The rental car was once again filled with my luggage, everything I’d brought with me from Chicago. I didn’t have many changes of clothes, but that didn’t even tempt me to return either alone or with Skylar to Chicago. Seeing Skylar was awkward enough; the thought of facing my parents or his caused my stomach to twist and turn.

  I knew that I shouldn’t feel that way. I wasn’t the one who cheated on Skylar.

  Will my parents see it that way if they know about Van?

  I’d given that some thought as I’d packed. The conclusion I’d come to was that I’d broken off the engagement before setting out on my quest.

  I believed that meeting Van helped me to see that there was a bigger, brighter world beyond Chicago, the Butlers, and even Wade Pharmaceutical. Without that knowledge, it would have been more difficult to send Skylar back to Beth or whoever he had in store for his future. My thoughts were on my own future.

  Perhaps I was reluctant to face those people back in Chicago because I wasn’t remorseful about the canceled wedding. I felt bad for the money my parents had spent, but that was it. The brief conversation I’d had with my mother this afternoon before seeing Skylar reaffirmed my decision to stay away through the holidays.

  Now I wondered if she knew Skylar was driving up here. After all, she’d pleaded with me to work things out with him. I held fast to my conviction when I spoke with her and with Skylar. Our wedding was canceled.

  I didn’t mention to her that I’d received a new marriage proposal or any other details about the recent events that led me to accept a job offer. To say that Mom was as shocked as Skylar when I told her that I took a job in Ashland would be an understatement.

  When she asked for more detail, I was vague.

  If Donovan Sherman was as big of a name as he claimed—and he was because I did a quick internet search—then my father would recognize his name. I wasn’t ready to have that conversation. Therefore, I purposely left Van’s name out of our discussion.

  For some reason, when Van and I met and were in the cabin, I hadn’t thought too much about his age. I simply saw him for the incredibly handsome man who saved me, showed me that there’s life beyond Chicago, and listened to my woes. Of course, with the intimate turn our night together took, I knew that he took care of himself. He also had stamina and experience and expertise in what women wanted.

  While waiting to be sure Skylar was gone and doing a quick internet search of Donovan Sherman, I’d found a bio that listed Van as one of Forbes wealthiest men in the United States and at the same time gave very little personal information. I also learned the date he was born, letting me know that he was forty-one years old.

  His financial status didn’t surprise me.

  His age did.

  I couldn’t decide if it bothered me.

  If my age doesn’t bother him, why should his bother me?

  As I crested the hill, the golden lights from Van’s home shone through the darkness, reminding me of a Thomas Kinkade painting. As the large structure came into view, a sense of peace settled over me combined with hopeful anticipation for what this reprieve from my real world would entail. The feelings were foreign, and I welcomed the thrill of the unexpected coursing through my circulation.

  Red sin.

  With my life’s road map torn to shreds and left wadded in a trash can—especially after the encounter with Skylar—Van was an adventure upon which I was excited to embark.

  Even though Van had proposed marriage, I wasn’t certain that either of us wanted to go that far. I wasn’t looking for forever. I’d had that promised to me and that promise meant nothing. What I sought from Van was the way I felt when I was with him. I was already addicted to the adrenaline rush, giddiness, and fluttering heart that came with each encounter.

  As I pulled the car onto the large driveway, the front door opened. Van was no longer in his custom suit from earlier but wearing clothes such as he’d worn the first time I met him. There was nothing about him that made me think of him as old.

  Putting the car in park, I subconsciously scanned from his dark hair down his wide shoulders and trim waist. The flannel shirt he wore over the thermal twisted my core in a way that brought warmth to my cheeks. I wouldn’t need more clothes if Van had an ample supply of flannel shirts he’d be willing to share.

  Then again, I’d agreed to the employee and employer titles. I didn’t suppose that included borrowing my employer’s shirts to wear as a nightgown.

