Queen of Hearts Read online

  "I'm glad you like it," Adam said drily, carrying her suitcase into the room and Janna, who hadn't said a word, realized her expression must have spoken for her. There was no point in denying her reaction, she decided with an inner shrug.

  "It's a lovely room as you know full well," she agreed, walking over to the windows to view the ocean. There appeared to be a rocky cliff leading down to it because from this vantage point she couldn't see any gleam of sand.

  "I thought so when I'd finished it." "You built this place?" Janna swung around in surprise and then told herself that had been a stupid thing to say. Of course he'd probably built it. He was in construction, wasn't he?

  "Yes." Adam walked over to stand beside her at the window, not touching her stiff, proud figure. "Tomorrow we'll go down to the beach and I'll show you around the area. "We have a great deal of privacy here..."

  "In other words, I'm miles from help?" Janna concluded in a cutting tone meant to hide her nervousness.

  For an instant Adam was very still and then he moved, closing one hard hand around each of her shoulders and hauling her closer to face him. The metallic gleam in the now-grey eyes told her all she needed to know.

  "Let's get a few things straight," Adam began deliberately, his fingers sinking into the tender flesh of her shoulders beneath the red jersey dress. "I will treat you like a guest as long as you choose to behave like one. To assist you in deciding how comfortable you wish to be during the next few days let me point out one or two factors you should consider." Janna didn't care for the dry, almost cruel way he spoke.

  "Number one, you should know, I suppose, just how bad I could make the situation if you give me cause. I could lock you in this room and only allow you out when I'm around to accompany you. Think about what that would mean, before you tell me how you want to be treated."

  Janna winced at the thought of having her activities so

  curtailed.

  "Your alternative, number two, is a reasonable degree of freedom in exchange for your promise not to wander off in search of assistance. And before you leap into a rash lie, promising to obey, let me add that if you did accept alternative number two and then break your word there would be hell to pay. I've already demonstrated that I will come after you if you run off and drag you home over my shoulder. I'm hoping you have enough common sense to find one example sufficient. If I were put to the trouble of doing it again, I would not be as gentle with you as I was this time!"

  Janna met his eyes and knew with every quivering bone in her body that he meant what he said. She knew that no matter how far she ran or how well she hid, he would find her. Her punishment next time would be far worse. She could see it in his face; feel it in his hands. No, there was no doubting his intentions, so why did she find herself responding to the brief flash of emotion in the depths of his eyes rather than to his threats? Because when she finally managed an answer, it was that look as much as anything else which drew her wary, nervous agreement.

  "I won't run away if you'll promise not to lock me in here, Adam," Janna whispered. "At least," she added with a touch of her old scorn. "Not tonight!"

  "Your word of honor?" he pressed, not relaxing his hold, the heavy brows forming a solid line across his strong nose.

  "You have my word," she sighed. "It's very late and I'm very tired. I really don't feel like running out into the darkness and trying to find my way back to the main road if I don't have to do so. You've told me you won't attack me and I'm going to take you on trust and get a good night's sleep!"

  "A very practical decision," he mocked softly. "It seems we are agreeing to trust each other at least until tomorrow, then. Good. In the morning we will know how wise we were, won't we?" Janna wondered at the tension in him. She knew instinctively she could trust his word but he really was taking a risk, she thought with a small flicker of humor. She'd given him no great reason to rely on her word thus far! That knowledge made her a little uncomfortable but there was no reason she should feel that way, she admonished herself. He'd deserved every untruth she'd allowed him to believe.

  "Good night, Janna," Adam whispered, framing her face with his hands and dropping a kiss on her imprisoned lips. It was meant to be a short, hard caress, she knew, but seemingly in spite of himself, Adam didn't pull away immediately. His mouth hovered just above hers while the thumb of one hand probed the shape of her lower lip, forcing it gently open and then he lowered his head again, taking advantage of the parted lips.

  "I would never force you to sleep with me, sweetheart," he murmured against her mouth as he explored it with his own, tasting the sweetness, "but, my God, I'm going to have you in my bed soon! I swear it!"

  Janna stood, unable to move in the power of his arms and had an awful premonition that he spoke nothing but the truth. How long could she resist him? Every time he touched her he made her feel more owned. His possession.

  One of Adam's hands left her face to glide gently down to her breast where he cupped it as if loving the feel and shape of her. Although he wasn't holding her in a restraining manner, Janna didn't try to step back at the intimate touch. She told herself it was because the action would only encourage him to demonstrate his physical strength and she would be pinned against him. But the truth, a small part of her insisted, was that the only weapon he was now using against her was her own growing response. If he dared to taunt her with it...!

  But Adam apparently felt he had pushed her far enough for one night. He broke the kiss with an obvious reluctance, smiling slightly down into her upturned face.

  "I think I'd better be getting along to my own room. It's going to be difficult enough to sleep tonight as it is. Much more of this and I'll..."

  "You'll be tempted to break your noble word?" she mocked and instantly wished she hadn't sounded so biting. Perhaps she was destined to be a shrew!

