At his book signing this afternoon, she’d sat beside him the whole time. She’d made herself useful by opening up the books to the correct page for him to autograph. There must have been at least two hundred people in line to see him, many with touching stories about their own foster experiences. Xander had been gracious to them all, making each person who came up feel important, even after three solid hours. He had an amazing way with people.
She had to admit that the clothes and the salon treatment were nice, but they weren’t what gave her the confidence to come to this party. They weren’t what encouraged her to stand taller and smile at strangers. It was Xander’s faith in her. He sincerely believed in her. He didn’t see the other people here as being better than she was. Xander inspired her to be the best version of herself she could be. She wanted to be the kind of woman Xander could love someday.
She glanced over her shoulder at the line for the bar. He was standing there, chatting with the woman ahead of him. His Valentino tuxedo fit him like a second skin, his black satin bow tie the perfect touch to his flawlessly starched white shirt. He looked so handsome with his light brown hair brushed back and his wide, charming smile. The elegant-looking woman talking to him seemed dazzled. She leaned in, placing a light hand on his lapel as she laughed at something Xander said.
Rose sighed and turned away. She didn’t want to watch anymore. She didn’t know anything about that woman, but it only took a moment for her to know in her heart that this woman was more suitable for Xander than she would ever be.
“Here you go. One glass of courage.”
Startled, Rose spun on her heels to find Xander standing behind her with champagne flutes in each hand. “Thank you,” she said, taking the one he offered. She took a healthy sip, closing her eyes and feeling the warmth spread from her stomach to the rest of her body. It did wonders to calm her. After a moment, she was finally able to focus on the party itself and not on that woman or whether or not everyone was looking at her. “So what is the schedule for tonight?”
Xander picked up a program from one of the nearby tables. “Looks like mingling, dinner, speeches and then dancing. Somewhere in there they’ll plug my book and ask for money. I’m sure they’ll be a lot more subtle, though.”
“Sounds like we have a long night ahead.” She eyed her mostly empty glass. “I’m going to need more champagne.”
“Not necessarily. We can leave now, if you like.”
Rose frowned and turned to him. She hadn’t expected that at all. Why buy all these fancy clothes just to leave after ten minutes? “Why?” she asked. “Did I do something wrong?”
Xander slipped his arm around her waist and pressed his palm against her hip to pull her closer. “Not at all. I just underestimated how beautiful you were going to look tonight. You always look amazing, but with the hair and the dress, it’s enough to make a man weak in the knees. It’s like prom all over again. I can’t wait to get you home and out of that gown.”
She glanced down at the beaded sweetheart neckline of her dress and the ample cleavage on display. It was more than she was normally comfortable showing, but she couldn’t help it. The moment she’d stepped into this gown at the store, she’d known it was the one. Xander had told her not to look at the price tags, so she hadn’t. She’d just tried to pick the dress that made her feel the prettiest. Any doubts she’d had were erased the moment she stepped out of the dressing room and met Xander’s approving gaze.
He liked it as much as she did. She hadn’t even bothered trying on any more dresses. It was the dress. So she didn’t exactly feel like casting it to the ground in a fevered rush. “I hate to disappoint you, but even if we go home right now, I’m not taking this dress off. It’s too beautiful and I look too good in it. I might even sleep in it.”
Xander rubbed a bit of the rough golden tulle between his fingertips and shook his head. “I don’t recommend that. But if you want to leave it on, I can always just flip all this fabric up over your head.”
Rose laughed and slapped his hand away as he tugged at the layers of her skirt. She would never understand how he could be in a room of such beautiful and powerful women and only have eyes for her. “We’re not going home. You promised me a party with dancing and we’re sticking it out.”
Xander opened his mouth to argue with her but was interrupted when a woman came onto the stage and asked everyone to take their seats. Defeated, he escorted her to a table near the front and helped her into her chair. They sat through several courses and several speeches. Most of the speakers praised Xander for his contributions to Fostering Families, including donating a portion of his book sales to the organization. The cover was projected onto a screen and attendees were reminded that Xander had autographed copies in advance that were available for purchase during the event.
After they spoke, the servers brought out the dessert course. Hers was what they called a chocolate bomb. It had a layer of hardened dark chocolate over a decadent dome of light chocolate mousse. It had a dense brownie crust and a toasted hazelnut in the very center. She dissected the dessert as she ate it, trying to figure out exactly how she could re-create it for the diner.
By the time she’d figured it out, Rose realized that she’d lost Xander. From the moment they stepped out of their car at the hotel, he’d had people talking to him. It had stopped during the meal and speeches, but now attendees were up dancing and mingling again. Xander was a few feet away chatting with a couple gentlemen she didn’t know. It looked as though he’d gotten one bite of his dessert before he was hijacked.
That was a shame. It was good.
Rose tried entertaining herself, waiting for him to return. She finished her dessert and chatted idly with the woman beside her. The woman’s husband had also vanished. Looking around the room, there were more than a few ladies sitting at their tables talking while men clustered in groups. Rose finally excused herself to get another drink and milled around the ballroom. The edges of the room were decorated with photos and other displays from the Fostering Families Center over the years.
