Chapter Thirty-Two

It worked.

Audrey clasped her hands together to keep from throwing her arms around Dennis’s neck. Cole was still standing there scowling at them, after all. But a small bubble of joy traveled up from her heart to her lips and erupted in a giggle.

“I was hoping that would be your answer,” she said. It was an understatement, but she could fill him in on the rest later. When they were alone. The thought made her belly ripple with liquid heat.

“I want Nana and Papa.” Cole crossed his arms over his chest and glared at them both.

“Now, son.” Dennis was interrupted by the doorbell. His dark eyebrows shot up in surprise and he covered the remaining length of the hallway in a few long strides. The door opened, and a curly-haired cherub squealed.

“Miss Turner!” Olivia Sorenson, Cole’s classmate, streaked across the hall and wrapped her arms around Audrey’s thighs. Audrey wobbled a little on her too-high heels. “I’ve missed you so much!”

Audrey tapped the little girl’s button nose. “And I have missed you.”

A feminine purr from the doorway drew Audrey’s attention. Olivia’s mother, the newly divorced Ms. Sorenson, gazed at Dennis as if he were dipped in gold. Dressed in a designer white jersey sundress, Ms. Sorenson looked as brittle and expensive as ever. But her Botox injections didn’t stop her from batting her eyelashes at Dennis.

“This was such a marvelous idea,” she cooed. “So glad your nanny suggested it.” She held out her hand for Dennis to shake, and Audrey saw the distinctive glint of an emerald and the brilliant white tips of a fresh French manicure.

Dennis shook her hand politely then ushered her in. A small puzzled frown puckered the skin between his eyebrows. “Suggested what?”

“Why, a play date. Ah, here is the little boy.” Ms. Sorenson patted Cole lightly on his head, and he jerked away from her with a menacing scowl.

“I’m not supposed to let strangers touch me,” he informed her. At her embarrassed laugh, Cole frowned harder. “It’s not funny. My daddy said so.”

Dennis’s lips twitched as he smothered a grin. “Do you know anything about this, Audrey?”

“It’s news to me,” Audrey said.

Ms. Sorenson’s immobile gaze flew to Audrey. She took in Audrey’s sexy garb with a haughty glance. “Miss Turner. What a surprise.” Her tone conveyed her displeasure. “Olivia, let go of Miss Turner at once.”

“No!” Olivia squeezed Audrey’s legs harder and shook her head until her round curls danced.

“Olivia!” her mother snapped. She turned to Dennis and shook her head. “She is forever clinging to the help.”

Audrey and Dennis had joked about her being the help, but this was different. Dennis’s face tightened. “We’re fine,” Audrey said quickly, before he could defend her to one of the school parents. “Olivia was one of my most sparkly, most sunshiny students, right, Olivia?”

Audrey was rewarded with a giggle.

“Right.” Ms. Sorenson tapped a white-tipped finger on Dennis’s arm. “Now, about that play date.”

Dennis held his hands out in a gesture of surrender, dislodging Ms. Sorenson’s fingertip. “I’m at a loss. What play date?”

Ms. Sorenson laid a light hand on his arm, all four fingers curling around his flesh like talons. “My nanny said she’d arranged a play date with your nanny. I blush to admit it, but I thought I would bring Olivia myself. You know, in case you wanted some time alone.”

Though she said alone, her tone made it clear she meant alone with me.

Dennis did not respond. His mouth sagged and then Audrey saw him snap into his familiar icy stare.

Ms. Sorenson backed away from him as if she’d been scorched. “I gather there has been some miscommunication. Really, Miss Turner, I would have thought you were more organized than this.”

Dennis winced. Audrey shook her head at him, a tight, subtle gesture. Let it go. He seemed to understand. He nodded at her, then suppressed a devilish smile.

“Actually–I’m sorry, what did you say your name was?”

“Connie Sorenson. Our children are classmates. We met at the Martin’s anniversary party at the club last month.”

The expressions chased each other across Dennis’s chiseled face. Confusion. Recognition. Inspiration. Audrey even saw signs of mirth in the slight lift to his dark eyebrows and the way one corner of his mouth cocked up. But then his face settled back into a blank mask.

What is he up to?

“Connie, I apologize for my confusion. I agree, a play date is a fine idea.”

Ms. Sorenson apparently did not share Audrey’s suspicions. “Delightful.”

“Can you have Cole back by six?” Dennis crossed to the front door and held it open.

“B-but,” Ms. Sorenson stammered.

Audrey had to bite her lip to keep from giggling. So that was it. He was scheming to get her alone. “Yes, Ms. Sorenson, thank you so much. I can put the time to good use.” She accented the last two words but dared not meet Dennis’s eyes.

