Paris or Bust!

by Kate Hoffmann

  Maybe it would be best to just get it over with, to take control. Gently pushing against his chest, she rolled him over and straddled his hips. Her skirt bunched around her waist and she reached around to unzip her dress. But Kit brushed her hands aside and did it himself. When her dress fell in the front, she grabbed it and held it up, unable to completely banish her fears.

  “I think I should tell you something,” she said. “Not so much tell you as warn you.”

  He reached up and grabbed her fingers. “You’re shaking,” he murmured, pressing his lips to her palm.

  “I’m-”

  “What? Tell me?”

  “Scared. That-that you won’t…like me. I’m not perfect, Kit. I’m a mother. Of four children. Do you know what that does to a woman’s body?”

  With a soft sigh, he grabbed her waist and swung his feet to the floor. Then he slowly pulled her up to stand in front of him. “From the first moment I saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful woman in the world. Nothing is going to change that opinion.”

  “You hated me the first time you saw me.”

  “I was an idiot.”

  Roxanne let her arms drop and her dress slid off her shoulders and over her hips. The straps caught on her wrists, but she twisted her hands and, a moment later, the dress fell to the floor. Holding her breath and trying to gauge his reaction, she watched as his gaze raked her body. It had taken her nearly an hour to choose the underwear and from the low moan that slipped from his throat, she could tell it had been an hour well spent. “Now you,” she said, sliding her hand over his chest.

  He shrugged out of his suit jacket and tossed it aside, then added his silk tie to the pile. A few moments later, he pulled his shirt over his head rather than unbutton it. Roxanne took it from him and dropped it with the rest of his clothes. After he kicked off his shoes and socks, he stopped, choosing to leave the rest for later.

  The beauty of his body took her breath away-the wide shoulders, the muscular arms, the flat belly. With deliberate ease, she ran her hands over his chest, exploring the hard sinew and smooth skin. A soft line of hair traced a path from his collarbone to a spot beneath his belt. Suddenly, she wanted to know where it led. She reached down for his belt, but he drew her hands away.

  “When are the kids coming back?”

  “Tomorrow,” Roxanne murmured.

  “Then we have all the time in the world.”

  The fire crackled and Roxanne felt her skin flush with warmth. His fingers moved to the clasp of her bra and her pulse quickened. And when he’d discarded it and covered her nipple with his mouth, her knees went weak. Every caress of his tongue sent a wave of sensation racing through Roxanne’s body. She forgot all her apprehensions and focused on the feel of his hands and his lips on her flesh.

  He wasn’t satisfied to linger in one spot. Where hands went, his mouth followed, as if he felt compelled to taste as well as touch. Roxanne had never really experienced foreplay, but Kit seemed to relish it. He was at times playful, then intense, his only aim to make her moan with pleasure.

  They ended up on the floor in front of the fireplace, lying amidst the pillows she’d tossed there. He stretched out on top of her, their bodies pressed together. The ridge of his erection pressed into her belly, hot and hard through the fabric of his trousers, and Roxanne arched against him. Kit reached down and grabbed her legs, drawing them up alongside his hips, making the contact even more erotic and enticing.

  “Touch me,” he murmured, his voice ragged, his lips pressed against her neck.

  Roxanne reached between them and tried to un-buckle his belt, but when she couldn’t, Kit moved to lie beside her. A tiny squeak sounded from beneath his hip. Frowning, he reached beneath him and pulled out one of Jenna’s stuffed toys, a little penguin. He chuckled softly as he stared at it. But then his smile faded.

  “What is it?” Roxanne asked.

  Kit cursed softly. “What the hell am I doing?” he muttered. “What the hell are we doing? I can’t do this.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Oh, I can, believe me. The body is quite willing. I just…can’t.”

  “I bought condoms,” Roxanne said. “Five different kinds.”

  He shook his head. “That’s not it. This isn’t right, Rox.”

  “Why? We both want each other. We’re both adults. And the kids are gone.”

