No easy way out (18 page)

He gave her a wry smile. "This didn't help." Alex pulled a
dog-eared envelope from the back pocket of his brown slacks. "It
arrived in the mail the day we had our fight."

Virginia was surprised at the Briarcliff letterhead. It was a
pleasant letter, brief and to the point. While Alex's
qualifications were impeccable, they still fell short of
Briarcliff's standards, and they could not offer him employment at
the time.

She pulled up the ottoman and sat across from him. "I hope you
won't take this the wrong way." She hesitated, with her even white
teeth capturing her lower lip. "But I think this worked out for the
best. Lots of companies have rules about husbands and wives working
together, and maybe that would help us. If we had separate
projects, we would both bring something different home at night. No
one would invade the other's work territory."

Alex massaged his jaw. "That makes a lot of sense." He cleared
his throat. "I have left SoLas. Disney offered me a job, and I took
it."

"In California?"

He shook his head. "Right here at Epcot. They are building the
largest nongovernmental array of solar collecting cells in the
world. It will provide power for the ride vehicles in the Universe
of Energy Center." Alex's knuckles gently fondled the sensitive
cord on her neck. "Is there a chance that I might call this place
home?"

Virginia turned her head. Her lips kissed the palm of his hand.
"I would love it if you would." Then suddenly she stood up, pacing
back and forth in agitation.

"Alex, I am still the same. I hate doing housework; laundry
defeats me; and my cooking . . . well ..." Her voice faltered.

"Listen, I am perfectly willing to let you run the house the way
it's easiest for you." Alex smiled encouragingly, holding out his
hand. "I should have been more cooperative. I should have helped
set tables instead of turning them. Life would have been easier for
both of us."

"We are lucky enough to be able to afford a cleaning person,"
she told him.

"I will certainly tidy up after myself," he inserted.

"We can have the laundry keep doing your shirts until they get
them right," Virginia continued. He laughed and nodded, pulling her
down onto his lap.

"About my cooking ..." She snuggled against his chest, her
fingernail teasing his earlobe. "I have been taking a course, and
I'm doing much better." She peeked shyly through her lashes. "I
built a microwave oven, and I am pleased to announce I have not
vaporized a single meal."

Alex gaped at her. "You built a microwave?" She nodded. He gave
a low chuckle, his fingers gently tugging her soft blond curls.
"Most wives buy appliances. I am very fortunate in that my wife can
build them." He looked at her inquiringly. "And what else have you
been doing these past six weeks?"

"I did get a new assignment from Briarcliff," she sighed, toying
with the buttons on his shirt. "It's really a paper one. They want
a study on SQUIDS- superconducting quantum interference devices.
I'll be doing labs down the road at NASA, writing reports. It
should keep me busy for a year." Virginia burrowed her face against
the warm curve of his neck. The spicy scent of his after-shave sent
little ripples of longing flooding to every pore. "What have you
been doing for the past month and a half?"

His hand slid beneath her shirt, kneading and caressing her
silken skin. "It took me three of those six weeks to finish up at
AVELCOMP. I ended up calling in another consultant. He made the
same suggestion you did." Alex sighed and shook his head. "I'm glad
you're not the type to say 'I told you so.' "

"Never," Virginia promised.

"Diane sends her best," he continued. "She really is one hell of
a good friend. And"-Alex cast her a sidelong glance-"a wealth of
information about you. I can understand why you're so reluctant to
have any children." His voice was low and comforting. "You really
had one hell of a childhood."

"I've been thinking about that a lot too." Virginia took a deep
breath. "My biggest fear has always been what would happen to a
baby if something should happen to us. Being raised in foster homes
or institutions is not what I want for our child." She straightened
slightly, her eyes intent. "But you've got such a wonderful family.
I know they would love and raise our baby if something happened."
Virginia smiled at him. "After we are more relaxed with each other,
more secure, more confident, I think-" She stopped. "I
know
I'd love to have your baby."

"Our baby," Alex corrected. "And I am perfectly willing to feed
and change and burp and share in raising a child."

Her blue eyes glittered a message that made him catch his
breath. "Alex, please stay in my life forever."

"You just try to make me leave," he vowed, his voice savagely
gentle. "From now on all arguments will be settled on the spot. No
door slammings, no walking out-we never go to bed mad."

"I like that," she told him matter-of-factly, a smile curving
her lips. "Especially the bed part."

"Oh, do you?" Alex returned silkily. "I assume there is a
bedroom in this charming place."

"There certainly is." Her passion-glazed eyes hungrily caressed
his face. Virginia leaned forward. Her chin fit neatly against his
as her lips moved sensuously against his mouth. "But the sofa is
much closer, and it's been such a long time."

Alex tugged her shirt free of her shoulders, tossed it on the
beige carpet, then deftly unhooked her bra. "I'm sure you won't
mind if I pick all this up later," he murmured, his lips and tongue
burning a path down the smooth curve of her throat.

Virginia cradled his dark head against her breasts. She sighed,
her body trembling under waves of happiness. "Much, much
later."