He made a sound that was somewhere between a gasp and a cough. He rubbed his jaw then squatted to talk to Cole. “Be good now, son. Listen to Ms. Sorenson and play nice with Olivia.”

Ms. Sorenson apparently knew better than to argue. “Come, Olivia. Cole.” She waved her manicured hands at the children, then gave a tight smile to Dennis. “I’ll bring Cole back at five. That way, we might have time for a nice chat before your dinner. There is a matter I’d like to discuss with you.” She lifted her head until her neck was stretched to its limit, then looked down her nose at Audrey. “But I can wait. I wouldn’t want to interfere with Nanny Turner’s afternoon.”

With her heels clicking and bracelets jangling, Ms. Sorenson ushered the children out the door. Dennis and Audrey called cheerful good-byes, then Dennis closed the door. He leaned against it and crossed his ankles negligently.

“Good use? Care to elaborate?” One corner of his mouth lifted in a devilish grin. Though he’d adopted a negligent pose, he was as taut and watchful as a stalking wild cat. He watched her with eyes that beamed hope and cautious disbelief.

In that instant, she knew that he really was the man for her. Her parents had been right–she knew, and the knowledge came with a suddenness that took her breath away. She knew it in the one dark lock of hair curling on his forehead. The way his elusive dimple flickered at the corner of his mouth. The way his charcoal eyes lit with warm flecks of passionate fire. She knew it the same way she knew that at any moment he would cross the floor to take her in his arms. At last. No distractions, no interruptions, and no doubts. All of it combined into one dazzling moment as Audrey fell headlong into love with the kindest, sexiest, most protective man in Chicago.

“Cat got your tongue?” He straightened up from the door and slowly–so slowly it made her skin itch–walked across the hall to her. His heels thudded on the hardwoods, echoing the drumming of her heart.

He stopped an arm’s length from her, his dark face clouding over with doubt. Come closer, she wanted to say, but her breath caught in her throat. Was he having second thoughts?

“Audrey, say something. Tell me that I am not misreading you. Tell me that this is what you want. That I am what you want.”

So cautious, as always. She smiled and shook her head. “Dennis, for once in your life, just go with the flow.”

He slid a half step closer. She could smell his warm, clean scent, like wood smoke and soap. With her eyes half-closed, she inhaled deeply.

“I’m not very good at that, am I?”

She inched a bit closer to him and tilted her head back to look up at him. “I’d give you a C.”

“But I’ve never been a C student.” He was close enough now that she could feel his breath when he spoke, a light tickle of air against her loose hair.

“Don’t worry. I’m available for private tutoring.”

He lifted one hand to cradle her cheek. His hand felt warm and tender. His fingertips caressed her with a teasing, gauzy stroke. Though he barely touched her, she felt her whole body respond. She leaned her jaw into his caress and turned her face to nuzzle his thumb.

“Ah, Audrey.” He raised his other hand and cupped her face between her palms. “I’ve waited so long for this.”

“All of two weeks.” But her tone was playful. She felt the same. Every moment had been an eternity, waiting for him to come to her.

“No, sweetheart. Much longer than that. I’ve been waiting since before I even met you.”

He bowed his head until his lips grazed hers. Lightly at first, his kiss was no more than a feather tickling her skin. But she, too, had been waiting. And she wanted to wait no more.

She parted her lips to encourage him to become bolder. But still he held himself back with that maddening self-control. Audrey darted her tongue over his lips, flicking at him, daring him.

He pulled back. “Tell me you won’t run through that door the second I let go of you.”

“I won’t run through that door. I don’t want to run from you anymore.”

“I’ll try not to do anything to make you run.” He brushed her hair back. “I only want to keep you close to me.”

She reached up to stroke his chiseled jaw, his deep-carved cheekbones. Then she reached behind his head, buried her fingers deep in his thick dark hair, and pulled his face closer to hers. He resisted, smiling that wicked grin that she sometimes thought only she had ever seen.

“More,” she said. “I want more. Don’t tease me.”

He lifted an eyebrow and twisted his wrist with a flamboyant gesture, checking his wristwatch. “We have exactly two hours and fifty-two minutes until they return. I plan on giving you more for the duration.”

Maybe all that self-control wasn’t such a bad thing after all. She sagged against him, letting her curves rest against his long hard body without pressing in to him. His hands slid down along her shoulders and traced the curve of her spine. When his fingers fanned against the small of her back, he pulled her tight against him. She felt every long, hard bit of him pushing against her belly.

At last, he bent his head and claimed her lips. This was no wine-induced, reckless gamble. This was a real kiss by a man who was at last claiming his destiny. Ruthless one instant, tender the next, he kissed her with all the pent-up passion of a man who had indeed been waiting an eternity for that moment.

The kiss, she thought, was worth the wait. And then she could think no more.