Wilde Thing

Chapter 14

They took a cab home instead of using the company limousine, and as soon as they were inside Steve's place and made their way up to his bedroom, Liz was worked up all over again. She couldn't seem to get enough of him-a fantasy in and of itself, despite how furious Steve was at whoever had given her a sexual stimulant. But now all he could do was give her more of what she needed, and in the private haven of his bedroom, without an audience, he could do just that.

Heat against heat.

Flesh against flesh.

Heartbeat to heartbeat.

But she was going too fast, her movements anxious and aggressive as she pushed his coat from his shoulders, then began unfastening the buttons on his dress shirt. That came off in a frenzy, too, and then she was attacking the front closure on his slacks, trying to get those off him as well.

This was not how he'd imagined that their night together would end. Oh, he'd anticipated that they'd end up in his bedroom, but she was taking charge and aiming for mindless physical pleasure, and he meant to make this night one she'd remember emotionally. Because now that he had the information he needed to trace Rob, he instinctively knew this was his last night with Liz. Tomorrow would bring answers and possibly a firm lead on Valerie's whereabouts, and once Steve gave Liz the assurances she was searching for, she'd most likely end their affair, because she believed she wasn't ready for a relationship, that other responsibilities and obligations were more important than her own happiness.

And if tonight was all he had left, he damn well intended to make it a memorable one, in every way that mattered.

Gently grasping her wrists, he pulled her hands away from the front placket of his slacks. "Liz, slow down."

"I want you," she said urgently, and kissed his chest, ran her tongue up to one rigid nipple, and grazed the tip with her teeth.

He drew in a shuddering breath, tried to keep his thoughts from straying to her shameless attempts to distract him. "I want you, too." But his longing for her went deeper than surface sensations. He wanted her heart, her body, and her soul.

She looked up at him with eyes bright with desire, her skin flushed and feverish. "Steve, I need-"

He pressed his fingers over her warm, soft lips, cutting off her demand. "Shhh. I know what you need, and I gave you what you wanted back at the mansion." A hot, fast, wild coupling. "Now it's my turn to be in charge, and I'm going to make love to you. Slowly, leisurely, thoroughly."

Wrapping an arm around her waist, he brought her body up against his, holding her securely in his embrace. He caressed her cheek with his palm, felt her tremble with a renewed urgency, and lowered his mouth to hers. He calmed her jitters with a lush, deep kiss, tamed her frenzied passion with the slow, lazy stroke of his tongue against hers. Despite her attempts to quicken the pace, to devour him, he controlled her response until she softened against him.

When he finally felt that she was more relaxed, he loosened his hold and unfastened the top part of her halter dress. Letting the two panels of bright-red material fall open, he bared her from the waist up, except for the glittering diamond heart choker around her neck and the matching earrings winking in the room's lamplight.

"You're so, so beautiful," he whispered reverently.

He glided his lips along her jaw, and her hands landed on his chest, her nails lightly grazing his taut flesh. He swirled his tongue down the side of her neck and filled his palms with her generous breasts, and she released a long, blissful sigh. Dipping his head, he laved her nipples with his tongue, drew them into his mouth, sucking first one, then the other stiffened crest.

She cried out hoarsely and moved restlessly against him in a silent plea for more. Her fingers threaded through his hair, holding him in place, encouraging a deeper pressure of his mouth on her breast. He gave her everything she wanted, but at his own leisurely pace, which increased her excitement, her need for him, just as he intended.

Slipping his hands into the waistline of her dress, he pushed the outfit over her hips and let the silky fabric fall to the floor at her feet. His large palms passed over her bottom, smooth and naked since he'd ripped off her panties earlier, and traced one of the straps of her garter belt down to the stocking hugging her thigh.

He pushed her back toward the mattress, made her lie down in the center of the bed and watch as he took off his shoes and socks, and stripped out of his slacks and briefs. Her gaze took in his erect, jutting cock, and she licked her lips and touched her fingers to her belly, teasing him, testing his restraint. Her green eyes were hungry, eager, and her body moved restlessly against the covers, as if her skin was too prickly to bear.

