police chief and publish it under his byline. She remembered the size and temper of the public official and smiled half-heartedly. Ralley would be turned into chili powder. Unfortunately so would Mike, who would be blamed for it. With a sigh she refilled the glass once more and sat down on the sofa.
It was just as well, she told herself. Cal lived in a different world. She’d never have been able to cope. Her eyes teared again and the hot, bright dots rolled pitifully down her cheeks.
Her mind went homing back to Nassau, to that unexpected night with Cal. All over again she could feel his hands, so tender, so wary of hurting her, his mouth blazing on her bare skin while he whispered words that still could make her blush.
She got up, almost tripping over the rug, and walked the floor, sipping at the red wine. She’d never see him again. She’d grow old and spend her miserable life trying to make do with memories. And it just wasn’t going to be enough. All the memories on earth wouldn’t amount to one minute with Cal.
“I always seem to love the wrong men,” she grumbled, tossing off the rest of the wine. She stared into the empty glass, frowning slightly. Where had it gone so fast? Perhaps she’d spilled part of it. She remembered Ralley pouring the glass of wine down the front of her white outfit and her lips pouted wildly. Without thinking she flung the empty glass at the fireplace and watched it splinter. Good enough for it. It wouldn’t stay full, anyway.
Bells sounded in her ears. She blinked. Surely she wasn’t that drunk? She shook her head and listened. There it was again, that funny chiming... Of course, she thought with an off-center smile, it was the doorbell. Mike must have forgotten his key. Or it could be Ralley again...
She made her way toward the front door. If it was Ralley, she was going to kill him. She was debating on methods when she opened the door and found a ghost standing there.
Cal was still wearing his evening clothes, but his tie was untied and the top buttons of his expensive ruffled white silk shirt were undone. He looked tired, angry and exasperated, all at once.
Her lower lip trembled. “Oh, Cal,” she whispered brokenly. Without thinking she held out her arms, wondering vaguely if he’d push her away.
He moved forward like a conquering army, jerking her against his big body to lift her while his mouth crushed down on hers. She felt the tremor shake him even while he deepened the kiss, his tongue penetrating, his breath sighing raggedly against her cheek as his arms contracted painfully around her.
Tears rolled helplessly down her cheeks when he finally paused long enough to take a breath. Her fingers caressed his broad, darkly tanned face, trembling.
“It wasn’t true, it wasn’t...” she whispered unsteadily.
“I know.” He kissed her again, letting her body slide down his until her feet touched the floor, “I’m so sorry, darling,” he whispered roughly. “God, I want you...!”
Her arms linked around his neck and they swayed together wildly, so lost in each other that they were aware of nothing else. Her thighs trembled against the hard muscles of his, and she thought wildly that if she died right now, it would be enough that she’d held him, kissed him, one last time.
“I love you,” she whispered into his devouring mouth.
He trembled convulsively at the words, drawing back to look into her misty, wide eyes. “I love you, Nikki, for always,” he whispered back, his voice shaky, his eyes punctuating the incredible statement.
“But...you said...” she faltered.
He smiled faintly. “I know. But that was before I tried to function without you.” He drew in a steadying breath, taking time to reach behind him and close the door.
“You were so angry,” she whispered, searching his dark, soft eyes, “I was afraid you were gone for good. Ralley intercepted your note—I never even saw it—and he staged that whole scene. He spilled wine on me and when I went upstairs to change...”
He smoothed the hair back from her tearful face. “Hush, darling, it’s all right, I’m here now.” He bent and kissed the tears from her eyes. “I remembered when I got to the airport that there was a wine stain on your slip and an empty glass in his hands. And along with that, I remembered something else.”
“What?” she asked, smiling wetly.
He brushed his mouth across hers. “That you loved