Flames of Attraction

chapter 9



The following week Olivia kept busy by attending several functions with her father. She had decided not to discuss her conversation with Cathy with him. Instead, she would meet with her brothers and get their take on the matter when they came to town later that week.

She had to catch her breath whenever she thought of the times she and Reggie had spent together, especially on Saturday night. On Wednesday he had called and asked her to have a midday snack with him at Chase’s Place. It was then that she had met Chase’s wife, Jessica, who was expecting the couple’s first child. Jessica, who liked to bake, had treated her to a batch of brownies, which had been delicious. Olivia wondered what Reggie had told Chase and Jessica about their relationship, and if they knew that she was the daughter of his opponent in the Senate race.

Olivia couldn’t help but note over the past few days that her father seemed excited about this weekend. He would have his three children home to attend the huge barbecue that was being planned for all the candidates on Saturday evening.

Tonight she would attend yet another political function with her father. All the candidates would be there. She and Reggie would have to pretend they barely knew each other. They had talked about it on Wednesday, and she knew he wasn’t overjoyed at the thought of that, but he had promised to abide by her wishes. She wasn’t crazy about them sneaking around to see each other, either, but under the circumstances, it was something they had to do.

She smiled as she continued to get dressed, thinking that sneaking around did have its benefits. It made them appreciate the time they were together, and they always found ways to put it to good use. It would be hard tonight to see him and not go over to him and claim him as hers. And a part of her felt that he was hers. Whenever they were together, he would use his mouth to stamp his brand all over her, and she would do likewise with him.

She tried not to think about the day when the campaign would finally be over and she would have to return to Paris. She was even thinking about calling the Louvre to see if she could extend her leave for a couple more weeks. She wanted to be able to be with him in the open after the election. She didn’t want to think about how he and her father would feel about each other then, depending on which one of them was victorious.

She glanced at her watch. She needed to hurry, because the last thing she wanted was to make her father late to a campaign event. Besides, although she had just seen Reggie yesterday, she was eager to see him again.

* * *

Reggie clung to his patience when he glanced at the entrance to the ballroom. He had thought about Olivia most of the day and couldn’t wait to see her. Last night he had begun missing her and wished he could have called her to ask her to meet him somewhere. This sneaking around was unpleasant, and his patience was wearing thin. He wasn’t sure he would be able to hold out for another month. Because her brothers would be arriving in town this weekend, she’d said it wouldn’t be wise for her to try to get away for a tryst at the Saxon on Saturday night, after the barbecue. The fact that Duan and Terrence Jeffries would be in town until next Wednesday meant his and Olivia’s time together would basically be nonexistent.

“And how are you doing this evening, Westmoreland?”

Reggie turned to look at Senator Reed. The one man he really didn’t care to see. “I’m fine, Senator. And yourself?” he asked, more out of politeness than a sense a caring.

“I’m doing great. I think, for you and Jeffries, it will be a close election.”

Reggie wanted to say that this view was not reflected in the most recent poll, which indicated that he had a substantial lead, but he refrained from doing so. “You think so?” he said.

“Yes, but what it all will eventually boil down to is experience.”

Reggie smiled.

“And the candidate I endorse,” the senator added.

What the senator didn’t add, Reggie quickly noted, was that he was not endorsing him. That was no surprise. The man had already endorsed Orin Jeffries and was working with Jeffries’s campaign. “Sorry you think that, Senator, since I’m equally sure that I don’t need or want your endorsement.”

“And I’m equally sorry you feel that way, because I intend to prove you wrong. I will take great pleasure when you lose.” The older man then walked away.

“What was that about?” Brent asked when he walked up moments later.

“The good senator tried convincing me of the importance of his endorsement.”

Brent snorted. “Did you tell him just where he could put his endorsement?”

Reggie chuckled. “Not in so many words, but I think he got the picture.”

Brent glanced to where the senator was now standing and talking to a wealthy industrialist. “There’s something about that man that really irks me.”