With a seductive smile, he crawled up onto the mattress from the foot of the bed and took off one of her strappy red shoes, then the other, and tossed both to the floor. He rubbed her feet and arches until she moaned with gratitude; then he unclasped her garter belt and slowly, leisurely rolled her stockings down her legs and off. Wanting to pamper her, he stroked her supple skin and caressed and massaged her thighs, her calves, and felt the tension drain from her limbs. Finally, her body grew pliant, her breathing deep and even.

He looked up the length of her, taking in her sweet, feminine curves, the sparkling entwined hearts she still wore around her neck and which claimed her as his, and the way she trusted him so implicitly with her body and her pleasure. If only she'd grant him that much trust with her heart and emotions.

He'd managed to mellow her for the moment, to decrease that rush of sexual adrenaline she'd been riding on, and when she opened her legs in invitation and whispered his name like a prayer, he felt something fierce and tender clench inside his chest and knew without question what that emotion was. Love.

He moved over her, fitting his hips between her spread thighs, crushing her breasts against his chest, and braced his arms on either side of her head so that they were face-to-face. Refusing to let her look away, he stared into her eyes, watched her expression as he slowly pushed inside her. Without the barrier of a condom, she enveloped him in a tight, slick heat that made him suck in a quick breath at the exquisite sensation of being one with her, without anything to separate flesh from flesh.

She gasped, startled, and with her palms braced against his shoulders, she struggled beneath him. "Steve… wait… stop." Panic laced her voice. "You didn't wear a condom."

He caught her pushing hands, stretched her arms above her head, and entwined their fingers so she was pinned beneath him. "You're on the Pill," he reminded her huskily, but knew that wasn't her main concern. She knew the significance of this joining, understood the sacrifice he'd made to forgo any protection on his part. "You feel so good with nothing between us. So hot, so silky soft and tight."

She closed her eyes and moaned as he thrust into her- long, slow strokes that increased the building pressure, the incredible, delicious friction. He kissed her lips, chased her tongue with his, and arched his hips high and hard, forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist as he rocked against her sex. Then he stopped, lifted his head, and captured her gaze with his.

"Can you feel that?" he murmured, keeping his chest pressed to hers.

He watched the pulse at the base of her throat flutter, and knew she'd try to evade the answer. "Feel… what?"

"The beat of our hearts. Yours and mine. Together." He waited, letting her absorb their mingling heartbeats before laying his emotions for her out in the open. "And the love. Can you feel that, Liz?"

He expected her to deny her feelings for him, but the tears gathering in her eyes stunned him as much as her reply did. "Yes," she said in an aching, wistful voice, as vulnerable as he'd ever seen her before. "I can feel it."

It was time he offered her the ultimate commitment, and the declaration came much easier than he'd ever expected, and felt incredibly, perfectly right. "I love you."

He didn't wait for a response, because none was needed. He knew how she felt about him even if she didn't verbalize those emotions, and he'd left no doubts in her mind how much he cared about her.

He continued making slow, sweet love to her, letting his body worship hers, and gave her every reason to stay with him. For the night. Forever.

But by morning, Liz was gone, leaving behind the diamond heart earrings and necklace on his nightstand-one of many gifts she refused to accept from him.

Steve rubbed a hand over his unshaven jaw, more disappointed than surprised that she'd left sometime in the middle of the night without waking him or saying good-bye. It was a clean break, with no messy emotional issues or any argument for her to deal with-just as she'd spent years avoiding that same kind of confrontation with her cousin. And now she was living a solitary, one-dimensional life as a result.

The case was over. By one o'clock that afternoon, after speaking briefly with Liz on the phone and giving her his final report on her cousin, Steve closed the file he'd started on Valerie Clark and Rob Easton, satisfied with the knowledge that Liz's cousin hadn't been kidnapped or taken against her will. She was off enjoying a week-and-a-half-long holiday in Paris with a client she'd met through The Ultimate Fantasy.

