Alan laced his fingers with hers and rubbed the inside of her palm with his thumb. Every nerve in her body seemed to dance with the sensation.
“We have a couple of options for the rest of the evening. We could go dancing at a club. We could drive around in the limo and drink champagne and eat chocolate. We could find a movie we’d like to see…. Or we can go back to my place. Your choice.”
She didn’t hesitate for an instant. Even if he’d said they could fly to Paris, that wasn’t what she wanted tonight. “Let’s go to your place.”
His voice was deep and husky when he replied, “Sounds good to me.”
The ride to Alan’s penthouse was silent. He sat close to her, his hand covering hers. The sexual tension between them hummed, but she had the feeling he wasn’t kissing her because if he did, they might be shedding their clothes in the limo.
Shedding her clothes. How was she going to handle that? If he saw her tattoos, they’d get into her background, and she didn’t want that tonight.
She’d worry about it once they were in his penthouse.
When Ralph greeted them, Alan just nodded his head, put his arm around Lisa’s shoulders and guided her to the elevator. He obviously wasn’t in a chatty mood, and she knew they both had one thing on their minds.
As soon as the elevator door closed, he drew her into his arms. “Finally, we’re alone,” he muttered, and kissed her.
She could feel his restraint. She could feel him holding back. She could feel all of the passion ready to explode. She returned his kiss, easing her tongue into his mouth, making him groan.
When the elevator door opened, Alan scooped her into his arms and carried her down the hallway, his gaze filled with a fire she was ready, able and willing to feel. “The keycard’s in my inside jacket pocket. Do you want to pull it out?”
His arms were busy holding her.
Feeling as if she were doing something new, something forbidden, something exciting, she reached inside his jacket and felt the heat of him. The nerve in his jaw twitched and she could tell he was as aroused as she was. She wanted to touch his chest underneath the shirt. She wanted to touch even more.
She found the pocket and then the card. Taking it from his jacket, she murmured, “Everything’s high tech now.”
“Except for the things that matter.”
She knew he meant a man and woman’s response to each other, intimate caresses, joining bodies.
As he held her, she pushed the card into the lock. The light turned green. Alan opened the door and carried her inside.
Setting her down, Alan tossed off his hat, shucked out of his jacket, and then he was kissing her—kissing her and holding her and passing his hands up and down her back. She knew he wanted her dress off, but all those little buttons would prevent him from doing it quickly. They hadn’t turned the lights on, but twinkles from the cityscape dimly lit the room. If only they could get to the bedroom, if only they could keep the lights off, she could pretend for a while longer. He wouldn’t see the tattoos and he wouldn’t ask any questions. He’d just make love to her.
Just. She had a feeling making love to Alan was going to change her life.
When he broke away to hold her face and gaze down at her, he asked, “Are you sure this is what you want?”
“I’m absolutely sure. Do you have condoms?”
She hated bringing that up now, but they had to be responsible. She’d bought a pack and put them in her purse.
“I have protection,” he assured her. After he kissed her again, he asked, “The floor or the bed?”
She could tell from the tension on his face, the tautness in his arms, that he was holding his desire in check.
“The bed sounds good.”
Wrapping an arm around her waist, he kissed her once more and they held the kiss until they reached his bedroom.
Inside, the drapes were drawn. No lights from the city peeked in. It was practically pitch-black. “Can we keep the lights off?” She hoped he wouldn’t ask why, hoped he would think she was just shy.
“Sure we can. I can find you by the scent of your perfume. Do you know how crazy that drove me all through dinner?”
She wore a scent that Carrie had given her the first Christmas she’d known her. Lisa was glad Alan liked it. She’d dabbed it at all the appropriate places, and some less appropriate ones.
They undressed each other in a hurry…in as much of a hurry as they could with all those tiny buttons. Alan swore more than once. As soon as he could get her out of the dress, he did. In no time at all, they were lying in his huge bed, forehead to forehead, naked. Then she suddenly did feel shy.
He must have sensed that because he whispered, “Touch anywhere you want.”
She began with his chest. He began with her breasts. Everything escalated from there.
As Alan kissed her, she gave herself up to his taste, to his desire, to his need and most of all to his hunger. But she didn’t only surrender to it, she enthusiastically returned it. Their bodies were soon slick and straining toward each other. When Alan slid his hand between her thighs, she thought she’d come apart.
“I want you.” She needed him in that moment.
When he moved away from her, she thought she’d done something wrong. She thought he’d caught a glimpse of her tattoo. She thought—
But then she heard him tearing open a packet and she realized he was using protection. After he’d readied himself, he rose above her, then lowered himself slowly.
She hadn’t had sex since she’d gotten pregnant with Timothy and she was tight. It was almost like the first time, only so much better.
Alan stopped pressing into her. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I want this, Alan. I want you.”
Her words seemed to break his control. He pushed inside of her swiftly then and she began to feel such wonderful sensations she could hardly breathe. As he thrust in and out, she knew this was an experience she’d never have again. She knew no night could match this one, but she also knew what she was doing with Alan now was a lie…because he didn’t really know who she was.