“I feel the same way,” Reggie said. He was about to tilt his glass to his lips when he glanced at the ballroom entrance at the exact moment that Olivia and her father walked in. He immediately caught her gaze, and the rush of desire that sped through his body made him want to say the hell with discretion, cross the room and pull her into his arms. But he knew he couldn’t do that.

Brent, who was standing beside Reggie, followed his gaze. “Do I need to caution you about being careful? You never know who might be watching you two. I don’t trust Reed. Although he’s backing Jeffries, I wouldn’t put anything past him.”

Reggie’s gaze remained on Olivia’s face for a minute longer, until she looked away.

* * *

Senator Albert Reed frowned as he watched the interaction between Olivia and Reggie. He had a strong feeling that something was going on between them, but he didn’t have any proof. And that didn’t sit well with him. He had suggested to Orin that he send for his daughter under the pretense that she could be an asset. But the truth was that he really wanted Olivia for himself.

He had discovered that women her age enjoyed the company of older men, especially if those men were willing to spend money on them. With his wife bedridden, he had needs that only a younger woman could fulfill.

When he had seen all those pictures of Olivia that Orin had on the wall in his study, he had made the decision that he wanted her as his next mistress. Getting her into his bed would be the perfect ending to his quest for revenge against the Jeffries family for what Orin’s slut of a wife had done. Orin felt guilty, and as far as Senator Reed was concerned, his guilt was warranted. He should have been able to control his unfaithful wife.

He took a sip of his drink as he continued to watch Olivia and Reggie looking at each other. Umm, interesting. It was time to take action. Immediately.

* * *

“I’m sure England is just beautiful this time of the year.”

Olivia nodded as Marie Patterson rattled on and on to the group of four women about her dream to one day spend a month in England. Then Olivia took a sip of her drink and glanced around the room, her gaze searching for one man in particular. When she found him, their gazes met and held.

She knew that look. If they had been alone, she would have crossed the room to him and wrapped her arms around his neck while he wrapped his around her waist. He would have brought her close to him and pressed his hard, muscular body against hers to the point where she would cradle his big, hard erection at the junction of her thighs.

“So, what about Paris, Ms. Jeffries? I understand you’ve been living there for a while. Is the weather there nice?”

Olivia swung her attention back to Mrs. Patterson when the woman said her name. She took a quick sip of her wine to cool off her hot insides before answering. “Yes, the weather in Paris is nice.”

When the conversation shifted from her to the latest in women’s fashion, Olivia’s gaze went back to Reggie. He was talking to a group of men. Because the men had that distinguished Westmoreland look, she could only assume that they were relatives of his—brothers or cousins.

She was about to turn her attention back to the group of women around her when Senator Reed, who was standing across the room, caught her eye. He was staring at her. For some reason, the way he was looking at her made her feel uncomfortable, and she quickly broke eye contact with him.

* * *

Reggie had endured the party as long as he could and was glad when Brent indicated he could leave. He headed for the door, but not before finding Olivia. He smiled at her and nodded. He knew she would interpret the message.

He had been in his car for about five minutes when she called. “Where are you, sweetheart?” he immediately asked her.

“The ladies’ room. I’m alone, but someone might walk in at any minute. You wanted me to call you?”

“Yes,” he said hoarsely. “I want you.”

The depths of his words almost made Olivia groan. She turned to make sure she was still alone in the ladies’ room. “And I want you, too,” she whispered into her cell phone.

There was a pause. And then he said, “Meet me. Tonight. Our place.”

Olivia inhaled deeply. Meeting him later wouldn’t be a problem, because her father was a sound sleeper. She knew it would be their last time together for a while. Her brothers would be arriving sometime tomorrow. She could pull something over on her dad, but fooling her brothers was a totally different matter. “Okay, I’ll be there. Later.”

She then clicked off her cell phone.

* * *

“Did you enjoy yourself tonight, Libby?”

Olivia glanced over at her father as they walked up the stairs together. “Yes, I had a good time, and the food was excellent.”

Orin couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yes, it was good, and I was glad to see you eat for a change, instead of nibbling.”

