A fierce tangle of emotion twisted through him. He must have made a sound, because her gaze suddenly rose to his face. “Oh.” The color in her beard-chafed cheeks deepened slightly. “You’re awake.”
“Yeah.” To his chagrin, he found he had to clear his throat. “As a matter of fact, I am.”
There was an awkward moment as they considered each other, and then she surprised him again with a shy, sudden smile. “I’ve never done this before—woke up with a man. Is there something I’m supposed to say?”
Some of his tension melted away. “No. You can do or say whatever you want to.”
“Oh. Well then...” She didn’t hesitate. Pushing herself up, she slid her hand around his neck and found his mouth for a brief but melting kiss. Raising her head, she smiled again. “Good morning,” she said a little breathlessly.
Incredibly he found himself smiling back. “Yeah. It’s turning out that way.”
She settled back into the curve of his arm and for a space of time they simply laid there in surprisingly companionable silence. Finally, however, Susan said, “This is nice.”
He nodded. “Yeah, it is.”
“Do you know what time it is?”
He glanced over at the clock on his dresser. “A quarter after nine.”
“Ah.” For a few seconds the information didn’t appear to really register. And then her head abruptly came up. “Oh, dear. I’m late for work.”
“Forget work,” he said, tightening his hold on her.
“I can’t,” she protested, misunderstanding. “Not until they find a replacement—”
“Relax. That’s not what I meant. I’m not talking about quitting. I just thought maybe you could take today off and we’d spend it together.”
Her eyes widened slightly. “You did?”
He smoothed a strand of silky auburn hair behind her ear. “Yeah.”
“I’d like that.” Her face lit up, only to dim an instant later.
“What’s the matter?”
She hesitated, then said with obvious reluctance, “It’s just... I’m not sure what you have in mind, but I’m afraid I’m starting to get a little tender—”
“Shh.” He pressed a finger to her lips to stop her. “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t mean in bed.”
Some of the worry left her face. “You didn’t?”
“No.” It was only a little lie. And when he stopped to think about it, he realized it really didn’t matter. Although unwilling to examine his feelings too closely, what he wanted, what he needed, was just to be with her. “I’d like nothing better than to spend the whole day making love to you,” he said truthfully, an idea taking shape in his head, “but what I have in mind actually works better with your clothes on.”
“All right.” She waited a heartbeat for him to say something. When he didn’t, she said, “Are you going to tell me what it is?”
He shook his head. “No. I think I’ll surprise you.”
She considered him for a moment, then nodded. “Okay.”
Once again he was struck by her unexpected trust in him. For the life of him, he couldn’t decide if it was good or bad.
Nine
Sterling’s surprise turned out to be a trip to Dallas.
To Susan’s amazement, in the amount of time it took her to shower and pack an overnight bag, he’d made all the arrangements. By eleven they were aboard the Churchill Enterprise’s Learjet and in the air. They landed at Love Field, where they were met on the tarmac by a chauffeured limousine that whisked them into the heart of the city. After a relaxing lunch at the fashionable Casa Renaldo’s, they spent the rest of the afternoon shopping, making stops at Neiman Marcus, Ballinger’s and Christian Maxwell, until Susan finally protested she couldn’t possibly look at another thing.
With the exquisite care he’d shown her all day, Sterling promptly summoned the limo and some thirty minutes later the manager of the city’s most exclusive hotel personally ushered them into the plush penthouse suite. Succumbing to exhaustion, Susan took a nap while Sterling watched a Cowboy’s game. Later, after showers and a visit from the hotel masseuse, they got all dressed up and had dinner on their own private, rooftop terrace, attended by a small army of white-coated waiters.
Now, curled up next to Sterling on the sitting room couch, the lights of Dallas spread out below them like a sequined cloak, Susan gave a deep sigh of contentment.
“You okay?” Sterling inquired, tracing a circle on her bare shoulder with his fingertips.
“Mmm-hmm. I’m fine. Why?”
