Midnight Rhythms

“You don’t have to.”

Such simple words. Sam tried to move, but her legs wouldn’t obey. It was the music, hypnotizing her, stroking the secret dreams hiding in the shadows of her heart.

And the look in David’s eyes.

He smiled into her eyes, saying nothing, and the music filled the silence between them with an erotic energy that made her tremble. Her heart was beating fast and it was suddenly hard to breathe. An invisible power seemed to radiate from him, surrounding her, captivating her like a witch’s spell.

“You smell very sweet,” he said then, and he bent his head and kissed her full on the mouth.

Ever since KAREN VAN DER ZEE was a child growing up in Holland she wanted to do two things: write books and travel. She’s been very lucky. Her American husband’s work as a development economist has taken them to many exotic locations. They were married in Kenya, had their first daughter in Ghana and their second in the United States. They spent two fascinating years in Indonesia. Since then they’ve added a son to the family and lived for a number of years in Virginia before going on the move again. After spending over a year in the West Bank near Jerusalem and three and a half years in Ghana (again), they are now living in Armenia, but not for good!

Midnight Rhythms

Karen van der Zee

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

EPILOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

THE man stood stark naked in the bright light of a full moon, all of his masculine splendor on full display. Samantha stopped in her tracks and stared at the man poised at the edge of the pool. “Now I know I’m going nuts,” she muttered to herself. “I’m hallucinating, seeing things.”

The strap of her heavy book bag bit into her right shoulder; she’d been carrying it around for the last mile home, having left her car by the side of the road with an empty gas tank. She was exhausted. She’d lived on five hours of sleep a night for the past two weeks and it was no wonder she was hallucinating. For a moment she closed her eyes, then opened them again. No naked man by the pool. She let out a deep sigh, realizing she’d been holding her breath. All she wanted was to get inside, have a shower and go to sleep.

She stumbled to the front door and let herself in, dropped her bag, and practically crawled to her bedroom. Collapsing on the bed, she kicked off her shoes, picked up the phone and dialed Gina’s number at the hospital. Gina was a nurse and worked the evening shift.

“I’m going crazy,” she told her friend. “I’m going stark raving mad.”

“Did that bald instructor make another pass at you?”

“Yes, but that’s not it.” Samantha unbuttoned her blouse and struggled out of it. “I can handle him, but I think I’m seeing things. My mind is playing tricks with me. Is that what happens when you delve into the mysteries of business law with only five hours of sleep?”

“What do you mean you’re seeing things?”

Sam began to laugh. She couldn’t help it. “You’re not going to believe this. I ran out of gas a mile from home and—”

“I believe it, Sam,” Gina said dryly. “It’s a warning, a metaphor. You’re going to run out of gas if you don’t stop and relax once in a while. So tell me, what are you seeing that’s so funny?”

“I came walking up the driveway just now, a few minutes ago, and I saw a man standing near the swimming pool.”

“A man?”

“Yes.” Sam closed her eyes, seeing the man again. “Buck naked. All his God-given glory illuminated by a full moon. He looked like some Greek or Roman statue. He looked like Michelangelo’s David. He was gorgeous. Artistically speaking, of course.”

“Of course,” said Gina.

“He looked very much like he belonged there, near the pool, amid all those big trees, and that fat moon overhead. Like a real statue.” Revelation struck her. “Oh! That’s why I saw him! Somebody showed me her vacation pictures yesterday—all these Italian paintings and fountains and statues. No wonder. Just a trick of the light, I guess.”

“Phew,” Gina sighed. “What a relief. I was worried you were going nuts and it was all my fault because of what I said yesterday.”

Sam frowned. “I forgot about that.” Gina had told her it was high time to start thinking about romance, to find a man, to find love. She’d been alone too long and she deserved a good man. Well, Gina meant well, but Sam was not in the mood for romance. She was too busy working and going to school getting her degree. She was determined to be a college graduate before she turned thirty next year.

She sighed. “What I need right now is not a man, but a shower and a good night’s sleep. I won’t have to get up and study in the morning, so I’ll sleep in till seven.”

