Third Time's the Bride!

by Merline Lovelace

  Groaning, he backtracked. “Sorry. I’ve never been good at dressing things up in pretty ribbons. What I’m trying to say...”

  “Yes?”

  “Well...”

  “C’mon, big guy,” she taunted, “spit it out.”

  “Okay.” He laid it on the line. “I want you. You want me. That’s a helluva foundation to build on.”

  Her expression went flat, giving Brian no clue as to what she was thinking. Cursing, he was fumbling for yet another way to make his case when she cut the ground right out from under him.

  “Wanting is only half the equation. Don’t you think we should test the other half? Find out just how compatible we really are before we sign on the dotted line?”

  Chapter Seven

  While Brian tried to unscramble his brains, Dawn gave him a sardonic smile. “Why look so surprised? If we’re going to form a partnership, we need to make sure all parties are comfortable with the terms.”

  The sarcasm came through, as thick as hot tar and twice as scorching.

  “Okay,” he conceded, his feathers singed. “I may not have framed my offer in the best terms.”

  “Ya think?”

  “But it came from the heart.”

  That took some of the storm from her eyes. Not all, but some. Crossing her arms again, she swung that foot. Once. Twice.

  “I’m listening.”

  Even after all these years it was hard for him to talk about the pain he always kept so private. Yet he owed Dawn an honest answer.

  “We’ve both learned the hard way there are no guarantees in life,” he said slowly. “I thought I’d have forty or fifty years with Caroline. You were certain you’d found the perfect mate. Not once, but...”

  “Twice.” Her foot gave another twitch. “Yeah, I know. I was there. Both times. You were saying?”

  “I was saying we don’t know what will happen tomorrow, much less next week or next year. Nor can we know whether marriage will work for us. But we have a solid foundation to build on. Mutual respect, a common bond in Tommy and—” he huffed out a laugh “—you have to know my throat closes and my lungs burn every time I get within twenty yards of you.”

  “Twenty yards, huh?” Head cocked, she feigned an innocent interest. “What happens when we’re this close?”

  Brian felt almost light-headed with relief. From the sound of it, he’d managed to navigate some very dangerous shoals. Now all he had to do was bring the ship safely into port.

  “This close,” he admitted, “I have to battle the urge to haul you into my arms and kiss you crazy.”

  “Interesting.”

  She dropped her contemplative pose. The smile he’d been hoping to see crept into her eyes.

  “Especially since I have to fight a similar urge. Hence my suggestion a few moments ago. So...?” she asked with a delicate lift of her brows.

  Brian didn’t need another invitation. Two seconds later he had her off the stool and in his arms. When his mouth came down on hers, she pushed up on the balls of her feet to hook her arms around his neck and gave herself up to the kiss with hungry abandon.

  The heat was instant and intense. As Brian molded her closer, her breasts, her belly, her thighs all burned into him. Burrowing under the hem of her sweater, he ran his hands up her rib cage and was delighted to discover she wasn’t wearing a bra. As he palmed her breasts, every drop of blood drained from his head and went south.

  “Damn, woman,” he ground out hoarsely. “Do you have any idea how close I am to stroking out at this moment?”

  Laughing, she pushed back a few inches and attacked his shirt buttons. “What’s good for the gander...”

  She yanked the shirt free of his slacks and peeled it down his arms, leaving only his tie to dangle from his neck. Her fingers danced along his shoulders, across his chest, down to the stomach that went drum-tight at her touch.

  “Nice,” she murmured, raking a nail through the hair that swirled above his belt. “Very nice.”

  She stooped a little and followed those teasing, tantalizing fingertips with her mouth. Kissing, licking, nipping, until Brian was pretty sure his head would explode. Desperate for relief, he dragged her sweater up, tangling her arms and swathing her head in a thick, cable-knit turban.

  “Brian!” The thick knit muffled her protest. “You’re going to stroke out and I’m going to suffocate. They’ll find us dead on the floor.”

