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Authors: Jo Leigh

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“Can you guys stop kissing for one second and tell me what I’m supposed to do about dinner?”

Dani pulled back, and he let her go. Well, not all the way. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kept her back pressed to him.

“I’ll call out for a pizza,” Dani said.

“We had pizza last night.” Chloe stood in the hallway with her arms crossed over her chest. He was amazed at the resemblance between mother and daughter. She was a little Dani, right down to the shape of her nose. He could see there was a little influence from her father. Her height, for one thing. And something about her eyes. But she would end up beautiful, just like her mom. Lucky girl.

“Then how about a frozen burrito?”

“I want pancakes.”

“For dinner?”

Chloe nodded. “Like Mimi makes them.”

Dani turned her head quickly, shooting a glance at Alex. She was trying to tell him something, but he wasn’t quite sure what. But she sure seemed excited about it.

“Wait one second,” she said, and extricated herself from his hold.

Alex watched her hurry to the phone. He couldn’t hear the conversation, and his curiosity was piqued. Something told him he was going to like this plan, whatever it was. Dani’s smile when she hung up confirmed it.

“You,” she said to Chloe, “can go pack a bag for the night.”

“I can?” Chloe looked at her mom suspiciously. “Why?”

“Because you’re going to get your pancakes. Just like Mimi makes them. At Mimi’s house. You’re going to have a sleepover.”

Chloe grinned. “Cool.” Then the worried look came back. “But what about the cakes?”

Dani’s smile weakened. “Oh. I forgot.”

“Hey,” Alex said, knowing he was throwing away a golden opportunity. “I did promise to help.”

No one responded. He caught the look that passed between Dani and Chloe, however. He grinned. “I promise. I’ll let you guys check every ingredient before I put it in. No cayenne. No garlic.”

Chloe giggled. Dani met his gaze. “You sure?” she whispered.

He nodded. Her smile was almost all the reward he needed. The real prize would come later.

DANI FINISHED WIPING the counter and put the sponge down. Dinner, which had turned out to be macaroni and cheese by default, had been eaten. Cakes had been baked, even though two quick trips to the store had been required. Icing had been licked. Now Chloe was in bed, Pete was sleeping soundly on a soft blanket in the living room, the kitchen was clean and she was alone with Alex.

She felt like a teenager on her first date. No, worse. A lovesick teenager faced with her biggest crush. Her skin felt tight, her breathing rapid. Her hand kept going to her hair, her gaze darting back and forth from his eyes to the floor. She laughed, and it sounded foolish and jittery. Something had to give soon, or she was going to lose it altogether and...

And what? The short answer was run like hell. The long answer was too complicated for her overextended brain to consider.

Then the problem was whisked away. He took two steps, that’s all, just two. He held out his arms. She entered his embrace. And everything that had happened in her world before that moment was gone. Just gone.

Suddenly she was being carried, cradled in his arms even while they kissed. Passion flowed between them as if it were an electrical current, held them together through the interminable walk to her bedroom. Once inside, with the door shut, he walked right to the bed and carried her with him on top of it, so they were laying next to each other, entwined with each other. His hands moved over her back in a frenzy of exploration, while she moved her hips and her thighs and her chest so that she could feel him in every possible way.

He moaned as her tummy rubbed his erection, and cupped her behind to pull her closer. The feeling of that hardness against her was almost more than she could take. She had never felt this kind of animal lust before. This desperation to have a man inside her. This man. Whose kisses turned her to mush. Whose caress made her melt. Who had far too many clothes on.

She reached for his shirt buttons and found her fingers so shaky it was difficult to maneuver. Alex helped, but as he reached the button just above his belt he stopped.

Dani looked at him, questioning.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yes. Are you?”

She expected a quick yes in return. Instead he grew silent and still. “What’s wrong?”

“Once will never be enough,” he said.

