He reached up and grabbed her fingers. “You’re shaking,” he murmured, pressing his lips to her palm.
“I’m-”
“What? Tell me?”
“Scared. That-that you won’t…like me. I’m not perfect, Kit. I’m a mother. Of four children. Do you know what that does to a woman’s body?”
With a soft sigh, he grabbed her waist and swung his feet to the floor. Then he slowly pulled her up to stand in front of him. “From the first moment I saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful woman in the world. Nothing is going to change that opinion.”
“You hated me the first time you saw me.”
“I was an idiot.”
Roxanne let her arms drop and her dress slid off her shoulders and over her hips. The straps caught on her wrists, but she twisted her hands and, a moment later, the dress fell to the floor. Holding her breath and trying to gauge his reaction, she watched as his gaze raked her body. It had taken her nearly an hour to choose the underwear and from the low moan that slipped from his throat, she could tell it had been an hour well spent. “Now you,” she said, sliding her hand over his chest.
He shrugged out of his suit jacket and tossed it aside, then added his silk tie to the pile. A few moments later, he pulled his shirt over his head rather than unbutton it. Roxanne took it from him and dropped it with the rest of his clothes. After he kicked off his shoes and socks, he stopped, choosing to leave the rest for later.
The beauty of his body took her breath away-the wide shoulders, the muscular arms, the flat belly. With deliberate ease, she ran her hands over his chest, exploring the hard sinew and smooth skin. A soft line of hair traced a path from his collarbone to a spot beneath his belt. Suddenly, she wanted to know where it led. She reached down for his belt, but he drew her hands away.
“When are the kids coming back?”
“Tomorrow,” Roxanne murmured.
“Then we have all the time in the world.”
The fire crackled and Roxanne felt her skin flush with warmth. His fingers moved to the clasp of her bra and her pulse quickened. And when he’d discarded it and covered her nipple with his mouth, her knees went weak. Every caress of his tongue sent a wave of sensation racing through Roxanne’s body. She forgot all her apprehensions and focused on the feel of his hands and his lips on her flesh.
He wasn’t satisfied to linger in one spot. Where hands went, his mouth followed, as if he felt compelled to taste as well as touch. Roxanne had never really experienced foreplay, but Kit seemed to relish it. He was at times playful, then intense, his only aim to make her moan with pleasure.
They ended up on the floor in front of the fireplace, lying amidst the pillows she’d tossed there. He stretched out on top of her, their bodies pressed together. The ridge of his erection pressed into her belly, hot and hard through the fabric of his trousers, and Roxanne arched against him. Kit reached down and grabbed her legs, drawing them up alongside his hips, making the contact even more erotic and enticing.
“Touch me,” he murmured, his voice ragged, his lips pressed against her neck.
Roxanne reached between them and tried to un-buckle his belt, but when she couldn’t, Kit moved to lie beside her. A tiny squeak sounded from beneath his hip. Frowning, he reached beneath him and pulled out one of Jenna’s stuffed toys, a little penguin. He chuckled softly as he stared at it. But then his smile faded.
“What is it?” Roxanne asked.
Kit cursed softly. “What the hell am I doing?” he muttered. “What the hell are we doing? I can’t do this.”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, I can, believe me. The body is quite willing. I just…can’t.”
“I bought condoms,” Roxanne said. “Five different kinds.”
He shook his head. “That’s not it. This isn’t right, Rox.”
“Why? We both want each other. We’re both adults. And the kids are gone.”
“But what happens after this?”
“After?”
“Tomorrow. The next day. A month from now. Where is this leading?”
“Does it have to mean something? Can’t it just be about sex?”
His jaw went tight. “What do you want from me, Rox?”
“I don’t know,” she said, tears pressing at the corners of her eyes. Right now, she didn’t know anything at all! Except that he wasn’t touching her and he wasn’t kissing her and it had something to do with a stuffed penguin.
He got up and began gathering his clothes. “And that’s exactly why I shouldn’t be here.” As he walked to the door, he pulled his shirt over his head and stuffed the tails in his pants. He didn’t bother with his socks, just shoved them into his pants pocket and slipped his bare feet into his shoes.
“Don’t leave,” she said, grabbing her dress and clutching it to her chest. She scrambled to her feet, humiliated and confused.
“I have to,” Kit replied. “I’ve got to straighten out a few things.” He paused, then strode back across the room. In one quick movement, he furrowed his hand through her hair and pulled her into a deep, mind-numbing kiss. “I love you,” he murmured.
With that, Kit walked out, leaving Roxanne to stand amid the flickering candles, completely baffled by his behavior. And dumbstruck by his words. “He loves me,” she repeated as she fingered the string of pearls.
The problem was, she didn’t know if that was good news or bad.
KIT STOOD AT THE DOOR of his father’s condo, trying to figure out what he was going to say to Carl Lawrence once he knocked on the door. It was nearly ten o’clock, late for Carl who usually was in bed by nine and back at the station by 5:00 a.m. But this couldn’t wait. This was about Kit’s future and he wanted that future to begin tonight.
How had this all happened? A little more than a month ago, Kit had been a confirmed bachelor, enjoying all the perks that came along with a string of beautiful women-including sex without guilt. But the minute he met Roxanne, his life completely changed.
At first, he’d told himself that he sought her out so he could discern her motives. He’d rationalized his interest as an attempt to protect his father. But all along, he’d spent time with her because he couldn’t help himself. He was in love with Roxanne Perry.
He used to look upon “family men” with pity. They were always forced to divide their energy, between work and family. And what could be more tedious than coming home to the same woman every night, dealing with the same problems, listening to the same conversations. He’d just assumed that life wasn’t for him.
But it wasn’t like that at all. There was a real pleasure in coming home to Roxanne and her kids. He enjoyed the noisy dinners at the kitchen table and the quiet evenings snuggled up with her on the sofa. And the kids. He liked helping them put on their shoes and watching them brush their teeth. It balanced him, making him forget the stress of his business day. And it gave him perspective. Acquiring the next radio station or newspaper didn’t seem so important compared to the problems Danny was having with a bully at school.
Kit raked his fingers through his hair and tried to settle the chaos in his head. Loving Roxanne was a big responsibility. It wasn’t just the two of them. He would become a part of five lives. Was he really prepared to be a full-time father? Could he make Roxanne happy for the rest of her life?
Deep in his heart, he knew he could. But that didn’t stop the doubts from bubbling to the surface. And then there was the problem of his father. If Carl still had any feelings for Roxanne, he hadn’t made them obvious of late. But Kit needed to be absolutely sure before he and Roxanne went any further.
He reached out and knocked at the door. He wouldn’t know until he asked. A few moments later, the door swung open. “Hey, there. What are you doing here?” Carl asked.
Kit walked past him, then turned. “We have to talk.”
“Sit down. Do you want a drink? I think I have some scotch.”