Page 48 of Nothing to the Wedding

“Leaving my mark.”

He traced his lips back and forth, drugging her with their gentle caress.Man, he was good at that, good at everything.The angle of his head, the weight of it against her, but not, his kiss there, but not.

Her next exhale was all hormones.Mmm, two weeks was too long.They’d been apart for longer, yet it never got easier.

“Say it again,” she whispered.In that suite, on the night of their sort of engagement, she’d asked him the same thing.“Say it here in the dark.”

“I love you, Roxanna Kyst.”

He never hesitated, damn that was hot.Kissing her again, her head moved as his tracked around to her throat, one of his strong forearms hooked around her lower back to tug her off balance.

“Do I taste good, Casanova?”

His arm jerked her hard against him, scooping her off her feet.“Let’s find out.”

On instinct, when he bowed, her body braced, grabbing for his stability as he laid them on the floor right there… wherever they were.

He gathered her dress, seeking her lips, almost as if he thought he could distract her from him sliding off her panties.Yeah, there was no hiding that; her body screamed for his indulgence.

Their wedding day…

Unzipping her dress, she laid a hand on her blindfold to keep it in place to take the fabric off over her head.

“Hope you locked the door.”

The tip of his tongue circumnavigated her belly button.“We’ve been caught doing worse.”

“I don’t care about the sex,” she said, parting her legs further, giving his broad shoulders more room.“I care about the date.”

Yes, people had walked in on them having sex, or close to it, many times.That was what happened when living a life with so many people in it.And their laissez-faire attitude with employees and friends.

“Relax, Lola,” he said, kissing her clit.“I’ll make all your troubles fade away.”

Fade into him, that’s what she would do.He’d take all conscious thought and flush it if he kept doing that thing with his tongue she loved.On a moan, her hips rose, and he seized the advantage to yank her much closer.

Love.It did make sex better.And, for them at least, so had marriage.

The night they’d said their vows, he’d led her from this suite, by the hand, and made an honest woman of her.She wasn’t scared or reluctant and, honestly?She didn’t have troubles.Yes, money helped, but that wasn’t what she meant.It wasn’t the cars and skyscrapers that filled her with a sense of peace.

That was her man.Even if they were pauper poor, they’d be okay, because they’d be together.Always.No take backs… that’s what he’d told her the night they got married…

FOURTEEN

JUNE LAST YEAR…

HER SCROOGEY WAS grumpy.Maybe not mad, mad, he’d been worried.She’d remind him that there was nothing she couldn’t face, except the guy had a right to be traumatized in LA.Her getting arrested again that night sure hadn’t helped quell his fears.

But it was for Lilya.For Kintyre.No one should be allowed to mess with their friends indiscriminately.

“I think we should find out.”In the LA Platinum Suite, Zairn’s arm dropped from Roxie’s shoulders to take her hand instead.“And I think we should talk to a lawyer.”

“I already talked to Dunlap tonight.”

“Not that lawyer,” Zairn said.“Come on.”

“Do I have to?”Roxie asked, dragging her feet.

“I’m not letting you out of my sight until I’m confident you remember what city you’re in.”He pointed at Jane.“You stay here.Knox will be back as soon as he can be.”