by Lori Foster
So Luke added, “Then you’ll come? Grandma makes lots of desserts.”
That was obviously supposed to be enough inducement to tilt the scales. Tony laughed. “I’ll see what I can do about persuading her, guys, okay?”
There was another round of hugs, and this time Olivia didn’t look nearly so uncomfortable. And when he finally closed the door, Tony turned to her and gave his best wolfish grin. “Now, you.”
“Me, what?”
“How did you get up so early today and put yourself together so well without making a sound?”
“Put myself together?”
“Yeah.” He reached out to smooth his hand over her tidy hair. She’d pulled it back into a French braid that looked both casual and classic. She wore only the faintest touch of makeup—all that was needed with her dark lashes and brows and perfect complexion. “You sure don’t look like a woman who camped on the floor of a tent last night.”
“Oh.” Olivia reached up and put her hands on his shoulders. With flat heels on, she stood just a few inches shorter than he. “I knew your mother was coming, and I thought it might be less awkward if I was up and about when she arrived.”
“These are the clothes you had packed in that bag?”
“Yes. Not dressy, but suitable for just about anything.”
Skimming his gaze down her body, he said, “You look wonderful. As always.” Then his attention was drawn to her breasts, and he asked with increased interest, “Are you wearing sexy underwear again?”
“No.”
“No?” She surprised him. “Why not? I thought you liked wearing that stuff. I was looking forward to you making me crazy again.”
She cleared her throat. “I hadn’t planned to spend the night. So just as I didn’t pack a toothbrush, I didn’t pack additional underthings.”
“You didn’t… Then what are you wearing underneath?”
“Nothing.”
He froze for a heartbeat, then groaned and leaned down toward her mouth. “Next time, wake me before you get up.”
Again, she surprised him. She pulled away and wrapped her arms around her stomach. “I don’t think there should be a next time. This…spending the night, playing with children, morning visits with your mother—they weren’t part of the deal, Tony.”
He wanted to touch her, but her stance clearly warned him away. When he bent to try to read her expression, she kept her head averted. “I thought you enjoyed yourself.”
Waving a hand to indicate the entire morning and night before, she said, “I wasn’t supposed to be enjoying—” she waved her hand again “—all that. I was supposed to be enjoying…well…”
Tony grinned. “Ah. I’ve neglected my end of the bargain, haven’t I? And I did promise to make it up to you.”
She jerked away when he reached for her, her brows lowered in a stern frown. “You did not disappoint me! I meant…”
Tony caught her despite her resistance, then gently eased her into his body. With his lips barely touching hers, he said, “You don’t even know what you’re missing yet.”
Again, she tried to protest, but he was done discussing issues he’d rather avoid, so he silenced her in the best way known to man.
And this time, she voiced not a single complaint.
*
OLIVIA MOANED AS the sensations just kept building. Tony was poised over her, in her, and his eyes held hers, touching her as intimately as his body did.
He was right. She hadn’t known what she was missing.
One large warm hand curved around her buttocks, then urged her into a rhythm. “Move with me, sweetheart. That’s it.” He groaned, his eyes briefly closing as he fought for control. She loved that, loved watching him struggle, loved knowing she had such an effect on him.
When he hooked his arms under her legs and lifted them high, leaving her totally open and vulnerable, she nearly panicked. He was so deep that her feelings of pleasure were mixed with fear. Tony bent to press a kiss to her lax mouth.
“Shh. It’s all right.” He thrust just a little harder, watching her face. “Tell me if I hurt you.”
“Tony…”
“Deep, honey, the book said deep. Remember? This was your idea.”
She recalled sitting in the restaurant and taunting him about methods devised to better ensure conception. But what she felt now had nothing to do with receiving his sperm and everything to do with pleasure so intense it was frightening.
She felt the pressure build, felt Tony’s heat washing over her, his scent filling her lungs, and she squeezed her eyes shut as her climax hit.
“Open your eyes!”
Tony’s demand barely penetrated, but she managed to get her lids to lift, and then she connected with him in a way that went beyond the activities of their bodies. His eyes were bright, his face flushed, and as she watched he groaned, his jaw tight, his gaze locked to hers, and she knew he was experiencing his own explosive orgasm. She felt it with him, and her own again, and then he lowered himself, in slow degrees, to rest completely over her.
It seemed too much to bear, the emotional side to lovemaking, and she wondered that other people didn’t find it too overwhelming. Tears came to her eyes, her breath starting to shudder, but thankfully, Tony was unaware, as he still struggled for his own breath. When he started to move away, she tightened her hold.
He wrapped his arms more firmly around her and pressed his face beside hers. “You’re something else, you know that?”
She wondered if that was true. Was it always this way, or did they do something special? It certainly seemed special to her.
“What is it, honey?” Tony lifted away and smoothed her hair from her face. He noticed a tear and kissed it from her cheek, then smiled. “I can hear you thinking.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Nope. I really can. You’re worrying about something, aren’t you?”
She noticed he wasn’t apologizing this time for not doing it right. In fact, he looked downright smug, so she assumed this was how it was supposed to be. But… “It gets more intense every time.”
