by Mia Zachary
“You’re wrong.” She reached out to clasp his hand, her fingers tightening with the urgency to convey her feelings. The spark was still there, the familiar heat as the pleasure of his touch spread throughout her body. “I was wrong. I let stupid, superficial things blind me to the truth.”
“What truth is that?” Deep emotions shifted in the kaleidoscope of his light green eyes. His expression was one of cautious hope and she felt the fine tremors in the hand she held. That unexpected nervousness encouraged her to go on.
“The job you do shaped the person you are. Your courage and loyalty and determination are as much a part of you as the color of your hair. I respect and admire those qualities in you. I was wrong to want you to change. I wouldn’t have you any other way.”
“You have no idea what it means to hear you say that.” An odd smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. She watched the play of emotions on his face, saw the love she felt reflected in his gaze.
“I got scared, really scared, when faced with the reality of your job. It terrified me to realize that the one night I experienced is what you face every night.” Meghan paused, unable to speak as her voice filled with tears. “So I ran. And turned my back on the one thing I wanted most—your love. Then I read a newspaper article about the Ramos case. I was so proud of you and what you’d accomplished. It made me finally realize that your job doesn’t matter—”
His quick, rumbling chuckle startled her. A few locks of dark hair fell forward to brush his temples when he dropped his chin and shook his head. Her brow furrowed as she stared at him. Here she was confessing her deepest feelings and he was laughing at her. “What?”
“You won’t believe this, sweetheart. Talk about irony. I quit the DEA. I’m no longer an agent.”
“What!”
Surprise and excitement made her pulse race. A future with him suddenly seemed possible. Guilt pricked at her conscience over her joyous reaction, but now he’d be out of danger. As hard as it was to walk away, losing him again would destroy her.
“This is awfully sudden, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, I know.” He reached up to pinch his left earlobe, obviously not yet accustomed to being without an earring. “The things you said to me, the questions you asked, made me reassess my profession.”
“You quit for me?” Her forehead creased into a frown. She wasn’t sure she liked the burden of responsibility that entailed. If he regretted the choice later, he might blame her.
“No. I quit for me.” Alex’s smoke-roughened voice held a firm resolve. “I’d been lying for so long, I couldn’t tell the truth when it counted. Working undercover was so ingrained, so natural, I didn’t know who I was anymore. I just know I don’t like the person I’d become.”
Meghan slipped her hand away, not wanting the welcome distraction of his touch just now. “So you traded a badge for a license. You’re a man who thrives on challenge, the thrill of the chase. What happens when you change your mind?”
“I won’t change it. This is strictly a desk job, Meghan. Arranging for personal security, doing background checks and stuff like that. I don’t work the streets anymore.”
She studied his face, looking for signs of remorse. “It can’t have been easy, giving up your career after so many years. Are you sure about this?”
“It was a lot easier than I thought.” Alex stared at the floor, his expression withdrawn and solemn. “I joined the DEA to get even for my little brother. Since you left me, I’ve had time to re-evaluate my life. I’ve had to accept that arresting every drug dealer in the world won’t bring Greg back. I can’t save him, wherever he is.”
She reached out to stroke his face, trying to erase the lines of pain etched around his eyes. He may have cut his hair, shaved and put on a suit, but underneath he was the same man she’d fallen in love with. With Alex she’d found what she was searching for, what she’d longed for in page after page of her diary.
“I love you, whatever your name is.” She saw his quick grin in relief. She’d managed to lighten his mood. “You walked out of my fantasies and into my life, and made my dreams come true. I don’t care what you do for a living as long as you’re living with me.”
Alex closed his eyes briefly, too overcome to speak. He’d gone through hell this past month, wanting to call her, see her, hold her in his arms. But he had to get his life in order before he asked her to be a part of it again.
Being with her, it was as if time stopped, as if they’d never parted. Whenever he got near her, he felt the emotional connection, one of tenderness, intimacy and love. She’d unlocked his heart with her quiet beauty, sensuality and courage.
His eyes roamed over her, admiring the changes. Her hair was highlighted and styled in soft curls. Smoky color lined her eyes and deep red lipstick made her lush mouth ripe for kissing. The skirt of her suit was short, form-fitting and very sexy. A familiar hunger, wild and demanding, grew inside him. Cupping her cheek, he leaned down, intending to kiss her.
“There’s just one more thing I want to know.” Meghan’s hand on his chest stopped him. So did the serious tone of her voice and the intensity of her gaze. “Did you read my whole diary?”
Hell, without even trying he could recall whole passages of the most erotic words he’d ever read. He thought they’d gotten past this, but apparently it was still an issue. He braced himself for whatever her reaction might be. “Yeah. I did.”
