Love Play

The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Love Play Copyright © 2005 Fawn Lowery ISBN: 1-55410-607-9 Cover art and design by Sara Creasy All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. Published by eXtasy Books, a division of Zumaya Publications, 2005 Look for us online at: www.zumayapublications.com www.extasybooks.com

Dedication: To Stefani Kelsey, without whom this book would not have been possible. My heartfelt thanks.

Fawn Lowery

Chapter One

“H

ow could you do this to me, Grammy?” Thea Graham shook her head, sending her fall of unruly hair tumbling about her shoulders. She was clearly agitated, perhaps more so than ever before in her life. In thirty minutes she would be married to a man she didn’t love and it was all due to her grandmother’s final wishes. Thea pulled the snow-white wedding gown over her head and smoothed its princess lines along her trim waist and rounded hips. Well, she’d given in to her Aunt and agreed to wear white—but she wasn’t sharing the bed of her new husband. A soft knock sounded on the bedroom door. “Thea, honey. Are you dressed? Reverend Dawson just arrived.” It was her Aunt Sophia at the door, her voice filled with happiness at Thea’s impending marriage. “I’m coming, Aunt Sophia,” Thea forced out. If there was one thing she had learned in the past twenty-nine-and-a-half days, it was the fact that you couldn’t trust relatives, not even dear old 1

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grandmothers. Dorothea Graham died six weeks earlier, and when the family gathered for the reading of her will, Thea was the recipient of a bombshell from her Gram. “And to you, Miss Graham,” the family attorney Mort Peters read, peering over the rims of his eyeglasses at Thea. “You are to marry within thirty days of today’s date. In the event you do not comply with your grandmother’s wishes, you will forfeit your entire inheritance and the CEO position at Graham Enterprises.” Thea’s mouth fell open. An audible gasp was heard in the attorney’s wood-paneled office from the other family members gathered in the room. The attorney continued to read her grandmother’s will as though his last sentence held little meaning while Thea sat stunned, her mind racing for a way around her Gram’s final wishes. There was no way around it. She either married or forfeited her entire inheritance. The reading of the will over, everyone began filing out of the attorney’s office. “So, who’s the lucky man?” Cousin Rudy Graham inquired, a smirk on his handsome face. Thea looked up at Rudy, an exasperated look on her pristine features. “There’s no one I want to marry, Rudy,” she confided, then was halted by Mort Peters as she tried to exit his office. “A word with you, Thea,” he said, closing the office door and looking her square in the face. “Your grandmother knew full well how you would react to 2

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her wishes, and she left this note for you.” He handed Thea a sealed envelope that she promptly stuffed inside her purse, too irritated at Gram just at the moment to give a damn what she might add to her little bombshell. “And she gave me full power to enforce her wishes,” he continued. He laid one hand on Thea’s forearm. Giving it a little squeeze with his fingers, he leaned closer to her. “I’d find me a husband real fast, if I was you.” Thea swallowed down the nasty retort on her tongue, turning to the door of the office. She had suddenly developed a pounding headache and an immense thirst for a drink. Dorothea Graham had been somewhat of a maverick in her younger days, yet managed to build a multibillion-dollar business single-handed by the time she was thirty. Now revered in the business world, her death meant Thea would permanently sit at the helm of the corporation—if she complied with the old woman’s final wishes. Thea’s relationship with her grandmother had been somewhat strained during the elder’s final months. She had battled cancer and eventually became bedridden in the family home before slipping into a coma and dying. Thea was at her bedside and not once during the ordeal had she implied she had any such plan awaiting Thea upon her death. True, Dorothea was a wild woman before marrying Logan Graham and giving birth to Thea’s father, Marcus, their only child, but while enjoying a healthy sexual life, before and after marriage, some felt imposing her 3

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own ideas upon her only granddaughter was stretching the limits of family kindness. Looking in the mirror, Thea gave her long auburn hair a twist along the back of her head and poked a couple of pins into it, securing it in place. Then she donned the short, white net veil. A touch of pink lipstick and a dash of blush on either cheek, and she grabbed up the bridal bouquet lying on the foot of the bed en route to the bedroom door. If she lived to be a hundred, she’d never forgive her Gram. The old family home was abuzz with voices as Thea stepped into the upper hallway and headed for the stairs. Her Aunt Sophia and Uncle John, Rudy’s parents, occupied the house since Gram’s passing. She had agreed to have the wedding at the house only to please her aunt, but she had put her foot down concerning guests and a reception. She had allowed only a few relatives to be invited, and there would be no reception. After all, Gram was only able to force her to get married—not enjoy the occasion. Thea walked to the top of the curving staircase and paused, staring down at the small gathering in the foyer. She had never dreamed her wedding day would turn out like it was—a mockery. She no more loved Derek Stone than she could rise and fly—nor did he love her. In fact, they barely knew each other. If it hadn’t been for Rudy, she’d still be pacing the floor of her office, cussing because she was going to forfeit her inheritance. “I know this guy,” Rudy had said when they’d met 4

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for lunch at the downtown Graham Kitchen Restaurant late last week. Thea let out an exasperated sigh and stared across the table at Rudy. During the whole month she had wracked her brain trying to think of some way of finding a suitable man to marry. She had even gone so far as to consider running an ad in the newspaper, only to dash that notion because it would be too embarrassing socially. In the end, she finally admitted she simply didn’t know any men. The admission served only to add insult to injury. At twenty-eight she was on top in the business world, but rapidly approaching spinsterhood—and a virgin to boot! She picked up the gin and tonic and took a hefty gulp. The liquor burned all the way down her throat, but she didn’t care. Liquor was rapidly becoming her friend lately. “Whoa, slow down there,” Rudy cautioned, catching her hand holding the glass. “You don’t want to end up an alcoholic, or anything.” “Broke and an alcoholic,” Thea expounded in an agitated tone. “What would Gram think of that?” she tacked on. She swept her hair off her cheek and propped her chin on one fist, staring at Rudy across the table. “Who’s this guy you mentioned?” she asked. “Derek Stone. He’s an acquaintance,” Rudy answered. “He might be in the market for a wife.” He smiled broadly, as if trying to reassure Thea. “How much?” she asked, matter-of-fact. Rudy shrugged his shoulders. “Fifty thousand, 5

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maybe.” “There’s no sex involved in the deal.” Thea reached for her cell phone as it began to ring inside her purse. Damn. She couldn’t get away from work. She wrinkled her forehead, drawing her arched brows together in contemplation. Funny she should make such a comment, since work was her life—or at least, since she was twelve when she started helping out running errands in the headquarters of Graham Enterprises. “So why would Derek Stone be in the market for a wife—aside from needing fifty thousand dollars, that is?” Thea replaced the cell phone in her purse. “He’s not a pervert or anything, is he?” She pinned her gaze on Rudy again, intent on reading his expression. She could always tell when he was lying. “Pervert? No,” Rudy replied, shaking his head. “He’s an attorney.” “I want a pre-nup. I’ve already drawn it up,” Thea informed him. She pulled a manila envelope from her purse and pushed it across the table to Rudy. “The wedding is Sunday afternoon at Aunt Sophia’s. Three o’clock sharp.” She slid from the leather chair and picked up her purse. “Tell him to be on time.” Rudy shook his head at her, smiling slightly. “There’s one thing though, Thea,” he said, halting her leaving. “And that would be?” she flung at him, her full lips pursed in a show of impatience. “I don’t think Derek will go for a marriage without sex.” 6

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Chapter Two

D

erek Stone was tall, well over six feet, with broad shoulders that totally filled out the black tuxedo jacket he wore. He had thick coal-black hair that was neatly trimmed and just grazed the collar of his white dress shirt, and when he turned his head and locked gazes with Thea poised on the top step of the stairs, she knew being married to him would be anything but boring. They had met briefly, three days earlier, but Thea had paid him little mind. Rudy had brought him by her office and it just so happened that she was on an international call at the time. She had accepted the pre-nup paper from him, barely glancing at him or the paper and momentarily, he and Rudy took leave. Now it was all she could do to drag her eyes away from the sight of him. He had killer good looks. With Spanish ancestors on his mother’s side, he bore all the characteristics of a Latin lover. Dark brows framed equally dark eyes, prominent cheekbones accentuating his full-lipped mouth. He smiled slightly, the right corner of his mouth tipping upward, and bobbed his head at Thea. 7

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Thea’s knees trembled. There was something vaguely familiar about the man, she thought. But she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. The small band tucked in the corner of the living room began playing the Wedding March and Thea began descending the stairs, her small bouquet of red roses and white baby’s breath clutched in her hands. The flash from the photographer’s camera reminded her to smile, which she quickly did, only for her aunt’s sake, since she felt no joy at being forced into marriage to a man she hardly knew. But then another flash of the camera brought a picture to mind—a photo she had seen recently in a local gossip column—and a shaft of surprise ripped through her insides. She jerked her head round, staring in disbelief as she recognized Derek Stone— one of Seattle’s most notorious playboys! How could she not have recognized his name? She mused, stepping from the final stair and taking her place beside him. The notion to cut and run gripped her, but she forced her feet to remain still. She had used up her thirty days—only a few hours remained. It’s only for a year, she reminded herself. Only a year! Hell! All sorts of things could happen in a year! “Do you, Thea, take this man, to have and to hold, for better or worse—“ Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! No sane woman married a playboy. “Thea?” The minister’s voice cut into her thoughts. She 8

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swallowed to ease her suddenly dry throat. Raising her eyes, she glimpsed the Reverend’s anxious face, then stared at him as he resumed speaking. Body heat radiating from Derek Stone blasted her bare right arm and hand, and that was just from standing beside him! How hot could he be in bed? But then she reminded herself she had specified there would be no sex in the brief marriage. No sex. How much plainer need she be? After all, she was handing over fifty thousand dollars for his services. Services? The minister’s voice droned in her head. “I do,” Derek said. The tone of his voice jarred Thea to the bone. At some point beyond her immediate thoughts she must have answered the minister, because Derek was replying to his part in the ceremony. This is crazy, she thought. This is by far the craziest thing I have ever done in my entire life. “You may kiss your bride.” Darkly tanned hands clasped onto Thea’s forearms and at once she jerked her head toward Derek Stone—her new husband—as his head descended to hers. Her blue eyes flickered over his tanned countenance and she got a whiff of his expensive cologne just as his lips pressed atop hers. She didn’t have time to think, let alone react. It all happened so fast. One second she was immersed in her own daydream, and the next she was being kissed by the man she had just married. Her senses reeled, but she was lucid enough to feel the uncommon 9

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shiver of lust his brief kiss brought to her body. The next hour seemed to pass in a groggy fog, as though she had been awakened from a sound sleep and couldn’t quite focus her mind. Before she knew it she was sitting beside Derek in the back of the family limo, en route to the airport. Despite the forced marriage she had somehow made it through, Thea thought they should get away for a brief period—just she and Derek, so they could get straight the conditions of their marriage agreement. It wouldn’t be a honeymoon; indeed, she didn’t even like the thought of being on a honeymoon. Therefore when she informed Derek by telephone two days ago, she referred to the time away as a business trip. She remembered him laughing at her words, his deep resonate voice filling her ear with its low husky pitch. She glanced at Derek. He was sitting quietly, a wide space of leather seat between their bodies. He had changed out of his tuxedo and now wore dark trousers and an emerald green patterned shirt beneath a dark gray blazer. He looked like he had just stepped from the pages of a catalog, his tall, wellproportioned body filling out the clothes in all the right places. She had tried to remember all the gossip she had heard about Derek Stone ever since she recognized him as the man she was marrying, and she had to admit, it wasn’t all bad, or at least concerning women. He was a constant supporter of the arts—local galleries, theaters, and Seattle’s Mallery Symphony— making regular contributions of time and money to 10

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the endeavors. He had a brilliant reputation as one of the country’s leading criminal attorneys. But then there were the women, and there were lots of them. He was constantly the subject of gossip columnists, both in Seattle and surrounding states. Reporters linked him with starlets and prominent society debs. She released a weary sigh, turning her gaze out the side window. It was then she felt Derek’s hand cover her own and quickly jerked her head around just as he slid across the seat against her hip. His thigh was immediately pressing against hers. He raised her hand to his lips, planting a soft kiss across her knuckles. The urge to yank her hand from his grasp skittered through her mind, as did the notion of separating her hip from his. But the second kiss he gave to her knuckles halted her words in her throat. The fact that his lips were soft and warm against her fingers only served to reinforce her earlier thought that being married to him would be anything but boring. “You don’t have to play the part of the attentive husband,” she suddenly remarked, tugging her hand free of his. He chuckled deep in his throat. Turning his body slightly in the leather seat, he curled one long arm around Thea’s shoulders, pulling her against his chest. “Attentive? Honey, you haven’t seen anything yet.” He clasped her chin with his free hand and tipped her face up so he could look into her blue eyes. “I’m going to be the husband you can’t resist.” “I’ve made arrangements to fly to Florida,” Thea 11

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informed him, her nerves a little frayed from his outward show of affection toward her. “No. We’re not going to Florida so you can combine business with our honeymoon, sweetheart,” Derek informed her in a matter-of-fact tone as his arm slid along her body and tightened around her waist. “I’ve already taken care of all the arrangements,” Thea asserted, not liking the fact that he was usurping her authority one bit. She drew her lips tight against her teeth, twisting around in his tight grasp so she could look directly into his face. That was a mistake. At once Derek’s hand slid up her side and captured her left breast as he caught both her hands in his free hand, holding her like a vise. He brought his head closer to hers. Mere millimeters separated their lips. “We’re flying to Paris, and we’re going to have a honeymoon,” he said in a low-toned whisper. His breath was hot against the delicate skin of her face, and she couldn’t help but inspect his handsome features. His skin was darkly tanned, a sharp contrast to her own complexion, and his features were symmetrical. His nose seemed just the proper length for his face, his chin just jutting forward enough to give him a look of authority. A lock of black hair hung loosely across his forehead, reinforcing the persona that he was a bad boy. His lower lip was slightly fuller then the top; he had a mouth that begged to be kissed. “I’m not interested in having a honeymoon,” she bit out, her voice quivering slightly. 12

