Exquisite Acquisitions

Eleven

Macy knew what she wanted. An angry Carter was better than no Carter at all. She didn’t want to spend the night alone and wake up in the morning with an awful sense of loss and guilt. She didn’t want awkward moments between them when they saw each other on the ranch. Carter’s anger was evident on his face and the stony set of his eyes, so if it meant a Wham-Bam-Thank-You-Ma’am night, it would still be the better alternative.

She gulped past a lump in her throat and placed her hand in his. His hand closed over hers instantly and he tightened the hold. A warning shone in his hard eyes and then his brow rose in challenge, but Macy didn’t back down. Carter looked ready to devour her whole, but Macy didn’t fear him. Instead, excited shivers tingled up and down her spine. Carter’s wrath could be thrilling. She knew he’d never hurt her physically, so tonight he would be in charge. He would make love to her, and it would be about raw, hot-blooded, unabashed sex.

He entwined their fingers then led her to the bed. He sat down first, and as she stood above him his gaze bore into her with intense scrutiny. Those steely eyes were not caressing, but rather a pillage of her most private body parts. Her breasts flamed, and below her waist powerful throbbing had her squirming for his touch.

Spreading his legs wide, he drew her between his thighs and clamped his legs tight so that she was trapped and standing over him. “Undress.”

Macy didn’t blink. With trembling fingers, she found the hem of her top and she lifted it up for Carter. “Slow it down, Hollywood.”

Macy took a breath. She thought of the harlot she’d once played onstage in an off-Broadway production. Her character hadn’t undressed, but every movement she’d made on that stage spoke of raw sensual passion. Fortunately for Macy, being with Carter lent itself to sensuality on the highest level, so being a sex kitten for him wasn’t a far stretch. She wanted to please him. She wanted this night to be memorable. For both of them.

She slowed down her movements, rotating her hips with each tug of material, and once the top was off and her breasts were free, another slight movement had them bouncing on her chest.

Carter drew in oxygen, and Macy knew a measure of satisfaction.

“Now, the skirt.”

As soon as Macy reached behind for the zipper, Carter’s hands met her there and he gripped her hips to swivel her around. The unzipping took a second, and then he pulled the skirt down past her hips. Cool air hit her bare bottom first, and a long few seconds passed. Macy looked over her shoulder and caught Carter admiring her backside. Before she could turn around, he placed both hands over her cheeks and his roughened palms stroked her with such finesse that goose bumps broke out all over her body.

She’d never done this before. Given a man free rein over her body. She’d never trusted anyone the way she trusted Carter, but it was more than that, and Macy didn’t want to think about what that more was.

Her nipples hardened. The throbbing between her legs intensified as everything else melted into softness.

Next, Carter splayed his hands on her hips, the spread of his fingers nearly encircling her entire waist. Then he pulled her down onto his lap. She landed with an unladylike thud. “Oh.”

Carter kissed away her surprise. It was a long, leisurely kiss that filled her mouth, their tongues peeking out and touching. When Carter was done, Macy blinked from the thoroughness of his kiss. She felt partially devoured.

He kissed her again and toyed with her breasts, flicking the peaks with his thumb, first one then the other, until she wiggled with tortured delight. It was painfully pleasant, and she was glad Carter hadn’t decided on giving her a quickie before sending her away.

No, this was far more enjoyable. She was completely at his mercy. Not a bad place to be, Macy thought.

“Touch me,” he rasped, as if craving her hands on him.

Macy dug her fingers into the sprinkling of hairs on his chest. He was strong, sturdy, and her explorations grew more and more demanding. She loved stroking his shoulder blades and feeling the power beneath her fingertips. She loved feeling the tight muscles underneath his skin and his flat, tapered torso. She kissed his chest and stroked her tongue over his nipples, moistening them and then blowing them dry until Carter’s mouth twisted with a pleasured groan.

His erection poked her side from underneath his boxers. Macy’s heart raced, and the warmth in her body started to flame.

