by Anne Ashby
Desire exploded in the pit of her stomach and she ached to rip aside the barrier of their clothing. So far removed from her normal restraint, Debra had never imagined reacting so physically to a man’s touch. If he wanted, she was ready to surrender.
There was no doubt in her mind as the long shaft of his desire pressed against her. She relished the power it gave her—nothing comparable to her power as a boss, but as a woman toward her mate.
The rude shaking of her shoulder disturbed the euphoria Jase had carried her into. Opening slumberous eyes the blurred figure of her brother slowly focused. His hand was attached to both Debra and Jase’s shoulders but a smile countered the sharpness of his actions.
“I think our mains are ready.” He nodded toward their table. “Unless you insist upon staying on the dance floor”—his smile widened—“Though I think you should be aware that the band has announced it is taking a break.”
More heat rushed into Debra’s face. It had little to do with Jase’s branding, and everything to do with the empty dance floor—save for themselves and Paul and Chloe—and the amused expressions of half the restaurant patrons. A cheeky drum roll as they left the floor drew a chuckle from Jase, but Debra was thankful for her loose hair. She found by dipping her head, the tresses covered at least part of her reddened face.
Uncertain of the social protocol in such a situation Debra gnawed on her lip as she sat down. She couldn’t look at Jase. She definitely couldn’t look at anyone else either.
Did he understand her insecurity? Did he understand the emotions churning inside her were so newfound she was caught in a whirlpool that might suck her into oblivion? Would he care if he did?
A gentle finger under her chin turned her face toward him. With a shaky breath she lifted her gaze.
“I wasn’t ready for that to end.” The shining light of his gaze had reassured her a little, but his whispered words and the possessive kiss he then touched to her lips filled her with happiness.
“Neither was I,” she admitted.
The rest of the evening took on a surreal touch. They ate, they chatted, they danced. But Debra wouldn’t have been able to give an account of any of that. Her whole being was centred on Jase.
At one point guilt flashed through her. She was ignoring her guests. Their indulgent smiles quelled any remorse. Anticipation tingled through her—anticipation of the night ahead. Toward the end of the evening they again joined others on the dance floor. Barely moving in time to the soft music, Debra clung to Jase.
The evidence of his arousal tight against her stomach, she felt no awkwardness at taking the initiative. “Stay with me tonight,” she managed to croak through dry lips.
Jase’s hold on her tightened. “Can we leave right now?” His voice held a certain amount of doubtful irony, but his expression spoke of his urgency to do just that.
She glanced over at Paul and Chloe sitting close together at their table, hands entwined. “Maybe one more drink would satisfy them we’d played good hosts.”
He snuggled her close. “You may not get an award for the most gracious hostess tonight.” She giggled. “You’ve virtually ignored them, but I doubt they care. I bet they’re as eager to leave as we are.”
“I had my mind on other things,” she quipped back.
“Yeah. Me too.” He ground their hips together and groaned. “That’s it. I’ve had as much as I can stand.”
He towed her behind him as he stalked off the dance floor. With one arm around each of their shoulders, he told Paul and Chloe, “We’re leaving. Goodnight.”
Debra had no choice but to follow him, managing to throw a giddy smile across at an unsurprised Paul and Chloe as Jase paid the bill.
Nothing was said as they settled into a cruising taxi. Alighting at Debra’s apartment building, her hands shook so much she had trouble getting the key from her evening bag. Jase’s help sped them into the privacy of her own little world—one she was about to share with Jase.
“I haven’t done this for a long time,” she mumbled as nerves took hold of her.
“Then we’ll have to make it extra special.”
She took a back step as Jase approached. The warmth of his expression did little to calm the nervous tension filling her.
“Relax.” His lopsided smile did help. “We’re not going to do anything you don’t want to. I promise.”
“But I do want...” The words burst from her as she imagined him saying goodnight and leaving. Thankfully he showed no sign of doing any such thing.
He kept advancing as she kept retreating until the edge of the sofa blocked her path. She shook. He was so close now she could feel his breath on her face. “What do you want, Debbie?” he whispered as his hand cupped her cheek. “Tell me?”
Her stomach clenched. She sought the words but none would come. She ached for him and his intimate touch. She had dreamed of them being together. What was the matter with her?