“Wow. Seven. I’m impressed. What about your car?”

“Oh, shoot, yes.” Sam raked her fingers through her damp hair. Thick and curly, the only way to keep it tamed was to pin it on top of her head or gather it back in a ponytail with a scrunchy. Maybe she should just have it cut really short. It would be cool and easy in the heat of summer. Except then she’d have to keep it trimmed all the time to keep it looking neat and when was she ever going to have time to go to the hair salon? She let out a weary sigh. Always this struggle for time. And now an empty gas tank to deal with.

“I’ll take Susan’s car and go to the gas station and get a can of gas and fill my tank, drive it back here, walk back to my car…it’s going to cost me an hour.” She groaned. “There goes sleeping in.” She unzipped her skirt and pulled it off. “I can’t win. God, what a miserable day. The air conditioner at the office wasn’t working and there was one crisis after another, and I had to stay late and almost didn’t make it to class in time.” She frowned. “I never had dinner, come to think of it. I should be hungry, shouldn’t I? I don’t think I am, though. Oh, well, in this heat, who wants to eat?” Only June and it felt like August, the sweltering air humid and thick. She stripped off the rest of her damp clothes and staggered into the bathroom that adjoined her bedroom, taking the portable phone with her.

She looked at herself in the mirror, which was a mistake. Light blue eyes, pale face, brown hair—she looked washed out, her lipstick and blush long worn off. Maybe it was the light. Right, sure, she thought with a grimace. She turned away from her reflection.

“Anyway,” said Sam, turning on the shower, “how’s everything with you?”

“Fine, same old thing. What’s that noise?”

“The shower. I’d better get in before I have no strength left to stand on my feet. Talk to you soon.”

“Take it easy, Sam,” said Gina. “Hallucinating about naked men is definitely a warning sign. Your feminine self is trying to tell you something.”

Sam rolled her eyes at the ceiling. “Yes, Mommy.”

She had a shower, washed her hair and felt marginally better—still exhausted, but clean. Wrapped in a short cotton robe, she looked a little better, too, the blue of the robe brightening her eyes. Her stomach was grumbling now, and she felt thirsty. Having dried her hair and tied it back to keep it out of her face, she went to the kitchen to find something to eat. A banana, a glass of milk. She wasn’t sure what she would find. She hadn’t shopped for food in days.

The hardwood floor felt cool and smooth under her bare feet. It was such a beautiful house and she was happy to have the opportunity to live here for a while, house-sitting for Susan and Andrew, friends who were on a six-month tour of southern Europe, making a documentary. Such a stroke of luck, too, just when her apartment building had gone co-op and she’d been forced to move out.

House-sitting for Susan and Andrew was a perfect solution. The McMillans owned several acres of wooded land in Virginia, not too far from the civilized world of Washington D.C. The one-story house was an irregular, sprawling structure built to fit in with its natural surroundings. It had a big wooden deck and an in-ground swimming pool in the yard. Inside, the house was airy and spacious and furnished with casual, comfortable furniture and colorful artwork. Being used to apartment living, Sam found all the space simply wonderful, although sometimes, when she allowed herself the luxury of a moment of introspection, all that space made her feel a little lonely.

Light came from the kitchen. Had she left it on this morning? No, she was sure she hadn’t. Besides, she hadn’t noticed it being on when she’d come home. Trepidation gripped her. She stepped into the kitchen and her heart stopped as she took in the scene.

A red towel wrapped around his hips, Michelangelo’s David was pouring himself a whiskey.

CHAPTER TWO

SAM froze as she stared at the man. He was tall and tanned and well-built. Very short black hair damply hugged his well-formed skull and his dark eyes looked at her with surprise, but only for a moment. An amused half-smile curved his mouth.