  "No," he responded, the smile widening into his familiar grin. "I was going to say I'll wind up spending a most uncomfortable night. Do you have any idea how hard it's going to be lying in my bed alone, knowing you're next door, wearing nothing but that creamy apricot thing..."

  "My nightgown!" Janna gasped, embarrassed. "You packed my best nightgown?"

  "Naturally. Along with a lot of other frilly, lacy things. I told you, I'm very thorough."

  "Goodnight, Adam!" Janna growled, her eyes going to the suitcase which stood near the door, her mind thinking of how he must have stood at her dresser, sorting through her under garments. Good grief!

  Adam sighed, sounding much abused. "Goodnight, little queen. I hope you find everything you need." He released her to walk toward the door, halting before stepping out into the hallway. "You will remember what I said about being right next door, won't you?" he added, meeting her eyes across the room. "I shall have my door open and I'd be sure to hear you if you tried to leave the house..."

  "I thought you were going to trust me tonight!" Janna shot back.

  "There's nothing like a small threat to reinforce a promise of obedience," he informed her seriously and then disappeared down the hall as Janna spyed a small dish on a lamp table and made for it determinedly. But there was no opportunity to throw it at his dark head and she put it down reluctantly.

  She walked across the room slowly, thoughtfully, and automatically closed the door, leaning her back against it while she pondered the situation. She was safe for tonight, and tomorrow would be soon enough to begin thinking her way out of Adam's power. He had promised not to assault her and she believed him but that was no longer her main concern. The real threat now lay in the way she was beginning to respond each time he touched her. Janna shook her head despairingly. What would happen if she actually found herself falling in love with the man? Janna pushed herself away from the door very deliberately, her mouth firming. No, she had to get away from him before he had her totally in his power. That way lay pain, more pain than she cared to contemplate. Hadn't he made it clear that while once he might have offered marriage, he was no longer prepared to do so? Now he
wished only to use her for a time. Janna paused before reaching down to lift her suitcase onto the bed and glanced back at the knob on the door, remembering the way Adam had threatened to lock her in the room if she refused to stay voluntarily. This house was new and it had been a long time since bedroom doors had locked from the outside...

  Janna stepped closer and then ground her teeth in annoyance. But in spite of her feeling of having been tricked, a tiny smile curved her mouth. The door locked, as did most bedroom doors, from the inside, not the outside. Short of sleeping in front of her door all night, Adam would have had no practical way of locking her inside. But Adam didn't lie, she reminded herself soberly. If he had threatened to lock her in the bedroom, he would have found a means of doing so if it was required. It was too complicated to continue thinking about at this late hour, she decided and went back to the suitcase.

  Methodically she unpacked her garments, shaking her head ruefully at the neat, orderly way they had been placed in her suitcase. The apricot nightgown was there, of course, and it would be ridiculous not to use it. Wondering if Adam really was going to lie awake next door and think about her sleeping in the sheer gown, Janna undressed, used the adjoining bathroom to finish her evening rituals and crawled into the wide bed.

  She had expected that knowledge of Adam's close proximity would make her nervous and that sleep would be difficult, but Janna turned once, curling on her side, and drifted almost immediately off to sleep.

  She awoke with the first light, the sound of the ocean in her ears. It took a moment or two before she remembered where she was and the undignified manner in which she had arrived. But as Janna stretched, yawned and glanced sleepily around the bedroom, reality came back in a hurry. Her first day at Adam's retreat had begun. A rising sense of tension and excitement propelled her out of bed to pad softly across the wooden floor to the huge windows. In the early morning light she could see the sweeping view of sea and mountains. Wind-gnarled Monterey cypresses clung to the rocky shore and the endless roar of the surf drew her. Moving quickly, Janna showered, brushed her hair into a knot and dug a pair of jeans out of the suitcase. Adam had, indeed, thought of everything, she decided with a small grimace as she buttoned her shirt and slipped on her rubber-soled shoes. Again the image of him moving around her apartment, packing sandwiches, selecting clothes from her wardrobe and locking doors and windows made her smile.

  Cautiously, Janna stole out into the hall, shutting the door to her bedroom with unnatural gentleness. Adam had promised her he would be aware of any effort she made to leave the house and she stopped a moment, waiting for his deep voice to question her progress.

  But no sound came from the open door on her left and Janna moved slowly past it toward the front of the house. She couldn't resist a quick glance inside and was rewarded by a glimpse of rumpled bed and one large foot hanging over the edge. He was a big man, she thought, shaking her head ruefully and hurrying along toward the front room. When he had tossed her so easily over his shoulder last night he had made her feel small and fragile. An unusual experience for her!

  Janna made her way across the beamed living room, unable to help admiring the low, solid, Spanish leather furniture, the polished wooden floor and the rich, scattered rugs. The whole house looked like Adam, she decided, letting herself outside through a door set with several panes of glass. From the deck she looked back, taking in the strong, graceful lines of the structure and wondering how much time her captor got to spend at this isolated location during the year. San Jose was within a couple of hours' driving distance. Perhaps he spent his weekends here. The place looked quite new but her bed had been made up in advance. A touch of hunger caused Janna to wish she had checked the refrigerator before exploring.

