"I'm sorry." She wanted so badly to take back her careless words. "I know how much you love her."
She was surprised to find him standing in front of her, one finger tipping her chin up so that she was meeting his dark and serious eyes. She was naked, now, but he didn't look away.
"My grandmother has nothing to do with the fireworks between us, Anna. While we're married, you're going to be in my bed every single night."
Still trying to find a loophole, she pointed to the window where the last rays of light were still peeking through her blinds. "It's not night yet."
She waited for his stubborn response, waited for him to tell her it was nonnegotiable.
"I want you with me, Anna. More than I've wanted anything in a very long time." He looked as serious as she'd ever seen him, totally earnest. Honest in his desires, both prurient and otherwise. "Please come home with me, sweetheart. Stay with me. Let me take you back to my bed and give you all the loving you deserve."
Oh no.
Anna knew exactly how he meant "loving." He was talking about sex, about what they'd been doing in her bedroom and in his apartment in Las Vegas.
But her heart--her stupid, pathetic, rapidly pounding heart--was doing everything it could to ignore the truth.
And it was her heart, not her brain, that made her drop her underwear back in the suitcase and say, "I need the matching bras, too."
His answering smile was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
Oh no.
Chapter Ten
Anna looked at his house and said, "You really should have had me sign a pre-nup."
Not only was Cole known as one of the meanest men in the NFL, he was also one of the surest footed. Nonetheless, Anna's crazy statement had him tripping over his feet.
"Say that again."
Clearly unaware of his dangerous reaction to what she'd said, she gestured to his huge stainless steel and granite kitchen, out the sliding glass doors to his infinity pool and sloping green lawn. "All this must be worth a fortune. When your lawyer or manager or whoever it is that works for you finds out about our marriage, they're going to lose it in a serious way."
"Well then, maybe I won't ever let you go."
Her eyes widened in surprise, making him realize what he'd just said.
He didn't want to let her go. Not now. Not ever.
Jesus, what the hell was he saying? What the f**k was he thinking?
Her taste, her sweet little whimpers as she came, the wonder in her innocent eyes as she took him into her mouth--clearly, they were all f**king with his head.
"We both know I'm going, Cole. After you don't need me anymore."
Yes, he knew that was their agreement. One he'd thought he was happy with.
"You won't even take jewelry, Anna. I'm not worried about you coming after my house."
But instead of agreeing with him, she frowned. "But you don't know anything about me."
He couldn't keep away from her, had to move closer. "You sure about that? Seems to me I've learned quite a bit about you since last night."
Her beautiful face flushed. "I'm not talking about sex."
"Sure you are, sweetheart. You can't hide from your sensuality anymore. I won't let you."
"I'm not hiding from anything." She thrust her chin up into the air, putting her lips even closer to his.
He moved even closer. "My sweet little liar. Don't you know you give yourself away every time you look at me like that--like you'll die if I don't kiss you in the next five seconds?"
Her eyes widened again, but this time desire trumped her surprise, and he had to kiss her.
Her mouth opened for his, her tongue meeting him halfway.
Cole loved f**king as much as any other guy. More, probably, given the rampant opportunities in his line of work. But usually after he'd come a couple of times, he was pretty much done for a while. At least until the next day.
Not this time.
Not with Anna.
For some reason, just looking at her, just talking to her, teasing her, had him wanting her so bad he was about to bust through his zipper. She made him feel insatiable to the point that he knew he could easily spend the rest of the night taking her again and again. Hell, the only reason he could see to get out of bed at any point in the near future was because he had a job to do out on the field Sunday.
Which meant they had a good twelve hours to fill until then.
But the way she'd said, "You don't know anything about me," bothered him. "Where were you born?"
Her body stiffened in clear surprise. "Why?"
"Tell me, sweetheart. Where were you born?"
"Palo Alto."
Noting that she hadn't moved far from home, her apartment barely an hour from her childhood home, he asked, "College?"
"Stanford."
He wasn't surprised to hear that his sweet little sex goddess was carrying around a big brain too. Intelligence sparkled from her ocean eyes.
"Major?"
"Education."
"Favorite color?"
"Yellow."
He had to smile against her lips, where he'd been asking his questions. He loved talking to her like this, right on the verge of a kiss, knowing he could take her mouth, devour her at any time.
"Hobbies?"
"Reading."
"Any ex-husbands?"
She tried to pull away from him. "No!"
He tightened his hold on her, was glad to feel her relax back into his arms. "I know you have four sisters. Any brothers?"
"No."
He knew her age and birthday from the marriage license they'd filled out. "Favorite movie?"
"Hoosiers."
This time he was the one shifting in surprise. "A basketball movie?"
She grinned. "Basketball is just one facet of the story. It's actually a very moving portrayal of second chances and overcoming racism and finding real love."
He grinned back at the woman he'd married. She was just so likeable.
And so damn pretty.
"Your turn. But let's do it backwards. Movie?"
"Pretty Woman." Her eyes sparkled. "Are you laughing at my answer?"
"No." A giggle erupted. "Okay, yes. A little bit. It was a great movie, but you're such a guy."
"What guy wouldn't like the part where Vivian waited for Edward at his dining table wearing only a tie and spike heels?"