His Stand In (10 page)

Her inner walls pulsed and Christian gripped her tighter. He knew she was on the verge of exploding. She refused to go alone and rolled her hips in a circular motion, pushing and swirling against him until he tensed. With one final thrust, they reached their peak in unison.

Egypt collapsed against his large frame. She enjoyed the safety of his embrace as her breathing settled.

“
What has gotten into you?” He didn’t hide the elation on his face. His eyes sparkled in awe as if he were experiencing the power of electricity for the first time.

She handed him a moist wipe from his desk. “I wanted my husband, and I didn’t want to wait for it.”

“
You have no complaints here. You did catch me at an awkward time though. I have a meeting, and I am about to be late.” He adjusted his clothes as he spoke. “Can we finish this tonight?”

“
Don’t forget about our interview with the online magazine.”

“
Yeah…that.” His smile faded.

Egypt sighed. She had to open her big mouth and put a damper on things. They’d been doing nothing but interviews since the wedding. Everyone wanted to know about the happy couple and it was wearing on them.

He gave her a kiss and mouthed, “I love you,” before opening back up his office door and heading out.

Egypt glanced looked at the mirror on his back wall. Did he just say what she thought he said? “I love you?” When did that happen? Every ounce of her being knew that’s how she felt but Christian? When did happen for her and how in the world could he just drop the bomb on her and walk out?

She let out a sigh and checked her hair. Every strand was still in place. She proceeded out the door herself. What in the world had she gotten herself into? She was supposed to take the money and run at the end of the contract. Now she didn’t care about the money and hoped in the end he’d want her to stick around.

*****

Christian drove across town to his meeting. All the while his thoughts were on the small woman who’d walked into his life and consumed him. When did love come into the picture? It had snuck up on him like a thief in the night and when he said it he knew he meant it and didn’t care if she knew it too. But, fear kicked in and he ran out before daring to see the look on her face.

His mind drifted to the last woman he said, “I love you” to, Natasha. It amazed him at how he could love both women in different ways. The love for Natasha had to do with being comfortable. She represented everything he was used to…who society dictated he be with. Society provided him with a woman who cared more for all the comforts he provided than him.

After moving her in the romance dissipated. She’d rather be shopping than caring for his needs. After he put her out his mind went to focusing on the business and that’s it. Building his hotel empire left no room for women, especially money hungry ones.

Then in walked Egypt. She was the solution to his problems but more so the mending to his badly damaged heart. On every given moment she wanted nothing more than to spend time with him. Outside of almost running out his life after the TMZ debacle she’d put a smile on his face since the moment they tied the knot.

He pulled up in front of the W hotel. Business needed to be handled at that moment, but later he’d make sure he showed Egypt just how much he loved her.

Chapter Eleven

Gridlocked traffic slowed the ride, but Egypt still managed to make it home with enough time to change for their date. Christian was going out of town the next day and she’d didn’t want to risk missing a moment with him before he left. The whole date thing was his idea and while he left work early to pack she still had to finish up a few things.

She didn’t plan on being in the house long so she parked in the driveway and entered through the front door. A small Pomeranian nipped at her heels when she stepped in the foyer. The dog was purchased at Christian’s insistence a few days prior. With him being out of town he didn’t want her alone. Egypt reached down and rubbed the dog’s head. The aroma of food cooking greeted her and stopped her from entertaining their new pet.

What was Anna, their housekeeper still doing there?
Egypt had given her the day off because they’d be gone for the evening.

She walked further into the living room and spotted lit candles in the dining room next to it.

She stood there, staring at the set table they hadn’t used since she moved in the estate. They ate in the kitchen, in their offices, or in the living room, but the dining room had become a part of the décor. The white burning flames pulled her into a trance and into the room.

Moving closer, she caught sight of a bucket of ice with wine in it as the center piece instead of the vase with fresh flowers Anna managed to provide. Clanking to her left drew her attention back to the kitchen and the delicious smell of food.

“
Christian?” The food smelled so good she wasn’t sure who to expect.

“
Get settled and have a seat, love,” he replied from the other room. “And no, you can’t come in the kitchen.”

She paused a moment. This was another thing she had yet to experience with him. Who knew he even used the stove? She rushed upstairs and did a quick wash-up. Though she’d sat in an office all day and took a shower in the morning, it was his routine to wash again when she came home. She slipped into a summer dress though it was far from summer outside. It was spring and the high so far had been seventy-two degrees, but she wanted to be comfortable.

When she made her way downstairs, a smiling Christian stood in the living room, his arms held out wide. “Welcome to date night.”

He pulled out a chair for Egypt, and she took a seat. After picking up the wine glass from the setting in front of her, Christian poured her a glass of the white liquid. He handed it to her, kissed her neck, and headed back to the kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned with a covered dish. “For you, love.” He removed the top.

She smiled at how thick he turned on the charm before glancing at the dish. Her stomach growled at the pan-seared scallops with pesto and tomatoes. “When… How?”

