Rose shook her head. “I’m not sure why you brought me with you to this. I should’ve just stayed in Connecticut where I belong.”
Xander stilled on the dance floor, his brow furrowed with concern. “Why would you say that? Aren’t you having a good time?”
“I am,” she sighed. “It’s fine, but you’re busy. Everyone wants to talk to you. I feel like I’m a burden.”
“You’re anything but a burden. In fact, you’re the only one here that I want to talk to. No matter what you think or how much you worry, know this—I want you here. You belong here. With me. Not just tonight, but every night.”
Rose gasped, the sound swallowed by the big-band music. Xander pressed his palm into the small of her back and began moving again, pulling her across the floor with him. She could only cling to him and follow his lead.
When the song ended, they stayed on the dance floor, Xander holding her close and looking deep into her eyes. “I don’t just want you to move to D.C., Rose. I want you to move in with me. I want us to be a family. A real family.”
* * *
Rose couldn’t breathe and it had nothing to do with the dancing. It was wonderful. Amazing. Fantastic. But it was Xander’s words that had truly thrown her for a loop.
He wanted her to move to D.C. and live with him. That meant he really was serious about going public with their relationship and with Joey’s paternity. He didn’t care about her father’s criminal past. She was just blown away. And a part of her was thrilled and relieved.
The other part of her was scared to death he was making a huge mistake. Would it really be the nonevent he believed it all to be? Was it possible that they could have the happily-ever-after she’d fantasized about? She tried to look at the bright side, but life had taught her that things didn’t always work out the way you planned.
She pushed those thoughts out of her mind and instead grasped at his tuxedo lapels with both hands. With a hard tug, she brought his mouth down to hers. She poured all of her anxiety, all of her fears, all of her excitement and anticipation into the kiss. He met her measure for measure, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing her tight against him.
“Take me home,” she said at last when their lips parted. Home, she thought. Could that beautiful town house really be her home someday?
Xander took her hand and led her through the crowd to the exit. They waited anxiously for their car to pull up out front and then rushed into the house the moment they arrived. Rose kicked off her painful shoes in the entryway, then ran barefoot up the stairs with Xander on her heels.
They burst into his bedroom together, the chase turning into a slower pursuit as Rose turned to face him. He slowly backed her across the floor until she felt her spine meet with the carved wood post of the bed.
When she stopped, Xander slipped out of his jacket and tugged off his tie. Then he knelt down. “I’m going in,” he said with a sly smile as he sought out the hem of her dress and tugged it up high enough to disappear under its layers. She felt his fingers gently stroking her upper thighs, his hot breath searing her bare skin. She braced her hands on the wooden column behind her when his fingertips grazed across the satin of her panties. She stiffened as he applied pressure to just the right spot and a bolt of pleasure shot through her.
“Oh, Z,” she whispered, her eyes fluttering closed. She felt his hands seek out the waist of her panties and gently start tugging them down the length of her legs. Rose adjusted her stance, kicking out of them and leaving herself completely bare beneath the exquisite gown.
Xander let his hands roam all over the soft skin of her legs, creeping higher and higher. She felt the flutter of his touch running along the cropped curls of her sex, then the explosion of sensation as one finger dipped deeper and stroked her aching, moist core. Her heart started racing in her chest as he pushed her closer and closer to her release.
Her orgasm was hard and intense, very nearly rocking her off her feet with the powerful spasms. Only his steady grip on her waist kept her stable until the last tremors shook her legs.
Xander climbed out from under her gown and stood to pull her into his arms. She was like a rag doll, stumbling against his hard body. She felt as if there were no more bones left in her legs. “I’ve got you,” he said. “I won’t let you fall.”
She knew that. Unlike her father, Xander meant it. Even back in school, Rose always knew she could count on Xander to be there for her. When her mother’s time was short and her father was only worried about himself, he’d been the constant in her life. She felt as if she could do anything with him beside her.