At last she made a circle back to her table. Her drink was empty and the balls of her feet were aching. It had been a long night and it was time for this coach to become a pumpkin again. Xander had been missing for almost an hour. Why had he even brought her to this event? He could’ve come alone and not felt guilty about ignoring his date half the night. If he didn’t show up soon, she was going to get a cab. She’d just have to figure out where he lived first....
“Would you honor me with a dance, Miss Pierce?”
Rose turned in her seat to find Xander the Elusive had returned to her side. “I’d about given up on you.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I’ve broken free. Dance with me before someone else comes up.”
She reluctantly got up and let Xander lead her to the dance floor. Despite the late hour, it was still crowded with couples dressed in their finest.
“You’re so stiff,” Xander complained. “Relax. Dancing is supposed to be fun.”
Rose shook her head. “I’m not sure why you brought me with you to this. I should’ve just stayed in Connecticut where I belong.”
Xander stilled on the dance floor, his brow furrowed with concern. “Why would you say that? Aren’t you having a good time?”
“I am,” she sighed. “It’s fine, but you’re busy. Everyone wants to talk to you. I feel like I’m a burden.”
“You’re anything but a burden. In fact, you’re the only one here that I want to talk to. No matter what you think or how much you worry, know this—I want you here. You belong here. With me. Not just tonight, but every night.”
Rose gasped, the sound swallowed by the big-band music. Xander pressed his palm into the small of her back and began moving again, pulling her across the floor with him. She could only cling to him and follow his lead.
When the song ended, they stayed on the dance floor, Xander holding her close and looking deep into her eyes. “I don’t just want you to move to D
.C., Rose. I want you to move in with me. I want us to be a family. A real family.”
* * *
Rose couldn’t breathe and it had nothing to do with the dancing. It was wonderful. Amazing. Fantastic. But it was Xander’s words that had truly thrown her for a loop.
He wanted her to move to D.C. and live with him. That meant he really was serious about going public with their relationship and with Joey’s paternity. He didn’t care about her father’s criminal past. She was just blown away. And a part of her was thrilled and relieved.
The other part of her was scared to death he was making a huge mistake. Would it really be the nonevent he believed it all to be? Was it possible that they could have the happily-ever-after she’d fantasized about? She tried to look at the bright side, but life had taught her that things didn’t always work out the way you planned.
She pushed those thoughts out of her mind and instead grasped at his tuxedo lapels with both hands. With a hard tug, she brought his mouth down to hers. She poured all of her anxiety, all of her fears, all of her excitement and anticipation into the kiss. He met her measure for measure, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing her tight against him.
“Take me home,” she said at last when their lips parted. Home, she thought. Could that beautiful town house really be her home someday?
Xander took her hand and led her through the crowd to the exit. They waited anxiously for their car to pull up out front and then rushed into the house the moment they arrived. Rose kicked off her painful shoes in the entryway, then ran barefoot up the stairs with Xander on her heels.
They burst into his bedroom together, the chase turning into a slower pursuit as Rose turned to face him. He slowly backed her across the floor until she felt her spine meet with the carved wood post of the bed.
When she stopped, Xander slipped out of his jacket and tugged off his tie. Then he knelt down. “I’m going in,” he said with a sly smile as he sought out the hem of her dress and tugged it up high enough to disappear under its layers. She felt his fingers gently stroking her upper thighs, his hot breath searing her bare skin. She braced her hands on the wooden column behind her when his fingertips grazed across the satin of her panties. She stiffened as he applied pressure to just the right spot and a bolt of pleasure shot through her.
“Oh, Z,” she whispered, her eyes fluttering closed. She felt his hands seek out the waist of her panties and gently start tugging them down the length of her legs. Rose adjusted her stance, kicking out of them and leaving herself completely bare beneath the exquisite gown.
Xander let his hands roam all over the soft skin of her legs, creeping higher and higher. She felt the flutter of his touch running along the cropped curls of her sex, then the explosion of sensation as one finger dipped deeper and stroked her aching, moist core. Her heart started racing in her chest as he pushed her closer and closer to her release.
Her orgasm was hard and intense, very nearly rocking her off her feet with the powerful spasms. Only his steady grip on her waist kept her stable until the last tremors shook her legs.
Xander climbed out from under her gown and stood to pull her into his arms. She was like a rag doll, stumbling against his hard body. She felt as if there were no more bones left in her legs. “I’ve got you,” he said. “I won’t let you fall.”
She knew that. Unlike her father, Xander meant it. Even back in school, Rose always knew she could count on Xander to be there for her. When her mother’s time was short and her father was only worried about himself, he’d been the constant in her life. She felt as if she could do anything with him beside her.
And when she pushed him out of her life, she’d been in a free fall. When she needed him the most, she’d been too scared to ask for his support. The cost had been too high. But it had taught her to stand on her own. She could survive without him, even if she didn’t want to.
Now he seemed to be offering her the opportunity for the two of them to try again. She was tired of being alone. If she was honest with herself, she wanted Xander back. Rose wanted him in her bed and in her life and her son’s life. If that meant moving to D.C., she would go.