“And that worries you?”
Shrugging her bare shoulders, she looked away from his astute gaze and mumbled, “Is it supposed to be like that?”
She could hear the smile in his tone. “Between us, yes.”
“But not with other people?”
“Olivia.” She knew she amused him and she frowned. He smoothed his thumb over her brow, making her relax again.
“Sex is different with everyone. It’s certainly never been like this for me before, but it’s nothing to worry about. Some people can be very cavalier about intimacy, but you’re just not that way.”
“Are you?”
He hesitated, then kissed her again. “I don’t know. To me, sex is natural and not something to be ashamed of. But it was never just casual, either. I had to care for a woman. I didn’t indulge in one-night stands. But…it was never quite like this. Not the way it is with you.”
This time, Olivia couldn’t look away. “Doesn’t that bother you?”
His laugh made her jump, coming so unexpectedly. “No. It probably should, but…damn, I like it.”
He forestalled all her other questions by rising from the bed, then looking down at her body. Rather than feeling embarrassment, she felt proud that he took pleasure in the sight of her. Then he reached down and smacked his open palm against her hip. “Come on, woman. Duty calls. I need to go into the office.”
She stretched, not really wanting to leave his bed but knowing he was right. “I have to make a few calls, also.”
“Will you come to my office with me?”
“Ah, the mysterious thing you have to show me. What is it, Tony?”
“You’ll see when we get there.”
Olivia rose and headed for the bathroom, amazed at how quickly she was getting used to being naked in front of a man. “I’ll have to meet you there. I need to go home and shower properly and change, and check in at the offic
e. I’ve got to hire a new manager now, you know.”
She closed the bathroom door and reached for a washrag. When she saw the reflection of her own expression in the mirror—her smile, her look of contentment—she paused. She was such a fraud, and no doubt Tony would hate her if he ever knew.
She was about to contemplate the possibility of quitting the game before she got in too deep, and then Tony tapped on the door and said, “Come on, honey. Let’s get going. If I get to the office soon, I can get my business done and make it an early day. Maybe we can do dinner tonight.”
Of course, dinner was not part of the deal, either, but she desperately wanted to give in to him. And she knew by the way her heart jumped at the endearment, she was already in too deep to dig herself out.
She was falling in love with Tony.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE CLICK OF her heels echoed across the faux marble foyer as she headed for the hallway leading to Tony’s office. Out of all the Crowns, this was her favorite. Probably because it was in her own hometown; possibly because it was where Tony spent most of his time. This was the office he ran the business from.
She’d been here numerous times, for professional discussions, to meet associates, but never as Tony Austin’s lover. Because of that, she’d dressed her best, choosing her most professional outfit. Not by look or by deed did she intend to start the scandalmongers talking. It would be difficult to deal with him in an impassive way, to pretend she hadn’t lain naked with him just that morning—that he hadn’t done those sinfully wicked, wonderfully arousing things to her.
That she hadn’t done some of them back to him.
As she rounded the corner, she met familiar faces and nodded a polite greeting.
“Ms. Anderson,” she heard from one woman, and, “How’re you doing today, Ms. Anderson?” from a young man.
“Hello, Cathi, George. I’m well, thank you.” She kept her responses brief, as was her norm. Tony was correct when he said she avoided even the simplest relationships. Interacting in a social sphere wasn’t easy for her. She had to work much harder at such relationships than she did when in her business mode. Understanding social etiquette was so much more complicated than working a deal.
She hadn’t been here since the night of the party, and she hadn’t paid much attention to the remodeling at the time. But now she did. The carpeting was so soft, the colors so soothing and gracious, she couldn’t help but admire them. She would have chosen something similar herself. It was just one more way they were alike, she and Tony.
She opened the glass door and walked to Martha’s desk, then waited while Martha finished up a phone call.
Be businesslike, Olivia reminded herself, not wanting to take a chance on giving herself away. She was ridiculously nervous, as if she feared Martha would look at her and notice something different, see some sign of her new intimacy with Tony. Of course the woman wouldn’t know; it was impossible. But already the situation was far more complicated than she’d ever thought it could be, and she couldn’t help but fidget as she waited, staring around the office as if she’d never seen it before.
Finally Martha hung up the phone. “Ms. Anderson. How nice to see you again.”
“Hello, Martha. I need to speak with Mr. Austin. Is he busy now?”
“He left instructions to notify him right away if you dropped in. Just let me buzz him.”
Drat the man, Olivia thought. Couldn’t he even remember his own deception? Tony had a long-standing rule: everyone needed an appointment to see him at the office except family and very close friends. Telling Martha such a thing, as if it didn’t matter in the least if Olivia interrupted his day, was as good as announcing their sexual relationship.
And then she remembered just how often she’d dropped by to discuss some contract dispute or other, and decided it didn’t matter. She had never followed Tony’s rules before, not when there was something she wanted.
Of course, usually what she wanted was a better deal, not Tony himself.