  “But what happens after this?”

  “After?”

  “Tomorrow. The next day. A month from now. Where is this leading?”

  “Does it have to mean something? Can’t it just be about sex?”

  His jaw went tight. “What do you want from me, Rox?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, tears pressing at the corners of her eyes. Right now, she didn’t know anything at all! Except that he wasn’t touching her and he wasn’t kissing her and it had something to do with a stuffed penguin.

  He got up and began gathering his clothes. “And that’s exactly why I shouldn’t be here.” As he walked to the door, he pulled his shirt over his head and stuffed the tails in his pants. He didn’t bother with his socks, just shoved them into his pants pocket and slipped his bare feet into his shoes.

  “Don’t leave,” she said, grabbing her dress and clutching it to her chest. She scrambled to her feet, humiliated and confused.

  “I have to,” Kit replied. “I’ve got to straighten out a few things.” He paused, then strode back across the room. In one quick movement, he furrowed his hand through her hair and pulled her into a deep, mind-numbing kiss. “I love you,” he murmured.

  With that, Kit walked out, leaving Roxanne to stand amid the flickering candles, completely baffled by his behavior. And dumbstruck by his words. “He loves me,” she repeated as she fingered the string of pearls.

  The problem was, she didn’t know if that was good news or bad.

  KIT STOOD AT THE DOOR of his father’s condo, trying to figure out what he was going to say to Carl Lawrence once he knocked on the door. It was nearly ten o’clock, late for Carl who usually was in bed by nine and back at the station by 5:00 a.m. But this couldn’t wait. This was about Kit’s future and he wanted that future to begin tonight.

  How had this all happened? A little more than a month ago, Kit had been a confirmed bachelor, enjoying all the perks that came along with a string of beautiful women-including sex without guilt. But the minute he met Roxanne, his life completely changed.

  At first, he’d told himself that he sought her out so he could discern her motives. He’d rationalized his interest as an attempt to protect his father. But all along, he’d spent time with her because he couldn’t help himself. He was in love with Roxanne Perry.

  He used to look upon “family men” with pity. They were always forced to divide their energy, between work and family. And what could be more tedious than coming home to the same woman every night, dealing with the same problems, listening to the same conversations. He’d just assumed that life wasn’t for him.

  But it wasn’t like that at all. There was a real pleasure in coming home to Roxanne and her kids. He enjoyed the noisy dinners at the kitchen table and the quiet evenings snuggled up with her on the sofa. And the kids. He liked helping them put on their shoes and watching them brush their teeth. It balanced him, making him forget the stress of his business day. And it gave him perspective. Acquiring the next radio station or newspaper didn’t seem so important compared to the problems Danny was having with a bully at school.

  Kit raked his fingers through his hair and tried to settle the chaos in his head. Loving Roxanne was a big responsibility. It wasn’t just the two of them. He would become a part of five lives. Was he really prepared to be a full-time father? Could he make Roxanne happy for the rest of her life?

  Deep in his heart, he knew he could. But that didn’t stop the doubts from bubbling to the surface. And then there was the problem of his father. If Carl still had any feelings for Roxanne, he hadn’t made them obvious of late. But Kit needed t
o be absolutely sure before he and Roxanne went any further.

  He reached out and knocked at the door. He wouldn’t know until he asked. A few moments later, the door swung open. “Hey, there. What are you doing here?” Carl asked.

  Kit walked past him, then turned. “We have to talk.”

  “Sit down. Do you want a drink? I think I have some scotch.”

  Kit shook his head, ignoring the sofa for a space on the rug to pace. He thought better when he was moving. “Just tell me one thing. Do you love her?”

  “Love who?” Carl asked.

  “Are you in love with Roxanne Perry?”

  “Are you still worried about that?”

  “Answer the damn question. Do you have any romantic feelings for her at all?”