“
Anna showed me. She made it her mission to teach me how to cook just in case she was sick or wanted to take a vacation day. In her words, microwave meals are not a proper dish for a man.”

She beamed at him and the meal. Egypt took her fingers and grabbed his collar. She pulled him close and landed a big kiss on his lips. “I’m impressed.”

He smiled at her and headed back into the kitchen. This time, he returned with his own plate of food. After taking a seat, he grabbed her hand. “Thank you for giving us a try.”

With a million dollars on the table, who wouldn’t? She thought but her heart knew better, she would. The lopsided grin he gave her was a contrast to his square jawline but served to enhance the draw she had to him. She loved him more than any man before him. The money had nothing to do with it.

She looked into his eyes, hoping he could see all the love she had for him reflected through hers. He was her soul mate. She felt it the moment she stepped into his office. Somewhere along the lines before him, love had gotten filed on the shelf with work, bills, and life. Once taken down and dusted off, it sparked and fired up just like new when she first laid eyes on Christian.

His smile widened. “I love you too. Now, please take a bite of your food before it gets cold.”

Egypt picked up her fork and selected a piece. She took a bite, and the flavors melted on her tongue. “You’ve been practicing. There is no way you got it this perfect on the first try.”

He winked at her and continued chewing on his own meal. She smiled back at him, took another bite, and washed it down with a swallow of wine. They made small talk until they were stuffed. She tried taking her plate into the kitchen, but Christian stopped her.

“
Let me. Enjoy your drink.” He refilled the glass and whisked her plate away.

She took a long swallow and held the glass. Her body relaxed in the chair. It felt great to come home to a meal prepared with love instead of by another woman. A sultry jazz tune played in the background, and she turned her attention to the living room. Christian bent over and fiddled with buttons on his tablet.

As if sensing her watching, he stood and looked in her direction. “Join me.”

She placed her glass down on the table and made her way over to him. He wrapped her in his arms and held her tight. His embraced provided all the security she ever needed. No other man had ever made her feel as he did. It was if her spirit were tethered to his.

“
Dance with me,” his voice was deep and seductive.

From conversations she knew Christian hated slow dancing. He wanted to be closer to her. She enjoyed the way he went about it. Egypt wrapped herself in his outstretched arms and took in the spicy scent of his cologne. The smell brought back memories of their first time making love. He’d worn the same cologne as was just as gentle that night as he held her in his arms now. She couldn’t ask for a kinder, more caring partner.

The music filled the room and she rested her head on his chest, listening to the rhythm of his strong heartbeat.

“
Egypt.”

She glanced into the depth of his eyes and saw passion. The candlelight flickered, reflecting off them. The many shades of green hues did a seductive dance.

His brow knitted as he gazed down at her. “I don’t care about the contract we signed. You’re my heart. I don’t want to ever let you go.” His lips covered hers, and an electric current shot down the back of her neck and to the crease of her thighs.

Christian intensified the kiss and slowly walked her to the couch. He reached down to the hymn of her dress. Egypt’s breath caught in her throat as he removed the clothing and tossed it to the floor. His hand went between her thighs, grazing the silkiness of her underwear.

“
You have on too many clothes,” she whispered against his ear before running her tongue down his neck.

He moaned as she continued to nibble at his neck. His fingers moved under the loose fitting shirt he had on. She needed to feel his skin against hers.

“
Give me a minute and I’ll take care of that for you.”

Christian grasped both her hands in one of his. She attempted to pull them free but he wasn’t having any of it. “Let’s go upstairs where we’ll be more comfortable.”

He didn’t give her a chance to object just set the alarm and pulled her up the stairs behind him. This was a side of him Egypt hadn't seen before—the dominant side. The side that let her know beyond a shadow of a doubt he was the man and he was in control and it turned her on.

As soon as they stepped foot inside her bedroom he turned and speared her with a look so hot she almost came right there. “Now I believe you were saying I had on too many clothes.”

She stood there, mesmerized as he slowly stripped off each piece of clothing until he stood in front of her naked. Her eyes roved slowly over his tall lean frame and he stood still allowing her to look her fill. Confidence oozed off of him in waves.

Egypt moved closer to him, allowing her own nakedness to match his. Christian gave a quick intake of breath and his eye lit up letting her know he liked what he saw. She walked a little straighter, her breasts thrust forward. Her nipples were pebble hard and ached to be touched. Stopping with only centimeters between them she said, “I need you.”

“
You have me,” he whispered back before swooping down and taking her mouth in his.

A few moments later he came up for air. “I can’t be another moment without you.”

“
I don’t think you need to.” She kissed her way down his chest, allowing her tongue to graze over the ridges of his muscles.

“
In that case.” He lifted her from the ground.

“
What are you doing? Put me down.”

With little to no effort he walked with her to the bed and laid her gently down on her back.

“
I’m taking you to bed so I can make love to you. That is why you chose that skimpy dress right?”

Egypt paused before answering. Maybe she was just reading too much into it. Besides he was correct. That is why she put on the dress. She’d wanted him to want her as bad as she wanted him. “Yes.”