“Like waking up one morning and deciding we should go to Italy. We were on a plane by just after lunch and spent a month touring the country.”
“That must have been exciting.”
Topaz smiled at the memory. “It was. We ate so much pasta.” She laughed. “Sapphire decided she wanted to swim in one of the fountains in Rome. Instead of trying to stop her, my dad joined her while Mom took pictures of them.”
She traced circles on the front of his shirt, lost in the past. “It really was special. We were always going somewhere. We never knew from one moment to the next what might happen.”
“And that made you want a quiet, stable life.” There was no judgment in his tone, but Topaz felt herself growing defensive.
“I suppose so.” She really couldn’t deny it. John was an astute man. She should have known he’d see beyond the fond memory to the effect it had on her adult life.
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with wanting stability. I want it too.” He brushed his hand through her hair. “And you have it whether you realize it or not. Your family is your stability. I’ve watched you and your sisters together. There’s nothing you wouldn’t do for one another.”
He was right. She knew she would never be alone in the world, never have to face life by herself, not as long as she had her sisters and her parents.
“It’s like that for me and Jake,” he continued, his fingers massaging her scalp before moving lower to her neck. Muscles she hadn’t realized were even tense began to loosen under his tender touch. “Granddad might be a tough son of a bitch, but we always knew we could depend on him. I could call him right now if I needed him and he’d climb in his 1968 Camaro and come as fast as he could. Which would be pretty damn fast in that car.”
John was making her look at her life in a different way. It was strange to take what she’d always seen as a chaotic childhood and turn it on its head so she could see the bedrock of support, the stability that was there. Deep down, she’d always known she could count on her family, but she’d never translated it to the security she’d craved. No, her life wasn’t normal, would never be. But that was okay. What was normal anyway?
She moaned when his fingers dug into a particularly stiff shoulder muscle. “Babe, you need to relax.”
“I know,” she groaned. She fully realized she was a type A personality, always needing to be in control of a situation. It was what made her excel at business. It also led to the downfall of many relationships. Not to mention the tension headaches and stress.
He lifted her off his lap. “How about we play a game?”
Her eyes widened and her interest grew. “What kind of game?” Was that her own voice so low and husky? They’d only had sex an hour ago in the woods, for crying out loud.
“How about Monopoly?” He grinned at her as if he knew where her thoughts had gone. “I figure you’d like that game. You can try to whoop my butt by stealing all my property.”
She picked up her mug and sipped at the cooling chocolate. “You’re on. And I promise I won’t have any mercy.”
He gave a theatrical groan and clutched his heart. “Don’t be too rough with me.”
She looked at his crotch and licked her lips. It was gratifying to watch his cock flex and grow beneath his jeans. “I won’t be too rough. Just rough enough.”
This time his groan was real. “You’re killing me, babe.”
“You’re the one who wanted to play games,” she pointed out.
He leaned down and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “So I did.” He straightened and went to the almost empty bookcase and pulled the game off the bottom shelf. “Loser makes dinner.”
“You’re on.”
* * * * *
Hours later, John put a perfectly grilled cheese sandwich in front of Topaz. “Hope you like it.” He’d already dished up the canned tomato soup to give it time to cool.
“I’ll love it. Nothing tastes better than a winning bet.” She lifted one golden triangle and bit into it. “Mmm, nice and gooey. Just the way I like it.”
John was pleased that she appeared to be totally relaxed and content, which had been his plan all along. She’d been so uptight when they’d returned from their walk, he’d half expected her to pack her bags and demand to be taken home. She needed some time and breathing space so he’d made a tactical retreat. Now he was sneaking closer again and planned to catch her off guard.
“I should have known better than to play a game of business against you.” She was as sharp at the game as she was in real life. And lucky too. “Tactics are more my speed. That and strength. Maybe we’ll play touch football next time.”
“Maybe we will,” she grinned. “I think I can take you.”
He wouldn’t mind her taking him. Not at all. His dick flexed in agreement. He’d been hard all damn afternoon, ever since she’d looked at his cock and licked her lips. The tease. She’d known darn well what she was doing to him.
They’d skipped lunch and munched on chips instead. Neither of them wanted to stop playing long enough to cook, so they were having an early supper. It was already getting dark outside, making the cabin seem cozy and warm.
He’d learned a lot about her this afternoon. They’d chatted as they’d played the board game, both of them sharing memories from their childhood. It had pleased him when she’d asked personal questions about his life, something she’d refrained from doing up until now. Whether she realized it or not, that was a major victory for him. She wouldn’t ask if she wasn’t thinking about taking their relationship to the next level.
Topaz was a very complex woman, on one hand so courageous and independent and, on the other, she was uncertain and needed to feel secure. He could have told her there was no such thing as security, not really. Life happened and you dealt with what it handed you, for better or worse.
What she didn’t seem to realize was she had the inner strength to deal with whatever came her way. If building a business from scratch with her sisters hadn’t taught her that, the turmoil from the past year should have.
John wanted to be the one she leaned on when things got tough. He wanted to be the one she turned to when she was feeling insecure or needed to talk, the one who held her through the night, who was beside her for better or worse.
He already knew she was the one for him. Being with her made him feel as though he’d finally found his place in the world. He’d been content with his life before he’d met her. But when he was around her, he felt happy, as though a missing part of himself had finally been found.
They ate mostly in silence, only making the occasional comment. John felt the weight of the coming morning, knowing he would have to take Topaz back to the apartment she shared with her sister. Sapphire would already be there waiting for Topaz. He knew them well enough to know they’d want to talk about everything that had happened since they’d last seen one another. He had to try to secure his place in her life before they left.
He set his spoon down and stood. Topaz glanced up at him, her gaze widening. He wasn’t sure what she saw when she looked at him, but he knew how he felt—aroused and territorial. “Come with me.” He held out his hand to her and waited.
She wiped her mouth with her napkin and pushed away from the table. Triumph filled him when she took his hand. He led her down the hallway to the bedroom, leaving the messy kitchen behind them. He shut the door and turned to her, determined to make love to her so well she’d never forget this night for as long as she lived.
Chapter Nine
The intensity surrounding John, the tense set of his shoulders and the muscle twitching in his jaw should have frightened her. Instead, she relished it. He wanted her. And, God help her, she wanted him with a passion that kept growing.