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That was the wrong thing to say, she realized as his head descended to hers. His lips pressed against hers, commanding she hush and kiss him back. His tongue poked against her lips, demanding entry to her mouth. She had little choice; the point of his tongue expertly slid between her lips despite her attempt to refuse him. It delved inside in an instant, slicking across her gums and teasing her own tongue. In a second she was breathless and completely under his spell. The force of his mouth against hers withdrew slightly, allowing her to take part in the kiss rather then to be subjected to it. Thea couldn’t help but join in the teasing of her mouth. He bit and nipped playfully at her full lower lip, sucking the pink flesh into his hot wet mouth. He was a master at kissing, she soon admitted, allowing him to devour her lips. “You’re kissing me back,” he murmured against her lips. Thea’s eyes flickered open and she drew back slightly, that was when she realized he no longer held her steady, but her arms had somehow found their way around his neck. For an instant she suffered a flash of embarrassment at her own weakness, and for the life of her—she suddenly understood how other women fell victim to his sensual charms. The man was impossible to resist. Feeling bombarded by the new realization, she was battling for a way to regain her senses when the limo suddenly came to a halt and she was aware that the driver was exiting the driver’s 13

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door. They had arrived at the airport. She couldn’t help but let Derek rush her through the airport and ultimately on to the plane, with their destination as Paris. She noted without commenting how efficiently he brought the whole thing about, but then, he was an attorney and adept at taking charge and bringing about results. But first and foremost, he’s a playboy. And her new husband, she tacked on, a note of uncertainty straining against her brain. She settled in to the first class seat near the window, with Derek sitting next to her. She was still a bit shaken from his tending her mouth on the ride to the airport. They had been married for less then three hours and already she was losing control of the situation. It wasn’t a good feeling, she admitted. Thea Graham wasn’t one to buckle under pressure. But she’d never been under pressure of this sort before. They would be changing planes in New York, and Thea made plans to cancel her business meeting in Florida for tomorrow morning. But she didn’t intend to let Derek know of her plan to do so. Why give him something to gloat about so early in the game? Game? Was she playing a game with Derek Stone? She turned her head and looked at him. He was talking with the man seated across the aisle, an amiable conversation that centered on work and professions until she heard him divulge that they were en route to Paris to honeymoon. “This is my bride, Thea,” Derek said, latching on to Thea’s hand and pulling her across the seat. 14

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She found herself almost in Derek’s lap as she stared across the aisle at the stranger Derek spoke with. Her left breast pushed into the solid wall of Derek’s chest, and her senses went spinning out of control. In the next instant, Derek was kissing her cheek and then, of all damn things, he clasped her breast with one big hand, much to her surprise and that of the man across the aisle. “Ladies and gentlemen,” the Captain’s voice suddenly boomed over the microphone. Thank God, Thea thought, quickly seizing the chance to remove her body from Derek’s hands. He was so sexually brazen! Her cheeks felt on fire—not to mention the rest of her anatomy. She shot him a glaring look out of the corner of her eye, only to grit her teeth when he winked in return. The airplane took to the air, and Thea tried to scoot as far away from Derek as she could within the confines of the leather seat. The man had no shame, she told herself. Derek seemed to be conversing with everyone within earshot, his carefree manner a draw for others to turn in their seats and add their comments. Thea couldn’t help but notice every eye in every female head was pinned on him. She had heard about him for years, read of some of his escapades in the local gossip columns of newspapers, and she had to admit, at times she was intrigued by it all. The sultry sensualism of having a lover who openly boasted of his conquests. No woman was immune to his charms. 15

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And now she was married to him. Holy cow! “Don’t you think so, sweetheart?” Thea was jolted by his voice aimed her way. She hadn’t been listening to the conversation Derek was having with several of the other passengers and felt a blush start the travel up her throat. “Don’t you think most women are frigid?” Derek said, his tone prompting her to respond. Thea’s jaw dropped open as his words became clear in her mind. Then she spied the inquisitive faces on the men staring her way and gave Derek a glance that under normal circumstances would make him fall over dead. But as it happened, it merely brought a noisy bout of laughter from everyone involved. Biting back a sharp retort, she caught the attention of the flight attendant and requested a drink, but that only brought another comment from her new husband. “I’m going to like you drunk, sweetheart,” he whispered leaning close. “You know, liquor takes away inhibitions.” “Don’t get your hopes up,” Thea whispered back. “I’m a woman who can hold her liquor.” “Well, I won’t argue with the first part of your sentence,” he retorted, his lips stretching into a smile. “But you’ll have to prove the other part to me.” “I don’t have to prove anything to you,” she replied, accepting the icy drink the flight attendant handed her. Derek clicked his tongue at her as though she was a child and he was reprimanding her for being 16

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naughty. “Maybe you have to prove something to yourself,” he answered. Thea let the matter drop and concentrated on enjoying the gin and tonic she held. It would be so nice to get crazy drunk and forget all that had taken place in the past thirty days. But, dammit, she didn’t believe in miracles. “I win that bout,” Derek whispered. He leaned so close to her that his head almost touched her shoulder. Her senses weren’t so far gone from the stiff drink she sipped that she failed to notice his fragrance…or the brief warmth of his body so near her own. “Listen,” she said. “I have no intention of being a wife—or anything else—to you. This is strictly a business deal between us, and nothing more.” She turned her head and locked gazes with him. “Do you understand?” “Sweetheart, I amended that part of your little prenup.” Thea’s blue eyes widened. “You did what?” she demanded. He closed his fingers over her hand holding the drink, and guided the glass to his mouth. He held her blue gaze while he took a sip. “You’ve yet to find out who you married, Thea.”

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Chapter Three

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hea was ready to call the whole thing off—annul the marriage, forfeit the entire inheritance, jump off a building! For the remainder of the flight, Thea was fuming. Of all the callous, pig-headed men in the world—she had to marry the king of the lot! When they finally arrived in Paris and were driven to the hotel—where the honeymoon was scheduled, according to Derek—Thea was primed for battle. She was so mad that once they reached the bridal suite, it briefly dawned on her that she didn’t even remember what the elaborate hotel lobby had looked like. There was champagne waiting, and tiny little petit fours and an elaborate bowl of fruit. The large suite, decorated in ivory and various shades of pink, consisted of three rooms, a bedroom of ample proportions, a sitting room with an array of couches and chairs, a small dining table, and lastly, but certainly not to be overlooked, an enormous bath. Had the occasion been anything but what it was, Thea would have been delighted to be in such a beautiful place. 18

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It was midday when they arrived, and Derek at once opened the French doors onto the small balcony. At once the noise of the busy city—peoples’ voices and the roar of traffic—infiltrated the elegant space. Thea stood in the center of the floor, frozen somewhat in time, while Derek appeared to take to the welcoming aura of the city and its people. “Let’s go out to lunch,” he suggested, turning to her. He left the balcony and came toward her, his gait slow and deliberate, as though he had something menacing in mind. “I’m tired,” Thea announced. “I’m going to bed.” “Okay. We’ll go to bed,” he quickly agreed. He began stripping out of his clothes, laying his suit coat on a nearby chair and unzipping his pants. “Alone! I’m going to bed alone!” Thea shouted, turning on her heel and picking up her suitcase. “Like hell you are!” he stated, rushing to rid himself of any remaining clothes. In a matter of seconds he was totally naked, standing before Thea with a massive hard on bobbing in his crotch, and she could barely believe her eyes. “Let’s face it, honey. We’re man and wife. And I mean to fuck you, sweetheart—whether you want me to or not,” he informed her, a mischievous grin spanning his handsome face. He came at her, his big cock bobbing as he walked. Thea dropped her suitcase and raced toward the bedroom. It wasn’t until she attempted to slam the door on him that she realized she had unknowingly played right into his hands. 19

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His strength was immense, she conceded, when he easily pushed the door open despite her best effort to close it. “Thea,” he said in a low tone. “A husband shouldn’t have to chase his wife down to have sex with her.” Thea glanced over her shoulder at him as she headed to the bathroom. Surely he wouldn’t follow her in there! “Do you prefer a bath, or a shower?” he asked, grinning broadly as he followed on her heels. Thea turned to face him, her cheeks flaming from viewing him naked and in such an aroused state. Propping both hands on her hips, she forced her eyes to his face. “I do not have any desire to have sex with you,” she said, her tone alarmingly steady. “Liar,” he said, his voice a husky tone. “Your nipples are hard. I can see their outline through the fabric of your blouse.” Thea’s hands at once rose to cover her breasts. Yes, her nipples were tight little clusters and she was loath to admit that her crotch was damp. But she wasn’t having sex with him! She simply wasn’t! He closed the gap between them, halting so close to Thea that she could count the dark spray of hair on his broad, muscled chest. The rounded head of his hard cock poked against her skirt-covered crotch. The air in the bathroom suddenly became stifling hot and she felt as though she was suffocating. She pulled in a deep breath and started to take a step back, 20

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separating herself from the close proximity of her new husband. Suddenly his hands were on her blouse, opening the tiny white pearl buttons and pushing the fabric from her body. His hands were big, like the rest of him, but gentle as he soon rid her of her blouse. She didn’t seem to be able to object, as though his actions somehow mesmerized her. His palms skimmed along her bare arms, inching upward then around to her back where he expertly unhooked her lace bra. The fabric pulled away, her nipples at once thrust forward, poised rigid atop her creamy mounds. They begged for the touch of his hands, or his mouth. But he made no effort to touch her beckoning curves. His fingers were nimble as he lowered his hands to the rose colored skirt of her linen travel suit. In a moment the skirt fell round her ankles, leaving her clad in pink bikini panties and hot pink strap sandals. His gaze fanned over her body from the delicate bones at her shoulders, to the shapely calves of her legs. Her breasts heaved with her rapid intake of breath, pushing her rosy nipples upward in a tantalizing thrust. Her waist nipped in, and the thin string of elastic in her tiny bikini panties hugged her rounded hips snugly. He hadn’t touched her yet, and the pain of his reluctance was excruciating. Her heart was racing with trip-hammer speed, anticipating his hands melding with her flesh. Still he resisted her. Then he scooped her into his arms, cradled her body against his muscled chest, and walked toward 21

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the bedroom of the suite. Thea had already decided she couldn’t deny her body. Yes. She had vowed not to have sex with him— been so angry at him she couldn’t see straight when they first arrived—but now that he had taken off his and her clothes, and she had laid eyes on his long cock—well, she was eager to have him between her legs, eager to give herself to him, despite the nagging little voice in the back of her mind that kept reminding her that she was willing to give her virginity to such an experienced playboy. He placed her on the bed and lay atop her body. His chest pressed against her breasts, flattening them and tickling her nipples with the black hair on his chest. He propped himself up on his forearms and gazed down into her face. Why wasn’t he taking her? He traced one fingertip along her forehead, pushing aside the strands of hair in disarray from being swept into his arms. His erection was pushing against the bare skin of her belly. She pulled in a deep breath and brought her hands up to splay across his bare back. Ropy muscles, lying just beneath the smooth tanned skin, flexed beneath her palms sending her pulse jolting. He smiled down into her eyes, trailing his finger down the silky crest of her cheek to the outside corner of her mouth. He smoothed his fingertip across her lower lip and delved between them, parting her lips. Thea closed her lips around his finger, thrusting against it with her tongue. A lusty shiver threatened her senses. He pulled his finger free, bringing his 22

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head down to press his lips to hers. It was excruciating pleasure. She was vividly aware of his patience with her. Thea kissed him back, liking the feel of his mouth on hers. When he beckoned with his tongue, she parted her lips and sucked it inside greedily. A newfound lust engulfed her senses as Derek kissed her deeply. Having just recently met the man, she only knew of rumors of his sexuality, but the fact that he was known as a great lover made her hunger for more, despite her earlier plan for him. And since she’d decided to give herself to him—she wished he’d hurry up and take her. Thea was on fire inside. Her crotch was damp and her nipples ached. His touch was exquisite, his mouth, divine. But she wanted his cock, and he wasn’t giving it to her. “I have…condoms…in my suitcase,” she breathed, pulling her mouth away from his for a moment. Sexual arousal streamed through her insides as she spoke the words directing him to the condoms and for a fleeting moment she suffered the bout of keen embarrassment she had experienced when she went to purchase the box of Trojans. At the time she hoped her sham of a marriage wouldn’t come to having to give herself to her new husband—but at the same time, she felt the innocent curiosity of a teenager teetering on the brink of sexual awakening. His body lay atop hers, but he began to grind his erection into Thea’s belly, then scooting lower on her body to place its hardness against her silk-covered 23

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crotch. He gazed down at her, one corner of his mouth pulling slightly upward. “Condoms?” he repeated, his lips returning to kiss her again. Thea brought her hand to his shoulders, then around to push against his chest, making him pull his mouth from hers and stare down at her again. “In my suitcase,” she rasped out, her senses surging. Another moment of hesitation on his part tipped his hand—and suddenly she understood. He wanted Thea to ask him to take her. “You son-of-a-bitch!” she spat. She gave his shoulders a push, surprising herself at her strength, and levered herself up off the bed. Marching stifflegged, she headed toward the bathroom. “If you come near me again—I’ll kill you!”

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Chapter Four

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nce safely inside the bathroom, Thea locked the door and leaned her back against it. Derek hadn’t intended on having sex with her—he was only trying to assert his power over her! Well, to his utter dismay—he had no power over her! Fuming, she pushed away from the locked door and crossed the room to the tub. She turned the hot water on full blast. A long soak would soothe her frazzled nerves. But it wouldn’t solve the problem of how to handle her new husband, nor would it make her immune to his sensual charms in the future. She sank into the tub of steaming water and leaned her head back against the tiny little satin pillow she’d found on the vanity. She had underestimated Derek Stone from the beginning. She closed her eyes and hoped a solution came to her soon. She’d never been in a situation where she couldn’t reason out a remedy. “But I’ve never been married before,” she mumbled out loud. She picked up a bar of pink soap and smelled it, then grabbed a fat sponge and began to wash her 25

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arm. Short of pushing her new handsome husband off the balcony, there was but a few ways to withstand the thought of continuing their sham of a marriage for the duration of a year. Her mind quickly returned to the scene in the bedroom seconds before she realized he had no intention of having sex with her until she begged him to. Why hadn’t she been able to read him better? He was a man who thought he was God’s gift to women. “And maybe he is,” she admitted out loud. For a second she recalled how he looked naked, standing there in the living room, his long cock hard and ready. She pulled in a ragged breath. The moment she laid eyes on him—she began to get aroused sexually. Even now, thinking about the way he looked, gave her a funny little feeling in the pit of her stomach, not to mention the area between her legs. Sexual arousal wasn’t new to her—she had felt it numerous times in her life—thing was, she had never allowed herself the intention of going all the way—of having a hard cock sink into her virginal passage. “I’ll be damned if I beg him!” she said between gritted teeth. So that’s how it would be for a year. He would be trying to assert his power over her—and she would be trying to resist his sexual enticements. She was inexperienced where men were concerned and she freely admitted the fact, and that would only make staying married for a year a hazardous situation. She pulled the plug on the bathtub and got out. Well, she had to set things straight with Derek. They 26

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had signed a contract—a marriage agreement—of sorts. But then she recalled him boasting about amending the part of the agreement about no sex. A new wave of concern nearly overtook her. She scrubbed her body with the bath towel, making her skin red, then, damn the luck, she realized she didn’t have any clothing to put on aside from the linen suit Derek had taken off her. She grumbled and pulled it on before yanking open the bathroom door, ready to do battle, only to find that the object of her anger had left the suite.

