Page 77 of Dangerous Temptation
‘It’s new to me. I should have known.’ He cupped her chin and made her face him. ‘Why would she invest her money with your father? Why put it in her ex’s care?’
Elena shrugged. ‘That was the one thing he always seemed good at, managing money. He spent all his time at work.’
At least, as far as she remembered. She supposed that some of that time he’d actually been with the girlfriend who’d ended up as his second wife.
‘And now Yvonne manages a bakery?’
‘She likes her job.’
‘But she has no savings in the bank, nothing built up for retirement.’
Elena pulled her chin out of his grip. That was a sore point, one that still hadn’t scabbed over. After the scandal had come to light, her mother’s finances had been analysed backwards, forwards, inside and out. ‘Don’t worry about my mother. She can take care of herself.’
His thumb ran along her jawline before dropping. ‘You both can.’
He took a breath deep enough to jostle her. She clenched her thighs around him to keep from falling off. His eyes sparked, but he wrapped his arms around her protectively. Sighing, he dropped his head. ‘They know about us, Elena. There was a photographer with a long-range lens at the heliport.’
‘I know. I saw the news report that played before you got home.’
He went still. ‘And you’re OK with that?’
She threaded her fingers into his hair and massaged the tight muscles of his scalp. ‘I don’t know about OK. I don’t like the idea of my personal life being under a microscope.’
‘Personal life?’
Trust him to pick up on that part. Since coming here to New York and seeing him face the pressure of the afternoon all on his own, she’d finally accepted one thing. Their lives had become intertwined. Where one had been, there were now two. They were a couple. ‘Very personal,’ she whispered into his ear.
His head came up and his slate-coloured gaze bore into hers. ‘You didn’t want anyone to know about us.’
And trust him to remember that. Brooding and quiet meant observant. She fought not to squirm. ‘That wasn’t fair to you.’
She pointed her toes towards the floor, trying to find her balance, but they didn’t reach. She was dependent on him. ‘I’ve been selfish,’ she confessed. ‘I wanted you, but I wasn’t brave enough to face all the questions and accusations.’
‘I wanted to protect you from all that.’
‘You have. But watching you take all the heat … It’s hurting you, and that hurts me.’
That tell-tale muscle in his jaw clenched. ‘I thought you’d be gone when I got home.’
‘I’m right here.’ She wiggled closer and their chests brushed. ‘And if you haven’t noticed, I’m wearing your favourite item of clothing.’
‘I noticed.’ His hands fisted in the excess material. The hoodie was big on her, but it still crept up high on her thighs when he did that. ‘I didn’t know that you brought it with you.’
‘It was in my overnight bag, the one and only thing you allowed me to carry onto the helicopter.’
‘Good choice.’ He slid his hands up her legs and under the soft fleece. They bit into her bottom when he discovered she wasn’t wearing anything underneath.
Elena shifted, settling more comfortably into his hold. ‘I’ve become pretty proprietary about this thing. It brings back good memories.’
‘Memories of what?’
She ran her thumb over his nipple and he jerked. Her smile was soft as she let her fingers play some more. ‘Do you know what I did that first time you loaned it to me down by the lake?’
He cleared his throat. ‘What?’
‘I went home and crawled into bed.’ She kissed his collarbone. ‘And did this.’
She tugged the zipper down. Sliding her hand inside, she cupped her breast. The air began to vibrate when her other hand disappeared between her legs.
