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She bit her lip as she peeked up at his face, his expression anxious and slightly agitated. “I’m not that hungry.” Her appetite was increasing for something other than food.
By the time he was satisfied that she was completely dry, she was certain she was going to die of lust. The man was definitely thorough.
“You need hydration and food.” He grunted as he tossed her his black silk robe and quickly dried his own body, going to his closet to rummage for clothing. He pulled on a similar garment in navy blue, putting it on quickly, barely taking the time to yank the tie closed.
She nearly whimpered as he covered that glorious, masculine body. She slipped on the black robe reluctantly, her thirst being overridden by the heat between her thighs. All she wanted at the moment was to get horizontal with Simon. “Seriously, I’m not that hungry.”
He grasped her hand and tugged, pulling her along behind him. “You’ll eat.” He stopped, piercing her with a dark, warning stare. “I plan to fuck you until you beg for mercy later.”
Her nipples hardened to pebbles and the smoldering heat between her thighs went up in flames. His heated expression made her shiver with longing, every inch of her skin tingling.
I’ll be begging. But not for mercy.
With a frustrated sigh, she let him pull her toward the kitchen. She knew that stubborn, determined look of his. He was determined to satisfy her needs, give her whatever she needed. One casual mention of being thirsty and Simon was a man on a mission, pushing his own needs and wants aside, taking care of her first.
And he wondered why she loved him?
Her heart turned over as he squeezed her hand, leading her with focused determination toward food and water. The man was a tantalizing mixture of sizzling male hormones, intensity, tenderness, vulnerability, and compassion. The perfect male wrapped up in a bossy, handsome, irresistible package.
Why did she love him? Shouldn’t the question be...how could shenotlove him?
She smiled as she admitted to herself that she had never stood a chance against falling madly, completely, and totally in love with this man. Something had drawn her to him from the moment they met, something elemental and primal. Maybe she had been afraid to recognize it for what it was, but it had always been there. Simon was like a force of nature-dangerous, yet compelling because of its fierce, wild, and raw power.
She remembered her mom once saying thattrue love was not for the faint of heart, but the rewards were worth the risk.Kara had been young, not even a teenager, and she hadn’t understood the meaning of her mom’s statement.
Now, with Simon, the meaning of those words was crystal-clear and she understood exactly what her mom had meant. And she had finally found the man who was well worth the risk.
Sending a silentthank-youto her mother for the words that it had taken her many years to understand, she allowed Simon to guide her out of the hallway and into the kitchen, a silly grin on her face.
Simon popped open the door of the refrigerator with a flick of his wrist. “Diet Coke or water?” He reached for the Diet Coke, already knowing how she would answer.
“Diet Coke,” she affirmed, her attention distracted.
He flipped the top on the can and handed it to her. Opening a regular Coke for himself, he chugged half of the container down in seconds. Christ, no wonder Kara had been thirsty. He hadn’t been in the steamy room as long as her, but he was parched.
Lifting the can to her lips, she drank, but her gaze was fixed on the archway that led to the dining room.
Shit, he had completely forgotten his earlier errands. “Happy Valentine’s Day.” He gulped the rest of the can of soda and tossed the empty container in the trash.
Following her into the dining room, he scowled. She hadn’t said one word. Maybe Nina and Marcie had steered him in the wrong direction. Would she likeanyof it?
He’d tried to be organized about delivering stuff to the dining room: flowers on the table, candies on the chairs, jewelry and perfume gifts on the floor. Yeah, there were teddy bears and other miscellaneous stuff scattered around the room, but he had thought he had arranged thingsfairlywell. “You don’t like any of it?” Damn it, he was firing his assistant and secretary in the morning. They had specifically told him that these were the things that made women feel good, special, cherished.
“Oh Simon, what did you do?” Kara ran a fingertip along the velvety surface of a red rose and tapped on one of the heart-shaped balloons, watching it sway back and forth through the air.
“Okay. Those two are definitely fired in the morning!” Fuck! He wanted to please her. Instead, she looked like she was traumatized. He knew he should have gotten other things, but the Veyron and the Mercedes had been full.
“Who are you firing?” She turned and looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“Nina and Marcie. They told me that these types of gifts make a woman happy.”
Oh hell, he couldn’t fire either one of them. They did their jobs too well.
Honestly, it was his fault that he didn’t know a damn thing about how to romance his woman. But he was willing to try until he got it right. “We could go shopping. Pick something else,” he suggested, hoping she’d let him take her, see whatshethought was romantic.
“You asked Nina and Marcie for advice?”
“Yeah.”