“You’ve gotten pretty quiet all of a sudden.”
“Have I?” She smoothed her palm over the exquisitely soft burgundy velvet of her evening dress, then looked up at him and smiled. “I guess I was just thinking that it’s been a Cinderella kind of day. And that any second now I’m going to wake up in my little house back in Royal and this will all be a dream.”
“I hope that means you had a good time.”
She gave a happy sigh. “Oh, yes. It’s been wonderful. Except that I keep expecting Robin Leach to pop up from behind a chair and announce we’re on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.”
“He’d better not,” he said lightly. Reflected light from the candles illuminating the room danced in his eyes, turning them to silver. “Not when I’ve finally got you all to myself. I didn’t think that maid was ever going to leave.”
“I know. Wasn’t it amazing? I’ve never been anywhere where they turned down the bed, much less sprinkled it with rose petals, left chocolates on the pillows and offered to show up in the morning to draw your bath.”
“Yeah. Pretty damn annoying, huh?”
She glanced over at him and shook her head, deliberately trying to look prim. “You’re just spoiled.”
To her delight, the corners of his mouth turned up in a faint but definite grin. “Well, I’m not sure about that. But I’m working on it.”
His smile, still such a rarity, seemed to go right through her. And though she told herself the sudden rush of happiness she felt was nothing unusual, that she was just glad he was enjoying himself, she was no longer sure that was entirely true. As much as she’d enjoyed today, it had been last night that had been truly special. And while she’d meant every word that she’d said about being able to accept that he desired rather than loved her, her own feelings for him no longer seemed quite so simple.
Yet there was no way she could say so. Not now, she thought, glancing vacantly down at the belated engagement ring he’d insisted on buying her. It simply wouldn’t be fair. Not after she’d insisted she was an adult who knew what she was doing a scant twenty-four hours ago. And not when he’d gone to such trouble to make the day—and the evening—so perfect and memorable.
Oblivious to her troubled thoughts, he continued his unexpected teasing. “What’s the matter? Having second thoughts already? Wishing you’d let me buy you the ring I wanted to, instead of that little thing?”
“Absolutely not.” To her relief, her voice sounded normal. With a determined smile, she held out her hand to admire the exquisite but tastefully sized emerald solitaire now nestled against her wedding band. “This ring is perfect. Not that the other one wasn’t nice, too,” she was quick to add. “But the diamond was just so...huge.” Her eyes twinkling, she gave him a pointed sideways look. “I was afraid one of the horses might mistake it for a sugar cube and bite off my finger.”
He sighed with mock despair. “Very funny. You know, you may look as soft as a kitten, sweetheart, but deep down you’re one tough customer. First you rejected my choice of jewelry. Then you went and added insult to injury by refusing to let me buy you a few measly clothes—”
“A few? Oh, Sterling!” She laughed softly. “That saleslady trotted out enough stuff to dress an army!”
“So?”
“So just where in Royal was I supposed to wear a pantsuit trimmed in lavender ostrich feathers? Or a pair of faux leopard pedal pushers?” Not waiting for his answer, she added, “And
I did let you buy me this.” She touched the high-cut bodice of her evening dress. “As for the rest... Considering that in a month or two I’m going to need maternity clothes, it would have been a terrible waste of your money.”
“Hell, Susan, I can afford it. And you could always wear the stuff after you have the baby.”
“I don’t know about that,” she said wryly. “I remember my mother telling me it took her a year to lose all the weight she gained with me. Of course,” she added thoughtfully, “I was a pretty good size baby—eight pounds, two ounces, to be exact. What about you?”
He was silent a moment, then shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t?” Susan didn’t think to hide her surprise. “I guess we’ll have to ask your mother.”
Unexpectedly he shifted away from her, leaning forward to pick his wineglass up off the coffee table. He took an unhurried sip. “I don’t want to disappoint you, but I doubt she remembers,” he said finally.