With the personal information that Trixie had shared with him the previous night at the party, tracing Rob had been ridiculously easy. The tidbits the other woman had offered had been invaluable. Steve now knew that Easton was the CEO of a software company based here in Chicago, and that he lived in a very exclusive area of Lake Shore Drive. According to Trixie, Rob had a penchant for pretty women, indulging in phone sex and attending the fantasy parties to satisfy his numerous fetishes. Rob also enjoyed vacationing in exotic locales with the ladies he met through The Ultimate Fantasy. Valerie wasn't the first woman he'd taken abroad, and she most likely wouldn't be the last.

According to the itinerary he'd been able to outline from the bits and pieces of information he'd discovered this morning, he'd learned that today was Rob and Valerie's last night at a high-dollar Paris hotel, and they were due to check out and fly back to the states tomorrow. Their international flight was due to arrive at O'Hare in the early evening.

There was nothing to indicate foul play, or that Valerie was in any kind of danger, and that had relieved Liz the most when Steve had spoken to her. Yet he couldn't help but wish that Liz would embrace a bit of anger when it came to Valerie and the way she continually manipulated her emotions and, on some level, her life. But that was the heart of the problem with Liz-she was too caught up in doing the responsible thing, too intent on pleasing her aunt and uncle causing her to sacrifice her own happiness in the process and give up any chance at a future: with him. That had been abundantly clear when she'd sneaked out of his bed last night.

Her withdrawal had also been evident in her tone when he'd talked to her on the phone a while ago. She'd been all business, as if they'd never been intimate. She never strayed beyond their conversation about Valerie, never acknowledged the fact that he was in love with her and had told her as much the night before. He supposed it was easier for Liz to ignore that fact, to pretend it didn't exist, than to deal with all the emotional repercussions that came with such a deep, heartfelt revelation.

Releasing a long exhale, he pulled another case file to follow up on, determined to move on to the best of his ability. He spent the next couple of hours making calls on another missing-persons case, tracing leads, and searching Internet files for information he needed in another state.

The speaker on his phone buzzed, followed by his secretary's efficient voice. "Steve, Liz Adams is here to see you."

An odd sense of déjà vu washed over him. It had been a week ago that she'd come to his office seeking his services, which had been the beginning of an affair that had turned into so much more for him. While her visit this afternoon was unexpected, from all the signals she'd sent out thus far, he doubted she was here to continue their relationship or profess her love in return. But he was curious to know what had brought her by his office when they'd pretty much wrapped everything up with Valerie and the case over the phone.

"Go ahead and send her back to my office." Standing, he rounded his desk just as Liz entered the room.

He smiled at her, and she smiled in return, though the gesture didn't completely erase that damnable wariness that was back in her eyes, shining like a beacon and warning him to keep his distance. So he did, no matter how much he ached to reach out and touch her, to pull her into his arms and hold her.

They were beyond polite pleasantries, and there was no sense skirting around the reason why she was there, so he jumped straight to the heart of the matter. "What brings you by?"

She absently adjusted her purse strap over her shoulder and straightened, her demeanor much too formal considering how informal they'd been with each other the past week. "I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me, and for finding Valerie. It's a huge relief to know that she's okay."

And what about the fact that your self centered cousin doesn't give a damn that you’ve been overwhelmed with worry and concern for her welfare? He bit back the sarcastic remark, knowing he'd only get a defensive explanation from Liz in return. One that would undoubtedly involve that never-ending promise she'd made to her aunt and uncle, feeling guilt over her past actions, and trying to make up for her disappointing marriage to Travis.

"If I remember correctly, finding Valerie was a joint effort," he pointed out instead, doing his best to keep a tight rein on his frustration. "I couldn't have gotten the information on Rob as quickly as I did without you getting invited to one of The Ultimate Fantasy parties."

"Regardless, I appreciate your advice and guidance along the way. I can't imagine going to that party last night without you being there."

She shuddered, and he knew she was thinking about the two men who'd nearly taken advantage of her, and would have if he hadn't shown up after his meeting with Trixie.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and shifted on her feet. "After I talked to you on the phone, I went to The Ultimate Fantasy and quit, and I wanted to say good-bye to Roxanne, who is the only woman who really befriended me. I'm glad to be out of there, but I feel so bad for her and her situation."

