to come. He walked her backwards until
she pressed between the railing and his body.
She gasped, arching into him. He
knew she felt the erection he'd had in some varying degree of severity every
time he was in her company. It was insistent, and for a moment he debated
lifting her dress, turning her around, and taking her right there.
He untangled himself from her and
took her hand. "Come with me."
She nodded, passion glazing her
eyes. Some of the passion turned into confusion when he led her past her bed
and out of the bedroom. "Where are we going?"
"I need to check on MacLeod."
"MacLeod?"
"My dog."
"Okay," she said slowly.
Stopping, he kissed her again,
until she was breathless and wilted and clutching him. "It's going to
happen," he told her, "but not tonight. Tonight I'm going to savor
you. Tomorrow I'll make you mine."
She swallowed audibly.
"Okay. Okay, I can deal with that."
He smiled and led her downstairs.
He escorted her through the throng of people. Catching a glimpse of Mel, he excused
himself for a moment and went to his best friend. "I'm borrowing your
guest of honor for the rest of the evening."
Mel arched a brow as she sipped
her vodka tonic. "Should I be concerned about her virtue?"
"I plan on taking great care
of her virtue."
Her smile was devilish. "You
naughty boy. Should I ask your intentions, or will I be scandalized?"
"I was considering going
back to Maui to find her, Mel."
"Then how clever of me to
invite her here." She reached on her tiptoes and bussed his cheek.
"Don't bugger this up, love."
He didn't plan on it. He returned
to Leilani and took her hand. "Let's go."
"I feel bad leaving the
party after Mel went through so much trouble."
"Mel's sending you off with
me with her blessings." They went outside and he gave the valet his
ticket.
"Where are we headed?"
Leilani asked once they were ensconced in his car.
"The old family tomb."
He glanced at her. "I used to own a flat closer to my office, in the City.
The financial district. It was a bland and tasteless living space that matched
my life. At least that's what Mel called it."
She angled herself toward him.
"I find it hard to believe your life was bland."
"My old life was. I worked,
returned to the flat that, according to Mel, had no character, ate tasteless
food I bought on the way home, and started the whole cycle over again the next
day. Until Mel pointed out that I was becoming my father, and his father before
him."
"Is that a bad thing?"
He shook his head. "My
father was a nice man, and so was my grandfather. But they both worked until
they were sixty, and then they died. If I only have another twenty-five years
to live, I want to live it. As far as I know, they had no regrets, but I don't
want to take that chance.
"When Mel pointed it out, I
decided I needed to change my path. I gave up the flat and moved into the old
family tomb in Holland Park, which I'm redecorating. I let Mel take me shopping
for clothes." He shuddered. "Mel with a project is a scary
thing."
Leilani laughed, and the light
sound made him smile. "It yielded good results."
He raised a brow at her.
"Are you saying you like how I look?"
"This coat is very nice."
She ran her hand along the lapel.
He loved seeing her wearing it.
"I got rid of some of the old family heirlooms and let Mel reinvest the
money for me. And I got MacLeod."
"Your dog."
"A puppy." He pulled
into his parking spot—a premium he happily paid for. "Are you ready
to meet him?"
"Yes."
They got out and he took her hand
again. He kissed it and then unlocked the front door. He heard the exuberant
galloping of his four-legged roommate rushing to greet them. "Brace
yourself."
Before she could say anything, he
opened the door and the monster jumped out at them. Colin caught MacLeod's
collar. "Sit," he ordered.
The Irish wolfhound sat
immediately, looking eagerly back and forth between them.
"That's not a puppy,"
Leilani said. "That's a horse."
"Leilani, meet MacLeod.
she pressed between the railing and his body.
She gasped, arching into him. He
knew she felt the erection he'd had in some varying degree of severity every
time he was in her company. It was insistent, and for a moment he debated
lifting her dress, turning her around, and taking her right there.
He untangled himself from her and
took her hand. "Come with me."
She nodded, passion glazing her
eyes. Some of the passion turned into confusion when he led her past her bed
and out of the bedroom. "Where are we going?"
"I need to check on MacLeod."
"MacLeod?"
"My dog."
"Okay," she said slowly.
Stopping, he kissed her again,
until she was breathless and wilted and clutching him. "It's going to
happen," he told her, "but not tonight. Tonight I'm going to savor
you. Tomorrow I'll make you mine."
She swallowed audibly.
"Okay. Okay, I can deal with that."
He smiled and led her downstairs.
He escorted her through the throng of people. Catching a glimpse of Mel, he excused
himself for a moment and went to his best friend. "I'm borrowing your
guest of honor for the rest of the evening."
Mel arched a brow as she sipped
her vodka tonic. "Should I be concerned about her virtue?"
"I plan on taking great care
of her virtue."
Her smile was devilish. "You
naughty boy. Should I ask your intentions, or will I be scandalized?"
"I was considering going
back to Maui to find her, Mel."
"Then how clever of me to
invite her here." She reached on her tiptoes and bussed his cheek.
"Don't bugger this up, love."
He didn't plan on it. He returned
to Leilani and took her hand. "Let's go."
"I feel bad leaving the
party after Mel went through so much trouble."
"Mel's sending you off with
me with her blessings." They went outside and he gave the valet his
ticket.
"Where are we headed?"
Leilani asked once they were ensconced in his car.
"The old family tomb."
He glanced at her. "I used to own a flat closer to my office, in the City.
The financial district. It was a bland and tasteless living space that matched
my life. At least that's what Mel called it."
She angled herself toward him.
"I find it hard to believe your life was bland."
"My old life was. I worked,
returned to the flat that, according to Mel, had no character, ate tasteless
food I bought on the way home, and started the whole cycle over again the next
day. Until Mel pointed out that I was becoming my father, and his father before
him."
"Is that a bad thing?"
He shook his head. "My
father was a nice man, and so was my grandfather. But they both worked until
they were sixty, and then they died. If I only have another twenty-five years
to live, I want to live it. As far as I know, they had no regrets, but I don't
want to take that chance.
"When Mel pointed it out, I
decided I needed to change my path. I gave up the flat and moved into the old
family tomb in Holland Park, which I'm redecorating. I let Mel take me shopping
for clothes." He shuddered. "Mel with a project is a scary
thing."
Leilani laughed, and the light
sound made him smile. "It yielded good results."
He raised a brow at her.
"Are you saying you like how I look?"
"This coat is very nice."
She ran her hand along the lapel.
He loved seeing her wearing it.
"I got rid of some of the old family heirlooms and let Mel reinvest the
money for me. And I got MacLeod."
"Your dog."
"A puppy." He pulled
into his parking spot—a premium he happily paid for. "Are you ready
to meet him?"
"Yes."
They got out and he took her hand
again. He kissed it and then unlocked the front door. He heard the exuberant
galloping of his four-legged roommate rushing to greet them. "Brace
yourself."
Before she could say anything, he
opened the door and the monster jumped out at them. Colin caught MacLeod's
collar. "Sit," he ordered.
The Irish wolfhound sat
immediately, looking eagerly back and forth between them.
"That's not a puppy,"
Leilani said. "That's a horse."
"Leilani, meet MacLeod.
Similar Books
