His shoulders slumped slightly. “I regret not giving my parents that one happiness, but I never thought they’d die so young.”
No wonder she’d walked in on him in such a brooding mood. “Starting a family just to please your parents would have been a tall order.”
He nodded and kept silent.
Georgiana tilted her head and studied his downcast eyes. “I’ll bet your parents are watching from heaven and the only thing they want is for you to be happy.”
He eyed her curiously. “Those are nice, comforting thoughts, Georgie, but do you really believe that?” His tone was too cynical for her liking.
“I do,” she said with conviction. “That’s how I feel about my Grandma Emmy. She taught me to sew and whenever I do, she’s right there guiding me along with her arthritic fingers that were once nimble and artistic. She was the only one who really understood me and rallied for me to study art and not business or marketing like my parents wanted me to.” A vision flashed of her spunky grandmother who had more vigor than most half her age. “I feel her presence at the oddest times, like tonight when ole Bertha conked out on me. I could hear Grandma Emmy cursing under her breath.”
Alex smiled. “A fun and supportive grandmother who curses? I like that.”
He had such a wonderful smile. He needed to smile more tonight. “Yep, Grandma Emmy was irreverent and so much fun. Whenever she cursed, she did it just loud enough for me to hear and then we’d both crack up laughing.” The fond memories filled Georgiana with nostalgia. “She and Granddad were married for sixty years, and she often said she felt his presence after he passed. She could even hear him calling her ‘sweetheart’.”
“That’s touching.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I do feel my parents’ presence, but it doesn’t bring comfort. On the Christmas Eve they died, they were planning on moving to Naples permanently,” he said, closing his eyes at the memory.
“Oh, gosh. That’s not fair.”
He frowned. “Nothing in life is fair.” He scraped a hand over his face and exhaled a heavy sigh. “You must be looking forward to your trip home tomorrow morning,” he said, deftly changing the subject.
“Actually, I’m pretty bummed. I just talked to my brother and he said all flights are canceled into LaGuardia Airport. New York is snowed in.”
“Does that mean you’re not flying out first thing in the morning?” Alex said it casually, but his eyes looked almost hopeful.
“Looks like it, ” she said, surprised when his face lit up. “I’ll check the airline updates after we eat. I’m sure my parents and brothers will be checking too.”
“How many brothers do you have?”
“Two, Dylan and Shane. Dylan is the oldest.” She sipped her wine, relieved that she felt far more relaxed than earlier today. One whisky and one glass of wine weren’t enough to make her tipsy, but she was feeling pretty mellow. “What about you? Any siblings?”
“No, it’s just me.” Lightning struck outside and a boom of thunder rattled the windowpanes.
“Wow, the storm doesn’t want to let up. I thought it had gone away, but that felt like an earthquake just now.”
He chuckled.
“What’s funny?”
“You reminded me of my childhood nickname. It was terremoto.”
“What does that mean?”
“Terremoto means earthquake in Spanish.”
Being with Alex was an earthquake all right, but for different reasons. The ground under Georgiana’s feet hadn’t felt steady from the minute she’d landed on him. “Somehow I can imagine you as a little terror, though you seem calm at the moment.”
“That happens when you’ve had a couple of Scotches and wine.” He refilled their wine glasses. “What’s your childhood nickname?”
Georgiana normally didn’t drink more than two glasses, but this wine was so good she couldn’t resist having more, and she liked the fuzzy feeling warming her inside. She pushed her plate away and leaned her back against the sofa. “It used to be Georgie Porgie. Dylan came up with it, but as we got older I threatened to call him Dill Pickle in front of his football fans, so he backed off. ” She smirked triumphantly. “Now I’m just Georgie to everyone but Piper, who thrives on calling me Georgie Porgie.”
Alex chuckled at that. “Well, Georgie Porgie, you’ve managed to turn this evening around.”
“I have?” Her heart did a cartwheel at his sweet compliment.
“Mmm hmm.” He smiled endearingly and her insides melted.
