Ella put her fingers across his lips, whispering, “Yes. The answer to all of your questions is yes.” She moved his hand lower, placing it over her stomach. “I have a present for you and I brought it with me.”
He looked down at her and it took a moment for her meaning to sink in. He reverently lifted her shirt and looked in awe at her still-flat stomach. When he looked up at her, she nodded her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. He placed his lips against her stomach and she ran her fingers through his hair, holding him against her. Pulling back he gave her a wicked grin, “I guess it only takes one time, huh?”
She burst out laughing thinking of the night they had been out of condoms. She stopped taking the pill after they were married because they wanted to start a family in another year or two.
One night when things were hot and heavy, Declan reached for a condom. They were horrified to find the box empty. Declan’s famous words at the time were, “Just one time isn’t going to hurt, right?” She was so hot for him at that point, that she would have agreed to anything.
Ruffling his hair, she said, “Sometimes, once is all it takes.”
Then Declan pulled her into his arms and they started christening every room in their new home.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A huge thank-you to all of you who have embraced the Danvers series and continue to support it so enthusiastically. I am so touched by your letters and your comments on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks for keeping me going and not letting me slack off!
A special note of thanks to my dream team. My agent, Jane Dystel, who has been a constant source of invaluable information and support and my editor, Kerry Donovan, who turns my vision into a work of art. It is always such a pleasure working with you both.
Now that you’ve enjoyed the latest book in the Danvers series, don’t miss WEEKENDS REQUIRED, where it all began for Claire and Jason! Keep reading for a special preview.
WEEKENDS REQUIRED is available now from Signet
“Holy smoking buns, a butt like his should be illegal.” Claire looked up in time to see the object of her coworker and best friend’s admiration walk past their table in the cafeteria. Jason Danvers truly did have a butt to admire. At well over six feet tall with dark brown hair that tended to curl up at the ends, compelling ice-blue eyes that looked right through you and a rugged and tanned, athletic build, Jason Danvers was very hard to ignore. His presence always seemed to dominate a room. His every movement impatient, Jason never seemed to relax. Every lady in the cafeteria was craning her neck to get a better look.
“Suzy, keep it down before Mr. Smoking Buns hears you.”
“Oh, puleeze. Don’t tell me the drool isn’t pooling in your mouth as we speak.”
“Suz, you’re too much—what’s Jeff going to do with you?”
“Well, I don’t know what Jeff has in mind, but I’ve got thoughts of handcuffs and whipped cream, myself.”
Claire had met Suzy on her first day at Danvers International, and it hadn’t taken long to form a bond with the outspoken, flashy, and hopelessly sex obsessed wisecracker. Suzy was what every little girl wanted to grow up to be: gorgeous and confident. With long dark red hair, a tall, slim build with curves in all the right places, Suzy loved pushing the fashion envelope at the office. She handled special events for Danvers International and, as she often told anyone who would listen, she was damn good at her job.
Her boss had long ago given up trying to stress the importance of the professional dress code to her and now suffered in silence when Suzy showed up for work in various forms of leather and lace or neon-colored T-shirts with catchy slogans. Claire suspected that Suzy was so beautiful that no one actually cared what she wore, as long as they could admire her every day.
Claire considered today to be a subdued day for Suzy, wearing only a blue-jean miniskirt and a rainbow-colored shirt with a peace sign on it. She often wondered how they’d bonded so quickly. Suzy had a colorful and sexy fashion style, to say the least. Claire preferred a more tailored look. Classic slacks and tops or pencil skirts in neutral tones were her usual work attire. Whereas Suzy favored I’ve-just-had-hot-sex hair, Claire’s tresses were long, auburn, and tended to curl when loose, so for the most part she kept her hair pulled back from her face in a discrete ponytail.
Suzy also loved the tanning salons, even though Claire often lectured her on the dangers of that particular pastime. Wherever they went, men stopped to stare at Suzy, and Claire might as well be a picture on the wall or a potted plant for all the attention they paid to her. Suzy always begged Claire to let her do a makeover. Claire shuddered at the thought.
“I don’t know how you work so closely with him without attacking him.”
“I value my job, and I just don’t think of him in that way—or any man for that matter right now.”
“You’re way too uptight. Live a little, Claire. You might actually enjoy it.”
Thankfully, Suzy seemed to run out of steam in a relatively short time with her “live a little” pep talk, and packed up her tray. “Want to catch a movie later or check out the new bar on the corner?” Suzy asked.
“I’ve got to run over to mom’s to pay her bills for the month.”
“One day you’re going to have a wild moment, and I hope I’m still young enough to appreciate it,” Suzy said with a dramatic sigh. “Okay, catch ya later—and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do with Hot Buns.”
No matter what the differences between them, Suzy was a breath of fresh air in Claire’s otherwise dull daytime routine. She laughed under her breath and thought to herself, If Suzy had any idea what I was doing last night she would probably die of a heart attack on the spot. She hoped that would be over before anyone ever knew the lengths she was forced to go through to pay her mother’s medical bills. She gathered up her own tray and headed to the front to drop it off.
“How’re you doing today, my love?” George asked. George had been with Danvers running the cafeteria for thirty years, hired back in the day Marshall Danvers, Jason’s father, started the company. George always had a smile for everyone and, in truth, a soft spot for Claire.
“I’m good, George. Thanks for asking.”
“When are you going to let me take you away from all this?”
“Now, what in the world would Sara say, George?” Sara was George’s lady friend, as he called her, and the two were just a perfect match.
“Sara would understand if I had to trade up. We got an understanding.”
“George, you wouldn’t even know how to get up in the morning without Sara. You better hold on to her with both hands. She’s a keeper.”
“That’s true, but a guy can dream, right?”
“You’re hopeless, George. You have a good day.”
“You too, love. See you tomorrow.”
Claire walked down the hall to the elevator bank. No corners were cut with the decor of Danvers International. Everything here was gleaming: white marble floors, soft off-white walls, and stainless steel elevators with mahogany walls inside. As she stepped into the elevator she once again forced herself to remain calm. Confronting her fear of enclosed spaces was what forced her to take the elevator every day instead of the stairs. While the stairs might be better for her physically, conquering her claustrophobia was far more important.
Danvers International was a huge glass-and-steel building with twenty-five floors. Jason Danvers’ office was on the twenty-third floor, and his personal space was on the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth floors. The door to Jason’s large office was closed, as usual. Putting away her purse in the bottom drawer of her desk, she settled into her chair in the reception area.