“I didn’t know you were home,” he said, putting the whiskey bottle on the counter. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

Sam couldn’t talk. Here he was, a stranger in her house, huge, naked apart from a towel, and he hadn’t meant to frighten her. What had he expected? A hug? She swallowed with difficulty, aware he was still observing her. Who was this man? This very good-looking man—she couldn’t help noticing, tired as she was. He had strong, angular features that were not quite regular, a square jaw, a nose just a bit crooked. Dark, compelling eyes. A very masculine face. All of him was definitely very masculine—the broad chest, the muscular legs and arms, nicely tanned, all radiating a disturbing virility. She was aware of it even through the fog of her fatigue. Gina would be happy to know all her female hormones were still alive and kicking.

“Didn’t you get my messages?” he asked, taking a drink from his glass. Feet planted squarely on the floor, he looked as if he owned the place. “I called several times yesterday and today and left messages on the machine.” His voice held a vague note of reproof, which she did not appreciate.

“No, I didn’t,” she said tightly. She hadn’t checked the answering machine, which was in Andrew’s office and out of sight. She’d been too busy and too tired and too preoccupied. Actually, she’d plain forgotten. Not having had an answering machine in her apartment, she was not in the habit of checking one.

“You must be Samantha,” he stated.

He knew her name. “And you must be David,” she said promptly, and watched his eyebrows shoot up.

“I thought you didn’t get the messages I left you?”

“I didn’t.” She took a step back. He was looming over her.

“But you know my name.”

Oh, no. This could not be true. She swallowed a little laugh. “I was just guessing,” she said, trying to sound casual. David. His name was David!

“Just guessing?” he repeated. “Out of thousands of possibilities, you come up with David? Why?”

Because you reminded me of Michelangelo’s David standing there naked by the pool.

She wasn’t about to tell him that. Instead, she shrugged and managed a cool look. “Yes. Sometimes I do that. Guess, I mean. People look like their names sometimes. You look like a David.”

“Ah,” he said. “Well, good. I wouldn’t like to look like a Flip or a Bucky.”

His tone was dry, and she caught a glimmer of humor in his eyes. She wondered if it had been there all along and he was laughing at her. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and crossed her arms defensively in front of her chest, wishing she didn’t feel so puny with her five foot three inches and one hundred and eight pounds. “So who are you and what are you doing here in my house?” Oddly, she felt no fear. This big man emanated strength, but she registered no threat to her physical safety. “I could call the police, you know,” she added bravely.

He was not impressed by her threat. He quirked an eyebrow, his expression indicating that the very idea of his being mistrusted was rather amusing.

“This is not your house,” he said calmly, taking another leisurely drink. “This is Susan and Andrew McMillan’s house and I am David McMillan, Andrew’s cousin.”

Yes, Your Majesty, she was tempted to say.

“Oh,” she said instead, sounding not very bright. She squared her shoulders. “But I am house-sitting for them and what right do you have to come barging in here disturbing my privacy?”

“It was not my intention to do any barging and disturbing,” he said soberly. “That’s why I made all these calls, none of which you returned. However, I do need a place to stay for the next few months and I did have a key and—”

“What?” Sam’s heart crashed into her shoes. “You’re going to move into the house?” A surge of adrenaline momentarily revived her. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “No way! You are not moving in here!” So brave she sounded. As if she could prevent him from doing anything he might want to do—this man with his perfect physique and well-trained muscles.

He tossed back the rest of his drink and smiled benignly. “Oh, yes, I am, Samantha Bennett.”

She stared at him, feeling helpless rage. Her head began to throb. She was so tired. She had the sudden, frightening urge to burst out into tears, which she hadn’t done in years. Something was seriously wrong with her. First hallucinating, now crying. No, she hadn’t been hallucinating, after all. Seeing David McMillan standing starkers in the moonlight had not been the delusion of an overwrought mind. It had been plain reality. She rubbed her forehead, trying to erase the image from her mind. She was in no state to contemplate a naked male.

She was uncomfortably aware of his scrutiny, the dark eyes intent on her face. He moved toward her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Sit down,” he ordered. “You look as if you’re about to collapse.” He eased her into a chair at the kitchen table. She sagged down like a bag of potatoes, too tired to fight his order. A moment later he put a glass with a measure of whiskey in front of her and seated himself across from her at the table.