Rose turned her back, holding the post once again to offer the zipper of her dress to him. She felt the graze of his fingertips at her shoulder blades where the dress began, and then heard the loud slide down to the base of her spine.
Xander put his warm palms on her back, wrapping around her rib cage to open up the bodice and push the dress down. The fabric skimmed down her body and pooled at her feet as if she were standing in a fluffy golden nest. She stepped out of the dress and then turned to face Xander.
He had his hand at his collar, quickly unfastening the buttons of his shirt. He tossed aside his shirt and whipped off his belt. Rose’s fingers sought out his fly, undoing the button and pulling the zipper down. Her hand slipped inside, slowly stroking the firm heat of him through his briefs.
“Rose,” he groaned, and then his mouth slammed against hers. She met his intensity, stroking him with a sure, firm hand and pushing his slacks out of her way. She was about to slip beneath the waistband of his briefs when he pushed forward and she fell backward onto the bed.
Before she could recover, Xander had slipped from his briefs and was moving above her. The heat of his skin seared hers as he glided over her body. Rose’s thighs parted, cradling him. He paused only as he met her eye to eye and hovered there.
He was such a beautiful man. Perfectly made for appearing on television. A face that could inspire trust and lead his fellow congressmen. The angles and curves of his face could change to make him look more serious, handsome, charming or boyishly playful when he smiled and those dimples came out. His sandy hair had fallen into his eyes, the flaming desire flickering there as tiny golden flecks amid the green and brown.
Was it possible that a man like this could ever love a woman like her? He said he wanted to be a family, but she was no one. Plain and hardworking at best, poor criminal trash at worst. She didn’t deserve the love of a man like Xander, but she wanted it so badly her heart nearly burst at the thought of it.
Xander dipped his head to kiss her and she closed her eyes to lose herself in the sensation of being with him. She could feel the tears gathering in the corners as the emotions swelled inside her. She had been lying to herself about her feelings. As much as she argued that things were moving too fast, it wasn’t for a lack of emotions on her part. It was the worry that her heart was barreling ahead, leaving Xander behind.
She loved him. Rose had tried to put years and excuses between her and her heart to reason away how she felt, but it didn’t matter. She had never stopped loving her charming teenage love. Not many people met the love of their life in a sophomore geometry class, but she had. And now he was back in her life and in her bed. This felt like a dream, but it was a reality she’d fantasized about for so long.
His lips parted from hers, the air heavy and warm between them. Her lungs burned from breathing so hard, but it didn’t matter. It hurt more to be without him.
He shifted against her, his spine arching and his hips moving forward. He entered her. Slowly. Leisurely. Rose arched her back to take all of him in. It felt like an eternity before he stopped moving and when he did, she could hardly tell where she ended and he began. Xander was in her blood, his scent in her lungs, his taste on her lips.
His light eyes searched her face for a moment as he hovered, buried deep and still inside her. “I’ve missed you, Rose,” he said. “I don’t ever want to miss you again.”
It wasn’t a declaration of love, but it was enough for Rose to let the last of her defenses down. He wanted her in his life, not because of Joey but because he wanted her. It was something she had never dared to hope to hear again in her life.
“You won’t,” she said. Her fears weren’t gone, but in the moment, she felt bold enough to face them. “If you want us to move to D.C., we will.”
“Really?” A broad smile crossed his face.
&nb
sp; “Yes, really.”
Xander kissed her and the moment that had hung suspended in time suddenly began to rush forward. Emboldened by her response, Xander eased back and thrust forward again. And then again.
Rose clung to him, riding the waves of pleasure as they surged through her body. She drew her knees up and locked her ankles together at the small of his back. She didn’t want to let him go, not even for a moment. This moment wouldn’t last forever, but she would savor it as long as she could.
He buried his face in her neck and drove into her. Every inch of their bodies was touching, their skin heated and slick with sweat. It wasn’t long before she felt her release building up in her again. She bit her lip, trying hard to fight it off. It was too soon.
“I’m not ready for this moment to end,” she admitted. It was easier to say when she didn’t have to look him in the eye. “I want to keep this moment forever.”
Xander propped himself up onto his elbows and planted kisses along her jawline to her lips. He kissed her thoroughly and smiled. “There will be more moments. Many more. Enjoy this one.”
His hand slid up her outer thigh to her knee. He hooked her leg over his shoulder, tilting her pelvis up and driving harder and deeper than ever before. The sensation was incredible, causing Rose to cry out.
“Oh, Z,” she gasped, clawing at his back. There was no use in prolonging her release now. It was impossible. She could feel the tightening in her belly, the driving surge of the explosives getting ready to burst inside her. “Yes, yes!”
“Let go, Rose,” he coaxed in a harsh whisper. “Just let go.”
It was a hard command to follow. She spent most of her life fighting. But with Xander, she could let go. Let him do some of the fighting for her. She sucked a large lungful of air and her eyes closed. Like a tsunami, her orgasm crashed through her. She clung to Xander for dear life as every nerve ending in her body lit up and her insides pulsated with pleasurable shocks.
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