Her hand went to his bare chest and she ran her fingers through the dark, soft, curly hair that covered his muscled flesh. “Who said anything about once?”

“I don’t mean tonight,” he said. “I mean that once I have you, I’ll never let you go.”

Oh, Lord, how she wanted to believe him. But it was enough to know that he was sincere. For tonight, he really did mean it. That his sentiments would change once he was back in the real world was a certainty, but right now, in this magic space, she decided not to think about that.

Her decision had been made hours ago, she realized. The moment she’d seen Alex standing in the kitchen, stirring his horrible soup. It hadn’t been a hard decision after all. She would lose him no matter what. Whether they made love or not. But did she also want to regret passing up what could be the most intensely satisfying and beautiful night of her life? No. She’d lived on bittersweet memories for years. But tonight, and forever more, she would know that once she had been loved by the most wonderful man in the world.

She kissed him her answer, showed him her response with her hands and her body.

He cupped her face and looked deeply into her eyes. “I love you,” he said.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, and whispered, “I love you, too.”

Then his hand went to her breast, and she abandoned herself to the dream.

Chapter Fourteen

H
er body. Petite, feminine, soft, so soft. Her blouse was off now, tossed to the floor, and his fingers were at the clasp of her pink bra. Even though the only light in the room came from a small lamp on her dresser, he could see how aroused she was. The nipples he’d touched so briefly this morning had remained in his memory all day. Truth be known, it was probably those very nipples that had made him screw up dinner. He laughed a little at the thought.

“What?” Dani asked softly.

“Nothing,” he said. “Lord, you’re so beautiful.” He undid her bra, but he didn’t expose her breasts yet. Instead he leaned down and ran his tongue between them, tasting the bare skin, breathing deeply to memorize her scent.

She sighed and pushed her chest a tiny bit toward him. As he continued to lick her, he carefully brought his fingers underneath the cups of her bra and teased the very edge of her sensitive flesh.

Dani moved beneath him, responsive, sensual. He had to fight the urge to rush. This was their first time, and there would be no hurrying. He wanted to savor every moment, every touch, every sound.

He moved his fingers up a bit more, so that the tips rested just beneath her areolae. The swell of her breasts filled the palms of his hands. She pushed again, urging him on. He took the right edge of her bra clasp in his teeth, then lifted the material slowly, slowly back and away, as if he were unwrapping a most precious present. The gift inside was her straining nipple, pink, erect and perfect. Now he leaned down again and this time he tasted the little bud with the tip of his tongue, then captured it gently between his teeth.

“Oh, Alex,” she said as she writhed beneath him. Her hands went to the back of his head, and she grabbed his hair as if she needed to hang on to something before she fell. He used his hands to slide her pants down, but he didn’t stop his ministrations. He couldn’t have stopped for anything. Not even the end of the world.

He loved the taste of her. Nibbling softly, he swirled his tongue around and around, amazed that he was here, that she was giving him this miracle. She pulled back, and he cried out. Quickly she leaned down and finished taking off her pants, then she helped him remove his. Of course, she’d been right. Being naked was exactly what he wanted. He needed to see her bare flesh, her wonderful curves. He got caught by the swell of her hip, and he had to kiss her right there. Then there was her stomach, so pale and smooth and lovely that he took his time exploring with his hands and his lips and his tongue.

She moved her legs slightly apart, and he was drawn to the soft golden curls at the juncture of her thighs. There would be no choice soon. He’d have to do something to ease the ache in his loins. As much as he wanted to take all the time in the world, the problem was getting serious. He didn’t want to finish before he’d begun.

But first... he needed to taste her once more.

DANI FLOATED ON A SEA of sensation. She’d suspected his gentleness and his sensuality, but the proof was so far above her expectations that she had no words, even when it was impossible to stay silent. She moaned her pleasure, and used her hands to please him back.

She’d never wanted this way. Or felt more wanted. The way he looked at her. The way he tasted her. It made her feel beautiful and sexy and wanton and innocent all at the same time.