  When he finally untangled her, his belly went tight again. God, she was gorgeous! The full curves, the soft skin, the fiery curls now tumbling free of her scrunchie. Determined to explore every inch of her, he dipped his head.

  She gasped when his mouth closed over a nipple. Groaned when he teased the nub to a hard, stiff peak. Then he shifted to the other breast, and her breath disintegrated in short, swift pants.

  “Brian! I think...we should... Oh!”

  As he popped the snap on her jeans and peeled them down her hips, he gave a fleeting prayer of thanks to Levi Strauss for providing such easy access.

  Nudging aside the lacy waistband of her briefs, he found her center. She was already hot, already damp. As eager for him as he was for her. He probed gently at first, then deeper, while his thumb stroked and applied delicate pressure.

  Slow, his mind screamed. Take it slow! Make this last until the cows come home. Or at least until Tommy does.

  That sobered him just long enough to glance at the kitchen clock. To his undying relief, he saw they still had almost two hours. More than enough time to sweep her into his arms, carry her upstairs and stretch her out on the guest room bed.

  Which he would’ve done. Probably. If Dawn hadn’t taken matters into her own hands. Two seconds after she’d unbuckled his belt and tugged down his zipper, both his mind and his seduction scenario had turned to mush. Barely enough reason penetrated the red haze for Brian to propose a short break.

  “I think...I think I’ve got some condoms in my bathroom.”

  If Tommy hadn’t used them for water balloons! Praying his son hadn’t found the secret stash, Brian tried to disengage.

  “I’ll go check and be back in two minutes flat.”

  “It’s okay,” she murmured, her hands busy. “I’m protected.”

  Even then he should’ve tried to apply the brakes. Dawn deserved better than a frantic grope in the kitchen, for God’s sake! Yet at that moment it would have been easier to stop breathing than keep from hiking her onto the counter. After the Herculean struggle with her sweater, disposing of her shoes, jeans and panties was a piece of cake.

  “Okay, big guy.” Wiggling her fanny on the cool marble, she tugged on the silk noose still hanging around his neck. “Are you going to shed this, or what?”

  “What.”

  A couple of somewhat less than smooth moves got him out of his slacks and shorts. Deciding that was as naked as he needed to be, he kicked them aside. His blood pounded as he positioned himself between her thighs and cupped her bare bottom.

  Levi Strauss wasn’t the only one to receive his fervent thanks. The architect who’d redesigned the gatehouse with toilets and counters easily reachable by small children also won his instant approval. The marble countertop was exactly waist-high. The perfect height for him to scoot her forward a few inches and cant her hips.

  Dawn took those seconds to seal his intense expression in her mind. The square jaw locked tight in concentration. The nose with that intriguing bump. The blue eyes hot with desire. Then he nudged her knees apart and eased in carefully. Too carefully for the hunger now boiling in her blood. Hooking her calves around his thighs, Dawn pulled him in and squeezed every muscle below her waist.

  She almost laughed when his eyes widened. Couldn’t help grinning when his gaze flew up to meet hers. The next moment a powerful thrust almost lifted her off the marb
le.

  She gasped aloud as he filled her. Hard. Pulsing. Urgent. He was good, she admitted while she could still form a coherent thought. Better than good! If the man had lost any of his moves through lack of practice, she sure couldn’t tell.

  His hips rocked into hers. Harder. Faster. Arching her back, she planted both palms on the counter. With each thrust, pleasure began to build low in her belly. And with each rasp of his teeth against her aching nipples, each maneuver of his busy thumb, the whirling sensation gathered strength and speed. She felt the climax building and tried desperately to hold it back.

  “Brian! Wait! Ohhhh...”

  Too late. Head back, belly convulsing, she gave herself up to sensations that exploded in a starburst of bright colors. They pinwheeled through her, blazing stars that faded slowly, deliciously. Limp with pleasure, she slumped forward and clung to Brian for support.