“Thanks, that makes me happy,” she said, beaming at him. Did he have any idea how much it touched her? Just knowing that she’d somehow lifted Alex’s mood on a day he was grieving made her feel wonderful. She swirled the wine in her glass before taking a sip. “This wine is delicious.”
“So is the food you brought over.” With a satisfied sigh, he patted his flat midsection. “Did you make all of it yourself?”
“I did.” The admiration in his eyes warmed her like sunshine. “Do you cook?”
“No, I’d rather eat than cook. There’s nothing wrong with take-out.”
“I can’t argue with that. I like it too, but I don’t order out often.” Her money was already stretched thin and it was more cost effective to cook.
"You mentioned earlier you had a horrible day. What happened besides your car stalling out?” His coal black eyes held her rapt. “Why were you crying earlier?”
Why were you crying earlier? A simple, but loaded question.
Unsettled by his blunt question, she hesitated.
Alex’s dark, steady gaze shifted to her mouth as he waited expectantly for her answer. A warm glow suffused her whole being and desire crackled between them as his question hung in the air.
Oh, why didn’t he just kiss her?
After a pause, she said. "If you must know, I was crying before I got here. A lot.” Her shoulders lifted in a self-deprecating shrug. “Big, fat, self-pitying tears.”
“Why?” Alex’s full attention was on her, his dark gaze unyielding.
“Because the one who won’t be named lied to me big time.”
His brows drew together sharply. “Was he unfaithful?”
“No, nothing like that. I was mostly crying over lost time. Time that I could have been with someone who really loved me.” She paused and uttered the words locked in her throat. “Or that I really loved.” She felt ridiculous admitting it to him, but there it was—the awful truth revealed. She had settled for Bill and only had herself to blame for the resulting disillusionment.
Alex’s eyes didn’t leave hers. “That sounds final.”
“It is. When I walked out, I realized I had never loved him and that I’d been trying to convince myself all along.” Georgiana said, surprised that she had shared what she’d been trying to ignore for months. The irony was that she didn’t feel a twinge of regret, only relief.
She hadn’t loved Bill enough to stay and make things work. Looking back, she thanked God that he had selfishly sprung the pre-nup on her today and hadn’t waited any longer.
“Good.” Alex’s grunt brought her careening back to the present.
“Good?” She hadn’t expected him to say.
“Why stay with someone who lies to you? Were you living together?”
His question surprised her. Was he always this direct, or was the liquor spurring it on?
“No. He wanted me to move in, but I didn’t. Things between us hadn’t been going well for a while.” She bit her lower lip, reliving the arguments they’d had when Bill had tried to convince her to move in with him. She hadn’t agreed because if he took her for granted while they were dating, it would only get worse when she moved into his place.
His place, his friends, his lifestyle. He had never asked her what she wanted, always assuming that she wanted what he did. She couldn’t put all the blame on him though. Where was her backbone during that time? she wondered with dismay.
She had been clinging onto a failing relationship just becaus
e she’d met Bill shortly after Grandma Emmy’s death. Dating him had distracted her and helped her through her grief. Her grandma had always wanted her to get married, and Georgiana had thought fate—or Grandma Emmy—had brought Bill into her life a few days after her grandmother passed. On paper, Bill had been what her grandmother used to call “a good catch”, but in reality, he’d been a cad. She hadn’t wanted him for his great wealth and position; she’d wanted to start a family with him because he had seemed so stable.
“If things weren’t going well, why did you stay?” Alex asked, drawing her from her musings.
“Because I’m not a quitter, and I wanted to give things a chance. For the past few weeks he had been promising a wonderful surprise.” She twisted the napkin in her hands. “But his idea of a wonderful surprise wasn’t mine.”
“Why?” Alex said, not taking his eyes off her. “Were you expecting a marriage proposal?”
More direct questions. He was a lot like Dylan in that he didn’t mince words.
