“Yes, ma’am.”
Alicia stepped into the main office again. A large, sprawling, industrial mess of modern commerce. Desks faced each other, full of twenty and thirty-something go-getters swapping phone calls and doing research on behalf of Danica Moreau – and Alicia, as of this morning.
They all stole looks at her as she walked across the room to her wife’s office. Alicia stopped by the receptionist’s desk in the middle of the foray to say hello again.If nothing else, none of these people will be able to say that I am anything but nice and cordial.They didn’t have to like her. She would give them something to respect, however.
She was acutely aware of Dee shadowing her a few paces away. When Alicia reached her wife’s office door, she turned andnodded in a silent agreement that Dee would stay outside with Danica’s equally alert bodyguard.
The first thing Alicia thought when she walked into the office was that she was right to have Ms. Clayborn call an interior decorator. Danica’s office was so fluidly designed and so her in taste that it made Alicia’s office look like a monastery.
The second thing she thought was that her wife was the sexiest woman alive.
She stood in front of her desk, back to her. Danica rearranged something. It wasn’t until Alicia was only a few feet away that she saw a photo of herself in her white Dior cocktail dress at the downtown courthouse. Alicia halted her steps and took in Danica’s intoxicating scent.Oh, wait. That was herself she was smelling. As of the morning after their wedding, she was stealing Danica’s perfume for herself.I figure I have that right.
“That better be my amazing wife,” Danica mumbled. She glanced over her shoulder and broadened her smile. “Oh, good. Now I don’t have to call security.”
Alicia went straight into her embrace. How could she ever deny that gravity always pulling her? “Go ahead and call them. They can’t help you when I’m ar…” Alicia’s fingers went to her reddened cheek. “What happened?” It looked like she had been slapped!
Danica winced, but did not falter in her hold. “Nothing, precious. Nothing to concern yourself with, anyway.” She pulled Alicia’s hand down and softly kissed it. “Best not to touch, though. It’s a bit sore.”
Alicia had no idea why she asked for her, but she had a gut feeling. That feeling proved correct when Danica kissed her so hard that she almost fell backward. Luckily, her grip around Alicia’s torso was too strong to let that happen.
“I missed you already,” she muttered on Alicia’s lips between kisses. When she wasn’t speaking, she was pounding Alicia withher tongue. Alicia forgot what she was even doing five minutes ago. Interior designer? For what? Ms. Clayborn who? “Why did I give you an office on the other side of the building? I’m an idiot.”
“Because you knew you would never get any work done if I was too close.” Alicia pulled on the lapel of Danica’s blouse, wishing they had enough time to fool around.Is there enough time? I’m getting damn good at the whole cunnilingus thing. I could have her done in fewer than five minutes.Oh, my, was she flushing?
She grabbed Alicia’s ass with both hands. “You’re my muse. I hope you know that.”
Alicia rubbed her nose against Danica’s cheek. The one not marred by some unknown splotch. “I can’t wait to get started.”
“Me neither.” The sordid look in Danica’s amber eyes did not convey the idea that they were thinking about the same thing. “I want to get started tonight.”
“Ah…” Something tumbled in Alicia’s stomach. Nerves, probably.
“I’ll honor your request for tomorrow night, if that’s still fine with you.”
Alicia swallowed. “Of course. Can we change the subject, though?”
She released Alicia, holding up one finger in thought. “I have a present for you, precious.” Danica snapped a folder off her desk and dangled it before Alicia’s face. “Consider it my big wedding present to you. I hope you like it. ‘Twas a bit short notice. If you don’t like it, we can find something else at a better time.”
Alicia flipped open the folder, gasping. “Danica!” Pictures of a multimillion-dollar penthouse barely registered in her mind. All she saw was their names associated with some sweet piece of property only a mile away. “You didn’t!”
“We can’t stay in a hotel forever.” Danica wrapped her arm around Alicia’s shoulders, pointing to the list of rooms andamenities in their new home. “We also can’t go back to my family home. Not with my father being as disagreeable as he is.”
Thanks to her wife, Alicia was snatched from her fantasy of making this beautiful penthouse her home.Six bedrooms and eight baths? That’s possible? Who needs so many bedrooms?“It’s gorgeous, Danica. When are we moving in?”
“Tonight.”
“What!”
“The realtor is coming by with our keys this afternoon, so to speak. I’ve already had my things removed from my family home. As of tonight, we’ll be sleeping in our new place.” She kissed Alicia’s forehead. “I hope you think it’s enough bedrooms. We have to account for guests and the possibility of many… you know.”
She doesn’t want to say it in case we jinx it.Even so, Alicia knew how badly they needed to have a certain conversation. “Danica, we need to talk about what happens if it turns out we can’t… you know.” Shit, even she couldn’t say it.
“There is time to figure that out, assuming it comes to it.” She kissed Alicia again. “We can talk about it tomorrow night at dinner. I’ve arranged for us to dine at one of my favorite places. I think you’ll like it too.”
“I’m sure I will.” Alicia eased out of her embrace, picking up the wedding photo.The first thing she did was put this on her desk.Everything had happened so quickly, from meeting to marrying, that Alicia sometimes forgot that this woman was actually in love with her. As much as she loved her? She would always be looking for signs of that. “I’ll need the break after the day you’ve already planned for me tomorrow.”
“Ah.” Danica leaned against her desk, taking the photo from her wife’s hands and putting it back next to the photo of her and her mother.That used to be in her family home. Alicia would never forget seeing that photo for the first time.Child DanicaMoreau and her unmarred mother. “Suppose that was the other reason I asked you here. I mean, I was dying to see you anyway, but we should go over tomorrow.”