She felt his hot breath between her legs, and she shook with anticipation. He gently moved her knees farther apart, and she grabbed the pillow from the top of the bed and grasped it so tightly she could feel her fingernails on her palms.

Then his lips touched her, his tongue tickled and enticed her. When he dipped inside her, she lost all reason. All sense of time. She was here forever, with him taking her to the stars. Nothing in her life had prepared her for this. No one had told her it could be so wonderful. He was...magic.

As she squirmed with pleasure, she reached down and touched the back of his head. Lord, she wanted him inside her. Now. “Alex,” she whispered.

He stopped. “Yes?”

“I want you.”

“You have me, lover.”

“No. Inside me.”

“Yes?”

“Yes.”

He kissed her once more, then lifted himself up. He stared at her as he climbed up the bed, and then she was looking straight into his eyes.

“I want to do everything with you,” he said. “Everything two people can do.”

She smiled. “I know. You’re so beautiful. So sweet. I never guessed it could be so...”

“Yeah. Me, neither. But it’s not over. Not even close.” He moved a little, and she felt him at her core. Reaching down, she grasped him, gasping a little at his thickness, then guided him. Guided him home.

He slid into her slowly, filling her perfectly. No feeling was ever like this. Nothing else made her feel so complete. It was as if she was made for him, and he for her.

Her arms went around his back, and she felt his muscles bunch and relax as he filled her and eased back. His eyes never left hers, and she felt closer to him than any other human being in the world, now or in her past, and certainly in her future. Something special was happening here, some bond that was fusing between them. He leaned down and kissed her, so that they shared the same breath while they shared their bodies.

His rhythm changed, growing faster and more urgent. Her stomach clenched, and her excitement grew. Every movement of his rubbed her in that one spot, bringing her closer and closer to climax.

She wrapped her legs around his waist. No more thinking. Only feeling. Flying. Surging. Then her body tensed and she shattered apart in a climax that shook her to her bones.

He moaned as he felt her explosion and his thrusts became primal and fierce. The kiss was broken and she could see his face in a mask of pleasure so intense it looked like pain. Every one of his muscles tensed, and then he came, too. She was still trembling, not recovered, and this sent her over the edge once more.

When he could breathe again, when he’d captured her gaze once more, he smiled a smile that lit her up inside. “My Lord, how I love you, Dani. I want you to be mine. Forever.”

She sighed deeply. “Forever,” she whispered. “That’s a long time.”

He settled down at her side, turning her slightly with him so he didn’t separate from her. She wrapped her leg over his and this fit was perfect, too.

They both still breathed heavily, and she kept having these little shuddery spasms, which made her grip him tighter still. He moaned, running his hand over her arm and her back.

“Dani?”

“Hmm?”

“I want you to come to New York.”

“I know you do.”

“Will you?”

She ran her fingers through his chest hair, playing with the strands idly, loving the intimacy of the simple act. “I want to,” she said slowly. “I tried like hell not to want to, but I do. The thought of you leaving tears me up inside. How it happened so fast I don’t know, but I can’t lie to you. Well, I can’t lie to myself. Not anymore.”

“Thank God,” he said. Then he kissed her. She fell into the kiss, knowing what she would say next might mean it was her last. When she finally pulled back, he sighed once more.

“Alex,” she said, not wanting to go on. “I want to go. But I can’t.”

“Why not? I’ll give you everything, Dani. You and Chloe will never want for anything again.”

“I can’t take everything you want to give. I can’t. I’m not like that.”

“I’m not trying to buy your love, Dani. I love you, and that’s why I want to make you happy.”

She studied his face intently, searching for what, she wasn’t quite sure. “You love me? Honestly?”

“Yes,” he said, with a certainty that made her heart skip a beat. “I know it’s fast, but doesn’t love happen like that sometimes?”

“I suppose so.”