“He proposed to me,” she confirmed, “but I turned him down.” She looked at her hands and couldn’t bring herself to tell him why. It was too much information, too soon. Finally, she said, “He did something that made me realize he’d been humoring me with false promises. And rather than try to work things out, I realized I never really loved him…so I walked out.”
“Good for you,” he replied instantly.
“Yeah, well, I don’t feel good about it, but it’s in the past now.” She gazed at him boldly. She wanted answers too. “I’ve spilled my guts about my dismal love life, now it’s my turn to ask you questions.”
Alex leaned back with his arms crossed behind his head, looking mellow and replete with good food and drink. “Ask away. We have all night,” he said easily.
Georgiana opened her mouth and shut it, feeling foolish when she couldn’t formulate what was most pressing. She wanted to know why a gorgeous and accomplished man like Alex was still single. He had already said he didn’t want children. Was he also commitment phobic? Both things were deal breakers for her.
Vaguely amused, Alex’s mouth curled upward as she hemmed and hawed. “Why are you hesitating?” He spread his hands magnanimously. “Ask whatever you want. I won’t bite—unless you want me to,” he added with a grin. “I have to admit to a fondness for giving love bites.”
Heat flooded Georgiana’s body and spread up her neck to color her cheeks imagining intimate loves bite from him. The devilish twinkle in Alex’s gleaming eyes was evidence enough that he was imagining it—and enjoying the visuals thoroughly.
She cleared her throat and regained her composure. She didn’t want to look like a blushing schoolgirl. “Okay, then I have two questions. The first one is why are you still single?” She paused when she saw him frown slightly. Ha, he wasn’t the only one with direct questions tonight.
“What’s the second one?”
“What’s your favorite thing to bite?” She smiled innocently, pleased when he promptly choked on his wine.
Chapter 5
Surprised and amused by Georgiana’s last question, Alex said, “Like any hot blooded male, I like biting curves—sassy ones like yours,” he added outrageously just to see her reaction and was rewarded by her sharp intake of breath. “You are a real contradiction. First you taunt me about posing nude for you as fresh as you please. Now all I do is mention biting and you blush.”
“I’m not blushing,” she demurred. “It’s warm in here.”
“I’ll say,” he murmured dryly.
She fanned herself and downed her wine in one gulp, swallowing deeply before she spoke. “What about my other question?”
“Ah, the question I get asked more often than I’d like to hear,” Alex quipped. “Why am I still single?” He took a deep swallow of wine and pondered a while. “I’ll tell you why, Georgie. Because I haven’t fallen in love. It’s that simple.”
That’s all he’d say on the subject, purposely omitting the real reason he’d decided not to get married and have children. He didn’t know of any woman who liked hearing a man had no intent of ever getting hitched. Why be a downer when it was obvious she’d been crying earlier over a romantic disappointment?
She slashed a hand through the air. “Oh, it’s not simple at all. That’s one of the reasons why I’m still single too. Everyone in my family thinks I’m too picky, but I’m looking for the kind of love that’s wild and romantic,” she said, regaining her composure with a bold lift of her chin.
Alex smiled at the pretty picture Georgiana made with her blond curls framing rosy cheeks and bright blue eyes. Her full lips were pursed thoughtfully, and it was all he could do not to capture them in a kiss.
“So that’s what you’re looking for? Wild romance? What else?” he challenged.
“I want to marry someone who I can’t imagine living without and who shares my values.” She held his gaze with unblinking candor. “But he must understand—and respect—my need for solitude at times. I can’t grow as an artist if I don’t have time alone to reflect and recharge.”
Alex stopped at that, appreciative of her sincerity. “I’m not an artist, but I need solitude to recharge too. That’s why I bought this little beach house. Unfortunately, the women I’ve dated have taken it personally when I retreat here. It hurts their feelings that I want alone time.” He shook his head. “They don’t realize that time away makes it more exciting when you reunite,” he said, noting how her face lit up in agreement.
“Exactly!” Peering at her empty glass, she flashed a playful smile. “May I have more vino, Terremoto? Seems like we should toast being in agreement on so many things.”