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Chapter Five

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hea roused sometime during the night when she heard Derek return to the suite of rooms. Lying very still for she didn’t want him to know she had awakened, she listened to his movements in the room. First he went into the bathroom and took a quick shower... Then he came and crawled in bed beside her. She had two choices. She could either bolt upright, screaming and cussing at him, and they could have it out right there in the middle of the night... Or she could lie still, pretend to be asleep and wait until morning to explode, and then catch the next flight back to the states. She chose the latter. Thank God they were in a king-size bed. At least there was plenty of room and she didn’t have to worry about them touching each other. Or did she? She froze beneath the thin covering of satin sheet. Straining her ears she listened for signs of Derek’s having fallen asleep. “I know you’re awake,” he said in a calm tone. 28

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Thea jerked upright in the bed. Searching the nightstand beside the bed, she found the switch on the lamp and turned it on. In the next moment she was blinking her eyes against the bright yellow glow filling the room. Derek’s impressive bare chest as he propped himself up on one elbow and stared across the wide bed at her distracted her for a moment. “This marriage, per se, is not going to work,” she began, drawing in a deep breath and clutching the sheet in a ball at her breasts. She had only realized her spaghetti strap gown was seriously lacking in ample coverage. The white silk material did little to conceal her breasts or much else. Why hadn’t she brought her comfortable cotton pajamas? She gave a brief shake of her head. It didn’t matter what she was revealing with her choice of clothing—Derek Stone wasn’t getting any of it! “I’m drafting a new contract for you to sign.” He chuckled at her. Pushing down the sheet from his naked body, he drew up one knee and propped his forearm across it. “I’ve already signed one contract,” he reminded her. His eyes skimmed her body, bathed in the pale yellow glow of the lamplight. “I’m sorry about—” “No. You’re not,” she cut him off. He smiled and shook his dark head at her. “But don’t worry. It won’t happen again,” she assured him. “Won’t it?” he challenged, taking hold of the sheet and giving it a little tug. “I assure you, Derek Stone, you will never touch 29

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me again.” “No need to be so formal. We are married, after all,” he reminded, laughing again. He pulled a little harder on the sheet, making Thea grasp the wad between her breasts with both hands. “And I warn you. Don’t underestimate me where your little games are concerned.” She ground her teeth together. Was he intending to keep pulling on the sheet, or did she have to leave the bed? “This isn’t one of your typical business deals, Thea,” he said, winking at her. “And I’m not one of your typical one-night-stands, Derek,” she countered in a snappish voice. “You wound me, sweetheart,” he said, chuckling. Thea glared at him. She wished a thousand times she had never let him see her naked—or just in her panties. At any rate, he had viewed far more of her then she initially intended. “You’re denying the chemistry between us?” he asked, shrugging one bare shoulder. “There is no chemistry,” she expounded, her blue gaze pinned on him. “You wound me again,” he said, laughing out loud. “Cut the shit, Derek. I’m not falling for it.” She gave the sheet a quick yank, breaking his hold on it. “I must have been out of my mind to marry you.” “Desperate is the word you’re looking for,” he clarified. He raked one hand through his thick black hair, then, sliding it over the back of his head, he massaged his neck. 30

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He seemed weary suddenly. Well, what if he was? She could care less. Besides, she was weary, too. Weary of the whole fucking mess! “Yeah. Desperate,” she repeated. “It galls me to say that you’re right. But I was desperate. So I let Rudy help me out of a situation that my grandmother created, only to end up—“ “Dorothea Graham was a smart lady,” he interrupted. “Were you aware that she and I were friends?” This is dumb, she thought silently. There they were—two idiots sitting in a big king size bed, discussing Thea’s desperate situation, and she could see his cock getting harder by the second. Worse yet, he wasn’t making any attempt whatsoever to cover himself up.

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Chapter Six

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hea stared at Derek. Gram was friends with a playboy? No way. Dorothea Graham was an upstanding pillar of society, or at least she had been during her final years. A tiny tremor of worry crept into her mind. “I don’t believe you,” she said, her chin raising a degree in defiance. One corner of his mouth tipped upward in a slight smile. “Has anyone ever told you, you’re a longlegged sassy bitch?” he growled out. Thea bristled. People had called her names before, but she had no intention of taking such belligerent words from Derek Stone! “As a matter of fact,” he continued, throwing aside the sheet and yanking the clutched portion Thea held from her hands. “You’re so sassy that I think you deserve a spanking—just to get this marriage off on the right foot!” Thea came to attention like a wildcat, ready to do battle, but Derek surprised her with his strength and agility. In the next instant she was yanked across the bed and dragged over his bent knee. 32

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She screamed and tried to fight back, flailing her arms and legs, only to have Derek securely pin her across the lower back with one muscled forearm. “This will teach you not to be so damn sassy,” he informed her. He swept aside Thea’s silk gown and yanked down her tiny bikini panties, exposing her bare butt. He smiled at the tantalizing sight tipped across his bent knee. In the next instant, he landed a hefty swat against the silky roundness. Smack! “You bastard!” Thea screeched, her arms and legs flailing about. Smack! Smack! “Oooh! Stop it!” she yelped, feeling the sting of his palm against her bare butt. “A wife should be submissive to her husband,” he said, his hand continuing to smack her butt. “We don’t live in the Middle Ages!” Thea yelled in return. “And I have no intention of submitting to you!” Smack! Smack! “Ow! Dammit! Stop it!” In a moment, he stripped all the fabric away to expose her backside completely. Immense heat was surging through Thea’s bare body, a totally new experience for her. Her breasts were heaving as she tried to escape her pinned position across Derek’s bare knee, and her crotch was 33

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on fire with sexual desire. Never in a million years would she ever dream a spanking could bring about such a multitude of sensual wanting inside her body. It was almost mesmerizing—the repeated slaps from his hand, the heat the force generated, the sheer pain that somehow gradually turned into a feeling of carnal desire. All rational thoughts fled her mind as rapid sensations of needing to feel a hard cock plunging inside her body took over, fueling her actions. Derek seemed to sense Thea’s coming around. She squirmed against his knee, trying to sate herself against his body. He paused his hand, but her body was willing to expect more. Quickly, he lifted her from her bent position across his knee, and laid her out on her back. A long breath found its way up her throat as Derek climbed atop her naked body. Perspiration blanketed her skin, laying moisture along the arching curves of her breasts, along the sleek contours of her waist and hipbones. Her breasts heaved with her rapid breathing. He settled atop her body, fitting his muscled frame into the hot moist contours that she offered up. He lowered his head and placed his lips onto hers; a sweet show of acceptance of her surrender. Then he plunged his hard cock between her legs, smiling at her gasp for breath. His entry was painfully received. His cock was long and big, and it forced its way inside her tight passage, sending a wave of heat crashing about her 34

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senses. For a fraction of a second, she knew she was experiencing that thing her girlfriends used to speak of—that thing she had decided not to experience because she somehow knew it would open up a new chapter in her life—a dependent chapter all about men. But now that it was happening to her, happening with such unusual circumstance—she found she couldn’t deny the explosion of realization about becoming a woman. Foolishly, she had a fleeting thought about being initiated. He moved against her, lunging inside and pumping his hips in heated thrusts. To his utter delight, Thea began to move her hips in rhythm with his, matching his ardor. She had allowed it to happen—their joining. And now that it had begun, she made up her mind to savor it all, the heated bout of thrusting and the exquisite sensations of having his sweat-dampened flesh press hotly against hers. It was a series of carnal shockwaves that began inside her abdomen and shot outward along her limbs. Climax was full bloom before she knew it and she was gripping Derek’s broad shoulders and panting through her mouth. “Oh, baby!” Derek breathed. “I’m coming!” His words only served to intensify the act for her. A crescendo of electrified sensations began to overwhelm her senses and she allowed them to take complete control of her body. She bucked her hips, scratched at Derek’s back with her manicured nails, and lifted her legs to wrap around his thrusting hips. 35

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The orgasm was powerful as it erupted inside her and streamed throughout her very soul.

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Chapter Seven

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t was daylight when Thea opened her eyes. Sometime after the strong climax, she must have drifted off to sleep, but for the life of her, she couldn’t recall much past the orgasm. The orgasm itself had been one fantastic tidal wave of sensation that seemed to go on and on. Never had she envisioned sex to be so fantastic, so exquisite in every possible way. The big body nestled against her side was hairroughened and peacefully sleeping. She turned her head ever so slightly to look at Derek. His head was nestled on the same pillow as hers, his face turned in her direction. She could feel his breath softly fanning her left cheek. Her brows drew together in contemplation. She had given herself to Derek—or he had taken what he wanted from her. But then, she had gotten what she sought from him. She felt him stir beside her. She had promised him a showdown come morning. A tiny tremor tickled her stomach. Did she really intend to fly back to Seattle that morning? Or had last night’s sexual interlude changed everything? She had a decision to make before Derek woke up. 37

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She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and nibbled on the pink flesh. If there was any way to keep their relationship on a pleasant venue... But did that mean she would have to become submissive to him on every occasion? The spanking he had given her last night came to mind. She had never experienced such a thing at a man’s hand. It was the main catalyst for their having made love afterwards, though. Besides the intriguing aspect of it, she questioned the mystery of it all. She felt Derek come awake, but she lay very still. Damn! she thought, realizing her naked state. Last night’s sexual interlude had completely blown her defiant stance toward him and his commanding attitude toward her. From all appearances, it looked like she had totally succumbed to his authority. But…maybe she had. The admission sent a shockwave spiraling through her insides. Thea Graham was her own person—she didn’t need anybody commanding her. A warm arm snaked across her bare waist and an equally warm hand surrounded her right breast. Simultaneously, a long leg slid across her thighs, pinning her against the bed and Derek’s hot male length. Momentarily she felt the rapid hardening of his cock as he pushed it against her bare hip. She had a decision to make. The hand on her breast began to move, kneading, stroking, tweaking her nipple. She caught his hand without opening her eyes or moving any other part of her body. If she let him manipulate her again, he 38

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would win, and the pattern would be set. She would be his to command for the entire coming year. “I’m flying home this morning,” she said, her voice stern. He continued to move his fingers on her breast, as though her hand atop his was her way of urging him to explore further. “We’re on our honeymoon, Thea,” he responded in a sleepy tone. “And after last night—“ ”Last night was a mistake,” Thea said, cutting him off. She swept his hand aside and pushed at the bent leg lying atop her thighs in an effort to leave the bed. Derek released her and rolled to his back. Clasping his hands behind his head, he watched her. Thea was aware of his eyes following her about the room, of his leering gaze skimming along her bare length, resting briefly on her bare butt and the auburn bush between her legs, then rising up to inspect each breast. But after last night, she didn’t care. He had seen her naked and vulnerable. Now he could see her naked and not caring. “Are you so sure last night was a mistake?” he questioned, his eyes pinned on her face as she rifled through one suitcase in search of God only knew what. She turned her head in his direction. He was lying in the center of the big bed, the sheet piled in a heap on the side where she had gotten up, his hands clasped behind his handsome head and his ankles crossed. She swallowed suddenly, feeling her throat 39

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go dry from the sight of him. His cock was enormous; tall, thick. It’s beautiful, she thought, her eyes lustily drawn to it. He smiled at her. “Maybe we could come to an agreement,” he began, noticing her eyes pinned on his cock. “Since you like sex—“ Her eyes immediately flashed upward to his face. “And don’t try to deny it,” he continued, chuckling out loud. “We’re not in court, Derek,” she reminded, smirking. He sounded exactly like a lawyer who had momentarily been interrupted by the judge and was just then getting back to interrogating the witness, his tone slightly annoyed. “Aren’t we, babe?” he inquired, raising one dark eyebrow at her. Thea let out a long breath and paused in her search of her suitcase. Where in hell were her panties? She raised both hands and pulled them atop her rounded hips, staring at him. “We can do this the easy way,” he said. “Which would be?” she prompted, raising both arched brows. “We could make the most—sexually—of this year we have ahead of us.” He watched her face, looking for a favorable reaction before continuing. When she slightly pursed her full lips, he knew she was considering his words. “I like sex too, in case you haven’t noticed.” “Hence the name playboy, Derek. I’m not stupid.” “Honey, your smarts aren’t on the line here.” His 40

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dark eyes traveled the length of her naked body. “I’m willing to make you a deal, honey. If you’ll have sex with me every time I want it…” She drew her brows together, weighing his words. Sex with gorgeous Derek any time he wanted it? “I’ll stay married to you for the entire year. But, if you say no, I’m ready to annul this little sham the second we get back to Seattle.” Another bombshell! she thought. Hadn’t Gram done enough damage to her already? She felt her nerves quake. Truth be known, she hadn’t given any thought to Derek possibly wanting to end the marriage before the time was up. She combed her fingers through her tousled hair. There was so much on the line. Her inheritance was immense. She couldn’t possibly do anything to jeopardize losing it. “What’s your answer?” he prompted. Could his erection get any bigger? Thea’s attention went to Derek’s crotch. Surely it had expanded a full inch since their conversation began. “Let me get this straight,” she began, a note of caution in her voice. “All I have to do is have sex with you, and you’ll stay married to me for the full year?” “That’s all there is to it,” he assured her. “And since you like sex—what have you got to lose?” She couldn’t help but grin. Everything he said was true. She did like sex, though it wasn’t an integral part of her life. But how would it be to have it so? Her blue eyes washed over him. He was built like a dream. “All right,” she said in a slow, steady voice. “I’ll 41

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draw up papers to that effect.” “Then it’s a deal?” he asked, smiling and holding her gaze. “Deal,” she said, nodding her head. He stretched his naked body atop the bed, making his hard cock bob in his crotch. “Well, as you can see. I’ve got a hardon…”

