Page 55 of Dangerous Passion

“Okay,” she whispered. She’d closed her eyes to concentrate on the feel of him in her hand and on what was happening with her body. She opened her hand and felt his lift from hers. A sigh and then he stood. He moved so silently she heard nothing. It was only when she heard the big door close that she realized he was gone.

Grace tipped her head back, eyes still closed, and simply concentrated on her senses. She’d ended up following Drake’s order and hadn’t put on any of the amazing collection of underwear she’d found in those boxes. The clothes she’d found had been exquisite, exactly the kind of clothes she would buy for herself if she had the money.

The underwear, on the other hand … Well, wow. She’d never have had the nerve to buy what she found in those fancy boxes.

Used to being on a tight budget, her underwear was plain, comfortable white stretchy cotton. A world away from the frothy silk and lace confections she’d found, incredibly sexy and revealing.

She’d pulled the lingerie from their boxes like Gatsby pulling out his shirts. No plain white cotton, in these elaborately wrapped packages. None. Instead, all the colors of the rainbow.

Pink, lilac, pale yellow, taupe, teal, mint … the colors were simply exquisite. Every frothy piece looked delectable enough to eat. Bras, panties, teddies, silk jersey tank tops, camis and tap pants and tee shirts and … slips! Whoever had done the shopping had old fashioned tastes because there wereslipsincluded. Grace had never worn a slip in her life. Her mother had never worn a slip. Slips were things people wore long ago, in movies. While carrying long cigarette holders and exchanging witty dialogue with someone like Cary Grant in a huge white bedroom.

She was tempted, though, fingering the fine satin slips with the lace bodices.

In the end, while choosing between a teal La Perla bra and pantie set with lace insets and a gorgeous satin cami and tap pant duo, his words had came back to her.Don’t wear underwear.The silk, satin and lace just slipped from her nerveless fingers as she remembered him touching her. Remembering the feel of his hands on her. And suddenly another layer of clothes felt stifling and constricting.

So she’d gone without these past days. Her nakedness wasn’t visible of course, under the cashmere sweaters and soft wool pants. But she knew, and so did he. She felt everything so keenly against her skin.

Grace concentrated on what her senses were telling her, right now.

The softness of the sweater was a caress against her breasts. She was slightly wet between her thighs from fondling Drake. Without panties on, the wetness was as tangible against the sensitive skin as a kiss of cool air.

It was hard to feel the danger lurking just outside, because against all the odds, right now she felt so very safe and warm. Not just because she was in a fortress guarded by a small army of men but because there was … Drake.

He was the reason she was in danger. He was the reason no one would harm her.Couldharm her.

Sitting on that magnificently comfortable couch, head tilted back, eyes closed, listening to the roar and crackle of the fire, Grace pondered her situation.

It had been clear to her from childhood that there were forces loose in the world much more powerful than she was. Forces that were indifferent at best, and at times even hostile to her. She wasn’t a child any more, and could to a certain degree defend herself, or at least take precautions. But by the same token she also knew she was not a powerful person, able to cut a swathe through life.

All she had wanted was to be left alone to paint, she asked for nothing more. And if that meant a life that was a little lonely, so be it. It was all she had asked for.

Even that, now, was taken away from her, in that same whirlwind that had blown her into Drake’s arms. She wasn’t powerful but he certainly was, in every way there was.

Denying it was stupid, fighting it wouldn’t help. She was in Drake’s hands. Completely and utterly.

It was a good thing those hands looked so huge and strong. And it was an even better thing that they were protecting her.

There was absolutely nothing she could do about any of it.

It was like a little surrender, there on the comfortable couch.

Chapter Twelve

November 23

Ahuge, complex mechanism was being set in motion.

There was some pain. Less than Drake would have thought, but still. After all, he was destroying a lifetime of work, everything he had built since he was a homeless boy on the streets of Odessa.

Drake had spent the past 25 years becoming stronger, faster, bigger and more powerful than anyone else. He’d sweated for his empire, bled for it, killed for it. And now it was going to crumble like sand and disappear down a hole.

Drake had turned it over and over in his mind, wondering whether what he was doing was too drastic, but in the end it came down to a stark truth. He could keep his life as it was, or he could keep Grace, but not both.

As long as he headed his empire, there would be men wanting to kill him. Once word got out that he had a weak spot, Grace’s days were over. It wouldn’t even be a quick kill, oh no.

It was the most terrifying thought in the world.

Long ago, Drake had made his peace with the thought of his own violent death. It seemed to him to be the only way he could die. The only question was when. To a certain extent, the thought didn’t even bother him that much, he’d been used to it since childhood.

---