attention to her. “The firewood supply is getting very low…at least the smaller pieces. I'll build a fire, then split some of those larger logs into a usable size.”

“While you're doing that, I'll get some food on the table.”

He took her hand and gave it a squeeze, sending a surge of warmth through her body, then headed for the porch to bring in the last of the kindling. As soon as he had a nice fire going he grabbed the ax and headed for the porch.

A few minutes later, drawn by the chopping sounds, she wandered to the front window. Her hunger pangs faded away as she watched him work. He had taken off his sweater, leaving just his T-shirt. She watched him as he methodically placed the somewhat unwieldy logs on end and split them in two lengthwise, then in turn split each of the halves lengthwise again.

The taut muscle tone of his arms and back could not be hidden by his T-shirt. The image of his well-
defined chest and his broad shoulders had continued to linger in her mind from that first morning, but she hadn't realized just how strong he was until she saw him split the logs with one powerful overhead swing of the ax.