Love Takes Time (16 page)

As if championing his announcement, Alyssa's stomach growled. She stepped back and laughed in embarrassment.

“That makes it two against one.” Sterling tossed her a wink.

“But—”

“End of discussion.”

“Well, I see you're still bossy as ever.”

“And you're stubborn. Now get the eggs and bacon out of the refrigerator.”

“We're having bacon, too?”

“There will also be no complaining. Now go.” He smacked her on the ass.

Alyssa stomped over to the fridge…but hid her smile.

Together they prepared themselves quite a feast: pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausages and buttered croissants. At the first taste of carbohydrates, Alyssa's taste buds rejoiced and went on sensory overload in an orgasmic moaning spree that was worthy of a porno star.

Sterling, uncomfortable but a bit turned on, got so carried away, he started popping blueberries into her mouth just to prolong the strange food foreplay.

Alyssa, however, was in heaven. Everything tasted so wonderful. Her body was awash with pleasure. She started laughing at herself when Sterling fed her by hand. This was gluttony at its best…but it was also fun. She needed a little fun after the week she had had.

If Tangie could just see her now.

Plus, she was really beginning to like the sound of Sterling's laughter. Its warm, rich sound had a way of wrapping around her and making her feel safe. She also liked the way his eyes danced—had his eyelashes always been that long? She couldn't remember. How was it that she never noticed he had two dimples on one cheek?

Out of all the years that she'd known him, she couldn't remember him ever laughing this much or appearing so relaxed. She was good for him.

After breakfast in the afternoon, Alyssa surprised him by asking if he was up for a game of chess.

“I never knew that you liked to play,” he said, intrigued.

“What makes you think you know everything about me?”

He laughed. “That's a good point. I'm learning a lot about you I didn't know before.” He turned thoughtful.

Alyssa eased out of her chair and into his lap. “They are all good things, right?”

His smile returned. “Right.”

“Good answer.” She wiggled her rump and slapped another kiss on him. “So are we on?”

“Why not?”

They rushed up to his library, but Sterling hesitated to reset the board.

“Who are you playing?” she asked.

“Alfred,” he said softly.

She stopped, stared at the board.

“He was kicking my ass, too.”

She laughed. “Maybe we should take a picture of the board.

He nodded and went and retrieved a camera. “I'll send you a copy.”

“You better.” She coughed.

Sterling looked at her.

“I'm fine. I'm fine,” she insisted. “Let's play.”

She curled up into one of the leather chairs while Sterling picked up a book. “Oh, I took that down last night. I was going to read it.”

“Your father gave me this book,” he said, smiling.

“It was his favorite.”

“And one of mine,” he said.

They glanced at each other.

“Ready to get your ass beat?” she challenged.

“Oooh. Trash talk. I'm sooo scared.”

“You better be.”

Chess is not a fast game and for the next few hours, the new lovers remained hunched over Sterling's beloved board engaged in mental combat. Alyssa could tell by the twinkle in his eyes and the lines of concentration in his forehead that Sterling was more than impressed.

What made the day fun were stories they continued to share about her father. Most of them were heartwarming, the others were downright hilarious.

“I really did enjoy growing up on your parents' estate,” she confessed. “I have nothing but great memories.”

“You mean when you were always chasing after my brother?” Sterling closed his eyes and mentally kicked himself.

“Who knew I was chasing the wrong brother?” she countered.

Sterling looked up and saw her heart shining in her eyes. As much as he had enjoyed the last couple of days, he couldn't help but feel his age around her. “Yeah. Who knew?”

As the day breezed by and evening encroached, Alyssa's cough grew worse.

Sterling checked her temperature and shook his head. “I think we better get you to bed.”

“But the game,” she croaked. Her voice was a raspy version of itself.

Sterling stood and plucked her out of her chair. “We can finish it some other time.”

She started coughing again. Her entire body bounced in his arms. “But I
never
get sick.”

“Welcome to the club.”

Alyssa laid her head against his chest and sighed.

When he entered his bedroom, he made a beeline straight to the bed. Within seconds he had her all tucked in, snug as a bug.

“Okay. So I'm sick,” she relented.

“It's about time you admit it.”

She smiled, but then poked out her bottom lip.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I'm cold,” she whined. “I think I'm going to need some body heat to warm me up.”

He laughed. “Is that right?”

She nodded and pulled back the covers.

Sterling shook his head, but he climbed in anyway. “All right, but no funny stuff.”

“No funny stuff.” Alyssa snuggled close, but slid her hand down his pants. “But definitely some
fun
stuff.”

F
or the next week Sterling and Alyssa locked out the outside world and lost themselves in their own reality. After the first twenty-four hours, Alyssa's mild cold disappeared—a phenomena that she attributed to their extensive exercise. It turned out that sex does a body good.