The office door opened and Tony stepped out, followed closely by his brother-in-law, Brian. She’d almost forgotten that Brian worked in the family business, but seeing him now, dressed in a dark suit and carrying a briefcase, jogged her memory. Two other men exited the office as well, and they all smiled at her. Olivia felt horribly conspicuous. Each of these men managed one of the Crowns; she remembered meeting them at Tony’s party the night he’d propositioned her to have his baby.
Trying to work up her best professional expression proved almost impossible, especially given the fact that Tony stood there grinning in an intimate, very telling way. Surely the other men would notice, and then their secret would be revealed.
She was wondering how to react, what exactly to say, when Brian stepped forward and took her hand. “Olivia. It’s nice to see you again. I hear you spent the weekend helping Tony babysit. Kate was so pleased. She judges everyone’s character by how they treat our children, you know, and she claimed right up front you were a natural.”
Olivia drew an appalled blank. Why did everyone keep saying she was a natural? She was hopelessly lost around kids and she knew it. And then it hit her.
Brian had just announced to the entire office that she’d spent the weekend with Tony. She almost groaned and couldn’t quite bring herself to look away from Brian and judge the reactions of the other men. Watching Brian, she had the suspicious feeling he’d just done her and Tony in on purpose.
The silence dragged on, and she forced a polite nod. “It was my pleasure,” she said, and then flinched at the squeak in her voice.
Brian laughed. “There, you see? Who would consider entertaining three kids overnight a pleasure? Other than Tony, of course. He’s a man meant to spawn a dozen, I swear.”
Tony laughed. “A dozen? No, thank you. Three was a handful.”
Olivia couldn’t believe Tony just stood there, joking and laughing and letting the conversation deteriorate in such a way. Did he want everyone to know their business? What had happened to avoiding a scandal?
Brian still held her hand, and with a small tug, he regained her attention. “I keep telling Tony I get a turn now. With our two girls, he’d spend all his time playing house and attending tea parties.” Brian cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t suppose I can get you and Tony next weekend, can I? The girls would love it, and Kate and I could use the time alone.”
Tony shook his head, still grinning, and pretended to stagger with Brian’s suggestion. “Give us a month to recuperate, then we’ll think about it.”
A month? Olivia wouldn’t even be seeing him in a month. Two weeks, and that was it. In fact, it was less than two weeks now, since they’d already started on the countdown, as it were.
The thought left her blank-brained for a moment more, and saddened with the reminder that this wouldn’t last, that it was so very temporary. When she finally gained enough wit to assess her surroundings, she saw that Tony was dismissing the other two men and saying his goodbyes to Brian. She glanced at Martha, but that busy lady was bent over her computer, typing away. Then she felt Tony’s hand on her arm.
In the gentlest tone she’d ever heard from him, he said, “Come on. We’ll talk in my office.”
Unlike the outer office, this one had solid walls, not glass, and guaranteed privacy, and so she went willingly, needing a moment to gather herself. Tony led her to a padded leather chair and urged her into the seat, then knelt down before her.
“Are you all right?”
She wanted to say that she was fine, but she didn’t feel fine. She felt downright wretched. “This is awful.”
“What is?”
She gaped at him, refusing to believe he could be so obtuse. “The gossip is probably all over the hotel by now! Everyone will know.”
“You’re making too much of it, honey. So people will think we’re dating? It’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal? You wanted to keep our association private, remember?”
“Our relations
hip is private. No one will know we’re trying to conceive a child. And as far as the other, you’re attractive, we work together. Why shouldn’t people assume we’d share a date or two?”
Olivia bit her lip, his logic irrefutable. “I suppose you could be right.”
“I know I am. And as long as my family already knows all about us, you might as well give in and come to Thanksgiving dinner. I’ll never hear the end of it if you refuse.”
She honestly didn’t think she could survive another family get-together. “I really don’t…”
Leaning close, Tony framed her face then placed a soft kiss on her lips. “I know it’s hard on you, but I’ll be there. And after a while, being with a big family won’t bother you so much. You might even enjoy yourself. Besides, the kids are looking forward to seeing you again. And I know you enjoyed them.”
“I did.” Her answer emerged as a whisper. She was tempted, but also a little afraid. She was losing complete control of the situation, and that hadn’t happened to her in years, not since she’d been a child. “I don’t want everyone thinking we’re seriously involved.”
“They’ll think whatever they choose whether you’re there or not. At least this way, some of their curiosity will die.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Sure. Right now they assume I’ve been trying to keep you a secret. This way, they’ll think we’re only dating.”
Convincing her proved to be much too easy, and Olivia admitted to herself that she actually wanted to go. “I guess you’re right. And when the two weeks are over and we stop seeing each other, everyone will just believe we’ve broken up.”
Abruptly Tony came to his feet and stalked toward his desk. He stood there with his face turned away, one hand braced on the edge of the desk and his other hand pressed deep into his pants pocket. He was the perfect study of a man in deep thought, and Olivia wished she could decipher his mood.
Without looking at her, he asked, “How did you come up with this two-week time limit?”
On shaky ground now, she took a second to weigh her answer. “It seemed a reasonable amount of time. If I was going to conceive, it would probably happen by then.”