Bride of the Tiger by Heather Graham (best large ereader .txt) 📗

“You wounded me.”

“I’ll kiss it and make it better.”

“Wound me, then, wound me.”

And, laughing, she began to kiss him, and he began to kiss her, and their laughter subsided into the sound of their heartbeats and the ragged whispers they exchanged.

* * *

The cabin phone let out a screech. Rafe sprang from the bed to catch it before it woke Tara, who was still sleeping with the most beautiful, soft smile on her lips.

“Yes,” he said.

“Call from the States, sir. Mrs. Tyler. Shall I put it through?”

He closed his eyes. Myrna. “Yes, of course, please,” he said softly.

“Rafe, can you hear me?” She was shouting.

He kept his voice low. “Yes, clearly.”

“Oh, God, I’m so sorry to bother you. I wouldn’t except that, oh, Rafe, I just read the papers!”

She was trying to sound calm. He knew that she had been crying.

“I’m sorry. What are you talking about?”

“It’s front page news up here. ‘Millionaire Playboy to Wed Galliard Girl.’”

“Oh.” Damn! The press did move swiftly!

“Rafe, I don’t mean to question you. But you haven’t—you haven’t forgotten Jimmy? I don’t mean to question your judgment, but she’s our only hope! You won’t risk finding him, Rafe? I mean, I’ve never known you to be taken in or fooled, but she was there. She was with him….” Her voice trailed away. Pathetically.

“I haven’t forgotten, Myrna. Please, trust me.”

“I do,” Myrna said.

He wasn’t sure that the words had conviction. He sighed softly. “Please don’t worry.”

“You’ll let me know as soon as you learn anything?”

“I promise.”

“I’m sorry, Rafe—”

“Don’t be. Please. Trust me.”

“I will. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Soon. Take care.”

“You take care, too. I couldn’t bear it if you, ah, if you were hurt in any way.”

“I won’t be. Goodbye, and don’t worry.”

He hung up, then pressed his temples with his fingers. He glanced over at the bed. Her hair spilled over his pillow; she was still wearing that smile that could have melted rock.

He closed his eyes. He loved her; he believed in her.

But he couldn’t tell her anything. He couldn’t afford to have her turn against him.

And no matter what he felt, he couldn’t jeopardize his chances. Myrna’s chances. Jimmy’s chances. What if it were all a lie? What if she had smiled at Jimmy the same way she smiled at him?

No…

He walked over to the porthole and moved the draperies.

They were in Caracas. He saw the mountain, purple and green, shrouded in mist, rising in front of the ship as they approached land.

Caracas…

He closed his eyes tightly. They were here; he could feel it, feel the tension rising like the mist. He and Tara had been coming closer and closer to the past.

They were here.

She stirred, shading her eyes against the morning light, then smiled tentatively, only half awake. “Are we here?”

Her lashes shaded her cheeks; her hair was sun against the sheets. The exquisite lines of her body curved as she stretched.

He came back to the bed, lay down beside her and took her in his arms. “We’re not quite there—we’re here,” he murmured. And he kissed her forehead, then her cheeks, and then her lips.

The day could wait. It seemed urgent that he make the dawn last.

CHAPTER 11

It should have taken most of the day to make the move from the ship to the hotel. Between everyone’s personal belongings and the Galliard creations and accessories, there was quite a bit to be transported.

But there were no delays, no customs problems, no traffic. And at the hotel, there was absolutely no wait at the reception desk. The manager himself greeted them. Everything had worked out incredibly smoothly.

Ashley and Tara were together again, on the fourth floor.

The room was very similar to the one she had stayed in last time in Caracas—with Tine.

Ashley laughed when the bellhop left. “What do you want to bet that this room has a connecting door?”

Tara smiled. “It does. He called in before we left the ship.”

Ashley arched a superbly shaped brow, then grinned. “Why didn’t you just move in with him?”

Tara shrugged. “Well, I’m working.”

Ashley frowned suddenly, stood and walked over to the window. “Where is he now?”

“Well, I expected this to take all day. His firm buys a lot of its gold here. And he has a store here, too. He had some business to attend to. I don’t expect him back until late afternoon.”

“We don’t have to do anything tomorrow until the big showing for the South American aristocracy. We could stay here, of course, but why on earth would we want to? Tara, are you really all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“I mean, being here hasn’t made you queasy or anything?”

“Ashley, I’ve always loved Venezuela. The people are great. I can’t blame the place for what happened.”

“Are you afraid?”

“Of what?”

“Of Tine being here somewhere.”

Tara shook her head. “I’m sure I’m not worth waiting two years for when he could get arrested here. No, I’m not afraid. Besides, I’m not going to run off anyplace by myself.”

“Think we’re safe enough in public?”

“Sure.”

“I was just dying to go back to the glass factory. Last time I bought the most beautiful swans! I wanted to see what else they have that might complement—oh! I forgot! It was at the glass factory—”

“The glass factory wasn’t guilty, either!” Tara exclaimed, laughing. “That’s just where I met Jimmy. And it’s all in the past, Ashley. If you want to buy some glass, we’ll get a taxi and go right now.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t. What if Rafe comes back?”

“What if he does? I’ll leave him a note.”

“But—”

“Ashley.” Tara interrupted a little harshly. “I’m in love with him. I want to spend my life with him. But I had a ‘keeper’ once. If I thought that I had to ask permission to go places, I wouldn’t be with Rafe. I’ll never live like that again! If I’d been the least bit wiser, I would have understood that Tine had no trust in me and no sense of security in himself—besides the fact that he was a criminal! Let’s go. I’ll leave Rafe