Temptation In Lingerie
Page 11
“It took me almost twenty years to figure out that I was in love with you.” He walked a little closer. “Those eighteen years could have been a lot worse if you hadn’t been there. As my friend, my confidant, my jolt back to reality. You were the one woman I could always count on, despite my twisted thinking about the opposite sex.” He could say that again. “I know I’ve hurt you.”
Hurt didn’t begin to describe the utter devastation that she lived with every day.
“I know I’ve played with your mind, and you have every reason to be pissed and regret everything that happened between us. But I won’t. I will never regret giving in to your demands. Twice.” A small smile appeared on his face.
Aleks came closer. He inched his way toward the counter as if trying not to scare her away.
“I will never regret the last time we were together, because being with you was the most intimate, comfortable, romantic, hottest, safest time of my life. You’re the only person in the world who can make me feel those things all at the same time. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life doing everything I can so you don’t regret the time you spent with me.”
Her heart leaped. The rest of his life? Aleks wasn’t talking marriage, he was talking...what was he talking about?
“I love you.”
Three simple words. Three simple words that she had been waiting to hear almost her entire life. But those were dangerous words.
“You once said that you should hire me to be your manager. While I may not be officially employed in that capacity, I have something for you. Things, actually.” He pulled a stack of cards out his pocket. “Hold out your hand.”
She did as he asked.
“This is Cindy. She works in my office. Her sister is getting married next year and would like to meet with you about designing some lady things.” He placed the card in her palm. “This is Flo. She’s the day security person in my office building. Her twentieth wedding anniversary is coming up, and she wants to give something to her husband to–and I quote–wow the son of a bitch’s pants off.” Another card was placed in her palm. “Vicki–wedding.” Another card. “Cheryl–first time she’s going to have sex with her boyfriend.” And another. “Kim–reignite the spark.”
There was one card left.
“Julia...and this is my favorite. Her sister is in a sorority at the University of Toronto and they’re having a lingerie theme party. She wants you to outfit the entire group. I’m hoping for an invite to this one. You know, to admire your work.”
Despite knowing she wasn’t supposed to interrupt, Carrie couldn’t stop herself from blurting out, “You did this for me?” She also couldn’t stop her feet from carrying her out from behind the counter. Wanting desperately to be closer to him.
“No. I did this for me. Selfish really. I figure if I’m good at pimping out your work, then maybe you’d want to keep me around. Since I’m so good for business.”
She couldn’t believe what he was saying. Aleks never did anything for anyone except himself.
“Then I thought that if you invited me in professionally, maybe you’d invite me in socially. Maybe go on a date with me.”
Carrie moved even closer. He inched his way along as well. Eventually, they were as close as lovers, only inches apart.
“And if you invite me in socially, maybe then you’d invite me into your heart.”
She shook her head furiously. Silly boy. After all this time, did he not know? She was ready to answer when a noise from behind caught her attention. Her customer. “Crap! I totally forgot I had a customer.” She whirled around but stopped when she found the woman in the doorway of the dressing room with a look of awe in her eye.
“Don’t worry about me. The best service you can give me right now would be to answer that man’s question.”
Carrie laughed and turned back to her man. Her man. This time giving him that title didn’t seem so impossible. “I don’t need to invite you in, Aleks.”
The little bit of hope that he held in his expression left his face. “Oh.”
She walked closer still. “I let you claim my heart when I was ten years old. You were invited in a long time ago. I’ve just been waiting for you to walk through the door.”
A smile lit up his face. Aleks grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to his body. “Consider the threshold crossed. And I will never take a step back for as long as I live.”
Carrie looked into the eyes of the man she would spend the rest of her life with. She had no doubt about that. Not this time. “You do realize that the busier I am, the less you’ll get to see me.” Aleks shrugged. “Just as long as at the end of the day you come home to me. Nothing else
matters.”
Gina Gordon
As a child, Gina knew she wanted to share her stories with the world. Trading in her pencil and spiral notebook for a steaming cup of coffee and her trusty laptop, Gina spends her days
dreaming up dynamic characters and storylines for others to enjoy.
When she isn’t creating her next happily ever after, you can find Gina browsing the lingerie
racks for her next item of inspiration.
Gina lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and lovable dog.
Gina’s Website: http://www.ginagordon.net/ Reader eMail: gina@ginagordon.net
Also by Gina Gordon
Bare Naked Designs Series
Forever in Lingerie
Temptation in Lingerie
Bound in Lingerie
Lyrical Press books are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp. 119 West 40th Street New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2011 Gina Gordon
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Lyrical Press and the L logo are trademarks of Kensington Publishing Corp.
First Electronic Edition: April 2011
ISBN-13: 978-1-61650-261-4