She stared at his back. This wasn’t her first indication that he didn’t have the greatest relationship with his mother. And though he was always very careful not to say anything negative about her, his very neutrality spoke volumes. Whatever the problem, it went deep.
And that troubled her. Gathering her courage, she leaned forward and gently rubbed her hand against the base of his spine. “I’m sure that’s not true. And even if it is, it’s her loss—”
“You’re right,” he said, cutting her off. He settled back beside her, a trace of his old guardedness coloring his face. “But it’s nothing you need to worry about. I don’t want you worrying about anything,” he stressed. “Not money or clothes or gaining weight—and certainly not my mother.”
Susan stared at him, very aware that he’d just made a deliberate choice not to share an important part of himself with her. Yet before she could even think how to protest, he lifted her onto his lap. “And I’ll tell you a little secret. As beautiful as you look right now—” he bent his dark head and nuzzled the exquisitely sensitive place behind her ear, his voice husky with emotion “—the thought of our baby growing inside you excites the hell out of me. I can hardly wait to see your body change.”
His words caught Susan by surprise and took some of the sting out of his decision not to confide in her. “Oh, Sterling.” Ambushed by tenderness, she pressed her lips to his hair, helpless to resist when a second later he tipped her back against his arm and his mouth found hers. Nor did she protest a few minutes later when he climbed to his feet with her in his arms and carried her into the bedroom.
As if she were made of glass, he set her gently on her feet next to the huge, canopied bed. He studied her the briefest of moments, then stood back and began to struggle with the jet studs on his shirtfront.
“Here. Let me.” She brushed his fingers away and in no time at all he was bare-chested. Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss to his collarbone, her knuckles resting intimately against his taut abdomen as she undid the buttons on his tailored slacks.
Sterling sucked in his breath and caught her wrists as she fumbled for his zipper. “Hold on.” Gently pushing her hands away, he sank down on the bed and tugged off his dressy black cowboy boots. He tossed them and his socks away and stood. His pants and briefs hit the floor a second later. Then he reached for Susan. “Darlin’,” he drawled, “you are definitely overdressed.”
Her heart melted at his unexpected playfulness. Before he could catch her, however, she stepped back, reached behind her, and unzipped her gown, pulling it over her head and tossing it away. Wearing nothing but her high heels and a pretty but conservative black satin bra and panty set, she smoothed back her hair and faced him. “Better?”
“You’re getting there.”
He took a step closer, but to her surprise, made no move to undress her further. Instead he went down on his knees. Cradling the soft swell of her hips in his hands, he leaned forward and reverently began to press a string of kisses across the curve of her stomach. He was infinitely gentle, and she shivered as she felt the cool strands of his hair tickle the underside of her breasts.
Still on his knees, he reached behind her, unhooked her bra and pulled it away. He made a low sound of appreciation as his hands came around and cupped her. “God, you feel so good.” Closing his eyes, he rubbed one smoothly shaved cheek against a turgid nipple, then turned his head and took the stiff little morsel in his mouth.
The breath seemed to freeze in her throat. “Oh, my....” Clutching his shoulders, she looked down at his dark head, watching his cheeks flex as he suckled. Heat curled through her. An ache bloomed between her thighs and her knees began to tremble. “Sterling...” she said helplessly.
He released her breast with a wet little sound. Yet she got no relief as he trailed his hands down her middle, hooked his thumbs in the top of her panties and tugged them off. He leaned back, his eyes smoky as they took in her distended nipples and the neat triangle of dark curls atop her thighs. He swallowed. “You’re so pretty.” He pressed an openmouthed kiss to her most intimate place.
Susan swayed, only her grip on his shoulders keeping her upright until he finally climbed to his feet. He urged her toward the bed.
“Wait,” she said softly. At his questioning look, she gathered her courage. “I...I want to touch you, too, okay?”
His expression registered surprise, then a sort of wry amusement. He shrugged his wide, bronzed shoulders. “Sure.”
