Tempting Prince Charming, page 18
“You’re engaged?” he asked.
Her blush deepened. “Married. To an investment banker.” She nodded over her shoulder at her companion. She seemed both pleased and embarrassed as she admitted this. She bit her lip and met his gaze. “You’d like him. He’s a good man.”
“I’m happy for you. You deserve a good man.” He meant it. Victoria had been his world once. She’d never been cruel, even when she’d rejected his proposal. She’d only been honest. Despite how much that day had wrecked him, he’d never held it against her.
“I thought… I thought you might be married by now,” Victoria mused. “Please don’t tell me that I—” she halted and shook her head but didn’t continue. Her cheeks flushed dark red.
He didn’t speak immediately. Like her, he felt almost embarrassed, but there were things he wanted to say now after all these years. “For a while, yeah. After you, I gave up on the idea of love. I decided I didn’t want to try again.” The truth slipped from his lips, stunning him.
“For a while? What about now?” Victoria asked. “I hope you did try again. You were a man made to love, to be in love. Somewhere out there is a woman who deserves all the love you can give her.”
His gaze moved from her to Veronica, who was walking with Jared and Felicity to look at a nearby sculpture. “I’d like to think I’m ready to try.”
Victoria followed his gaze. “I wonder who she is. A number of people are talking about her tonight. That dress and those diamonds… simply stunning. I wonder if she’s one of the models that flew in from Europe. Perhaps European royalty. Princess Alexandra, maybe?”
She did indeed look like royalty, a princess born of moonlight and dreams in that blue gown with frosted roses patterned over it. As she glanced about the room, she looked like a girl who’d dreamed of endless gardens and castles in the clouds. But he knew how grounded she was, how hard she worked, how great a mother and a woman she was. And he was desperately in love with her.
“I know who she is,” Thad said.
“Oh? Who is she?”
Mine. He thought the word but dared not say it aloud.
“She owns a coffee shop called the Chi-Bean in Chicago.”
As if knowing she was being discussed, Veronica’s eyes locked with Thad’s before she blushed and turned away.
“A coffee shop?” Victoria studied Veronica critically, though not meanly, rather as if she were trying figure out a puzzle laid before her. “Who did she come with?”
“A man who doesn’t deserve her.”
“Thad,” Victoria began, not seeming to realize he’d spoken about himself. “I do hope you find love and happiness again. You, more than most, deserve it.” She touched his arm and with a bittersweet smile, she swept away, the train of her gown gathering rose petals as she moved.
Veronica tried not to stare at Thad as he spoke to the stunning woman in the red ball gown. She also tried to ignore the flash of worry she felt when the woman touched his arm.
“Jared, who’s that?” she asked with a discrete nod in Thad’s direction.
“Who? Oh—” he cleared his throat. “That’s Victoria Lumley, an old friend.”
“Is that the one he used to…?”
“Yes.” Jared seemed reluctant to discuss it further. Veronica turned away as Thad approached. She didn’t want him to think she’d been watching him.
“Here you are,” Thad handed her a glass of wine. His smile was genuine, relaxed. He didn’t look heartbroken over running into his old flame. That thought eased the knot in her chest, allowing her to relax.
“Thank you.” She sipped hers as they studied the rest of the art pieces. She soon lost herself in the magic of the evening as they enjoyed a sumptuous dinner and incredible works of art. Afterwards, Thad held out his hand to her.
“Dance with me?” he nodded toward the dancefloor, now filling with couples.
“Only if you hold me close so I don’t fall.” She wasn’t normally a clumsy dancer but with so many people staring at her, she felt like she might lose her footing.
“I’d never let anything bad happen to you, especially when you’re in my arms,” he promised. There was such a fire in his gaze, yet a softer, sweeter emotion she was still afraid to name lingered behind that heat.
Veronica was intimidated, but she trusted Thad to not let her trip.
