Upon finishing college and moving into her own place she had begun dating, but even the older, supposedly more sophisticated guys hadn’t impressed her. The only thing most of them wanted was easy sex with no thoughts of commitment.
So here she was at the age of twenty-six and still without her first sexual experience. She hadn’t given much thought to that fact until now.
Momentarily closing her eyes, she recaptured the moment in Sterling’s arms when she knew she had never before in her life felt so filled with desire for anyone.
But even with all of that heated excitement, she had felt something even more, something deeper. She had sensed some sort of primitive need in him that went beyond anything physical. There had been a strong undercurrent of something dark and forbidden. It was there in the way he had kissed her, and even though she was clueless as to exactly what it was, something told her that if only for a little while, he had lowered some sort of guard. It was as if he’d reluctantly allowed himself to be caught up in the moment.
Colby took a deep breath while she collected her thoughts. Now was not the time to start getting turned on and dreamy-eyed over Sterling Hamilton like most women across the country were doing. The man was selfish and heartless, and it was best she remembered that. And if he thought for one minute she would show up in his suite for dinner, he had another thought coming. She was going out shopping just like she had planned.
* * *
Sterling leaned against the closed door and took a calming breath to steady the anger he felt with himself. How could he have let things get out of hand and kissed Colby that way? His sole purpose for seeking her out had been to discuss the change he’d made in the agreement. But her feistiness had gotten to him, and he’d felt driven to see if that smart mouth of hers tasted as good as it looked.
And unfortunately for him it had. Her mouth had been everything he’d imagined it would be and more.
Even now he could still taste her on his lips and the faintest hint of her perfume still clung to his skin. He couldn’t ever remember kissing a woman with such passion as he’d kissed Colby. That single kiss had awakened sensations within him that had torn at his control and ripped it to shreds. And the thought of kissing her again aroused him to such a degree he didn’t want to think what would happen if he were to take her in his arms, undress her and make love to her.
He walked over to the bar in the room and poured a glass of scotch. He drank it down and felt something other than the hot liquid slowly burning his insides. It was the knowledge that he was behaving like a stupid, lust-crazed fool. He had no intention for any woman to turn his life inside out. He would never allow any woman to do that, especially the one who would soon become his wife.
* * *
When Colby returned to her hotel room a couple of hours later she discovered a table in the middle of the room with a number of covered dishes on it. Tossing her packages on the bed, she lifted the lids and was surprised to see Sterling had left dinner warming for her. There was even a salad and dessert.
Suddenly feeling quite hungry, she went into the bathroom to wash up. Moments later she sat down at the table, and after saying grace, she helped herself to a serving of smoked salmon, seasoned rice and steamed broccoli.
She smiled. The food was totally delicious. Although she didn’t want to appreciate Sterling’s thoughtfulness she couldn’t help doing so. He could have just as easily sent the tray back to the kitchen when she had not shown up for dinner as he had asked.
She frowned. He hadn’t asked, he had ordered and she hadn’t liked it one bit.
“I prefer it when you smile.”
She turned slightly to the sound of the masculine voice, not surprised to see Sterling standing in the doorway connecting their rooms. She hadn’t heard him open the door.
“I thought you were supposed to try improving your knocking skills.” She kept her voice slightly quiet but knew he could pick up on her irritation and annoyance.
“I tried that earlier today and it didn’t work. You refused to be cooperative.” He came farther into the room and stood across from the table.
Colby tried to ignore how good he looked in the dim lighting of the room but found herself conducting still another close study of his features. There was no doubt about it, he was a fine specimen of a man. For some reason, this evening his cheekbones seemed even more defined, but his dark eyes displayed the same things as usual: alertness, distance and mistrust. She couldn’t help but wonder about the reason. A woman would have to be very special to penetrate his hard wall and get to know the real man behind it. And a woman would have to possess the patience of Job to give him time to trust her enough to become emotionally involved.
Her gaze moved from his eyes to his lips. The sensual shaping of his mouth reminded her of how it had felt molded masterfully to hers while driving her mad with passion.
“Colby?”
Sterling had said something. Colby shook herself out of her distraction and back into awareness. “What did you say?”
“I said I hope you’re enjoying dinner. I was somewhat disappointed that you didn’t show up in my suite as I’d asked.”
She lifted her chin. “You didn’t ask, Sterling, you ordered and I didn’t like that. I’m not a child but an adult. I would appreciate it if you remembered that.”
His slight smile held no pretension of humor. “Are you being difficult again?”
“No, you are. Evidently it bothers you that, unlike most women, I’m not in total awe of who you are. I told you at lunch, I could care less for you as an actor and the more I get to know you, the less I care for you as a man.”
Sterling’s eyes sparkled with amusement. Colby had just put him down. “That’s right, you did mention you favored Denzel over me.”
“Hands down,” she responded, deliberately meeting his eyes.
His gaze continued to hold hers. “In that case, I’d better get busy doing something about that. As my wife, I can’t have you preferring another actor over me, and I definitely can’t have you not caring for me as a man.”
