Bold(26)

You’re one selfish bastard, his conscience growled.

But he couldn’t deny it. This entire day had been pure hell.

He had unconsciously looked for her time and time again. His distraction had caused him to make stupid mistakes, costing them time and earning him annoying comments from Devon about Lauren. His friend was so off the mark, that if the situation weren’t so fucked-up it would be hilarious. Of course, there wouldn’t be anything funny when his best friend discovered the truth. The thought of their friendship ending, not to mention their business relationship, shook Reece up. And then there was the fact that his occupation took him away from Whispering Cove, sometimes months at a time. What girlfriend, much less a wife, would embrace that kind of life?

Wife?

Reece swallowed hard and chanced a glance in Tabby’s direction. She nearly hugged the door as she continued to stare blindly out the window.

A little more soul-searching had him realizing that the only way he could have Tabby was by marrying her. As Devon said, she deserved nothing less.

And what about his career—his goals?

Could he throw them to the wind for a woman? Not any woman, but Tabby? Could he make that kind of commitment?

A barrage of questions with little to no answers whirled in his head as he pulled off the street, driving as close to the sultan’s tent as possible. From where he parked he could see a sliver of light shining from the split in the curtains that acted as a door. Just to show how thorough Tabby was, she had placed grommets down the seams of the door and included padlocks and keys to safeguard the items inside. Reece loved that about her. When it came to her work, she was meticulous.

He glanced again at the light spilling out of the tent. “Damn,” he grumbled.

Tabby turned to face him. “What?”

“It looks like someone has already broken into the tent. I made sure the lights were off, the locks fastened and the flaps closed before I left today.”

She reached for the door and he stopped her with a hand over hers.

“No you don’t. Let me go check first just in case someone is still there. Lock the doors. And, Tabby, don’t get out of the truck,” he instructed as he climbed quietly out of the cab.

He waited until he heard the click of the vehicle’s locking device before proceeding. As he drew closer, he heard soft music playing and remembered that Vic had hooked a DVD up, testing it before she left, but he was sure she had turned it off. Listening, he couldn’t hear any movement or voices, so he slowly inched open the curtain flap. With a quick scan he noted the place was empty and stepped inside, taking inventory. Oddly, the padlocks and a strange key ring lay upon the short-legged table in the middle of the room.

“So, is anything missing?”

Tabby’s sudden appearance behind him almost made him jump out of his skin.

“Dammit, Tabby. I told you to stay in the truck.”

But she wasn’t paying attention to him. Instead she gazed around with an expression of awe. “It’s beautiful.”

No. Tabby was beautiful.

Standing beneath a waterfall of soft blue lighting, she appeared ethereal, almost angelic. An array of elegant pillows, both large and small, multicolored scarves, jewels and the long strands of pearls and gems draping his mother’s trees shimmered, adding to the picturesque moment.

Memories of holding Tabby, parting her thighs and sinking into her warmth, made his body tighten, the pressure behind his zipper becoming uncomfortable. He knew he should leave, but his feet wouldn’t move. The temptation to touch her was too great.

Then she turned and their eyes met.

Time stretched like a strained rubber band holding them in its embrace. As if by magic, the distance between them melted away. He heard her name, a whisper on his lips. Before he knew what was happening, she was in his arms, their mouths fusing together in a rush of passion so overwhelming he couldn’t think.

It was madness, but he was powerless when his hands moved as if they had minds of their own, reaching for the hem of her T-shirt and pulling it up and over her head. Tabby cried out and his grip grew taut, drawing her so close that air wouldn’t fit between them. One hand kept her melded to him while the other smoothed up her back. Her silky skin was warm beneath his fingertips, an aphrodisiac that urged him to flick the clasp of her bra.

“No. Don’t,” she moaned breathlessly, but it was too late as the lacy material fell to the ground.

He knew he should stop, release her. Instead he trailed kisses down her neck, his tongue swirling in the hollow of her shoulder blade. “Please.” He savored the salt of her skin and inhaled the flowery scent of her feminine essence. “Say you want this—you want me.”