  His smile radiated warmth through the cool air as he came down the steps and opened my car door. “You returned.”

  His green gaze was upon me, drinking me in and sending detonations to my nerve endings. With only his stare, he was doing things to me that I never knew were possible. Offering me his hand, I willingly placed my palm in his and stepped from the car. “Did you think I wouldn’t return?”

  Our touch lingered, sending warmth through my body despite the way our breath came out in vapor clouds in the coldness.

  Van looked down at our hands and back to me. “Let me help you with your things and then we can pull your car into the garage. The weather forecast has more snow and plummeting temperatures coming overnight.”

  “Can they plummet more?” I asked, lifting my face to the falling snow, allowing the large flakes to land on my cheeks and eyelashes. The scene was so peaceful that I turned to Van. “I don’t mind the snow or cold as long as I’m not stranded on the side of the road.”

  Am I concerned about Skylar’s drive back to Chicago?

  Does it make me a bad person that I’m not?

  I didn’t know the answer. I only knew I wanted to look forward and not backward.

  Van laughed. “You took longer than I anticipated. I was beginning to get worried that I’d need to go searching for you.”

  “I made it.”

  He pulled me against him. “I would, Julia. I’d search the world for you. Now that I found you, I’d never allow you to be stranded again.”

  For a moment, I basked in his gaze, allowing the thrill of his touch to flow through me. Feeling his toned body against mine, I finally asked, “Is this part of the employee-and-employer agreement?”

  “It’s after-hours.”

  My gaze was glued to the way the golden flecks in his eyes glistened beneath the floodlights. “Maybe we should define this further. For example, here is work and” —I smiled— “how far away is the cabin?”

  “A couple of miles,” he said, releasing me. “First things first, your things.”

  An hour later, Van and I were seated at his kitchen table, eating dinner paired with a bottle of red wine. A fire roared in the large living-room fireplace and beyond the windows, the forecast snow was falling.

  Van had explained how a woman he’s known most of his life came once a week and cooked his meals. All he had to do was warm them up when he came home.

  “This is delicious,” I said, taking another bite of the chicken fettuccine Alfredo.

  “Better than coffee and nectarines.”

  “The coffee was warm and those nectarines were fantastic. I was a little leery of the soup.”

  Van grinned. “The cans weren’t that old. I like staying out at the cabin when I want to get away from everything. I keep the soup there for when my decision is impulsive. There’s no cell service and being out there gives me a break.”

  Inhaling, I leaned back and lifted my face to the ceiling high above. “That’s what being here is for me.”

  “I hate to tell you, but you do have cell service here and internet.”

  “I also have this nice button on the side of my phone that turns it off.”

  “Hmm. Maybe I should try that.”

  “You should. It’s liberating.” I took another sip of the wine. “I had a visitor in Ashland.”

  Van’s expression changed as his chiseled jaw clenched. “A visitor?”

  “Skylar was at the hotel.”

  “Had you told him where you were staying?”

  I shook my head.

  “Did you tell your parents or your assistant?”

  “I didn’t, but I suppose Leigh could look at the credit card account and figure it out.”

  “She’s your assistant.”

  He hadn’t asked, but I nodded.

  “You came face-to-face with your ex” —he emphasized the syllable— “-fiancé and yet you’re here with me.”

  “Seeing him didn’t make me want to go back to him. I’m not ready to be with anyone. For the first time, I want to find out who I am, who I can be without the past, and most importantly” —I lifted the wine glass and smiled— “who I am when I’m with you.”

  “You’re magnificent, that’s who you are.”

  Warmth filled my cheeks at his comment. Taking another sip of wine, I sighed. “I like this. It’s not too sweet or too dry.”

  As we finished our meal, Van stood, taking the plates to the sink. For a moment, I sat and watched. My father was a modern-day man in his thoughts and actions, yet my parents had a live-in cook and maid. I’d never seen my father, or Skylar for that matter, scrape a plate and put it in a dishwasher.

