Sweet Promise (22 page)

Joanna was deeply touched. And as she leaned down to kiss him she told herself that it was probably for the best that Sean had reached the decision on his own.

Chapter Twelve

L
eaning close to the mirror, Joanna twirled the mascara wand over her lashes. When finished she brushed the merest touch of blusher across her cheeks, smoothed a deep bronze pink lipstick over her mouth, stepped back to survey the results and smiled. Without conceit, she knew that she looked better than she ever had in her life. Her eyes sparkled, and she glowed from within. Even her hair seemed to have taken on an extra shine. Love, Joanna decided, was the world's most fantastic beauty aid.

A glance at the travel clock beside her bed sent her scurrying to the closet. Sean would be back in a few minutes. A smile tilted Joanna's mouth as she riffled through the selection of evening wear. If she met him at the door in her robe they probably wouldn't make it to dinner at all. It was a tempting thought, but she resisted it and pulled out the bronze silk chiffon gown. Holding it in front of her, she twirled around to face the mirror.

The asymmetrical neckline draped low in the front and still lower in the back, the soft folds gathering together at her right shoulder with a rhinestone clip. Below the nipped-in waist, a full, floating skirt swirled around her calves like a misty cloud. It was a deceptively simple dress that managed to be both elegant and alluring.

Still, it wasn't very colorful, and Sean had liked that blue crepe she had worn the other night. He seemed to have a preference for blue. Cocking her head to one side, Joanna frowned at her reflection.

She was still debating a few minutes later when a knock sounded on the door.

"Oh, Sean, why couldn't you be late for once," Joanna moaned, tossing the dress on the bed, but her face was alight with eagerness as she hurried through to the sitting room.

"Sean, you said—" she began as she pulled open the door, only to come to an abrupt halt when she saw the uniformed young man standing there. "Oh! I'm sorry." Joanna pulled the lapels of her robe together and tightened the sash. "I thought you were someone else."

"This just came for you, Miss Andrews." The young man smiled and handed her an envelope, then disappeared down the companionway before she could do more than offer a stammered thank you.

Shutting the door, Joanna stared curiously at the envelope, turning it over in her hand. As she opened the flap and drew out the folded sheet of paper she crossed to the sofa and sat down. It was a radiogram, and when her eyes darted down to the name at the bottom of the page Joanna winced. It was from Senator Hartwell.

EXPECTED REPORT BEFORE NOW stop PERSUADED FLEMING YET stop DO WHATEVER NECESSARY stop MUST CONVINCE HIM TO ACCEPT BACKING stop TIME IS RIGHT stop CALL IN REPORT IMMEDIATELY stop

SEN HARTWELL

Joanna sighed heavily. She should have expected it. Her boss was not the most patient of men. She would have to call him. But not tonight. There would be plenty of time in the morning.

Reading through the message once more, Joanna felt a pang of guilt over the rash plan. She realized now that it had been incredibly arrogant and presumptuous of her to even try to influence Sean^Still, she couldn't regret coming on this trip.

Actually, everything turned out for the best all the way around, she assured herself. Senator Hartwell and the others were going to be pleased with Sean's decision, and it was one he had come to all by himself.

Three sharp raps on the door brought Joanna's head up, and her eyes began to sparkle. With a smile growing on her lips, she hurried to answer the summons, stuffing the radiogram into the side pocket of her robe on the way.

"Hello, darling. As you can see, I'm not quite ready, but it won't take but a minute to put on my dress."

"No problem." In a smooth, languid move, Sean stepped inside, closed the door and reached for her. "Mmm, you smell good," he murmured, nuzzling his face against the side of her neck. He mouthed the tender skin behind her ear. "And taste good." One hand slid down her back and cupped her buttocks, bringing her tightly against him. "And feel good."

The satin robe molding her curves was an erotic enticement, and his hands glided over her back and hips in a sensuous caress. His touch worked its magic, filling her with a quivering heat. Already Joanna could feel her body going weak and malleable.

