Talk of the Town (17 page)

“What does Becky suggest I do?” He grinned and poured more champagne into her glass.

Ignoring the little buzz in her head, she took another sip. “Find out what flowers are Jasmine’s favorite and have them delivered weekly. And a massage! Yes, definitely. A masseur to the house once a week to give her a ninety-minute massage. I believe such generous gestures will help her see you in a new light.”

Like I do.

The idea of massaging David’s shoulders and back held such appeal she had to tightly grip the stem of her flute to keep from touching him.

“Done. Thanks, Becky.” He relaxed back beside her, leaned in, and kissed her. His mouth was warm and inviting, and it tasted of champagne. Her favorite.

Call me a glutton, I want more.

She touched her throbbing lower lip with the tip of her tongue and stared into his intent face. “I liked that. I’m going to kiss you back.” The slow smile that broke over his face dangerously elevated her temperature even higher.

“It’s my greatest hope.” He removed the champagne glass from her hand and began to gently nuzzle the nape of her neck. “Do you like this, too?”

How did he know?
She drew a short breath, shivers tickling every nerve ending. “
One
of my favorite erogenous zones.”

“I plan to find every last one of them,” he whispered, his voice husky. He slid his hands under her hoodie, his fingers making gentle circles on the aching sides of her breasts. “Like this.”

Ribbons of desire pulled her insides so tight it frightened her, and she fought for freedom. “I’m highly competitive. I want to find your erogenous zones first.”

She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, fully, deeply, touching his tongue again and again.

She shuddered as he slid the cashmere hoodie down her arms. Her skin felt chilled and overheated in the same instant. “You’re cheating.”

“You’re overdressed.” He nipped at her throat. She gasped when his mouth moved to the sides of her breasts, where they were so tender. Every brush of his lips tightened the desire wrapping them closer and closer.

“You’re overdressed, too,” she whispered. In spite of the heat rising in her abdomen, she forced herself to shift away from his wonderful, sensual mouth.

She slipped the top button of his shirt free to lick his warm, hard chest, and moved lower, opening button after button.

He stopped her at the fifth one, his taut stomach trembling beneath her lips. “You’re getting ahead of me.” His laugh was shaky.

“You’re not the only one in control here.” Slowly, loving his instant reaction, she rubbed her hot, tingling breasts against his lightly furred chest, making her way back to his mouth.

He groaned. “Becky, you’re not playing fair.”

“What do you plan to do about it?” she whispered before biting his earlobe.

“Where’s the bedroom?” He stood, pulling her up and into his arms.

“David, we’re not twenty anymore. I’m heavier than I look!” she warned, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He laughed and walked purposefully and without difficulty down the hallway to her open bedroom door.

She couldn’t take her eyes off his face as he laid her on the down comforter and stood to shed his clothes. His body was lightly tanned except for a wide band of pale skin around his groin. His erection was taut and beautiful, and she wanted him.

“Safety?” she whispered.

“Always.” He slipped on a condom before stretching out beside her.

“Do you like this?” He kissed her navel, and his mouth followed the trail of his hands stripping off her cashmere sweatpants.

Pleasure tremors racking her body, she gasped. “You’re getting ahead of me.”

“I know.” He nipped playfully at the inside of her knee and then, slowly, his mouth warm and moist, he nuzzled along her inner thigh. Her muscles tightened in anticipation.

Desperate to let herself go, she tangled her fingers in his hair, urging him up over her body, loving his weight pressing down on her. “I’ll relinquish control if you will,” she whispered against his mouth.

“God, yes!” He kissed her so long and deeply her breathing changed, coming out in short gasps.

She closed her eyes, lost to everything except David finding and touching every delicious spot on her body, which throbbed to be stroked or caressed into pleasure by his hands and lips. The ache at her center expanded out in such hot waves she couldn’t bear it another instant. Trembling, she arched up, demanding he cradle her hips with his palms and push himself deeper inside her.

“I want more.”
She bit her lip, frightened that she’d spoken her desire but unable to stop.

