Exotic Nights

He shook his head. ‘It’s beautiful.’

She undid his tie. ‘Your eyesight is dodgy from all that staring at screens.’

‘You have no idea the number of fantasies I’ve had involving that dress. All these long, lonely nights where I’ve had nothing but those pictures.’ He stole another quick kiss. ‘You have no idea how much I regret missing that wedding. I totally fell for you the minute I saw you in that bar—it was like nothing else. I should have held onto you then and there. Never let you go.’

She melted more. ‘It happened right. You were right. I needed to stand up and try. To discover what it was I wanted.’

‘And so did I.’ He turned and leaned back, landing them both on her bed. But he didn’t kiss her; instead he reached behind him, sliding his hand under the sheet and pulling out … Tiger.

Owen’s whole expression softened, the lights in his eyes warming, mouth twitching. ‘So you got him.’

She nodded. ‘He usually comes to the theatre with me but the others were joking about him and I was worried he’d go wandering.’

‘Well, sorry, tiger, there’s no room in here any more.’ He bent his arm back, about to throw him.

‘Don’t you dare!’ Bella scolded, taking the toy from him. ‘He’s been a good friend to me these past few days.’

‘Have you been cuddling him?’

‘Maybe.’ She tried to play it cool.

He grinned and took the toy from her. ‘What a good little tiger, keeping her arms occupied and scaring off any interlopers.’

‘As if I’d do that.’

‘It wasn’t you I was worried about,’ he teased. ‘It was all these showbiz boys and crew and groupies. They’ll all be panting after you.’

‘Half of them are gay.’

‘And half of them aren’t. I wanted tiger here to be the only thing in your arms. And you did a good job, didn’t you, boy? Well, I’m back now and you can go sleep somewhere else.’

He stood up and put the tiger on an armchair, facing away from the bed, slung her cardigan over him.

‘Happy now?’ His eyes were twinkling.

‘No,’ she answered—all tragedy—but she couldn’t hide the happiness any more. It burst out of her. ‘Not until you’re back here.’

He vaulted onto the bed, kissed her

and their passion, too long denied, erupted. As he rose, his strong body braced over hers, she spread her fingers wide across his chest and marvelled. She simply couldn’t believe she was going to have it all.

‘How did I get so lucky?’

‘It isn’t luck, Bella,’ he muttered as he pushed home. ‘It’s what you deserve.’ He drew closer still. ‘You deserve everything.’

She arched, reaching to meet him, wanting to give him as much as he was giving her, so that together they would have it all. And, as his murmurs of love melded to her moans, and the feeling of bliss between their bodies grew, she knew.

She’d succeeded.