An Engagement in Seattle

  He’d been so good to her through the difficult weeks of Ruth’s illness and death, even when she’d given him ample reason to be angry with her.

  “When was the last time you ate?” he asked unexpectedly.

  Julia shrugged. “I don’t remember.”

  “You didn’t have anything this afternoon.”

  “I didn’t?” There’d been so much food, it seemed impossible that she hadn’t eaten something.

  “No,” Alek informed her. “I was watching. You saw to everyone but yourself. I’ll make you dinner.”

  “Alek, please,” she said, trailing him into the kitchen. “That isn’t necessary.”

  “It’ll be my pleasure.” Lifting her by the waist, he sat her effortlessly on the stool next to the kitchen counter. “You can stay and observe,” he said. “You might even learn something.”

  Relaxed now, Julia smiled.

  Alek looked at her for a moment. “You don’t do that often enough,” he said, leaning toward her and dropping a kiss on her lips.

  “Do what?” she asked in surprise.

  “Smile.”

  “There hasn’t been much reason to.”

  “That’s about to change, my love.”

  She leaned her chin on her hands. The sadness she’d carried with her all these weeks seemed to slide off her back. “You know, I think you’re right.”

  Alek, who was beating eggs, looked over at her and grinned. “Anna said something to me the other morning. As her older brother I’m guilty of not listening to my sister as often as I should. This time, I did—and I agree with her.”

  “I like Anna very much.”

  “She feels the same way about you. She told me you were wise not to let me make love to you.”

  Julia lowered her gaze, uncomfortable with the topic.

  “When we married I wasn’t in love with you,” Alek confessed. “You weren’t in love with me. This is true?”

  Given no option but the truth, Julia nodded.

  “My heart tells me differently now.” He put the bowl down and moved to her side. With one finger, he raised her chin so her eyes were level with his own. “I love you, Julia, very much.”

  She bit her trembling lower lip. “Oh, Alek…” Tears blurred her vision until his face swam before her.

  “This makes you sad?”

  “This terrifies me. I want to love you…I think I already do, but I don’t trust myself when it comes to falling in love.”

  Alek frowned. “Because of this man you saw today?”

  “Roger? Yes, because of Roger.”

  “I am not like him. You know that.”

  “I do.” Logically, intellectually, she understood, but emotionally—that was harder. That was a risk.…

  Alek slipped his arms around her and Julia was struck not for the first time by the incredible beauty she saw in him. Not merely the physical kind. Oh, he was handsome, but that wasn’t what captivated her. She saw the man who’d held and comforted her when her grandmother died. The man who’d sung her to sleep. The man who’d refused to take advantage of her even when she’d asked him to do so.

  They stared at each other, and Julia knew the exact moment Alek decided to make love to her. It was the same moment she realized she wanted him to—wanted it more than anything.

  His mouth sought hers in a hungry kiss. “I love you,” he whispered against her lips.

  “I love you, too,” she echoed, so lost in his kiss that she couldn’t speak anything but the truth. She’d tried to fool herself into believing it wasn’t possible to trust a man again. Alek was different; he had to be. If she couldn’t trust him, there was no hope for her.

  He took her by the waist as he lifted her from the stool. Her feet dangling several inches off the floor, he carried her out of the kitchen and into the bedroom, kissing her, nibbling at her lips.

  Julia tipped her head back in an effort to gather her scattered wits. Her breath came in short bursts, her lungs empty of air. Feeling seemed more important than breathing. Alek’s touch, which was most important of all, brought back to life the desire that had lain dormant in her for years.

  He lay with her on the king-size bed, bringing his mouth to hers, revealing sensual mysteries with his lips and tongue. He was sprawled across her, pinning her to the bed.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. “You make me crazy.”

  “Love me,” she told him, her arms around his neck. Just as she’d known she would, Julia felt safe with Alek. And she felt sure, of him and of herself.