Steve realized she was babbling, talking faster than normal, and suddenly seemed nervous. She was here for another reason, he knew, and when she opened up her purse and withdrew an envelope, he steeled himself for what was to come.

She held the unmarked envelope out to him but wouldn't look him in the eye. "I also wanted to stop by to give you this."

He thrust his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, refusing to take what she was offering. "What is it?" he asked, even though he knew what was inside that sealed envelope.

Her shoulders lifted in a casual shrug. "It's my paycheck from The Ultimate Fantasy, signed over to you. It's a good amount for a week's worth of work, including my cut from the party last night. I also had some extra money at the end of the month from the cafe, so I took a draw and included a check for that in here, too. Between both, it's a decent amount, and should help to pay off what I owe you."

His entire body flashed hot with irritation, and his jaw clenched so tight, he was certain he'd grind his teeth to dust. He'd had more than he could take of her obligation to him, and resented the fact that she believed she could wrap up their relationship all neat and tidy with a check to pay for his services.

"I don't want your money, Liz. Or your gratitude, either." He curled his hands into fists in his pockets, looking from that envelope that stood between them to her face. So beautiful. So vulnerable. So fearful of taking a chance on them. "What I did for you, I did because I wanted to. Our agreement might have started out with a loan, but what I want and need from you now isn't money or your appreciation."

He wanted, needed, her love.

Her eyes widened with surprise at his frank, straightforward approach, along with deeper insecurities that controlled too much of her life. But she remained silent.

"I'm disappointed that you think this is all about owing me anything," he went on, figuring he had nothing left to lose. "Then again, you measure everything in your life based on responsibility, guilt, and obligations to everyone but yourself, so why should this be any different?"

She stiffened defensively. "You have no idea what my life is like."

"That's insulting, considering how intimate we've been and all that we've shared. I understand your life, and you, better than you think," he said, unable to hold back the roughness in his tone. "When are you going to stop hiding behind the guilt and obligation to your aunt and uncle for them taking you in after your parents died? Not to mention a responsibility to a cousin that doesn't deserve it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, her denial coming much too quickly.

"I believe you do." He leaned back against the edge of his desk, hating that he was causing her pain, but knew it was necessary in order for her to get past all the emotional issues she'd carried with her since she was orphaned as a child. "It's easier and safer for you to be the responsible one and strive to please everyone else than risk getting hurt. I don't want to hurt you, Liz; I want to love you. But you have to let me in."

She shook her head jerkily. "I can't give you what you need," she said, her voice raspy and loaded with burdens. "I'm just getting the cafe back to where it should be, I've got Valerie to look after, and after everything with Travis-"

He held up a hand, bringing her excuses to a halt. "We all have issues to deal with, sweetheart, and it's all in the way we handle and resolve them." And she obviously hadn't resolved hers, and possibly wasn't willing to. "You need to live your life for yourself, not everyone else. And that means taking chances and making choices that make you happy."

Not touching her was killing him, and he finally reached out and ran his knuckles down her warm, soft cheek. "You're so busy taking care of everyone else, but who takes care of you, Liz? Who is there for you when you need a shoulder to lean on, a smile to get you through the day, or a hug to soothe your fears and make you feel like you're not alone?"

She had no answer, and that saddened him. "Let me be that person for you," he whispered. "Trust me, and trust your feelings."

She swallowed convulsively but made no reply.

Picking up her hand, he placed a kiss in her palm, felt the tremble of her fingers against his jaw, and knew he'd said everything he could. The rest was up to her. "When you're ready to take a chance on me, on us, you know where to find me."

She set the envelope on his desk and glanced at him one last time before she turned and left. It gave him no satisfaction to see the well of tears in her eyes, or to watch her walk out of his office and his life.

Liz had never felt so alone and miserable in her entire life, even while being surrounded with her employees and customers at The Daily Grind. She'd kept her mind and hands busy the entire day in an attempt to work off the restless, anxious, edgy feeling that had settled within her since she'd walked out of Steve's office the previous afternoon. But now, curled up on the couch in her apartment and drinking a cup of hot tea while she waited for her cousin to finally walk through the front door, she had too much time to think. Too much time to replay her conversation with Steve in her mind. Too much time to question herself, her actions, her life, and her future.

