smiled in wicked humor, the satisfaction in him plainly visible. „There’s nothing I want more than for you to
hold on to me very, very tightly,“ he agreed and gathered her close again.
He didn’t leave until the early hours of the morning, grumbling about having to go home and dress for work.
Adena kissed him good-bye at the door, Max blinking sleepily beside her as he watched his comrade in arms make
lingering farewells.
„I’ll call you from the office if I can get away to meet you for lunch, all right?“ Holt brushed the tip of Adena’s brow
with a finger.
„Okay,“ she agreed gently.
„And tomorrow night we’ll have dinner at my home. You can bring Max and that way you won’t have to come back
here afterward,“ he went on deliberately.
The eyebrow he had been stroking arched faintly as Adena sensed the further commitment which lay behind his
suggestion. If he got her into the habit of staying the night it would only be a matter of time before she was moved in
completely. They both knew that Something in her rebelled unhappily at the thought of „playing house“ with Holt
Sinclair.
„My turn to bring the wine,“ was all she said.
He kissed her a reluctant good night and then he loped lightly down the steps to where the gunmetal gray Ferrari
was parked. Adena closed the door and shook her head at Max.
„I hope you know what I’m doing, Max! Because I’m not at all certain that I do!“
But she went back to bed with a sense of well-being she had never known before. Holt Sinclair was a man who
could be taught how to love. He just needed a little practice. He was far too accustomed to thinking of life as a series
of business transactions. But his lovemaking tonight had left Adena with the feeling that she could change all that She
wasn’t sure she had much choice. For her the commitment had been total.
The flowers arrived around eleven o’clock the next morning – a mass of yellow roses, which clashed delightfully
with the persimmon carpet and looked instantly at home with the rest of the decor.
Adena inhaled them with delight as she accepted them from the delivery man.
„Oh, thank you!“ she breathed as they were thrust into her arms.
„Don’t thank me,“ the young man grinned good-naturedly. „I just deliver. Someone else placed the order!“
She laughed. „I know, but messengers bringing nice things like this deserve their own reward. Speaking of
which…“ She hurried to rummage through her purse for a suitable tip.
„Thank you,“he chuckled, swinging down the steps. Adena knew she had probably overtipped but the knowledge
didn’t bother her.
The flowers could only be from Holt, she knew, and she set the beauties down on the coffee table and searched for
the card.
It was there, along with a simple white box which she hadn’t noticed at first Adena froze as she touched the
elegant little package. At once her delight in the flowers dissolved in the embers of a new emotion.
Surely he wouldn’t do this to her! Not after last night, she thought shakily. He wouldn’t pay her off with an
expensive trinket as if she were a mistress who had performed properly and was now to be rewarded!
Her fingers shook as she removed the little white box. Perhaps, she told herself desperately, perhaps it would be a
ring…? A ring which was meant to symbolize something meaningful such as an engagement? Yes, yes, she could
accept such a gift…
But she knew the box wasn’t shaped for a ring. And engagement rings were delivered in person. Her nails bit into
her palm as she sat staring at the white box.
All the warm, treasured memories of the previous evening turned cold in her mind as she looked sadly down at the
box in her lap. She didn’t want to open the deceptive little package. She didn’t want to have confirmation of her worst
fears.
There was no option, of course. The reality of what last night had meant to Holt had to be faced. He was a man
accustomed
hold on to me very, very tightly,“ he agreed and gathered her close again.
He didn’t leave until the early hours of the morning, grumbling about having to go home and dress for work.
Adena kissed him good-bye at the door, Max blinking sleepily beside her as he watched his comrade in arms make
lingering farewells.
„I’ll call you from the office if I can get away to meet you for lunch, all right?“ Holt brushed the tip of Adena’s brow
with a finger.
„Okay,“ she agreed gently.
„And tomorrow night we’ll have dinner at my home. You can bring Max and that way you won’t have to come back
here afterward,“ he went on deliberately.
The eyebrow he had been stroking arched faintly as Adena sensed the further commitment which lay behind his
suggestion. If he got her into the habit of staying the night it would only be a matter of time before she was moved in
completely. They both knew that Something in her rebelled unhappily at the thought of „playing house“ with Holt
Sinclair.
„My turn to bring the wine,“ was all she said.
He kissed her a reluctant good night and then he loped lightly down the steps to where the gunmetal gray Ferrari
was parked. Adena closed the door and shook her head at Max.
„I hope you know what I’m doing, Max! Because I’m not at all certain that I do!“
But she went back to bed with a sense of well-being she had never known before. Holt Sinclair was a man who
could be taught how to love. He just needed a little practice. He was far too accustomed to thinking of life as a series
of business transactions. But his lovemaking tonight had left Adena with the feeling that she could change all that She
wasn’t sure she had much choice. For her the commitment had been total.
The flowers arrived around eleven o’clock the next morning – a mass of yellow roses, which clashed delightfully
with the persimmon carpet and looked instantly at home with the rest of the decor.
Adena inhaled them with delight as she accepted them from the delivery man.
„Oh, thank you!“ she breathed as they were thrust into her arms.
„Don’t thank me,“ the young man grinned good-naturedly. „I just deliver. Someone else placed the order!“
She laughed. „I know, but messengers bringing nice things like this deserve their own reward. Speaking of
which…“ She hurried to rummage through her purse for a suitable tip.
„Thank you,“he chuckled, swinging down the steps. Adena knew she had probably overtipped but the knowledge
didn’t bother her.
The flowers could only be from Holt, she knew, and she set the beauties down on the coffee table and searched for
the card.
It was there, along with a simple white box which she hadn’t noticed at first Adena froze as she touched the
elegant little package. At once her delight in the flowers dissolved in the embers of a new emotion.
Surely he wouldn’t do this to her! Not after last night, she thought shakily. He wouldn’t pay her off with an
expensive trinket as if she were a mistress who had performed properly and was now to be rewarded!
Her fingers shook as she removed the little white box. Perhaps, she told herself desperately, perhaps it would be a
ring…? A ring which was meant to symbolize something meaningful such as an engagement? Yes, yes, she could
accept such a gift…
But she knew the box wasn’t shaped for a ring. And engagement rings were delivered in person. Her nails bit into
her palm as she sat staring at the white box.
All the warm, treasured memories of the previous evening turned cold in her mind as she looked sadly down at the
box in her lap. She didn’t want to open the deceptive little package. She didn’t want to have confirmation of her worst
fears.
There was no option, of course. The reality of what last night had meant to Holt had to be faced. He was a man
accustomed
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