by Linda Cajio
He lifted her in his arms. Her eyes widened at the sudden movement.
“Dan!” she gasped, clutching at his neck for balance. “What are you doing?”
“Being romantic,” he said, grinning at her. “Now, be quiet. We have to sneak past Patrick.”
She blinked in confusion, then grinned back at him, her eyes brimming with sensual amusement. He quickly crept through the sitting room toward his bedroom. He held his breath as he tiptoed past the crib. Patrick didn’t move, clearly sound asleep. Patrick had to cooperate tonight, Dan thought. He wondered if children always created this kind of havoc with their parents, then decided it was only because he had started their lovemaking in the wrong spot. He really wished he hadn’t. Now Angelica would have time for second thoughts. He didn’t want second thoughts. Not tonight.
After entering the bedroom, he nudged the door shut with one foot. He leaned against it and stared into Angelica’s eyes. He couldn’t see her expression in the darkness. He released her legs, while keeping one arm tight about her waist. Her body slid slowly down his, the movement arousing him in ways he hadn’t conceived of.
“Let’s start a good marriage,” he whispered. “You and I.”
“Marriage can hurt,” she whispered back.
“I won’t hurt you,” he vowed.
She didn’t answer. It was an acquiescence, and he wasn’t foolish enough to ask for more. Instead, he took her mouth in a kiss designed to restoke the fires. It did, with magnificent results.
Her mouth fused to his. Her hands tortured him as they pushed his jacket off, then slipped beneath his shirt. The buttons seemed to dissolve under her touch, and then her fingers were trailing heat through the hair on his chest. He couldn’t control his own hands as they kneaded her breasts with a shocking lack of finesse. Rather than pull away, she met him with honest need.
He walked her backward to the bed, urged her down onto it, and sprawled atop her. He gasped as her breasts pressed into his chest, the nipples diamond-hard points that teased him into a throbbing frenzy. He buried his mouth against them, tasting every inch of skin. He stripped her clothes from her as he explored her body with frantic hands. Her thighs flowered open under his touch, leaving him dizzy with her willing response.
And she gave. Her hands weren’t content just to hold him. They caressed his back and chest with a tender frenzy that matched his own. They trailed lower, her nails raking his flesh lightly, bringing him to the brink of insanity. Her body was silken heat against his, and he gloried in it. He had known it would be like this … and yet he was stunned by its depths. The thought was lost as her thighs rubbed with increasing supplication against his. The last shreds of his control broke, and he sank into her. She enfolded him with feminine grace, moving with him in an undeniable point and counterpoint of commitment. The Tightness of it pounded through him, forcing its way into every small particle of him. His heart acknowledged what his body had always known. The want and the need wrapped together, and he knew that even in a lifetime he would never get enough of her.
Emotion swirled through Angelica, capturing her in its maelstrom. She was helpless to resist it. She met every thrust with an equal one of her own. Each time she felt the power of their lovemaking course through her, pulling more and more of her heart with it. She wanted to cry out her denial … and instead cried out her pleasure as a brilliant light burst through her over and over again. Then Dan was joining her in the fury, holding her, keeping her anchored and yet free.
And then came ecstasy … and its aftermath of sweet, soothing peace.
Long minute later, Angelica slowly opened her eyes. She felt weightless and floating. Nothing seemed to matter, and she basked in that.
Slowly she became aware of the cool breeze of conditioned air … and the hard male body atop hers. Her husband.
The breath squeezed out of her in a rush, and she gasped at the sudden vise in her chest.
Dan shifted his weight and kissed her cheek. “Angelica? I … Did I hurt you?”
She shook her head, although her mind was flashing images at her of courtrooms and families torn apart. Their lovemaking had been too intense. She’d given too much of herself up to it.…
“No, you’re not okay,” he said, placing both his hands on her temples and making her face him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have … forced this issue.”
“You didn’t force anything,” she said, halting his apology. She had to correct him on that. “I—I wanted this tonight. I would be lying if I said differently.”
“And now you’re going to tell me it won’t happen again,” he said, his tone very dry.
She stilled instantly. The intimacy of their positions made her all too aware of what he meant. She also became aware of her nudity … and his. He couldn’t see her, she thought, while feeling a hot blush spread across her face and chest. But he could certainly feel her. All over. Just as she could feel him.
Immediately, she wanted to make love again. It was like opening a floodgate of repression. And she had repressed a lot of physical attraction for this man. It was only now, after tasting the incredible intimacy, that she knew how much.
“No,” she said. “I’m not going to say that.”
“I’ve been thinking that maybe we should give this marriage a chance, Angelica,” he said, brushing the hair back from her face. “I think you know as well as I do that there’s more between us than Patrick.”
“Is there?” she asked. “We fight about everything, Danny. We don’t even agree on what kind of juice we should have at the breakfast table.”
“That’s why we always have both.” He nuzzled her throat. “Keep calling me Danny, and I will buy you a juice factory. I love the way you say my name.”
She swallowed, realizing how much she’d taken to calling him that lately. It was funny how one recognized an unconscious habit once it was pointed out.
“I know you feel … rushed,” he said.
