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Spent, she fell forward on the mattress. Mike retreated, lifting her and carrying her to the shower. He washed them both and dried her off, carrying her back to bed and pulling the covers over them. She wouldn't think about this being the last night she'd fall asleep nestled in his arms. She just slumbered while she could, content to have his heartbeat against her.
When he woke her before dawn, she rose and went through the motions, dressing and making coffee. They drank a cup together in silence. “I need to go,” he said, his voice low, his expression grim.
“I know.”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She fought back tears she had no right to shed.
“Thank you, Grace.”
“Good-bye, Mike.”
She walked him to the elevator and kissed him again, smiling at him as the elevator door closed.
When he was gone, she went back to the bedroom, sat on the bed and smoothed her hands over the sheets, touching the pillow where he'd slept. It was still warm. Only then did she allow herself the luxury of dissolving into the heart-wrenching sobs she'd held back for so long.

ELEVEN

Mike had held it together on the plane ride back,
then threw himself into work for the next week. Fortunately, he was busy as hell and didn't have time to dwell on how much he missed Grace.
Much. Other than every free second he had. He thought he'd done a pretty good job being stoic and acting like he didn't care. That's what Grace wanted, right? To keep things between them unemotional and low key. No strings.
That's what he wanted, wasn't it?
So how come he felt like shit? How come every woman who called, every woman at the country club who'd approached him in the past week and tried to capture his attention, did absolutely nothing for him? Not a spark, not even a twitch of his cock. He was totally and completely uninterested. It was as if he'd come back from Las Vegas a eunuch. Because those women didn't have beguiling violet eyes. Those women didn't have a slender body with small breasts and perky nipples. Those women didn't have a laugh that made his dick stand up and take notice. Those women didn't have a pioneering spirit, a feisty independence and the guts to make it on their own with virtually nothing. None of them had a warm vulnerability underneath a tough exterior that had melted the icy wall around his cold heart. None of those women were Grace.
He'd never missed a woman he'd spent time with. Not once. He fucked them and promptly forgot about them, moved on to the next one.
Now he wasn't the slightest bit interested in the next one. Or the one after that. “You sure are moping around a lot this week.”
Mike looked up from his desk at his partner, Seth Jacobs. “I'm busy. And I never mope.” “Uh-huh.” Seth sat in one of the chairs across from Mike's desk. “If you say so. But you've snapped the head off” everyone in here this week. I thought vacation was supposed to relax you.” “It was relaxing.” He opened the file on his desk and decided to ignore Seth.
“So what happened in Las Vegas?”
“Nothing. The conference was good, then I hung out for a few extra days. Had a great time.”
“You're full of shit. This is me, remember? I know you better than anyone. Start talking.” That much was true. He and Seth had been buddies since they were kids. Seth knew him inside and out and Mike could never hope to hide anything from him. He closed the file and dragged his hands through his hair. “I met a woman.”
Seth leaned back in the chair. “Oh, there's a shocker.”
Mike laughed. “She's different. There was a . . . connection.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Really. I can’t stop thinking about her.”
“So why don’t you do something about it?”

“Like what? She has a life and a career back there. Mine is here. She 's independent. Owns a sex club. She doesn't want a relationship or any kind of entanglements in her life.”
Seth laughed. “She sounds a lot like you.”
Leave it to Seth to state the obvious. “Yeah, she does. We're similar in many ways.” “Which is probably why you're attracted to her.” Seth shook his head. “So the mighty Nottingham has finally fallen.” Mike frowned. “This is
not
funny.”
“I think it is. I think it's fucking hysterical. Wait ʻtil I tell Abby.” Abby was Seth's fiancee and a fellow veterinarian. She had worked as an intern in their offices last year, and Seth and Mike had actually had a menage with Abby one weekend. But Abby had chosen Seth over Mike. Smart girl. Mike hadn't wanted to settle down and Abby had made a strong bond with Seth. They were good together. Seth was a lucky guy. Abby was golden.
“I'm sure Abby will laugh her ass off, too.”
Seth leaned forward. “Abby loves you and you know that. She wants to see you happy. Mike, all kidding aside, if you care about this woman, don't let her slip out of your hands. Make it work.” “I don't see how it can.”
Seth rolled his eyes. “Then you're not looking hard enough. Love doesn't come around all that often, especially for people like you.” Mike snorted. “Gee, thanks.” “You know what I mean. You've been playing games your whole life. You've closed yourself off to every woman you've ever met. Now one has finally reached you. That means something. Don't let her go.”
He looked at Seth and smiled. “I have a practice here. A life.”
“Man, I love you like a brother. You know that.” He swept his hand around the room. “But you can do this anywhere.” Mike stared at Seth. He couldn't believe what Seth had said. But dammit, he was right. “You're a really good friend.” Seth grinned. “Yeah, I know. Now put that brilliant brain of yours to work and think with something besides your dick for a change. And go figure out how to make it work with the woman who's managed to do what no other ever has.”