Too much time to wonder if all the emotional sacrifices she'd made over the years had been worth it-the biggest sacrifice of which was letting Steve go and believing that was for the best.

He loved her. The mere thought made her chest tighten and her pulse race. The last night he'd made love to her had been magical, a joining of not only their bodies but their hearts as well. She might not have been able to speak the words aloud, but there was no denying that she'd fallen in love with him, too.

She just didn't know what to do about it, because her fear of letting Steve into her heart was stronger than her desire to let him so completely into her life.

Sighing discontently, she dragged her fingers through her hair and took another drink of her tea, letting the warmth seep inside her and take away the chill that went bone deep. Unfortunately, there was no antidote for the ache in her chest or the tight squeeze of her heart.

The rattling of a key being inserted into the front door lock pulled Liz out of her troubling thoughts and had her bolting anxiously across the living room to wrench open the door.

Valerie, standing on the other side of the threshold, surrounded by shopping bags and luggage, gasped in startled surprise, then glared at Liz. "Jesus, give me a heart attack, why don't you?" Her gaze traveled the length of Liz in one single sweep, and then she smirked. "You certainly look like hell."

Liz shook her head in disbelief at her cousin's greeting. No "Hello, how are you doing?" Or "Gee, I suppose I should have let you know that I was going to be out of the country for a week and a half."

Instead, Valerie was more concerned with Liz's appearance. Amazing.

"I guess compared to you, I do look like hell." Liz certainly felt like it. Her hair was a mess from repeated finger-combs, she had no makeup on, and she was dressed in her rattiest jammies. Her cousin, on the other hand, looked incredibly chic with a new hairstyle, an impeccably made-up face, and a cute little outfit that showed way too much skin.

Valerie picked up a brand-new designer suitcase and sauntered into the apartment. "Grab a few bags, would you? I nearly killed myself trying to get all this stuff up to the apartment."

Gritting her teeth, Liz dragged two of the bigger pieces of luggage into the living room, just to help speed up the process, while Valerie handled the shopping bags. Though Liz did wonder why Rob hadn't been gentleman enough to see her to the door. Probably because Rob was no gentleman and was undoubtedly just as selfish as her cousin. Which made them a perfect pair, Liz realized.

Valerie flopped down on the couch and released a dramatic sigh. "I'm absolutely exhausted."

"And I've been half out of my mind worrying about you," Liz replied, no longer able to keep a rein on the frustration that had been stewing for the past twenty-four hours. "Where have you been?" She knew the answer but needed to hear it from her cousin.

"In Paris, having the time of my life," Valerie said with a satisfied smile, apparently oblivious to Liz's concern. "And the best part of the trip was that it was all-expenses-paid."

In exchange for sleeping with Rob, no doubt, Liz thought, but kept the rude comment to herself. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest and pinned her cousin with a direct look. "Did it ever occur to you that you could have let me know where you were?"

Valerie's shoulder lifted in an uncaring shrug. "I left you a note."

"A very vague note that said you were going to a weekend work party with some guy named Rob, not that you were going to be out of the country for a week and a half." Liz's voice rose with exasperation.

Valerie studied her French-manicured nails and picked at a cuticle. "My plans changed. So sue me."

Irritation welled inside Liz as she stared at her self-centered cousin, her upset so strong it nearly overwhelmed her. "Since you bought luggage and applied for a passport before this trip, you obviously knew you were going to be gone longer than a weekend, so don't give me any crap about your plans changing. You knew about this trip in plenty of time to let me know, and considering you're living with me, it would be basic common courtesy to let me in on where you're going and when you're coming back."

"You want to know why I didn't tell you about my trip? Well, here's the truth," Valerie said, bitterness vibrating in her tone. "If I told you where I was going, and with whom, I'd get a lecture, just like you're starting to do right now. And I didn't want to listen to it. You've never approved of what I do anyway, so what's the point of telling you ahead of time?"

