"R.J.-".

The dress slipped over her shoulders, leaving her in her strapless bra. R.J. whistled. "d.a.m.n, honey, when did you get that?"

Distracted, she explained, "Hope and Anna bought me some things."

He fingered the lace edging the cups of the bra. "More things like this?"

"Yes. R.J., stop that" She pushed his hands away, then pressed on his shoulders.

R.J. pushed back, and gently tumbled her onto the bed. "R.J...."

He kissed her ribs as he tugged the dress down. "Another thing, honey." The dress bunched at her hips, and R.J. lifted his head to look at her. Tears were in her eyes, ripping his heart out. "I love you."

She gasped, and the tears spilled over. "You love me?"

He settled at her side, then gathered her against his chest "So much, Dana d.a.m.n, I've been stupid." She stirred, and he squeezed her tight to keep her in place. "No, don't defend me."

"I was going to agree!"

He laughed. Much as Dana loved to defend him, she didn't pull any punches, either. She was, as he'd told her, perfect for him. "Good. Because I've been a blind fool. My only excuse is that you let me be blind. I'll trust in the future that you'll keep me better informed of things I should know."

Dana wriggled out of his hold to prop her elbows on his chest. The position did delightful things to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and made the urgency beat at him. The emerald necklace hung free, the light glinting off it. "Tell me again," she said.

"That I love you? I do. And I need you. And I want you."

She pressed her hips down. "The want part I can believe. You've got proof."

He stilled her hips by gripping them in his large hands. "The love and need part you can believe, too. I don't want you to have any doubts, Dana. Not about me and what I feel for you. I've known so many women over the years, but none of them affected me like you do. I've been obsessed with you, but I didn't even know why."

"You've been obsessed with s.e.x." She kissed him. "Not that I'm complaining."

R.J. pulled her back for a more thorough tasting that left them both breathless. "This isn't mere s.e.x, woman. s.e.x I could have with any number of women. What we have together is special, and if you don't tell me you'll stay with me and love me and have my babies, I'll..."

"Fire me again?"

"Smart a.s.s."

"Smart enough to know a good thing when I have it. I'm not going anywhere, R.J." She laid her head on his chest. "All I ever wanted was for you to love me."

"I seem to recall you demanding s.e.x rather forcefully, too."

"R.J!".

His grin was wicked. "As a businessman, I have to say that was the best deal of my life."

Dana met his grin with one of her own. "Then I think you should stop talking and start fulfilling your end of the bargain."

R.J. agreed. After all, regardless of his father's tainted legacy, he was no slacker. And he'd proved it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

Lori Foster's first book, a Harlequin Temptation, was published in January 1996. Her second book launched the BLAZE subseries. Since then, she's seen more than twenty of her books make their way into print, has written several novellas and has published with five different houses.

Lori also contributes articles to Writer's Digest, the online writers' colony, Painted Rock, and writes a bi-monthly column in the Romance Writer's Report.

Though Lori loves writing, her first priority will always be her family. She and her husband have been together since high school, and her three sons, all humorous, handsome and honorable fellows, are quickly following in their father's footsteps.

MAITLAND MATERNITY.

continues with JUST FOR CHRISTMAS.

by Stella Bagwell.

Hope Logan only wanted two things for Christmas-her husband, Drake and a child. Only Drake had no desire for children and his desire for Hope seemed to have disappeared as well. It looked like their marriage was over...until their young nephew came for the holidays. All of a sudden, they looked like the perfect family-and they acted like it too. Was this a new start for Hope and Drake...or was their happiness destined to be just for Christmas?

Available in December. Here's a preview.

"I need you, Drake."

The simple words were not what Drake had been expecting to hear and for a moment, he felt as if someone had whacked him in the middle of his chest.

As he tried to regain his breath, his gaze covertly slid over the luscious sight of her. Hope was just as beautiful now as she had been twelve years ago when she'd become his wife. Her honey-blond hair was thick and straight and swished against the top of her shoulders. Her skin was as creamy and luminescent as a pearl. And her lips. He didn't want to think about their sweet fullness, anymore than he wanted to think of having her long legs wrapped around him. Her soft, slender body urgently pressed against him.

"Hope, we've been through this argument so many times we might as well be two voices on a tape recorder saying the same things over and over," he said wearily. "It's senseless to keep beating the issue to death. I haven't changed my mind about us trying to have another child. I'm not going to change it."

Anger flashed briefly in her blue eyes at the same time her chin lifted with a hint of defiance. "I'm not here to discuss my desire for a child, Drake," she said curtly.

Drake's eyebrows lifted in guarded suspicion. "Oh. Then why are you here? To tell me you've realized the risks of what another pregnancy might do to you?"

His question caused her lips to compress to a grim line.

"I know what the risks are, Drake. You're the one who can't get past-" She broke off and quickly glanced away from him. Drake didn't urge her to finish what she'd been about to say.

He didn't want to hear it, much less think about it. He'd spent the whole year trying to forget how close she'd come to dying. Rising from his chair, he moved around to the front of his desk, then faced her. "Okay, so you're not here because you've changed your mind about having a child. And you don't need more money. Maybe you'd better tell me exactly why you've come?"

Her eyes lifted back to his face and Drake could see anger simmering just beneath their blue surface. But he wasn't surprised. These past few months, any little thing seemed to set her off.

"Don't speak to me as I'm one of your business a.s.sociates, Drake. I'm still your wife. Even if we don't live under the same roof."

His gaze skimmed over her flushed face. "Do you think I've forgotten that?"

"I think you've forgotten a lot of things," she said tightly. "Or maybe you just never knew them to begin with."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Dear G.o.d, don't let me lose control now, Hope silently prayed. She was here to help her nephew, Stevie, and she couldn't do that by pushing Drake even further away from her. She drew a calming breath, then shook her head. "Nothing. Forget that. I didn't come here to argue with you, Drake. Far from it." Her gaze slipped to the chiselled line of his lips, trying to stem the flow of desire she still felt for this man. "I'm here to ask you to come home...."

end.