“What's that?”
“Make Mike Nottingham fall in love.”
Grace looked around at the club and frowned. This
sucked.
Once again Wild Nights was filled to capacity. Based on preliminary figures, she was probably going to have her best month ever. Liquor sales were up, attendance was up, new membership was up.
The club was flying high.
And she was absolutely miserable.
Which was all Mike Nottingham's fault, because he'd made her fall in love with him. The sneaky bastard. How could he do this to her? She felt sick to her stomach and all she wanted to do was run to her apartment, curl up in a ball and cry her eyes out. She'd pondered tracking him down in Oklahoma, calling him, seeing if maybe they could get together again. She'd gone as far as looking up his number. And every damn night she'd picked up the phone, her fingers hovering on the buttons, wavering for a few seconds. Then she'd slam the phone down, feeling ridiculous for the attempt. It was over. They'd agreed. It had been a fling and nothing more, right?
She scrunched up her nose and shook her head. Disgusting. She
couldn't stand emotional, weepy women, and she'd become one. A
week had gone by already, for the love of God. One would think the aches and pains would be gone by now.
But they weren't. In fact, they were getting worse. She didn't think it possible, but she missed Mike more now than she had the day he left. She couldn't stop thinking about him and it was interfering with her work.
She wasn't having fun anymore. And she had always had fun at Wild Nights. Coming to work was the high point of her day. But for the last week she'd dreaded it, knowing Mike wouldn't be here. She'd gone through the motions, played hostess as normal and chatted up her guests, but her heart hadn't been in it. And still she found herself loitering by the door.
Looking for who? Mike? As if by some miracle he'd show up? That he'd be so miserable without her he'd fly back from Oklahoma, swing her into his arms and tell her he couldn't live without her, that they'd find some way to make this work?
Ha! She'd long ago stopped believing in fairy tales. The harsh reality of her childhood had cured those fantasies. It was damn time she snapped out of it and got back to her life and her club. That was her real love. Her forever love. The one that would always be there for her. The one that would never cause her pain. This was her choice and she damn well better get back to loving it.
But how was she going to erase Mike? How was she going to
forget the wild nights spent in his arms, the taste of his lips, the feel of
his hands on her body? How was she going to forget what it felt like
to sleep tucked up against him? How was she going to forget how she
felt when they were together, the kind of person she was when
she was with him? She'd laughed more, she'd relaxed more, she'd
felt safe and comforted when he was with her. For the first time in her
life, she'd felt as if she could be who she really was with a man. Without games, without just sex being involved. She could talk to Mike
about anything and everything and he never once judged her for what she was and the paths she'd chosen.
How was she going to forget loving him?
Dammit, she had no experience with this. She didn't know how to handle it. She moved to the bar and asked the bartender for a glass of wine, smiling and visiting with the clients there.
But soon they moved off to the playrooms, the night grew late and she found herself alone.
Loneliness wrapped itself around her like a cold blanket. She shivered as the front door opened. It was cold out tonight. Her bouncers had probably moved inside to get away from the chilled wind. “Need some warming, babe?”
She almost knocked her drink over as she twirled around on the bar stool, convinced the voice she heard had to be her imagination. It wasn't.
“Mike!” For a split second she'd thought about acting cool, but then threw that right out the window. She flew off the barstool and launched herself into his arms. He caught her, his mouth meeting hers in a hot, bone-melting kiss.
This time she didn't care about the tears. She let them come. They spilled down her cheeks as his lips moved over hers, his tongue sliding inside her mouth. She shuddered in his embrace, wrapping her arms so tightly around his neck she was certain she cut off his circulation. She didn't care. He was here!
When she finally let go, he set her down on her feet, smiling at her.
“God, I missed you, Grace.”
She blinked away the tears. “I missed you, too.” She grabbed his hand and signaled to the floor manager. “I'm gone for the night.” The manager grinned and nodded, waving her off. The ride up the elevator was excruciatingly long. She latched onto Mike's hand, refusing to let
go.
“Why are you here?”
“I told you. I missed you.” He pulled her against him again, kissing her long and hard and by the time he broke the kiss, she had no doubt how much he had in fact missed her. The rigid length of his cock pressed against her hip as he palmed her lower back to push her closer to him.
The elevator opened and Alike picked her up in his arms. They didn't make it very far, though. She'd thought about this moment the entire week—reuniting with him, his desperation to see her, her own need drilling her into a frenzied anticipation. She wanted it so badly her body thrummed with anxious expectation. She wasn't going to be denied, and thank God he wasn't going to be either. He slammed her up against the living room wall and lifted her dress. She was already wet when he pulled her panties to the side, jerking down his zipper and freeing his cock. His gaze was so intense it was shocking, thrilling her, making her wet with anticipation and need. She was sobbing when he entered her, lifting her with one hand on her ass. She wrapped her legs around his hips and slid down on his shaft, her pussy pulsing. With a hard thrust he drove into her again and again, his strokes long and deep. He was telling her without words how much he needed her. He was claiming her, making her his, and she was accepting it all, claiming him right back. God yes, she needed him, needed him inside her, a part of her. She held on, reveling in his possession of her, raining kisses all over his lips, his jaw, murmuring to him the entire time. She couldn't get enough of him, wanting him to crawl as deeply inside of her as possible. Arching against him, she gave him full access and he took it, slamming against her until she splintered.
