Touch of Topaz

Chapter Six

Topaz woke to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and frying bacon. She gave an experimental stretch, feeling the slight muscle twinges in her legs and other more intimate areas. She’d slept long and hard, except for the hour around dawn when John had woken her to make love once again. This time had been long and slow, but no less explosive than what had occurred the night before.

She was still naked and with John gone the bed was much cooler. Sitting up, she pushed her hair out of her eyes and yawned. She really needed some coffee. The covers started to slip down to her waist so she grabbed them and pulled them back up to cover herself. Shower first and then she’d get her coffee.

Before she could move, the door opened and John walked in. It wasn’t fair. No man should look that good first thing in the morning. He was wearing a pair of worn jeans that fit him to perfection and had topped it with a long-sleeved Henley shirt in a heather-gray color that went well with his pale-blue eyes.

Unlike her hair, his was so short it was impossible for it to be disheveled. Even though he’d been out of the Army for two years he was still cutting it with military precision.

He smiled and held out his hand, offering her a steaming mug of coffee. She grabbed it like a lifeline and sipped. “Thank you.” The heartfelt desperation in her words made him laugh.

“Glad I could help.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “How are you feeling this morning?”

She took another sip of the rich, dark coffee, fixed just the way she liked it with sugar and no milk, and pondered how to answer his question. She wasn’t about to tell him about her physical discomforts. Overall, she felt good. “I slept well.” That was certainly the truth. She hadn’t slept so deeply in months.

“Good.” He tucked a finger under her chin and tilted it back so he could drop a quick kiss on her mouth. “Breakfast is almost ready.”

“Is there time for me to shower?” In spite of his efforts last night, Topaz felt sticky and sweaty and desperately wanted to clean herself up.

“Make it a quick one.” He turned and left the room. When the door closed she realized she was staring at his butt.

“Get a grip,” she mumbled. Tossing back the covers, she shivered and grabbed her robe off the chair. It covered her, even if it wasn’t very warm, and that was all that mattered.

It didn’t take her long to dig through her suitcase and pull out clean clothes, her brush and toiletries kit. She dragged all of it, as well as her coffee, into the bathroom and shut the door.

There was a showerhead installed above the cast-iron tub and a curtain that enclosed it. She turned on the water and while it was heating, drained her mug. The caffeine kick-started her brain and got it firing on all cylinders. When the water was warn enough she discarded her robe and stepped beneath the spray, letting it cascade over her head and body.

What had she done?

She’d made love to a man who was dangerous to her sense of well-being, a man who could destroy the emotional equilibrium she’d managed to build over the years. She tilted her head back and wiped the water from her eyes.

Was last night worth the emotional upheaval it would cause?

Yes. Topaz grabbed the bar of soap from the edge of the tub and began to wash. She couldn’t regret her time with John no matter what happened when they returned to New York. He was what he was and she was what she was. This was a time out of time. And it belonged to them.

She reached out of the shower long enough to grab her shampoo out of her toiletries bag and then washed her hair and rinsed her body. When she turned off the water and stepped out onto the bathmat, she felt like herself again—calm and in control.

She noted several small bruises on her legs and arms while she moisturized, but that was to be expected given their vigorous lovemaking. She donned a pair of jeans and a turtleneck sweater in a russet color that set off her black hair. She didn’t have a hairdryer but it didn’t matter with her short hairstyle. She brushed it and fluffed it with her fingers. Then she added mascara and some lipstick. Nothing heavy.

Topaz stared at her reflection. She looked like herself, but yet something wasn’t quite right. There was a knowledge, a haunted quality in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. She thought the first time they’d made love last year was a fluke, that the explosion of passion between them was an anomaly. But it had happened again last night. If anything, the heat between them had skyrocketed, leaving her wondering how long it could continue without burning out.

A knock sounded on the door. “You almost ready?” He didn’t sound impatient, but concerned.

“Be right there.” She waited until she heard his footsteps fade, gathered her belongings and left the bathroom. She dumped everything in the bedroom for now, grabbed her coffee mug and hurried to the kitchen.

John had two plates on the table filled with bacon, eggs and toast. There was a glass of orange juice in front of each plate. “Want more coffee?” He held up the coffeepot.

“Please.” She offered him her mug and thanked him when he filled it. They sat at the table and ate in silence for a few minutes until she couldn’t stand it any longer. “What are our plans for the day?”

John shrugged. “Thought we might take a walk, maybe have a nap after lunch. There are a few books tucked away on the shelf and a few more in the bedroom closet if you want to read.” He reached out and cupped her cheek in his large, warm palm. “You need to have a day where you don’t do anything but relax.”

Well, that wasn’t exactly what she’d expected him to say. Of course, what could he say? I want to get you naked and make love to you all day. She squirmed uncomfortably on her seat before she could stop herself. She was aghast that she was slightly aroused just sitting at the breakfast table with John. Something about last night had splintered all the barriers she’d erected to keep that from happening.

