“Your father really owns this?” I can’t believe my eyes. I’m standing in the most beautiful penthouse suite atop a world-famous hotel, and I’ve just been informed we aren’t leaving for a week. I guess Sunday dinner won’t be happening.

“Yes, but don’t hold it against me. I’m not my father. I’m selfish. I want you all to myself. The only interruptions will be room service, which we won’t see, as they’ve been instructed to leave the trolley in the foyer. Is that okay with you? I know school doesn’t start for another two weeks, and work too, so I want you and only you with me—in here with me.” He attempts a pitiful puppy-dog look, but it loses its effect when he adds a wicked smile.

“Hmmm, I’ll have to think about this. Smexy guy with a hot body, or spending days with my roomies and friends, and let’s not forget Sunday dinner with my family? Gosh, I just don’t know.”

I see him moving toward me with a grin. I try to dodge him playfully, but he grabs my waist before scooping me up to carry me over to the bed. “I guess I’ll have to persuade you to see it my way. Oh, I’m going to love this week together.”

I’m sad the week is over, and I feel like it’s the end. No, nothing has really happened to make me feel this way. Being in paradise for seven days has been wonderful, but now the real world beckons me to come back to it.

Last time I talked to anyone other than Drew was when I called my mom and told her I had plans and couldn’t make dinner. She told me I owed her big time, and then I called Jeff and he already knew about Drew’s secret plan, as did Julie and Kevin. After that, I did something I thought would never happen. I turned it off. No, not the sex. My phone.

I lost count of the mind-blowing orgasms after the tenth, or was it twentieth? I’ve never felt so comfortable with someone of the opposite sex. Okay, there’s Jeff … but he doesn’t count.

Drew snores lightly and turns over, uncovering his body from under the sheet. I now know every inch of him. Yes, I know I saw him naked in class, but seeing him for seven days has spoiled me for any other body. I long to run my fingers over him now, but I must start detaching myself. Whatever this is won’t last. It’s time to be honest with myself. We move in different worlds, poles apart. I should be happy that we got to spend this time together, but I can’t muster one ounce of happiness.

Hell, I think I’ve fallen for him. What would he say if I told him that? He wouldn’t say anything because he’d move halfway across the world to avoid me.

“Morning.” His deep voice pulls my eyes up to his smiling ones.

“Good Morning.” I smile back and hope it looks genuine.

All I want to do is fling myself into his arms and declare my undying devotion—okay, it should be another word, but he would definitely die of heart failure if I said “love.”

He begins tracing one of his fingers down my cheek and leans over, allowing his mouth to follow his finger as it makes its way all the way down. Desire washes through me as it has many times during this past week. We come together like it’s been forever since we last touched one another instead of only a couple of hours.

Two hours later, we’re showered, dressed and ready to leave. It’s quiet as we ride down the private elevator and drive out of the empty, secluded parking garage. The one little thing that gives me hope is that since we entered the car, Drew has held my hand. His thumb rubs circles that make me want to make him pull over the car and rub his thumb somewhere else.

“Dora, we need to talk,” he says as we pull into the parking space at our building.

Here it comes: “It’s been great, wonderful, really, but you have your life and I’ve got mine and it just won’t work.” I say to myself as I stiffen, preparing for the inevitable conversation.

“I have a shoot I have to do in Florida, and I have to leave tonight. I was wondering, actually hoping, that you’d come with me. You still have another week until school and work start again, right?”

Oh, sweet Jesus. I’ve died and gone to heaven. A reprieve.

“You’re not tired of me yet?” I ask, trying to sound light-hearted. Inside, I’m jumping up and down for joy, pushing all dread aside.

“Of course not. I’ve found I’m extremely partial to a certain special short, fiery redhead, and I don’t want her out of my sight for a minute.”

Don’t cry, Dora, don’t you dare. My eyes are filling up, and I turn my head to look out the window so he won’t see.

“Yeah, I’ve still got a hankering for a tall, model type, and I too don’t want him to be out of my sight. What a coincidence.” Finally in control of my emotions, I turn and pull his head down so I can kiss him gently—except he has other plans, and I swear if a horn hadn’t honked, we would’ve been naked in seconds.

