Running From Fate (52 page)

Their twin groans of satisfaction echoed throughout the room, rivaling the sound of thunder that still
sounded
in the distance.
Their hands locked together on the rumpled sheets and they moved in tandem, establishing a rhythm that was both achingly familiar and blindingly new, but as necessary to them both as breathing.
When the climax came it wasn’t a bright explosion, but a slow, sweet pulse of pleasure that stretched on, leaving the
m
weak and sated.

When her
heart rate
had finally evened out and breathing was no longer a
struggle
, Mira scooted back and curved her body into James
’
.
He kissed her shoulder and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer.

Bound
together
, they slept.

They walked carefully around each other for the rest of the weekend, neither of them willing to test the strength of the fragile but beautiful bond that was forming between them.
Mira was very aware that something fundamental had changed
in their relationship
and it wasn’t solely caused by the intensity of their lovemaking.

It was as if a concealing veil had been banished and with it had gone all the doubts and the illusions.
She no longer saw James as a cynical, harder version of the boy she had once loved, but as a complicated, intense, exceptionally attractive man
.
And, despite his tough outer shell, she sensed a deep well of compassion and caring inside him and a yearning for love that he refused to voice.

A part of her ached to ease that yearning and give her heart to
him fully with no reservations,
but her mind urged caution.
It was for that reason she
that
found herself standing alone inside her repaired, but someh
ow empty house on Sunday night despite the fact that
James had as
ked her to spend the night.  S
he had put him off with the excuse that she had an early morning.

In reality, she was running, not from him but from the fate that seemed to be pressing down on her.
On one hand she still felt a sense of nostalgia toward her childhood dreams, but
she was a different person now—a woman with a well of experience, both good and bad, behind her.  She
didn’t like feeling
she were being pushed by some unseen force
when it came to James.
  But with the relative speed their relationship has progressed, especially since the break-up, she did.  Granted, it
was probably just her own neurotic brain creating problems where none existed, but it was still making her itchy.

When she was a child it had all seemed so simple.
She had believed that
the two of them
would grow up the best of friends
,
doing everything together and then, one day when they were older, James would turn to her, fall to his knees, and declare his undying love.
They would have a fairy tale wedding
, where her father would beam with pride and her mother would be so happy that she cried.
After
a
honeymoon
to some exotic land
they would live in a big house in Boston and she would become a famous artist while James
managed
her father’s company.

Of course, Mira mused as she toed off her shoes and unpinned her hair, nothing had worked out the way she thought i
t would.
Her parents were dead, the company was gone and, although she was sure that James
felt
something
for her, he certainly hadn’t declared his eternal love.

If she wanted to be fair though, she thought as she pulled on a nightshirt and climbed into bed, she hadn’t exactly said anything about love either.
And that, she decided, was the way it would stay at least until she was more sure of things.

But h
er resolve was tested the next morning when she
walked into work and found James
waiting for her.
She had spent an incredibly restless night
,
alert for any strange noises and haunted by dreams of a f
aceless intruder
,
and it showed
.  D
espite a liberal hand with
her cosmetics
her eyes were shadowed and drooping.
As she glanced critically at herself she realized that there was also a long run in her pantyhose, stretching from behind her knee to her ankle.
She
sighed morosely.  They
must hav
e
snagged on something
.

James on the other hand, looked gorgeous
in dark blue dress pants that
molded to his athletic frame
, giving her a nice view of his excellent ass
every time he moved.  His jacket was off and
the sleeves on his white dress shirt
were
rolled bac
k to reveal tanned forearms.  H
is beautiful dark hair
was
pulled back in a sleek tail.
Considering the fact that he never came to work with a single button undone
and she hadn’t even known he owned such a form hugging outfit, she had a
feeling he had dressed for her.  Perhaps as a reminder of what she had given up for refusing his offer last night. 

Well, she was made of sterner material and she could certainly h
and
le an attractive man without melting in a puddle at his feet. 
She took a fortifying breath and told herself that she didn’t
really
look that bad.  With her head held high
she
pulled open t
he door and entered the lobby. 
James
stepped forward and intercepted her
, reaching out to lightly grip
her shoulders.

“You look like hell,”
he
said bluntly as he critically surveyed her features.
Ignoring the interested stares of his employees as they passed by, he leaned down and place
d
a light kiss on her lips.

So much for her flagging confidence. 
Mira
knew she looked like crap, but he wasn’t actually supposed to point it out. 
“What
happened to
compliments?
”
she asked acerbically.

“All right
,
”
he sighed loudly and grabbed her hand, dragging
her past the startled receptionist.

His employees obviously weren’t used to see him act like a human, Mira decided, as she pulled back, halting their forward momentum
, but she didn’t particularly care what they thought
. 
S
he
had yet to hear a compliment and she certainly
hadn’t heard an apology.  “Well,” she prodded.

His mouth turned up, crinkling at the corners. 
“I still think
you’re
beautiful, even though you look like you haven’t slept in days.”

“I suppose that’s a bit better,
” Mira
conceded.  She
felt her cheeks heat
slightly
as they passed by Mary Beecham and the older woman winked at her.
Then they were in his office with the door shut an
d
her back
hit
its solid
surface
.

“Now,” James murmured as he cupped her face and bent down.
“It’s time for a proper greeting.”

Hi
s
mouth touched hers and her thoughts
spun away.
This kiss was nothing like the earlier
peck
.
His whole body became involved, hips grinding against her stomach,
thigh
pushing between
hers to spark tiny fires, and God, his mouth.
It ravished as
he consumed her desperate cries like a man dying from starvation.
When he finally pulled back, she was mindless
,
griping his neck like a lifeline
.

“What,” she managed to gasp, “was that about?”

“Nothing,” he replied gruffly as he let go of her and walked behind
the d
esk.
“I missed you last night.”

The admission seemed to have been dragged from him and i
f Mira’s
legs hadn’t already felt like jelly
, his words would have weakened them.
It was a miracle that she was
still standing
.
Wobbling l
ike a
drunkard, she stumbled over to
the chair in front of his desk and collapsed.
“You do realize
,” she said,
“that
after that possessive display
everyone will think we’re
a couple.”

“
So,” he brushed off her worry.  “
We are a couple.”
He
cleared his throat and determinedly pulled his eyes away from her pouting
, kiss-
reddened lips.
“As such,” he continued.
“It’s you
r
duty t
o tell me what’s wrong so
I can fix it.
Now, what happened last night?”

She crossed her legs and lifted a hand to examine her nails. 
“I’m not sure what you’re referring to.  Is it the fact that I wanted a little time alone?”

There was no way he would admit to being that needy, despite the fact that his bed had felt empty last night
and he had done his own share of tossing and turning
.
  “No
,” he said,
“
that’s not what I’m talking about.  It’s the fact that you came in looking so run down.  Are you sick?”

“I’m
perfect
. 
I
was just a little jumpy so I
had some probl
ems sleeping, but
it’s
fine. 
I can fix it myself.”  She leaned back and studied him. 
“As a couple
,” she continued, addressing his
earlier comment.
“W
e should
share our problems, but we’re both
intelligent,
competent adults.  Help should only be given when it’s asked for.
”