"Because I care about you."

There was no reply from her cousin, no warmth or reciprocal words of affection. And knowing that Valerie resented her so much hurt Liz to the very core of who she was-a woman who ached for acceptance, even from a cousin who so openly harbored ill feelings against her for stealing away half of her parents' attention and love.

"Damn it, Valerie, at the very least you could have called me from Paris or left some kind of message to let me know you were okay and safe. I was worried sick about you, whether you want to acknowledge that or not." Her cousin continued to stare at her from the couch, cold and unresponsive. "Your mother has called more than a few times since you've been gone, and I've already had to lie to her once. I wasn't about to do it again."

"Did I ask you to?" Valerie snapped.

"No, you never asked me to, but what did you expect me to tell your parents?" Liz began to pace restlessly-anything to burn off the extra energy building within her. "That you're a phone sex operator who dates her clients, attends sex parties with them, and flies abroad with a virtual stranger? Do you really want your mother and father to know what kind of job you have and everything it entails?"

Valerie stiffened defensively. "You have no idea what my job entails."

"Yes, unfortunately, I do," Liz said, her distaste for her cousin's choice of occupation clear. "I worked for a week at The Ultimate Fantasy in order to find you, and I went to a fantasy party in order to track down Trixie Lane to get information on Rob, who seems to have quite a reputation with most of the party girls there. So I know exactly what your job is all about, and most of it isn't pleasant."

"Wow, Ms. Goody-Goody I'm-the-Responsible-One actually sullied herself for me?" Valerie drawled insolently. "It's nice to know that you have a bit of daring and adventure left in you after all."

Liz dismissed her cousin's sarcasm. "I did it for you, Valerie. Because you're my flesh and blood and I wanted to make sure you were safe and okay. And I also did it for your parents."

Valerie stood and closed the distance separating them, until she was only a few feet away and Liz could see the condemnation in her cousin's green eyes. "Whoever asked you to do anything for me?" Valerie asked. "I certainly never have, yet you always seem to take it upon yourself to try and control my life, to make sure I stay on the straight-and-narrow. Here's a news flash for you, cousin: I have no desire to be a good girl like you, so why don't you get a life instead?"

Liz opened her mouth, then snapped it shut, feeling as though she'd been slapped upside the head with Valerie's verbal assault. She blinked, clearly seeing the selfish woman Valerie had become. It suddenly became apparent to Liz that she'd always striven to be the opposite of her cousin to compensate for Valerie's frivolous, reckless behavior, and when her marriage to Travis had ended so disastrously, Liz had subconsciously compared her own shortcomings to Valerie's. She'd compounded her disappointment and sense of guilt because she'd wanted her aunt and uncle's approval so badly and felt compelled to please them in any way she could. It had been her way of repaying them for giving her a home and a family when her parents had died.

She'd always be eternally grateful for their raising her, but she no longer had to make choices that they approved of. She was an adult, and while she'd made a mistake with Travis, her cousin had made even bigger ones, and through it all her aunt and uncle loved them both the same.

Valerie's words stung, but boy, did they have a ring of truth to them.

Yes, it was past time that she got a life of her own, just as Valerie had so sarcastically suggested. And that new life was about to begin, right here and now. No excuses, no burdens, no guilt.

She couldn't change Valerie-not who she was or how her cousin felt about her. It was obvious that Valerie would always cling to past resentments, but that was Valerie's problem, not Liz's. She didn't have to put up with her cousin's self-indulgent personality or her contemptuous attitude. They were both grown women, and Liz no longer needed to be responsible for anyone but herself.

It was time that Valerie did the same.

She met Valerie's gaze and pleased herself for a change. "I think it's time you found your own place to live," she stated calmly but very seriously.

Valerie looked completely appalled at the suggestion. "I'm not going anywhere," she protested.

"Fine. Then consider the apartment all yours, and I'll find somewhere else to live." Liz knew she'd have to explain things to her aunt and uncle, but she'd deal with them in the same firm, straightforward manner in which she'd just handled Valerie. "I can't deal with this situation anymore. I won't deal with this, and you, because I don't have to."

