It was over soon and she gasped, “I hope—you don’t mind—but I’m going to be making up—for lost time tonight or morning—or whatever hour it is. My apologies—in advance.”

“No need to apologize, baby.” He kissed her shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere.” He shifted his hips slightly. “I like it here.”

FIFTEEN

It was raining lightly when they landed, the cloud cover heavy and dense, not a star visible, even the moon completely shrouded. Dominic carried Kate to the waiting car and left her in the warmth of the backseat while he spoke to a customs official outside.

Dominic entered the car a few minutes later and quietly asked, “Awake?”

“Sorta.”

“We’re almost there,” he said as someone shut the car door behind him. “Fifteen minutes or so.”

“I should have dressed.” Dominic had wrapped her in a gray cashmere blanket.

“I didn’t want to wake you. Pete knows me. I’ve been flying in and out of this airport for years. He checked you and your passport when I carried you out.” Dominic smiled. “He thought you were beautiful.” Leaning over, he kissed her lightly. “I couldn’t agree more.” Resting back against the seat, he glanced out the window as the car sped down the service road. “Christ, it’s good to be home. It’s been a while.”

“You didn’t like Paris?”

“It sucked without you.” He turned his head and smiled. “Now I know the meaning of an epiphany.”

“A neural blast to your brain’s circuit board?”

“No, baby.” He touched her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “I don’t have an IT mind. It means life sucks when you’re gone.” He took her hand, slid lower on the seat, stretched out his legs. “Now this I like,” he said, squeezing her hand. She wished she could speak as casually, but she was so deep in love her brain’s circuit board was shorting out, burning away reason, shaking her confidence. She was sure to make a muddle of any reply and then he’d look at her—confused, or worse, alarmed. So she just tightened her grip on his hand in acknowledgment.

He didn’t notice her silence, female acquiescence a given in his life. And he was distracted in any event, mentally running through his diminished work schedule. Realistically, he was never completely off the clock—unprecedented vacation or not.

Between leaving a number of time zones behind and erratically sleeping on the plane, Kate dozed off, sluggishly coming awake after the car came to a stop. Gradually opening her eyes, she saw Dominic leaning forward and talking quietly to the driver, the cadence of his voice softly definitive, the driver nodding in reply or answering in monosyllables. She turned her attention to her surroundings and surveyed the quiet, perfectly manicured neighborhood, the quiet, elegant street dense with villas on ocean-front lots with spectacular views—the scent of serious money in the air.

When she pushed herself up into a sitting position, Dominic quickly finished his conversation and turned with a smile. “How are you feeling? We just pulled up.”

“I’m fine,” she said drowsily. “What time is it?”

“Almost midnight.”

The back door curb-side opened.

“Evening, Nick.” A young, ponytailed man holding an umbrella leaned in. “Welcome home.”

“Thanks, Eddy. It’s good to be back. Is this an all-night rain?”

“That’s what they’re saying. No wind though, a weak front up from the south.”

“So we won’t be getting any waves?” Dominic asked, turning back to Kate, tucking the blanket around her like a sarong, leaving an end to throw around her shoulders.

“No. Maybe by the end of the week.”

“Possibilities then.” Picking up Kate, Dominic effortlessly slid out of the car.

Her stomach always did a little flip at such blatant physical strength. Some emotional regression to caveman days, she decided with an inner smile.

With Eddy holding a huge umbrella in his slack wrist protecting them from the rain, Dominic observed the courtesies. “Eddy, Katherine Hart, Katherine, my old friend Eddy O’Brian.”

Kate smiled. “Pleased to meet you.” Fortunately her blush was masked by the night. She wasn’t as capable of ignoring her state of undress as the two men.

“Pleasure’s mine,” Eddy said in his slow drawl. “Nick doesn’t get many visitors. Nice to have you here.” He turned to Dominic. “Patty’s been cooking up a storm since you called.”

“That’s why I called.” Dominic gave Eddy an oblique look. “Jet lag,” he said. “I’ll talk to you later.”

The tall, lanky young man smoothly stepped aside, then followed them up the path to the house, holding the umbrella. At the entrance, he nodded. “Door’s open. Get some rest.”

Kate’s gaze slid up the pale gray limestone-sheathed, three-story house, each level punctuated with large sash windows framed in white stone, a delicate French look to the exterior.

“Home sweet home, baby,” Dominic murmured, nudging the door open with his foot.

Then Kate experienced one of those kick-ass Hollywood movie moments because Dominic carried her over the threshold, shoved the door shut with his shoulder, came to a stop, and gently kissed her. “Good?” he whispered, as he raised his head.

“Super good.” As in stealing her heart good. “It always is with you,” she added in a flirty lilt.