As her fingertips brushed his highly sensitized skin, Derek groaned. Push followed by pull and his trousers and shoes fell unbidden to the floor of the car.

Derek slid his hand under the waistband of her panties, untying the tiny ribbons to slide them off her legs.

"Talli," he could hear his own voice, strained and low. Her heels sc.r.a.ped against the back of his legs, grazing his skin. He drew her close and settled her atop him.

"Don't say anything," Talli whispered, her forefinger pressed against his mouth, stilling the words within. Talli lowered her mouth to his, tasting the firmness of his lips under her own, covering where seconds before her fingertips had caressed.

His arousal pressed intimately against the vee of her legs. Talli lifted herself up on her knees, then guided him deep between her parted thighs. Slowly, she lowered herself downward, impaling him within her. Waves of pleasure throbbed through her, his expert touch sending her to even higher levels of ecstasy.

Derek groaned and pressed into her willing flesh. He hadn't thought it would feel like this. So good, so hot, so inviting. He matched her urgency with his own unsated needs. His body cried out for release, his thoughts rushed forward as he grasped her hips and urged her on, hurtling them both over the edge of the precipice to abandon.

Time ceased to exist for the pair, enveloped in pa.s.sion. Street lights blinked past, unseen by the occupants on the other side of the tinted windows.

Talli felt herself float slowly back to earth, her rapid breaths slowing. She opened her eyes to find herself nestled in Derek's arms. She blushed furiously in the darkened interior of the car, then lifted her head.

Derek held her securely against his chest. Leisurely, he stretched his legs. The soft glow from the interior lights revealed her dewy, pa.s.sion drugged lips, her auburn hair mussed from their lovemaking. Derek dropped his gaze and took in the swollen nipples, their rosy peaks pebbled in the cool night air.

She stared at the lights, then met his gaze with dreamy eyes. "How long have we been home?" Talli asked softly, her eyes peering through the tinted gla.s.s for any sign of activity.

"Not long," Derek replied.

Talli pushed a hand through her tousled hair and paused. "Well, that went a lot better than I had hoped it would."

Derek smiled. When he spoke, his voice was tender, almost a murmur. "Miss Paxton, I have to admit, you are definitely full of surprises."

"And hopefully soon, I'll have another surprise for you."

Talli pulled her raincoat from the floor and wrapped it around her, then reached over Derek for the door handle. She scooted out the door before he could stop her.

Once again, she had left him utterly speechless. Worse yet, he had broken his own vow to remain impa.s.sive to her.

(BM) CHAPTER 7.

Talli sighed and blew a loose tendril of hair off her face. She propped her elbows on the dresser top and stared in the mirror. Two lines of worry appeared across her forehead. Good Lord, she had turned into a shameless hussy! What must Derek Cameron think of her right now? Sure, tonight had been her idea, but she thought it would further their progress, not turn it into a giant make-out session nestled cozily together in the back seat of his car. A slight smile tugged at the corners of her lips, as she thought back on the evening. Heck, she couldn't argue, she had enjoyed every minute of it, even if it was for the purpose of conception.

She walked across the bedroom and let her raincoat slip to the floor as her thoughts turned inward. Minutes later, the carpet beneath her feet lay strewn with sc.r.a.ps of the black lace she had worn just minutes before. She scooped the articles up into a pile and dropped them down on the chair.

Tonight had been the most wonderful experience of her life.

The feel of his hands on her skin had almost been her undoing. Talli thought for sure she would blurt out her hidden love for him. Closing her eyes, she replayed the sensation of his lips on hers, his hands roaming freely across her body, his fingers taking her higher and then... She sighed, reaching for the light on the nightstand.

To be loved by a man like Derek Cameron every night of her life, to share his bed and home, to await his return at the end of the day. With a snort, she shook her head. Her thoughts were definitely taking a twisted turn. Somewhere along the way she had taken a side trip down fantasy lane. Nothing in this lifetime or the next would convince Derek Cameron to put aside the demons of his past and enter into a relationship. She didn't know exactly what had happened in his past, but she had heard a lot of rumors. Rumors of a wedding gone awry, a bride's infidelity and the bitter, empty sh.e.l.l of the man left behind.

