by Paula Roe
When his hand slid to her stomach, palm moving possessively over the gentle swell, her breath caught. Then he smiled and leaned down to kiss her, and everything just choked her up all over again.
“I don’t want you to overdo things,” he murmured softly against her mouth.
“I can hire people. Delegate.”
He spent a few moments lazily kissing her. “So you really want to do it?”
“Do you think I can do it?”
“Chérie, you can do anything you want.”
She basked in the warmth of his smile, until seconds passed and realization began to seep in.
“Sooooo...” she said softly. “About that marriage thing—”
“Yes?”
“Is the offer still on the table?”
He blinked. “No.”
“What?” She frowned.
He cupped her face, brought her to his mouth in a gentle kiss. “It’s not a business offer. I am asking you to be my wife. To be with me for the rest of our lives. To have my children, to make me happy and to let me make you happy. It’s a marriage proposal made with love.”
Oh. Breathless, all she could do was stare at him, at the tender look in his dark eyes, at the curve of his mouth. And she fell in love with him all over again.
That was...absolutely perfect. More than perfect.
It was Marco.
She felt the tears well a second before he reached out and caught one on the tip of his finger, his smile gently warming her.
“Tears, chérie?”
She sucked in a breath. “It’s the hormones.”
“Sure. Not tears of happiness?”
She sniffed, blinking furiously. “Maybe.” At his look, she laughed, a weird watery sound. “Probably.”
“I know.” His kiss was tender, soft and everything she could have wanted to mark this moment. “So,” he breathed against her lips, “will you marry me?”
“Of course I will,” she replied without hesitation. “You’re my best friend. My Marco. I love you.”
“And I love you. My Kat.”
* * * * *
Don’t miss these other stories from Paula Roe:
THE PREGNANCY PLOT
BED OF LIES
PROMOTED TO WIFE?
THE BILLIONAIRE BABY BOMBSHELL
All available now, from Harlequin Desire!
Keep reading for an excerpt from ONE NIGHT, SECOND CHANCE by Robyn Grady.
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Prologue
Turning her back on the wall-to-wall mirror, Grace Munroe unzipped and stepped out of her dress. She slipped off her heels—matching bra and briefs, too—before wrapping herself in a soft, scented towel. But when she reached the bathroom door, a chill rippled through her, pulling her up with a start.
She sucked down a breath—tried to get enough air.
I’m an adult. I want this.
So relax.
Let it go.
A moment later, she entered a room that was awash with the glow from a tall corner lamp. She crossed to the bed, drew back the covers and let the towel drop to her feet. She was slipping between the sheets when a silhouette filled the doorway and a different sensation took hold. She hadn’t been in this kind of situation before—and never would be again. But right now, how she wanted this.
How she wanted him.
Moving forward, he shucked off his shirt, undid his belt. When he curled over her, the tip of his tongue rimmed one nipple and her senses flew into a spin.
His stubble grazed her as he murmured, “I’d like to know your name.”
She didn’t wince—only smiled.
“And I’d like us under this sheet.”
This evening had begun with a walk to clear her thoughts; since returning to New York, she’d been plagued by memories and regrets.
Passing a piano bar, she was drawn by the strains of a baby grand and wandered in to take a seat. A man stopped beside her. Distinctly handsome, he filled out his tailored jacket in a way that turned women’s heads. Still, Grace was ready to flick him off. She hadn’t wanted company tonight.
To her surprise, he only shared an interesting detail about the tune being played before sipping his drink and moving on. But something curious about his smile left its mark on her. She felt a shift beneath her ribs—a pleasant tug—and her thinking did a one-eighty.
Calling him back, she asked if he’d like to join her. Ten minutes. She wasn’t staying long. Slanting his head, he began to introduce himself, but quickly she held up a hand; if it was all the same to him, she’d rather not get into each other’s stories. Each other’s lives. She saw a faint line form between his brows before he agreed with a salute of his glass.
For twenty minutes or so, they each lost themselves in the piano man’s music. At the end of the break, when she roused herself and bid him good-night, her stranger said he ought to leave, too. It seemed natural for them to walk together, discussing songs and sports, and then food and the theater. He was so easy to talk to and laugh with...There was almost something familiar about his smile, his voice. Then they were passing his building and, as if they’d known each other for years, he asked if she’d like to come up. Grace didn’t feel obliged. Nor did she feel uncertain.
Now, in this bedroom with his mouth finding hers, she wasn’t sorry, either. But this experience was so far from her norm. Was it progress or simply escape?
A year ago, she’d been in a relationship. Sam was a decorated firefighter who respected his parents—valued the community. Nothing was too much for his family or friends. He had loved her deeply and, one night, had proposed. Twelve months on, a big part of Grace still felt stuck in that time.
But not right now. Not one bit.
As her stranger’s tongue pushed past her lips, the slow-working rhythm fed a hunger that stretched and yawned up inside of her. When he broke the kiss, rather than wane, the steady beating at her core only grew. She was attracted to this man in a way she couldn’t explain—physically, intellectually...and on a different level, too. She would have liked to see him again. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible. This was all about impulse, sexual attraction—a fusion of combustible forces.
A one-night stand.
And that’s how it needed to stay.
Copyright © 2014 by Robyn Grady
ISBN-13: 9781460327364
SUDDENLY EXPECTING
Copyright © 2014 by Paula Roe
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