  He held her easily, his chin resting against her forehead. But, Dawn discovered when the mist cleared, that was the only part of him at rest. The muscles under her palms still quivered. His thighs were like steel, his hips tight against hers. And he still filled her.

  Only when the last shudder had rippled down her spine did he start to move again. Slowly, so slowly.

  * * *

  Judging by the shudders that racked Brian when he thrust into her a last, forceful time, Dawn was sure he’d drained the well as thoroughly as she had. She soon discovered she’d seriously underestimated both his stamina and his recovery time.

  His smile rueful, he dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. “This isn’t exactly how I intended to convince you to marry me.”

  “Maybe not, but you made a pretty compelling argument.”

  He tipped her chin, his eyes as serious as his tone. “You deserve better, Dawn. Long-stemmed roses. Wine. Candlelight and soft sheets instead a marble countertop.”

  She covered the sudden pang in her heart with a flippant reply. “I’m not complaining, you understand, but nothing says you can’t add all of the above to the package.”

  “Or,” he muttered, “at least some of the above. Sit tight.”

  Blinking in surprise, she sat tight while he strode naked across the kitchen and out the door leading to the garden. Good thing it was walled, she thought with a grin, and shielded from prying eyes on all sides by tall oaks and maples.

  He returned moments later with a fistful of red, orange and russet-colored dahlias sporting touches of brown at the tips. Dawn wasn’t sure which made her toes curl more. The sight of Brian’s tight, trim butt when he’d gone out, or the view he presented when he came back in. The flowers, however, melted her heart.

  “For you, m’lady.”

  She accepted the bouquet with a delighted smile, then squealed and crushed the dahlias to her chest as he scooped her off the counter.

  “Now for the soft sheets.”

  * * *

  The second time was slower. Sweeter. And so exhausting Dawn could only groan when Brian propped himself up on an elbow an hour later to check the time.

  “We’d better hit the shower if we’re going to pick Tommy up on time.”

  “You shower and pick him up,” Dawn muttered, burying her face in her pillow. “I’ll just lie here and wait for feeling to return to my extremities.”

  “Okay.” Sounding smug and all male, he patted her fanny and tossed back the sheet. “Think you’ll regain the use of your extremities by the time I get back?”

  With an effort worthy of Wonder Woman, she elevated her head a few degrees. “Maybe.”

  “Good. We should both be standing and at least semiclothed when we tell Tommy our plans.”

  “I’ll manage. Somehow.”

  Despite her promise, Dawn didn’t drag herself out of bed until a good fifteen minutes after Brian departed. That left, she calculated as she twisted the shower taps, five minutes to scrub off the scent of the most incredible sex she’d had in, like, never! Another five to towel dry her hair and clip it up into a soggy mass. Ten to share her startling news with Callie and Kate.

  She couldn’t wait to tell them about Brian’s astounding offer. Or the crazy certainty that had wrapped around her heart when he’d presented that bouquet. She tucked a towel around her like a sari and let her hair straggle in wet ropes while she speed-dialed Kate’s private number at the World Bank.

  “Hey, Dawn.”

  “Hi, Kate. Sorry to bother you at work.”

  “No problem. What’s going on?”

  “Well...”

  She hesitated, her effervescence dimming a little. Like a black-and-white movie played in fast-forward, she could see the battles. Hear the vicious charges and countercharges her father and mother shouted at each other until they drove their daughter out of the house and into the comforting arms of her best friends.

  No! This wasn’t another desperate attempt to wipe out those toxic memories. This was Brian, Tommy and her. Forging something new and bright and...

  “Dawn? What’s the matter?” Anxiety cut across the line. “Are you okay?”

  Gulping, she forced a chuckle. “That’s why I called. I’m better than okay, Katy. I’m engaged. Again,” she added quickly, anticipating the inevitable.

  Although...

  Was that an accurate description of the merger she and Brian had just negotiated? Her previous fiancés had sealed the deal with sparkling diamonds. A fussy cluster of quarter carats the first time. An eye-popping three-carat solitaire the next. The memory of the havoc wrought by that exquisite marquise-cut jewel put a nervous twitter in Dawn’s voice.