No, nothing short of a miracle would bring Derek to her bed for anything more than contractual conception reasons.

Derek stood silently before the fireplace, his thoughts a thousand miles away. Tonight had been a new experience for him. Talli had taken control from the word go, and he had enjoyed every minute of it. So much so, he would love nothing more than to race up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time and give her a repeat performance. With a grimace, he shook his head. He couldn't do that. Tonight had been strictly business, a means to an end. No emotional ties, no sentimental garbage. Any feelings that got in the way would have to be pushed to the back of his mind and made to stay there. A purely platonic business relationship, that was what they had.

Then how come he couldn't get his mind out of the gutter if that was the case? He shoved his hands in his pants pocket and smiled, withdrawing the black lace panties Talli had left in the limo. With a groan, he remembered the satiny feel of her skin as she sat astride him, slowly lowering herself down until he was buried within her. Derek crushed the lace into a wadded up ball. What happened to the cold, clinical form of conception he had a.s.sured himself would occur? Not the hot-blooded, wild lovemaking that had just happened in the back seat of his limo. With a smile, he realized he definitely preferred the latter. What was Talli doing to him?

"Here are the books you requested, Mr. Cameron." Margaret dropped the pile on the desk in front of Derek with a loud thump.

"What? There must be at least twenty books here." He surveyed the stack ruefully.

Margaret nodded. "It's a very current topic these days. What with couples having children later in life, there is a myriad of subjects to cover."

Derek pushed a hand through his hair and stood. "You've got to be kidding. All these are on conception?"

"Well, these here are on conception. Those three deal with the first year of life after the baby is born, and the remaining pile deals with preparing yourself for parenthood." She waved her arm at the books, emphasizing the need for all of them.

"Fine. Thank you, Margaret. I can see what my weekend is going to consist of."

Hours later, Derek dropped his gla.s.ses to the desk and closed the book with a sigh. He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes and hoped his brain wouldn't explode from overload. Just skimming through a few of the books, he found topics he didn't even know existed. What positions would increase your chances of having a boy, or a girl. How to chart your temperature for proper peak times to conceive. Labor and delivery, timing contractions. What supplies to have on hand for the newborn. How to breast feed. Well, that was one subject he wouldn't have to worry about.

After a quick glance at his Rolex, it didn't surprise him to see the afternoon gone. He pushed himself to his feet to stretch and let out a small groan, reaching for the small of his back. Rubbing gingerly, he waited for the spasm to pa.s.s. This must be what labor felt like, he chuckled to himself. Having a healthy baby took work. A lot more complicated than just wham bam, thank you ma'am.

Derek picked up the large manual from the limousine seat. The t.i.tle glared at him in boldface letters. Blodgett's Book of Conception, by Doctor Emmanual H. Blodgett.

Flipping past the introduction, he began to read aloud. "During normal conception, the sperm swims around the Fallopian tube until an egg arrives. The sperm's job is to then fertilize the egg. Roughly ten days after fertilization, pregnancy can be determined through medical testing. So, basically it's, Hi, I'm Mr. Sperm, you must be Ms. Egg. Let's boogie," he mumbled to himself. This was getting to be more complicated than a corporate takeover. Derek thumbed a few pages further, his eyes narrowing. "How to have a male child." He studied the picture, then turned the book around and looked at it from another angle. His eyes widening, he grinned. "Interesting." The ride home pa.s.sed in silence as Derek immersed himself once more in his reading.

Talli peered through the heavy curtains that framed the front window. Every time a headlight shone through the darkness, she could feel her pulse quicken and her stomach lurch at the thought of Derek's arrival. Get a hold of yourself girl, she chided. Stop waiting for Derek to come home. Remember your place, you're the hired help, that's all. She fingered the hot pink invitation held loosely in her grasp. Leave it to her oldest and dearest friend, K.C. to send out the brightest ones she could find. K.C. always knew where to find the best of everything.