“You have nothing to worry about,” he said calmly. “I’m not a mass murderer or a rapist or a con artist—which is easy for me to say, I’m well aware, but we can try to contact Susan and Andrew by phone tomorrow so they can set your mind at ease.”

“We can call them now,” she said. He was taking control of the situation and she didn’t like it.

“We could, but it’s the dead of night in Turkey and I’m not sure they’d appreciate it. Now, drink up. It’ll calm your nerves.”

She gritted her teeth and glared at him. “Do you always order people around?”

Surprise flared in his dark eyes, as if he had never considered the issue. Then the left corner of his mouth lifted with faint amusement. “Yes,” he said. “Now, relax, woman, and have that drink.”

Sam gave up. She gazed down into the amber liquid and winced at the smell of it. “I can’t. It will make me sick. I haven’t had anything to eat since breakfast.”

“You do have a bit of a hungry look about you,” he commented. “I’ll fix you a sandwich.” He came to his feet, all six-two or-three inches of brown muscled manhood towering over her. He was a man used to being in charge, that was clear. A man used to giving orders. And being obeyed.

She didn’t have the strength to oppose him, didn’t even have the strength to come to her feet and walk to her bedroom, so she sat there like a zombie and watched him deftly assemble a huge ham and cheese sandwich, adorned with lettuce and tomato.

“Milk?” he asked. “Tea, coffee?”

“Milk. If there is any.”

“There is. I brought some groceries with me when I came this afternoon.”

A good thing, too, Sam thought, because there wasn’t much in the house. She watched him take a carton of milk out of the refrigerator and pour her a glass. His hand was big and strong, like everything else about him.

It all seemed so ordinary, sitting here in a kitchen with another person who was fixing her something to eat. It wasn’t ordinary. She didn’t know this man and he was sharing this house with her. And here he was, wrapped only in a towel, and she herself with nothing on under her skimpy little robe.

Maybe all of this was a dumb dream and she would wake up and find it was morning and none of this had actually happened. If she told Gina about this nocturnal fantasy, her friend would tell her it was Sam’s feminine side trying to get through to her on a subconscious level. You need a man, she’d say. Well, Sam didn’t need a man. She needed a college degree and financial security, thank you.

“I didn’t hear you come home,” he said. “I didn’t see a car.” His voice was deep, resonating somewhere deep inside her, disturbing her in a way she didn’t want to be disturbed.

“I came home walking.” Between bites and sips she told him what had happened to the car, not caring he might think it was pretty stupid to run out of gas.

“You look exhausted,” he observed. “Like someone who hasn’t had a lot of fun lately.”

“I haven’t.” Well, it was the truth. “I work for my grandfather, and he’s getting old and temperamental and I worry about him.” Why was she saying this? It wasn’t her habit to say things like this to strangers.

“What do you do?”

She gave a low laugh. “That depends on who you ask. He’ll tell you I’m his little granddaughter helping him out at the office. He owns a furniture retail store.”

David gave her a considering look. “But you’re running the whole show?”

She nodded. “He pretends he doesn’t know it, but I’m sure he does. Business has been slowing down a lot over the last few years and I don’t know how long we can hold out, but…” She sighed. “It’s like he doesn’t want to see it.”

She hadn’t had a raise in years; the money simply wasn’t there. With more and more big furniture super-stores opening in the area, there was no chance of survival. That was why she was getting her degree: paper qualifications to back up her working experience. She intended to find a job that would offer her good career possibilities and decent money. She had her son to plan for. Kevin was only ten now, but in another eight years he’d be off to college.

She sighed and took another bite of the sandwich. Kevin was spending the summer in Florida with her sister and brother-in-law who ran recreational and educational camps for kids all year around. He was having a wonderful time, and it gave Sam the opportunity to take extra classes at night and not worry about whether she was leaving him alone too much. Still, she missed him and looked forward to the end of summer when he’d be back. She’d have to find an apartment by then, too. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her forehead. She didn’t want to have to think about that now.