  His father chuckled and shook his head slowly. “No. But I’d expect you do or you wouldn’t be here. You’ve been spending nearly every night with Roxanne for the past month. Even if some poor sap did have romantic feelings for her, you’ve been monopolizing her time. When she’s at the station, you’re always hanging around. Ernie the janitor saw you two coming out of his closet, and ever since then, it’s been pretty obvious.”

  “How does that make you feel?” Kit asked.

  “As if I was right all along. I knew she’d make a great wife…for you. So, have you asked her to marry you yet?”

  Kit held out his hand. “Wait a second.” He paused, trying to read his father’s expression. “Oh, no. Don’t tell me you set this all up. You pretended to have a thing for her so I’d throw myself in between you two.”

  “It got you off your ass and moving in the right direction, didn’t it? Protecting the family fortune from a greedy little gold digger. Well, you certainly changed your tune.”

  “I thought you were in love with her!” Kit said.

  “Did I ever say that?”

  “Well…no, not directly. But you implied it. You were always talking about how wonderful she is.”

  “I wasn’t trying to convince myself, I was trying to convince you.” Carl paused. “Kit, I loved your mother very much. And that feeling doesn’t go away. Not in a year, not in ten. I’ve been lucky in my life to have just one good woman to love me. That’s enough. I wanted that for you. And I thought maybe Roxanne might be able to provide it.”

  “You set me up,” Kit repeated, unable to believe he’d been so gullible.

  “I greased the gears a little,” Carl said. “I want grandchildren. Can you blame me?”

  Kit slowly lowered himself to the sofa. “This is serious.” He groaned softly then buried his face in his hands. “Oh, hell. I walked out on her because I had to square things with you. She had this sexy dress on and all the candles lit. And now I find out, there’s nothing to square. We could have…”

  “I don’t need to hear the details,” Carl said. “I assume you’re in love with her?”

  “Yeah, I am.”

  “And she loves you?”

  “I don’t know. It’s all happened so fast. We’ve only known each other a month, but it doesn’t seem to matter. We just fit together. When I’m with her, I don’t need anything else. But I’ve never been in love before. How am I supposed to know if this is real? Or more to the point, if it will last?”

  “You have to make it real,” Carl said. “Falling in love is the easy part. Keeping the relationship interesting takes a lot of work.” His father paused. “The moment I met your mother, I knew she was the one for me. She hadn’t even said word. I just saw her across the room and I told myself she was the one I was going to marry.”

  “I can’t make a mistake on this, Dad. She has kids and they need a father. I can’t step into their lives and then step out again if it doesn’t work.”

  Carl reached down and clapped Kit on the shoulder. “Well, you’re an adult now. You’ll need to make that decision for yourself.” He paused. “You know, this is going to mess everything up.”

  “I just told you I’m in love with Roxanne. How will that mess everything up?”

  “We’ve done all this promotion, positioning Roxanne Perry as a single mom and she’s captured the audience’s attention. Our afternoon ratings for the show have increased. If you decide to marry her and she accepts, her blossoming radio career might go right down the tubes.”

  “Are you saying you’re more concerned about ratings than about your son’s happiness?”

  Carl shook his head and smiled. “I know she makes you happy. And you certainly make her happy. I suppose I can deal with the ratings.”

  “This job you gave her was part of the plan, too?”

  “It was the only way to keep you two in the general vicinity of each other. And you have to admit, she’s good.”

  “She is,” Kit admitted.

  “So what are you going to do, Kit?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve got to think about this for a while.”

  “Well, don’t take too long,” Carl said. “I might just decide to steal her away from you.”

  Kit glanced over at his father and smiled ruefully. “And I might decide to break both your arms.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  “C OME ON , R OX. You have to put this behind you and move on. Aren’t you glad you found out before it was too late?” Renee gave Roxanne’s hands a sympathetic squeeze.

  “Found out what? I’m not sure what happened. One minute we were rolling around on the floor half-naked and the next he was running out the door.” Roxanne swallowed hard. “And I don’t know if this means anything, but before he left, he told me that he loved me.”