Alan was taking her too high up the mountain to even think about going back. The climb was rapid and steep and intoxicating as her body tensed and her head spun, her limbs tingled, so alive they felt on fire. She clutched Alan’s shoulders, willing the moment to never end. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t keep herself from flying over the precipice, from shaking. Her orgasm was glorious and absolutely world-rocking.
Alan’s groan of release told her he’d found satisfaction, too. All at once, she was exhausted from the emotions, from the evening, from the excitement. When Alan rolled to his side, he took her with him so they stayed joined. They didn’t speak. There were no words to describe what they’d just experienced.
Lisa knew Alan felt the same way because he kissed her temple and murmured, “I’m glad you’re here tonight.”
A few moments later, she heard his breathing become steady and deep, and she nestled into him, letting the afterglow and drowsiness overtake her, too.
Lisa awakened when early light glowed behind the drapes. She vaguely remembered Alan getting out of bed, going into the bathroom, then sliding under the covers again and holding her close. But now she gazed at him in the dim light and realized the shadows weren’t going to protect her from what she’d done. She’d made love with Alan under false pretenses, and he was going to hate her for it. He’d see her tattoos as soon as he woke up.
It would have been enough for her to have to explain her past, running away, living on the streets, sleeping in abandoned buildings, letting Craig give her handouts. Maybe Alan could accept all that, along with the tattoos. But she knew Timothy was another matter entirely. Not only the fact that she’d given him away. She knew her bonds with the little boy would be even more difficult to accept. She wasn’t his mother anymore, but she was tied to him.
Suddenly she felt altogether panicked and much too vulnerable. She felt i
nsecure and unsure, guilty and regretful, and she couldn’t have the conversation she had to have with Alan right now. Not this morning. Not after the night they’d shared. Maybe not ever.
Obviously, she hadn’t come to terms with her past. How could she expect anyone else to? She didn’t feel worthy of having someone love her.
Taking one last long look at Alan, his tousled blond hair, his firm jaw, his wonderfully broad shoulders, she kept tears at bay and slipped from the bed. Plucking up her underwear, gown and shoes, she tiptoed soundlessly into the living room, where she hurriedly dressed and found her shawl and purse. As she let herself out of Alan’s penthouse, she took out her cell phone to call a cab. When she closed the door behind her, she knew she might never see Alan Barrett again.
She couldn’t see him again until she was ready to tell him her whole story…and ready to accept him walking away.
Chapter Ten
He was alone. Alan didn’t even have to open his eyes to know that.
“Lisa?” he called, hoping she’d gone into the bathroom, or maybe out to the kitchen to make coffee. Yet the hollow emptiness of the whole penthouse told him neither was so. She’d left.
How could she just have gone like that after what had happened last night? They’d been electric from the moment he’d arrived with the limo. They couldn’t keep their eyes off of each other. It hadn’t been one-sided, and he’d known it as soon as she’d chosen to come back here.
So why had she left without a word? Without a note? Without even a goodbye?
Although he was angry about her leaving that way, he told himself to back up a step and look at everything…to look at her.
She’d wanted to come home with him, he was sure of that. He analyzed everything they’d done after they’d arrived. All of it had been mutual. Still…
He sensed a shyness in her, an innocence that couldn’t be faked. As soon as they’d started foreplay, he’d realized she wasn’t experienced.
Then the thought hit him square in the gut. Had she been a virgin? Was that possible?
Sure, it was possible. She’d been so tight and he’d just thought…
He hadn’t thought. That was the whole problem. Oh, yeah, he’d remembered protection, thank God, but he’d been lost in the idea of making love to her. Maybe he hadn’t given her enough consideration. She hadn’t seemed afraid, but she could have been. He didn’t think he’d hurt her. Could a woman hide something like that?
His instincts told him Lisa was hiding a lot more than the pain of having sex for the first time.
Pushing himself up against the headboard, he swore long and hard. When he was with her, he was captivated by her, aroused by her, and his concentration slipped. He protected himself with teasing remarks, and he’d ignored the fact that she might be dancing the same I-don’t-want-to-jump-into-this-relationship dance he was. But last night they’d jumped in with both feet.
He could wait and see if she called him, but that wasn’t his style. He never waited around for what he wanted, and he wanted Lisa. He wanted to see where this could go.
However, he didn’t want to scare her off. Showing up at her apartment or Brian’s office could do that. For now he’d be invisible, but he’d let her know his intentions.
A voice inside him whispered, Just what are your intentions?
I don’t have it all figured out yet.
Feeling foolish, he took the phone book from the nightstand and flipped the pages until he found florists. He was going to send her a bouquet of flowers so big she couldn’t ignore them.
When the wonderfully huge bouquet with lilies, roses, tulips and mums arrived, Lisa blinked back tears. And when she took the note from the flowers, her hand trembled as she opened it.
Lisa—Maybe you need some time to absorb what happened between us. I don’t. I know I want to see you again. Call me so we can talk about it. You gave me a Valentine’s Day to remember, and I hope I did the same for you. We should keep adding to those memories, not let them slip away. Alan
The scent of lilies practically filled the office space. She sank down into her desk chair, staring at the flowers, inhaling their perfume, feeling Alan’s arms around her again, his kisses, the intimate touches that had been so sublime.