“Are you all right?” Concern in the man’s voice.

She glanced up at him, standing near her chair. “I’m fine…just tired.” Her plate was empty, the sandwich finished. She’d practically wolfed it down. “I’ve got to get some sleep, though.”

In order to do that she’d first have to get up from her chair. She wasn’t sure she could summon the strength; she felt as if she weighed a thousand pounds—inert, immovable. She had no choice but to try. Pushing her chair back, she came awkwardly to her feet, felt her body reeling, struggling for balance.

“Easy…” He moved forward, reached out a hand to steady her.

Devoid of energy, her body would not obey. It landed softly and neatly against his, like a rag doll.

She was dizzily conscious of his arm around her back, holding her. Felt her cheek against the warmth of his naked chest.

It felt very nice, very safe.

Safe. She let out a sigh. It had been a long time since she’d felt safe.

Drawing in a slow, deep breath, she smelled the warm, male scent of his skin, felt the chest hair tickling her cheek. This was a dream. Her mind was playing tricks with her again, but she didn’t care. Dreaming was safe.

He had a strong chest, a strong, hard body that was holding her so comfortably, as if she belonged there and she had no worries and all was well with her world. Ah, bliss.

Then she felt something else, something more than comfort. The pounding of her heart, or was it his? The warmth rushing through her body. And the heat of his, against her.

She froze as the realization of what was happening dawned on her, clearing her mind instantly. Fearful embarrassment rushed through her on a wave of adrenalin and she drew back, her legs trembling precariously.

“I’m sorry… I…”

He gave a crooked smile. His hands were on her upper arms, steadying her. “Don’t be. I like goodnight hugs.”

She’d noticed. She stared at him. “I…” She couldn’t even think of what she was trying to say.

“Come on, let me walk you to your room.”

She drew back some more. “No, no. I’m fine, really.” She turned quickly. “Goodnight,” she managed.

“Goodnight, Samantha.” Did she hear amusement in his voice? She wasn’t sure.

Am I nuts? she asked herself as she lay in bed. Should I just be going to sleep with that stranger roaming free in the house? A stranger she had unintentionally managed to get sexually excited. Sam groaned into her pillow. Did she believe what he’d said, that he was Andrew’s cousin?

Well, he did look like Andrew, actually. They both were dark and tall, both had that air of confidence and command. They could have been brothers instead of cousins. Which proved nothing about David’s purity of character and intentions. What was he doing here, anyway? She hadn’t even asked. What was the matter with her? Where was her brain?

She pulled the sheet up over her head. She didn’t care where it was. All she cared about now was some sleep. Deep, restorative sleep.

Birdsong awoke her the next morning. The room was full of sunshine. For a moment she lay basking in it like a lazy cat, then she leaped out of bed. The car! She needed to get gas. She was late!

The man! There was a strange man in the house. Her heart turned over as disturbing memories flashed through her mind. The scent of his skin, the feel of his hard body against her. She took a deep breath. She had no time to think about that now. She didn’t even want to think about it whether she had time or not.

She had a quick shower, dressed in a navy skirt and a white blouse, twisted her hair on top of her head, put some lipstick on, got her things together and rushed to the kitchen. The smell of fresh coffee greeted her, and she noticed David in shorts and T-shirt sitting on the deck reading the paper, looking as if he owned the place, looking as if he had all the time in the world. Well, maybe he had. He came to his feet when he caught sight of her, wishing her a good morning. He followed her into the kitchen.

“Feeling better?” he asked.

“Yes, and I apologize for the…er…Victorian virgin routine last night,” she added before she could think about it. She glanced away. “I really didn’t mean to…uh—”

“Neither did I,” he said smoothly. “Breakfast? I’ll do the honors.”

Cool as a cucumber, he was; she had to admire that. She shook her head. “I’ve got to run. I’m late.”

“You’re out of gas,” he reminded her.

She closed her eyes and sighed. “I know.” She poured herself some coffee. “I’m going to take Susan’s car to get some gas, put it in mine, bring back hers, walk back to mine and leave.”