“I feel scared,” she admitted bluntly. “I’ve had complete control over my life since college, and then I came here and lost it. Completely and totally lost it. Worse, I’ve had a hand in the process!”
He chuckled.
“It isn’t funny, Dan.” She pushed at his shoulders. “Will you let me up?”
He trailed kisses across her cheek and under her ear. She gasped and arched her back in instinctive reflex as a bolt of lightning hurtled through her. He concentrated on a particularly erogenous spot until she was writhing beneath him.
“I think that with half a chance well make a marriage, Angelica,” he said, lifting his head. “I won’t let you up until you agree to give it that chance. We’ve learned a lot about each other lately, including how to compromise. Besides, if we’re going to evaluate the situation eventually, we’ve got to have all the facts, don’t we?”
She felt her cheeks flush hotly. “I’ll try,” she finally said.
“And I know I’ll try my absolute best. Just like this.”
His lips again found the sensitive spot behind her ear. She arched immediately.
“Mmmm,” he murmured, nibbling on her earlobe. “If the wedding night is any indication, then we’re well on our way to a normal marriage.”
“Dan,” she said breathlessly, her hands gripping his shoulders tightly as desire, thick and hot, swirled through her. “I have the feeling … this will hardly be a normal marriage.”
“I think you’re right.”
“Hi, Angelica. What’s for dinner?”
Angelica shook her head at Dan’s greeting as he came into the suite.
“What we have every night for dinner,” she said. “Room service.”
“Now, would ‘Father Knows Best’ have room service?” he asked dryly.
“No,” she admitted cheerfully. “But you would. Shall I get the menu?”
“Surprise me tonight.” He walked over to Patrick in his rockerseat and ruffled the child’s silky-fine hair. “Hiya, kid. You been a good boy today?”
“
Lord,” Angelica muttered. Dan was pushing a TV show image of family life a little too much. “Hell be wanting to get a dog next.”
“What?” Dan asked, straightening.
“Oh, ah …” Dammit, she thought as her brain scrambled for an answer of sorts. “I was wondering aloud if I wanted a hot dog for dinner.”
He set his briefcase down on the coffee table. “A hot dog?”
“Yes. I don’t know.” She shrugged.
He came over to her and took her in his arms. “I missed you.”
She smiled up at him. He was so determined to make a normal marriage out of this bizarre situation. Remembering the past seven glorious nights, she admitted she was enthusiastically giving this relationship a chance herself. Still, there was a part of her heart that held back.…
She instantly forgot her musings when his lips found hers in a much more intimate greeting. She was breathless when he finally lifted his head.
“You certainly know how to say ‘hello,’ ” he whispered.
“So do you.”
A high-pitched squeal drew their reluctant attention. Patrick had dropped his teething ring again. Knowing the moment was gone, Angelica broke away from Dan and tended the baby.
“So how’s the outside world?” she asked as she straightened.
“Hectic.” He loosened his tie and flopped down on the sofa. “Boy, am I bushed.”
“Shall I make you a drink?” she asked, figuring that was what a normal wife would ask. She had promised to make this work, and she would.
He glanced at her. “Thanks. I really appreciate that. A beer would be great.”
The surprise in his voice left her feeling vaguely ashamed. She knew she’d made the offer unenthusiastically. She got a beer from the small refrigerator in the kitchenette and handed it to him. As she turned to leave he reached out and pulled her down next to him.
“Dan!” she protested.
He grinned. “I’ll be nice and make dinner.”
She had to laugh. “That’s a major sacrifice in this household.”
“I know. You could get warped fingers from dialing the phone.” He bent over and unstrapped Patrick from his rockerseat. Setting the baby on the sofa with him, he added, “How are you doing with moving your practice?”
She groaned. “I’m still sorting through my California clients. I have more than I thought. Only about twenty percent are here in Washington.”
“You could always take on a California partner, or sell that end of the practice, couldn’t you?”
Instantly, she felt her temper rise at the suggestion. She suppressed it. A normal marriage meant remaining calm at all times. “I really don’t want to do that, Dan. Anyway, my practice is mostly paperwork. I think I can work it out eventually.”
“Remember, I’ll be glad to help you.”
She smiled sweetly. “Of course.”
“Speaking of your clients, Mark IV called again. I set up a meeting for early next week.”
“You—” She instantly clamped her mouth shut over her protest. After all, she had known that another meeting was inevitable. But it would have been nice if Dan had consulted with her before setting a date. This was exactly the kind of thing that had made him seem as if he were against her before. She felt remnants of her old wariness return, and immediately forced them away. Much as she wanted to yell at him, she only asked, “What day next week?”
“I left that open until I could talk to you.”
“I see.”
“I had to give them something, Angelica,” he snapped. “They have been very patient with us.”
“I just said ‘I see,’ ” she said, holding onto her fraying temper. “I’m concerned about handling a meeting.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, kissing her cheek in apology. “Do you want me to call them back and cancel?”
She smiled and shook her head. “No. I’m just nervous about it.”
He kissed her again. “You’ll be fine. Knowing you, you’ll be terrific.”
His mouth trailed lower to her neck, and suddenly she was fighting for air. “Dan, the baby.”
