Stands a Calder Man (Calder Saga 2)

“Certainly.” He smiled politely. “If you’ll excuse me, I have some other customers.”

“Of course.” Her breathing leveled off to a more normal rate.

She waited until he had moved away before resuming her search of the store. Maybe the woman had left and she would be spared this, Ruth hoped. But it was not to be, she realized as she spied the woman examining some yard goods.

A tiny rebellious seed tried to grow when Ruth made her approach, but it was quickly suppressed by her promise to Webb. She saw the flash of recognition in the dark blue eyes, an awareness that they’d met although not spoken; then her glance was quickly averted.

Ruth was not practiced in the subtleties of deception. If she took too much time to think about what she had to say, she might not say anything at all. “Would you come into the back room with me?” She blurted the request with nervous quickness. The stunned look she received in response made Ruth realize she needed an excuse. “To look at some material I ordered. I have more than I need and I thought—”

“I can’t really afford to buy any,” her rival replied. “I was only looking at this . . . dreaming, you know.”

“Would you come in the back room and look at what I have? It’s just right through that curtain.”

Puzzled by the blonde woman’s obvious agitation and air of urgency, it suddenly occurred to Lilli that the woman might have something to tell her about Webb. It became imperative that she find out.

“All right,” Lilli agreed.

As they reached the curtained opening, Ruth started to lift the material aside when the sharp-eyed proprietor saw them. “Is there something I can get you ladies?”

Ruth was guiltily quick with her answer. “No, I was just going to show her the material I ordered. You did say it was back here?”

“Yes, but I’ll be more than happy to bring it out to you,” he offered.

“You’re busy,” Ruth insisted nervously. “We’re just going to take a quick peek before we finish our shopping.”

One of the other clerks called to Ollie Ellis, requiring his assistance, so he didn’t persist. “It’s on the right-hand side as you enter, the second shelf.”

“Thank you,” Lilli said and ducked around the curtain to follow the blond-headed woman into the dim storeroom. “What is it you wanted?” she asked, cutting through any motions of looking at material.

The woman didn’t answer except to turn slightly and look into the far corner where sunlight filtered through the dirty panes of a high window. Something moved. Lilli unconsciously stiffened, instinct already telling her who was there.

What light reached the corner broke against the ebony-dark surfaces of Webb’s eyes and cast strong shadows under his jaw and the exposed hollow at the base of his throat. Tall and wide in the shoulders, he was narrow at the hips from the many hours in a saddle.

As they faced each other across the slanting light rays, Webb saw the pride and strong will that made her different from any other woman he’d known. Her head was thrown back and the dusty sunlight was picking up the subtle luster of her deep-copper hair. She was wearing a plain russet gown that flowed smoothly down the length of her straight, swinging body. He thought she was going to leave.

“Lilli.” The use of her name stayed her, although there was no lift, no urgency, in his low voice.

She appeared to change her mind and came slowly toward him. She stopped with her firm chin angled toward him. Her lips lay smoothly together, not smiling. Webb was conscious of the many disturbing things that kept them both silent.

“Why are you here?” she asked in a lowered voice.

“I had to see you. I had to find out for myself whether you were all right, whether he had mistreated you after—afterward.”

The strain began to show on her as she listened to the run of his voice and its repressed feelings. Neither was aware of Ruth fading into the background, a silent sentinel keeping watch with her back to them while the low murmur of their voices added a multitude of little wounds.

“Stefan has done nothing to hurt me,” Lilli assured him at last. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I’m here. There’s no good talking about it.” His voice was on the ragged edge of anger. “Wrong or not, wise or not, I had to see you—talk to you.”

When she looked at his face, she saw the hunger in his eyes, the reckless reason that had prompted him to arrange this clandestine meeting. It broke through the thin barrier that had held him motionless for so long. He gripped the points of her shoulders and pulled her against him, shutting off her faint cry with a kiss. Webb hadn’t intended to be rough with her; he had meant to show her through his gentleness how deeply his feelings ran, but the claiming of her lips bred a desire for a wilder union. Lilli responded with her own rush of feelings. With their arms locked around each other, they swayed, pressing and straining, until Lilli finally slid her face to the side and drew away.

A sadness close to despair took the pride from her slim body and pressed her lips tightly together. The very thing that had driven her out of his arms pushed her back to them, curling her head against his chest. Webb held her loosely, shattered by her terrible, quiet crying.

“Lilli, I asked you once to leave him—”

She pulled back and lifted her chin. Webb had an instant to see the unguarded longing in her eyes before her loyalty intervened to take it from him. “I won’t,” she dully repeated her previous refusal.

“I’ve got to be able to see you now and then,” he insisted roughly. “We can arrange something—”