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Chapter Eight

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he man was a sex machine. Derek kept Thea in bed all day and into the evening. It was almost midnight when he decided he was hungry and they discussed what to order from room service. Thea had never gone so long without food, but then she had never spent the entire day in bed with a man before, either. Still, even after coupling with Derek on three occasions—she had no idea a man could get it up that many times in so few hours—she was still somewhat shy about being with him. **** “You make me feel like a whore,” she confided, diving into the hot plate of food that had just arrived from room service. “We’re married,” he expounded, gazing across the small dining table at her. “We’re man and wife. We’re legally obligated to have sex.” He laughed out loud. “We should see Paris while we’re here,” she said, changing the subject as she poked a bite of eggs benedict into her mouth. 43

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“Paris in the springtime,” he remarked. “Let’s hire a cab and go sightseeing.” “No. Let’s walk,” Thea insisted, her face animated. “The streets are beautiful this time of year. The foliage is just awakening from dormancy…” “And all the young lovers are out,” he finished her sentence. Her cheeks flushed a noticeable red. They made plans for the coming day, then Derek insisted they return to their love bed where he immediately began a whole new inspection of Thea’s voluptuous body. Her breasts overflowed his hands. He sucked one firm nub between his lips, gazing upward into her face as he tickled it with his tongue. Her eyelids fluttered closed. She liked the feel of his mouth on her. She gave a little shiver that briefly shook her body and caused him to react in kind. He growled hungrily deep in his throat. He pulled her to a sitting position in the bed suddenly, making her open her eyes and stare questioningly at him. Then he coaxed her to the edge of the bed and continued tugging on her hand until she was standing up in front of him. He led her across the room and into the living room of the suite. It was illuminated only by the moonlight seeping in through the pair of glass doors leading out onto the small iron railed balcony. Derek pulled her across the room to the double doors and, pausing only briefly, threw them open. It was time to introduce another sexual aspect to his new wife. 44

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The night air quickly infiltrated the room. A sultry fragrance of brick buildings drenched in fresh rainfall. The aroma of car exhaust and late night eateries melded together to arouse the wanton senses. Derek led Thea out onto the balcony. He pushed her to the far rail, her naked back against the cool metal bar. Parting her thighs with his knee, he thrust his stiff flesh into her hot passage. She let out a surprised mew, barely audible in the still of the night but drawing the eyes of a man walking his dog along the sidewalk below. The shadowy figure paused. Derek smiled his pleasure at having an audience. He drove into Thea, pressing her tightly against the metal railing, his hands clasped around her fleshy buttocks. She was wet from arousal, slick and so delightfully hot. “You’re making…me…come,” Thea whispered, her pinned position against the railing not nearly as uncomfortable as she first assumed. “Say it louder,” Derek ordered. “Say it louder.” A little giggle came from Thea’s throat then she raised her voice and let the words escape her throat in a loud tone. “You’re making me come!” Derek chuckled in a low tone and grasping her round the waist, turned her body so that his back was against the bar of the balcony. “There’s…someone…down on…the sidewalk,” Thea immediately whispered, her body suddenly tensing. Derek pulled her head against his chest and kissed 45

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her temple. “Yes, my sweet. He is watching us fuck.” Thea drew in a surprised breath. “Can he really see us?” she asked in a low whisper. “Why else would he be standing down there?” Derek countered. He had begun to thrust into her very rapidly then, about to reach orgasm, but Thea had been distracted by the man staring up at them from the street. “We’re going to…fuck with…someone… watching?” she asked, noticing the titillating feelings the notion brought to her senses. “Yes, my sweet,” Derek replied. “Relax and look down at our audience. We’re going to give him a free show.” Lust streamed through her, making her move her hips faster and faster. Then it began—the orgasm—it knotted her belly and shot like hot lightning along her limbs. She threw back her head, savoring the exquisite sensations beginning to travel throughout her body. Derek pushed her into the corner of the balcony, pinning her hard against the metal rails so he could slam his body into hers and reap the reward he sought. When the orgasm crashed through him, he lolled his head back atop his shoulders and let loose a mighty roar, one that was surely audible to the man down on the sidewalk, one that, no doubt, gave the guy a hard cock bulging at his fly.

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Chapter Nine

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hey went to the Louvre and stood staring at the portraits by the old masters. Derek hooked one arm over Thea’s right shoulder, their bodies pressed together like bookends, and he played with her right breast while they studied the paintings. At first Thea was shy about him making such sexual advances toward her in the art museum, but then she became keenly aware of his subtlety, his mastery at brushing his palm across the rising incline of her breasts, the way he positioned his body so that his crotch was pressing against her hip. To all inspecting eyes, they were merely conversing about the exquisite works of art hanging on the elegant walls. But to Thea, she was aware of every fraction of desire Derek was bringing to her body whenever he touched her. The touch of his hand sliding the length of her bare arm sent a spark of lust wafting through her when he ultimately clasped her hand and pulled her toward the hallway. She went willingly, her body feeling alive yet strangely hypnotic from his attentions. Her senses were far from enjoying the art in the museum 47

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or any part of the foreign surroundings. Silly, she thought, she had never been to the Louvre before— had never taken the time away from work to enjoy the sights of Paris. It seemed odd that now—of all times—she should think of such things. I’m married. She raised her eyes, looking at Derek as he led her out into the foyer of the building. Her gaze settled on the back of his head. It was exquisite, she admitted, pulling in a quick breath. He was the most handsome man she had ever met. She had dared to trail her fingertips through his dark hair at some point during their lovemaking last night and it took little effort on her part to recall the feel of the silky jet black strands sliding across her fingers. Derek turned suddenly and caught her staring at him. A quick smile came to his lips, bringing a glint of light into his dark eyes. He tugged her into the circle of his arms. The heat from his body immediately penetrated hers, setting every exposed pore on alert. When he slid his hands around her waist, and she felt herself being drawn forward, she almost anticipated their coming together, heated, lusty, a drawing of emotions to their full aspect. His lips nuzzled her nape, then found a place just beneath her left earlobe. He nibbled her flesh, sending tremors of want cascading throughout her body. He drew in her fragrance, enfolding her slim form into his arms, pressing her full breasts into the wall of his chest. But they were in a public place, and it was at once brought to his attention by the sudden group 48

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of people trying to pass around them. He chuckled slightly into Thea’s ear, turning her so that she was standing beside him while the group of American tourists laden with cameras and wraps and smiling as though they were only then discovering Paris’ draw to young lovers, filed past. Thea felt giddy from the inquiring glances and knowing looks the people aimed at her. If they only knew, she dared to think, the truth behind what they found amusing. A new husband and wife, recently strangers, had only now discovered the fulfillment of sexual lust. If they only knew of the life she had previously led, the life of solitude devoted to work. And Derek. Derek had introduced her to sex—and reaped more feelings from her in the past two days than she ever knew she was capable of having. Her face burned with embarrassment as the eyes kept coming to inspect her and Derek, kept assessing, and surmising, tiny half-smiles aimed their way. Accusing smiles. She felt suddenly very naughty. “What are you thinking?” Derek whispered, pulling her body against his side. “I’m thinking, I’d like to…to...“ She considered her thoughts before voicing them, trying to gauge Derek’s reaction. She glanced up into his darkly handsome face, locking gazes with him. The very lusty thought of having sex right there in broad daylight flitted through her mind. At first she was surprised at having such a notion, but the overwhelming degree of lust brought on by the action last night surged to her brain, urging her to recapture it all over again. 49

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“Hmmm,” he murmured in his throat. “Darling,” he said, pulling Thea toward the main entrance of the museum. “I think you are having naughty thoughts.” He laughed out loud as he led her through the massive doorway and down the wide flight of steps to the boulevard. The sounds of the city surrounded them, engulfed their senses in an aura of exhaust fumes, warm temperatures and mild wind currents. A wide courtyard was visible across the way and Derek led her toward it, his hand holding hers tightly. Still there seemed to be a throng of tourists surrounding them, walking at their exact pace, snapping their cameras and rifling through their guidebooks. Suddenly Derek pulled her down on a metal bench and wound one arm around her shoulders. Grasping her chin with his thumb and forefinger, he tipped her head up so he could look into her eyes. “You’re thinking about having sex,” he proclaimed. “You wish they could watch.” Thea chuckled at his assessment. “It makes me feel very wanton,” she admitted, raising one hand to catch the fingers holding her chin. “Is that wrong?” It was all so new to her, having sex and getting those exquisite orgasms. Sometimes it seemed almost surreal. He shook his head. “No. I was just thinking we should make our debut in broad daylight.” He leaned his head down and brushed his lips across hers. “After all, Paris is for lovers,” he whispered against her lips. 50

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Thea’s lips pulled into a smile. It would be absolutely delicious to have sex with him right there on the bench in broad daylight with all the people passing by. She felt lusty as hell. “But won’t we get arrested?” His lips brushed hers again. “The secret, my sweet, is to be discrete.” A tiny giggle leapt from Thea’s throat. For the life of her she couldn’t believe her change in thinking. Perhaps she had always possessed a bit of devilishness, or perhaps she had inherited it from her Gram.

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Chapter Ten

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nitially expecting to fly to Florida, she had packed summer clothes, so she was forced to wear what she had brought with her. Luckily, she had worn a miniskirt and a cotton summer sweater for their sightseeing tour. But even at that, she had little doubt that Derek would have figured a way to rid her of any other cumbersome garments, since his expertise seemed to lie in the sexual line of things. As it was, he merely pulled her onto his lap, fanned her skirt across his thighs, and pushed aside the silk panty covering her crotch. In seconds, he was slipping his hard manhood inside her warm body and sighing with contentment. Thea laughed slightly, leaning her upper chest against his. Her feet were on the seat of the bench, her arms twined around Derek’s neck. For all passing by, it seemed as though they were two lovers kissing. Derek’s hands were beneath her skirt, holding her buttocks as he slowly worked his hard cock inside her. She was having sex in public, she thought, feeling a flush of heat engulf her insides. But the hard rod of flesh she was sitting atop was well concealed from the horde of people who continued to pass by en route to 52

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other sights Paris was noted for. She had the strangest feeling she was getting away with something and at the same time committing a most lusty act. She couldn’t help but giggle as she glimpsed peeks at peoples’ faces as they strode by, unaware. “They have no idea what you’re doing to me,” she whispered against Derek’s lips. She locked gazes with him. He was a devil in the form of a handsome man, and he was rapidly proving to be her downfall. Her nemesis. And she was allowing it all to take place. Don’t think about it! she warned herself. The feel of him was rapidly consuming her thoughts, and the idea that their act was concealed from ogling eyes lent a heightened degree of lust to the heated act. Her mind flashed at once to the previous night when Derek had pulled her out onto the balcony of their suite and made love to her there, catching the attentions of a man walking his dog. The feeling bore down on her, intensifying her degree of pleasure. People were passing through the courtyard, glancing, some staring for a time as they neared and then passed by the bench where they were coupling without the slightest notion of what their eyes were perceiving. But she was on the verge of climax, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to remain still atop Derek’s cock. She pulled in a deep breath. It was exquisite heaven, the spiraling sensations beginning to stream through her limbs— Then she saw the stranger sitting across the courtyard, and her pulse jumped in her wrist as a new 53

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surge of lust intensified in her belly. He was young, and French, perhaps, because of his dress of loose fitting pants of burgundy and matching striped shirt. He was dark, swarthy, with equally black hair and a sliver of a moustache arched across his top lip. He knew what was happening to her! He knew she was sitting atop a thrusting cock, and he knew she was having an orgasm! He smiled at her as his gaze locked onto hers. Thank God her eyes were concealed behind dark sunglasses. It gave her the courage to hold his gaze, to look into his face—his strange unknown face, and to confirm what he surmised was taking place. She pulled her lips into a slight smile, feeling so damn lusty that she almost yelled out loud as the orgasm came full bloom, racing through her insides with the speed of lightning. Her nipples puckered and ached to be touched. She felt the urge to tense her legs, to push against the bench and open herself up further for Derek’s cock. And yet, she didn’t break the entranced gaze with the man across the way. “That man,” she whispered to Derek. “He…knows I’m….having an orgasm.” Derek chuckled, but he didn’t pause in his fucking Thea. His hands tightened and he shifted his body slightly, managing to push inside deeper when it only appeared he was repositioning himself on the bench while holding Thea on his lap. Thea merely dug her acrylic nails into the muscled 54

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flesh of Derek’s powerful shoulders, allowing the delicious sensations to spill through her. All the while the strange man held her gaze, smiling at her.

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Chapter Eleven

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he wasn’t quite certain when Derek climaxed, but she knew he had because of the large amount of moisture at her crotch, and his raspy breathing. She glanced at him, amused somewhat that he seemed to be out of breath. “You certainly can’t claim to be out of practice,” she said in a low whisper. She needed to dislodge herself from him—to get off his lap, but how to go about it without divulging what they had been up to posed a problem. Finally, Derek merely shifted his position somewhat and she slid off his lap and onto the bench beside him in relative ease. In fact, Thea even missed seeing him tuck his sated cock back inside his fly, he was so expert at such deceit. “Practice?” he questioned, arching one dark eyebrow at her. A slanted grin graced his full lips. “Are we to discuss my past sex life now?” Thea smiled slightly and turned her eyes toward him. He certainly was a handsome devil, and she herself had just proven how impossibly difficult it was to resist his manly charms. “I don’t see the man who was watching us,” she 56

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divulged to Derek, looking about while still somewhat aroused by the episode. “Perhaps he went to find a woman to lay,” Derek said, his tone jovial. He stood up and pulled Thea to her feet. “Let’s find one of those little sidewalk cafès and have a drink.” He stretched his big body, raising his arms over his head and flexing his biceps. Thea watched him, marveling at the physical beauty of him. He was every inch an alpha male: masculine, sensual. She let out a pent-up breath, suddenly aware that she was admiring Derek for all his male attributes. It would be much wiser to consider her situation with him. They were man and wife—but somehow the connotation didn’t exactly fit. They seemed more suited as lovers, not spouses to which building a home and life together would be their ultimate goal. Her thoughts rocked her. If Gram hadn’t seen it as her duty to look after her granddaughter from the grave, she wouldn’t be there in Paris, strolling along one of the wide boulevards in search of a café that served wine, nor would she be feeling the remnants of a sexual orgasm still leaving her somewhat lightheaded. They found a small sidewalk café in the next block and Derek ordered a bottle of wine. Thea sat down and listened to the exchange between the waitress, a pretty young woman with a willowy figure and large dark brown eyes, and Derek. She was a bit surprised that Derek wasn’t familiar with the French language, which seemed to only enhance the flirtations of the 57

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young woman. It was all Thea could do to remain seated and watch. Then she realized she was livid with jealousy, and the admission startled her. Had she begun to feel possessive about Derek at this early stage of the game? That word again. Game. Hell, this was no game! Her inheritance was at stake—her life’s work! It was Derek who finally put an end to the flirting by deciding on a choice of wine. And in the end, she sauntered away with downcast eyes. Alas, Derek then turned his attentions to Thea, sitting silently, observing. “Does every woman you encounter want to flirt with you?” she asked, her tone mildly irritated at his roughish behavior. He shrugged one shoulder. “I can’t help it if women find me attractive,” he began, but the sudden scowl on Thea’s face halted the rest of his sentence. “Then you shouldn’t have married me,” she said in a clipped voice. The waitress returned to the table just then with the wine and two stemmed glasses. To Thea’s surprise, Derek seemed to ignore her, taking the bottle from her hand and pouring the wine himself. Momentarily she left, and he pretended not to notice. “How cavalier,” Thea commented, picking up her glass. “We have a deal, remember?” he returned, raising his glass to his mouth. 58

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“Oh, I remember,” Thea assured him. “Quite well.”