“I doubt my opinion on either will change,” she said smartly.
“But I can at least try.”
“Yeah, go ahead and try,” Colby replied, offering him a sweet smile. “And if you try with as much gusto as trying to learn how to knock, I can relax in knowing that a year from now my opinion of you will still be the same.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
Sterling’s fingers began toying with the stem of a wineglass that he’d picked up off the table. “Speaking of a year, I thought about what you said about needing more time to breast-feed my child.”
It seemed that automatically Sterling’s eyes lifted from his preoccupation with the wineglass and concentrated on the curve of Colby’s breasts outlined through the blouse she was wearing.
“What about it?” she asked in a hoarse voice when it became evident just where his gaze was dead-centered. The room suddenly became quiet except for their uneven breathing.
His eyes met hers again, and from their intense darkness she could just imagine where his thoughts were. He gave her a slow smile, which indicated she probably was right in her deduction.
“I’ve decided to extend your time in our agreement from six weeks to one year.”
The smile that lit Colby’s face at that moment, to Sterling’s way of thinking, was as sweet as wine and, like a fool, he drank it up.
“Do you really mean that?”
“Yes. And I’ve already notified Edward of the change. He’ll be by tonight to drop the papers off and give you a chance to look over them. He’ll return tomorrow for our signatures.”
Colby nodded. At the moment she was too happy to say anything else.
“I’ll leave you alone now to enjoy the rest of your dinner.”
He turned to leave the room but before closing the door behind him, he turned back around and said, “I think you’ll discover this extension may not be such
a good idea after all, Colby.”
She lifted her brow. “Why?”
“The longer you stay around my child, the harder it will be for you when the time comes for you to leave. And you will be leaving. I don’t want you to ever think otherwise. The only reason I extended your time was because I want the very best for my child, not because I need a permanent wife.”
He turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Colby refused to let his words put a damper on how elated she felt. The Lord had answered her prayers and she’d been given more time. She was determined to use that time wisely. Somehow she had to convince Sterling that a permanent wife was the very thing he did need.
She stared blindly across the room at the closed door. For some reason, she wanted more than just the baby between them. An inner part of her wanted him to want her as well. That thought came to her unbidden. She knew he wouldn’t be the easiest person to get along with, but she felt he needed something more in his life than what he was getting now. She could sense that even with all his riches and fame, a part of him held something back. There was something about him that hinted he was afraid to let go, afraid to reach out.
And as inconceivable as it seemed, she wanted to be there for him and not just for their child.
CHAPTER 8
Edward Stewart and his trusted secretary, Marva Webster, arrived at Colby’s suite before noon the next morning.
“Are you absolutely sure you don’t want to consult your own attorney before we get started, dear?” Edward asked Colby.
She shook her head. “No. The less people knowing about this the better.”
“But there may be some areas of concern you may want—”
“No, I read over everything last night, and I’m fine with it.”
Colby actually felt better today than she’d felt in the past few days. Knowing about the year extension had made her heart feel lighter and less burdened. No matter what the document said, she had no intention of getting out of Sterling Hamilton’s life a year after the birth of their child.
“It seems Colby will be glad to get her hands on the money after all,” Sterling said icily. His muscular body filled a wingback chair that sat across the room.
Colby’s eyes narrowed at him. “For your information, Sterling, I still have no intentions of getting that money—at least not for myself. I’ve instructed Edward to donate a portion of it to the school where I teach. It’s an inner-city school that can use all the extra funding it can get. The money will go on record as a generous contribution from you to the school. The rest of it will be used to help other needy inner-city schools around the country.”
A look of total disbelief was etched on Sterling’s face as he stood and looked at Colby as if she had lost her mind. “You’re giving all that money away?”
“No, you are. It’s all being donated in your name. I told you in the very beginning my child wouldn’t be bought. All I want is for Wingate Cosmetics to stay out of Morton Industries’ hands. You’ve assured me it will, and I believe you.”
Then she turned back to Edward. “Where do you want me to sign?”
“Wait!” Sterling’s single word echoed loudly in the room and everyone turned to him.
“What is it now?” Colby asked with annoyance in her voice. She wanted to sign the papers and get things over with so she could return home to Virginia. Somehow she had to find a way to break the news to James about her pending marriage without giving away the real reason she was doing it.
Sterling met her gaze evenly. “You are aware there’ll be other papers for you to sign prior to the marriage?”
At Colby’s confused look, he said, “A prenuptial agreement. I do expect you to sign one.”
Colby released an exasperated sigh. Sterling Hamilton was getting on her last nerve. “Certainly,” she returned before turning to Edward. “Where do I sign?”
Sterling signed the papers after her, and Ms. Webster signed as a witness. After their departure, Colby found herself alone with Sterling.
“Hungry?” he asked, breaking the silence in the room.
She shook her head. “I’ve suddenly lost my appetite.”
“It will eventually come back,” he said smartly.
