Page 15 of Storm's Embrace

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“What the helldo you think you’re doing?” Eli turned his head away from Deidre’s searching mouth while pushing against her shoulders. He was careful not to hurt her, but he needed to get some space between them.

“Eli,” she complained on a low whine and stomped her foot while grabbing the back of his head. She licked a wet path from his jaw to his ear, where she whispered, “Come on. I’ve missed you.”

“This isn’t the place,” he said between clenched teeth while reaching to pry her fingers away from the death grip she had on the back collar of his shirt. It took a few tries, but he finally disentangles himself from her determined grasp and held her at arm’s length. Then he glanced at the shut door and closed his eyes. Miriam had witnessed part of that, dammit.

God, he felt like she’d just caught him cheating on her.

“Don’t worry about what your…secretary might have seen,” Deidre said with a slight chuckle, drawing his attention back to her face and patent, sultry smile. “And isn’t it obvious what I want?” She reached out and ran a finger down the front of his dress shirt, flicking each button with a long nail, all the while giving him a coy look through her lashes. “It’s been weeks since you’ve made love to me.”

Closer to two months.

Once he’d realized his growing feelings toward Miriam, it had brought his ability to continue a physical relationship with Deidre to a grinding halt. So, he’d found himself using lame excuses to start with—an early morning appointment, exhaustion, a migraine—but finally had ended up telling her they should slow things down. She hadn’t been happy, but had gone along with it, which had kind of surprised him. He’d thought—maybe hoped deep down—she would break things off with him, but, of course, she hadn’t.

So, why hadn’t he just been up front with her and broken it off himself?

For one thing, he was obviously an idiot.

Eli took in a deep breath and wrinkled his nose at Deidre’s signature exotic fragrance, when what he really wanted filling his senses was the sweet scent of vanilla.

But am I making a mistake?

He searched this beautiful, intelligent, accomplished woman’s face, lingering on the expectant smile on her glistening lips, her knowing eyes, and the confident set of her features. He needed to see something in Deidre—anything—that would tell him he was being foolish.

He felt nothing.

And whether things worked out between him and Miriam or not, he had to let Deidre know things were over. He’d been unfair to her for far too long.

However, saying things were over, and actually getting her to accept the fact, were two entirely different things. The woman didn’t understand the meaning of the word no—probably because she’d seldom heard it in her life—but it had to be said. The problem was, he’d learned during the past six months, the few times shehadbeen told no, she’d taken it as a personal challenge to get her way.

So far she was ten for ten, so to speak, in turning those noes into yeses.

“So, what? You’ve decided this would be the right time and place to remedy the situation?” He took her hands in his and shook his head when she reached for his belt. “This is my office.”

“I know.” She pulled her hands from his light grasp and walked away from him while shrugging out of her pale blue suit jacket. She draped it over the back of one of his visitor’s chairs and grinned over her shoulder. “Exciting, isn’t it?” She turned toward him and leaned her butt against his desk, then gave her hips a little wiggle. “Hmm… This desk is nice andsturdy.” Deidre winked at him and reached for the bottom of the matching silk shell she’d worn underneath. “Don’t worry. I locked the door.”

“No.”

“No?” She frowned and let go of the ends of the fabric she had pulled up over her flat belly and straightened away from the desk. “No, it’s not exciting? No, you shouldn’t worry about it? No, the desk isn’t sturdy enough? Or no, you’re denying me? Again.”

She took in a deep breath and looked up for several seconds, swallowing hard. “I’ve tried to be understanding,” she said, lowering her narrowed green gaze to his. “It’s coming up on a difficult time of year for you. I know. So, I’ve blamed this distance you’ve placed between us on that. I thought perhaps you’ve been feeling—I don’t know—some sort of guilt over letting go of your past. Whatever it was, I went along with your little puritanical—”

“Puritanical?”

“Yes, puritanical. Chaste kisses, no touching—at least no touching of places I’d found quite…” She glanced down at the front of his pants and licked her lips as her heated gaze went back to his, a flush blooming on her cheeks. “Let’s just say, impressive.” She ran her hands up her torso to cup her breasts. “If memory serves, you found parts of me just as impressive.”

It was true. He had. And he agreed. Shewasimpressive—and in more ways than just the physical. She was also exactly the kind of woman he’d gravitated toward once he’d started dating three years ago. Women nothing like Josie.

Women nothing like Miriam.

I’m definitely an idiot.

“Deidre, enough.” He motioned for her to put her hands down. She needed to stop before things went any further.

“You’re right,” she said, dropping her hands from her body and clenching her fists, the slight flush filling her cheeks darkening. “Enoughisenough.” She leveled her now steely gaze at him. “I’ve been patient with you.” He raised a brow. “Don’t look at me like that, because I’ve not only been patient, I’ve beendamnedpatient. My God, she’s been gone eight years, Eli. Eight. And since the night I met you and decided you were just the kind of man I wanted, I’ve waited.”

She took a deep breath and turned to his desk. “I’ve waited for this,” she yelled, slapping her hand on the empty space where Josie’s picture had always sat.

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