“What’s wrong?” He skimmed a finger down her jawline, worry in his pale eyes.

“Nothing.” She leaned back and his hand fell away from her face. To cover her awkwardness, she grabbed her mug and drank deeply.

She sensed John’s frustration, but he let things be, at least for now. He cleared his plate and sat back, resting his hands on his flat belly. “Last night was special,” he began.

Topaz jumped up from the table and started clearing the dishes. “You cooked, so I’ll clean up.”

John shook his head and slowly pushed back from the table. “I know you’re not ready to talk about us. But you’ll have to before we leave tomorrow morning.”

Tomorrow morning was a lifetime away. Right now, all she wanted to do was enjoy the moment. She’d spent her entire life setting goals and attaining them. She was tired of thinking and planning. Tired of making decisions and wondering about the consequences of her actions, both in life and in business. For the next twenty-four hours, she wanted to do whatever she wanted and damn the cost.

“Do you want more coffee?” She didn’t even acknowledge what he’d said. He shook his head and sighed.

“No. I’m good. I’m going to take a quick walk around the cabin. I won’t be long.” He dropped a kiss on the top of her head, grabbed his coat and headed out the front door, leaving her alone.

She set the pot back on the coffeemaker burner and turned off the machine. The room seemed so much larger now without John in it. She scrubbed her hands over her eyes, pushing back the tears that threatened to fall. “You’re just tired,” she assured herself.

Pushing up her sleeves, she went to work on the dishes. Work would help keep her mind off her troubles. It always did. She scoured and scrubbed the dishes and pans before wiping down the table and countertops.

When she finished in the kitchen, she made the bed and tidied the bedroom, then she set her sights on cleaning the bathroom. Anything to keep her mind off what was happening between her and John.

Snow crunched under John’s boots, breaking the silence of the morning. Frustration ate at his gut, but he wouldn’t allow it to rule his actions. Topaz was afraid. It was like a punch in the gut when he’d realized it this morning. She didn’t want to talk about a future between them, and it wasn’t because she wasn’t attracted to him. There was no question that they were physically compatible.

So what was the problem?

He was tempted to call one of her sisters and ask, but knew he wouldn’t. Whatever was happening between him and Topaz was private.

His phone vibrated and he yanked it out of his pocket and read the display. He might have known. He thumbed the button and held the phone to his ear. “Yeah.”

“You okay?” His brother’s voice rumbled on the other end. Jake and he had a connection that went deeper than simply being brothers. They were twins and always knew if the other one was upset about something. There was an unspoken communication between them that had helped save their lives many times over their years in the Army and during their time with the Rangers.

John rubbed a hand over the back of his neck and settled against the trunk of a birch tree. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. How are things going with Topaz?”

Jake was the only person he’d told what he was doing. And that was only because it was so ingrained for him to have a backup just in case of emergency. “I don’t know.” Saying the words aloud unsettled him. He’d been so certain if he could just get her away from all the distractions of life he could get her to see that they had something special together. Now he wasn’t so sure.

“They’re complicated women.” John could hear the humor and the underlying strain in his brother’s voice.

“They are that.” He knew that Jake had a thing for Sapphire Jewel and was trying to come to grips with his own feelings. “I’m forty years old, Jake. We’re forty. I know what I want out of life.”

“And you want Topaz.” Jake finished John’s thought.

“She’s the missing piece. What I need for my life to make sense.” He wasn’t quite sure how to explain it. “She quiets the demons, you know? She gives my life focus. Direction. A reason.” Shit, it sounded stupid to say it out loud and he wouldn’t say it to anyone else but Jake. He felt like a pansyass talking about his feelings.

“I know what you mean.” Jake’s quiet response made John feel not quite so stupid.

“Yeah, I guess you do. What a pair we are.”

Jake laughed. “We are at that. But we know how to fight for what we want, how to get around barriers and gain the objective. We don’t give up. Ever.”

His brother was right. He wasn’t a quitter. If this weekend didn’t work, he wouldn’t give up. The main thing he needed to do was uncover why Topaz seemed afraid to talk about a future with him. He couldn’t fix the problem until he knew what it was.

“Thanks, man.” John knew he could always count on his brother to be there for him.

“Take it easy and call if you need anything.”

“Will do. And right back at you.” John ended the call and tucked his phone back in his pocket. He strode toward the cabin, needing to see Topaz. He wanted to kiss her full lips and touch her smooth skin. Mostly, he simply wanted to be with her.

He hurried up the two steps to the door and let himself in. The kitchen area was cleared away, the dishes draining in the rack. He didn’t think the counters had ever gleaned quite so well before. Even the stove was shining in the sunlight streaming in through the window.