A member of Brian’s sales team who was in the office today—Russ Mahoney, an agent in his late forties who usually didn’t have much to say to her—gave her a big grin as he passed her desk. “Somebody spent a bundle to impress you.”
She could feel her cheeks heating up, and before she could stop herself, replied, “I don’t think he did it to impress me. I think he did it because he cares.”
After Russ was gone, Lisa reached out to pick up the phone, yet she couldn’t. She couldn’t face what she had to tell Alan. His life and hers were so very different—her tattoos were evidence of that. She was afraid she’d be an embarrassment to him. She wasn’t even a professional woman in her own right yet.
Putting aside the challenge of revealing her background to Alan, she tried to picture him confiding in his brother that she’d given away a child, telling his ex-wife, explaining to Christina. She could imagine the condemnation she’d see in their eyes. Two people didn’t have a relationship in a vacuum. Decisions she and Alan made would affect his family, Carrie, Brian and Timothy. But if she and Alan did get serious about each other, she couldn’t go live in Texas. She didn’t want to stay that far away. She wanted to see Timothy grow up and share in his experiences. Without her connection to Carrie, Brian and Timothy, she’d be all alone.
Not if Alan loves you.
He hadn’t mentioned love. How could he love her already?
You love him.
Yes, she did. But that was so different.
She would have to talk to Alan eventually. After all, they were working on the golf resort. But it didn’t have to be today, and maybe not even tomorrow. She had to protect herself against the words he’d say, against the deep heartache she’d feel if he walked away from her.
Had being Cinderella for a night been worth this anguish?
Remembering how she’d felt when Alan made love to her, she knew every minute of the night had been worth it. For those hours, she’d felt special. She’d never felt so cherished before.
There were two piles on her desk. One consisted of notes on a new property she had to type up for Brian. The other was the mail that had come in that morning. She pulled the stack of envelopes in front of her, intending to sort through them quickly and get to that report. There were advertisements and invitations as well as bills. She stopped cold when she saw the white, nondescript envelope with her name on it and no return address. It looked the same as the first letter she’d received the day she’d met Alan.
Gauging her level of privacy, she glanced around and saw no one else was around for the moment. Taking her letter opener, Lisa slipped it under the flap and sliced the top edge. Then she pulled out an ordinary piece of white paper.
Typed in the center she read, “You’ve got it all now, don’t you? You’d better be prepared to share.”
It was obviously a blackmail letter, even though it wasn’t demanding money yet. Whoever had written it would demand it the next time, she was sure. Whoever it was had wanted to put a scare into her first. Well, now she was scared, but she wasn’t stupid.
Reaching for the phone, she picked it up and buzzed Brian.
“Hello.” He sounded as if he was distracted by whatever he was doing.
“Brian, it’s Lisa. I need to talk to you. Do you have a few minutes?”
Since there was a pause, she knew he was probably busier than he wanted to admit. Yet he told her to come in.
Although Brian motioned for her to sit in the chair in front of his desk when she walked in and said, “Tell me what’s on your mind,” she didn’t do, either. She crossed to his desk and laid the letter on the middle of his blotter. “This is the second one of these I’ve received. I don’t know what to do. I thought you should see it.”
&nbs
p; After she told him about the first letter, and he’d examined the second, his gaze met hers. “Who do you think could be doing this?”
Now she did lower herself into the chair in front of his desk. “I knew nasty people. You know that. If not somebody I met on the streets, maybe whoever is sending the notes belonged to the black market baby ring.”
Brian looked pensive for a moment, then suggested, “Or maybe it’s Thad. Do you have any idea where he is or what he’s doing now?”
Lisa shook her head. “Absolutely none. He’d wanted nothing to do with me or the baby. He didn’t even know I came to Portland until…”
“Until he signed the release forms for the adoption.”
“He was headed off for a career in the NFL. If he has that, why would he want to bother me?”
“We don’t know what he has. I’m going to call Marian Novak, director of adoption services at the Children’s Connection, and set up a meeting. I think Carrie should join us. They most certainly have a lawyer who could tell us how to handle this.”
“Do you think we need a lawyer…or the police?”
“No one has made an actual demand yet. If the lawyer at the Children’s Connection thinks we should call the police, then we will.” Compassion emanated from Brian. “We’ll handle this, Lisa. You’re not alone.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, her throat closing tight. She was so grateful to have Brian and Carrie, yet surprisingly the person she wanted to confide in at that moment was Alan.
“You’ve had quite a morning, haven’t you?” Brian asked rhetorically. “I saw that bouquet of flowers. Are they from Alan?”
“I don’t want to talk about it right now.” Her voice broke.
“Okay. I’ll call the Children’s Connection. We’ll handle this, Lisa, one way or another.”
She knew they would, but she was also afraid her past would come rolling out for everyone to see—including Alan Barrett.
Falling for the Texas Tycoon Page 13