The rest of the time she made sure to erase any and all doubts that she detected Sterling was having about their new relationship. To her, age was nothing but a number. For him, she suspected that it was a major problem. So she needed Sterling to think as little as possible. She just wanted them both to feel—to get lost in the moment. As the days passed and they shared laughter as well as so many tender moments,
Alyssa convinced herself that she was winning the war for Sterling's heart.

Their age difference be damned, which was why she decided that they spend this night making love before the fireplace. Cradled into her favorite sixty-nine position, Alyssa took hold of Sterling's rock-hard shaft and tilted it toward her watery mouth. Just barely holding back from devouring him whole, she first ran her tongue around the wide tip and then watched how the muscles in his legs jumped. At the same time, she could feel his strong hands spread her open a second before his warm tongue dipped inside for a taste. She undoubtedly drenched his mouth and chin with her body's thick honey.

She moaned and then rewarded him by sinking a few more inches of his shaft into her mouth and bobbing back up. Greedy for more, his hips strained upward. With a smile, she went back down and set an even pace. Meanwhile, Sterling continued to lick her glistening sweetness until Alyssa quivered and struggled to remain on her knees. In fact that was the game he played in his head. He wanted her to come so hard that she wouldn't be able to stay upright. Even though her mouth felt good, his own orgasm wasn't important. For Sterling, it was all about giving Alyssa what she needed.

She pushed back against his face, groaning as he devoured her. But it wasn't all in his control. Alyssa worked her own magic. His cock was stretched
harder than he could ever remember. He doubled his efforts. She had to come before him.

Alyssa gasped in between head bobs, but she could already feel her back loosen while her flesh quivered against his open mouth. Finally she couldn't take it anymore and she had to allow his shaft to spring free from her mouth as she came unglued and collapsed against Sterling's muscled chest.

Minutes later, they curled themselves up in front of the fire. “You know, sooner or later we're going to have to leave this house,” Sterling said as he lazily stroked her full breast. “Real life is waiting.”

Alyssa sighed. “I like this life much better.”

His low laughter rumbled against the curve of her neck. “It is nice.” He kissed the back of her neck. “But we both have jobs to get back to. My office is blowing up my phone and your agent is calling all the time.”

“Sounds like you're trying to get rid of me.”

“Of course not.” Another kiss. “I'm just saying that it's time to get back to the real world.”

Alyssa twitched her nose at him. “Tangie has everything under control. Besides, it's New Year's.” She rolled over onto her back and stared up at him. “I can't think of anyone else I'd rather bring the year in with.”

He smiled. “I couldn't agree more.”

The orange glow highlighted Sterling's beautiful chiseled features. At these quiet moments, Alyssa couldn't suppress the suspicion that she'd always loved this man somehow. Whether it was the quiet rescue of her when she was being towed away in the
back of a limousine or getting her father to let her attend Jonas and Toni's wedding. There was a natural comfort between them—a natural flow of love that seemed to have always existed.

Plus, there was something about the way he looked at her that made her feel more beautiful than any highfashion, celebrity photographer or any glossy magazine cover. This wasn't like the silly childhood crush she'd once had on Quentin. This was a woman's love. She didn't just want to spend her days and nights making love to him. She wanted to take care of him. She wanted a future with him. She wanted…everything.

As she snuggled closer, enveloping herself in his scent, she thought about last night when she woke in the middle of the night and stole a few minutes to watch him sleep. It scared her just how strong her feelings were for him. How could true love have been so close and her not recognize it?

“What are you thinking so hard about?” he asked, smiling.

“Us,” she admitted.

Though he continued to smile, she caught doubt flicker across his features. “What about us?” His hand descended to brush across her flat belly.

Alyssa gently covered his hand with hers and waited until their gazes locked again. When they did, she confessed, “I'm happy about us.”

More doubt crossed his features and forced steel into her spine to ask, “Aren't you?”

Instead of answering, Sterling asked his own
question. “Have you considered that what happened between us here this past week has just been lightning in a bottle—our paths crossing at a time when we were both vulnerable?”

Though she should have been prepared, the question threw her off guard. “Of course not.”

Sterling continued down the same path, though his gaze shifted. “You just suffered a terrible loss, Alyssa.”

“And what—I turned to you because I needed a father figure?” Her forced laugh held a note of sarcasm.

“Maybe.”

“That's bullshit.” She sat up while tears burned the backs of her eyes. “I made love to you because…because I was attracted to you. I knew exactly what I was doing.”

Sterling remained calm and cool. “And when did this sudden attraction take place?” he challenged gently. “A week ago, a year ago—ten years ago?”

“Why are you doing this?” Alyssa's dread was slowly turning to anger.

“I'm just saying that maybe we really need to evaluate what's going on here.” The strict, stiff, nononsense Sterling Hinton was back…and Alyssa wasn't too happy about that.

“Evaluating,” she repeated, climbing up onto her feet and marching over to his discarded T-shirt. She jerked it on. “You know what your problem is, Sterling?”

“I'm sure you're about to tell me,” he said, sitting up.

“You
evaluate
too much. You
think
too much.”

“And that's wrong?”