  “What?” Renee shouted.

  “He said he loved me. At least, I think he did. I could have imagined it. Or maybe he said something else and I misunderstood.” Roxanne rubbed her temples, trying to calm her confusion.

  “What could he have said that sounded like ‘I love you’?”

  “I don’t know. Isle of doom? Eye glob do? I’ve been trying to come up with something all morning. If he really loved me, then why did he run out on the only chance we had to…you know.”

  “You can say the words, Rox. Have sex. Do the deed. Get nasty.”

  “Shh! The kids are upstairs.”

  “So what are you going to do?” Renee whispered.

  Roxanne sighed. “I don’t know if there’s anything I can do. He walked out on me. He said he couldn’t make love to me.”

  “You have a man who loves you, but who can’t make love to you. That’s a real bummer.”

  Roxanne sighed. “I guess that’s better than a man who makes love to other women. At least I’d know he wasn’t cheating on me.”

  Renee nodded her head. “He’s not going to run off with the Velvet Hammer.”

  “I suppose I’m going to have to talk to him,” Roxanne said, getting up to pour herself another cup of coffee.

  Renee stood and slipped her arm around Roxanne’s shoulders. “Talk to him. Maybe he just got scared off.”

  “I’m going to wait until he calls me.”

  Roxanne walked her sister to the front door, then waved at her as she walked down the front steps. She turned around and went back inside, drawing a deep breath as she closed the door behind her. It was odd not having something to look forward to. For the past month, she’d lived her life in anticipation of the next time she’d see Kit. Was that all over now?

  She glanced up as footsteps sounded on the stairs overhead. Danny raced down, his new remote-controlled car tucked under his arm. “Mom, can we go over to Kit’s tonight to swim?”

  Roxanne forced a smile. “Honey, we weren’t invited.”

  “Sure we were. I asked Kit and he said I had to ask you.”

  “When did you ask Kit?”

  “I called him to thank him for the car. Rachel talked to him, too.”

  “You called Kit?”

  Danny nodded. “He gave me his number and he said I could call anytime. So can we?”

  Roxanne bit her bottom lip. She had to straighten this mess up. Their lives had become so
tangled with Kit’s it was impossible to know what to say. “I’ll think about it,” she said.

  Danny started back up the stairs, then stopped and came back down again. “Are you going to marry Kit?”

  She laughed, a high-pitched, slightly hysterical giggle. “I don’t know, Danny. We haven’t known each other very long.”

  “But he makes you happy, right?”

  Roxanne climbed up the stairs and gave him a long, hard hug. “Why don’t you go upstairs and get your brother and sisters? It’s a nice day. We’ll drive over to the park. And after we play, we’ll go out for some dinner.”

  “And then we’ll go swimming?”

  “No, sweetie, not tonight.” Maybe not ever, she mused. She climbed the stairs and walked into her bedroom, then flopped down on the bed. The remnants of the night before lay scattered on the floor-her little black dress, the sexy underwear. She reached up and skimmed her fingers over the pearls.

  With a soft oath, she rolled over on the bed and grabbed the phone. Renee answered her car phone after just one ring. From the background noise, it was clear she was still in her car. “Hi, it’s me,” Roxanne said. “Can you come back and get the kids? I’ve got to find Kit and talk to him.”

  “Four and a half minutes,” Renee said.

  “What?”

  “That’s how much time it took. Four and a half minutes. I was giving you five before I went home. I’m still parked out front.”

  “OUR FIRST QUARTER ad revenue was up five percent from last year. And we’ve had a nice ratings bump in our early-afternoon programming. Some of Roxanne’s listeners are tuning in on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.”

  Kit took the report from his father and set it on the kitchen table, then went over to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. He took a long drink, then leaned back against the edge of the counter. “So what is this leading up to?”

  “I want to offer her a contract for five afternoons a week.”

  “She has kids,” Kit warned. “She probably won’t take it.”