His mouth curved into a seductive smile as she placed her hand in his. Was there anything this man couldn’t get her to do?
She gathered her skirts with one hand as That gripped her waist and they twirled and moved in step. It was something out of her dreams, this feeling of floating in a man’s arms, and music soothing her soul. She belonged in this glittering world, if only for tonight. It was the world she’d walked away from after her mother died. She didn’t regret marrying and loving Parker or having Lyra, but for one night, it was a joy to fall back under the spell of art, culture, diamonds, and flowing gowns.
But the best part of the night wasn’t any of those things. It was the gorgeous man who gazed down at her with such sweet intimacy it made her knees buckle.
“You look happy,” Thad said as they finished their second dance.
“I am,” she replied. “I’m with you.” And that was a deeper truth. Tonight wouldn’t have mattered at all if she hadn’t been here with him.
“Me too, with you.” He gave her that boyish smile that devasted her heart. “One more dance?” he asked.
“One more dance,” she agreed. This time as they moved in waltzing patterns across the floor, she saw Victoria watching them from a table at the edge of the floor. The woman looked sad… No, that wasn’t the right word, it was something more complex than that. But Veronica thought maybe she understood. The other woman was seeing what she had walked away from. What might have been.
As the dance ended, Thad pulled Veronica into his arms and kissed her. She forgot about where they were as she gave herself to him, letting him pull her deeper beneath the surface of this wonderful dream.
It was close to four in the morning when she and Thad picked Lyra up to take her home. Thad, now dressed in his jeans and sweater, carried the sleeping child in his arms. Veronica held Lyra’s overnight bag with her clothes and toys. Miss Tuttle had helped Lyra change into her PJs before putting her to bed in Jared and Felicity’s guest room.
Thad cupped the back of Lyra’s head in one palm. “Mrs. Tuttle said she had fun.” Her little cheek rested on his shoulder as she slept blissfully.
“I imagine she did. Pizza, ice cream, and a movie? That was her Met Gala.” Veronica smiled. “Plus, she loves babies right now, so I’m sure being around Hayley made her happy.”
Simon picked them up outside. Veronica and Thad got in on either side of the car to buckle in the sleeping little girl. This moment felt so natural between them, yet it was also momentous, as if whatever came next would make every difference in the world for their future.
Her eyes met Thad’s and held for a long moment before he went around to the front passenger seat. The ride home was a quiet, dreamy daze of the Chicago night lights flying past her in the windows as she thought about how much she didn’t want this night to end.
Once they were home, she followed Thad as he carried Lyra to her bedroom to put her to sleep. After they tucked her in, they stepped back into the hall.
Thad pressed a kiss to her lips, one that lingered and burned in the best way. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yes, that would be nice.” Veronica wanted to fold herself into him, to bury her face against his chest and feel the strength of his body as he held her. She wanted so much more than that right then, but she was afraid to ask him. Thad smiled and took his leave.
What the hell am I doing? I want him to stay!
Veronica dashed after him.
He was already at the door when she caught him by the arm. She tried to still her racing heart. Words like “love” and “you” were sitting on the tip of her tongue, but she held them back, afraid they would ruin this wonderful night.
“Stay… Please,” she said insisted.
His eyes moved to her lips and she knew what he was thinking, because she was thinking it too. She reached up and pulled him down to her by the collar of his sweater. Their lips met, hot and feverish, as she pulled him back toward her bedroom. He closed the door, flipping the lock, and she slipped out of her ankle boots and jeans. He caught her in a fierce embrace as he made love to her with his mouth. Her knees buckled at the wave of desire and desperation that overcame her.
They fell backward on the bed together and he helped her out of her sweater until she was down to only her bra and panties. He leaned over her, his fingertips tracing her collarbones.
“We don’t have to do this, not yet,” Thad whispered.
His compassion for her and what she was feeling always stole her breath.