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Chapter Twelve

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hea was keenly aware of all the women they passed on the street and their immediate fixations with Derek. But then, she admitted again, his good looks were an innocent draw on his part. Still, she couldn’t forget about his playboy reputation. There was a tangible aura of sexual attraction surrounding him. An aura that every woman who came near him felt. Worse yet, there wasn’t anything Thea could do about it. Short of maiming him in his sleep, she doubted whether he’d ever be free of the anomaly. The jingle of Thea’s cell phone broke into her thinking. She quickly reached for her purse and extracted the ringing menace, her mind immediately returning to business. A small surge of power waft through her insides as she glanced at the number displayed on the screen and saw that it was Rudy at the home office of Graham Enterprises. “So, how’s the honeymoon?” Rudy inquired. His attempt to hide his obvious amusement was quickly revealed in the tone of his voice. It brought a bit of a smile to Thea’s face, and her reaction brought raised eyebrows to Derek’s. 60

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“Rudy, you called to ask if I’ve slept with my new husband?” she asked, sarcasm ringing heavily in her tone. Rudy chuckled into the phone. “Just kidding, Cuz. I really called to find out why you cancelled your meeting in Florida, and if I should send someone else in your place.” His authoritative tone riled her. Derek watched her over the rim of his wine glass. He set his glass on the tiny wrought iron table he shared with Thea. Glancing around the small gathering of tables outside the café, he briefly observed the assortment of women engaged in conversations with their male escorts. Most looked French, with wedding bands on their fingers, but a few were young single women seated alone. They watched him observe them, a lopsided smile on his handsome face. Interest showed in their dark captivating glances as their eyes met, inspected, then flirtatiously glanced elsewhere. He pulled his eyes away from the women. His dark gaze rested at once on Thea. He inched his chair closer to hers. She was frowning as she listened to her cousin on the telephone, but the second Derek slid his hand along the smooth length of one bare thigh, her expression changed to one of piqued interest. He wasted no time in trailing his hand up the arching length of her crossed leg, inching easily beneath the thin cotton fabric of her miniskirt and pushing into her crotch. Thea pulled in a quick breath and slid her left leg 61

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from atop her right knee. Parting her thighs, she gave Derek’s hand greater access to her crotch. A shiver of utter delight raced through her, and for a brief second she forgot all about Rudy droning away in her left ear. His inspecting fingers went quickly to the scrap of silk covering her auburn bush and with expert agility, slipped one finger beneath the light patch to delve inside her most private area. Finding her clitoris, he began rubbing, sliding his finger about in a circular fashion, gently pressing down to massage her sensitive nub. “I’ll call you back, Rudy,” she said into the phone. She quickly ended the call, much to Rudy’s dismay, and turned her full attention to the man pressing so near her right side. His fingers in her crotch were quickly urging her to orgasm and a shaft of heat had risen inside her to the extent that she believed she could melt ice cubes. Derek smiled at her as she slid the telephone from her ear and replaced it in her purse. He inched closer, bringing his face very near hers. “You tease me,” she murmured, for he was about to make her come. “You like it, don’t you?” he whispered in return, bringing his lips to close over hers. Thea kissed him back, raising her left hand to capture the right side of his face, while she slid her right hand beneath the table and ran her palm along his inner thigh. “Yes,” she replied, her lips separating only briefly 62

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from his. “And I want to feel you…while you…make me…come. Oh, Derek!” she whispered, almost unable to sit still as she entered the throes of orgasm. Sweat popped out on her face and Derek pressed his fingers harder into her clit, then slid them lower along her slick recesses to enter her. He pumped his fingers in and out, heightening the orgasm for her. All the while, his mouth possessed hers. He tasted her sweat, licking at her lips. Thea’s hand found Derek’s lap and she scratched her acrylic nails across his fly, feeling the hard bulge beneath. She flattened her palm and caressed gently, feeling Derek’s hardness pulse in readiness beneath her palm. She felt the heat of him seeping through his pants, inciting her fingers to further exploration. But they were seated at a table in an open-air café. She couldn’t possibly unzip his fly and expose his cock— no matter the degree of lust urging her to do just that. She groaned her dissatisfaction out loud as she returned Derek’s kiss with a feverish pitch. “Let’s go back to the hotel,” Derek said. “Since I’m liable to get arrested within the next five minutes if we don’t.” Thea smiled, briefly breaking their kiss. “Yes. Let’s.” His finger gave her a brief rubbing, a quick, titillating little rub filled with promise before he slid it gently upward, exiting her wet recesses and pulling out of her little silk panty. “I had no idea…” she began, her face flushed and her eyes heavy lidded, “that sex could be so…so 63

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damn much fun.” She felt all tingly inside and when she tried to rise from the small metal chair, she realized her legs were like wet noodles. Derek wound his right arm around her slim waist and pulled her body into the niche of his shoulder and hip. They began their short stroll back to the hotel amid the lusty gazes of the café patrons.

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Chapter Thirteen

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erek unlocked the door of their suite and pushed Thea in before him then he quickly bolted the door and turned his attentions to the aroused woman. He still held her hand in his, and he drew her into the circle of his arms. Her body was hot, pressing into his with a willingness to please. He lowered his head and drove his mouth onto hers. All the while she appeared to meld against him, her body filling all the hollows and voids his created. Her large breasts flattened and conformed to the solid muscular wall of his chest; her belly came against his abdomen and the hot cleft between her legs pressed upon his erect cock. His breath was hot as it fanned over her face, lowered to her nape and then returned to caress her cheeks. His hands, positioned on either side of her face, were ever so gentle as they lifted and positioned her face for his kisses. He trailed minute moist kisses across the arc of her cheekbones, across her eyelids forcing her to close her eyes. His gentleness increased the wanton fire spiraling inside her body. Her crotch ached to feel him, to have his hard flesh in her 65

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sensitive tissues. He raised her skirt, pushed aside the small V patch covering her pussy and scrubbed his bare knuckles across her hair-roughened crotch, making her moan into his mouth. She pressed her body tighter into the length of his, urging him to play more, enjoying all he was doing to her. He pushed her panties from her body, fumbled with the zipper on her tiny skirt before getting it open and letting it fall to her feet on the floor. He raised his hands and skimmed them along her waist, then around to clasp her naked hips. His fingers felt and pressed into her flesh, then pressed her forward to meld against his erection for a moment before he resumed removal of her clothing. His mouth devoured her lips, sucked the pink flesh into his wet mouth and tickled it with his tongue before resuming his play. He raised his hands and slid her cotton sweater up over her breasts. In an instant he pulled his mouth from hers and yanked the top over her head. She stood naked before him, her breasts heaving, and her crotch moist and ready for his hard cock. He scooped her into his arms and strode toward the big bed in the room. Gently he laid her down, then quickly stripped out of his clothing. Thea’s eyes briefly flickered open. Was she in a dream? A wonderful arousing erotic dream? She felt keenly on edge, like leaning over a balcony with the thought of falling—But no. She was lying on a bed 66

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looking at Derek as he shed his clothing. And she was about to make love with him... He was an Adonis, she decided, stretching her naked body. Raising her arms over her head, she pulled in a breath as she opened her legs. Derek set one bare knee on the edge of the bed, his gaze lustily wafting over her prone body, accessing, approving. “I’m going to taste every inch of you,” he said, his hands grazing the long length of one leg. He climbed atop her naked length, dipping his head. He began with her left breast, licking at its tight nipple. He toyed with the ripe cluster, flicking it with the tip of his tongue then sucking it between his lips, bringing a gasp of pleasure from Thea. When he had successfully brought her to a heated frenzy with his teasing, he dragged his wet tongue across the sloping slant of one breast to the rise of the other, where he performed the same heated bout of teasing. Then he began a slow lowering along her body, his tongue lathing her creamy flesh across her rib cage and along her midriff. He left a wet trail, working lower onto her body. His tongue dipped into the pink shell of her navel, then meandered along her flat belly to the thick auburn bush between her splayed legs. Thea drew in a quick breath as his mouth drew near her crotch. Could heaven be any closer? she silently wondered. His hands played along the curve of her hips, feeling, caressing, and kneading her soft contours. Then he worked his way between her legs, gave a visual inspection of the dense triangle of hair and he 67

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gently parted the fleshy lips to spy her sensitive little clitoris. He raised his eyes and looked at her, looking surprised to a degree to see her gaze pinned on his face. He held her gaze while he brought his finger and thumb to close around her erect clit. She drew in a quick breath at the touch of his hand. With gentle pressure, he squeezed her clit. Pressing downward in a circular manner, he stroked her gently. His touch was so light it almost didn’t exist, but she could see his hand. She pressed her hips upward, wanting intensity from his touch, but he seemed to pull back, refusing to press harder. It was sweet torture, knowing he held a well of pleasure mere millimeters from her body. He dipped his head and nudged her erect clit with the tip of his tongue. He slowly lowered his mouth and drew her clit inside. Thea thrust her hips upward, pressing her crotch against his mouth. Her fingers knotted into fists, gripping the sheet. Yes! That was what she wanted! Yes! His mouth was so hot—his tongue so manipulative... A wave of ecstasy swept over her, hot, tingly, raising her to the door of climax then sending her emotions over the brink. Orgasm began, inching along her limbs like a tornadic storm that lingered briefly, then shot forward like a rampant wave of incredible sensation. “Oh, my God, Derek! It’s wonderful!” she breathed, her fingers knotted in the sheet. She arched 68

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her back, bringing her hips upward to thrust against his mouth, needing to capture the incredible sensation. His cock creamed on its rounded head, wanting release, but he kept his mouth on Thea’s clitoris, kept suckling, reaping first one orgasm, then another until she was in a frenzy. She clawed at his shoulders with her nails, urging him to come to her, to plunge his hard flesh between her legs, but he didn’t pull his mouth away from her crotch. He hadn’t sated his lust for the taste of her yet, and he aimed to quench his thirst for her in this manner beyond all else.

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Chapter Fourteen

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hea’s eyes flickered open and she stared at the opaque ceiling of the hotel suite. She felt alive, yet exquisitely languid in her orgasmic state. Where had her inhibitions gone? she wondered. She lay naked upon the bed. Derek’s head was positioned between her legs, his mouth pressed greedily onto her clitoris. And she was not ashamed. On the contrary, she was delighted to have his mouth suckling her pussy, to have his tongue moving amid her slick, sensitive flesh. Earlier, he had slid his tongue inside her, and she had found the experience extremely lusty. Where had her inhibitions gone? she questioned again, freely admitting that she felt like a new woman—or perhaps a real woman—for the first time in her entire life. Derek was making love to her, and she had never experienced anything like it. His tongue flicking against her clitoris brought her attention back to their sex play. Suddenly she was compelled to see him tease her, to prop her upper body up so she could watch him tease her body. She 70

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levered herself up on her elbows, garnering Derek’s attention. He smiled at her, then held her gaze while he flicked her clitoris with the tip of his tongue. “You…do the…most marvelous…things with your… tongue,” she said, her breathing erratic. She watched how he touched her, how his tongue flicked at her sensitive nub, and her temperature rose a degree. A wave of intense lust shot through her insides, curling her belly. “You make me feel…so…naughty,” she whispered. “Seeing your…mouth…on my…clit.” Derek gave her sensitive lips a wet licking before he pulled his head upward and began inching up her body with his mouth. Thea watched his well-muscled body flex and then flex again, the taut muscles in his arms rising to hardness as he crawled upward, hovering above her bareness. “Take me now, Derek,” she instructed, opening her legs as wide as humanly possible. “I’m on fire inside.” “Oh, babe!” he murmured, lowering his great body atop hers. His cock was thick and rock hard, and he positioned it against her hot slit. In the next second, he slid it inside, giving a relieved sigh at his decision to seek relief. He began to move and Thea raised her legs, wrapping them around his thrusting hips, opening herself up fully for him. Orgasm began traveling through her almost immediately. She dug her nails into his muscled hips and rode out the storm, only to have another quickly 71

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follow suit. Derek pumped his powerful hips, ramming his long cock deep inside Thea. She was hot and wet, and her body seemed to gobble up his erection. His cock glided along her passage, his thrusting stropped only by the colliding of their bodies as he worked his cock inside her. Then he felt it—the orgasm that he sought. It knotted his belly, made him suck in a deep breath, buck his hips faster, and faster. The explosion came, rocking his big body with orgasmic force. She had kept pace with him, had bucked her hips upward to ram hotly against his crotch, his long cock deep inside her body, working with it to bring about the climax they now shared. She moaned and arched her back, closing her eyes and rolling her head on the pillow. They pressed their bodies closely together, drawing out the final exquisite tingles of orgasm, then Derek collapsed atop Thea, his breathing ragged, perspiration blanketing his body. Time seemed to hang in the stillness within the room, until the telephone on the bedside table began to ring. Thea, content to lie beneath Derek’s naked body, made up her mind not to answer it. But then Derek, swearing under his breath, rolled to his side and grabbed the receiver. Thea managed to prop her body up on one elbow and stare at Derek’s naked back while she listened to the one-sided conversation. As best she could figure, 72

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it was Derek’s law office on the line, and he was trying to figure a way around their returning to Seattle on such short notice. In the end, he spewed a stream of cuss words and banged the receiver down. “I’ve got a case going to trial in two days,” he said, returning to stretch out beside Thea. “We have to fly back to Seattle in the morning.” Thea felt a note of regret at the news. Admittedly, she didn’t want it to end. But then again, she knew deep down that her own business was in jeopardy with Rudy at the helm in her absence. Derek rolled toward her and wrapped one arm around her waist. He pulled her body against his side and began fondling her left breast. “Looks like we’ll have to put Paris on hold, for now, babe,” he said, a note of regret in his tone. His hand was warm, and his touch so sensual. His palm barely grazed her skin, making her want him all over again. She drew in a deep breath and rolled over on her side, facing him. Without warning, she kissed him full on the mouth.