Carter picked up on her need and lowered her in his arms until she was angled back, held by his one arm. Her backside was stretched across his thighs and her legs rested on the bed. Carter watched as her hair dangled onto the bedsheets, the tresses fanning out beneath her. Then the hand that had played her wonderfully above the waist slid down to the center of her womanhood. She jerked when his flattened palm rubbed against her most sensitive spot. A moan slipped through her lips as he continued to rub her back and forth. Her breaths coming in short, uneven bursts, she rotated her body and jerked in his arms. He was relentless and masterful, and when he slipped his finger inside her, she was gone and lost by the erotic thrusts of her body.

Her release was loud and necessary to her sanity. When she opened her eyes, Carter was there gazing at her with a look of satisfaction and awe. By far, he was the best lover she’d ever had, and she wanted him to think of her in that same way.

He lifted her off him quickly to undress and returned with a condom. He sat in his place on the bed again and set her back on his lap, this time facing him. With his guidance, she straddled him, her legs curled around both sides of his torso.

His voice was heavy, urgent as he kissed her throat and whispered, “Do me, Macy. I can’t wait another minute.”

Macy gave Carter all that she had. She brought her body to his, and their joining was thrilling and beautiful in the way their sensual rhythms matched. Macy gyrated with hips that found their own pace, and he pumped into her with a natural, powerful force. They melded and meshed, frenzied with hot, moist kisses and tender touches that roughened at the height of their release. And then came a long, low groan of completion, a guttural song of satisfaction.

When it was over and their heartbeats returned to normal, Carter lifted her and kissed the nape of her neck as he set her down beside him on the bed. He whispered, “You amaze me.”

Macy was spent and exhausted, but his words spoken in awe already began to renew her hunger for him. He remained on the bed, a sheet of sweat coating his bronzed body and his hair askew from Macy’s roaming hands. “You amaze me, too,” she said softly.

He nodded and stared into her eyes. There would be no basking in the afterglow of lovemaking tonight. No cuddling under the sheets, no hand-holding and sweet words. A deal was a deal, and Carter was still angry with her. She’d come to him tonight for sex. He’d let her inside his room for sex.

He turned to peer straight ahead to a wall that held no particular interest, his profile set with a stubborn slant of his jaw. He was waiting for her to leave, and Macy got the hint. She kissed his shoulder, licking away a moist bead of perspiration with her tongue, then rose from the bed. “Good night, Carter.”

She stepped by him and bent to retrieve her clothes on the floor. As she unfolded her body, her garments gripped in her hands, she felt a slight tugging on a lock of her hair. Before she could turn around, Carter was there, pressed against her back. His voice rough, his fingers gently weaved through the strands of her unruly curls. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“To bed.”

His breath caressed the sensitive skin behind her ear. “Your bed’s right here.”

“But, you’re still angry.”

“Furious.”

She whirled around. “I think you’re making a mistake.”

“With you?” He chuckled as he circled his arms around her bare waist and cupped her cheeks. He covered her soft flesh with both hands and fondled her possessively. “If that was a mistake, then sign me up for a thousand more.”

They were coated with perspiration and carried the scent of lovemaking. “That’s…not what I, uh…mean.” Macy was losing her train of thought.

Carter kissed away her words. “We’ll have to agree to disagree, Hollywood,” he said. “And not discuss it anymore. Now, come back to bed, sweet darlin’. The night’s far from over.”

There were days when Carter didn’t think about Jocelyn at all. Not that he’d ever forget her betrayal or her clever manipulation. It was just a simple fact that Jocelyn Grayson didn’t matter anymore in his life, though the lessons he’d learned from her would last him a lifetime. It wasn’t that far of a stretch for him to give up on the idea of marriage. For one, his parents hadn’t set a good example. His mother had to endure life with his father. And as he’d grown to his teen years, Carter would often ask his uncle why she’d stayed with Riley. His uncle had but one reply-she’d loved him. As if that made all the difference. As if that was the definitive answer.