Colby opened her mouth to give him a tongue-lashing retort, then immediately closed it. What good would it do anyway? Besides, she was not in the mood to argue with him.
“You’re probably right,” she said, knowing her response was not what he’d expected.
And it wasn’t. Sterling lifted his brow at her reply. “What are your plans for the rest of the day?” he asked her.
“I don’t have any.”
He thrust his hands into the pockets of his pants. “Then there’s no reason for us not to spend it together.”
“Doing what?” Colby asked curtly.
He gave her a smooth smile. “Sight-seeing. How about if I show you around the area. Then there’s one more thing we need to discuss in detail before you leave California.”
“What?”
“Our wedding plans.”
* * *
First, Sterling took Colby on a personal tour of the major movie studios. From there, the places became unlimited. They toured The Boulevard, Hollywood and Griffin Park. That was followed by lunch in Santa Monica at Palisades Park. The two-mile stretch of green provided a magnificent view of the ocean and beaches below. Later they took a walk along the Santa Monica Pier, which jutted out into the Pacific Ocean. He told her it was here where his action-packed movie, Duncan’s Revenge, the one he’d made with Sylvester Stallone, had been filmed.
Dressed comfortably in shorts and both wearing sunglasses and big straw hats, they had blended in well with the numerous other tourists.
“Wow! This place is beautiful,” Colby said of Jesse Owens Park. The twenty-acre park named in honor of the black Olympic gold medal track star had a huge gym, a large indoor pool, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts and a three-par golf course. Quite a number of people had chosen the park that day to have a picnic.
Leaning against a guardrail, Colby watched a group of teenagers play a serious game of basketball against a group of older men. Sterling, who was standing beside her, turned to her and began softly stroking her shoulder. At first she had stiffened at the contact but then she relaxed. His touch was both surprising and welcoming. She had done some heavy-duty walking that day and her entire body was beginning to get achy. His slow, gentle massage of her shoulder was helping to relieve the tightness lodged there.
She gazed up at him, her eyes filled with appreciation. “How did you know I needed that?”
His expression was soft as he gazed down at her.
“Somehow, I just knew. I think it’s time for us to return to the hotel. You’ve done enough sight-seeing for one day.”
Taking her hand in his, he led her back to the area where his car was parked.
They walked together silently. When they reached the parking area, Sterling turned and, placing light pressure on her hand, gently pulled her to him.
Colby fixed him with a mildly surprised look.
“Don’t look now,” he whispered, “but there’s a photographer who’s been following us for the last half hour. We may as well make his day and give him a picture worth taking,” he said. He tipped her chin up to him and lowered his mouth to hers.
The kiss, although a lot gentler than the one they’d shared in the hotel room yesterday, was just as greedy, possessive and passionate. Colby’s heart pounded furiously in her chest, as her body shivered from the feel of his mouth taking hers with such breathtaking thoroughness.
She dismissed from her mind the rule against kissing in public. She didn’t understand exactly what she was feeling or the type of passion consuming her senses. And at the moment she didn’t feel compelled to understand. She just wanted to enjoy what was taking place between them. So she clung to him with all the strength she possessed. And his hold on her was both protective and power
ful.
When Sterling finally ended the kiss, he rested his forehead on the top of Colby’s head as he fought for control. Again he had lost it. Kissing her always made him lose control; control he didn’t like losing. Whenever he kissed her, an exquisite weakness seemed to take over his entire body, and all he wanted to do was to crush her against him and kiss her like there was no tomorrow.
He sighed heavily. Those thoughts were disturbing.
Colby was also absorbed in her own thoughts. She stepped back out of Sterling’s arms, annoyed with herself for responding to him that way.
“I can’t believe I let you kiss me here,” she said, nervously running fingers through her hair.
Sterling leaned against a wooden post. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his shorts, he gazed down at Colby with an unwavering absorption that made his eyes appear even darker. “I really didn’t give you a choice,” he said huskily.
“No, you didn’t,” she agreed. At least not in the beginning, her mind taunted. But you could have stopped him afterward anytime you wanted to.
“Was that kiss necessary?” she asked, still reeling from the effects of it. His kisses left her feeling weak and vulnerable.
“Yes,” he answered with quiet assurance. “It seems we’ve been forced into action.”
Colby frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Sterling took her hand in his once again. “Come on. I’ll explain things in the car. I’ve discovered that in some places even the garbage cans seem to have ears.”
They began walking and when they reached the car Colby turned to him. She stared up at him, confused. “That was the second time you’ve kissed me. You can’t go around doing that whenever you feel like it. It’s not proper.”
Sterling couldn’t help but grin at her choice of such an old-fashioned word. “It’s not proper, huh?”
“No, it’s not, and you can’t do it anymore.”
“I can’t?”
“No, you can’t.”
Out of the corner of Sterling’s eye he saw that the photographer had disappeared. Evidently the man had been pleased with the shots he’d taken of him and Colby kissing.
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