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Chapter Fifteen

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hea straightened the navy blue blazer she wore, stepping from the elevator when the doors slid open. The executive offices of Graham Enterprises lay straight ahead, flanking the wide desk of Sarah Townsend, the company receptionist. “Good morning, Miss Graham,” Sarah greeted, then blushed profusely and covered her ruby lips with one hand. “I mean, Mrs. Stone,” she corrected, smiling sheepishly. “Morning, Sarah,” Thea returned. In the back of her mind, she wondered if she should correct Sarah when she made the slip. Maybe this unorthodox marriage between she and Derek wouldn’t last past the intended year, and Sarah shouldn’t be calling her by any name other then Graham. But for some silly reason, she let the matter drop. She walked past the doors of the other executives of the business and headed for her own office at the end of the hallway, deciding to put aside the matter of her personal life and concentrate on business matters now that she was back in Seattle. Then she opened the door of her office, spied Rudy 74

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sitting at her desk—and all hell broke loose. Anger flared through Thea. She crossed the office floor on stiff legs, slamming her briefcase down on the corner of her desk and making Rudy nearly jump out of the padded leather desk chair. “I’ll call you back,” he said quickly into the telephone receiver. His dark eyes darted from Thea to the phone, then back again as he started to rise from the seat behind the desk. “Goddamn, Thea! You don’t have to be so abrupt.” Thea gritted her teeth as she rounded the corner of the desk as if to snatch the chair from under Rudy’s ass as he scrambled to get out of the way. “My office is off-limits to everybody—including you—when I’m out of town,” she bit out. Her blue eyes darted over his suit-clad form in agitation then, as though satisfied that he hadn’t pocketed anything, slid to the desk to give it a quick once-over. “McKelvey called and needed some figures,” Rudy began raising both hands into the air. “And I knew you had his file, so I—“ A wave of something akin to regret swept through Thea, almost making her apologize to Rudy. But she didn’t. Instead, she snatched the folder containing the information on the McKelvey franchise off her desk. “McKelvey is a piece of shit and we’re not doing business with him,” she said in no uncertain terms. Rudy raked one hand through his coal black hair. “Holy cow, Thea. Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, his face scowling. Thea pinned him with her blue gaze. “We may be 75

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related and this may be the family business, Rudy, but I’m the head of it…and I don’t answer to you.” A tiny muscle in Rudy’s jaw flinched, alerting Thea to the fact that she had riled him with her combative words. “Sorry,” he spat and turned to leave, his anger clearly evident in his stiff-legged stride. Thea let out a pent-up breath, dropping into the desk chair Rudy had just recently vacated. It riled her to no end the fact that whenever she was out of the office, even for a short time, Rudy tried to move in and take over. She abruptly tossed the McKelvey file into the waste can. If Rudy had his way there would be a Graham restaurant on every corner, and to hell with family values and the Graham reputation. Theo McKelvey had a reputation for spending fast and heavy and selling off his assets to the highest bidder when he got into trouble. He was not someone Graham Enterprises wished to be associated with. But Rudy only saw the potential of profiting from selling another franchise. “Dumb ass,” she mumbled and picked up the phone. Jabbing in the number to McKelvey’s office, she rehearsed what she would say to him in her mind when he came on the line. If her marriage to Derek hadn’t taken precedence over business— “Damn!” she said, pushing the thoughts of Derek aside. What was done was done. Gram had dealt her a low blow, but— Theo McKelvey came on the line and Thea began explaining in a firm, yet businesslike tone how 76

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Graham Enterprises was unable to do business with him. She knew she’d made an enemy when she hung up the phone, but that was just another aspect of business. She wondered what else cousin Ruby had been up to in her absence and buzzed Marie, her private secretary, to come into the office. She tried to calm her nerves. Rudy wasn’t all bad. He just needed watching. Lately, he had become a little too ambitious. Of course she often blamed that on Rita, Rudy’s little live-in girlfriend. She was a real bitch. A power-hungry bitch. “What else has Rudy been up to?” Thea asked Marie when she entered the office. Marie handed over a fistful of notes to Thea. “I told him he should consult you before he made any deals, Miss Graham,” she said, shaking her head. Luckily, a few phone calls got everything back on track and Thea began to play catch-up on her own affairs. By the time quitting time arrived, she was tired physically as well as mentally. She was preparing to leave for the night when her personal phone rang. At first she was somewhat surprised to hear Derek’s voice on the line, explaining he wouldn’t be joining her for dinner because he had to meet with a client. But then, as the conversation progressed, she came to believe that perhaps married couples made it a habit to stay in touch. By the time she hung up the phone, she felt rather nice about being married to Derek—nice in the sense that he had taken time to 77

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inform her of his plans. His voice had sounded almost cordial, she thought as she left the office complex and slid behind the wheel of her Cadillac. But then, she reminded, he was always pleasant to her. For a moment she thought about all the times—sexually—they were together during their brief time in Paris. Except for the one time when he flung her across his knee and spanked her bare butt, he had been quite cordial. “I’m reading too much into this,” she muttered. She was almost home, to the condo she owned and now shared with Derek. He had voiced plans of them building a new home for themselves just outside of Seattle—something that stuck in Thea’s mind as having meaning that they were going to continue their marriage past the one year requirement to satisfy Gram’s ultimatum. “The jury is still out,” she said under her breath. It was too early in the game. There, she said it again. Game. The word kept cropping up here and there in her thoughts. Well, if they were playing a game— which might be likely, given the circumstances—they were playing a sex game. “Oh, the sex,” she said then sighed. There was nothing in the world like having sex with Derek. He knew all the moves—the right places to touch her— even a few things she had never dreamed of—like sneaking sex in public or having sex while others knowingly watched. Goosebumps dotted her spine. All she had to do was think about sex with Derek and she mentally as 78

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well as physically prepared herself, including creaming her panties. She arrived at her condo and continued to anticipate Derek’s coming home. She took a long bubble bath, then rubbed on a delicately scented lotion all over her body. It was then the notion to act on her latest idea came about. She picked up the razor and began shaving her crotch—a sexy idea that she had toyed with since beginning to have sex. When she finished she took a chilled bottle of wine into the bedroom to await his arrival. She was slightly woozy when Derek arrived. She heard his Vette as he pulled into the basement garage, then listened intently for the sound of his key in the lock. Within minutes, he was stepping into the bedroom. A single lamp burned on a small nightstand in the large room. The rich burgundy and ivory decor glowed in a pale pink aura that framed the naked woman lounging on the king-size bed, a glass of Merlot in one hand. She smiled demurely at him as he paused in the open doorway, one hand loosening his tie as she openly flirted with him, opening her legs to display her newly shaved pussy. “I’ve got a surprise for you,” she said in a sexy tone. In the next few seconds, he shed his Armani suit and forgot all about the mountain of work he had carted home in his briefcase.

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Chapter Sixteen

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ith wild abandon, Thea went into his arms, her senses flaming with desire. She told herself it was the thought of having all the sex she wanted that allowed her to partake of Derek’s attributes so freely and by God, she had been having her fill. But deep down, she had started to think she was developing real feelings for the man. And perhaps he was thinking along those lines where she was concerned as well. His touch said as much. But passion was one thing, and love was another. Love? The thought had crossed her mind more then once, though she hadn’t as yet given in to the notion. She was Thea Graham, after all, dynamo executive, head of a multi-million dollar enterprise. She couldn’t be distracted with such things as love...or even like, for that matter. His hands inching along her naked thighs brought her thoughts back to the present—the bedroom and the sex she was on fire to have with him. His palms were hot, searing her skin as he lowered his head and placed a little kiss on her bare pussy lips. 80

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“Nice.” He extended his tongue, dipping its tip into her lush pink folds, bringing a moan of desire from her throat. “Very nice,” he continued. She was hotter than a firecracker on the Fourth of July, and all too willing to prove as much to him. When he kissed her she responded with a newfound passion, an explosion of emotion that seeped from every gorgeous pore of her body. When he took her, there was no turning back the clock to times when she fought against having him assert his husbandly privileges. He worked his way up her body, slowly, methodically, until he reached her breasts. His gaze caressed her creamy mounds, gliding over her silken flesh in easy approval. Then he brought his hands to them, covering them, her taut nipples pressing against his palms. “Thea,” he murmured, lowering his head to kiss her. “Thea.” Her name rolled off his tongue as though it had always been in his thoughts, a part of him, an extension of his very being. She felt her heart flutter wildly in her chest. His lips sealed with hers, pressed firmly seconds before his tongue bid entry into her mouth. Hot, wet; his tongue tangled helplessly with hers then, with little coaxing, enticed her to play. **** A crazy thing was happening in her mind. She tried 81

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to push it away, tried to give in fully to the playful tongue teasing her own—but old habits died hard, and sometimes not at all. Thea’s eyes flickered open. Her mind started to push aside the feel of Derek’s hot muscular body lying atop her own. Her nose was not to be deceived so easily. She knew her own scent. She was a woman, after all. Anger, and a measure of pure hurt, arose to dispel the fiery passion inside her. She no longer wanted his hands on her body, or his hard erection pressing into her crotch. She pushed at his shoulders, commanding he release her. And he did. For he knew, as well. Thea rolled to her side and left the bed. Surprised, hot tears sprang to her eyes as she crossed the wide room and pulled a robe from the closet. Her hands shook as she poked her arms, somewhat awkwardly, into the satin sleeves, then gathered the sash at her waist. When her nakedness was clothed, when he could no longer lay eyes on her bare body, she turned to face him, fighting for control. Derek waited, his erection flagging. He sat on the side of the bed and watched Thea walk back to stand before him. “I told myself…a million times,” she began, her voice quivering with emotion. “That you could never change. Once a playboy, always a playboy.” Her throat felt suddenly choked and she was forced to pause for a moment. His dark eyes were on her, clinging to her face, 82

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perhaps looking, searching, for the slightest ray of hope against what she was on the verge of saying to him. There was a look on his face that she couldn’t quite decipher. But then, she quickly reminded herself, he was a brilliant criminal attorney and masking the truth might be his forte, whether in court or not. “Before you jump to conclusions,” he interjected, trying to head her off. “I spent the past three hours coaching a witness.” “Coaching her to what—have sex?” Thea yelled. She was beside herself with anger and clearly, he could see that. He smiled slightly, then pinned her with his dark gaze. “You’re jealous, Thea. You’re actually jealous.” He spoke matter-of-factly, as though his words were true and she would admit as much as he got up from the bed and came toward her. “Stay away from me,” Thea warned, raising both hands in a self-defense gesture. “Who hurt you, honey? Who made you distrust men?” he asked, drawing nearer. She clutched the satin robe around her waist and lowered her eyes from Derek’s face. Of all the old wounds to probe. “Talk to me, babe,” Derek coaxed. He was so close that he could reach out and pull her into his arms at any moment, and she was in such a fragile emotional state that she would have little resistance. How did I get into this mess? she silently 83

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questioned, the entire past two weeks flooding her mind. She felt muddled in her thinking, control waning with lightning speed. Every time she managed to convince herself that she could get through a year being married to Derek, something turned up to wreck her enthusiasm. “Thea, tell me who hurt you,” Derek said, his hands reaching out to take hers. Thea took a step back, putting distance between them. “Don’t patronize me, Derek. I’m in no mood,” she bit out. “And don’t accuse me without proof, Thea,” he said in an explicit tone. “I know the scent of another woman,” she was quick to inform him. “Her name is Susan Spencer, and she’s a key witness in the case I’m working on,” he explained, his dark brows drawing together in agitation. “I’m calling her to the witness stand tomorrow and I was preparing her testimony.” He shrugged his bare shoulders. “That’s all there is to it.” His admission sent him across the bedroom to the small bar situated near the balcony doors. In the next instant he splashed a hefty portion of brandy into a squat crystal glass. Picking up the glass, he turned to face Thea. “Congratulations,” he voiced, a lopsided grin on his face. “You’re the first woman I’ve ever explained myself to.” Then he raised the glass, throwing the brandy down his throat in one quick gulp.

