Once a Marine (21 page)

Getting through dinner was agony. When her foot slid up the inside of his leg, he gasped. “Don’t do that unless you’re ready to be ravished. You’re fighting dirty.”

She made a small pout and tilted her head from side to side. “You have the size advantage. I have to use all the weapons of wile in my arsenal.” She dropped her chopsticks and threw her arms wide. “Take me. I’m yours.”

Being quick to make decisions was the principal reason he was so good at undercover work. Undercover work was exactly what he had in mind right now. He stood and made a grab for her, but she evaded him and ran toward the bedroom, hopping and kicking off her shoes on the way.

At the open door to the bedroom she turned. With her hand up she halted him. “Could you give me about two minutes? I have something for you.”

“I know you do, and I’m here to get it.” He walked slowly forward as she pressed her hand against his chest. It was no contest, of course. There was no way she could stop him if he decided to force the issue, but he stopped inside the door.

She dropped her hand. Smiled, and backed slowly away. “Close your eyes and don’t open them until I say OK. OK?”

He closed his eyes on the first OK and opened them on the second, grinning wolfishly. “Don’t confuse me like that. I’m in a fragile state.”

She put her hands on his biceps and shoved till he turned around. “Here, this will be easier. Keep looking straight ahead. Don’t turn around till I say so. OK?”

He turned to face her and laughed at her annoyed glare. “You said OK. I’m just following orders.”

She crossed her arms. “That’s it. Go in the hall. Close the door. Don’t open it until I call your name. Do you think you can handle that, Marine?” She pointed her finger an inch from his nose.

He saluted. “Aye, Captain.” Laughing, he backed out the door, and she slammed it in his face.

He stood there, the toes of his shoes almost against the door. Nodding his head, he murmured under his breath. “What a pistol.” Drawers opened and closed, her feet thumped around the room followed by a long moment of quiet.

“Rafi,” she sang, “come to Mama.”

Candlelight illuminated the room. She stood next to the bed wearing a neon pink bikini, curling her fingers, beckoning him forward. Beckoned or not, there was no way he’d stop at this point. Laughter boiled up from his gut. “What have we here?”

She twisted her body ever so slightly and sensuously. It was barely noticeable, but notice he did. Her come-hither smile ignited a wildfire in his groin.

She tilted her head to look into his eyes as he gripped her shoulders. “What we have here is everything you want, flyboy. Do you think you can handle it?”

He picked her up in his arms and tossed her on the bed. “We’re about to find out.” Could he handle it? Hell, for a minute there he wasn’t sure he could. The heat of her skin when he lifted her seared clear through to his soul. He’d never wanted her more, and how was that possible?

She teased him by pushing her fingers provocatively into the sides of her bikini bottom, thrusting her hips from side to side as she began to move it down.

“Don’t do that, Beautiful. You’re my package. I like to open my own packages.” He reached behind his head, whipped off his T-shirt in a single-handed motion, and tossed it across the room.

She watched him remove the rest of his clothing. When he stood naked before her she bit her thumb and smiled. “Mmm, nice.” She crooked her finger in unnecessary invitation.

Kneeling between her legs he ran his hands slowly from her ankles to her hips. He touched her bikini. Backed off. For a long moment he stared. His breath rasped in his throat.

In a surprising move, BD pulled up her knees and clamped his erection between her feet. Resting on her elbows, she rubbed her feet up and down and threw him a challenge with her mesmerizing emerald eyes.

Rafi groaned as his head fell back. He grasped her heels and pressed her tighter against his hot flesh. What other surprises did she have in store for him, this little woman who drove him beyond the edge of passion? He hoped to take a lifetime learning the answer.

All patience exhausted, he tugged down the bikini bottom, straddled her, and pulled her into a sitting position so he could reach behind her and untie the knots in her top.

She hugged him around the waist and brushed his chest with her lips and tongue, driving his passion higher. He nearly lost control when she whispered, “Rafi, my man, make love to me. Make love to me until I beg for mercy. Make love to me so that I’ll still feel you inside me after you leave in the morning.”

He pushed her back and mounted her, plunging inside her with a savage thrust. “Like this? You want it like this?”

