“Merroww,” Peter said, and wove gracefully between Matthew’s ankles.
“You are some piece of work, Madison. I don’t even know this guy Peter—”
“Meow?”
“And I sure as hell don’t like him, but not even Peter—”
“Mrrrow.”
“Listen, Fluffy,” Matthew said, glaring at his ankles, “I like you a lot. But you sure have an awful lot to say, for a—”
The doorbell rang. Susannah didn’t move.
“Your lover, I believe. Aren’t you going to let him in?” Matthew’s eyes grew dark. “Or does he have a key?”
The bell rang again. Matthew lifted one eyebrow, picked up the cat and headed for the living room with Susannah running after him.
“No,” she said, “wait.”
Matthew opened the door.
“Hi.”
The pizza delivery man beamed at them both.
“Got a pizza here for you, Suze,” he said, giving her a little wave, which she feebly returned. “And, of course, for Peter.”
“Charming,” Matthew said, with a killer smile. “You know them both, I see.”
“Oh, yeah. Sure. Suze orders in once a week. Always the same. Extra cheese all round, mushrooms and onions on one half, anchovies on the other.”
Matthew gave a visible shudder. “Anchovies on pizza?”
“Yeah, I know, but some folks like it that way.” The delivery man grinned. “And Petey here loves his anchovies.” He reached out, and Peter permitted himself to be petted. “Don’t you, Peter, old man?”
There was a resounding silence. Matthew stiffened, turned and stared at Susannah. She tossed her head, spun on her heel and marched into the kitchen.
She was pouring her glass of wine down the sink by the time she heard the door close and then the sound of his footsteps. If she could just get through the next few moments with some semblance of dignity…
“Madison.” Matthew’s hand fell on her shoulder.
“It’s my business, not yours, and I’m not going to explain.”
Matthew turned her around. His expression was unreadable. “And Sam? Is there a parakeet involved in this, too?”
She couldn’t help it. She laughed, and for one second, Matthew seemed to laugh, too. But then his face became inscrutable again, and so did hers.
“Sam is an old friend,” she said evenly, because what was the sense in lying? “We went to high school together. I see him whenever I go home to visit my mother. He’s smart, he’s funny, and I adore him.” She licked her lips. “And he’s gay.”
Matthew nodded. “Two men in your life. One gay and the other one…” He looked at Peter, lying contentedly in his arms, smiled a little and set the cat gently on the kitchen table. “Neutered?”
Susannah blushed. “I know this is all very amusing, Romano, but—”
Matthew bent his head and kissed her mouth. “I’m tempted to turn you over my knee and spank the daylights out of you, Madison,” he said gently.
“You just try it,” Susannah sputtered. “Because if you dare—if you dare… Why did you kiss me just now, Romano? If you really think you’re going to get me to—to sleep with you after the runaround you’ve given me the past two weeks, after knowing you’ve been waltzing around with—with that—that French piece of…”
Matthew grinned. “Careful, sweetheart. You don’t want say anything you’ll regret.” He cupped her face with his hands, tilted it to his “And you’re wrong. I don’t want you to sleep with me. I want you to make love with me.”
“As if there were a difference,” Susannah said in a shaky voice.
“There’s one hell of a difference, Madison, and you know it. A man and a woman make love when they’re in love.” His smile tilted and became so soft and sweet that she feared it might break her heart. “And that’s our situation, sweetheart. I love you, and you love me, and we certainly almost mucked things up, big time.”
“Oh, Matthew,” she whispered, “we certainly almost did.”
Matthew put his arms around Susannah and kissed her. A long time later, he lifted his head and looked into her eyes.
“There’s nothing between Bebe and me. She came on to me in Paris—she got it into her head I was some hotshot director and that I could get her a screen test. She’s here on some kind of modeling assignment, and she’s been turning up like a bad penny. That photo was taken by some paparazzo. Bebe was waiting for me outside my office. The guy got a shot of me telling her to back off.”
Susannah let out a long sigh. “I thought—I know it’s awful, but I really believed…”
“It’s my fault you did. I knew I loved you in Paris. I think I knew it the first minute I saw you. But I’ve been a bachelor for years, sweetheart.” He smiled into her eyes. “The thought of getting down on one knee and asking you to be my wife struck terror into my heart.”
Susannah’s eyes glittered. “Are you proposing to me, Romano?”
“Yes, if you’ll have me. I know we’ll have details to work out. Your career—here at CHIC, I mean—but…”
She rose on her toes and kissed his mouth.
“People read on the coast, don’t they?” she said, with a breathless laugh. “There are magazines in L.A., and publishing companies, too. It’s time I found a new challenge.”
Matthew felt like a man who’d just realized he’d spent the past two weeks holding his breath.
“Is that a yes?”
Susannah smiled. “Of course it is. I adore you, Matthew Romano I love you with all my heart. Sex isn’t just sex, not when you’re in love.”
“No,” he said. He kissed her again and then he flashed a wicked smile “It’s spectacular.”
“Mmm.” Susannah sighed as he slid his hands under her sweatshirt. “To think I’m going to have the sexiest man alive all to myself.”
Matthew swung her into his arms. “Hold that thought, Susie,” he whispered, and kissed her.
Peter watched them disappear inside the bedroom.
“Mrrow,” he said, and trotted into the living room to see about opening the pizza box. There were anchovies to be had, and lots of them, which was a darned good thing, because it looked as if his people were going to be busy for a very, very long time.
EPILOGUE
CHIC-CHAT
Dear Readers:
It’s been wonderful, working together these past months, to shape CHIC into a magazine that speaks for women like us. I’m going to miss our chats on this page, just as I’m going to miss all of you who have become my friends, but it’s time for me to move on and leave CHIC in the capable hands of your new editor-in-chief, Claire Haines. We’ve shared a lot, you and I. Together, we found the sexiest places to have dinner, the sexiest getaway hotels and the sexiest men alive. Well, I’m going to share something else with you. It’s a secret I suspect many of you already know.
Sex is wonderful. But love, and romance, are the things that make us truly happy.
By the time you read this, I’ll be married to a man I love with all my heart. I’d like to invite you to share one last moment with me. If you turn to this month’s centerfold, you’ll see our wedding picture. I ask you, ladies, isn’t my guy gorgeous?
With love always,
Susannah
Susannah Madison Romano
* * * * *
Now, read on for a tantalizing excerpt of Dani Collins’ next book,
THE MAID’S SPANISH SECRET
For sweet maid Poppy Harris, her one and only passionate experience was scorching and absolutely forbidden. She shouldn’t have succumbed to Spanish aristocrat Rico Montero’s tantalizing seduction, but his touch was all consuming…and had a nine-month consequence! Poppy believes they could never be anything more. Until Rico appears on her doorstep demanding his hidden daughter—and determined to make Poppy his wife!
Read on for a glimpse of
THE MAID’S SPANISH SECRET