Bride of the Tiger by Heather Graham (big screen ebook reader txt) 📕

she drew the covers up around her chest, hugging herself a little nervously.

“He thinks I should leave.”

His eyes moved from hers, and he spoke very quietly. “So do I. And then again, I don’t. I don’t like the idea of your being frightened for the rest of your life because Tine Elliott might reappear.”

“It’s not just Tine,” Tara murmured. She lowered her eyes to her hands, nervously clutching the sheets. “I don’t think anyone ever believed me about Jimmy Saunders. No, I shouldn’t say that. George believed me, and the girls believed me. But—well, I wasn’t really that close to any of them. Not the way I’ve become now. I could only have lunch, shop and do that type of thing when Tine was off on business—smuggling, as it turned out. The fact that I met Jimmy, that he had become such a friend so quickly, was something I hadn’t told anyone about, and so of course it looked like I was making things up.”

She looked up; Rafe had moved. His feet were on the floor; his naked back was to her.

He seemed so stiff, as if all the muscles in his back and shoulders had tensed.

“Rafe?”

“I’m going to hop in the shower,” he told her.

He stood, heedless of his naked state, entirely graceful and natural, and started for the shower. He disappeared into the bathroom, then paused a minute and turned back to her.

There seemed to be a careful mask over his features. He smiled. “Are you going to join me?”

Something in her expression must have given away her concern at his appearance. He came back to her and kissed her nose, then her lips.

“Going to join me?” he asked more huskily.

“Rafe?”

“I love you,” he told her suddenly. He said the words with a vehemence and passion that was startling, then caught her chin in his palm, tilting her face to his and repeated his words more softly.

“I love you, too,” she whispered. They stared at each other. The phone started to ring. Rafe swore softly and answered it.

“Mary. Good morning. Yes, she’s absolutely fine. Yes, she’s coming down to work. Here, I’m sure you’ll feel better talking to her yourself.”

With a grimace, he handed the phone to Tara. “I’ll start without you,” he told Tara in a mockingly aggrieved tone, clamping a hand over the receiver as he gave it to her. She laughed softly and told him she’d be there in just a second, covering the receiver herself to hide her own whisper.

Tara watched him walk into the bathroom, her heart thudding harder with emotion. He was beautiful, she thought. A bit savage, a bit primitive, and completely sophisticated all in one. A very elite tiger, a totally unique and independent cat. She bit her lip softly, so glad that he existed, so glad that he had chosen to love her.

Especially now. Any other man would have turned from her with all of this hanging over her head, with an ex-lover who was a smuggler, possibly a murderer…

And seeking some form of revenge, or something, from her.

But Rafe loved her. And it was so easy to love him back. The attraction was as natural as breathing; the ecstasy that had been such a physical tie had become something so much more.

She remembered that Mary was on the phone, and she jerked her hand off the receiver. “Mary!”

“You okay?” Mary asked, although Tara was certain that Mary had already been informed that she was fine.

“Yes, completely. Thanks for asking, though. Thanks for caring.”

“Well, I suppose a person always wants to hear it from the horse’s mouth.”

“I look like a horse, huh?”

“Sure. A Thoroughbred. Where’s Rafe right now?”

“In the shower. Why?”

“Good. I didn’t want your expression to change any. I have to talk to you, Tara.”

“About what?”

“I don’t want to talk over the phone. You are coming down for the show, right?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t run off as soon as it’s over. I have something to tell you.”

“About Rafe?”

“Yes.”

“Mary…”

She fought it; she fought the horrible sensation sweeping over her. She had been so in love. She was still in love, terribly in love, ridiculously in love. The fear didn’t change that. But it did make her skin damp and clammy, caused goose bumps to appear on her flesh.

There just couldn’t be anything wrong about Rafe, about the depths of her feelings, the need, the desire.

“Mary.” She forced herself to inhale smoothly. “Mary, should I be afraid of Rafe?”

“Afraid of him? Of him harming you physically? Oh, no! Sorry, Tara, I forgot how sensitive you must be. No, no. That’s not what I meant at all. I just think there’s something you ought to know if you don’t already.”

“Mary—”

“I don’t want to talk on these phones. I’ll see you downstairs.”

The phone clicked and buzzed. Mary meant it—she wasn’t going to talk on the phone.

“Great!” Tara muttered. “Get me all upset and hang up on me! Just what I need!”

Her heart suddenly took off too quickly as she gazed toward the bathroom, and she wondered painfully what Mary was talking about. Her breath came too quickly; her palms were damp.

“No,” she murmured.

The shower was running, but suddenly he was looking around the door frame; his seductive eyes were on her.

“Are you coming in?”

Her mouth felt dry. Of course! she wanted to cry.

She shook her head and fought for speech. “I’m just going to grab your robe and slip next door. All my things are over there.”

His expression didn’t change; she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Was he worried, anxious, suspicious, disappointed—or did he simply accept that she was supposed to be downstairs soon, cool and collected and ready to work?

“Don’t leave that room without me!” he warned her darkly.

She smiled. “No, I won’t.”

His head disappeared back into the bathroom. She tossed the covers off and bolted out of bed, shivering miserably. She drew in a deep breath, grabbed his robe and slipped into the next room, anxious to ask Ashley if she knew what Mary was talking about.

Ashley wasn’t there. There was still