His eyes locked with hers as he moved deeper and deeper and faster until the spasms built.

Yes, this is what I wanted.

She held him tight, moving with him, their rhythm perfect, like this wasn’t the first time. She
knew
what he wanted, just as he knew for her. Knew when to kiss, caress, thrust with her lips, tongue, and body until there was nothing but his taste in her mouth and him hot and throbbing inside her.

Shuddering waves of pleasure broke over her and she cried out, falling over the edge, lost to everything but swirling, scalding sensation beating between them.

They stayed tangled together, their breathing slowing to become more even, yet not quite normal.

“You’re exquisite, Becky,” he whispered into her damp throat. Kissing her shoulder, he shifted to gently pull her closer so she could rest comfortably beside him, her head on his chest.

It had been a very long time since she was like Becky. Free. Trusting enough to fearlessly go with her feelings.

Too long. By morning the spell would be broken. Time enough then to be Rebecca again.

Chapter 14

D
avid opened his eyes, his senses filled with Rebecca. Her taste in his mouth, her breath warm on his throat, her soft body curled against him.

He stared into the darkness, blaming himself for letting things between them go this far.

Nothing had played out like he planned. Or had he planned this all along, since the first night he looked across the room and their eyes met? He rested his cheek against her hair. It smelled like almonds.

Contentment settled over him and he pulled her closer, being careful not to wake her. She sighed, shivering.

Afraid she was cold, he pulled the comforter up, tucking it around her bare shoulders.

Tired, he closed his eyes. He was falling asleep, and as he drifted off, he saw himself holding a woman’s hand, looking into her eyes, twirling her around. They were both laughing, full of joy. It was the old dream from when his life had been whole with Ellen.

The dream fragmented into hundreds of pieces and slowly fit itself back together, jagged edge to jagged edge. He saw the woman’s face again, but this time it was Rebecca’s.

He tried to yell out that this was wrong, but his voice was blown away by the wind stirring the curls around Rebecca’s small ears. Then she began to slowly fade into the light from the blazing sun in the blue sky above them. Only then did David let himself fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Rebecca opened her eyes to the weak October dawn light speckling the wood floor through her half-closed cream drapes. David’s even breaths felt warm on her cheek. Sometime during the night he must have drawn the comforter over them for warmth like a cocoon.

She slowly sat up, watching him sleep. With his wavy hair messed up and the shadowy scruffiness along his jaw, he looked vulnerable and adorable.

My God, what have I done? My first one-night stand. And with my boss. Insane, but worth it.

Remembering, her body tingled with pleasure. The spell wasn’t broken yet.

Maybe I’ll wake him up to do it again.

Seizing what was left of her self-control, she opened the door and welcomed back her common sense.
Get up and get dressed. This is not part of my plan.

Determined to be smart, she slid to the side of the bed. She glanced back. He looked so sweet sleeping, she couldn’t resist pressing one last farewell kiss on his warm, scratchy cheek.

Half an hour later, swaddled in a heavy terry cloth robe and a towel wrapped around her wet hair, she walked back into the bedroom. David was sitting up, stretching, the muscles in his back and chest rippling.

Yes, he obviously works out.

Since last night, the little spark of excitement he’d engendered on first sight had become a roaring blaze. She dampened it down with a healthy dose of cheerfulness, as if it was perfectly normal to find David naked in her bed.

God forbid there be an awkward moment. I’ll make this light.

“Good morning, David. There are disposable toiletries in the guest bathroom down the hall, and it has the best shower. Help yourself.”

His eyes were watchful as she moved around the bedroom, picking up their clothes, discarded in abandonment. “Natural beauty takes me about thirty minutes. Then I’ll meet you in the kitchen. But you’ll have to make your own coffee.”

“Thank you, Becky,” he finally responded in a husky I-just-woke-up-after-sex voice.