  “I can help,” I volunteered.

  “I’m almost done.” Van turned toward me, his gaze warming me from the inside. “I told you that I’m not used to giving tours of my home. I’m also not used to having a beautiful woman here. If you want to go up to your suite, I understand. If you’re open to figuring out what after-hours means, I’d say we take the remaining wine out to the living room and talk.”

  I looked down at my dress pants and blouse. I’d left the heels in the suite. “I feel overdressed.”

  “You’re stunning.” He tugged on his flannel shirt. “Of course, I’d be willing to share.”

  It was unbelievable how much I wanted that. I wanted to strip down to my bra and panties and settle in wearing Van’s shirt. I imagined the soft material and the scent of Van’s cologne. The thoughts alone beaded my nipples.

  “I’d like to talk.”

  “I’d like to do more than talk.”

  Van

  Lifting the bottle of wine, I knew that I was losing my battle with myself. The restraint I’d exercised throughout the day disappeared with the sunlight. Much like the wolves that came and went from my property, I had my prey in my sights and any self-control I’d forced myself to exhibit waned with each passing second. My hunger was growing to the point of starvation, and it wasn’t food that I sought.

  Julia walked beyond the sofa and fireplace to the windows and stared out toward the bay. “I can’t describe how I feel right now.” She spun toward me. “It’s new.”

  I could stare at her for hours. Julia carried herself in a way that exhibited confidence and need at the same time. The dichotomy was fascinating. Her openness and honesty were inviting. It wasn’t simply her beauty and her youth; Julia had a presence that lured me toward her.

  “Tell me.”

  She shrugged. “It’s consuming, you know, as they talk about in books. I didn’t think the kind of attraction that they described was real. I’ve never been attracted to someone so much that everything else in life pales in importance.”

  Her admission made me smile. “You described it well.” After setting the bottle of wine on the table between the sofa and fireplace, I took a step toward her. “I can describe what I see.” I scanned from Julia’s painted toenails to her beautiful yellow hair, no longer contained in a twist as it had been earlier in the day. Now it flowed over her slender shoulders creating a wavy veil.

  Her lips parted and closed.

  “You’re stunning, Julia. There’s no denying that. If Butler didn’t tell you that a thousand times a day, he didn’t truly see what a rare gift he wasted. The thing is, as gorgeous as you are, your beauty isn’t your greatest asset. When I see you and I’m near you, I sense your energy, your vitality, and your genuineness. Those are rare qualities.

  “I spend a lot of time alone, but I also spend time with business, here in Wisconsin and while traveling. The authenticity I sense in you is unique.” Taking another step toward her, I reached for the stem of her glass and set it on a nearby table. “I could become addicted.”

  She inclined her chin, keeping her blue eyes fixed on me. “Van, right now, I’m not sure about who you think I am. I’m different when I’m with you.”

  “I can’t imagine you any other way.”

  She lowered her forehead to my chest. “It’s as if I’ve walked out of a cloud or a fog, one that’s been over me for most of my life.” She wrapped her arms around my torso. “This, right here, right now, it feels too good to be real. I’m scared that if I blink it’ll be gone.”

  My arms wrapped around her.

  She was right about the way it felt to have her here in my home and in my arms.

  I lifted her chin until I was basking in her blue stare. “The only person who can make this end is you.”

  Her head shook. “I don’t want it to end.”

  “And I don’t want to talk.”

  “You said sex would be discussed.”

  I pulled her closer until her softness melded with my hardness. Before the other night in the cabin, it had been a while since I’d been intimate with a woman. The rare interactions I enjoyed were primarily mutually self-indulgent. The abstinence I endured was self-inflicted. Perhaps it was my penitence. Whatever the reason, Julia had awakened a part of me that I hadn’t until recently realized had fallen into hibernation.

  Her warm hand came to my cheek. “Red sin? Is that a real thing?”