She was scared. Scared of losing control. Scared of failure. Scared of not being enough of a woman to satisfy him.
The smouldering flame in his look and his tenderness unlocked her fears. She believed him. He wouldn’t allow this to go beyond any boundaries she might set.
Her heart hammering in her ears and her tongue too large for her mouth, she handed him her heart.
“I want you.” She stared into his eyes. “All of you.” Her voice faltered a little but the ache inside was too intense to ignore any longer. “Now.”
“Thank God.” With a relieved laugh Jase picked Debra up and swung her around.
Debra squealed and giggled. “You make me feel like a school girl.”
He set her feet back onto the ground. “We can’t have that,” he murmured. His hands slipped from under her arms and settled on her breasts. Finding their peaks through the red fabric he squeezed and rolled until Debra could no longer contain her moans.
Lips scorched down the side of her neck, across the expanse of bare skin above her breast until nudging aside the cloth, he bared the prize he sought.
“Still feel like a school girl?”
His hands and lips were doing agonizing things to her body. A simple touch enflamed her and sent all coherent thought from her head. Her legs turned to jelly and she clutched at him. “If so, I’d be a very naughty schoolgirl. The bedroom’s that way.” She waved a vague hand but it had the desired effect. Jase eased the thin straps off her shoulders as they went.
“It’s been driving me crazy all night, knowing there was so little between us. I’ve dreamed of seeing you like this for so long.” Naked to the waist, Debra gloried in the thickness of his speech, the shaking of his hands as he caressed her.
Ripping at the buttons on his shirt her hands were stilled by his. “We have all the time in the world,” he whispered as he nibbled at her ear. “No need to rush.”
“I want to rush,” she moaned as she squirmed against him. “Please Jase.” Unbuckling his belt she begged him, “Make love to me now, Jase. Now.”
His strangled laugh touched something deep inside. Every pore of her being centred on pleasing him as their bodies clamoured for release.
****
Instead of feeling tired or sore, Debra felt rejuvenated as dawn coloured the sky pink outside her window.
Jase slept, his face turned toward her. A little smile sometimes tugged at his lips as if his dreams were pleasant. She hoped they were.
She hoped he’d enjoyed their love-making. Moving onto her side, she propped up her head. Their initial union had been explosive. A shiver ran through Debra as she remembered the aftermath of that union.
Jase had proceeded to make love to her in ways she had only dreamt about, lifting her to a plateau she hadn’t known could exist. He’d created heaven in her life. She knew now that she couldn’t lose him.
“Good morning, beautiful.” He ran a finger across her cheek.
Her lips twitched into what she hoped was a smile. Doubts resurfaced.
He hoisted himself up on his el
bow. “You okay?” A concerned frown sprang onto his face.
Debra nodded, chewing her lip.
“Then stop doing that.” He leaned over and captured her lips with his. “Stop hurting that luscious lip.”
Determined, Debra spoke up, albeit in a wobbly voice. “Was it all right?” Embarrassment thickened her tongue and she avoided his gaze. “I’m not very experienced.” She swallowed. “I’m not very good—”
She was thrown onto her back so fast the breath was knocked out of her. “Not good?” His hand stroked the hair away from her face. “Debra, you were amazing and incredible.” He planted a firm kiss on her lips. “If we make love for the next fifty years, I’ll still be wanting you then.”
Debra’s eyes bulged. “F-fifty years?”
His face was sombre as he stared down at her. His look conveyed the depth of his feelings. “I love you, Debbie.” His hand brushed across her hair again. “I love everything about you—your strength, your drive and tenacity, your determination.” Loving fingers traced her jaw line. “Your honesty, your shyness. The uncertainties you try so hard to disguise.”
His lips played with hers. “I’m even growing to love your lousy temper...”
Debra’s heart pounded. Her head spun. She closed her eyes, praying this wasn’t a dream. She opened them to find him still bending over her, still looking at her with love shining from his eyes.
“You’re not k-kidding?”
He didn’t tease her. He simply shook his head.
Excitement bubbled up inside Debra as effervescently as a shaken soda and burst from her. Tears welled in her eyes and overflowed down her cheeks. She clutched at him, holding him as tight as her arms could manage. “I love you, too. I love you so much it’s been killing me to think of your just pretending, just helping me show Chloe, that you were—”
His lips stopped her jumbling words—stopped any chance of speech, or any need for further words. He used his body to convey his feelings and she was more than ready to reciprocate.
