Chapter 9

He felt the anticipation coursing through his veins as he waited for her to arrive. He had practically killed himself to get everything done so that he could make it here so that he could surprise her by showing her his culinary skills.

It was not wide, but he could make a pretty decent steak and potatoes. He had set up around the back where there was a gentle breeze blowing and the intoxicating scent of flowers blooming would make a very pleasant ambiance.

He had ridden his horse instead of driving one of the vehicles and had a horse brought over for her to ride with him.

His father had barely said two words to him, but he could not think about that now. It would sort itself out. Taj knew he was only looking out for him, but it still did not give him the right to try and run his life.

Shaking his head, he closed the lid of the grill and went inside to look out the window. It was almost seven and she said she would be here by then.

When he found himself checking his image in the mirror, he stepped back with a rueful laugh. He had showered and changed into faded denim and a thin black sweater. His hair was brushed back from his face, and he had shaved.

He heard the vehicle crunching on the cobbles stones and felt when his heart slam against his ribs. Striding to the window, he eased back the frilly pink and blue curtains and watched with a smile as she alighted. His body went into overdrive as she opened the back door and bent to remove her overnight case.

The faded blue denim molded her butt, giving him an enticing view of her curves. She had left her hair loose and as she straightened, she shook back the heavy dark brown curls, lifting one hand to run it through the strands, the simple movement taking on a sexiness that had him yearning to taste her exposed neck.

Stepping back from the window, he had to take several deep breaths to compose himself before going to meet her at the door.

He pulled the door open as soon as she stepped onto the porch and silently took the case from her.

"Hi."

"Hi." Putting the case at the side of the door, he took her hand in his, eyes wandering over her face. She had left upset this morning and even though he had been tempted to call her several times during the day, he had resisted the impulse. "How was work?"

Her lips curved into a smile that twinkled in her dark brown eyes. "What's next? You are going to have me sit and pour me a glass of wine?"

"And rub your feet." He led her past the kitchen and living room toward a pair of open glass doors. "Sit."

She did as he ordered, sliding into one of the wicker chairs, her nose wrinkling in appreciation. "You cook."

"Not much, but I manage." Lifting the lid of the grill, he released the scent that made the saliva pool inside her mouth. He had not kissed her, and she found to her shock that she had wanted him to – that she had expected it. And she was not thinking about the meal, she was thinking about feeling his body against hers.

She was so deep in thought that she had no idea that he had spoken until he called her name.

"Dani?"

"Yes?"

"I asked if you wanted to drink some wine now or wait for the meal. In another five minutes, we will be ready to eat." He was staring at her curiously and she felt the embarrassment and confusion slipping over her.

"I will wait."

"Good." His sensuous lips curved into a smile. Pulling up a chair, he sat in front of her and lifted her feet.

"What are you doing?"

"I am going to rub your feet." Taking off the ankle-length boots, he removed her socks and tucked them inside the shoes, before turning his attention to her insoles.

"Taj- "She bit her lip and sighed as he kneaded her skin slowly.

"Hmm?"

"It feels good."

"Ready to tell me about your day?"

Her tapered brows lifted, and she rolled her eyes, making him laugh.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"All of it?"

"As much as you are prepared to share." He assured her.

His gentle, but firm touch on her skin was making her hot. "Er- hmm- It was – "She closed her eyes briefly as he sank his fingers into the sensitive part of her foot.

"Yes?" Lifting his head, he gazed at her, green eyes boring into hers.

"It was- I screwed up some and the director chewed my ass out."

"Was it because of me?" His intuitiveness had her jerking slightly.

"What do you mean?" She hedged.

"We argued- "

"It was nothing." She interrupted swiftly, but he merely stared at her until she felt like shifting restlessly.

"I was not concentrating." Her eyes flew to the grill. "I am starving, and I think it's done." His lips curved into a knowing smile and lifting one small foot, he pressed his lips against the insole tenderly, sending shivers along her spine.

"Go to the table." He instructed as he eased her feet off his lap. "Just sit and I will do everything."

Dani felt her heart shuddering as she watched him remove first the steak and then the potatoes and vegetables. He had an efficiency about him that she admired. He had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and his forearms were bulging with muscles.

Forcing herself to stop her riotous thoughts, she concentrated on the pretty flowers blooming at the roots of what she realized was a towering oak tree. The grass was green and there was a thin stream trickling water a few feet away.

"It's so pretty and peaceful here. And there are no bugs. I hate bugs." She admitted as he came over with the food.

"We have a termite company, and the grounds are treated regularly. What's your issue with bugs?" Passing her the plate, he plucked the wine from the worked the cork out skillfully.

"They serve no earthly purpose and should not have been made in the first place."

He sent her an amused smile. "You know better than that."

She shrugged, taking a bite of the steak, her eyes widening. "This is damn good."

He grinned, passing her the glass of wine. "I can't do a lot of things, but what I do, I make certain it's done to perfection. What can you cook?"