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Chapter Seventeen

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hea sought refuge in the small den she had converted into an office in the condo. There, she made arrangements to fly to Florida the following morning, then rested her head on her crossed arms atop the desk and dozed. When morning arrived, she returned to the bedroom she shared with Derek to dress and pack for her trip, only to find that Derek had already left the condo. **** Thea arrived in Tampa that evening and went directly to the Graham Restaurant from the airport. Leaving her bag in the rental car, she met with Carl Elton in his office at the rear of the business. Carl Elton was a big man with beefy hands and a receding hairline. He had run the restaurant for almost ten years and Thea had a lot of respect for him as a businessman. He welcomed Thea with a hearty handshake and offered her coffee in his office when they settled 85

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down to business. He slid into the plush leather chair flanking the wide mahogany desk and turned accessing eyes on Thea. “Business is good,” he stated. “You saw the crowd in the main dining room. And keep in mind, this is mid-week. We do better on weekends. In fact, we’ve started taking reservations.” Thea listened to his words, wondering in the back of her mind why he was giving her such details. The location had always done good business. She was well aware of that. “For those reasons, Thea, I fail to understand why you’ve given me this ultimatum,” he said. He produced a sheet of paper from the top drawer of his desk and handed it to her. “What’s this?” Thea asked, accepting the page and scanning her blue gaze along it. Anger flared immediately when she saw the letterhead denoting Graham Enterprises. Further inspection revealed the letter as cancellation of Carl’s franchise at the end of the next month. “I don’t understand why I can’t renew my franchise, Miss Graham.” Thea raised one hand halting Carl’s words. “I didn’t come to Florida because of this letter, Carl,” she quickly explained. She deposited the letter in her briefcase, intent on getting to the bottom of it when she flew home. Carl Elton looked completely puzzled. His fat, jowled face was wreathed with worry. “I came to meet with you concerning the strip mall 86

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the Hampton Properties has proposed to build. Are you aware that the group is looking at property in your area?” Thea asked, staring at him. Carl nodded. “But I had no idea the restaurant might be affected,” he admitted, a new look of concern coming to his face. “Their head office sent me a memo on their intentions.” She took several papers from her briefcase and handed them across the desk to Carl. “In the event they are able to buy up the surrounding property, they’ll be wanting to purchase the ground the restaurant sits on as well.” “Oh, no,” Carl exclaimed. “I’ll be out of business.” “Now, don’t jump to conclusions,” Thea reassured him. “In the event the group is successful, Graham Enterprises is prepared to help you find another location—build a new restaurant if necessary.” He let out a big sigh and relaxed in his chair. “I’m really glad you came down here. Ever since I got that letter, I’ve been—“ “Disregard that letter, Carl. I have no intention of revoking your franchise,” Thea assured him, a consoling smile on her face. What she would do to Rudy when she got back to Seattle would be another matter altogether, she vowed, her jaw set. Her business tentatively finished with Carl, she took him up on the invitation to dinner and settled into the private booth at the rear of the restaurant. She caught the noon flight for Seattle the next day, after having met with the representative of Hampton 87

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Properties in the Tampa area. The man assured her they were close to making a decision and would be in contact the following month. Thea conveyed the news to Carl Elton before she left for the airport, adding again that he need not worry about the outcome. It was almost eight o’clock when she got back to Seattle after changing planes twice, but she drove over to Rudy’s anyway. When she approached his door, she heard loud music coming from beyond and knew she would be interrupting another of his wild parties, but she didn’t care. He was screwing with Graham Enterprises, and he had no business doing so. “Cousin!” Rudy greeted when he opened the door and spied Thea. He wore a purple silk robe hanging open, clearly exposing an erection in progress. Then Thea glanced past him and saw the naked woman sprawled on the couch. Well, she thought, it wasn’t exactly one of Rudy’s wild parties—unless there were others scattered throughout the apartment. “Come in,” he beckoned, stepping back and bidding Thea entry. “Maybe you’re in the mood for a little company?” he laughed slightly and swept his robe aside, exposing his genitals. “Me and Sally could—“ “Where’s Rita?” Thea cut him off, her eyes taking in the sex toys laying on the floor and the pair of metal clips attached to the blonde’s nipples. “Oh, she’s around here somewhere,” Rudy said, glancing round. “Now, are you coming in? Or are you 88

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trying to get me arrested for indecent exposure?” He reached one arm out and snagged Thea by the hand, yanking her into the apartment. He pushed the door shut behind her. “Want to play, Cuz?” “No,” Thea said, shaking her head. She had never been to one of Rudy’s sex parties, but he was always willing to tell her about them. “I came by to tell you to stay out of my business affairs.” Rudy took a step back, as though scared of her. Then he laughed in her face. “Well, cousin, you haven’t exactly been at the helm lately—what with taking care of your new husband and all.” Thea bristled. She sucked in a deep breath, angry enough to hit Rudy, but the blonde on the couch caught her attention instead. She raised one long, bare leg to the back of the couch, propping her ankle atop it while she set the other ankle on the small coffee table, then toyed with the metal chain holding the two clips positioned on her nipples with one hand and began to masturbate with the other. Thea wasn’t prepared for the barrage of feelings the sight brought forth. She jerked her eyes away from the nude blonde on the couch, turning back to glare at Rudy. “I want to see you in my office tomorrow morning,” she instructed. “Nine o’clock. And don’t be late!” “Yes, ma’am!” Rudy raised one hand and gave her a sharp salute. Gritting her teeth, Thea hurried out of the apartment, almost running to her car parked in the 89

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lot. When she slid into the leather seat of the Cadillac, she realized she was sweating profusely and her pulse was racing. Of all the lame-brained people in the world—Rudy Graham had to be related to her. He was damn lucky he hadn’t caught AIDS or some other sexually transmitted disease. She tried to push the sight of the naked woman masturbating on the couch from her mind. She started her car and headed back to her condo. Immediately, thoughts of Derek entered her mind. She had left yesterday morning with the hope that he’d somehow fall off the face of the earth while she was in Florida, but right at that moment she felt so aroused sexually that given the slightest encouragement on his part, she might just tumble into bed with him.

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Chapter Eighteen

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erek was mysteriously absent from her condo when Thea arrived. In a way she was relieved not to have to face him, but then she remembered the year she had ahead of her was so very young. They really needed to get along. But how? Stop being so suspicious. And how was she to do that? she wondered. She let out a big sigh and paced across her living room floor to the large picture window overlooking Mellow Springs Park. The array of white streetlights lit the area in bright contrast to the dark night. She watched a young couple stroll along the narrow path of the park, hand in hand, then he pulled her behind a tree. Briefly, Thea saw an arm and a shoulder peek out from behind the cover, then she saw their bodies pressed together when he pulled her into his arms, perhaps for a kiss, or to press a bulging erection against her crotch. She turned from the window. Her senses hadn’t gotten back to normal since she’d left Rudy’s apartment. If she were exposed to any more sensual sights, she’d have to go out, find herself a man and 91

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get laid. The thought made her laugh out loud, a short desirous burst. She shook her head. She had been in worse situations. But then she retracted her statement. She’d never been married before. She rolled her eyes, letting out a miserable groan. She should never have given a thought to trying to make the marriage work. It was impossible. Derek liked women and he would always be out there playing the field—regardless of being married to her. Movement at the front door of the condo drew her attention. She turned just in time to see Derek come inside. His dark gaze quickly found her in the room. He set his briefcase on the floor at his feet, pushed the door closed then crossed the room to stand before her. He poked both hands into his slacks pockets as if preventing himself from touching her. “I’m sorry, Thea,” he said, his tone sincere. Thea drew in a deep breath then exhaled. “I’m sorry too, Derek. Sorry that we have a miserable year ahead of us; sorry that you’re a playboy with an insatiable appetite for sex—“ He was grinning at her, a grin that told her he wasn’t believing a word she said. Suddenly he closed the gap between them and pulled her into his arms. She met his muscular chest wall with her open palms, trying to resist him, but to no avail. In the next second he was driving his mouth hard against hers, and she was quickly feeling her anger evaporate. “I don’t give a damn what you think,” he said, 92

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pulling his mouth from hers and scooping her into his arms. “We’re staying married for the whole year and that’s all there is to it. So...” he rushed across the living room floor with Thea clasped tightly in his arms toward the bedroom. “So shut up and act like my wife, for Pete’s sake!” He pulled up short when he reached the side of the bed, then he gave Thea a toss into its middle. “If you don’t want me to stray—“ “You bastard!” Thea yelped, scrambling to get off the bed. “If you don’t want me to stray—“ he repeated. “Take off your clothes and fuck me silly, Thea!” She scrambled to the other side of the big bed and got to her feet, but in the next second she found herself right back in Derek’s arms, his mouth coming into contact with hers, perhaps harder and with more fire than before. His arms were like bands of steel clamped around her shoulders, preventing her from moving her arms and pushing at his body to get away. There was little she could do except stand there and suffer his kisses. And the suffering was fierce. The warmth of his body penetrated the lightweight linen suit she wore, seeping hotly into her pores and sending lusty messages up to her brain. The sexy scenes she’d been exposed to at Rudy’s came back to sear her senses and immediately she felt the flames of desire renewed. She stopped fighting him. She was pliable, her body leaning into his, needing, wanting. He had 93

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grown to reading her mood, to sensing somehow what she was willing to let him do to her. He merely continued to hold her and kiss her lips, to taste her sweetness, but his body was beginning to need more. His cock was rapidly hardening and growing thick. “Thea,” he murmured. His hands slid around to her back, caressed her shoulders and lowered to clasp a rounded buttock in each palm. She hated to admit to herself just how good it felt to be in Derek’s arms again. Her anger now dissolved, she wanted him as much physically as she ever had. Damn the man! He had found a way to enter her heart. Her very soul was on fire for him. She suddenly had the urge to undress him and her hands inched up his chest to the tiny buttons on his shirt front. She loosened the knot in his tie, opened the top button on his collar, then worked feverishly to rid him of the garment so she could press herself to his bare chest. “I love you.” His voice was a hoarse whisper in her left ear and for the life of her, she wasn’t quite certain he had really spoken. She stilled her hands momentarily, raising her eyes to capture his dark gaze. She couldn’t read the message in his eyes because it was something she had never seen before. Then he took away the chance for her to ask when he dipped his head and kissed her. His right hand came up to burrow into the thick hair at the back of her head. His fingers gently took command, tipping her head back and to the side so he could have total access to her mouth. 94

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She felt possessed, lacking a will of her own. But she wasn’t put off by his commanding nature. There was a sensuality rapidly overtaking her senses, a growing feeling of being loved and tended. She questioned the feelings traveling along her nerve endings. They were totally foreign from any she had previously experienced in Derek’s embrace. Had he really spoken the words of love she imagined hearing? Derek pulled her down to the side of the bed, his mastery continuing on her lips as his hands chose to rid her of her clothing, the fabric barrier keeping him from experiencing her exquisite flesh. She felt weak in the knees, her mind whirling with thoughts that Derek may have fallen in love with her. Was it possible for a playboy—a womanizer—to love only one woman? She had read somewhere that men continued to lust after other women even after marriage, and she believed as much. She had seen married men ogle other women while in the company of their wives. She remembered feeling disgusted when she viewed such happenings. Why was she having such distracting thoughts when Derek’s hands and mouth were on the verge of driving her insane? It was her own fault that at twenty-eight she had forced her grandmother to issue the marriage ultimatum. It pained her to admit it, but it was true nonetheless. She was suspicious of men—all men— and that, in a nutshell, was why she hadn’t married. 95

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Now we’re getting to the bottom of it, she admitted. She was fourteen when she accidentally discovered her father had a girlfriend—a mistress whom he visited at every opportunity. She remembered the hurt and revulsion she had felt when the reality hit home. Her mother had no idea, intent on spending her every waking hour helping run the family business until her death, when Thea was fifteen. Marcus Graham was free then to pursue his sexual urges, and pursue he did. He openly flaunted his young mistress before Thea and the other family members. But a tragic car crash took him and his whore. Thea never shed a tear, only made a vow to herself that she would never be like her mother—a woman who refused to see the truth, a woman who loved too hard. The outcome had been Thea’s refusal to explore any relationship with a man long enough to allow love to blossom. But Gram had seen through the shell she had erected around herself. She had shattered the wall of self-imposed single-hood and ordered her to marry— or lose everything that had meaning to her. “Thea,” Derek whispered, giving her a little shake. She seemed to have slipped into a melancholy stupor, languid in his arms yet ceasing to join in the love play he strived to offer. “Thea. Honey. What is it?” He had almost undressed her, pushed her blouse and skirt from her body, leaving her lying on the bed in her lacy bra and little bikini panties. Her tending of his body left him stripped to the waist, his beautiful 96

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muscled chest with the sprinkling of black hair, bare. She pulled in a deep breath. She hadn’t expected Derek to form feelings for her. She thought he was after the money Rudy spoke of. A million reasons not to ask the question filled her brain, but somehow she pushed them all aside. “Why did you marry me, Derek?” she voiced, her tone low and filled with curiosity. His tending her slowed to painfully caressing her left cheek with his index finger, the gentle rubbing a warm reminder that they hadn’t as yet made love. “You’re a rich man. I don’t believe you did it for the fifty thousand dollars I offered,” she continued, reaching up to trap his fingers in hers. Slowly, he eased his mouth onto hers, kissing her full on the lips then pulling back. His black eyes gazed down into her own orbs, and a small smile pulled his lush lips slightly upward. “I’ve lusted after you for years, my darling,” he said, a great breath of air escaping his lungs as he spoke, as though finally getting to speak the words unburdened his very soul. “You were the untouchable prize I could never quite obtain.” Thea’s reaction was one of surprise. Her blue eyes widened and she pulled away from him slightly so she could examine him without touching him, or having him touch her. “Playboys don’t fall in love,” she blurted out then quickly covered her mouth with one hand when she realized she had spoken the words aloud. Derek stood up from the bed and walked over to 97

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where his shirt lay on the floor. Quickly, he jerked the shirt up and began putting it on, his back to Thea. Had she hurt him, she wondered, or merely made him angry again? She watched as he buttoned his shirt and then left the room. Momentarily, he left the condo, banging the front door loudly.

