combing long strands of her hair away from her face. “Snow outside, cozy and warm in here, you in my arms, wild lusty love. Totally gorgeous. Best sex ever. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
“At the moment, I have to agree.”
“For the first time, I’m glad I hurt my foot. Otherwise, our paths would have never crossed. If I had passed you in the Dallas office, I would have noticed you, but I wouldn’t have gotten to know you. Not unless you had become my secretary there.”
“Not likely. This Friday night hasn’t gone according to plan.”
“It definitely changed for the better,” he whispered, showering kisses on her face and caressing her. “How about a hot tub together?”
“I think that’s a great suggestion, but I thought you had to keep your foot out of water.”
“I do. I’ve gotten very adept at hanging my foot out of the shower. I’m sure I can prop it on the edge of the tub.”
“You can’t hop into a tub,” she said, laughing.
He laughed and stood, scooping her into his arms. “I’ll carry you to a hot shower instead.”
“No,” she said, alarmed. “Zach, put me down. You’ll hurt your foot.”
“Nonsense. I carried you earlier and I didn’t hear a protest. We’ll do it this time the same way,” he said, kissing her and ending her argument.
Carrying her to a bedroom with an adjoining shower, he set her down. He had to give up showering together. As soon as they returned to bed, he pulled her into his embrace to kiss her.
Past midnight Zach held her close. “Ready now for some of Rosie’s chili?”
Emma stretched lazily, kissed his cheek and smiled at him. “I think I’ve lost my appetite.”
“I’ve found mine. Let’s go and when you smell it, you’ll probably want some. Want a glass of wine or one of my margaritas first?”
“Seems like this is the way we started the evening,” she said, wrapped in contentment. She suspected she had already complicated her life and she refused to worry about it on a wonderful night that had turned special. Tomorrow’s worries would come soon enough.
“I think you’re right.”
He stepped out of bed, went to a closet and returned wearing a navy robe. He handed her a dark brown robe. “For you, although I definitely prefer you without it.”
“No way, for dinner.”
Zach placed his arm around her shoulders as they walked to the kitchen.
“The chili has cooked on low all evening, so it’s ready,” he said, getting out a covered dish. “I’ll get our margaritas, build a fire and we’ll eat when we’re ready.”
In minutes he had drinks mixed and logs stacked to get a fire blazing. He turned out the lights, leaving just firelight and the snowy view outside.
She walked to the window. “Zach, it looks even more beautiful than earlier today. Tomorrow morning we have to build a snowman if it’s wet snow.”
“Don’t count on it. This is a cold night outside. It couldn’t be hotter in here,” he added in a husky voice.
She smiled at him. “When did you last build a snowman?”
“Probably when I was five. I don’t remember exactly, but we did when we were little. A bunch of little boys—of course, we did.”
She smiled and he walked to her, carrying their drinks.
“Here’s to the very best night ever.”
Surprised, she touched his glass with hers. “I’ll drink to that and I agree,” she said. She sipped the margarita and looked at the snow. “It’s beautiful out there, but I’m ready to sit by the fire.”
“In front of the fire is much cozier than here by cold windows.”
Tossing a bunch of pillows from the sofa to the floor in front of the fire, he held out his arm. “Come here and enjoy the warmth.”
She sat on the floor and he drew her back against him. “This is great, Zach.”
He curled a lock of her hair in his fingers. “When do you plan to go back to college?”
“I’m saving money and this job helps. I hope to start again next September. I’ll take night or Saturday classes or on the computer.”
“You can’t just take a year off to go back to college?”
“I like my job at your office. I hate to leave it.”
“I can promise you it’ll be there if you want to come back.”
She smiled at him. “Thanks, but I probably need the income, too. I don’t think I can save that much.”
“Do you have to get presents for that enormous family of yours?”
“The adults draw names. We all give to Mom and Dad. Right now we don’t draw names for the kids because there aren’t that many and they’re little, so they’re easy, but I expect the year to come when they do draw kids’ names. Our family is growing and two of us are still single.”
He took her drink and placed it on the table. One look in his eyes and her pulse jumped while he drew her to him.
“Zach,” she said with longing. Sliding her hands over his muscled shoulders, she wrapped her arms around him to kiss him as he pulled her down on the pillows.
Hours later Zach emerged from his bathroom and went to the kitchen. Emma wasn’t there and the fire was dying embers. The longer he had been with her, the more he had wanted her. Now he felt insatiable. Lovemaking should have cooled him. He had broken his own rules to avoid emotional and physical entanglements with employees. With Emma, he couldn’t turn back time and now he didn’t want to. Last night had been fantastic, red-hot and unforgettable, making him want her more than ever. He grew hot just thinking about her. She excited him beyond measure and was unbearably sexy. He hoped she didn’t expect more than he could give because she was sentimental, someone he never expected to become involved with.
She was totally the type of woman he had always avoided going out with. Always, until now. They were captives of circumstances that placed them in the same room, close proximity day and night. There were too many sparks between them to avoid fire. When had he been unable to use more control or maintain his cool resistance and good judgment?
“Here I am,” she said, coming through the door.
“You changed,” he said, looking at her jeans and thick blue sweater. “You look great.”
“I was just going to tell you that. And you also changed. I like your black sweater. And your tight jeans,” she said, wriggling her hips.
“You’ll never get dinner if you keep that up,” he said, a husky note creeping into his