  “I haven’t looked it up. I suppose it could be one of those sayings we hear and accept. Since I’d never experienced it, I was skeptical...until now. Now it feels real.”

  “It does.”

  I watched the way her lips moved.

  The blue of her eyes swirled with emotions.

  Julia should be afraid of the beast she’d awakened. Instead, she was pushing her petite body against mine and undoubtedly feeling my growing erection against her. She should run. I had to warn her. “Tell me good night. Don’t let me blur the line of our agreement. Go up to your suite and lock the door.”

  “I don’t want to.” Her hand landed on my chest. “I’m open to blurring the line.”

  “Does that mean you’re done discussing sex?”

  “It means I want you to take me, Van. I can’t explain this desire. I’ve never felt anything like this before. I’m still not looking for forever because for once I’m satisfied with the present.”

  Satisfied.

  The concept was foreign to me.

  It contradicted my need for more, bigger, and better.

  I wasn’t satisfied.

  I wasn’t satisfiable.

  And currently, my state could be classified more accurately as insatiable.

  As my thoughts filled with the possibilities before me, my breaths became shallower and my pulse kicked up a beat. Julia rose up on her tiptoes as her lips connected with mine. All day long as I’d contemplated the possibility that our evening could go in this direction, I’d told myself that if it did, I should be gentle and go slow.

  Now, with Julia’s body against mine, those sentiments were washed away by the flood of my speeding circulation. I wrapped Julia’s long hair around my fingers as I fisted her golden tresses and tipped her head backward. Her moan filtered through the air as our kiss deepened. My tongue sought entrance as I unapologetically took what she offered.

  When we separated, I asked, “Do you remember my rule?”

  Julia nodded. “I invited. The rest is up to you.” Her pink tongue darted to her swollen lips. “I’m not completely inexperienced, but I like letting you lead.” Her breasts heaved as she took a deep breath. “I trust you.”

  My eyes briefly closed.

  If she only knew how wrong she was.

  With my cock achingly hard, I couldn’t think about her misplaced trust. Now that her invitation was out in the air, I wouldn’t back away.

  I couldn’t.

  With the backdrop of the crackling fire, I made my proclamation, “Strip for me, beautiful.”

  As pink filled Julia’s cheeks, I gently placed my hand on the side of her face. “I took your clothes off the other night. Now I want to watch as you take them off for me, knowing what’s going to happen, knowing what I’m going to do to you.”

  Her blue orbs swirled with uncertainty. That was good. She should be uncertain.

  “I don’t know what you’re going to do.”

  “Oh, I’m going to bury myself inside your perfect pussy.”

  She sucked in a breath as her eyes opened wider.

  “And I’m not going to stop until we both come over and over.”

  As if the temperature had dropped, Julia began to tremble. I ran my finger down her cheek, to her neck, watching her pulsating carotid. I lowered my lips and kissed her neck, going lower and lower until I reached the top of her blouse. “I’m going to suck your nipples until they’re hard as diamonds. I’m going to taste your sweet essence and dine on your juices.”

  “Van...”

  I placed my finger on her lips. “Now, don’t make me repeat myself. Strip for me.”

  She nodded as she looked around. “Everything is so open.”

  “And there isn’t another person for miles. No one will see you or hear you scream as you come.”

  Her fingers slowly undid each button behind her neck. With her gaze fixed on mine, she lifted the blouse, exposing the lace bra beneath. Next, she unbuckled the skinny belt before undoing two buttons and the zipper to her slacks. Letting go of the waist, the slacks fell to the floor in a black puddle.

  Beautiful blue eyes stayed fixed on me, staring up through her veiled lashes as she unclasped the bra.

  I had plans for her perfect breasts; however, it was obvious by her reddened areolas and beaded nipples that she was already on her way. Next, she snagged the waist of the lace panties and pushed them to her ankles, stepping away from the pile of her clothing.