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Chapter Nineteen

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ot giving Rudy a chance to keep the nine o’clock appointment with her, Thea threw the handful of papers on his desk, bringing a look of utter surprise to his dark handsome face. “Don’t try to deny you went behind my back, you conniving son-of-a-bitch!” Thea spat. She glared down at him seated at the wide glass-topped desk, a feeling of absolute power over him waft through her. After all, she was the head of Graham Enterprises and every executive, including and especially Rudy, answered to her. She had the power to make or break, to unseat or promote, and at the moment thoughts of ending Rudy’s stint at the corporation were gaining momentum in her mind. Rudy’s dark eyes skimmed over the top page of the contract between Graham Enterprises and Carl Elton. Recognition filtered across his youthful features, bringing his gaze up to briefly land on Thea’s angry face, then quickly dart aside. Thea could almost see the wheels of his brain turning, searching for an appropriate lie to cover his deception and for an instant, it was amusing to see 99

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him squirm. But then, she realized, the sight only fueled her anger. “I found out Hampton Properties is buying up land in the area where Carl has his restaurant,” Thea informed him. “And I know Ken Hampton offered you a fat little bonus if you’d help the group out by revoking Carl’s franchise so he’d have to move.” She was madder than she realized, she admitted, feeling her blood pressure rise. “Carl Elton is like family! And as CEO of this corporation—I don’t treat family like that!” Rudy chuckled audibly and leaned back in his leather desk chair. “Aren’t you too busy with your new husband to pay much mind to business matters, Cuz?” he inquired, a smirk on his handsome face. “Or is the wedded bliss at an end?” He raised his feet and propped them on one corner of the desk. “If so, I’m prepared to take the helm of Graham Enterprises and pump some new blood into the old corp.” “You arrogant—“ Thea began. “Calm yourself, Cuz,” Rudy advised, the smirk on his face growing more intense. “You’re on your way out—and we both know it.” A nagging thought penetrated Thea’s brain. And despite her business savvy, she couldn’t resist making the thought known. “You may have tricked me, Rudy, into marrying Seattle’s most notorious playboy—“ ”If you had any personal life, you wouldn’t have needed my help in finding a John to marry,” Rudy countered. 100

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“—But if you think I’m about to relinquish my position at the family business because of it, you’ve got shit for brains!” Rudy threw back his head and laughed out loud. Then he levered forward in his chair, pinning Thea with his black eyes. “You may be screwing Derek Stone, but you won’t be able to keep him on a short leash for an entire year!” He laughed, a short, victorious burst. “The first time he comes home stinking of foreign cunt—you’ll send his ass packing. And I’ll be sitting in your seat at the helm of Graham Enterprises.” His words slammed into her. It was true, as she’d suspected. He had deliberately tricked her into marrying Derek and knowing her as he obviously did, knew she wouldn’t stand for any hanky panky on Derek’s part, thus losing her seat at the corporation and her entire inheritance. But she couldn’t allow Rudy to have the final word in the matter. “I’m calling an emergency board meeting and demanding a vote to unseat your ass, Rudy!” She whirled around on one high heel, heading across the plush carpet to the office door. “Start packing, Cousin!” Thea was so mad she was shaking as she walked the short distance from Rudy’s office to her own. She sank into her desk chair, leaning her head back and fighting for composure just as Marie, her personal secretary, came into the office. She carried a manila folder that she gingerly placed on the desk before 101

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Thea. “Here’s the accounts Mr. Graham handled while you were away,” she said, eyeing Thea, but keeping in her place, didn’t inquire about her flushed cheeks or her obvious anger. “And I’ve ordered the board to an emergency meeting at two o’clock, just as you instructed.” “Thank you, Marie. That will be all,” Thea said, her voice slightly trembling, yet authoritative nonetheless. Marie took leave and Thea poured herself a shot of bourbon and stood at the office window drinking it. She had suspected Rudy’s deception toward her for months, but she hadn’t any proof—until now. The intercom on the corner of her desk suddenly buzzed and Marie’s voice came into the office. “Mr. Stone is here to see you. Shall I send him in?” Before Thea could refuse Derek’s visit, he was coming through the door of her office, a scowl across his handsome tanned face. “Before you refuse to see me, Thea,” he began, his tone bordering on agitation. He looked sensational as all get out, clad in a dark blue Armani suit and crisp white shirt. And Thea wondered if he’d gotten over being hurt—if indeed she had inflicted a measure of hurt with her remark about his playboy lifestyle, or if she’d imagined the whole damn thing. She drew in a deep breath. Her recent argument with Rudy still governed her senses. His eyes wandered over her figure. “I’ll be questioning the witness I was tutoring on the stand 102

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today,” he stated, his jaw set in a firm clench. “The trial starts at noon. I’m here to invite you to come see Susan Spencer.” A small smile curved Thea’s lush red lips. “That won’t be necessary,” she informed him. “And besides, I have a board meeting scheduled at two o’clock. Sorry. I won’t be in the courtroom to see you or Susan Spencer.” A frown shot across Derek’s dark face, then just as quickly dissipated. He could see she was upset by something, and since she had declined his invitation to come to trial, he knew it didn’t necessarily concern their dispute the other night. “What’s wrong?” he asked, crossing to stand near her. Thea gulped the final bit of bourbon in her crystal glass. “I’m requesting the board fire Rudy,” she stated in a stern voice. “He’s hell-bent on destroying the company.” Derek’s expression changed to concern as he guided Thea to the brown leather sofa in the corner of her office. He pulled her down beside him and curled one arm along the back of the couch, not touching her shoulders but close enough that he could feel the warmth of her body. “Can I help?” he offered. Thea shook her head, then began telling him all she had discovered about Rudy’s activities since they had gotten married, and some things he had gone behind her back to do over the past year. Finally, she brought up the subject of Rudy having found Derek for her to 103

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marry. Derek ran one hand through his black hair, then massaged the back of his neck, thinking. “So Rudy has been planning a takeover for some time?” “Yes,” Thea agreed. “And the minute Gram’s will was read—ordering me to find a husband or forfeit everything, he really began plotting. Finding you to be the perfect husband—“ She broke off her words, staring at him with her blue gaze. “Because he knew you wouldn’t resist other women—and I wouldn’t stand for infidelity.” Thoughts of her father and his mistress leapt to her mind, causing her to rise from the couch beside Derek. But he grabbed her arm and pulled her across his lap. His mouth nuzzled her nape while his arms prevented her from fleeing. “I’m in no mood to kiss and make up, Derek,” she informed him. “The fact that Rudy brought us together is just one more problem I have to solve.” “And what’s the solution?” he wanted to know, his hands on the hem of her skirt, inching it up her thigh so he could caress her leg. “I have to stay married to you—at least for the one year Gram wanted,” she said. The words tugged at her heart. Having to stay married to him rang of an arrangement she feared would scar her for life—for surely when the year was up, he’d be eager to be rid of her. “Are you certain of that?” he asked, his lips busy on her nape. 104

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Goosebumps were dancing along her backbone and her crotch was growing hot and moist from his attention to her neck and her thigh. The urge to spread her legs and allow him access to her crotch was gaining momentum. But then his words grabbed her attention. “What do you mean?” She set the empty drink glass on the glass-topped coffee table before the couch. Maybe it was the bourbon she had drunk that made her want Derek, she thought, turning to face him. No. It wasn’t the bourbon, she admitted, looking into his handsome face. I’m falling in love with him. The admission curled her stomach. The thought of losing him after the year was up pained her very soul. Derek smoothed one palm lightly along the left side of her hair then grasped the decorative clip holding it aloft. In the next instant, the auburn mass was tumbling about her shoulders in a silky shimmer. “There’s something you should know,” he said, his tone hesitant. Thea looked at him with searching eyes. For several moments her mind conjured up all sorts of terrible things. But suddenly, just the act of staring into the inky depths of his eyes seemed to dispel all her gloomy thoughts. “We aren’t really married, honey,” he said, the words pouring from his mouth.

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Chapter Twenty

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shard of utter surprise shot through Thea’s insides. She jumped to her feet, staring at Derek as though he’d suddenly grown another head. She raised one hand and covered her mouth, afraid of what she might say if she didn’t physically stop herself. Derek levered himself up from the couch and crossed the wide office. Poking his hands into his slacks pockets, he stood looking out the window, his back to Thea. “From the moment Rudy told me about your grandmother’s final wishes, I was suspicious,” he said, pulling in a deep breath. “I just couldn’t fathom Dorothea Graham treating her only granddaughter in such a way. So I did some investigating.” “And what did you find?” Thea asked. She walked over to where Derek stood, his eyes turned out the window. Derek glanced in her direction. “I went to Mort Peters and since we’re acquainted professionally, he told me the truth about your grandmother’s ultimatum.” 106

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Totally puzzled, Thea could only stare at Derek. Then she remembered the letter from Gram the attorney had given her. At once she raced to the wall safe behind her desk. She pulled the painting aside, revealing the hidden safe, and saw that her fingers were shaking so badly she could barely program the combination to get the door open. “What do you mean—we aren’t really married?” she mumbled, taking the envelope from the open safe. She stared at it for a moment, recognizing her grandmother’s scrawling handwriting. “Before you open that,” Derek said, coming to stand beside her. “There’s something more you need to know. I want to tell you that I love you and even though you believe I was unfaithful to you, I wasn’t.” She heard him expel a heavy sigh, then he stood waiting for her decision. A stilted awkwardness hung in the air surrounding their bodies. Thea’s mind captured his words and tears sprang to her eyes. She hadn’t wanted to believe he’d been unfaithful to her, but the evidence seemed to say otherwise. He loves me. Could it be true? Her fingers trembled as she broke the seal on the letter Gram had written to her. The moment of truth had arrived, torturous to the soul, but promising to bring a measure of truth to the situation. She blinked back tears as her gaze fell on the orchid-colored stationery she remembered so well from Gram’s personal desk. “My dear Thea,” she read, her mind racing. “I’m 107

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counting on the fact that you will be too mad at me to open this immediately and so I hope that by the time your anger dissipates, you’ll agree that you need a man in your life. A woman should be loved physically, Thea, and speaking from experience, sex is one of the best things a man can do for a woman. I hope you can forgive me for tricking you. Love, Gram.” Thea’s mind was a jumble of confused thoughts. She wasn’t married to Derek after all. It had all been a prank by Gram. “I don’t believe it!” she said in a whisper. She felt Derek’s hands suddenly, skimming across her shoulders and running the length of her back. Next, he encircled her waist and pulled her against his chest. The warmth of him engulfed her…and added to her confusion. “How long have you known?” she asked, her breath catching in her throat. “I thought the minister looked familiar, but I didn’t start asking questions until you accused me of cheating on you,” he said in a low tone. “So, the whole ceremony was a sham?” “Mort Peters hired an actor from the repertory theater to play the part of Reverend Dawson.” She pushed out of his arms, broke the warm bond encompassing her waist, to turn and face him. “What else?” she demanded, sounding angry and hurt at the same time. “What else was a lie? What else?” She marched across the office in stiff-legged defiance. “Was my Aunt Sophia in on this? Did Rudy 108

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know, too?” Derek shook his dark head, sending a jet-black lock of hair spilling across his forehead. It served quite well to set Thea’s pulse racing, regardless of the anger she harbored at being deceived. “None of your relatives knew, and especially Rudy.” He shrugged. “Your grandmother came up with the idea and Mort had to go along with it. Rudy came to me with the offer—and I couldn’t resist.” Thea nodded. “He thought I’d divorce you long before the year was up and he’d take over Graham Enterprises,” she finished for him. “So, it turns out, the laugh is on Rudy,” Derek said, trying to smile. “Actually,” Thea said, shaking her head. “I think the laugh is on me.” “Honey,” Derek exclaimed, crossing the room and pulling her into his arms. “Your grandmother was only wanting you to find happiness.” “In the bed of a playboy,” Thea interjected. “Where better to learn about sex?” he added with a chuckle. “Yes,” she agreed, raising her head to look into Derek’s face. “Yes. You taught me about sex. You gave me multiple orgasms. You had sex with me in public—in front of strangers—and I experienced the thrill of my life.” She felt anger at being made a fool of. “Did you think you had your own little sex toy for a full year, no questions asked?” He grasped her chin with his thumb and forefinger. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you as soon as I 109

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found out, but if you’d only read your grandmother’s letter…” ”You knew about the letter?” “Mort told me.” “Isn’t it enough that I’m in love with you, Thea?” He drew his dark brows together in a heavy frown. “How did you know Gram?” Thea demanded. He drew in a deep breath. “She contacted me a few years back when a young woman came forward claiming to be…” He paused, giving Thea a scrutinizing look. “Go on,” she prompted, curiosity tinging her voice. “Well, she claimed to be your father’s illegitimate daughter.” Thea sucked in a quick breath. She had been expecting just such a thing to happen, given the fact that her father was a whoremonger. “At first she tried to convince Dorothea that she wanted to be included in the family—she wanted a position at Graham Enterprises—but Dorothea refused. A few months later, Dorothea received the first blackmail letter.” “Blackmail?” Thea repeated, tears springing to her eyes. “That’s when she came to my office and asked for help.” He paused and smiled down at Thea. “It was then I began to learn about you…and it was just about that time that I told myself if I could find a way to have you—I’d become a one-woman man.” Thea swallowed the rising lump in her throat. Could it be true? Did Derek really love her? 110

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“What about the woman claiming to be—“ “I filed a suit on Dorothea’s behalf, ordering the woman to produce proof. She couldn’t, of course. Your father may have played around, but you are his only heir, honey.” “My father was a playboy,” Thea admitted, the words ringing in her ears. She gave a short laugh as a lone tear rolled down the crest of her cheek. She felt strangely vindicated inside. “Isn’t it ironic that I…that I should fall in love with a man who is just like him.” She raised her eyes to capture Derek’s dark gaze and at last was able to read the smoldering inky depths. “I loathe the very thing that my father stood for—“ Derek immediately silenced her with his kiss, holding her tightly against his chest and feeling the full measure of her words rip through his body. “You’re the only woman I want, Thea. Let me prove it to you,” he said, his voice beseeching. “And no one knows we aren’t married, honey, except you and I and Mort Peters. And the actor who impersonated the minister,” he said, a slight smile pulling at his lips. “We could surprise everyone by staying together.” His words broke off, awaiting her dashing the plan or accepting it. She clasped him tightly with her arms. She did love him. Truly. Completely. Only as a woman could. And wasn’t it ironic, she thought, a smile pulling her lips slightly upward, her Gram knew her better then she knew herself. “I love you, Thea darling,” Derek whispered against her ear. 111

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“And God help me, I love you, Derek,” she answered in return, her admission setting her free. Their passion took control then and simultaneously they began removing each other's clothing, tossing the tailored suits on the carpet at their feet. Once naked, Derek lowered Thea to the floor and mounted her body. Thea opened her legs for his elongated cock, ready to have it fill her passage with its thick girth. Maybe she had been tricked into a sham of a marriage. But the sex was real. Very real. Regardless of where her decision took her, she had found sexual fulfillment in Derek’s bed. The sensation of climax zinged through her insides. She sucked in a quick breath and raised her legs to coil around Derek’s thrusting hips as she gave herself over to the exquisite orgasm shooting through her body. “I’ll never let you go,” Derek whispered. The orgasm took complete control of Thea’s senses. Every nerve in her body came alive, savoring, rejoicing. “Marry me for real, Thea,” he continued, his muscular body pumping. “No, Derek,” she managed to say, her breathing erratic. “Let’s get to know each other first.” Then she laughed, a shrill, high-pitched giggle that filled the large corporate office. Derek’s mouth lowered to press atop hers as orgasm ripped through his big body. “Teach me…everything you…know about…sex,” 112

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Thea said. “So…Gram…won’t be…disappointed with her…little devious plan!” Derek’s handsome face lit up with happiness. “Do you want me to sign a contract, my love?” he asked, his arms holding her tightly against his sweatdampened body. “No contract, my darling,” she replied. “Just promise…you’ll confine your…love play…to me.” “I promise,” Derek whispered, his lips sealing their deal. “I promise.” THE END

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About the Author

I

’ve been living my dream of writing for pay for fifteen years, but when I’m not at my desk, I enjoy riding motorcycles with my husband Dave. We’ve toured the lower forty-eight states and had many wonderful adventures. We have plans to visit Alaska and Hawaii in the next two summers. When I’m not traveling or writing, I enjoy reading and taking long walks with my sweetheart.