From This Moment On

He was big and hard and for a moment her brain forgot all about business. All she could think was how good it would feel to make love with him again.

And she probably would have done just that, had he not said, “It’s my fault. I kept you up too late last night, even though I knew you needed to work today.”

God, why did their mornings always have to be so awkward? It didn’t help that her phones wouldn’t stop ringing.

“I’m sorry,” she said, “I need to get that real quick just to let them know I’m on my way.”

She grabbed the phone closest to her and said, “Hi. Sorry.” She had her face in her hands as she said, “I overslept. I’ll be there really soon." She hung up. “That was Lori. She sounds really worried about—”

Her words fell away as she noticed that Marcus wasn’t in the bed anymore, that he was standing on the opposite side of the room and had already put on his pants. She was the one who should have been dressed already and heading out the door, but from the look on his face, he was clearly planning to beat her to it. She could also clearly see from his stiff body language to the regret on his face that he wanted nothing more than to walk away from her, from the incredible night they’d spent together.

Of course, right then, she had to remember what she’d asked him before falling asleep in his arms: “How about two nights instead of one?”

Nicola’s first reaction was to cringe, to feel like a pathetic idiot for having asked for more time with him. She pulled the sheet off the bed to cover herself as she stood to face the man who had brought her more pleasure than she’d even known was possible.

Only, instead of letting him leave before she embarrassed herself any further, she quickly reminded herself that everything she’d ever wanted, she’d gone for.

Despite how hard it was, how potentially mortifying, despite the huge potential hit to her pride, she knew deep inside that she and Marcus had shared something special. Not just the sex, but those sweet moments of connection, too.

She wasn’t willing just to let it all end. She wasn’t willing to let herself be pleasured and left like this.

Which was why she refused to let the nervous pace of her heartbeat keep her from moving across the room to him. His eyes darkened as she came closer, the muscles in his rigid jaw jumping as the sheet slipped further down on her chest.

She knew she could drop the sheet and get what she wanted, that his reaction to her naked curves was almost guaranteed. And it was tempting, so tempting, to be consumed by his flames of desire all over again that she almost did just that.

Only, something held her back—that voice in her head that said she wanted his decision to spend another night with her to be more than just the fact that he wanted her body beneath his again.

Not, of course, that she could see any possible future beyond the next few days with Marcus. He was all wrong for her—a businessman who was surely in the market for a wife and kids in the very near future. And she was all wrong for him—a pop star who was on a plane more days than she wasn’t.

And yet, there was emotion there between them. Even in the club that first night, something special had pulsed between them amidst the loud music and strangers. Good or bad, the artist in her simply couldn’t help but want to uncover more of it, just as she dove into the emotions of every song she’d ever written.

When she was standing barely a foot from him, she said, “I loved last night.” She made herself hold his dark, incredibly intense gaze. “I loved everything about being with you.”

Nicola moved closer before he could respond and reached up to feather her fingertips over the very sexy stubble that covered his jaw. Just that small touch had her feeling as if electricity was coursing through her veins.

“I’m going to be in town for a couple more nights for the video shoot today and a concert on Saturday night."

She wanted to press herself against him, wanted to put her lips on his. But she needed to finish what she’d started first, needed to make sure that she got more than just a couple more stolen kisses out of Marcus.

Reminding herself that direct had always been her best option, whether in business or songwriting—and hoping that it would be the same now, with the most beautiful man she’d ever known standing before her—she said, “While I’m here, I’d like to spend more time with you, Marcus. No strings for either of us. Just more of this."

She went up on her toes and softly pressed her lips to his, knowing she’d done everything she could, that she’d been completely honest with him.

Now all she could do was wait for him either to agree...or say goodbye.

* * *

Marcus’s mind was made up.

This thing he was doing with Nicola—hell, it wasn’t even a one-night stand anymore, since technically they’d spanned it out over two nights already—couldn’t go anywhere.

Yes, physically they were perfect together. He wasn’t going to lie to himself and say that he’d ever had as powerful a physical connection with any other woman in twenty years. What had happened last night with Nicola went so far beyond any response he’d ever had to a woman that he was still reeling from it.

It was nearly impossible to try and force his brain—and body—beyond that physical perfection, especially when she was standing there in front of him, sunlight streaming in through the sheer curtains to outline her curves beneath the sheet she had loosely wrapped around her naked body.