  “Brian just left to pick up Tommy. We’re going to tell him together when they get home. And I want you to join the celebration,” she said, improvising nervously as she went. “You and Callie. Can you come for dinner tonight?”

  The silence stretched for a few more interminable seconds. “Callie can’t,” Kate finally responded. “She’s having dinner with Joe Russo.”

  “She is?”

  Surprised, Dawn called up the image of Russo’s unsmiling face slashed by that vicious scar.

  “What’s with that?” she asked, diverted. “Is there something going on between them?”

  “There is, but Callie won’t tell me what. But forget about them. Tell me about you and Brian.”

  She did, with some editing. She figured Kate didn’t need to hear the “until such time as all parties mutually agree to terminate” part. She glossed over the whole merger concept, in fact, and gave a glib account of the solid foundation Brian thought they could build on.

  “Okay,” Kate said when she’d wound down, “let me make sure I understand those basic building blocks. You’re hot for him. He’s hot for you. He’s a world-class stud in bed, and you’re goofy for his kid. Does that cover it?”

  “No!”

  “What am I missing?”

  “Everything! His incredible patience with Tommy. The respect he shows everyone who works for him. The way the lines at the corners of his eyes crinkle when he laughs. His addiction to jazz and this guy Jim Coltrane. The—”

  “John Coltrane.”

  “Huh?”

  “John Coltrane. He played sax for Thelonious Monk before striking out on his own.”

  Dawn’s jaw dropped. “How do you know that?”

  She knew her friends’ tastes in music as well as her own. She should, since they’d shared CDs, then iPods and iPhone playlists for most of their lives.

  “Some of us do try to expand our cultural landscape,” Kate returned primly.

  “Ha!”

  “Okay,” her friend confessed, laughing. “Travis said Brian drove them all nutso in Italy by piping jazz through the speakers during downtime between tests. Trav developed a taste for it and is trying to bring me into the fold. I promised to listen to the albums he
downloaded by Monk and Coltrane before he gets back from Florida.”

  “Amazing,” Dawn murmured. “Three weeks ago we’d never heard of any of these guys. Now they’re part of our landscape.”

  “Yes, and we’re offtrack again. Back to you and Brian. I get that your feelings for him go pretty deep. What about his feelings? Did he...? Hang on. I’m being buzzed. Back in a sec.”

  Did he what? Dawn wondered as the phone went quiet. Offer to share his life with her? Kiss her stupid? Prove how solid their foundation was, not once but twice this afternoon?

  She was grinning at the memory of their transition from kitchen to bed when Kate came back on the line. “Sorry. My boss wanted to make sure I have my stuff together for our meeting with Signore Gallo this afternoon. You remember him, don’t you?”

  “The Italian banker with that lion’s mane of silver hair. How could I not? He’s in DC?”

  “For a short visit. He still wants to put me up for membership in the International Bankers Association associates’ subcommittee. My boss thinks I should accept.”

  Dawn wasn’t surprised. Kate would be the first woman ever nominated to that subcommittee. But Dawn also understood her friend’s hesitation. As a minimum, membership in that exclusive and extremely chauvinistic gentlemen’s club would involve quarterly trips to Geneva that might last a week or more. Probably additional jaunts to European and Asian banking centers. With Travis terminating his air force career to join Brian at EAS, Kate was reluctant to let her career impact the marriage they’d worked so hard to resurrect.

  “So what are you going to tell Gallo?”

  “The same thing I told him in Italy. I appreciate the offer but this isn’t a good time for me to take on that kind of a commitment.”

  “Not with you and Travis just getting back together and starting to think babies,” Dawn agreed.

  “About the babies... I wasn’t going to say anything. Not yet. But I’m five days late.”

  “Kate!”

  Dawn jumped up, dislodging her towel in her excitement. It dropped to the carpet unheeded while she hooted and danced from foot to foot.