For Carter, that hadn’t been a good enough reason. There had to be something better out there that didn’t cause heartache and destruction. Love surely wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

Carter had a good thing going with Macy. They’d fallen into a rhythm together, and he couldn’t recall a time in his life when he’d been happier. Because he had smart, loyal employees he trusted, Carter was able to spend time with Macy just about every day. He’d meet her for lunch at the inn and they’d go over her plans and ideas for decorating. The furniture they’d purchased on their venture to Dallas had been picked up and had filled the rooms nicely. Sometimes, when the mood struck, Carter would coax her into an upstairs bedroom to make love. And the mood struck often. He smiled thinking of those stolen few afternoon moments.

During the past week, they’d made love so many times that he’d lost count. Macy’s giving body and sweet smiles had stamped each one of his memories. Their daytime encounters excited him, but during the night they’d continually found out new things about each other.

He was smitten with Macy, finding her like an addiction, a drug he couldn’t seem to kick. Ever since that night when she’d come to his bedroom and they’d agreed not to talk about his father, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He wondered when that would change and when the blazing heat would simmer between them. No one could sustain a raging fire forever.

Macy’s life was in Hollywood. It’s all she’d ever known. Her dreams were there, whether she wanted to admit that or not. He’d rescued her and given her temporary sanctuary from the glitz and glamour, but he knew she would eventually return.

But for now, she was his.

“Excuse me, Carter?”

He shook those thoughts loose, wondering where his concentration had gone. The annual inventory numbers were in, and he had worked from sunup into the late afternoon today, going over the books with his accountant. He’d postponed a trip to the Dallas office, insisting that his accountant drive out to the ranch instead. He wouldn’t fool himself into thinking it was for any other reason than he wanted to be close to Macy for the time she remained on the ranch.

“Carter, did you hear what I just said?” Jacob Curtis snapped his briefcase shut and rose from his seat at the desk.

“Yeah…uh, I did. You’ll be in touch to clarify those few duplicate payments on the books.”

The hotshot accountant with roots near Wild River had known Carter for a long time and now eyed him carefully. “You’re a little distracted today, Carter. Is everything all right?”

“Better than all right,” Carter assured him, rising from his seat to shake his hand. “Thanks, Jake. I appreciate you driving out to the ranch today.”

“It’s what you pay me for. But, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you had a better offer than coming into the city for business.”

Carter twisted his mouth into a wry smile. “Maybe. You’ve known me a lot of years.”

Jake gave him a gentle slap on the back. “Whoever she is, have a great time.”

Carter didn’t even try to deny it. “I plan to. C’mon. I’ll walk you outside.”

After the accountant took off, Carter climbed into the Jeep and headed toward the inn. The drive over took only minutes, and when he arrived he was disappointed to see that Macy wasn’t alone. Bill Fargo sat with her on the steps of the gazebo. They were shaded by ancient oaks whose branches swayed with the late-afternoon breeze.

Their snack break was a daily occurrence and something Macy enjoyed. “Hey, you two,” he said, stepping out of the Jeep and approaching. The gazebo was an eyesore, but he’d pretty much given up on the idea of tearing it down. “What did Mara make for you today?”

Macy slid over on the step, giving him room to sit right next to her, and that gesture made him silly with happiness. He took off his hat before sitting.

“Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and fresh-squeezed lemonade. Can you believe it?”

“Sounds like a celebration,” he said, glancing at her then at Fargo.

“It’s nothing special,” Bill said with a wave of his hand.

“It is something special. It’s Bill’s birthday. I wouldn’t have known, because he didn’t say a word to me, but Mara has ways of finding these things out.” She giggled and the engaging sound pulled at something sacred in his heart. “I’ve invited him to dinner tonight. If that’s okay with you?”

Carter had hoped for some alone time with Macy tonight, but he couldn’t refuse the older man a celebration. He’d become a good friend to Macy and to some of the hands on the ranch. “Sure thing.”

“It’s not necessary,” Bill said, his face flushing red. “I don’t like a big fuss.”

