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She glanced up at him, a soft gleam in her eyes and a knowing smile just touching her lips. ‘I know.’
Case leant back in his seat, watching her. Whatever she thought she knew, it made her happier and more relaxed. Who was he to argue?
Whatever she was thinking had put a smile on her face that glowed with a vibrancy that tantalised him.
It couldn’t be bad.
Chapter Fourteen
Emma’s rule number two: make love, not war.
TAHLIA chewed on her bottom lip, walking slowly to her front door, every footfall thundering through a body too alert, too aware of Case so close behind her, the warmth of his suit jacket around her shoulders smothering her with his spicy cologne mixed all too enticingly with pure male scent.
Their third date, in as many days, had been wonderful, the food almost as incredible as the company.
It wasn’t that she wanted to date him, but she found that at work she was so busy with finding files for Case, setting up interviews and doing her own job that she hardly had time to do anything more than admire his dedication to the employees. And he did keep asking her out so she had the opportunity to find out more about him.
Who was she to decline?
At least the plan was working. She was getting to know Case, although she was discovering more about his pets, his parents, his hobbies and his childhood than the details of his career.
Now he was being incredibly tortuous by doing the chivalrous escort-the-girl-to-the-door thing that drove her mind mad with the should-she or shouldn’t-she invitations for coffee, inclinations to kiss him, and intense desire to do more than show him the door after the coffee and kiss.
‘Thank you for another wonderful evening,’ she offered tightly, opening her bag and scrabbling for her keys, pushing the silly notions from her mind.
He was a professional and her boss. Much as she wanted him to be the office playboy, after spending the last few days with him she had serious doubts. He was simply wonderful.
‘My pleasure, Tahlia,’ he said, her name a mere whisper on his breath.
She shivered, plucked out her keys and fought the jumble for the right one. ‘It was great. The mousse was so rich and sweet and smooth—’ She glanced up at him—like his voice, like his jaw, like his lips…
‘It was,’ he said, inching even closer. ‘Can I help?’
She watched as he took the keys from her hand and poked the one she’d labelled ‘front’ in the lock and turned, pushing the door wide.
‘Thanks.’ Tahlia swept his jacket off her shoulders, the moment when he’d wrapped her in it scored in her memory, his body heat still lingering around her, her heart hammering against her ribs.
She tried to keep that comment he’d made that first night she’d gone out with him, that she was just another date, foremost in her mind, but the rest of the week pressed in on her, smothering her senses with a kindness and a warmth a shallow Romeo just shouldn’t have.
She wanted to tell him everything, stay close to him, talk to him all night…and more.
Was this what her mother was feeling? Was this crazy feeling the reason she’d risk so much on a man?
Tahlia looked up into Case’s sapphire-blue eyes. ‘I lied, you know,’ she said softly.
‘Oh, yes?’ he said, lifting an eyebrow and taking a step back. ‘About what, exactly?’
‘I haven’t exactly had my share of boyfriends.’ Tahlia bit her lip. ‘No serious boyfriends at all, really.’
‘Oh.’
Her belly tightened. ‘But don’t get me wrong. I have had boyfriends. Plenty. Just no one special, you know, someone who made me feel like—’ She caught herself. ‘What about you?’
He shook his head. ‘No serious boyfriends either,’ he said softly, a smile teasing the corners of his mouth. ‘But I did… I was…in a serious relationship.’
‘And—?’
‘And it didn’t end well,’ he murmured, moving closer. ‘But I believe in second chances. Do you?’
She hadn’t thought she ever could after what her father did… Hadn’t believed she could ever trust a man again, but this feeling, and Case, was special.
She looked up to hand him his jacket, catching his blue gaze and holding it, the gleam residing there fixing her to the spot. ‘Yes,’ she whispered.
Case lifted a hand to her face, brushing her cheek with his knuckles, pushing back her long fringe, hooking his fingers around her neck and drawing her closer.
His gaze dropped to her mouth.
‘Case—’ she croaked, moistening her lips instinctively, her whole body aching for him. ‘This may not be a good idea—’ There was still so much to say before anything happened between them.
He leant down, brushing his lips over hers.
Oh, gawd—yes. Sensation sizzled along her lips, cascading down her body, nestling deep in the pit of her stomach where a yearning ache flared.
He tasted her mouth, teased her lips with his own, drawing up his other hand to cup her face.
Oh, hell, yes.
Tahlia pressed her hands against his hard solid chest, his heart thumping beneath her touch, his warm skin beneath just one thin layer of cotton, all that hard muscle and flesh so close…
He drew back, tasting her lips again. ‘You’re probably right. Not a good idea…’ He brushed her lips with his mouth. ‘Not a good idea at all.’
She backed into her doorway, her hands clenched tightly in his shirt. ‘Colleagues and all.’
Case followed, his gaze on her lips, his hands on her shoulders. ‘Absolutely. Not a good practice.’
‘Practise is good,’ she whispered, flicking open his shirt buttons and sliding her hands against his warm skin, revelling in the heat of him, the hardness of him, the incredible smoothness.
He sucked in a deep breath, pushed the door closed with his foot and kissed her soundly.
Case’s lips caressed hers, soft and sensual. He drew her closer still, running a hand down over her waist, down her hip, down her thigh and up again, moulding her against him.
Oh, by all she’d denied too long, yes.
She popped the rest of his buttons, running her hands up his hard chest and over his wide shoulders, pushing the shirt from his body.
Case lightened the kiss, as though the cool air of the room had subdued his desire. He dragged in a deep breath.