When they reached the landing, he placed a kiss on her forehead. “Good night, sweetheart. I’m feeling tired, so I’m going on to bed. What about you?”

“Umm, I may stay up a while and paint. Good night, Dad. Sleep tight.”

He chuckled. “I will.”

As soon as Olivia walked into her room and closed the door behind her, she began stripping out of her clothes, eager to get to the Saxon Hotel and meet Reggie. Going to her closet, she selected a dress. She felt like going braless tonight. Within minutes she was slipping her feet into a pair of sandals and grabbing her purse. Opening the door, she eased out of her room, and within seconds she was down the stairs and out of the house.

She couldn’t wait until she was with Reggie.

* * *

Reggie stood when the door to the hotel room opened and Olivia walked in. Without saying anything, she tossed her purse on the sofa and then crossed the room to him. The moment she was within reach, he pulled her into his arms and swept her off her feet.

On other nights he had stamped his ownership all over her body, but tonight he wanted to claim her mouth, lips and tongue and locked all three to his. At the party she had been so close, yet so far, and he had wanted her with a force that had him quaking.

He pulled his mouth back. He was moving toward the bedroom when she began wiggling in his arms. “No. Here. Let’s make love in here.”

The moment he placed her on her feet, she went for his clothes, pushing the shirt off his shoulders and greedily kissing his chest. He was tempted to tell her to slow down, to assure her that they had all night, but he knew that they didn’t. She would need to leave before daybreak.

Her hands went to the buckle of his pants, and he watched as she slid down the zipper before easing her hand inside to cup him. He threw his head back and released a guttural moan as sensations spiraled through him, almost bringing him to his knees. And when she began stroking him, he sucked in a deep breath.

“I want this, Reggie,” she said as she firmly held his shaft.

“And I want to give it to you,” he managed to say, slowly backing her up to the wall.

When they couldn’t go any farther, he reached out and pulled down the straps of her dress and smiled when he saw she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her breasts were bared before his eyes. He licked his lips. “Are you wearing anything at all under this dress?” he asked when his mouth went straight to her breasts.

“No.”

“Good.”

He lifted up the hem of her dress and planted his hand firmly on her feminine mound. “And I want this.”

Taking a step back, he tugged her dress the rest of the way down, and the garment drifted to the floor. His gaze raked up and down her naked body. “Nice.”

He then removed his clothes, and, taking a condom out of his wallet, he put it on. Then he reached out and lifted her by the waist. “Wrap your legs around me, Olivia. I’m about to lock us together tightly, to give you what you want and to get what I need.”

As soon as her legs were settled around his waist and his shaft was pointing straight for the intended target, he tilted her hips at an angle to bury himself deep inside of her and then drove into her. She arched her back off the wall, and his body went still. Locked in. A perfect fit. Silence surrounded them, and they both refused to move.

Flames roared to life within him, and he felt himself burning out of control, but he refused to move. Instead, he held her gaze, wanting her to see what was there in his eyes. It was something he couldn’t hold in any longer, but first he wanted to see if she could read it in his gaze.

Olivia stared back at Reggie. She saw desire, heat and longing. She felt him planted deep inside of her. But it was his gaze that held her immobile. In a trance. And she knew at that moment why she kept coming back, kept wanting to be with him when she knew that she shouldn’t.

She loved him.

The result of that admission was felt instantly: her body shivered. In response, Reggie, she noted, never wavered in his relentless stare, and then he spoke in a deep, husky voice. “I love you.”

She immediately stifled a deep sigh before reaching up and placing her arms around his neck and saying, “And I love you.”

Reggie’s lips curved into a smile before he leaned down and sank his mouth onto hers as his body began moving, slowly, then fast, in and out of her with powerful thrusts, stirring passion, fanning the fire and then whirling them through an abyss of breathless ecstasy. Over and over again, he made love to the woman he loved and captured her moans of pleasure in his mouth. And when she shattered in his arms and he followed her over the edge, he knew he wasn’t through with her yet.