She came hard, crying out and raking her nails down his shoulders. He dug his fingers into her ass as he emptied into her, burying his face into the crook of her neck and groaning as he rode out a long orgasm, his body pressed full-length against hers. It was possible she'd be content to be held like this forever. But he let her down, held her against him while she found her footing on very shaky legs.
“Welcome back,” she said, pressing a light kiss to his lips.
“I'm glad to be back.”
After they readjusted their clothing, she sat on the sofa and he went with her, pulling her across his lap. She dragged her fingers through his hair, still not quite believing he was here. “I'm never going to forgive you for this, you know,” she said, resting her hand on his chest.
He arched a quizzical brow. “For what?”
“For turning a sexually confident woman of the world into a quivering, weepy mass of feminine hormones. I've been a mess.” He tilted his head back and laughed. “Well it's only justice, babe. You turned an arrogant, alpha, don't-give-a-shit male into an emotional, caring wreck of contradictions.”
She cast him a smug smile. “Good. Then we're perfectly suited for each other.” Then he went serious on her, cupping her cheek with the palm of his hand. “We have to make this work, Grace. It was hell last week without you.”
Her heart swelled, broke a little, and the tears came again. “How?
You live across the country.”
“Right now I do. I've been doing this a long time. I've invested well. I can have a veterinary practice anywhere. Carl was talking at the conference about how he wanted to retire over a year ago, but he wants to sell his practice since he doesn't have kids to hand it down to. He's leery of just anyone taking it over. He wants a vet he knows and trusts.”
“Carl? The vet who owns the ranch where we went riding?”
“Yeah. He has a practice in Las Vegas.”
“You would consider buying his practice here?”
He smiled, swept his hand across her hair. “I would.”
“What about ties to your home? Your family?”
“My life is my own. I can live it wherever I want. I want to live it where you are, Grace. I'm in love with you.”
Oh. Wow. Damn. That was a big admission. Her heart thudded against her chest and a wave of nausea hit her. She swung her legs around and bent over, shoving her head between her knees. “Uh, Grace?”
“Yes.” The blood rushed to head, but she was clearing a bit now.
“Are you going to be sick?”
“I'm considering it.”
“So, me telling you that I love you makes you want to throw up?” She giggled. She really couldn't help it. Raising her head, she swept her hair away from her face. “I'm sorry. No one ever told me that before. I wasn't prepared for it.”
God, she was handling this badly.
“I see.”
She felt awful about the confused look on his face and knew she needed to set him straight right away. She sat upright and faced him. “Mike, I love you, too. I've been sick all week. My heart hurt. It's never hurt before. I've never been so unhappy. I hated feeling this miserable.”
“Really?”
She laughed at the hopeful expression on his face. “Yeah. Really.
I've never been in love before. I don't know how to handle it.” “Neither do I.” He took her hands. “I know you value your independence, Grace. I would never want to take that away from you. I love what you do for a living. I love Wild Nights. It's what makes you who you are and I'd be damned angry if you gave that up for anyone or any reason.” Could she possibly love this man even more? He was everything she wanted but never thought existed. A man who would let her be herself, a man who loved her and didn't feel the need to change her.
“So what do we do now?”
“Now we realize that we love each other and take it a day at a time. Build on that, and see what happens. I'm going to buy Carl out, take a leave of absence from the clinic in Oklahoma, and take over his practice here.”
“You'll really do it. You'll move out here just to be with me?”
“If you want that.”
“Yes, I want that!” She kissed him, pouring out her emotions, holding nothing back. When she pulled away she said, “You know, I'm long overdue for a vacation. This place runs itself. I might want to check out the wild life in Oklahoma, see where you live. Maybe enjoy sex outside with the wind whipping through my hair.” He tugged on her ponytail. “I seem to recall you enjoying that.”
“I did.”
“Just like I enjoy that sexy club you run. Be prepared for me to spend a lot of my nights there.”
She affected a heavy sigh. “Okay, if you must. As long as you don't mind having sex in dark corners of the club, or engaging in voyeurism, a little mutual masturbation, maybe playing in the kink room, or any of the other wonders Wild Nights has to offer. With just me as your partner, of course.”
“That works both ways, darlin'. I might have enjoyed watching you put on that show with Den, but we're exclusive now. I don't share what's mine.”
She thrilled to his possession of her, something she never thought possible. But he was right. There was no other man for her but Mike. “I'm all yours. And you're all mine.” Mike smoothed his hand over her hip, his gaze filled with sensual promise. “I think I might have just found the woman of my dreams.” And Grace had discovered that fairytale princes did exist, after all.