• • •
Hours later, Roland eased from the bed. Glancing over his shoulder, he gazed down at a sleeping Lennox who was stretched out on top of the covers, naked. It was late evening. They had missed lunch, but he would make sure they didn’t miss dinner.
He rubbed his hands down his face. Lennox could become habit-forming. Suggesting they stay another weekhadn’t been a good idea, but he wasn’t ready to return to Charlottesville yet. Mainly because their relationship, the one they’d developed over the past month, would end.
There was no way they could go back to being the casual acquaintances they’d been before. Neither could they continue to indulge in a sexual affair like they were doing now. He would miss being with her, but it was inevitable that they went their separate ways.
“Roland...”
She’d whispered his name as she slept. He figured there would be times when he would whisper hers as well. Lennox Roswell had gotten under his skin, but he had to make sure she didn’t get any deeper.
Leaving the bedroom, he grabbed his phone from the nightstand and headed upstairs to the roof deck. He would miss this place, but would miss that house on Lake Erie Beach even more.
He punched in the number to his office, not sure who would be picking up. It would either be Striker, Stonewall or Quasar. “Summers Security Firm.”
It was Stonewall. “How are things going?”
“They’re going the same way they have been since you’ve been gone, Ro. Just fine. I understand it’s safe for you and Lennox to return home now.”
“Yes, that’s what we’ve been told.”
“She must be happy about that. Joy is handling the move from the condo for her.”
“Lennox told me. I can certainly understand her not wanting to live there any longer. The memories wouldn’t be good, so it’s probably for the best.”
What he didn’t say was that Lennox moving out of the condo would be best for him, as well. Now that they’d become so intimately entwined, he couldn’t imagine sharing the fifth floor with her and not enduring constant torture.
“Do you know when you guys will be returning this week?” Stonewall asked.
“We’ve decided to take another week.”
“Oh, I see.”
Roland frowned. Unfortunately, Stonewall probably saw too damn much. His friend had known of his attraction to Lennox and had probably put two and two together.
“Dak will be sending someone to pick up the Jeep next week,” Roland continued. “That same person will take us to the airport for our flight back to Charlottesville.”
“I’ll let everyone know, Ro. Continue to stay safe.”
According to the FBI, theyweresafe now. But Roland’s heart was another matter.
RYLEE MOVED AROUND HERbedroom packing. Frazier had made all the arrangements--a private car would be arriving at six in the morning to take her to the airport. Another private car would be there waiting for her when the jet landed in Toronto.
Yesterday Frazier had sent her a text telling her all the things he planned for them to do while they were there and she couldn’t wait. Included on the list were dinners, operas, plays and a sight-seeing tour. She knew the tour had been arranged just for her, since he’d mentioned that he had visited Toronto several times.
She’d missed Frazier this week. She was surprised, honestly, since she’d worked at the company ten years with their paths rarely crossing. But spending time with him this past weekend had shaken her up. And she’d finally figured out why.
As unbelievable as it might seem, she’d fallen in love with Frazier.
How could a woman, who’d avoided an involvement with a man for years, go away for a weekend with one andimmediately lose her heart? Frazier rocked her world in ways it had never been rocked before. And they hadn’t even made it to the bedroom yet!
Although, she had a feeling they’d get there, sooner rather than later. Their kisses alone left her squirming. And she so enjoyed kissing him. Her mouth begged for his whenever she saw him. Whenever he smiled. Just whenever. Several times she had touched her lips, remembered the kisses they’d shared and anticipated more of them during their time together in Toronto.
She loved that she’d felt emboldened enough to initiate most of their kisses last weekend. Then, as if not to be outdone, he’d started kissing her a lot, too. They would kiss for no reason. Just because. Because she loved the taste of him. Because looking at his lips turned her on. Because she’d never been kissed the way Frazier had kissed her. Because she liked it.
When she had arrived at work on Monday morning, she’d felt a little down, knowing he wouldn’t be there all week. But then, she likely wouldn’t have seen him even if he’d been there. That was when she’d had to come to terms with what was happening to her. She had fallen in love with him.
Her cell phone rang--it was Sheryl. She’d told both her friend and Ireland that she would be going away again this weekend with Frazier. She’d let her parents and in-laws know she’d be gone, too, but hadn’t provided any details. She wasn’t ready to answer any questions yet. And she knew there would be plenty of them.