Hidden Talents

grandfather. I grew up in a family that values conventional rituals and I'm expected to honor them. But nothing Roland Ventress says or does will influence what happens between you and me. Is that clear?”
    She hesitated and then slowly some of the tension went out of her. She smiled tremulously. “Word of honor?”
    “Word of honor,” Caleb whispered.
    The realization that he meant every word of the vow hit him with the force of a tidal wave.
    He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything else in his life. She was one of the few things he had ever wanted just for himself, alone, not because it would please his grandfather or satisfy the old man's unrelenting demands for perfection and success.
    Caleb was aware that his desire for Serenity made him potentially vulnerable in a way he had never been. It gave her more power over him than he had ever granted to any other woman. But he was certain he could handle the situation. If there was one thing he had learned growing up in his grandfather's house, it was how to control his emotions.
    Furthermore, he had no intention of making the same mistake his father had made. He would not allow a woman, any woman, to destroy his life. Not even Serenity had that much power, Caleb thought.
    “Caleb?”
    “Kiss me.” He caught her head between his hands and set his mouth on hers. This time he coaxed rather than stormed, persuaded rather than invaded.
    Serenity opened her mouth and let him inside. She wrapped her arms around his waist and melted against him.
    Excitement rushed through Caleb. He slipped his hand inside her robe and found the sweet shape of her breast. She trembled in response. She wanted him. The knowledge set fire to his blood.
    Without releasing her mouth, Caleb started to ease Serenity toward the bed. At first she went willingly enough, but after two steps she abruptly dug in her heels.
    “No,” she whispered, pushing herself out of his grasp. “We can't.”
    “Why not?” He did not want to argue. All he could think about was getting Serenity into bed. “The other night I got the impression that you'd changed your mind, that you wanted me to make love to you.”
    She scowled at him while she hastily adjusted her robe. “It's got nothing to do with what I want. At least not tonight. I'm sure it would constitute a terrible breach of your grandfather's notion of good manners. His generation doesn't approve of that kind of thing. It's only right that we show proper respect for his ways when we're under his roof.”
    “Damn it, Serenity, I just told you, I don't care what he thinks.”
    “Yes, I know, but I'm a guest in this household, and I feel I should behave according to your grandfather's rules. He strikes me as a very old-fashioned sort of person. He would probably think it was quite indecent of us to have sex here in your childhood bedroom.”
    Caleb realized she was very serious. “My grandfather may be in his eighties but he's not senile. I'll give you odds he thinks we're sleeping together.”
    “That's not the point,” she grumbled as she stalked toward the French doors. “The point is, he's the kind of person who would expect his grandson to conduct his love affairs with discretion. That was the way things were done in his day.”
    “How would you know?”
    “Come off it. It's obvious.” She paused, one hand on the door knob. “Tell me the truth. Have you ever made love to another woman under this roof?”
    Caleb rested his arm on top of the bureau and regarded her in silence for several seconds. He realized he was well and truly pissed. He wanted to take the next step in this relationship. Serenity was deliberately being difficult about it for some reason. If she had been any other woman, he would have suspected that she was playing games with him. But Serenity was Serenity. He could not envision her successfully playing this kind of game.
    “No,” Caleb said. “I haven't.”
    “There? You see? Until now, you've felt the need to be discreet while visiting here. Admit it.”
    Caleb thought about it and then shrugged. “You could say that.” There were times when Serenity was too damn perceptive. It was true that on the handful of occasions when he had brought a woman to meet Roland, he had always made it a point to behave with the propriety that he knew was expected of him.
    “This is a small town, after all, with small-town values,” Serenity said in a lecturing tone. “Your grandfather has lived here all his life.