‘We’re professionals,’ he murmured, trailing kisses along her cheek, over her ear and down her neck. ‘We should look at the bigger picture. Not make rash decisions.…’
Tahlia pressed her lips against his shoulder, his skin sweet and salty. ‘What are the cons?’ she whispered. ‘Career suicide?’
‘No.’ Case slipped his hand behind her back, his breath exciting the pulse in her neck. ‘Office gossip.’
‘Hierarchy complications?’ Tahlia suggested, trailing her fingers down the bare flesh of his back and up again. ‘Impartiality issues?’
‘Not being able to keep my hands off you at work,’ Case murmured in her ear, coaxing the zip down at her back. ‘In the lift, in the office, on my desk.’
Fire erupted deep inside her. She twined her fingers in his hair. ‘What are the pros?’
Case brushed her shoulders with his large hands, sweeping off the straps, letting the dress fall to the floor. His eyes glittered, his gaze travelling up her long legs, over black lace panties to her matching lace bra. ‘You.’
She couldn’t help but smile, pushing everything from her mind except this moment, with him. It didn’t matter who he was, what he really wanted, as long as he wanted her.
She took a step towards him, reaching up and touching his cheek, running her palm down his jaw. ‘And this,’ she whispered, brushing his lips with hers on tiptoe.
Case swept her into his arms, crushing her mouth.
Tahlia opened herself to him, welcoming the hunger, the heat of his kiss that was only matched by the flames of lust leaping up inside her.
He lifted her into his arms.
She pushed open the bedroom door behind him.
He strode into the room, placing her on to the bed reverentially, drinking in the sight of her. ‘Oh, God, Tahlia,’ he groaned, tracing her curves with his eyes, his hands following. ‘I’m lost. You drive me wild.’
Tahlia ran her hands down his chest, hooking his belt and unclasping it, drawing it slowly from his trousers. ‘And crazy?’
‘And crazy,’ Case whispered hoarsely, unclipping her bra and peeling it from her full breasts.
‘I want you too,’ she said softly, drawing him down and claiming his mouth. And she did. She burned for him. Wanted him so much she could hardly breathe.
‘And practise makes perfect,’ she whispered.
Tahlia watched Case sleep in the soft light from the streetlights outside. Wow. She couldn’t believe this— how nice he was, how amazingly lucky she was to wake up next to him.
She trailed her fingers down his chest, wondrous at the ripples of muscle, the light scatter of chest hair, the perfection of him.
He caught her hand. ‘Hey, that tickles.’
‘Sorry, did I wake you?’
‘Yes, but it was the nicest way anyone has ever woken me.’
She couldn’t help but smile. Gawd, she felt amazing… He’d given so much, shared with her so much. She wanted more, so much more, craved to be closer, know everything about Case Darrington. ‘Last night was—’
‘I know,’ he said, his voice deep.
‘No regrets?’ she whispered.
‘How could I have regrets?’ Case leant up on his elbow, looking down at her. ‘Not a chance.’
‘So, can I ask you something?’ she asked tentatively, tracing his jaw with the tip of her finger. ‘About your last serious relationship—you mentioned it last night.’ She needed to know how long ago it had been, that she wasn’t a rebound girl to patch some wounded ego.
Case cupped her face. ‘It wasn’t just a serious relationship… I was married.’
Tahlia froze. Oh, gawd.
‘It’s okay. I’m divorced—’ He frowned. ‘I’m not defective… Okay, maybe I am, but I can promise you I won’t make the same mistakes again.’
‘Should I ask what they were?’ she whispered softly, drawing her hand back and placing it on her chest over her heart.
‘I wasn’t blameless,’ Case forced out. He needed to face it, needed to say it. He’d spent far too long blaming Celia for the whole disaster. It was time he accepted his part in it. Needed to, so he could move on and embrace a future with Tahlia.
‘I was away a lot, working my butt off to reach my dreams, my goals, and I lost sight of the fact that Celia had dreams and goals too.’
‘Celia was your wife?’
Case swallowed hard. ‘Yes. Much as I didn’t want to be a trophy husband, my neglect and my obsession with work made her feel like a trophy wife. I regret the pain I put her through. I regret that I turned into my father.’
‘And?’ she said softly, looking up at him with wide eyes. ‘Are you still your father?’
‘No, thank God.’ He pushed her long fringe back from her face. ‘I learnt.’
‘Too late,’ she whispered softly.
‘Yes. While I worked like a maniac she filled her life with things, jewellery and men. By the time I realised what I’d done it was too late; nothing I tried could fix it.’
‘Did you love her?’
Case ran his hand down her cheek. ‘I thought I did. It was a kind of love, but nothing like—’ His voice broke. Like what he was feeling for the woman in his arms.
‘I’m sorry.’
‘I was too, for a long time, but not now.’ He shook his head, drinking in Tahlia’s creamy smooth skin. It was time to come clean. He couldn’t keep anything from her now. ‘Tahlia, I—’
She touched his mouth with her fingers. ‘Enough talking.’ She drew him down to her, taking his lips with her own, smothering the memory of Celia with the magic of her kiss.
It could wait. They had plenty of time. It was probably something he shouldn’t just blurt out anyway. It was something to prepare her for.
At least now he knew for sure. His heart wasn’t broken. It was finally alive with the magic of love. He’d found exactly what he had been looking for. Tahlia.
Chapter Fifteen
Keely’s rule number seven: face your fears and seize the moment.
TO: TahliaM@WWWDesigns.com
CC: KeelyR@WWWDesigns.com