“No fuss at all,” Macy replied. “I thought I’d make homemade pasta with all the fixings.”

“You cook?” Carter asked.

Macy spoke with confidence. “I have been known to sling together more than a sandwich, you know.”

“I didn’t know,” Carter said.

“Pasta’s one of my favorites,” Bill said, “but I’ve got a shift tonight.”

Macy gave Carter a beckoning glance, and he picked up on her long look. “You’ve got the night off. Consider it a birthday gift,” Carter said, because he liked the guy and because he had to see what homemade pasta with all the fixins tasted like when cooked by a Hollywood starlet.

“The lady can cook.” Carter smiled at her, handing her his empty plate.

“It was delicious,” Bill said and Macy beamed from the compliments, taking Bill’s plate from his hands, too.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” She set the plates in the sink and turned to the men as she returned to the range top. “There’s a lot more. I can fix you both another plate.”

She stirred the simmering sauce, proud of herself and what she’d accomplished. Granted, she was rusty in the kitchen, and it had taken her three hours to prepare the meal, but from the satisfied looks and the second helpings the men had requested, she knew her Pasta ala Macy was a big hit.

Bill rubbed his stomach. “I’ll get a paunch if I eat another bite. I’ve already had enough for a small army.”

Carter shook his head, too. “I need to swim fifty laps to work off what I just ate.”

Macy shut off the burner, covered the pot and took a seat with the men. They shared a glass of wine and toasted Bill’s birthday. She enjoyed the rest of the evening and the steady flow of light conversation.

Carter wasn’t kidding about swimming laps. Shortly after Bill took his leave, Carter tried to coax her into the pool with him, but Macy insisted on cleaning up the kitchen. She didn’t want Mara walking into a mess the following morning. When Carter offered to help, she gave him a playful shove and told him not to sap all his energy in the pool.

She had plans for him that involved his stamina.

That comment earned her an earth-shattering kiss that left her completely breathless. “Be ready for me in an hour,” Carter rasped. “I’ve been dying to get you alone all day.”

Macy was a clean-as-you-go kind of girl, so it didn’t take her long to get the kitchen back in shape. Afterward, she went to her room and took a long, refreshing shower, washing the heat of the day and the slight smattering of spaghetti sauce stains off her body. Fully refreshed and dressed in a pale violet negligee that Carter had given her last night, she took a brush to her hair. Carter had said the nightgown’s color was the perfect match to her eyes, and as she looked at herself in the mirror, she had to agree.

Macy was in a good mood. So good that she picked up the manila envelope that had been collecting dust on the dresser. She weighed it in her hands. It wasn’t really that thick. Maybe the envelope contained only a few copies of the settlements she’d signed. She didn’t think they were that important because her attorney hadn’t called her about them.

Confident that nothing could possibly mar her contentment, Macy sat down on the bed, crisscrossed her legs and opened the envelope flap. She pulled the papers out, scanning over them briefly. She was right. It was nothing but copies her efficient lawyer wanted her to have in her possession. She closed her eyes and sighed.

That wasn’t too bad, Macy.

But her relief was short-lived. Something hit her leg and her eyes snapped open. A small sealed envelope slipped out of the larger envelope on her lap. “What’s this?”

Stuck on the front of the letter was a large chartreuse Post-it note.

Macy,

I found this while going through your mother’s Santa Monica office. It’s sealed and addressed to you from Tina. If you need further legal counsel, don’t hesitate to call.

Barton Lowenthal

Macy pulled off the Post-it note and saw her mother’s handwriting beneath. She had the most unique style of writing, with perfectly spaced vertical lettering that could be mistaken for typeset, it was so symmetrical.

My Sweet Macy

Macy took a big swallow and stared at the envelope she held in her lap, touching the edges with shaky fingertips. The letter had obviously been mixed up with her mother’s business papers. For all she knew, it was a grocery list or lines in a new script she’d wanted Macy’s opinion on. It could be a receipt for a gift she’d given Macy. It could be a hundred frivolous things, and part of Macy hoped that was the case. But the other part, the one that gave her stomach the trembles and caused her nerves to jump, told her this was something important.

