Page 154 of Master of My Heart

“Are you enjoying yourself, Sabrina?” Kathy asked.

“Yes. This is so wonderful,” she replied enthusiastically.

Francesca smiled. “I love Phantom. We usually go to New York to see it about once a year.” She and Kathy said a brief hello to someone who walked by.

Kathy turned back to Sabrina. “How do you like living in Boston? You’ve been here a while now, correct?”

“Since the middle of September. It’s as wonderful as I remember,” she added quietly.

The men returned a few minutes later, but appeared to be deep in conversation, so after she accepted a glass of wine from Chase, she asked Kathy and Francesca about themselves. Kathy told her she met Richard at Harvard and they had four grown daughters, their youngest one in college. Since their kids were all grown, she volunteered at a local hospital. She was a stay-at-home mom when their daughters were little, and before that, she had been a nurse.

Francesca didn’t offer much more than she enjoyed being a mayor’s wife and stayed busy with city events. They had two daughters, one of whom used to be a student at the ballet school.

As they talked, Sabrina became more relaxed, but she wasn’t sure if it was her becoming more used to being around people or the alcohol. She was still nervous, but they were so friendly, she had a difficult time not enjoying herself. They invited them out for drinks after the show, but Chase declined, for which Sabrina was glad.

The lights flickered and they headed back to their seats. The second act was as magical as the first, and the beauty of it all swept her away.

After the show, they headed back to Sabrina’s apartment, not seeing the others before they left. They paused outside the apartment door.

“I had such a good time tonight, Sabrina,” Chase said in a low voice, bringing his hands down to intertwine their fingers. “I feel as if I’ve waited forever for this moment.”

“I do, too,” she agreed, just above a whisper. “Thank you for everything. It was wonderful.”

He leaned down and gently kissed her, his lips lingering. She wrapped her arms around his neck, partially for support and partially because she wanted to be close to him. His arms surrounded her, his tongue gently probing her mouth. Her heart pounded in her ears as he stroked and sucked her tongue, and she let out a soft moan. She pressed her hips against him, making him moan deep in his throat. His hand slid down to her hip and increased the pressure. His other hand tangled in her hair, pressing their mouths firmly together.

He pulled away a while later, both of them panting and staring into each other’s eyes. “Sabrina,” he said breathlessly. “God, I’ve imagined that for years.” She leaned forward to engage him again, but he leaned back and put his finger to her lips. “Wait. We need to talk.”

She pulled back, feeling chastened.

“Sabrina, if I could, I would take you inside, lock the bedroom door, and explore every inch of your delectable body, but we can’t. I can’t.”

“Why?” she asked, her voice squeaking.

“Because I’m playing for keeps. I want to marry you. I want you to be my wife. Hopefully sooner rather than later. But if that is going to happen, we have to wait.”

“Why?” she asked again.

“Because of my duties to the Brotherhood.” He cupped her cheek and kissed her gently. “We can’t be together until after we’re married. It’s one of the requirements of being an Elder-Son. It’s stupid, but it’s the rule.”

“We don’t have to tell anyone.”

“Richard would know. And he could forbid us from marrying.”

She frowned. “How is that possible? We live in a free country.”

He shook his head. “Not in the Brotherhood. Disobedience is punished. Believe me, I’ve heard stories. I don’t want that to happen to either of us.” He took her hands in his. “It will be okay, Sabrina. I promise.”

She blinked and swallowed hard. She wanted him, badly. But more than that, she wanted him the way he wanted her. He respected her. He wanted more than just sex. He wanted all of her. “Okay,” she whispered.

He stroked her cheek. “I’d better go before I lose control and ruin everything. Are you doing anything tomorrow?”

“Just class.”

“No rehearsals?”

She shook her head.

“How about I pick you up after lunch and we’ll go do something together?”

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