Bougainvillea by Heather Graham Page B

high-ceilinged rec room, complete with billiards and an entertainment center compatible to that in the main house. Ship models handsomely adorned panelled walls. Collector pieces, old swords, antique guns, African and Caribbean art were displayed on various shelves. Kit stopped dead still for a moment,looking around, realizing that the items actually represented a world she didn’t share with her husband.
    A meow and a brush of fur against her leg suddenly reminded Kit that she had brought a piece of her own home with her.
    â€œWhitney!” she cried, and scooped him up. He purred happily. “Poor thing. The flight was traumatic, I think.”
    David took the cat from her. “Believe me, Lenore hires the most efficient help in the state. He’s been fed and watered, and I’m sure he’s making himself quite happy here. Actually, too bad we don’t live in the main house. Both Lenore and Kaitlin hate cats.”
    â€œDavid, that’s mean!”
    â€œTo the cat or the two witches?”
    She laughed. “You don’t like them very much, huh?”
    He shrugged. “They’re like family—I guess. Therefore, I get to call them witches. Or worse.”
    He set the cat down.
    â€œQuestion,” he said, moving close to her. “Want to see more of my place first—or of me?”
    She smiled slowly. “Hmm.”
    â€œWell?” he persisted.
    â€œQuestion.”
    â€œYes?”
    â€œDoes that mean you’re eager to see more of me, now that we’re alone?” she demanded.
    â€œYou bet.”
    She laughed softly, curling her arms around his neck.
    He’d carried her over the threshold of their over-the-top hotel room in Vegas. Now he swept her up again, dramatically romantic. Her foot banged against the wall as he walked up the steps.
    â€œOuch!”
    â€œWell, that kind of ruined the moment, didn’t it?” he inquired dryly. “Maybe not…we’ll reach my room —our room—and start with the foot.”
    â€œKinky.”
    â€œThe foot is attached to the ankle.”
    â€œAnkle fetish. Great.”
    â€œIs attached to the calf. Calf to the knee, knee to the thigh…when we get there,” he drawled lazily, “I’ll explain completely just what’s attached to what.”
    He did just that. Touch, kiss, and caress her, from her feet, to her ankle, calf, knee, and thigh on up. Kit found herself amazed again at the extent of urgent passion he could arouse in her, and the euphoria that followed. Then laughter as well, and talk, and making love all over again.
    They never said goodbye to the many guests at the party. It was into the wee hours of the morning when she finally explored her new home, and with it, learned much about her husband, his love for the sea, and his photographs.
    They stayed awake to admire the sunrise, an event she could watch every morning from bed.
    Her life, it seemed, was too good to be true. Yet for her first several weeks at Bougainvillea, it stayed the same.
    David showed her Sea Life’s construction facilities in Coconut Grove, and she met his friends and the many people employed by Sea Life. She lunched with him, Josh and Michael, at the little marina café where apparently they went almost daily at noon. Lenore brought her around town, showing her theaters, galleries and a zillion shops where the Delaneys were esteemed clients.Kaitlin gave her lists of the places they used for home services, and showed her some of the local boutiques she thought Kit should know.
    On one of those occasions, Kit was startled to realize that Kaitlin definitely bore her own memories of the past, and they certainly weren’t all good.
    It was a Wednesday afternoon and they had gone down to Cocowalk to shop. Kit was trying on a halter dress in a blue flowered pattern and came out of the dressing room to ask Kaitlin’s opinion.
    She was startled by the way the woman stared at