Her ten year reunion. Ten long years away from the daily grind of high school. Part of her longed to go, to mingle with old friends and see how they had changed. Another part of her tended to shy away from the hype and hoopla. There were only a few close friends she kept in touch with over the years. Emma and K.C. had each called earlier in the day to see if she was going. Neither would let her out of it. Besides, K.C. had argued, "What have we got to lose? We get a chance to see who got fat, skinny, bald or ancient looking. Certainly not us, we're still in our prime."

Laughing, Talli reluctantly agreed to go. The girls had arranged to meet inside the rented hall. From there, they would face the ma.s.ses together. Talli looked at the invitation once more. Bring a date, K.C. had written in capital letters across the top. Who would she bring? She didn't know anyone well enough to ask to them escort her to the reunion. She couldn't ask Derek to take her. How would she have introduced him to her friends? "This is my boss, Derek Cameron. We're having a child together, then I'm leaving."

Oh, that would make a lovely ice breaker, not to mention a fascinating story for tomorrow's headlines. No, not Derek. When he left high school, he'd never looked back. Not once. Besides, he was too busy for that. The way his schedule was, she barely saw him. It had been over a month since they'd spent any time together. Talli felt her cheeks flush as she recalled their intimate encounter in the back seat of the limousine. Their first and last, she thought sadly. She did see him this morning though, when she was on her way out to exercise the dogs and Derek had raced past, late for a meeting. A fast smile and a hurried h.e.l.lo was all they could manage to get out.

The night of the reunion came faster than Talli would have liked. Sliding quietly into a chair at the kitchen counter, she watched Maimie prepare dinner.

Without turning around, Maimie had asked, "What's the matter, Talli?"

"I don't know. I kind of wish I didn't have to go tonight." Talli lowered her chin down to rest on her folded arms.

"Not go? Honey, this is your reunion. It's a time to spend getting to know old friends again, and catch up on what's new and what's old. What's not to like about going?"

"My head says you're right, but my heart just wants to stay home and hide. Besides, I feel achy all over. Maybe I'm coming down with something."

"Nonsense." Maimie wiped her hands on her ap.r.o.n. "Now, you get on up those stairs and get ready. I'll have Joseph drive you there. No need for you to drive yourself in the dark all alone. Go on and get ready." Maimie pulled Talli off the chair and pushed her toward the kitchen door.

Talli stopped in her tracks. Smiling, she turned back to face Maimie. "How come you always know what everybody needs?"

"Easy. It's my job to know. Get on out of here before I take my wooden spoon to your behind." Her hands fluttered, the spoon brandished in her grip.

Talli crossed the kitchen and threw her arms around Maimie affectionately. "Thank you, Maimie. You're the best." She bussed Maimie's cheek loudly, then spun around and headed for the doorway. "I'll be ready in half an hour tops, okay?"

"Achy all over, hmmm. I wonder?" Maimie muttered, glancing toward the empty doorway Talli had just vacated.

Joseph opened the car door and held out his hand. "We're here, Miss Talli," he announced.

Accepting his outstretched hand, she stood. "Thank you, Joseph. I'm sorry about making you miss your dinner. I can call a taxi to get back home tonight."

"Nonsense. Maimie would have my hide if I let you ride home in a taxi. I'll be back whenever you wish to leave."

"I'll call you about a half hour before I'm ready. Will that give you enough time?"

"Miss Talli, my job is to serve you, not for you to worry about me," Joseph exclaimed. "But I do appreciate your consideration. Now, go on in there and have a wonderful time tonight."

"Okay." After placing a quick kiss on his leathery cheek, Talli skipped lightly up the steps and into the lobby of the banquet hall.

"What's this?" Derek questioned, picking up the invitation off the kitchen counter.

Maimie looked over her shoulder and shrugged. "I think it's Talli's reunion invite. Poor dear, she was so upset tonight. Had to go all alone to that reunion." Clucking under her breath, Maimie shook her head sadly.

"What do you mean, had to go all alone tonight? She never mentioned anything about it to me."