He touched her chin with his fingertip, making sure she looked him in the eye. “You don’t feel the same, huh?”

“No. I mean, I do feel for you. More than I ever would have imagined. I’m just not so sure, that’s all.”

“Do you want to spend time with me?”

She nodded. “Every minute I can.”

“Do you feel better when we’re together than when we’re apart?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to make love over and over until we’re both ninety and can’t do it anymore?”

She giggled. “I think it’s safe to give that a big yes.”

“So?”

“So, I’m not sure that’s love. At least not the kind of love I want.”

“Tell me. What is it you’re looking for?”

“I’m not exactly sure. But I do know I don’t want to be kept. Not even by you.”

“Kept?”

His gaze was troubled, and she didn’t like to see that. But she had to tell him the truth.

“That’s a pretty old-fashioned notion,” he said.

“But it’s what you have in mind, isn’t it?”

He didn’t answer her for a long moment. His hands stilled on her back. She didn’t press. He had to think this through, just as she had to.

“Have I ever told you about my father?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“You know he’s a very successful man. He took the company from a nice-size enterprise to an international conglomerate. He was a genius in business, and I worshiped him since I was a boy. He taught me more than any college ever could have. His advice has made me a successful man. He tempered ambition with compassion, and he taught me to do the same. The people who worked for him stayed their whole lives. He appreciated every one of them.”

“He sounds like someone I’d like,” she said.

“You would. He’d like you, too. But...”

“What?”

“When I was of age, my father sat me down and gave me what he called the most important advice I’d ever hear. He said it was truly the key to his success, and that if I did nothing else in my career, only followed these rules, I’d have everything I wanted from this world.”

“Wow. Those must be some rules.”

Alex nodded. “They were about you.”

“Me? How is that possible?”

“I didn’t know at the time they were about you. He talked about women in general. My future wife in particular. My wife, and the woman I would love.”

“And they’re not the same person?”

“No,” he said softly.

Dani tried to digest the information, but it was still too sketchy. “Go on.”

“My father believed, and believed with all his heart, that the right wife was an absolute necessity .”

“The right wife?”

“Yes. Just like my mother. Not the brightest woman in the world, but a world-class hostess. She was in charge of the social aspects of my father’s life. And that covered a lot of ground. They entertained kings. My mother was a wonder that way. She always knew what to do in any social situation that would make her guests feel comfortable and cared for. Dad used to say she lulled them into his clutches, and I think she did just that. She decorated the house, bought his clothes, took care of every detail of his home life. He never had to worry about any of that, She was a great staff sergeant, and he always gave her full credit for her part in his success.”

“But he didn’t love her.”

“No. He liked her. I know that. But he loved other women. Women who didn’t know the proper etiquette for dining with a Saudi prince. Women who challenged him intellectually, but didn’t interfere. He kept his business world and his private life separate.”

“Your mother was part of the business world?”

“That’s right.”

Dani finally understood. He didn’t see her as someone who could host a king. She was too independent to want to be a full-time hostess, caterer, shopper. He wanted her to be the other woman. The woman in his private life.

She rolled to her back, finally easing him out of her body. Suddenly she was cold. She sat up and brought her comforter up and over her. Alex, too. She didn’t want to lie naked atop the bed right now.

“It didn’t mean he didn’t treasure his other women,” Alex said.

“Say it, Alex. His mistresses.”

“All right. For lack of a better term. But he loved them. There weren’t a whole string or anything. Just three. Long-term relationships, each one.”

“Were these women happy?”

“For the most part, yes. I didn’t know them all that well. All except Helen. She’s still with Dad. They live in Switzerland now. She was my father’s great love. Still is.”

“Your mother?”

“She died several years ago.”

“And your father still didn’t marry Helen?”

“No. I don’t think the rules stopped applying just because he retired.”

“I see.”

He brought his elbow beneath him and rested his head on his palm so he could look at her. “Do you?”