  “I do love you, always.” He lowered his mouth to hers again. His kiss was sweet as his hands fiddled with the zipper at the back of her dress. Growing impatient, he rolled her onto her side, turning with her in order to ease it open. He removed the dress, along with her bra and panties.

  Then his own clothes came off.…

  Afterward, neither spoke. Alek kissed her repeatedly and Julia kissed him back, in relief and jubilation. Her season of pain had passed just as her grandmother had claimed it would. She’d found her joy in Alek.

  They slept, their arms around each other, their bodies cuddling spoon-fashion. Alek tucked his leg over hers and pressed close to her back.

  Julia woke first, hungry and loving. She turned over so that her head was nestled beneath Alek’s chin.

  “Hmm.”

  “You awake?”

  “I am now,” he muttered drowsily.

  “I’m hungry. Do you want to order out for dinner?”

  Alek grinned. “I was going to cook for us, remember?”

  Julia scooted closer, wrapping her arms around his neck, her fingers delving into his thick hair. “I think you should conserve your strength for later,” she advised, bringing his mouth down to hers.

  Gentle flames flickered over the gas logs in Julia’s fireplace while they lounged on the floor, the remains of a boxed pizza resting nearby on the plush, light gray carpeting. Alek had found a bottle of wine and poured them each a glass.

  “You’re quiet,” Alek commented.

  Julia leaned back her head and smiled up at him. They couldn’t seem to be apart from each other, even for a moment. Not just then. His touch was her reality.

  His arms tightened around her. “Any regrets?”

  “None.”

  He kissed the side of her neck. “Me, neither.”

  “I thought you’d gloat. Our making love is a real feather in your cap, isn’t it?”

  “I care nothing for feathers. All I want is my wife.” He stroked his chin across the top of her head. “Are you still hungry?”

  Julia patted her stomach. “Not a bit. Are you?”

  “Yes. I’m half-starved.”

  The odd catch in his voice told her it wasn’t food that interested him. He went still, as though he feared her response. Looking up at him, she stared into his eyes and smiled. “I have a feeling I’ve awakened a monster,” she teased.

  Alek pressed her down into the thick carpet, his eyes seeking hers. “Do you mind?”

  “No,” she whispered, untying the sash to her silk robe. “I don’t mind at all.”

  Alek’s mouth had just touched hers when the phone rang. He froze and so did Julia.

  “Let it ring,” she suggested, rubbing her hands over his chest, loving the smooth feel of his skin.

  “It could be important.” Reluctantly his eyes moved from her to the phone.

  “You’re probably right,” Julia said, although she was far more interested in making love with her husband than talking on the phone.

  “I’ll get it.” He scrambled across the floor and grabbed the receiver. “Hello,” he said impatiently.

  Julia followed, kneeling beside him. Leaning forward, she caught his earlobe between her teeth.

  “Hello, Jerry,” he said curtly.

  Julia playfully progressed from his ear to his chin, then down the side of his neck.

  “Yes, Julia’s right here.” He seemed winded, as if he were under strain.

&
nbsp; “It’s for you.” He handed her the phone.

  Julia took it, her eyes holding his. “Hello, Jerry,” she said in a clear, even voice. “You caught me at a bad moment. Would you mind if I called you back in say…half an hour?”

  “Ah…sure.” Her brother obviously wasn’t pleased, but Julia didn’t really care.

  “Thanks.” She hung up the phone. “Now…”

  “A bad moment?” Alek repeated, struggling to hide a smile. “Or a good one?”

  “Definitely a good one,” she said. “At least from my point of view.”

  “And mine, too…”

  Nearly thirty minutes passed before Julia returned her brother’s call.

  “Hello, Jerry,” she said, when he answered the phone. “I’m sorry I couldn’t talk earlier.”

  “What’s going on over there, anyway?”

  “Sorry. We were busy.”

  The pause that followed was full of meaning. “Ah. I see. So,” he said smugly, “how do you like married life now?”

  “I like it just fine.” She felt embarrassed to be discussing her love life with her brother even in the vaguest way. “Why are you calling? Is there a problem?”