"Oh, no you don't," Joanna chuckled weakly, pushing against his chest when his nibbling kisses edged toward her mouth. "If you don't stop, we'll never get out of here, and I'm starving. Now behave yourself, and let me get dressed."

"Spoilsport," Sean growled, but when he lifted his head a devilish smile played around his mouth and his black eyes were gleaming.

It was a look that almost made her relent. Before she could succumb to its sensuous promise, Joanna pulled out of his arms and headed for the bedroom on shaky legs. "I won't be but a minute," she tossed over her shoulder.

Smiling, Sean watched her until she disappeared into the bedroom. He took a step toward the sofa, noticed the crumpled sheet of paper on the floor and stooped to pick it up. He glanced at it, saw immediately from the standard form that it was a radiogram and started to toss it onto the coffee table, when suddenly his own name seemed to leap off the page at him.

He stopped, and very carefully smoothed out the sheet. By the time he finished reading the brief message his jaw was tight, his eyes flint hard. Except for the hand that slowly crumpled the paper into a tight ball, he stood rigidly still in the middle of the floor.

He was still there when Joanna returned a few minutes later.

"Will this do?" Arms wide, she twirled around to give him a complete view, causing the bronze chiffon to flutter and float around her calves. He didn't reply. When she saw his face her smile faded, and she grew still. "Darling, what's wrong?"

"I think this dropped out of your pocket," he said in a hard, flat voice.

Joanna's puzzled gaze dropped to his outstretched hand, and when she saw what it held she paled. She raised stricken eyes to his face. "Sean, let me explain. I—"

"Oh, I think this is fairly self-explanatory. You're working for Senator Hartwell, aren't you?"

"Yes, I—"

"I seem to recall Matt telling me that he'd gotten you a job on some senator's staff, but I really didn't pay much attention. I figured you'd grow bored with it in a few months and quit." Sean gave her a hard, cold look, his hands bunching into tight fists at his sides. "It seems I was wrong. You must like your job one helluva lot to accept this kind of assignment."

"Sean, no! You don't understand. Yes, I came on this trip to try to talk you into running for office, but I didn't do it for Senator Hartwell. Actually, this whole thing was my idea. You see, I was hoping that you would give me a job on your staff if you won the nomination."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Sean threw his head back and laughed mirthlessly at the ceiling. "Hell! I thought you had changed, but you haven't. You're still a scheming, manipulative spoiled brat. If there's something you want you just grab for it, with no thought for anyone else." He gave her a look of pure disgust and snarled bitterly, "You'll do anything to have your own way, won't you, Joanna? Including prostitute yourself." He threw the wadded up radiogram down on the coffee table so hard it bounced off and hit the wall, and Joanna jumped. "What was your plan? Seduce me? Soften me up with sex, then make your pitch? Well, I saved you the trouble, didn't I?"

"No, Sean, please. It wasn't like that, I swear it."

She might as well not have spoken. Sean raked both hands through his hair and snorted. "Lord, and I thought you'd come on this cruise because you had a crush on me."

"I did!" Joanna cried. "All the other was just rationalization. Deep down, I just wanted to be with you. I love you."

"Oh, come off it, Joanna! I may be a fool, but I'm not that big a fool."

"Where are you going?" she cried when he stomped toward the door.

He paused with his hand on the knob and looked back at her with such fury that Joanna almost cringed. "Away from you," he spat. "Just as far as I can get on the confines of this ship. If we were back in the States I'd put miles between us."

Desolate, Joanna stared at the closed door for several seconds after it slammed behind him. Tears streamed down her face and sharp, wracking sobs began to shake her. She pressed her lips together and struggled to contain them, but it was no use. Bent from the waist, her arms wrapped tightly around her middle as though she were in mortal pain, Joanna staggered into the bedroom, flung herself across the bed and gave in to the emotional storm.

With her face buried against her crossed arms, she cried as though her heart would break.
Sean. Oh, Sean.
Harsh sobs shook her and hurt her throat, but she didn't try to fight them. The piteous, anguished sounds tore from her endlessly and reverberated in the quiet room. Tears flowed from her eyes in torrents, wetting her forearms until they were slick and forming a dark, spreading circle on the green silk bedspread. Her misery was soul deep. Fathomless.