Her cousin's expression filled with absolute shock and disbelief, mainly because Liz had never been so assertive before. But Liz's confidence felt damn good, and so liberating.

She was tired of the guilt and burdens she'd put upon herself. Tired of being alone and so fearful of taking a risk on a man who was everything she'd ever dreamed of and so much more. A bad boy who gave her the kind of adventure and excitement she craved, yet kept her grounded and would never, ever deliberately hurt her. A tender, generous man who wasn't afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve.

A gorgeous, sexy man who loved her and was waiting for her to come to her senses.

Passing her cousin, Liz went to her bedroom and changed into a pair of jeans, T-shirt, and tennis shoes. After putting her hair into a quick ponytail, she grabbed her purse and keys and left the apartment and Valerie behind so she could begin her new life.

The street lamp illuminated the interior of her vehicle and glimmered off the ring encircling her left ring finger. Swallowing hard, she removed the band of gold that gave the impression that she was taken, and put it on her right hand, leaving her openly single and available, with a heart that yearned to belong to the bad boy who owned her soul.

Steve was waiting for her, and there was only one thing left to do-go and stake a claim on her man.

Steve picked up the portable phone next to the living room couch on the second ring, and with his mind on other matters instead of the game show playing on TV, he answered with an absent and automatic, "Hello?"

"Hi, Wilde Thing," a familiar feminine voice whispered, grabbing Steve's full attention. "How are you doing tonight?"

It was Liz, speaking to him in the same husky tone she'd used for their nightly phone sex calls. His body responded to that provocative voice, even while he wondered what she was up to.

What had changed, and why? He intended to find out.

Ever since she'd walked out of his office two days ago, he'd been distracted, his mind constantly thinking of Liz and wondering if he'd pushed her too hard and fast for a commitment. Wondering if he'd lost her for good because he wanted and needed her love like he needed nothing else in his life.

And now here she was, taking the first step to contact him when he'd believed it was over between the two of them. He was hopeful but still cautious.

Lowering the volume on the television with his remote, he answered her question honestly. "I could be better."

"Me, too." A believable amount of regret infused her soft voice. "I'm sitting here all by myself, feeling so alone, and I knew you'd keep me company. I'm thinking maybe we could make each other feel better."

He settled into the corner of the couch, all too willing to follow her suggestion and see where it led. "What do you have in mind?"

"I want to tell you a fantasy of mine."

Knowing just how potent their fantasies could be, awareness stirred within him-a physical reaction that was backed up with a wealth of emotion. "I'm listening."

He heard her draw a deep breath for fortitude before speaking. "I work in a coffee shop, and there's this man that comes in a few times a week. He wears a leather jacket and drives a Harley that's inscripted with the appropriate name Wilde Thing, and he's so incredibly sexy that my heart pounds whenever our eyes meet across the room. I often wondered what it would be like to be with him, to just let loose of responsibilities, obligations, and inhibitions, and take a walk on the wild side with this man."

A slow smile curved the corner of Steve's mouth, and he stood, wandering restlessly around the living room. "And did you follow through on that desire?"

"Oh, yes," she breathed, and he imagined she was smiling, too. "Circumstances brought us together, and we began a hot, erotic affair that exceeded anything I've ever imagined. He's exciting and adventurous, and also a wonderful, generous lover. But he's also incredibly sensitive and tender when it counts. And when I'm with him, I feel like I've finally found my other half."

Steve's hand tightened on the receiver, matching the sudden pull across his chest. "So what's holding you back?"

"I was afraid to trust in my feelings for him," she said, a vulnerable catch to her voice. "For you."

His doorbell rang, twice, and Steve ignored the interruption, because at the moment nothing mattered but Liz and this conversation with her-and how it would all end. "And now?"

"I'm ready to take a chance on you. On us."

Yes. Adrenaline and elation pumped through Steve, though it was quickly shattered by a knock on the front door. Not expecting any visitors, Steve again dismissed the intrusion. "What changed your mind, Liz?"

