Suiteheart Of A Deal: Suiteheart Of A Deal / My Place Or Yours?

“Hey,” he said softly, his arms reaching out for her. Anguish clouded his handsome features. “I’m sorry, Rainey. I didn’t mean to rush you like that.”

Functioning on autopilot, Rainey walked into his arms and sighed as they enveloped her. She put her arms loosely around him and he stroked her hair. “It’s okay, Rainey,” he murmured. “I’ll be your friend. And I know you can do the job. I have complete confidence in you.”

She relaxed against him. There was nothing carnal about his embrace. On the contrary, it was friendly and soothing.

For about two seconds.

Before either of them knew what was happening, the heat they had generated earlier regenerated itself with even greater intensity. Slowly and sensuously, Beck began to stroke Rainey’s silk-clad back, his fingertips skimming downward from the tops of her shoulder blades to her waist and back again. Rainey felt a stirring in her loins, and before she could stop them her hands had begun to caress his back.

“Rainey,” he whispered hoarsely against her hair.

Mesmerized, she tilted her head upward to receive his kiss. When their lips were just whispers apart, Beck ran the tip of his tongue across the full width of her upper lip, then her lower. From there, he trailed across her cheek. When he landed, soft and wet and warm, on her earlobe, Rainey’s breath caught sharply in her throat.

Not even the shrill ringing of the telephone got through to them—until the answering machine clicked on and Rainey heard Dana’s chirpy voice. A blast from the past, it brought her smartly back to reality.

“Dana!” she yelped, abruptly pulling free from Beck. Sidestepping the suitcase, she ran into the kitchen, Beck close on her heels. Her shaky hand paused near the telephone. She looked at Beck. “Oh, no! What I am going to tell her?”

Beck was flushed and disheveled, still in a trance. “Who’s Dana?”

“My best friend!”

Caught up in her panic, he cried, “I don’t know! Tell her the truth!”

While they eyed one another with frenzied uncertainty, the message played on. “Rainey? Are you there? If you’re there, pick up, sweetie. Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you. I was away at a conference and—”

“But what is the truth?” Rainey pleaded.

“Tell her you got married this afternoon.”

“I can’t do that! She’ll think I’ve gone mad!”

Calmer suddenly, Beck folded his arms and declared, “Well now, that is pretty close to the truth, isn’t it?”

Her hand still hovering above the receiver, Rainey made a sour face at him. Arghhh! Obviously she should have thought this through a little better. Trevor she definitely planned to tell about the marriage. But what about the others? In her rush to make her ex jealous, she hadn’t paused to consider that, sooner or later, everyone would have to be told about the ludicrous pact she and Beck had struck. Her mom, her dad, her best friend. Everyone!

Oh, dear. It would have to be later. She just couldn’t deal with it right now.

“Anyway, sweetie, it’s obvious that you’re not there,” Dana said as Rainey stared helplessly at the machine. “Call me when you get the chance. I miss you. Bye now.”

The machine clicked off and Rainey looked at Beck. He was grinning. “When at first we do deceive…”

“You’re not being very helpful!”

“And you’re not being very realistic. Call her back. Tell her the truth.”

“I can’t. Not—not yet, anyway.”

Beck shrugged. “It’s your call, so to speak.” With that, he went into the bedroom and retrieved the suitcases. On his way back, he paused in the kitchen doorway. “I’ll meet you in the car. Call her, Rainey. Call her right now.”

After the apartment door clicked shut, Rainey took several deep breaths to calm herself and dialed her old friend’s number. Dana picked up after the first ring and sang a cheerful hello.

“Dana!” Rainey practically shrieked. Oh, dear, she had to get a grip. This was going to be hard enough.

“Sweetie! How are you? I miss you so much.”

“I’m fine. Terrific, really. I’m—I’m sort of in the middle of something right now, and I can’t talk for long. I just wanted to let you know that I’m okay.” Actually, I just married a perfect stranger. But don’t worry, I’m fine.

“I’m so glad to hear it. I won’t keep you. I just…Rainey, there’s something I…”

“Dana,” Rainey interrupted, “I’m moving. Today. To a house.”

“Really? Why? I thought you had an apartment at the inn.”

“I do. Er, I did. It’s kind of a long story. And, ah, I’m going to have a—a roommate!”

“You’re kidding. Boy roommate or girl roommate?”

“Boy. His name is Beck Mahoney. He works here at the inn. He’s a masseuse.”

“A masseuse. How convenient. Is he cute?”

Despite everything, Rainey laughed. “Oh, yeah. He’s cute, all right.” He’s a hunk, Dana. You have no idea.

“What’s your new number?”

Rainey recited the number. As Dana was jotting it down, she glanced anxiously out the window and spotted Beck putting her suitcases into the trunk of the Fairlane.

“Listen, Dana, I really have to run. He’s waiting for me.”

“Okay, okay. It’s just that…there’s something I really want to talk to you about. In fact, I was thinking about coming out there.”

Coming out here? Oh, no! “Dana, that’s not a good idea. Not right now. I’ve hardly had time to get settled. My new job, this move, honestly, everything is crazy right now.”

There was a brief pause. “Ah, sure. I can come out later, I guess.”

Was it Rainey’s imagination, or did her old friend sound a little anxious? Maybe even frightened. They knew each other through and through. Oh, well, whatever was troubling Dana, it would just have to wait. “Can I call you later, Dana? Honestly, I’m rushed.”

“Okay, I give. Take care, sweetie. And do call me.”

Rainey promised she would.

After hanging up, she took a few moments to gather her wits, then took one last look around the apartment. She would be seeing it again, but not like this. Soon, Lilly’s things would be cleared out and the renovation would begin. This felt like goodbye.

Her whole life was starting to feel like that.

RAINEY GASPED. “Beck Mahoney, you call this a cottage!”

“Well, it was a cottage, originally. I’ve added a little space to it over the years.”