She gave him a teasingly provocative smile. “Then we have some more fantasies to act out, don’t we?”
He smiled back. “A lot more. I haven’t told you any of mine. And I hope you’ll fulfill one for me now.”
Alex got down on one knee in front of her and reached into his trouser pocket. He opened the ring box to reveal a one-carat emerald flanked by diamonds in an antique gold setting. She gasped and her hands clapped over her mouth.
“You take my breath away. With a look, the slightest touch, the sweetness of your smile. You’re everything good in my life. I can’t go on without you. Marry me, Trouble. Share my life and make it whole. Make me whole. Be mine, and let me be yours.”
She knelt down before him, taking his hands in hers. Tears spilled down her cheeks and he felt his own eyes well up. Her voice was husky with emotion. “I love you, Alex. With all my heart, I love you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. You complete me. There’s nothing I want more than to spend forever with you.”
Chest aching with the power of his joy, he slid the ring onto her finger. Meghan smiled and reached for him. Her fingers skimmed his brow, touched his cheeks, traced the contours of his mouth. She put her hands on either side of his face and pulled him forward until their lips met.
The kiss was warm, sweet and heartbreakingly tender. Alex savored the softness of her lips, the faint peppermint taste of her mouth, the eagerness of her response. She opened to him, sliding her tongue over his in slow exploration. Desire sang in his blood as she combed her fingers through his hair and deepened the kiss.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, reveled in the feel of her soft breasts on his chest. His hands glided down her back to squeeze her round, firm butt. Meghan undid his tie, eyeing it as she slid it from his collar. “That’s a very interesting pattern. Did you cut up one of your shirts or have extra fabric from the drapes?”
Alex grinned down at her. “I bought it with you in mind.”
He slipped her suit jacket from her shoulders, his fingers gliding over the bare skin of her upper arms. Her skin warmed beneath his roving hands. Then he saw it—the price she’d paid for loving him. He gently brushed his lips over the shiny pink scar on top of her right shoulder in silent apology.
She met his gaze with a gentle smile. “It’s okay, Alex. It will remind us never to take what we have for granted.”
She unbuttoned his shirt, kissing his jaw, the base of his throat and then his bare chest. Heart racing, he reached around to unzip her skirt, letting it pool around her knees. He kissed her wildly, passionately. Their ar
ms tangled when he tried to unfasten her camisole while she attempted to tug off his shirt.
“This isn’t working.” Meghan laughed as he took his shirt off himself and she pulled the camisole over her head. Alex got to his feet, helping her up at the same time. He led her over to his desk and punched a button on the telephone without releasing her hand.
“Tiffnee, hold my calls for the next hour.”
As the receptionist babbled on about his appointments for the day, he looked at Meghan. She stood beside him wearing only a red bra, lace panties and her cherry-red high-heeled pumps. He thought back to that first day at Cayo Sueño, to his wish of seeing her in the red lingerie and “seduce me” sandals.
Her eyes boldly traveled over his body and he felt the heat of her gaze like a physical touch. Sexual heat flared between them as she licked her lips mischievously. Then she leaned over to gently take his nipple into her mouth. He struggled not to groan aloud. She reached for his belt buckle while kissing a hot, wet path from his chest and down his torso toward—
“Make that the rest of the afternoon, Tiffnee.”
He hung up the phone and pulled Meghan to her feet. In the space of a breath, he found her lips again. As his tongue teased her mouth open in an urgent and demanding kiss, her hands caressed his bare back. He unhooked her bra and cupped the warm weight of her breasts in his palms.
When Meghan broke the kiss and began to step out of her shoes, he stopped her. “Leave those on, Trouble. They’re a reminder of the way we met. Besides, you won’t be on your feet for long.”
“That desk doesn’t look very comfortable.”
“The sofa pulls out into a double bed. Let’s play the Horny Boss and the Delectable Secretary.”
Her laugh was low and throaty. “Oh, Alex. You and your theme games.”
Saturday, October 5
She is one hot babe. Gorgeous, smart, sexy as hell. And at the moment, completely at my mercy. She strains against the silk ropes binding her wrists to the bedpost. But the excited gleam in her eyes gives her away….
ALEX WAS GOING TO ENJOY Meghan’s reaction when she read his entry. He was eager to act out this fantasy during their honeymoon, but right now he had to get dressed for the wedding. He closed the journal with a grin. Yeah. Reality beat fantasy every time.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7773-5
RED SHOES & A DIARY
Copyright © 2003 by Mika Boblitz.
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