  “Yes, there is.” Jerry’s voice sharpened. “It’s Roger.”

  Julia groaned inwardly. Would she never be rid of him? “What’s he up to now?”

  “I told you he was after something when he showed up for the funeral.”

  “We both know he didn’t come out of respect,” Julia agreed.

  “I got a call from a friend who said he’s heard Roger’s been asking a lot of questions about Phoenix Paints.”

  “What did your friend learn?” A cold chill skittered down Julia’s spine. Three years ago she’d handed Roger their latest fomula—the biggest advance in house paint in over thirty years. A month before Conrad Industries’ new line of paints was scheduled to hit the market, their plant burned to the ground. Within a matter of weeks Roger had left the company, and Ideal Paints was marketing Conrad Industries’ new product.

  Because of the fire, it was impossible to meet the demand for their innovation, while Ideal Paints was capable of delivering paint to every hardware store in the country.

  “My friend? He couldn’t find out very much.”

  “Let’s double security around the plant,” Julia suggested.

  “I’ve already done that.”

  “Who has Roger contacted?” she asked, pushing the hair from her forehead. They wouldn’t allow him to steal from them again.

  “I don’t know.” Jerry sounded equally concerned.

  “Should we bring in a private investigator?”

  “For what?”

  “Tracking phones calls. See if he’s getting information from any of our employees. We could have him watched. What do you think?”

  “I don’t know what to think. This is crazy. It’s like a nightmare happening all over again. How soon did Alek say the new product would be ready for marketing?”

  “Soon. He’s been working a lot of hours.”

  “I figure we should move ahead as quickly as possible, don’t you? I’ll see what I can do to schedule a meeting with the marketing folks. The sooner we can get our new paint on the store shelves, the better.”

  “Okay. Let me know if you hear anything else,” Julia said.

  “I will,” Jerry promised.

  They said a few words of farewell and when she replaced the receiver, she sighed.

  “What was that all about?” Alek asked.

  Julia shook her head, not wanting to explain, because explaining would mean telling him about her relationship with Roger. That was something she wanted to avoid, at least for now.

  “These lines,” he said, tracing his finger along the creases in her brow, “are because of Roger Stanhope, aren’t they?”

  Julia nodded.

  “That’s what I thought. Tell me about him, Julia. It’s time I knew.”

  Nine

  “Julia,” Alek urged when she didn’t immediately respond.

  “Roger was just a man I once knew and trusted…several years ago. He proved he wasn’t trustworthy. Can we leave it at that?”

  “You loved him?”

  Admitting it hurt her pride. Mixed in with all the regrets and the guilt was shame. Her only crime had been loving a man who didn’t deserve it. A man who’d used her and shocked her with his betrayal, so much so that she’d refused to believe he was responsible for what had happened until her father had literally shoved the evidence at her. Even then she’d made excuses for him, unable to accept the truth. Her father had become so exasperated with her that he’d… Julia turned her thoughts from that fateful day when her life had become a living nightmare.

  “Yes, I loved him,” she answered finally. “It was a mistake. A very bad one.” “What was your mistake?” Alek probed gently.

  “It’s too complicated. But rest assured, I learned my lesson.”

  “And what was that?”

  “That…love sometimes hurts.”

  Alek studied her for a moment, but what he was hoping to see, Julia could only speculate.

  “Love doesn’t always bring pain,” he said. “My love will prove otherwise.” He kissed her with a compassion that brought tears to her eyes. She managed to blink them back and offer him a look of gratitude.

  “Come,” he said softly, lifting her into his arms. “It’s time for bed.”

  At dawn Alek was suddenly awake. Moonlight waltzed across the bedroom walls and the room was silent.

  A chime rang the hour from the anniversary clock Julia kept on top of her bookcase. It was only 5:00 a.m. and he should be exhausted. But he was drained, sated, happy. His wife slept contentedly at his side, her slim body curled against his. He kissed her cheek, grateful Julia was married to him.