She hooked a hand around his neck and tugged his head down. Shaping her mouth to fit his, she initiated a series of slow, soft, coaxing kisses. He moved closer, rubbing gently against her until she could feel the hot ridge of his sex pressing against her stomach. Still clutching his neck, she reached down with her free hand and tentatively closed her fingers around him.
He felt hot, smooth and firm,. Gripping him lightly, she rubbed her thumb across the broad tip, fascinated as she heard his breath catch and felt him jerk against her palm.
The kiss grew more intense. Reveling in her newfound power, she repeated the caress, once, twice, until suddenly, he tore his mouth from hers, reached down and carefully but firmly pulled her hand away.
Her gaze shot to his face. “What’s the matter? Did I do something wrong?”
His throat worked. “No.” He seemed to struggle for composure, then managed a strangled laugh. “But if you keep that up, things’ll be over before they start.”
“Oh.”
He drew her onto the bed, scattering rose petals right and left as he rolled onto his back and lifted her astride him.
The intimacy of the position was startling. Susan tried to take it all in: the firm but gentle grip of his hands, the silky heat of his stomach against her thighs, the blunt head of his sex nudging against her a second before he slid solidly inside.
“Oh!” She arched her back, struggling to adjust to the full, stretching pressure.
“Easy,” Sterling soothed. “There’s no rush. You set the pace.”
Bunching a pillow behind his head, he held himself still and it suddenly dawned on her that she was in charge. Leaning forward, she braced her hands on either side of his head and slowly raised her hips.
Carefully she sank back down, and felt a little tickle of pleasure. Up again, then down, and the pleasure grew stronger. As it did, her hips began to move a little faster.
“Come here.” Tangling his hands in her hair, Sterling brought her mouth to his and his own hips rose off the bed.
Tension began to build in her body. She rocked against him, taking him deeper, unprepared as her orgasm suddenly rushed through her in a crest of pleasure. She cried out, saying Sterling’s name over and over.
He reached down, grabbed her hips and continued to thrust heavily into her. Out of nowhere, another explosion hit her, more powerful than the first. She felt Sterling stiffen, felt his body bow beneath her as his hands bit into her hips and he held her against him. Then he too was crying out, a deep guttural sound of completion.
Sobbing for
breath, Susan collapsed against him. For a few seconds he didn’t move. And then his arms came around her and he held her tight, and she felt him press a kiss to her hair.
And that’s when she knew she loved him.
Late-afternoon sunlight danced on the surface of the Oasis swimming pool.
Sterling drove through the clear blue water, his path as straight and true as an arrow, his stroke powerful and steady. Approaching the wall, he made a perfectly executed racing turn and kicked off, heading back the way he’d come.
He wasn’t sure how many laps this made. Ten? Twenty? It didn’t matter. He felt as if he could go on forever.
He tried to remember the last time he’d had so much energy. Hell, it had to have been over a decade ago, toward the end of his stint in the military. He’d been in the best shape of his life, running ten miles every morning, working out for a few hours each evening.
Of course, he’d also been young, a little cocky, and away from home for the very first time in his life. Between hanging out with his buddies and dating one of the local beauties, he hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep at night. Not that it had mattered.
He’d had energy to burn. Just like now.
Only he wasn’t a kid anymore. And real life had done a lot to temper his youthful arrogance. And while he tried to stay in shape, he no longer had hours a day to devote to it.
About the only parallel between then and now was that lately he hadn’t been getting a whole lot of sleep. And there was an obvious reason for that, he thought wryly.
His wife was keeping him up at night.
He smiled despite himself and completed another lap, then propelled himself into the middle of the pool. Breaking the surface, he flipped onto his back, blinked the water out of his eyes and stared up at the vast blue sky.
He had to admit, in the back of his mind he’d expected that once they’d made love a few times, some of the edge would be off his attraction to her. It didn’t seem to be working out that way, however. She was so sweet, so responsive, so generous in her lovemaking that he couldn’t seem to get enough of her.
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