Not long afterward Debra found the strength to risk even more. “Jase?” His fingers were circling her bare shoulder. “Can I ask you something?”
In her stomach bats were clawing to escape, her mouth was dry. Nervous anticipation battled with frightening dread. She plucked at the blanket covering their naked bodies.
“Of course.” The lightness of his answer showed complete unconcern. “Anything.”
“Jase?” she stumbled over her tongue and had to start again. The words shot out. “Do you think you could bear to marry me?” The blanket became a lifeline she clung to.
“Bear to marry you?” his hand forced her reluctant face around.
His jubilant expression quietened the bats, returned saliva to her mouth, and produced bubbling champagne back into her bloodstream. He formally relieved her trepidation. “I would be very honoured to marry you.”
Then he chuckled. “Isn’t it generally the man’s role to propose?”
Her apprehension now resolved, Debra quipped back. “I couldn’t wait. I wasn’t sure you’d ever ask. You know, you have all these weird ethical business standards...”
His ability to see through her layers of self-doubt was one of the many things making Jase special. He smiled as he replied. “I did get past the weight of your personality okay, but I will admit your position and the extent of your business is pretty daunting. Not to mention your money—”
“Money doesn’t mean happiness, Jase.”
“I know.” Jase’s poignant tone carried the same certainty Debra felt. She remembered what he’d told her about the children his family fostered. Money would not have spared them a look at the cruel side of life.
Her finger traced the surgical scar across his shoulder. It also hadn’t been able to buy him back a career he’d loved.
“I’m so sorry about your shoulder, Jase.” Her lips wandered to the thin line. “I cried when I read you had to give up rugby.”
Astonished disbelief covered his face.
“I don’t expect you know everything about me, now do you?” Debra scrambled onto her knees then jumped out of bed. Knowing his gaze was glued to her naked figure, she felt no embarrassment. He had removed all her angst with his declaration of love.
It took her some time rummaging around inside her wardrobe before she found what she wanted. She carried a mangled shoe box to the bed and flipped off the lid. Working her way through various treasures she’d assembled over the years she finally extracted a postcard and tossed it across at Jase.
She swallowed a giggle at his gaping mouth. “Wait, there’s more.” Soon evidence of her teenage crush scattered across the bed. Promotional photos of him—at different stages of his career—all annotated with her name in his handwriting and signed by him.
No doubt colour sneaked into her face as she threw him a guilty little smile. “I actually loved rugby. I just stopped watching it so much after...” Her voice faltered and she glanced pointedly at his shoulder. She swallowed as her words dried up.
He gathered up the photos and carefully returned them to her memory box. With the lid back in place, he lowered the box to the floor and settled further down in the bed. His husky invitation to join him needed no repeating.
Sheer joy caused the escaping giggles as she scampered into his arms.
There would be plenty of time to discuss mundane matters like where they’d live and how they’d cope with work commitments. Right now, Debra couldn’t care less about any of that.
As his lips caught hers, a thrill sizzled all the way down to her toes. She knew she had what she’d always dreamed of, a gorgeous man in her arms and the promise of a genuine love-filled future.
A word about the author...
Anne Ashby returns to her childhood home in Southland, New Zealand’s southern-most province to set THE CEO GETS HER MAN. While eagerness to travel and a career in the Royal NZ Navy led her away from Southland, this area will always be home for her.
She endeavours to share some of her beautiful country with romance readers everywhere, so New Zealand always features in her stories along with her interests in family issues, genealogy, rugby, and/or snippets from her past military life.
When not reading or writing, she finds plenty to occupy her time with her family commitments. Anne resides in Auckland with her husband and the youngest of their four children.
Other Anne Ashby titles
available from The Wild Rose Press, Inc.:
WORLDS APART
DEVON'S DREAM
TIME TO BURY THE PAST
WILDERNESS LIAISON
Thank you for purchasing
this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
For other wonderful stories of romance,
please visit our on-line bookstore at
www.thewildrosepress.com.
For questions or more information
contact us at
[email protected].
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
www.thewildrosepress.com
To visit with authors of
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
join our yahoo loop at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thewildrosepress/