"Valerie came home tonight, and confronting her forced me to confront my own fears. I realized that you were right, that I had to stop living my life for everyone else. I'm taking chances and making choices that make me happy."

That revelation pleased him, because she deserved to be happy in any way she chose. Even if that meant choosing a life without him in it. "Good for you, sweetheart," he murmured.

"There's something I need to tell you," she went on, an anxious note to her voice. "Something I should have told you days ago."

Another knock, this one more insistent, demanding that Steve find out who was at the door. "Damn it," he growled in pure frustration, suspecting that Liz was on the verge of saying something profound. "Hold on to that thought a second."

Steve stalked into the foyer and yanked open the door, prepared to tell whoever was standing on the other side of the threshold to get lost. But it was Liz, haloed in the buttery glow of the porch light, her green eyes shining with hope and affection and confidence.

She disconnected her cellular unit. "What I have to say needs to be said in person and not over the phone. This is the best part of the fantasy, because it's become my reality." She held his gaze, her expression glowing with the kind of promises he longed for with this woman. "I trust you, Steve Wilde. With my heart and soul, and I'm ready to give you both, completely and unconditionally. I need you in my life, and most importantly, I love you."

Fearful that she'd change her mind, that all this was a figment of his imagination, he pulled her inside his house and kicked the door closed. In seconds they were in his bedroom, right where she belonged.

Framing her face in his hands, he kissed her, a long, deep, soulful joining that expressed his own feelings for her. When he finally lifted his head, they were both breathing hard, and he couldn't wait to get inside her, be a part of her. He removed his shirt, then stripped off hers as well. She wasn't wearing a bra, and he cupped her breasts in his hands, caressed her nipples with the brush of his fingers over the hard tips.

Closing her eyes, Liz sighed blissfully and arched into his touch. "I know you're not looking for marriage, but for as long as this lasts between us, I want to be with you."

He'd forgotten about his vow never to marry again, but he'd changed over the course of their affair, just as Liz had, too, and he needed to rectify that original impression. "I love you, Liz, and I intend for it to last forever."

Liz's lashes snapped back open, and she stared at him in confusion.

He smiled and explained. "I'll admit that I didn't go into this relationship looking for more than an affair, but it happened, and what I feel for you is so much richer and more mature than anything I've ever felt before. But you have to want it, too, not just physically but emotionally. I've discovered that I'm a very greedy man, and I want it all."

"What does 'all' encompass?" Her eyes were wide and brimming with anticipation as she waited for his reply.

"I never thought that a woman could make me want to get married again, or start a new family, but I want that with you," he said, his own heart beating rapidly in his chest. "Marry me, Liz."

"Yes, I'll marry you." Tears of joy shone in her eyes. "I want you to be that shoulder for me to lean on, and it's your smile I want to see every morning, to get me through the day. And I need your hugs to soothe my fears and let me know that I'm not alone."

He remembered asking Liz who would be that person for her, and he was so glad it was him. "I'll be there for you. I promise."

"I want to be all those things for you in return." She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his mouth to hers in a silent, heartfelt affirmation of their feelings for each other. He laid her back on the bed, and their kisses grew more amorous, more aggressive and eager as they fumbled with their clothing, until they were both naked and excruciatingly aroused.

He moved over her, fitting himself between her spread thighs, feeling her hot and wet against his shaft. So ready for him. But he didn't enter her, not just yet. For the moment, it was enough just to have her beneath him, the tip of his erection sliding against her lush sex.

She pressed a hand to his jaw and smiled tenderly at him. "I have to tell you, your proposal couldn't have come at a better time, considering I'm homeless."

"Excuse me?" He frowned, certain he'd misheard her.

"I told Valerie to find another place to live, and when she refused, I told her she could have my apartment, and I left."

He chuckled, amazed at how far this woman had come. And thrilled that she'd made the decision to come to him. "I'm so proud of you."

Her chin tipped upward, a feisty show of the wild spirit Steve had always known she possessed. "I was pretty proud of myself, actually."

Growing serious, he finally slid into her, a perfect fit, and gave her yet another promise to believe in. "This is your home now. Here. With me."