The Bachelor (Chandler Brothers 1)

How had he almost tossed this gift aside, thinking he didn’t want long-term? How had he ever thought he could be apart from her as a way of life?

He leaned over and dangled a cluster of grapes enticingly. She plucked one into her mouth with her teeth, then grinned. “You’re spoiling me.”

“That’s the point.”

“How can a girl argue with that? What’s on today’s agenda?” she asked.

They’d seen castles in Scotland and the home of the Loch Ness Monster. “I was thinking we could call the travel agent and add a quick trip to California on the way home next week.” Roman held his breath for her answer because he’d already booked the trip. Wanting more time to gauge her reaction, he’d waited before springing it on her. He could always cancel and they’d fly straight home to Yorkshire Falls, check on her mother and his, as well as the shop, before starting their life in D.C. He hoped she’d want to see everything Hollywood had to offer, but he couldn’t be sure whether the memories would still be upsetting despite the reconciliation with her father.

“I thought you’d be anxious to get home to Raina by now,” Charlotte said.

“You know as well as I do, heartburn never killed anyone.”

“Then I’d love to see Hollywood with you. Maybe Russell can give us a tour.” Her green eyes glittered with pleasure.

That was the surprise plan, but Roman didn’t reveal all now. “Maybe.”

She fell back against the pillows and laughed. “I still can’t believe the lengths your mother went to in order to get you boys married off.” She was obviously thinking of Raina’s antics again.

“Thank God I figured it out. All that tea and Maalox were the first clue she was dealing with indigestion more than a heart ailment; so were the over-the-counter acid-killing medications. But she also exhibited the classic symptoms of a bad liar.” He shook his head, remembering, “She’d never look me in the eye when I questioned her about her health, and when she thought I wasn’t around, she took the stairs like a sprint runner.” He rolled his eyes at the memory.

“Not to mention the fact that she forgot to hide her exercise clothes?”

He chuckled. Before his trip to D.C., he’d tossed in a load of laundry and found his mother’s damp sweats and T-shirt in the wash. No way he’d been looking at anything other than freshly worn exercise clothing. He’d wanted to strangle her when he put the facts together, but he’d needed his story confirmed first.

It had been easy to corner Dr. Leslie Gaines and pretend his mother had confided in him about her condition. He led the doctor to believe he knew his mother’s health problems weren’t serious, but was concerned that liquid antacid wasn’t too healthy either. Dr. Gaines had agreed that gastric reflux wasn’t as severe a problem as the heart attack they’d thought Raina had the night she was brought into the ER. The doctor assured him she was still monitoring Raina’s heart anyway, and said she’d consider stronger prescription medication for her reflux.

“How could your mother not realize she was dealing with Chandler men with inherited reporters’ instincts?” Charlotte asked.

“Because she was dealing with sons who put love and concern first and never once thought to look beyond.” Hell, if Roman hadn’t lived with her, he’d never have caught on.

“And you’re sure you’re doing the right thing not telling her you know?”

Roman grinned. “She thinks she’s got the start of a winning track record. Why ruin her good mood? Besides, once I got over the shock and anger, I paid her back, didn’t I?”

Charlotte stretched against the mattress, her lean body tempting him as much as the first time he’d laid eyes on her. “By telling her she wouldn’t be getting grandchildren anytime soon because we want time alone together first, I know. And I still feel guilty lying to her.”

“She deserves payback,” he murmured. “And I don’t know if I deserve you, but I’m going to enjoy you anyway.” He dipped his head to trail lazy kisses around her breast, teasing her with quick darts of his tongue, but never latching on to the nipple that begged for his touch, his tongue, his teeth.

Charlotte arched her back and moaned, a supplication and a plea for him to put her out of her misery and latch on to that distended tip. He’d come to know her body signals and signs well within the last few weeks and he’d never tire of learning more. “Not yet, sweetheart.”

“We need—”

“I know exactly what we need,” he said, his groin throbbing and ready to enter her slick body. He tormented her with his fingers first, gliding them between her legs and slipping one into her slick folds.

She squeezed her legs together tight, trapping his hand between her thighs and stilling any more movement. “We need to let Chase and Rick in on her condition.”