  But it was too late now. Crisp morning air and the tantalizing sea were calling. Janna climbed down the steps of the deck and made her way across the rocky landscape toward the cliff which separated her from the water. It was going to take a bit of doing, but there was a path down to the small stretch of beach below. Maintaining her balance with firm holds on rocks and tough, twisting roots Janna made her way cautiously, feeling a minor sense of accomplishment when she eventually set foot in the small, sandy cove.

  Did Adam come here and sit in the privacy of this little place by the sea? Janna found herself wishing she knew more about the man. For a while she poked curiously among the rocks and pools while the surf crashed a few feet away, thinking about the adventure in which she had landed herself. Regardless of the outcome, there would be no forgetting her time with Adam. Never had she met a man like him and she had a hunch she never would again. For the first time she wondered what would have happened if they had met more conventionally. And then she tried to reason out how their relationship would have progressed if she had been sitting tamely at home in her apartment Saturday morning. Would he really have offered her anything, even marriage if she would come to him? 'Come to him'! What a strange way of phrasing it. Janna selected a seat on a rock and picked up a brittle piece of driftwood to examine. What would she have done if he had proposed? And what would she do now if she didn't find a way out of the situation which had developed? Adam was very good at getting his own way, she admitted wryly to herself. Better, even, than she! There was no denying the excitement which welled up inside at the thought of surrendering to him. It would be so simple to stop fighting and let her growing desire for the man take over the emotional side of her nature completely. For a moment Janna sat staring blindly out to sea, lost in a vivid daydream of what life with Adam might be like. For the short time it lasted, that was. Adam's passions ran deep, she realized, and while he wanted her, he would want her with a desire which made her heart beat faster just to imagine.

  Some instinct made Janna glance up to the top of the rocky outcropping which sheltered the cove. There had been no sound, the noise of the water would have blanked it out, anyway, but there, at the top stood Adam. Janna's breath caught at the sight of him and for a timeless instant they stared at each other. She was aware of the strength of him as he looked down at her, his legs spread slightly apart in an anchoring stance, the black hair ruffled by the wind, both hands plunged deep into the pockets of a dark, nylon windbreaker. He was wearing jeans again this morning. The rugged lines of his face were set in a hard, unreadable mask. Gone was the almost whimsical humor which had been there at odd moments during the drive from La Paloma.

  Janna watched without calling out a greeting as he turned and made his way quickly, recklessly down the cliff. Within a few moments he was striding toward her across the sand, his expression still remote. What in the world was he thinking? He halted a few feet away, facing her, not speaking for a moment. Rising, Janna put an unconscious hand to the wind-loosened strands of hair which whipped around her face, her eyes locked to Adam's.

  "I thought," he began very carefully, "that you'd gone."

  Janna stared at him. Trying to sneak off that morning hadn't even occurred to her even though she had known he was sound asleep. Adam seemed so serious! He had been genuinely worried. A slow, warmly teasing smile touched her lips. For some reason she wanted to remove that look of tension.

  "That's what you get for threatening to lock me in my bedroom!" Her smile widened into a rueful little grin. "It wasn't until after you'd gone that I realized the door only locks from the inside!"

  The harshness seeped out of Adam's face as he watched her. It was only as she witnessed the dramatic change in his expression and saw the steel fade from his eyes that Janna realized just how deep his emotional response must have been when he'd awakened and found her gone. Did he hate so much the thought of losing his prey?

  "If it had been necessary, I'd have found a way to bar your door," he told her, the grating tone gone now from his voice as he began to return her smile.

  "I'm sure you would have. But it wasn't necessary, was it? You see? I can be honest on occasion!" Janna retorted flippantly, wondering at her own inner relief and happiness as she watched the hardness
fall away from his tense figure. It was strangely satisfying to be able to replace the grimness with that flashing highwayman's smile.

  "It would seem," he said interestedly, "that our first efforts at establishing mutual trust were successful!" Then he held out one large, calloused hand. "Are you hungry?" Janna hesitated, suddenly, incredibly aware of how significant a gesture it would be to accept the extended hand and allow him to guide her back to the house. She shouldn't do it, her brain instructed firmly. Keep as much emotional distance as possible. It was the only way to handle the unique situation. But something stronger than logic was at work in her head now. Something which had delighted in the ability to exchange Adam's fierceness for smiling warmth. For a crucial instant, the utterly feminine emotion was dominant and before her normal mental processes could intervene, Janna put forth her hand. A second later strong fingers closed firmly around her own and with a sense of having lost a great deal of ground in the struggle not to surrender, she allowed herself to be led toward the cliff.

  CHAPTER 7

  "I thought I told Mrs. Mason that I wanted her to leave rye bread, not whole wheat," Adam remarked, opening cupboards, investigating the contents of the refrigerator and generally making noises like a man about to cook breakfast.

  "Who's Mrs. Mason?" Janna inquired, leaning both elbows on the top of the kitchen breakfast bar and watching him with interest.

  "A woman who lives a few miles from here. She looks after the place when I'm in San Jose."