"Who says I can?"

"Can you?" He countered.

"I can," She dug into the potatoes with gusto. "But I try to stay out of the kitchen as much as possible. Takeout is my best friend and the many restaurants in my area, know my name and my preferences."

"You don't cook at all?"

"Like maybe eggs and noodles. My oven is used for storage. And when I first started, I was told that I had to watch what I eat."

"Now you don't have to?"

"I do so in moderation. Whenever I am doing a movie, I go on fasting to get rid of the impurities and toxins in my body." She pointed at the meal in front of her. "If you are planning on doing this for the remainder of the time I am here, I am going to have to tell you to stop."

"This was a one-time thing. I wanted to make up for upsetting you this morning."

She went still at that, her eyes holding his. She was not used to any of this. The men she encountered in her life would not think of cooking her a meal because she was offended.

Especially not the ones in her career. Taj Byrne was a different breed altogether and that was very unsettling. He had her reeling and was making her feel things she had never expected to feel.

"You didn't upset me." She finally managed.

"I could see that I did." Putting away his glass, he rose, and she felt her heart turning over as he took her hands and pulled her up. "And I wasn't certain you would come to me tonight. The fact that you came means a lot to me."

One hand drifted to cup the back of her neck where his long fingers massaged her skin. "I wanted to call you- my insecurity was showing, and I wanted to see if I had blown it. I was overzealous and too eager. But I wanted you so damn much that I could not seem to help myself. Hence the meal."

"Taj- "She felt the tremors going through her body. "What are you doing to me?" She whispered in bewilderment.

"I am adoring you." Pulling her into his arms, he crushed his mouth to hers. With a startled moan, she closed her hands around his neck and molded her body to his. He hardened instantly; his erection was very evident through the thick material of his denim.

His hands roamed restlessly up and down her back and settled on her tight butt, bringing her flush against his erection. His mouth devoured hers and she felt as if she was sinking into a deep abyss, sinking deep until she was mired deep into waves of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.

Lifting his lips from hers, he took a shaky breath, his arms wrapped securely around her waist, his breathing ragged.

"The meal is getting cold." He schooled his tone with an effort as he reluctantly put her away from him.

Dani stood there for a few seconds, before turning to sit back down. Her hands were trembling, and it took several deep breaths for her to be composed enough to resume eating. They ate in silence for a few minutes before he spoke.

"I was thinking we could either go for a ride or watch movies."

Her head lifted as she stared at him. "Movies?"

He nodded, watching her closely. "Yours."

"Mine?" She knew she was repeating herself, but she could not help it.

"Why not?"

"Is that what you want to do?"

"I have seen that you are an excellent actress." He murmured, not bothering to tell her that he had watched a couple of her series the other night and had some questions. "There is something I need to explain. Or rather, some things."

"Such as?"

"You'll see." He murmured obliquely.

They finished the meal and he refused to have her help with the cleanup.

"Someone will be here to clean the place. Shall we?" He led the way into the living room where the television set was already set up.

"You are on all of the major networks." Waiting until she had taken a seat on the maroon sofa, he picked up the remote and sat next to her.

"Which one is it?"

"Private Liaison.'" He was concentrating on pressing the remote and did not notice her flinch.

"Perhaps we should watch something else, or I know, go for a ride."

"We are already here." He pressed the forward button to get rid of the credits. Dani felt herself tensing, the unreality of seeing herself on the screen touching her. Her fingers curled into her palms as the movie began. It was one of her most alluring and provocative movies with some nudity involved.

The making of it had taken so much out of her that it had taken months for her to recover. And during the process, she had bent one of her more rigid rules, by getting involved with her co-star.

It was a story about a girl attending a small-town high school who got involved with her teacher. Her very married teacher. The relationship quickly evolved into an obsession that they could not control.

And the love scenes, mostly done in the classroom, on the football field, and in the janitor's closet had steamed up the screen.

Tearing her eyes from the screen, she glanced at the man seated next to her. He was so still, that at first, she thought he was not affected until she saw the muscle twitching in his jaw.

"Is he gay?" he asked blandly.

"No."

He fast-forwarded to a scene where they were in his bedroom while his wife had gone away for the weekend. "Were you naked?"

"I have never done a nude scene in my life."

"How about him?" he asked stonily.

"Of course not."

"He seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. One would almost believe this was not merely acting."

"We were. Look, I don't think this is a good idea- "

"You were involved with him." It was a statement, and she knew he had probably read it in some magazine or the other.

"Yes, for two months."

"I see." He pressed the power button and the silence in the room was suddenly deafening.

"I will get us some more coffee and the strawberry truffle."

Before she could respond, he rose gracefully and left the room. Leaning her head back against the cushions, she closed her eyes.

She and Matt had become hot and heavy while filming the movie and Jason had assured her that was to be expected. "You are playing the roles on and off camera darling, so naturally, something is bound to happen."