I’ve never been on a private jet before, and sitting in the overstuffed leather reclining seats makes my fear of flying more bearable. Drew had brought my hand to his lips after he buckled me in and he hasn’t let go. We’ve been up in the air for an hour. In front of me is a Coke I ordered, as I didn’t trust drinking alcohol. I didn’t want to take a chance of throwing up miles above ground. We’re on our way to a private beach resort in south Florida, and should arrive in a few hours.

“Did you know there’s a bed in the back?” Drew leans over and whispers to me, even though we’re all alone.

“Don’t you be getting any ideas. For one thing, I don’t think I’m up to joining the mile-high club, especially since I’m not even sure I can move from my seat without throwing up. Second, I don’t want an accidental audience. And three, I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve done the deed, and I think my lady bits need a breather.” I giggle as he swoops down, silencing me with a hard kiss.

“Okay, but when we get there, you’re mine all night. And it’s been at least more than a forty times because we’ve gone through several boxes of Trojans.”

I blush, and oh God, I love that I’ll be his tonight.

I must have somehow dozed off. I feel the plane descending, and I see crystal blue water and sandy beaches outside my window.

“Hello, sleepyhead. Anyone would think you haven’t had much sleep lately. Oh wait, you haven’t.” He kisses me swiftly as the wheels touch down on the runway, bouncing us a little.

It’s beautiful. Sunny skies and a mild, balmy temperature greet us when we leave the plane. It’s heavenly not to have inches of snow and shivering ice-cold winds tearing through my clothes. A limo is waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs. I feel like royalty as I sink into the backseat, absorbing the lavish luxury surrounding me. Let me tell you, kissing in the back of a tricked-out limo is amazing. Of course, we put up the privacy window thingy. There’s so much groping and clothes rearranging that I feel when we stop and the door opens, everyone will know what we’ve been up too.

“Dinner out or dinner in?”

I’m standing at a window in a penthouse suite, in awe of the panoramic view of the gulf, complete with a setting sun.

“Whichever you’d like,” I reply, still watching the sun as it continues to sink into the water.

Drew pulls me into his arms and we watch the dying rays together.

“Okay, let’s eat in and then walk on the beach, and then…”

“Then?” I prompt as he pulls me closer and I feel what “then” is, but it seems like it will be “now” and “then.”

A long hour later, we’re seated at a cozy patio table on the veranda, eating an abundance of food. We’re dressed in matching plush white robes and the cool sea breeze is gently caressing our exposed skin.

“I think I just gained about ten pounds,” I say as I pull away from the table, amazed at the amount of food I just ingested.

“We’ll just have to find a way to work those off then, now won’t we?” Drew scoots his chair over and pulls me onto his lap, his hand working at the knot in my robe.

“Wait, we have to wait an hour after eating,” I state firmly and giggle at his awkward attempt at undoing my robe.

“That applies to swimming, and that’s not what I have in mind. What the hell have you done to this knot?”

“It’s called a ‘keep your hands off me’ knot, and that means you.” I slap playfully at his hands and he pulls up the bottom of my robe. The devilish strokes of his hand on my exposed skin cause me to shiver. He stands up, and I moan at the loss of his hand. He holds me tightly as he takes me to the massive California King-sized bed, throws me in the middle and joins me, shedding his own robe in one fluid motion.

Several hours later, I’m exhausted, so spent that I haven’t even the energy to walk on the moonlit beach like we talked about earlier. Drew is sound asleep, and I curl up next to him. I feel his arm drape around me before pulling me closer. I feel my eyes growing heavy. I sigh as Drew plants a kiss on my head.

I wish we could stay this way forever.

22

“But I want you to come with me. I don’t want us separated for a minute,” Drew says sweetly.

“Okay, I’ll hang out with you today, but tomorrow I’m going to the beach. I need to get a tan.”

“No way are you sunbathing on the beach. I’ll have to beat all the guys to a pulp who get a glimpse of you. Anyway, I bet you don’t tan.” He puts his hands on his hips, looking me up and down.

“No, but they have umbrellas I can hide under, and if I take it slow, I’ll get some color.”

“But I love your skin just the way it is. I don’t want it burned.” He’s running a finger down my arm now.

“You’re just looking out for you. If I get burned, it will be no more fun. I’m a big girl and I’ll make the decision. Don’t worry, I won’t burn.” I lift his finger from my arm and slide my mouth up and down it, watching his eyes go dark with desire.