"You haven't been home enough for anyone to mention anything to you lately. You breeze in, breeze out like this is some big fancy hotel. Besides, you didn't even go to your own reunion. Why would she think you'd want to go to hers?"

Derek ran his finger across the gold writing on the invitation. "It says here to bring a date," he noted.

Maimie snorted, "And just who would she bring? Joseph?"

"Seven o'clock," he murmured, flipping his wrist over to see the time. "If I hurry, I can get there by eight."

"Your gray pinstripe is hanging on the closet door. I'll have Joseph bring the car around," Maimie replied efficiently.

Derek paused at the kitchen door. His eyebrows knit together as he stared at Maimie for a long second, then broke into a wide grin. "By the way, I saw right through that one. You must be getting old, you're slipping."

"I am not slipping, now hustle up. Wouldn't want you to be late."

Derek ducked through the door seconds before Maimie launched a blue flowered tea towel in his direction.

"Missed me," he laughingly called from the other side of the kitchen door.

"Not by a long shot, boy. I got you right where I want you. On your way to the reunion." Maimie cackled out a loud laugh, her ample bosom shaking with her merriment.

Talli closed her eyes and took several large deep breaths, to quell her frazzled nerves.

"Talli, over here."

Slowly opening her eyes to the sound, Talli swivelled on her heel, to search out that familiar voice. Headed in her direction were her best friend Emma and her husband of six months, Jason Thorne. A smile crossed Talli's face as they drew near.

"Em, it's so great to see you. I've missed you," she added in a whisper, hugging her friend close. "Jason, it's good to see you." Talli found herself caught up in a warm bear hug, his arms wrapped around her.

"Talli, you haven't changed a bit. Still as lovely as ever," Jason grinned.

"Jason please, I just saw you guys two months ago."

"Well, you still look good. I've got the best of the bunch right here next to me tonight," he declared.

"What about me, big guy?" A low, sultry voice asked.

Emma and Talli squealed delightedly in unison. "K.C.!"

"In the flesh." K.C. spun around, her red skirt flaring.

"You look great." Talli declared.

"Yup, lost eighty-six pounds at last count. The new me."

Talli linked one arm through K.C.'s and the other through Emma's and looked at her friends. A blonde, a brunette and a redhead. The "Three Moussettes" as they were termed their senior year of high school. K.C. and Emma were always the leaders of the pack, with Talli following behind. No matter what the prank, they had dragged Talli with them. Some things never changed, Talli thought.

"Well, what's the scoop? Anybody turn famous out of this bunch of deadbeats? And besides, where's your man of the month tonight?" Emma always referred to K.C.'s gentleman friends as such, since the relationships never lasted more than a month at a time.

"Don't have one," K.C. replied.

Talli watched her scan the crowd, always on the look out for her next ex-boyfriend.

"I'm flying solo right now. Whoa, wait a minute. There's a hunk-o-hunk of burning love coming toward us. Hands off gals, he's mine," she stated softly.

Talli looked at Emma and shook her head. "Still the same old K.C.," she whispered, then jumped in surprise, as a pair of warm, masculine hands encircled her waist, drawing her back against an equally warm and hard chest.

"I'm sorry I'm late, sweetheart. I was tied up in a meeting downtown. Joseph got me here as fast as he could. I hope I didn't miss too much?" Derek murmured, his lips close to her ear, his breath sending shivers down her spine.

"Derek?" Her voice barely above a whisper, Talli turned in his embrace, her eyes widening at the sight of him. The look caused her stomach to flip flop.

"Care to introduce me to your friends? They seem to be staring at us quite intently." Derek smiled, as he touched her cheek in a wistful gesture. He lifted his eyes from Talli's and met those of her friends.

"What? Oh, right. Emma and Jason Thorne, K.C. Masters, I'd like you to meet Derek Cameron. Jason and Emma just got married six months ago." Talli couldn't take her eyes off Derek. He looked so handsome. She wished for one brief second that she could introduce him as someone more than just a friend, an employer, a...

"I'm pleased to meet you," Derek graciously acknowledged, shaking their hands.