Desire: Love and Passion by Lesia Reid Page A

exclusive of other people and see what happens. And if Sunday evening was any indication of your feelings, then we should give it a shot.”
                  “I think dating you will be complicated,” Willow said. “I don’t like complications , remember? ”
                  “Why complicated?”
                  “Come on,” she said. “You’ re in the paper every other day. I’ m a very private person and you’ re a public figure. That’s like oil and water.”
                  “We can be private,” he said.
                  “Let me think about it,” she said.
                  “Okay,” he said simply.
                  They went back to their meal, some of the skewered portions now severely overcooked.
                  “Why did you decide to become a photographer?” h e asked chang ing the subject.
                  “It was my passion.”
                  “I think you could have done quite well on the other side of the camera. I noticed that when I was checking out your childbearing potential."
    She laughed again. He loved the sound of her voice.
                  “Modeling for me is the same as being the monarch for you. It was never my destiny."
    "So you tried modeling?"
    "No , not really. Being on the other side of the camera made it quite clear where I belonged."
                  They finish ed dinner a few minutes later. This time James piled everything into the sink without a second thought of going beyond that.
                  "Let me show you around," he said.
                  The house was huge. The structures she had seen the first day and thought were apa rtments were indeed just that. His immediate and personal staff resided in the apartments to the left of what she styled as the main house. Between the apartments and the main house were recreational rooms. One recreational room housed a n Olympic sized swimming pool. Another was setup as a pub, complete with a pool table and dart boards. The third one and the one closest to the main house was a small movie theatre.
                  The doors to the right as she had entered the house led to his home office, a basement , and to guest quarters.  The guest quarters were similar to the employee ap artments in amount and design. They added symmetry to the house. Upstairs w as the bulk of the main house. It had an elaborate master’s bedroom and bathroom complete with two mammoth walk-in closets. One of the closets was completely empty. There were five additional bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs , as well.
                  “You must get lonely in here,” she said as they ventured back downstairs.
                  “There’s always someone around. Besides, I get out here to get away from everything else.” 
                  “I didn ’ t say alone,” she turned to look at him as they stopped at the top o f the stairs.  “I said lonely. You know when all the employees are off to their beds and you ’ re alone in all of this.”
                  “That doesn ’ t happen often. This is a sanctuary. As I told on you on Sunday, you are the first outsider who’s ever been here.”
                  “You didn ’ t have to invite me.”
                  “I know. I really wanted to, though. ”
                  She turned to walk away, he gently caught her hand. He turned her so she was looking at him.
                  James watched as her eyes move d over his, then down his face where they settled on his lips. She licked her own lips involuntarily and he chuckled.
                  "What?"
                  "I may need to beg your forgiveness again," he said before his lips touched hers.
                  Her lips parted. The hand holding hers let go