“Open it, you coward,” Macy murmured as she continued to stare at the envelope.

Macy found the strength to gently pull the flap away from the glued edge of the opening. On a deep breath, she lifted out the stationery that had been creased in thirds. She unfolded it and saw a full page written by Tina.

“Mom,” Macy said, tears welling in her eyes.

She noted the date. Her mother had written this letter during the time of her illness, in those last few days of her life.

Macy shook again with renewed force. Her tears were ready to fall. It wasn’t the letter so much as the shock of seeing her mother’s handwriting again and knowing this would be the very last communication she would have from her. She’d already done this, she thought. And it was hard to say goodbye. Now, she would have to do it again.

She forced herself to read the words so delicately and perfectly written.

My Sweet Princess,

I know I haven’t been a traditional kind of mother to you, but I hope you know how very much I love you. I always will. If you are assured of that, then I can rest in peace.

You were the best daughter a mother could have wished for. You brought joy and love into our house. Both your father and I were so proud of you. Clyde would have done anything to make his little girl smile. Always remember that.

I suppose it wasn’t fair of me to vent to you my anger at him for leaving both of us. I never intended to taint your view of him. Clyde was a good man and a wonderful father.

I must confess, selfishly I was angry with him all those years after his death. And I was lonely, missing him so very much. I made bad choices after I lost him, and I knew in my heart no man could ever take his place. Those impetuous marriages were mistakes of my own doing. It was foolish for me to have even tried to replace your father. I say this now, so that you will know that I have always believed in true and everlasting love.

I had that with your father. He was the love of my life, Macy Genevieve. He truly was. I will never regret loving him, and I hope one day you will find a love so strong, so steady and so overpowering that it simply takes your breath away. That’s what I want for you. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you…to love and be loved by someone worthy of you.

Tears blurred Macy’s vision and trickled onto her cheeks as she sobbed quietly. She set the letter aside and lowered her head down, covering her face with her hands. The devastating pain that touched her soul was overwhelming. Her mother’s words resonated and her heart broke like fallen glass, the tiny pieces scattered. “Oh, Mom.”

Three light taps on the door snared her attention and she looked up. Carter walked into her room, wearing nothing but a pair of worn jeans riding low below his waist. “Macy, darlin’, it’s past midnight. You coming to bed?”

The sight of the tall, tanned, handsome cowboy walking into her room as if he belonged there struck her like a bolt of lightning. She loved his drop-dead body, his hazel eyes and the sensual tone of his Texas drawl. She loved everything about Carter McCay. And the clarity that only her mother’s letter could draw out finally dawned on her.

She was in love with Carter.

She loved him from the very depths of her being.

And she realized, too, that her fears were never about leaving the ranch to go back to her “real” and insane world. She’d dreaded leaving Carter.

Her perfect, stubborn cowboy.

She slammed her eyes shut. Oh, God.

“Hey,” he said tenderly, coming over to the bed. “What’s the matter, sweetheart?”

She held it together long enough to lift the letter she’d let fall into her lap. “It’s the last…the last l-letter from my m-mother.”

Carter’s sympathy reached his eyes. He climbed onto the bed and wrapped an arm around her. “Don’t cry, Macy.”

She set her head on his shoulder and sniffled some more.

“Or maybe, do cry.” He seemed out of his element, but the comfort of his solid strength helped. He was always trying to protect her. “I don’t know.”

She raised her head to meet his eyes. She knew she probably looked a mess with a tear-stained face and red, blotchy eyes. “It’s just that I thought I knew everything. And now, I find out I was wrong. About a lot of things. It’s crazy, you know.”

“I don’t know,” he said tenderly. “Why don’t you tell me?”

Macy didn’t hesitate to unburden herself. She’d wanted to share this with him for a long time. “Those rings I sold at Waverley’s, well, I thought they were cursed. I started thinking of them as the Love Curse Diamonds. And then when we ran into each other outside the restaurant-”

“When you were almost mowed over by the press?”