The romance had petered off after a while when the chemistry sizzled out. And now they were just friends. She had appeared another time with him, but they had never picked up where they left off.

Her head lifted and she watched as he placed the tray on the table in front of the sofa.

"Our chef makes the best pastries I have ever tasted." He handed her a small plate and picked up his cup to take a sip of his coffee, staring straight in front of him.

"Are we going to talk about it?"

Turning his head, he glanced at her briefly. "Is there anything to talk about?"

"Why did you choose that particular movie?"

"I told you I admire your talent and I had some questions."

"You do realize that was just me doing my job, don't you?"

He nodded. "I am trying to tell myself that. I went into the kitchen to get the coffee and dessert and during the time the coffee was going, I fought to get the image of him wrapped around you out of my head."

"And?"

"It's' still there." He admitted quietly. "But it's your job and I have no damn right to feel anything. To feel as if my heart is being ripping into shreds- "

"It's in the past and you are right. I was doing my job, and I am pretty damn great at it. Also, we are not in a relationship- "

"I guess not." Tossing back the rest of the coffee, he rose. "I think I will go for that ride now, to cool off."

"Taj- "

"Please, I need a couple of minutes."

Putting the cup down, Dani watched in frustration as his long legs took him out of the room.

*****

"Easy boy." He murmured absently as he brought the animal to a stop near an abandoned well. He had made a mistake playing that movie. He had behaved like a jealous ass, and he had no right to that. She was a free agent and he had probably turned her off by his behavior.

But the jealousy was eating away at him. He had two weeks left with her and he was slowly running out of time. She had made it plain that they weren't in a relationship and of course, they weren't. It was completely on him that he had fallen irrevocably in love with a woman who was here for several weeks.

He had told himself that he would just go with the flow, just enjoy the time they would be spending with each other. But that had been shot to hell. Now he was going to have to do some damage control.

Cutting off a sigh, he wheeled the animal around and headed back to the cottage, fervently hoping it would not be empty.

*****

Dani shrugged out of the robe as soon as heard his footsteps in the hallway. She had spent half an hour since he left mulling on his behavior and had shied away from what it meant. He was jealous and it had been plain to see.

Her instinct was crying out and telling her to end things now. But even the thought of it had her twisting up in knots. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anyone before. It was difficult for her to comprehend, but she was incredibly drawn to him.

It was not just the sex, although that had a hell of a lot to do with it. But it was the way he treated her. She was a star, an actress of great acclaim and she was used to the limelight, the fans rushing to get her autograph. She was feted and fawned over, and she was used to the finest things in life. She demanded it.

But he was different. He did not treat her like an object but rather like something precious, someone to be treasured.

And she had a sinking feeling that she could become used to this type of treatment. She had contemplated just getting in her car and driving away, but she couldn't. She had simply slipped into something transparent and waited for him.

He stopped short inside the doorway and stared at her propped up against the pillows. His heart did a slow turn, before beginning a rapid beat that drowned out everything else.

"When I saw your car, I realized you had not left." He said thickly. "I was foolish and presumptuous."

"Are you sorry?" She asked him the question she had asked earlier.

"I can't say I am." He admitted.

"Are you just going to stand there?"

He shook his head and walked slowly into the room. He had pushed his horse to get back in time to stop her if she was leaving and had felt the awful tension easing from his chest when he saw her car.

He had also been prepared to beg her forgiveness if it meant that she would not leave. He certainly had not expected to see her waiting for him wearing next to nothing. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he slipped his fingers beneath the slender pale blue lace on her shoulder and eased it down, exposing her full breasts, the nipples already puckered.

"It was foolish of me to watch that movie with you. And it should not have mattered that you were seeing him – that- "

"Shut up and kiss me." Drawing his head down, she took his lips, her tongue sliding erotically inside his mouth.

His tongue met hers, hands going around her waist and hauling her almost on his lap. A moan escaped her as he slowly pumped his hips upward, allowing her to feel what she did to him.

The power she had over his body. Drawing the flimsy lace, down, he cupped her bottom against him, his body splintering as she undulated her hips slowly enough to drive him crazy.

He was not going to get out of his clothes, he realized that. He was too far gone, and it had to be now. Easing her up, slightly, his mouth still fastened on hers, he released his swollen shaft, his hands tightening around her as she sank on him.

Dragging his mouth from hers, he gulped in several deep breaths, face flushed with passion. His eyes were fierce as he dug his fingers into her flesh. When she went on her knees and started riding him, he lost what little control he had been clinging to.

"Dani," He whispered, her name becoming a litany inside his heart, a melody inside his mind. "Dani." His large, callused hands framed her exquisite face and what he could not say with words, he showed her.

Burying his mouth on hers again, he reached between them to toy with the swollen flesh. The climax tore through her like a volcano, ripping her apart until she was riding him with a wildness that shocked them.

It did not take him long to pour his seed deep inside her, his long, lean body shuddering, his mind destroyed.