“What things? Love bites or alone time?” he inquired wickedly.
“Both?” She grinned and shook her head. “You just love teasing, don’t you?”
Alex promptly refilled their glasses. “Other than vino, what can I do to make this evening special?” He leaned in so close his mouth hovered inches away from hers as he inhaled deeply of her sweet feminine fragrance.
Heat blazed through his blood steam straight to his groin. He knew exactly what he would like to do, and all the positions he’d enjoy doing them in.
“I can think of one thing that I would love,” she began, gaining his immediate attention. She smiled hesitantly. “Would you dance with me?”
“With those puppy dog eyes, how can I refuse?” he said with a chuckle. “Fast or slow dance?”
“Slow.”
He got up and streamed music from his smart TV.
“Yes, that one. Leave it on. I love it,” she said when she heard Marvin Gaye singing “Sexual Healing.”
A jolt of surprise made him study the sweet and sexy angel before him to gauge her level of sobriety. He never would have expected her to choose that song. “Are you serious?”
“I am,” she affirmed.
He regarded her curiously. “Do you know the lyrics?”
“Every single one,” she said proudly, grinning when his eyebrows rose in response. “It’s perfect for tonight.”
Bam! Alex felt sucker-punched. So the little beauty was asking for sexual healing? Stunned, he tried to figure out why that impacted him so much. Under normal circumstances, he’d be more than happy to oblige a tempting lady’s request, but for some reason, Georgiana made him want to act nobly. He hadn’t known her more than a few hours and yet he felt obliged to protect her. He almost laughed out loud at the predicament. He was hot for her, but felt like he needed to protect her from himself!
Everyone knew Alex Cortes had no desire to get married, and this girl was clearly reeling from a break up. Now wasn’t the time to let her down, especially since she was gazing at him so sweetly. They would enjoy the dance and the rest of the evening, and tomorrow morning he’d get her car fixed, then send her on her way.
With that plan in mind, he held out his hand and pulled Georgiana up beside him, enjoying the way she stepped right into his open arms and nestled close. His hands slid down h
er back and settled on her waist, pleasurably aware of her slender arms wound snugly around his back and holding him close. She rested her head against his chest and swayed to the music, singing along softly.
Alex’s chest rumbled, and she drew back to stare at him. “What’s so amusing?”
“I can’t believe you know all the lyrics by heart.”
“I told you I did.”
“If I had suggested this song, you would have thought I was putting the moves on you. Funny how it’s alright when the girl suggests it,” he observed dryly.
She continued singing, oblivious to what he’d said.
He rested his chin on top of her head as his body warred with his mind. She felt so damn good in his arms, all soft, feminine curves with a floral scent that drove him wild. Her plush mouth was going to be his undoing if he didn’t at least get a taste.
Georgiana was adorable, fun and generous. He could tell all those things about her already, but what surprised him most was how trusting she was. Too trusting to be in a stranger’s house and vying for sexual healing.
She was a bundle of paradoxes—she had free-spirited views on nudity, but everything about her screamed good girl, yet she had the tempting curves of a siren.
From the second her round breasts had squashed against his chest when she’d fallen on him, he hadn’t been able to clear his head of the potent haze of lust. Watching her plump, pink lips sucking on the crab claw earlier had brought stark, erotic images that had taken center stage in his lust-filled mind. And when she’d sauntered into his bedroom to make the calls, the juicy curve of her buttocks had practically begged to be fondled.
But in spite of all that luscious appeal, it was not Georgiana’s sexy little bod that poleaxed him, but the fact that she was sincere and kind, not to mention fun.
For the first time in five years he didn’t feel alone in his grief. He felt embraced, and for that he was infinitely grateful.
A sudden wave of tenderness toward the sprite in his arms caught him unaware. What was wrong with him? He had a warm and willing beauty primed for sex, yet it only made him feel like a dirty-minded bastard. He wondered at the sudden need to protect this petite girl in his arms who clung to him so fiercely.
Kissed by You Page 4