Sarah's Child Read online

  CHAPTER SIX

  Rome put his key into the lock and opened the door, stepping inside the apartment with a deep sense of relief and anticipation. This trip had seemed to drag on unendingly, and he was deeply, utterly weary of hotel rooms and hotel food. Just stepping inside the foyer, he was instantly aware of the comfort and serenity that Sarah had brought to the apartment, a sense of being home, which was something that he’d been missing for a long time now. He couldn’t say just what it was that she did, but somehow everything was more comfortable.

  Even though they’d only been married two weeks, he’d looked forward to the trip, feeling an uneasy need to distance himself from the soft, unseen bonds that were pulling at him. It wasn’t that Sarah demanded anything; rather, she demanded nothing. But still he found himself thinking of her at odd times during the day, wanting to talk to her about some little detail of the job, or wanting to make love to her, an urge that could have embarrassing results when he was at work. It took very little to remind him of making love to her: hearing her name mentioned, or walking by Max’s office. Any small detail could plunge him into the memory of how she tasted, how she felt, how she responded. She was so astonishingly sensual, he was still astounded by the contrast of her cool, quiet image and the moaning, writhing woman in his arms.

  He’d wanted time away from her, but the trip had dragged on too long; what was originally to be a three-day trip had become eight, and Sarah hadn’t seemed upset at all when he’d called and told her he’d be delayed. She’d simply said “All right; just let me know when you’ll be home” and gone on to other subjects. He’d felt a little deflated by her lack of interest, and suddenly the trip and the myriad details he had to deal with had become tiresome. He wanted to go home.

  The need to relax and be with Sarah had become so compelling that he’d pushed himself and everyone else to the breaking point, but he’d wound everything up a day earlier than he’d told Sarah to expect him, and now he looked around the quiet apartment, the sunlight streaming in the windows, a faint, tantalizing aroma, the smell of homemade apple pie, lingering on the air. He sniffed and grinned, because apple pie was his favorite.

  “Sarah?” he called, dropping his briefcase and overcoat, suddenly anxious to have her in his arms again. What would she think when he hustled her off to bed? But it had been a long, frustrating eight days, and he wasn’t accustomed to celibacy. He was, however, as he’d described himself to Sarah, a faithful husband, preferring domesticity and one woman to a multitude of brief tawdry encounters. Besides, he hadn’t wanted any other woman. He’d wanted Sarah, with her cool reserve and comfortable silences, and her fairy-pale hair wrapped around his arms like silken ropes.

  But she didn’t come running out, and a frown drew his black brows together. Impatiently he searched through the apartment, already knowing she wasn’t there. Where was she? Shopping? She could be job-hunting; she’d mentioned that she had a few interesting prospects. He checked his watch. It was almost four, so she should be getting back anytime.

  He unpacked, then sat down to read the newspaper. He watched the evening news. As the sun went down, the temperature dropped sharply, and he turned on the heat and sat for a long time watching the blue flicker of the fire. The October twilight was short, and soon there wasn’t a hint of daylight left.

  Keeping his irritation under control, Rome prepared his dinner and ate it alone, and he helped himself to a big chunk of the apple pie. As he cleaned up the kitchen a sudden black rage seized him, compounded in part by the unspeakable fear that he wouldn’t name, even to himself. Diane had gone out and not returned; he wouldn’t even let himself consider anything happening to Sarah.

  But, damn it, where was she?

  It was almost ten when he finally heard her unlock the door, and he got to his feet, a mixture of relief and pure fury filling him. He heard her say “Thanks, Derek. I don’t know what I’d have done without you! See you tomorrow.”

  A deep, quiet voice said, “Anytime that you need help, Mrs. Matthews, just call me. Good night.”

  “Good night,” Sarah echoed, and in a moment she walked into the kitchen, turning left instead of right into the living room where Rome was. At that moment she became aware of the puzzling fact that the lights were on, when everything should have been in darkness, and she stopped in her tracks. Standing where he was, Rome could see her slender back stiffen; then she whirled, and her face lit up like the Fourth of July.

  “Rome!” she said, and launched herself at him.

  Her open enthusiasm disarmed him, and he found himself forgetting about being angry; instead he was just glad to see her. He opened his arms to her, then at the last moment grabbed her shoulders and held her back, away from him.

  “Whoa!” he commanded, laughing a little. “I’m not certain…who are you? The voice is familiar, but I’ve never seen this dirt before.”

  Sarah laughed ruefully, so happy to have him home again that she wanted to whirl on her toes like a child. She wanted very much to kiss him, but she was filthy and she knew it. She looked down at her jeans, blackened down the front with grease and grime and various other stains, including one ketchup stain where she’d dropped the hotdog that she’d had for lunch in her lap. Unfortunately the grease and grime extended from her toes to her head. She’d covered her hair with a red bandana and now she carefully pulled it off; beneath it, her hair was still in a pristine knot, and the contrast was incongruous.

  “I’m a mess,” she admitted. “Let me take a quick shower; then I’ll tell you all about it.”

  “I can’t wait,” he said dryly, wondering what catastrophe could have turned his spotless, impeccable wife into that ragamuffin. Her shirt-sleeve was torn, he noticed. Had she been in a fight? Impossible, and there were no bruises or cuts, which also ruled out an accident.

  He followed her to the bathroom. “Just tell me one thing: Have you been doing anything illegal, or has something happened to you that will require police action?”

  She gave the low, husky chuckle that always started a fire low in his gut. “No, nothing like that. It’s good news!”

  He watched as she stripped off her soiled clothing, her dainty nose wrinkled in distaste as she dropped each garment to the bathroom floor. Hungrily he gazed at her slender fluid curves, the body that was his, with the sweet honey nipples and pale gold curls, all his. He noticed the way she flexed her shoulders, as if they were stiff, and an unconscious sigh of weariness escaped her.

  “Have you had anything to eat?” he asked.

  “Nothing since lunch.”

  “I’ll get something together for you while you’re showering.”

  When she left the shower, feeling clean again, Sarah felt as if the warm water that had washed away the grime covering her had also washed away the last dregs of her energy. She was so tired, she could have fallen facedown on the bed and slept through the next day, but Rome was waiting for her, and she had to see him. He hadn’t even kissed her yet, and it had been forever since she’d touched him, felt his mouth on hers. She pulled on a robe, the only garment she bothered with, and went to the kitchen.

  He’d opened a can of soup and made a grilled-cheese sandwich for her, and that seemed like ambrosia. She stumbled into the chair, already reaching for the sandwich as he placed a glass of milk beside the plate.

  “So, tell me your good news,” he invited, turning a chair around and straddling it, propping his arms along the back. For a long moment she simply stared at him, unable to believe how good he looked to her. His thick dark hair was tousled, and his face was tired, but he was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen.

  “I’ve bought a store,” she said.

  He rubbed his cheekbone with a finger, a little surprised at how the news made him feel. He’d told her that their respective careers gave them much-needed independence from each other, but when it came down to the nitty-gritty, he wanted Sarah’s undivided attention. Reminding himself yet again not to push her, that she expected, and deser