The convulsive sobs went on and on until her chest ached and her throat was raw. At last, wrung dry, the wrenching cries gradually subsided to sniffles, then choppy sighs. Joanna rolled to her side and curled into the fetal position. She lay perfectly still and stared out the window through wet, spiky lashes, seeing nothing. Her eyes burned and her heart felt like a dead weight in her chest.

I've lost him.
She closed her eyes and let the thought soak in, fighting back a renewed freshet of tears. She was going to have to get used to it. Accept it.
But, oh, God, it hurts so.

It was her own fault, she knew, and the knowing
merely made the pain worse. Sean had been right. She
was an immature, spoiled child, always trying to manipulate things to suit herself. Joanna knew she wasn't
guilty of the charges he'd thrown at her, but she
had
set
out on this trip intent on influencing Sean's decision, on
having her own way. That it hadn't been her real reason
for coming didn't matter. Even on a subconscious level
she had been behaving true to form: she loved Sean and
wanted him, so she grabbed at the first convenient excuse and chased after him. When was she ever going to
learn?

Joanna sat up slowly and wiped her wet cheeks with the heel of her hand. Her gaze dropped to the bronze chiffon twisted about her thighs, a silent reminder of the boundless joy she had felt only an hour ago. Joanna drew in a shuddering breath and swallowed hard to ease the painful constriction in her throat.

The sound of voices in the companionway told her that it was getting late. Passengers were returning from their day ashore to get dressed for the evening meal. They would be sailing soon.

Listlessly, Joanna's gaze wandered around the luxurious suite. I can't stay cooped up on this ship with Sean, she thought in sudden panic. After what they had shared, the thought of being so close to him, and yet so very, far, was more than she could bear.

Shedding her robe on the way, Joanna hurried to the closet and pulled out the warm suit she had worn on the trip from D.C. to Florida. Despite the seducing sunshine outside, it was still late November in Washington.

When dressed, Joanna called the purser's office and asked for assistance. She dragged out her cases and spread them open on the bed. Working as fast as she could, with no regard whatever for neatness, she snatched the designer clothes from their hangers, scooped frilly lingerie from the drawers and stuffed them and the rest of her belongings into the bags.

Twenty minutes later, leaving the ship behind the burdened steward, Joanna paused once on the gangway and looked back. The past four days had been intensely beautiful, the most wonderful in her life. And for a brief, sweet time it had seemed as though all her dreams were about to come true. Biting the inside of her Up to force back the threatening tears, Joanna tilted her chin and continued down the steps to the dock.
Grow up, Joanna. Only a child or a fool believes that dreams come true.

Was I too hard on her?
The answer came a split second after Sean's mind posed the question.
No, dammit! I was not!
Yet, once again he slanted a glance at the empty chair beside him.

With grim determination, Sean cut another bite of steak, forked it into his mouth and chewed. Around him the table conversation flowed freely. Tony, Gloria and the Adamsons had spent the day at the beach while the Wrights had browsed the shops, and they were all in good spirits. Sean was barely aware of their presence. On arriving, they had asked him where Joanna was, and after his clipped, "I have no idea" they had taken the hint and left him alone.

God, he hurt. He hadn't known it was possible to hurt so much... and live. He hacked off another chunk of choice steak and rammed it into his mouth. It could have been sawdust for all he was aware of its succulent flavor. He loved her, dammit! And she'd just been using him.

The thought tore at his gut like a rusty grappling hook. Sean didn't want to believe Joanna was capable of that type of deceit. For hours he had been trying to convince himself that he was wrong, that he had overreacted, but he couldn't quite manage it. The evidence was just too strong. Hell, she'd even admitted why she came on this trip. He took a long swallow of the scalding coffee the waiter had just poured and hissed as it seared his throat.

Joanna was used to getting her way, but did she really want that damned job bad enough to sleep with him for it?

She did accept your proposal, remember, a niggling voice coaxed.