She sniffed. “Yes, then. I found out you had proposed to Jocelyn with that ring, and she refused you. I felt so bad that you had gotten hurt.”

Carter didn’t react. He didn’t even flinch at the mention of Jocelyn’s name. She derived some relief and, selfishly, a little bit of pleasure from that. Maybe Carter had gotten over Jocelyn.

She went on, “I believed that anyone who held on to those rings would never be happy. I mean, my mother had been married three times. All three marriages brought her nothing but hard luck. First, my father died in a horrific crash. And then there was Amelio Valenzuela. He was some sort of prince who told my mother after the wedding he was duty-bound to rule his small country. He left her after three weeks and there was a big scandal. Then there was Joseph the Jerk. He was a fashion photographer who adored my mother. He gave her everything she wanted until he put that ring on her finger. That was the ring you bought,” she added. Macy felt guilty enough to duck her head down, even now, after she realized she’d been mistaken about the diamonds. “Joseph cheated on her so often and so blatantly after they were married that she walked out on him a few months after their wedding.”

Carter listened to her and nodded. “So, what happened? Did your mother tell you something in the letter to change your mind?”

“Yes, and with her explanation I’m seeing things more clearly. Now I understand. I know why she did the things that she did.”

“And you don’t believe the rings are cursed?”

She shook her head and drew a deep breath to steady her shallow breathing. Her crying had drained her energy. “I sold those rings at auction because I needed the money. My mother didn’t have a head for business. She was broke when she died, and then I made those errors in judgment.”

Carter kissed her forehead, distracting her. His arms around her lent her the strength she needed. “Which ones?” he asked.

“You remember me telling you about that nude scene I wouldn’t do?”

“Yeah,” he said, squeezing her shoulder, his voice a little lighter. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.”

“I was sued over that. And then there was another occasion more recently when I signed to host a television special about my mother for Spotlight Entertainment. I was still grieving and was led to believe that hosting the show was a way to honor my mother’s life. Halfway through, I realized it was a bash fest about Tina Tarlington’s love life, with her daughter at the helm. I walked out when they wouldn’t change direction and they sued. I didn’t want to settle the lawsuit, but my attorney cautioned me about the expense involved to fight it, but more importantly, the media frenzy a court battle might create. I finally decided to settle and let my mother’s film legacy speak for itself.”

“So you sold off the rings you thought were cursed, because you needed money.” He was clarifying the statement, more than asking a question.

“Yes, but I wanted to be rid of them.” It felt good to finally reveal the truth to Carter. “It seems silly to me now, but all this time I thought those diamonds caused my mother’s heartache. I thought they were the source of so much misery, including yours.”

Carter’s mouth pulled down for an instant. “That’s not true, Macy. The diamonds weren’t to blame. It was probably my own fault for thinking I was in love with someone like Jocelyn. That whole thing was a mistake.”

Macy nodded, reassured that he wasn’t still in love with Jocelyn. That he’d realized she wasn’t the right woman for him.

“Are you sorry you sold the diamonds?” he asked.

“Not the other two. I’m too practical for that, but I, uh…wish I had held on to the ring my father gave my mother. I’m afraid I’ll never see the Tarlington diamond again.” Tears dripped from her eyes and fatigue caused her shoulders to slump, even while being comforted in Carter’s arms. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin your night.”

“You’re not ruining my night, sweetheart. In fact, stay right here. Don’t move. I have an idea.”

He got up and left the room. Macy dried her eyes with the bedsheet and ran a hand through her long hair. She felt awful. Her stomach ached and her head pounded, but she also felt relieved to have finally told Carter the truth about the ring, and about herself.

And mostly she was relieved to have finally realized her love for him. She adored him and she wouldn’t deny it another second. How could she not? He was her perfect cowboy, stubborn and all.

When he returned, he came bearing a plush black velvet ring box. He sat down beside her on the bed and offered it to her. “This is for you, Macy Tarlington. If you want it.”