They had just begun.

He tightened his hold on her, and on weak legs, he moved toward the bedroom. For them, time was limited tonight. Their passion was raging out of control. But moments ago they had let go and claimed love, and when they tumbled onto the bed together, he knew that tonight was just the beginning for them.

* * *

“Wake up, sweetheart. It’s time to go.”

Olivia lifted her eyes and gazed up at Reggie. He was standing beside the bed, fully dressed. “What time is it?” she asked sleepily, forcing herself to sit up.

“Almost four in the morning, and I got to get you home,” he said.

She nodded. Although they had driven separate cars, it was the norm for him to follow behind her and see her safely inside her house. Excusing herself, she quickly went to the bathroom, and when she returned moments later, he was sitting on the edge of the bed.

He reached out his hand to her. “Come here, baby.”

And she did. She went to him, and he pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her so deeply and thoroughly, she could only curl up in his warmth and enjoy. When he finally lifted his mouth from hers, he gazed down at her lips.

“You have beautiful lips,” he whispered softly.

“Thank you.”

His gaze then moved to her eyes. “And I meant what I said earlier tonight, Olivia. I love you.”

She nodded. “And I meant what I said earlier, too. I love you.” She didn’t say anything else for a minute, and then she added, “Crazy, isn’t it?”

“Not really. My dad met my mom, and they were married within two weeks. Same thing with my aunt and uncle. Westmorelands believe in love at first sight.” He paused for a second. “This changes everything.”

She lifted a brow. “What do you mean?”

“No sneaking around.”

She wondered why he thought that. “No, Reggie. It changes nothing.” She eased out of his arms and began getting dressed.

“Olivia?”

She turned to him. “My father is still running against you, and the election is not until the end of next month and—”

“You would want us to sneak around until then?” he asked incredulously. When she didn’t answer, he said, “I want you to meet my family. I want you to attend my family reunion with me in Texas in a few weeks. I want you by my side and—”

“I have to think about my father. He would not want us to be together,” she said.

“And I told you in the beginning, this doesn’t involve your father. You are a consenting adult. You shouldn’t need your father’s permission to see me.”

“It’s not about his permission. It’s about me being there for him, Reggie. I owe my father a lot, and I refuse to flaunt our affair in front of him,” she persisted.

“And I refuse to sneak around to see you any longer. That’s asking a lot of me, Olivia. I love you, and I want us to be together.”

“But we are together, Reggie.”

He was silent for a moment, and then he said, “Yes, behind closed doors. But I want more than that. I want to take you out to dinner. I want to be seen with you. I want to do all those things that a couple does together when they are in love.”

Olivia sighed. “Then you will have to wait until after the election.”

They stared at each other for the longest time. Then Reggie said quietly, “When you’re ready to let nothing get in the way of our relationship, our love, let me know, Olivia.”

Then he turned and walked out of the hotel room. As soon as the door closed behind him, Olivia threw herself on the bed and gave in to her tears.

* * *

Olivia slowly walked out of the Saxon Hotel, with a heavy heart. She’d told a man that she loved him, and then she’d lost him in the same day. She had stayed in the hotel room and cried her eyes out, and now she felt worse than ever.

Crossing the parking lot, she stopped walking when she glanced ahead and saw Reggie leaning against her car. She stared at him, studied his features, not wanting to get her hopes up. Inhaling deeply, she moved one foot in front of the other and came to a stop in front of him.

They stood, staring at each other for a long moment, and then he reached out and pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

Moments later he pulled back slightly and placed his forehead against hers. “I love you, and I want you with me, out in the open, not sneaking around, Olivia. But if that’s the only way I can have you right now, then that’s what I’ll take.”

Olivia felt a huge weight being lifted off her shoulders, but she knew it was at Reggie’s expense. He deserved to have a woman by his side, one that he could take to dinner, take home to meet Mom and invite to his home.

Leaning closer, she snuggled into his arms, close to his warmth and his heart. She knew that this was the man that would have her heart forever.