“I want to…”
His eyes filled with a fiery lust that quickened her breath. He rolled her onto her stomach, and she lay there, arms bent to pillow her cheek as she felt him undo the clasp on her bra. Then he kissed his way down her bare back and tugged her panties off. he rolled her over again and came down over her. Their lips forged a burning fire as Thad cupped one of her breasts, rolling the nipple with his thumb and forefinger with the slightest pressure. Pains of pleasure shot straight through to her womb.
“You are exquisite,” Thad growled between kisses. “I was the envy of every man tonight.”
Whatever she meant to say next died upon a moan as he lowered his face to her breasts and kissed the sensitive peak he’d been playing with. She whimpered as he sucked her nipple between his lips. One of his hands slid down her body toward the apex of her thighs. She gasped as he penetrated her with one finger.
“Oh, God.” She arched her hips off the bed, seeking a deeper, harder penetration.
He seemed to know just how to drive her mad with featherlight flicks and caresses over her clit, along with the deep thrusting of two fingers. But she completely lost her mind when he slid down her body and covered her mound with his lips. This man was a God when it came to oral sex. There should be a GQ award for that…
Thad sucked on the bud of her arousal and flicked his tongue against her folds until she whimpered and begged him to never stop. A climax crept up on her and when it finally hit, she could only writhe in pleasure as it overwhelmed her. She slumped, exhausted on the bed, too tired to move an inch. She struggled to reach for his pants, but he caught her wrists and kissed her palms before shifting her, so she lay beneath the covers.
“Tonight was about you, honey. Only you.” He covered her mouth was his, drugging her deliciously with his kiss. In that moment, she could have died from happiness.
“You’ll still stay?” she asked dreamily.
“Yes.”
That single word held a world of other promises within that made her heart quiver like a plucked violin string with the note still humming in the air.
Thad watched Veronica fall asleep. Those soft, warm emotions that once frightened him were now held close to his heart. He loved this woman, and he loved her child. He loved life with them both, even the wild chaos of it.
Seeing Victoria tonight had driven home to him what his future could be, so long as he was careful about it. She deserved the best, and he could give her that. A woman like her should have a long, slow seduction before he asked her the question that would determine their future.
Then he thought of Lyra and the way she’d fallen asleep in his arms. The fierce love he’d felt for Veronica’s daughter while she slept against his chest made him feel whole in a way he’d never imagined. He wanted her to have the world. He wanted to be there for her as a father.
Thad stripped down to his boxers, then unlocked the bedroom door, just in case Lyra needed them during the night. After he joined Veronica in bed, he let his mind wander with exciting plans before he fell asleep. He knew what he would do. It would be the perfect thing for his girls. Both of them.
15
“Disney World?” Veronica was still in shock.
Thad leaned back in his chair at Veronica’s kitchen table. “I know it will be a bit cold this time of year, but it’ll be perfect because there will be shorter lines for the rides.” As he played with the coffee mug, his strong, elegant fingers made her flush a little and she forced herself to not slip into a delightful daydream about what those fingers could do to her.
Veronica sipped her hot cocoa and watched Lyra drawing and kicking her legs in the air on the living room floor as she hummed. It had been a week since the Met Gala, and she and Thad had settled into a cozy rhythm together. They’d sneak away for drinks for an hour, or bring dinner in for themselves and Lyra, then play board games or watch movies.
He’d spent most of his nights here, sleeping in her bed even though they still hadn’t had sex. The intimacy of him holding her had become more precious to her than she could have imagined. Each morning, they sat at the table, having their coffee and cocoa, just enjoying being together.
“She can’t go on that many rides though; she’s too small.” Disney World was Lyra’s dream, but Veronica had planned to wait a few years for her to be bigger.
“She can explore all of the worlds and meet her favorite characters. As for the rides, they have the teacups and quite a few rides for smaller kids now. And plenty of tame adult ones. It’s A Small World is very tame—”
“Oh God, any ride but that,” Veronica begged and tried not to laugh. She didn’t need that song stuck in her head or Lyra’s.