  He’d wanted to ask her more about Stanhope, but he could see the raw anguish the man’s name brought to her eyes, and even satisfying his curiosity wasn’t worth causing her additional pain.

  Alek knew very little of this man, but what he did know, he didn’t like. He’d seen the way Roger had reached for Julia, placing his hand on her arm as though he had a right to touch her, to make demands. Alek didn’t like the way the other man had looked at her, either, with a leer, as if he could have her with no more than a few persuasive words.

  Alek hadn’t thought of himself as jealous, but the quiet rage he’d felt when he found Roger Stanhope pestering Julia couldn’t be denied.

  The man was a weakling. Stanhope relied on his sleek good looks, his flashy smile and compelling personality instead of intelligence, honest work and business acumen.

  Alek wasn’t fooled. Roger Stanhope was an enemy. Not only of Julia’s, but Jerry’s, as well. Julia hadn’t explained the telephone conversation she’d had with her brother, even when he’d asked.

  Although she’d tried to make light of Jerry’s call, Alek had caught snatches of the conversation, enough to know she was worried. She’d been unable to disguise her distress. Stanhope wasn’t worth one iota of anxiety. As Julia’s husband, it was up to Alek to make sure that the man who’d betrayed her and her family wouldn’t be allowed to do so again.

  Alek was gone when Julia woke and she instantly experienced a surge of disappointment. One look at the clock explained Alek’s absence. The last time she’d slept past ten had been as a teenager.

  Nevertheless, she missed him. A slow smile spread over her lips. She’d married quite a man. Obviously he worked with as much energy and enthusiasm as he made love.

  She climbed out of bed and threw on her robe. Since it was Saturday, and her week had been hellish, she intended to relax. There would be problems enough to deal with on Monday morning. The desire to rush into her office today was nonexistent.

  She was knotting the belt on her pink silk robe as she wandered into the kitchen. Anna was there, busily whipping up something delicious, no doubt.

  “Good morning, Anna.”

  “Good morning.” Alek’s s
ister stopped what she was doing and brought Julia a cup of coffee.

  Being waited on was a luxury that would soon spoil her. “I’ll take care of myself,” Julia told her, not unkindly. “You go back to whatever you’re doing.” She walked over to the counter and on closer examination saw that the contents of Anna’s bowl resembled cookie dough. A sample confirmed her guess. Oatmeal raisin, she thought.

  “Yum.”

  Anna grinned at the compliment. “Alek asked me to bake them this morning for your picnic.”

  Julia paused halfway across the kitchen floor. “Our picnic?”

  “Yes, he left a note asking me to pack a basket of food. He gave me a long list of everything he wants.”

  “Where is he?” Julia asked, adding cream to her coffee. “Do you know?”

  Anna shook her head as she resumed stirring the thick batter. “No. He had some errand. He doesn’t tell me much. I’m only his sister.”

  “He doesn’t tell me much, either,” Julia added with a short laugh. “I’m only his wife.”

  Anna giggled. “He should be back soon. He said you were very tired and wanted to be sure you slept as long as you needed. I’m very sorry about your grandmother.”

  “Thank you—I’m sorry, too,” Julia said, breathing in deeply at the fresh stab of pain she felt at the mention of Ruth’s death. That pain would be with her for a long while. Losing her grandmother had left a wide, gaping hole in her heart. Alek’s love had helped her begin to heal, but she would always miss Ruth.

  Sitting down at the table with the morning paper, Julia tried to focus her attention on the headlines. Soon the words blurred and ran together. The tears came as an unwelcome surprise, and she bent her head, hoping Anna wouldn’t notice.

  The sound of the front door opening announced Alek’s return. Julia hurriedly wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled up at him. She hadn’t fooled him, she realized, but it didn’t matter. He strolled over to her, his eyes full of love, and kissed her deeply.

  Julia had trouble not losing herself in his kiss. It would have been so easy to let it lead to something more.…