He straightened reluctantly. “The sacrifices I make.”
“Well, make another one,” she said, grinning at him. “Call room service. I’m starving.”
It wasn’t quite a normal marriage, Dan admitted as he watched Angelica smile sweetly at the new representative from Mark IV Computers. But it wasn’t dull.
“I’m sure, Mr. Jimenez, that we can come to satisfactory terms,” she said, shifting Patrick onto her shoulder and gently burping him. “For the right price.”
Mike Jimenez’s eyebrows rose. “Ms. Windsor, I was hoping that we had reached those satisfactory terms with the last negotiations.”
“Mrs.… Roberts,” she corrected him gently, and glanced over at her husband. “But please call me Angelica.”
Dan grinned back and decided just to let her go. Poor Jimenez didn’t know what to do with her anyway. Actually, the man didn’t know what to do with the entire meeting, since he was the only one disconcerted by the presence of a baby.
Patrick gave the obligatory burp, and Angelica said, “What a good bunny, Patrick. Now, Mike … May I call you Mike?”
The man nodded, almost in awe at the way she was switching roles. No one would have guessed that she’d been nervous about this meeting, Dan thought as he rose to take Patrick from her.
“You’re doing great,” he whispered in her ear, then turned to Jimenez. “Excuse me, Mike. I have to put the Chairman of the Board down for his afternoon nap.”
Jimenez smiled and nodded, although his attention was on Angelica.
Smart man, Dan thought, as he carried Patrick into the nursery. She was charming him, and he knew it.
“Think shell get a hell of a deal, Patrick?” he asked. He bobbed the baby’s head up and down. “Yes, my lad. I thought so too. Be sure and wangle a new teddy bear out of her after she gets her commission from Diana.”
He put the baby in the crib on his tummy and gently patted the diapered backside. Mark IV had been very insistent on a meeting this week. They were getting one, too. Dan chuckled, remembering how disgusted he had been with them, since they hadn’t seemed to understand about sudden weddings. Now, he had to admit that maybe it was better that he and Angelica had been forced back into their normal lifestyles. It was an understatement to say that they were busy. More like swamped.
Patrick squirmed around restlessly, and Dan straightened. “I better get back in there before Angelica negotiates the entire company out from under the poor man.”
He had insisted that the meetings take place here in their suite at the hotel for Angelica’s convenience. It was unorthodox, but it helped to put her at ease. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt if he also began acquiring the traditional computer company owner’s reputation for eccentricity. What the hell, he thought in amusement. The Apple guys had parlayed it into a multimillion-dollar corporation.
“… my client requires separate accounting,” Angelica was saying as he reentered the room. “We have a very unusual agreement with Starlight Software.”
“We read over the agreements you sent to us, and that doesn’t pose a problem,” Jimenez said. “However, we will want exclusive licensing in the future.”
That was a new twist, Dan thought, sitting back down in his chair. They hadn’t mentioned exclusive licensing before. It would be good for both Starlight and Diana, since Mark IV had enormous resources worldwide. He glanced at Angelica and nodded slightly.
She smiled at Jimenez. “We’re open to a discussion on that.…”
When the negotiations finally, and very satisfactorily, ended several hours later, Angelica grinned widely at him.
“That went much better than I thought it would,” she said, collapsing back into her chair.
“I told you it would,” he said, sitting down opposite her on the sofa. He picked up Patrick from the rockerseat. The baby had awakened from his nap just in time for the last of the wheeling
-dealing.
“Of course you did,” she said. “And next time I promise to get a baby-sitter. I’m still nervous about leaving Patrick.”
Her tone was a little too conciliatory, and Dan frowned. She had promised to give the marriage a chance, but sometimes she seemed to be biting back her words. Like now.
“Well, I suppose we’re going to have to start looking for a house here in the city,” she said, glancing around the suite. “We’ve got an extra five minutes now that the negotiations are just about settled.”
He chuckled. “Five is about it. Let’s let it go for a while. After all, we’re barely settled.”
“But … of course.” She smiled brightly. “You’re absolutely right.”
He sighed with exasperation. “Angelica, quit being so damn agreeable.”
“I am being agreeable to help us have a normal marriage,” she said, in a schoolteacher voice.
“I understand that,” he said. “But I don’t want that. That’s not really giving it a true chance.”
“Fine. I think we ought to go house hunting right away.” She blinked. “Lord, but that felt good.”
“And it sounded good.”
She grinned at him. “But we still have a problem. I want to call a realtor now, and you want to wait.”
“So we negotiate a settlement. Let’s call this weekend.”
“Great.” She laughed. “And I do mean it.”
“See, that wasn’t so bad.”
She made a face at him, then stood up. “I think I’ll change out of this thing and go shopping, since you’re here.” She flapped the bottom of her long tailored jacket. Combined with her modest skirt and silk blouse, it was a very professional-looking outfit. “I need more clothes.”
“Patrick and I will go with you.”
“Oh, no, you won’t,” she said tartly. “I also need some peace and quiet.”
“In a department store?”
“I’ve discovered that I have to take it where I can get it. Besides, I’m entitled to a reward after today. And that means leaving you two hooligans at home.”