“Okay, not that one.” Thad chuckled as he took a sip of coffee. “But this is a great opportunity. I mean, we’d be staying in Cinderella’s castle—they hardly offer that to anyone. I think Mariah Carey was the last invite. Besides, we can always go again when she’d older.”
Veronica’s heart leapt as she realized what he’d implied by that.
“Well, when you put it that way…” It was hard to say no to a-once-in-a-lifetime event like that. “But I’ll need to figure out if I can hire a few holiday workers to help out with the shop.”
“We have a few weeks before we have to worry about that.”
It hadn’t escaped Veronica’s notice that Thad continued to say “we” more and more often, causing her pulse to shoot into a flutter that was part panic and part joy.
I want this dream to come true so badly.
Thad nodded at Lyra. “You want to tell her?”
“And spoil the fun of seeing you do it? No way. You were able to get this present for her, you tell her.” She found his leg under the table with her foot and rubbed his leg with her toes.
Thad’s eyes lit up with mischief. It had been only three days since they’d been to New York, and Veronica had fallen asleep after he’d gone down on her. She’d apologized the next morning, but he’d only chuckled and said he was still waiting for the right time and there was no rush.
Maybe in Cinderella’s Castle, she would finally get the chance to really be with him. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry, and for some reason that worried her. Didn’t guys always want sex? Parker had never turned down a chance, and he’d initiated a lot of their intimacy mainly because she’d been young and shy about her body and sexuality.
This was new territory for Veronica, to be the aggressive one in the bedroom. Surely a guy wouldn’t mind a woman starting something, but Thad had this subtle alpha edge that made her think that if he’d wanted her, he would have already put the moves on her rather than sit back and wait for her to act. Maybe he didn’t want her the way he did other women?
She hated indulging in thoughts like that, but after three weeks of dating him, they only ever seemed to get to third base. He was a playboy. He’d had dozens, maybe even hundreds of women. And yet, with her, he appeared to be in no rush. What made this so different for him? What if he didn’t see her as someone with a sexual appetite, but rather as comfort food?
“Lyra, come over here,” Thad called. “We have a surprise for you.”
Her daughter clambered up from the floor and came over, her face lit with expectation and excitement.
“Your mom and I were thinking next weekend we would go to Disney World.”
Lyra’s eyes widened. “Can I come too?” she asked hesitantly.
“Of course you’re coming!” Thad laughed. Lyra giggled and rushed to hug him. Thad embraced the girl and gave Veronica a playful grin that melted her heart.
“See? Totally worth it,” he whispered.
Yes, he was right. Giving Lyra memories like these was worth it. Lyra had never traveled outside of Chicago. It would be a huge deal for her to go all the way to Florida.
“Well, I’ve got to get back to the office. I’ll see you tonight?” He set Lyra down, who immediately returned to her drawing, now sketching out what she assumed was the Epcot Center.
“Of course.”
Thad leaned over to kiss Veronica. She sighed against his lips. When he started to pull away, she caught the collar of the shirt and pulled him back for a longer, deeper kiss.
“You had better go,” she teased when he didn’t straighten back up.
“It’s hard when you keep giving me the nicest reasons to stay.” He stole one more peck, one of those wicked kisses that Lyra really shouldn’t be anywhere near at her age. And she loved it. With a reluctant sigh, this time from him, he grabbed his coat and called Simon to pick him up.
After he left, Veronica saw Lyra off to school and then joined Zelda and Zach down in the Chi-Bean.
“You look happy,” Zelda said with a knowing smile. “Have a nice morning with Mr. Hemsworth?”
“I did,” she admitted, ignoring Zelda’s teasing about Thad’s name. It was much easier to talk about him now. Early on, she’d been so hesitant to jinx the situation by even mentioning it. “We need to put up some hiring signs on the front door and put some online job notices up. Would you mind helping me with that?”
