Slade stared in surprise, then burst out laughing. “You truly are amazing, Mrs. Holt. Is that all it took to win you over?”
Smiling, she came into his arms.
“I love you, beautiful,” he murmured. “I want you. I need you. Now let me show you.”
Forty-three
The carriage moved along Fifth Avenue at a brisk pace, but it couldn’t be fast enough for Sharisse. She was in a fine rage, and it was all her father’s fault. Slade, on the other hand, sat nonchalantly gazing at her from the other seat, looking as if it hardly mattered that they had been interrupted just as he lifted her in his arms to carry her to bed.
It was more than a girl should be asked to bear. She had waited a year for this man to come back into her life, a whole year of dreaming of him, yearning for him, and just when she discovered that he loved her as much as she loved him, her father ruined everything by sending over two strongarms who insisted they return to Hammond House.
Sharisse glared at Slade. “How can you just sit there? Aren’t you the least bit angry?”
Slade smiled at her display of temper. “Their timing wasn’t appreciated, but I expected them. I knew your father would do something. He was just too agreeable about my taking you. I’m sure he’s been worried about you.”
“But—”
“Once your father is assured you’re all right, we’ll find a way to be alone.”
“You promise?”
He laughed, delighted by her frankness.’ ’Come here, you.” He pulled her across the carriage onto his lap. “I can’t make love to you right now,” he whispered, “but at least I can hold you. Would it embarrass you to be fondled in an open carriage?”
“Let’s find out.” She grinned, entwining her arms around his neck as he captured her lips in a searing kiss.
Slade ended the kiss while he still could, taking a deep breath. He set her back on the seat across from him. “That wasn’t such a good idea, Sharisse.”
She smiled at his discomfort. He wasn’t sitting there so calmly anymore. And there was a light glowing in his eyes just for her. She sighed, silently urging the horses on.
She tried to think of a distraction, anything to calm her racing heart. “I don’t know if I want you living in New York, Slade. There are so many beautiful women here—”
He shook his head. “When are you going to accept the fact that no other woman can compare with your beauty?”
She glowed. “Shall we settle here, do you think?”
“For now, though I’m partial to the West. I thought about starting another horse ranch, seriously this time. What would you think of spending half the year here and the other half out West? Of course, you wouldn’t have to do the cooking and cleaning this time.”
“I think I might like that—if you relent and buy me a carriage.”
“I suppose I could tolerate one carriage. By the way, how’s Charley?”
She laughed. “He’s not jealous of me anymore, if that’s what you’re thinking. He has his own little family now.”
“He might not be jealous anymore, but I sure as hell used to be, watching him curled up on your lap being petted and coddled. You don’t know how many times I used to wish I could trade places with that cat.”
They arrived at Hammond House, and the two large men who had ridden up front jumped down quickly to escort them inside the house. But no sooner were they standing in the hallway than Slade laid a fist to the jaw of one man, then landed a punch to the gut of the other. Two more fast jabs sent both men to the marble floor.
“What the hell—?”
Sharisse turned toward her father, who was watching Slade. Slade casually straightened his clothes and said, “Just so you see that I’m not here because you decreed it, Mr. Hammond.”
Sharisse giggled nervously. “I wish you had done that back at the hotel.”
She moved into Slade’s arms and hugged him. Her eyes locked with his, and she felt a jolt of desire that forced her to move away before she forgot where she was.
“It was rather high-handed of you to interrupt our honeymoon, Father, but I appreciate your concern for me. You can see that I’m fine now.” To Slade she whispered, “I’ll wait for you in my room. You won’t have to break the door down this time.”
She ran up the stairs, leaving the men eyeing each other. Slade was surprised to see that the older man didn’t look displeased. He would have been amazed if he’d known just how delighted Marcus really was. At long last he had a son-in-law capable of taking over his businesses, capable of handling Sharisse. If not Slade, then one of the fine sons he would have would run Marcus’s empire. He had little doubt there would be sons, lots of sons. And Marcus was just stubborn enough to live long enough to train his grandsons himself.