Crying out, shocked, she whimpered. “Yes. Yes, like that.”

Afraid he might hurt her, knowing there was no way he could stop now, his libido overwhelmed all thought processes. He pounded away at her until they both screamed. He collapsed, heart thudding so hard he thought it might burst. He gasped for air, raised up far enough to look at her. “Are you all right?”

Staring into his eyes she rolled her head from side to side. “No. But then I asked for it, didn’t I?” She put her hand over his lips. “Don’t say anything. Don’t move.” She pulled his head back down and kissed him.

“It was too fast,” he whispered into her mouth.

She tightened her grip in his hair, pushed his head back. “You mean I’m only allowed one?” Her gaze burned into his. “How disappointing.”

Rafi laughed and bit her bottom lip. “Careful what you wish for, Beautiful.” He rolled over and held her on top. With hands on either side of her face he tugged her into a hard, bruising kiss that had her gasping.

BD dropped her head onto his chest. “Tell me, Rafi.”

He knew what she wanted to hear. “I love you, Beautiful.”

She sighed, relaxed, and melted onto him. “Round one.” She pressed her lips against his neck.

Hours later she woke. Rafi was gone. Again he’d managed to rise, dress, and leave without waking her. No wonder they called him Lightfoot. She pulled his pillow across the bed and buried her face in it, breathed deeply to catch his essence, to drink it in. There would never be enough of his scent, his touch, his laugh, his restrained strength.

Slaphappy with love, BD rolled to the side, dropped her feet to the floor and stood. Her body vibrated like a tuning fork. Oh, she felt him all right. She got what she asked for, and it was—what was it? There weren’t words to describe the delicious discomfort she felt in every part of her body.

She stepped gingerly in the direction of the bathroom. “Ow.” At the bathroom door she stopped and studied her image in the full-length mirror. She grinned at the tiny bruise on her lower lip, a memento of the wildest night of her life.

With a contented sigh she turned on the shower, setting the temperature higher than usual. Once under the cascading water she let her head fall back and groaned at the sensuous comfort of wet heat washing over her skin, hair, and well-used body.

Using a delicate touch when she washed between her legs, she grimaced and giggled. It was a good thing he wasn’t coming back tonight, because no way would she let him touch her.

Once dressed, she tiptoed to the kitchen, letting Enzo sleep a while longer. It was earlier than they usually had breakfast. All signs of the Chinese dinner had been removed. The boxes, neatly closed, lined a shelf in the refrigerator.

Before putting on the coffee, BD added water to the vase of daisies smiling at her from the center of the kitchen table. When she heard Enzo stirring she pulled out the cast-iron pan and whipped up an omelet, using the leftover pork-fried rice.

When she turned from the stove to bring the pan to the table, Enzo gave her a crooked, speculative smile. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

“Not a wink.”

He nodded. “Good.”

Chapter Fifteen

The lack of feedback from Shari gave BD and Enzo some breathing room. The print layout and ad slicks must have met with her approval, otherwise they’d have heard from her. But after a week of silence, creeping doubts and uncertainty plagued BD. Shari had never been out of touch for more than a couple of days.

She and Enzo went over the advertising material several more times, looking for anything that Shari might object to, but were satisfied with what they’d sent.

“You go back to work. I’ll call Shari and make sure we’re on the right track. You’ve taken enough time away from the collection. If there’s a problem, I’ll let you know.”

He stood, shrugged, raised his hands, began to speak, changed his mind, and left her office.

Shari was unavailable when she called. BD clenched her teeth and shook her head. Why Shari was so uncommunicative?

She left a message and proceeded to the sales office to review the latest numbers. Peggy Marotta had returned from her leave of absence. She greeted BD with an affectionate smile.

After a couple of hours going over the sales figures, they were ready to take the first step to introduce the Haven line to an international market. The outlook was favorable for placing their product in a certain trendy, mid-price shop in central London. A blend of American and international styles, Haven was a good fit for a younger demographic. The styles were both fresh and affordable.

When Shari hadn’t called by midafternoon, anxiety built, stone by stone, in BD’s stomach and neck. Her mind swam with disconnected scenarios. She attempted to shake herself out of it. “I’m on my way to the airport to meet my brother, Jack, and his family, Peggy.” With a deep sigh she left the office they temporarily shared.

