Page 57 of Secret Admirer
Rather than get angry, his expression brightened. He took her hands over the silly small table. “Are you giving me a second chance?”
Her lips tingled as she nodded.
He leapt up and swirled around the table, tugging her hand for her to stand. She complied, and his mouth claimed hers.
Maybe he wasn’t exactly Prince Charming from the stories, but his kiss was hard and real and made her forget everything else.
With Bart holding her, she was alive.
As the kiss ended her body ached for more. He motioned for them to sit again and she picked up her coffee.
The drink didn’t do anything for her other than make her wish for more mocha kisses. She pushed it aside. “Bart, my passport arrived.”
“What does that mean?”
Fair. She’d just blurted it out without explanation. “This morning I cried when the mailman gave it to me. I thought I'd lost you forever and even with my passport in my hand, I’d never find you again.”
He brushed his thumb across her hand. “Rebecca, you’re sweet and kind and loving and I don’t deserve you.”
She believed he was sincere, but she needed to be clear and follow her own goals too. She flipped her hand so they were palm to palm. “But you’re okay if I go to classes, here? Knowing that our relationship might be grounded for a while so I can complete my degree?”
“I bought a house, and I have a limo driver that can bring you here every day so you can study in the car.”
“Hmm. I never thought about that." Having a driver would allow her to spread out and give her more time rather than driving herself.
“You’ll have a security team and a driver for wherever you want to go.”
Security? She was just Rebecca James. “Now that sounds a bit much.”
“We can talk about that later.” He took his hand back. Her heart lurched that she'd pushed too far, but then he put his palm to his chest. “When do your classes begin?”
“In two weeks.” She sipped her mocha and hoped she’d find a way to be calm. Calm would be good. Would he agree?
"You're free until then?" he asked.
Wait. What did he want? Her body was in hyper mode so she was hardly able to think as she said, “Yes. Why?”
He scooted to the edge of his seat. “I want to bring you home.”
That was obvious--she wanted him too, to celebrate their love in a physical way. She figured they’d head back there now, after she bought her books. “I’ll go back to your mansion on Starr Island, but no more comments on my house or my father’s profession.”
He sat straighter. “I went there and met him.”
Whoa. She hadn’t expected that. What had her father said to Bart or vice versa? Her breath caught in her throat as she asked, “You met my father?”
He smiled, which meant they were okay at the end and her mind grasped that information. “He told me you were here. When we get back we’ll have dinner with him and I’ll tell him thank you for raising an amazing woman.”
Perfect. She relaxed, but then Bart stood and offered to take her hand again. She rose and tossed her empty cup in the trash. Bart hadn’t touched his coffee, so he tossed his full cup and led her away from the table. “Where are we going?”
He directed them toward the door. “To Rome. I want you to see my real home.”
She slowed her steps. This wasn’t on her agenda, though it wasn’t a bad idea either. She quickly said, “Oh. I haven't packed.”
He met her gaze. “My family owns a clothing empire. The plane is fueled. All it needs is us.”
She stopped entirely but tugged him to stop with her as she said, “Okay, on one condition.”
He didn’t move and she smelled his almond cologne. “What’s that?”