“Yes!”

He chuckled. “And here I thought that I was just being honest with you.”

“Why is it so hard for you to believe that I've fallen in love with you?” she challenged.

He exploded up off the floor. “Because up until a week ago you were
attracted
to Quentin!”

“That was back when I was a kid!”

“Really? Because you looked pretty damn grown-up when you were waiting for him that night out in the solarium,” he yelled.

Alyssa blinked in the face of his anger.

“You went there that night even though you
knew
that he was engaged,” he accused. “Admit it. You loved Quentin your whole life.”

“What are you—jealous?”

“You know what—just forget it. I should have never brought it up.” He leaned down and snatched up the blanket and pillow they had sprawled out across the floor.

“Wait a minute, Sterling.” She walked over and grabbed his arm. “Talk to me.”

“Fine. If you think you can handle it,” he said. “Why wouldn't I believe that you still have a thing for Quentin? What if he popped up here right now and said that he wanted you? Would you dump me for him?”

“What in the hell are you talking about?” She
released his arm and stared as if he'd lost his mind. “Where is this coming from?”

“Answer the question!”

“I'm not going to answer something that damn juvenile. You're talking crazy.”

“Face it,” he snapped. “I'm just your damn consolation prize.” He stormed out of the living room. “I'm going to bed.”

“Sterling?”

“Good night.”

Astonished, Alyssa stood in the center of the living room, blinking after him.
What in the hell just happened?
She replayed the whole argument in her head and still couldn't come up with an answer. The whole thing was ridiculous. If Quentin wanted her? What kind of question was that?

If he couldn't understand the difference between a childhood crush and what was happening now, what was she supposed to do? Frowning, she walked over to the coffee table and poured herself a glass of wine. Maybe they just needed a few minutes to calm down.

She tilted up the glass and then downed the contents in one long gulp. After she reviewed the argument a third and then fourth time, she calmed down and saw the truth. Sterling
was
jealous.

Now she felt flattered.

Alyssa couldn't change the past, but she could reassure him about how she felt now. That was all that he was asking for. She laughed at herself. Of course. His ego just needed reassurance. She took a
couple more sips of wine straight from the bottle and then went upstairs in search of her brooding lover.

She found him in the shower. Smiling, she opened the glass door without an invitation and then gave her man something he could feel.

 

At long last, Sterling returned to work. When he first strolled through the office building's glass doors, he garnered quite a few stares, not because it had been so long since anyone had seen him, but because he was whistling. By the time he reached the elevator, he was humming. When he reached his floor, he was singing.

Settling behind his desk, his reliable right-hand man, Dalton Walker, scurried in, pushing his Clark Kent–like glasses up his nose.

“Welcome back.”

“Glad to be back.”

Dalton nodded and smiled. “Nice little ditty you're singing there. Pick that up in the sick ward, did you?”

Sterling's smile only stretched wider. “Let's just say that I had one hell of a nurse.”

Dalton's eyebrows spiked. “Lucky bastard.”

“That I am.” He glanced around his desk. “So what did I miss?”

“A lot. I'll have my assistant forward you updated reports,” he said, heading back out the door in time for Sterling's assistant, Beverly Jones, to rush in. “I just forwarded you your messages. You had a few deliveries come in while you were gone. This one
wasn't business related.” She handed over a FedEx package. “It came a week ago.”

“What is it?”

She shrugged. “Came from an attorney's office. Looks like someone left you something.”

Sterling frowned.

“And I have your brother on line one.”

“Which brother?”

“The annoying one.”

Sterling rolled his eyes. “Tell him I'm not in.”

“Too late. I already told him that you were here,” she said, heading back out of his office. “I'm glad, too. He's been calling every day.”

“Oh, joy.”

“Glad to see that we're on the same page.”

Sterling set the FedEx envelope down and picked up the waiting call. “Hey, Q. What's up?”

“You tell me,” Q laughed. “You and your secret girlfriend been holed up for a long time. I was beginning to think that I needed to send the fire department to break you out of there.”

“Thanks for the concern, bro.”

“Yeah. Whatever. Oh, don't worry about giving me Alice's phone number.”

“Oh?” This was a surprise. “Yeah. I tracked down Alfred's widow, Estelle, and got the number from her.”

Sterling didn't like the sound of that.

“I left her a message so I'm just sitting and waiting. Wish me luck.”

Sterling wasn't about to do any such thing. “Look, bro. I have to get going. I'll call you later.”

“Yeah. All right. Maybe we'll hook up for drinks this week.”

“Sounds good.” Sterling rushed off the phone and then slumped back in his chair. What the hell was he doing? This whole thing had the potential to blow up in his face.

Big-time.

His gaze fell on the FedEx envelope and he picked it up. It was from an attorney's office. One he had never heard of before. He scanned the contents. It was from Alfred's attorney. Apparently, Alfred had forwarded a letter to him. He checked the FedEx package again and noticed another envelope in there. He hesitated for a moment and then opened it.