“Then don’t.”
There was so much more he longed to say. To explain. But he no longer possessed the ability. So he told her without words. He knew what she liked, what brought her the most pleasure. And he gave it to her. Each caress built, one on the other, and she clung to him as though she’d never let him go.
She trembled beneath his questing hand—the elegant line of her spine, the velveteen swell of her breast, the sweet curve of her thigh. He cupped the downy center of her passion, feeling the gathering tension and delicate quaking of a woman teetering on the verge. He drew her legs around his waist and drove slowly into her, losing himself in the delicious warmth. Her sigh of pleasure slid over him, sank deep inside to the very core of him, to that final place of coldness. With each ebb and flow, they moved ever closer. The eruption came, more powerful and overwhelming than any before.
He took her. Made her his. Let go of the final fragments of his control. When he did, the last sliver of ice melted. And in its place came love, a love he’d never anticipated or asked for. Never even thought possible.
But come it did.
Nine
Naturally, Mrs. Locke chose the worst possible time to arrive on their doorstep, descending six weeks after the birth of the puppies.
The morning started out perfectly, with Annalise in his arms still soft and trembling from the aftermath of their lovemaking. She wrapped him up in a tangle of arms and legs that held him close to the urgent beat of her heart. Though she never actually said the words, every lingering touch, every golden look, every whispered sigh, spoke of love.
Somehow she’d created a magical circle, a bountiful place more comfortable and spacious and exquisite than all the rooms in his family home combined. And in that circle she’d seeded a fertile garden where Isabella thrived. It was a place where he could loosen his grip on the chains of his restraint and reserve and simply let go. In that magical place, Madam romped and Isabella would soon speak and he belonged as he’d never belonged before.
For the first time, Jack felt hope. For the first time in more years than he could count, he’d found his way home, and he had no intention of ever losing his way again. He thrust his fingers deep into Annalise’s silken curls and combed them back from her face. She smiled up at him, the words he longed to hear glittering in the brilliance of her eyes and trembling on the rose-petal softness of her lips, hovering so close he could practically hear the whisper of them on each exhalation of her breath. And yet, they remained unspoken.
It was time to take matters into his own hands.
“I want to change the parameters of our agreement,” he stated bluntly.
Confusion clouded her gaze and a wariness settled over her. “You what?”
“I want to fire you.”
She shoved at his chest and sat up, snatching the sheet to her chest. “Fire me,” she repeated in patent disbelief. “Have you lost your mind? What about Isabella? What about CPS?”
His mouth set into a stubborn line. He reached beneath the covers and caught one silken bare leg. He gave it a sharp tug, sending her sliding back under him. “I want our marriage to be real. I want a wife. A permanent one, not a temp who’s going to leave us in two years. Isabella needs a mother, and not any mother. She needs you.”
For a brief instant she burned with happiness. The next instant it winked out of existence. “I can’t promise you that,” she stated categorically.
Had he misread her feelings? A rare panic swept through him and he clamped down on it, replacing it with every bit of strength and business acumen that he typically brought to the table whenever a deal threatened to go sour. He could handle Annalise. He’d handle her the same way he handled an unruly business transaction. He’d devastate her defenses with logic, boxing her in until she had nowhere to go other than straight into his arms.
“What’s wrong with making our marriage a real one?” he demanded. “Aren’t you happy?”
“I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life,” she conceded. “But our relationship is still new and untested. You don’t know everything about me.”
He settled on top of her, pressing her into the mattress. “That’s the nice part about marriage. You have all those years to spend unwrapping each and every layer.”
If anything his comment alarmed her even more. So much for boxing her in. One glimpse of the opening and she shied away. “What if you don’t like what you find when all the wrapping paper’s off?”
Was she kidding? “That’s not possible,” he stated quite definitely.
“Yes, Jack. It is.” She moistened her lips and he could see her agile mind marshalling her counterarguments. What he didn’t understand was why she found it necessary. “What happens if CPS decides to remove Isabella?”
Did she have any doubt? “We fight to get her back,” he answered promptly. “To prove to them—no matter how long it takes—that we love her and will do whatever we must to give her the best possible home.”
A small frown formed between her brows. “I mean … What happens to us? The entire reason we married was to provide your niece with a stable home. But what happens to our marriage if Isabella isn’t in the picture?”
“Do you think I’ll stop wanting you?”
“Yes,” she replied bluntly.
He shook his head. “That won’t happen.”
Her breath caught and she searched his face. “Are you serious? If they took Isabella away, you’d want our marriage to continue?”
“Isn’t that what you want, too?”
He could see the naked longing in her gaze, but it was tempered with caution … and something else. Something that had haunted her from the first time they’d met. Before she could reply, the door banged open and Isabella charged into the room with Madam. A tumble of puppies followed close behind. Jack glanced over his shoulder and stopped the entire menagerie in their tracks.
“That is not the proper way to enter a bedroom,” he informed her in no uncertain terms. “Please take Madam and the puppies and go outside. Knock on the door and wait until you’re invited in before opening the door. Got it?”
His niece stood there, debating whether to turn stubborn or to obey. To his relief, she spun around and shoved at Madam until the dog trotted out of the room. Then she herded the puppies. The instant the door shut behind them, Jack escaped the bed and tossed a nightgown in Annalise’s direction while he donned a pair of drawstring pants.
“I believe you still owe me an answer to my question,” he reminded his wife.
“There’s no time to discuss it right now,” she informed him.
“Tonight, then?”
She worried at that for a minute before releasing a gusty sigh and nodding. “Okay, fine. We’ll talk about it again tonight.”
For some reason, she didn’t look happy about it, and a wintry coldness swept through him. He didn’t know what secrets she kept, but he refused to lose the world she’d built for all of them. He wouldn’t be forced from paradise now that he’d finally found it.
A soft knock sounded at the door of the bedroom, putting an end to the conversation. He opened the door to Isabella who, much to his delight, threw herself into his arms. Madam followed with matronly dignity, which the barking, squabbling puppies spoiled by nipping at her heels and jumping at her tail.
In the six weeks since their birth, they’d put on size and weight at an impressive rate. The vet had been very pleased with their progress during their last checkup and pronounced dame and puppies in excellent health. Jack had already promised three of the pups to eager families of business associates, and he doubted he’d have much difficulty placing the others. He hadn’t told Isabella or Annalise, yet, but he’d already decided that they were going to keep the smallest of the six, a male who made up for his status as runt with a personality bigger than the other five combined. This one, in particular, had won all their hearts. He would also make a good companion dog for Madam.
The next hour passed in a rush as everyone pitched in to gather up the puppies and return them to the room in which they remained penned whenever they couldn’t be watched. After dressing, he, Annalise and Isabella shared their ritual family breakfast before he headed off to the office. If a hint of stiltedness existed between husband and wife, it couldn’t be helped. Whatever the cause, tonight would correct the situation. The instant they finished eating, his niece gave him a farewell kiss then made a beeline for the stairs leading to the bedrooms … and the dogs.
Jack turned to Annalise and held her gaze, forcing himself to use a hint of the ferocity that had helped him turn a small, startup import/export business into a multi-billion-dollar international success story. He aimed it straight in the direction of a lanky, golden-eyed ex-nanny with intoxicating kisses and a heart even larger than his bank account.
“Tonight,” he reminded his wife. “Cards on the table.” He didn’t phrase it as a question.
She gave a steadfast nod. “I told you we would. But, Jack—” Her voice held an unmistakable warning. “You might not like the hand I deal you.”
The doorbell sounded in the distance and his mouth twisted. “I may surprise you.”