Haven had no limo on call as did the Grayson headquarters in LA, so BD hired a sedan at her own expense to drive her to JFK to meet her family and then transport them to the company apartment. It was an extravagance, but a much better use of the little time she’d have with them.

Kelly and Chase would be on their own during the day while Jack and BD were at work. At the end of the week he’d wrap it up, and by the weekend the four of them would have two full days to enjoy one another’s company. BD looked forward to the distraction. She needed a break from the accumulated stress of work.

At the baggage claim area she waited and watched for her family. The driver remained with the car and would pull to curbside when she called. At last she spotted Jack with a sleeping Chase in his arms. Kelly stood behind him on the escalator holding the stroller and flight bag. With big, happy smiles they returned her waves.

At the baggage carousel Jack griped about the added cost the airline charged for their three pieces of luggage. “With this little guy we need all this stuff. Even though we didn’t have to buy him a ticket, it cost almost as much.”

BD hugged Jack’s waist. “Yes, Scrooge, I figured you’d have a cow when you checked in for your flight.”

Kelly leaned in to join the conversation. “I had to listen to him piss and moan all the way to Chicago. The only time he let up was when we took turns walking Chase up and down the aisle until he got sleepy.” She hugged BD. “I missed you, honey. When are you coming home?”

“Soon, I hope. Peggy, the former owner of Haven, is back on the job. I don’t think I really need to hang around much longer. Things are going smoothly. We just contracted with a store in London to carry our line. I’ll make a brief trip there and then head home.”

Chase woke as they retrieved the bags. A sleepy grin cracked his little face. He threw out his arms to BD and insisted on sitting on her lap all the way to Manhattan.

Jack laughed and nudged BD’s shoulder. “He misses you sharing his room. Every morning he looks at your bed and says, ‘Where BD going?’”

BD hugged the little boy until he squeaked. “I never thought I’d say it, but I missed creeping around on tiptoe in his room every night so I wouldn’t wake him.”

Kelly turned in the front seat. “Oh, I’m so excited. We’re going to start building our house right after the first of the year. The plans are all drawn. I brought some sketches from the architect to show you.”

BD pulled Chase’s hand away from her earring. “Kelly, that’s great. I can’t wait to see them.”

That evening Enzo, with a flurry of Italian drama, prepared a big dinner for them, using one of his mama’s favorite chicken cacciatore recipes. The kitchen was a battlefield of destruction that took BD an hour to clean, but the delicious and festive meal was worth it.

While BD rinsed the dishes and loaded the dishwasher, Kelly “Chase proofed” the apartment. Enzo joined in, distracting the boy for her. Jack sequestered himself in their bedroom while he practiced the French horn lessons he would begin the next day at the Youth Symphony.

* * *

Two days later, on Friday, Shari called BD at the New York office. “I need you back here by tomorrow.” She made no mention of the ad campaign.

“Did you have a look at the advertising material Enzo and I prepared for the new catalog last week?”

“Of course I saw it. Did you hear what I said?” Shari’s abrupt brush-off of her question didn’t sit well.

Tight bands of tension clinched around BD’s head, forecasting the onslaught of a nasty headache. “Yes, I heard what you said, but I’m scheduled to meet with the people in London next week. I have a flight scheduled for Monday.”

“I cancelled that deal. I want you back here.”

Alarm bells clanged in BD’s brain. “You cancelled it? The London deal? But why? They’re all primed to go ahead with a very favorable arrangement for Haven’s product.” What the hell was going on with her?

“Are you questioning my judgment on this?”

BD hesitated a moment. Should she answer with frankness or not? “I guess I am. Don’t you think it would have been appropriate to let me know beforehand?”

“I don’t need to consult you before I make decisions. You work for me, remember? These are the facts—I cancelled the deal, I want you back here—end of story. I’ll see you tomorrow evening at—”

BD jumped in before Shari could hang up. “No, I can’t leave here tomorrow. My brother and his family are here. We have plans to spend Saturday and Sunday together. The earliest I can make it is Monday afternoon.”