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“Erik, we should—”
“Will you come to the cottage?” Jonas glanced briefly at the gathering storm. “We can probably just make it before it pours. Unless you’d rather I go stand outside with a long metal pole pointed toward the clouds.”
“No, you don’t need to do that. I’ll come.” She grabbed the bottle of champagne, only about a third full by now. “But I’m bringing fortification.”
“That’s not enough to fortify a kitten.” Erik dropped his arm from Sandra’s shoulders.
“It’ll do.” Allie stopped opposite Sandra to surprise her with a warm hug on her way out.
“Good luck, honey,” Sandra whispered.
“You, too,” Allie whispered back. Then she winked, hoisted the bottle and crossed to Jonas with bearing worthy of a queen.
“Hey.” Erik had reappeared next to Sandra holding out another bottle. “Just in case?”
“Thanks, this is fine.” Allie grinned and followed Jonas out of the kitchen.
“Holy mother of God.” Sandra whistled silently, eyeing the bottle. “What do you do, bathe in this stuff?”
“Mmm, want to?”
“I might. I’ll tell you when it’s safe to ask me.” She had one more secret. One last one that she hadn’t planned to tell him, ever. But the conversation with Allie had changed her mind. If she wanted him to love the real her, then he needed to know what she was capable of.
“When it’s safe?” He swallowed comically. “Uh...”
“So, Erik.” She turned to face him, took hold of his collar and stood very, very close. “Would you like to stay down here, or go upstairs?”
His eyes started glazing. “Hmblerwog.”
“Upstairs? I thought so.” She took a step back, pulling him after her.
“What about glasses?” He held up the bottle.
“Glasses?” Sandra turned around at the bottom of the stairs so she wouldn’t trip going up backward. “I thought we were bathing in it.”
“Right. Right, I forgot.”
“We’ll drink from the bottle. Or from?” she ran her tongue over her mouth “?other places.”
Erik barely saved himself from tripping. “Don’t do that.”
Sandra giggled, leading him up, thinking how she’d first seen him from these stairs, how she’d been surprised by his appearance, expecting aggressive virility and instead finding this sweet, sexy man.
Whose hands were currently making a very thorough exploration of the movements of her gluteal muscles as she climbed the stairs.
Naughty boy.
She loved him that way, every way. If he loved her that way, as well, would that be enough? Could she invest her heart and soul into this man and risk being ultimately cast aside for his next conquest? Life was so much safer when she had all her lovely barriers to hide behind.
But yes, she could. People did it all the time. Normal, healthy people. If she wanted any chance to be happy she’d have to take that risk, too.
She reached the landing, marched down the hall to Erik’s bedroom, yanked down her shorts and kicked them off. Pulled her shirt over her head and threw it across the room.
Erik stood frozen in the doorway, clutching the bottle of champagne, watching her.
Off came her bra. Off came her panties. She stood naked in front of him.
“You.” She pointed to the overstuffed chair in the corner of the room, then put her arm down since her hand was trembling. “Sit there and listen to me.”
He stayed where he was for an instant, trying to read her face. What he saw must have convinced him this wasn’t a game because he nodded, put the champagne on the dresser and crossed obediently to sit. “Okay, Sandra. What’s this about?”
“I initially started this game with you because I wanted you to fall in love with me.”
“Okay. Well, it worked,” he said quietly.
“Yes, but I wanted that because I...” She took a breath and made herself continue, wrapping her arms across her chest, her eyes to the floor. “I wanted your money. I was tired of being alone and struggling, and you seemed like a nice guy, and you have plenty.”
“I see.” He spoke gently; she was too nervous to look up. “You said ‘wanted.’ Does that mean you want more than my money now?”
She looked up, then, and it was suddenly easy to talk. “Yes.”
A spark of hope lit his face. “How much more, Sandra?”
She unwound her arms, stood naked before him. “All of it,” she whispered.
The spark grew into a blaze. Erik got up from the chair and lunged toward her.
“I’ll give you all of it, baby.”