From down the hallway, he could hear her humming, and was suddenly filled with the need to hold her in his arms to convince himself he wasn’t losing her. He wiped his boots on the mat and walked silently down the hall.

She was bent over the tub, scrubbing the sides and humming a song he didn’t recognize while she worked. It was the most relaxed he’d ever seen her. He leaned against the doorframe and observed her, paying particular attention to the way the material of her jeans clung to her heart-shaped ass.

As he watched her work, he wondered what it was about this woman that attracted him like no other. Intelligence, obviously—that was a given. She loved her family, was loyal and honest. She had a great laugh and enjoyed going to art movies. She also had a passion for action movies. He wasn’t aware of too many other people who knew her secret vice, but they’d spent many nights during their time together on opposite ends of her sofa with a big bowl of popcorn between them while bombs exploded on the screen in front of them.

As though she felt his eyes on her, she turned around. “Hey. I didn’t hear you come in.” She pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes and offered him a tentative smile.

She was also the most put-together woman he’d ever known. She was wearing jeans, but they had a discreet designer label. And since breakfast she’d slipped on a pair of earrings with stones that matched her sweater. She was also wearing a coordinating bracelet. She should have been high maintenance, but she wasn’t. Dressing that well came as natural to her as breathing.

Most women wore sweats to clean the house, but not his Topaz.

“Want to go for a walk? There’s a stream not too far from here and there’s hardly any snow on the path.”

“Sure. Just give me a minute to finish up here.”

“Take your time.” He enjoyed watching her. A sense of rightness settled over him and John knew that he’d do whatever it took to claim this woman. They belonged together. Whatever objections she had he would find a way to get past them.

As she rinsed the tub, she glanced over her shoulder at him several times. “You can wait in the living room if you want.” He was making her nervous, which wasn’t good, but he wanted her to be aware of him and he couldn’t do that if he wasn’t nearby.

“I like the view from here,” he drawled, looking pointedly at her butt.

A burst of laughter escaped her before she could stifle it and she gave him a mock glare. “I can see I’m not going to get any more work done in here.” She tossed the sponge onto the side of the tub and straightened. “We might as well go for a walk now.”

Topaz came toward him, but he didn’t move and continued to block the entrance to the room. She stopped in front of him, hands on her hips, and raised an eyebrow in question. Damn, she was hot when she went all authoritative on him. He could easily picture her giving that same glare to some supplier and having that person fall all over themselves trying to fix whatever the problem was.

But he was made of sterner stuff.

“You gotta pay the toll, babe.” He pointed at his lips.

She laughed again and cocked her hip to one side. “Is that so?”

“Yup.” He enjoyed playing with her, teasing her. She hadn’t had a lot to laugh about these past months. He liked her smile, the way the corners of her mouth turned upward, and the sparkle that illuminated her golden eyes so they appeared to shimmer.

“Hmmm.” She took a step closer to him and pressed her hands against his chest. She ran them up to his shoulders, teasing his nape with her fingers.

“Is the toll expensive?” she asked.

“You have no idea.” His voice was lower than normal, arousal making it deeper, rougher. It took every ounce of strength he had to keep from kissing her. He wanted her to initiate the kiss.

She went up onto her toes and pulled his head toward her. “I think I’m up to it,” she whispered just before her mouth touched his.

There was no doubt in his mind she was up to the challenge. She tasted like mint toothpaste and the faintest hint of coffee. He opened his mouth over hers and devoured her. He’d eaten breakfast, but he was a starving man. And only she could sate the hunger inside him.

His tongue tangled with hers as they both stroked and teased. She moaned and he broke, grabbed her butt in his hands and pulled her into the cradle of his groin. Her mound pressed against his cock, a perfect fit.

He groaned and moved against her as they continued to kiss. With her in his arms, he lost all track of time and place. Whether she knew it or not, the woman in his arms was everything to him.

He ran his hand up her spine and back down again. She made little sounds of pleasure that sparked the growing lust within him, setting it aflame.

It was only when he felt her palms push against him that he found the strength to pull back from the kiss. She stared up at him and licked her lips. He groaned, leaned down and licked her lips for her.

A deep shudder went through her. “I think,” she began. “I think we should probably take that walk now.”

He shook his head to clear it. She wanted to go for a walk. Now. His body was yelling its denial even as his head told him to suck it up and get back in the game.

She pushed him aside and eased by him. Heading toward the bedroom, she glanced over her shoulder. “I think that more than paid the toll. You can put the rest on my tab for future payment.”

A slow smile broke over his lips as he watched her sashay into the bedroom. “Yes ma’am,” he whispered under his breath. He’d thought to tease her, to get her all hot and bothered before they went for their walk.

Well, the idea had partly worked, except he was the one all hot and bothered. Although, he knew the look in her eyes very well and knew she was feeling the effects of their kiss just as much as he was.

Satisfied he’d set the tone for the day, John sauntered back to the living room to wait for Topaz.