Drake pulled the chilled bottle from the refrigerator. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you check your wazoo. Have you eaten?”
She grinned and took a seat in one of the Lucite chairs at his tiny kitchen table. “I had a snack. I’m all set for a couple hours.”
“Good. I wouldn’t want you to starve while I’m making sweet passionate love to you.”
Bliss grinned.
He handed her the glass of Chardonnay and took the other chair. “It seems we both have some things to say, but you can go first.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.” I still have to think about the right way to say, “You might be meeting a real, live goddess at any moment.”
“Okay, let’s start with an easy one. How do you know Zina is no longer a problem, and is that going to last?”
Drake almost groaned. That’s not an easy one. “Why don’t we come back to that? The explanation is a bit—confusing.”
“Oh.” Bliss took a sip of her wine and seemed to be thinking something over.
“Don’t worry. I’ll tell you everything.”
She smiled and seemed satisfied with that. “Okay. In that case, I think we’d better talk about our so-called engagement.”
“So-called?” He didn’t like the sound of that. Was she having second thoughts?
“I mean… you didn’t actually propose. You just said you wanted me in your life. My mother was the one who took that as a proposal and just assumed I’d say yes.”
“Now I’m confused. Did you want to slow down or something?”
She took another sip of wine. Maybe she needs courage?
“Please, Bliss. Just say whatever you have to say. We can figure this out if we talk and stop assuming things.”
She set her glass down. “Okay. Did you or did you not mean to propose marriage?”
“I didn’t mean to at that moment… surrounded by mostly strangers in the middle of a noisy hallway. I’m not taking it back, though.”
She smiled and looked down at her hand. Ah, she must be wondering about the ring. “I didn’t buy a ring yet, so if you want to help me pick it out…”
“Oh, yes please. I have kind of picky taste in jewelry—especially something I’m going to wear for the rest of my life.”
Whew. Drake grinned, but he still had to ask… “So, is that a ‘yes’?”
“It’s kind of fast, but… hell, yes.”
He chuckled and rose enough to lean across the table and kiss her. “There’s more where that came from, but I don’t think we’re done talking yet.”
“Not by a long shot.”
“Okay. What else did you want to know?”
“Would you be heartbroken if we didn’t go to Hawaii?”
“No. But that’s part of the prize you won, isn’t it?”
“I’m not afraid of flying, but I’m not in love with it, either. I’m sure they’ll understand if I say, ‘No, thanks. Fourteen hours in the sky is just too much.’”
“The judges will be disappointed.”
“That was just for TV. They’ve all got busy schedules and weren’t planning to attend a wedding anywhere, much less in Hawaii. Besides, if any of them really want to go, they can arrange their own vacation.”
“Boy. You’re a hard ass, aren’t you?”
She chuckled. “You’d better believe it. Still want me?”
He reached for her hand. “Very much.”
She glanced over at his bed, which he’d just made before she arrived. “So, can that explanation about Zina wait for a bit?”
“Why? What did you have in mind?” Please be too turned on to wait…
“I’m too horny to wait.”
Close enough. Drake got out of the chair so fast that he almost tipped it over. Still holding her hand, he strode to the bed and kissed her as they fell onto it.
Lying beside her again felt so right. Finally together with no threat of Zina, no cameras, and no fires to put out, it was time they stoked the fire between them.
“I love you, Bliss.”
She sighed. “I love you too.”
She stroked his jaw and then began placing little nibbling kisses along the path where her fingers had trailed.
“Bliss… I have to touch you. More of you. All of you.”
She giggled and began unbuttoning her blouse.
“I’ll do that,” he said.
She smiled and let him undress her. As soon as he’d revealed her beautiful breasts, he dove for one and sucked while he unzipped her jeans. She arched into his mouth and moaned.
“Not fair. I want you naked too.”
“I’ll get there. Don’t worry.”