She fled into the bathroom, trying to focus on her goals. Her
immediate
objective was to get him out the door with as much grace and humor as possible. The other goals, to figure out exactly what last night meant to both of them, if anything, and her ultimate, gold standard goal, of changing his mind about the future of the
Daily Mail,
would have to wait.

The minute she walked into the kitchen and found David, showered and dressed, and brewing two cups of tea, she knew he wasn’t going to make an awkward scene.

He looked very much at home. He used the strainer like a pro and handed her a steaming cup. “I noticed you like your tea weak.”

She watched him pour himself a stronger brew. “
You
drink tea?”

“Sometimes. I developed a taste for it when I spent several months in London and Edinburgh putting together a deal.” He leaned against the counter, watching her. She sensed he was waiting to take his cue from her.

Keep it light. Make him comfortable. We are two consenting adults. No drama needed here.

“About the Becky thing.” She peered at him over her cup and tried to sound nonchalant. “I understand last night was part of the twinner celebration.
An enchanted evening.
Now time to get back to work. You know, the
real
world.”

He stared at her for too long, like he’d held her hand. His face was guarded, like she tried to make her own. Their armor was firmly in place.

I wish I knew what he was feeling. Is he as confused as I am?

He placed his cup carefully on the counter. “I’ll see myself out.”

“No, don’t be silly. I’ll see you out.” Holding her cup to her chest, she led him to the front door and opened it.

If she was still young and naive like Becky had been, she’d tell him the truth.
I’ve just had the best sex of my life with you, but I know it didn’t mean anything, so let’s be urbane and sophisticated about it. But if it did mean something, what should we do about it?

But Rebecca had learned to hide her feelings. Watching him shrug into his leather jacket, she fought her confusion and desire to reach out to him.

David, his face strong, stern, and sad all in the same moment, stopped only inches away to gaze down at her.

“I want to tell you about my late wife, Ellen.”

Rebecca’s heart missed a beat.
Please don’t say I remind you of her.

“When she became ill and was dying, we were all devastated. It destroyed the foundation of our lives. I had to reinvent myself as a father and as a man. Ellen tried to make me understand that we all needed to move on and be happy, but I couldn’t. I vowed to never love in that way again. Regardless of what we decide to do about what happened between us last night, I intend to honor that promise.”

His eyes blazed with such sincerity she was speechless. That a man like David would make such a promise and, even more important, he’d tell her about it, loomed so large and compelling in her view of him, she needed to rewrite the script. This man deserved more than grace and humor. He deserved as much honesty as her self- preservation would allow.

“I understand what you’re telling me, David. I have no expectations. I appreciate and respect your decision to tell me your feelings.”

But if you don’t leave, I’m going to embarrass us both by bursting into loud, messy tears from all the conflicting emotions bottled up inside me.

She willed him not to touch her. As it was, she barely contained her composure until she shut the door behind him. Then she collapsed in a heap, her heart pounding and her emotions flowing out of her eyes. For someone who prided herself on
always
remaining in control, she was suffering a serious malfunction.

Of course, she rationalized it. David
had
turned her life upside down, stolen her identity by firing her from a job that she believed defined her. So, naturally, he had a profound effect on her. How she’d chosen to respond to him last night didn’t bear close scrutiny. And if she thought too much about the sadness she saw on David’s face when he talked about losing his wife, Rebecca would never stop crying.

Rebecca finally arrived at the
Daily Mail
office an hour late due to the fact she had to
redo
her thirty minutes of natural beauty because of crying over David, or for David, or for herself. Her emotions were all over the map. How could this be perimenopause when she felt like an overripe, lustful teenager panting for the school’s hottest hottie? At least here in her daily haunt she retained enough self-control to try to figure out how to get her life back on track.

Or so she thought, before she saw Pauline’s chalk-white face, each freckle standing out in relief.

“Sweetheart, please don’t tell me you’re still worried about me!” She gave Pauline a quick, tight hug. “Look, I’m happy! No need to worry.”

“Mr. Sumner came back early.”

“Yes. I know.” Rebecca smiled, still feeling incredibly warm and tingling all over.