A Perfect Bride For Christmas (34 page)

piece.” Zoe closed the door and heard Brenda’s car engine fire up. “If the weather holds up, and she doesn’t spot a bar on the way, she should be okay.”

“Zoe, talk to me.”

She looked up the stairs. “Not here. Let’s go

back to the kitchen. I don’t want to take the chance of waking the girls.”

They went into the kitchen, and Zoe glanced out the window. The snow fell harder, shading the world beyond until it became necessary for her to turn on the lights.

“Would you like some coffee?” She needed to do

something to do with her hands, but Alex stopped her before she could head toward the coffeemaker.

His blue eyes bore into hers. “Listen to me,

really listen to me.” He took her hands, his thumb tracing small circles on the top as if it were a worry stone. “I want you in my life, Zoe. Not just the girls.”

“Alex, don’t do this.”

“I can’t help it. I’ve already told you how I feel.”

He hadn’t said he loved her, only that he desired her. Zoe wanted more. Much more. Still, his

nearness had to be enough for now.

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****

you didn’t buy a new table.”

Zoe’s blush eased his aching heart. Deep green

sparked in her fantastic eyes. She wanted him but he still felt her hesitation.

“It seemed like a waste of money. Besides, I

didn’t want to make up some lame story for Cherri when she gets back from St. Louis.” Her hand trailed over the surface he’d just touched. “Anyway, I like this table.”

He moved in closer, watching the softness of her lips as she spoke. Zoe’s eyelids fluttered down, and Alex let his fingers twine through hers, over the spot where they’d made love the last time. “Good, I’m kind of fond of it myself.”

Her breath tickled the hollow of his neck. Where Sydney’s touch did nothing, Zoe’s moist breath sent shock waves rippling through his body. Heat surged, swelled until he wanted to grab her in his arms and take her here, upstairs, anywhere. His erection was quick and hard. Yet, he had to go slow. Make her believe. “Zoe, you’re killing me.”

“I’m not doing anything.”

“Oh yes, you are.”

She stared up at him, and a slow, knowing smile parted her lips. “You undo me, Alex. Every time I think I have this feeling under control, you stoke it up again.” Zoe reached up to put her hand on his chest, her fingers spreading over the hammering behind his ribs. “What am I supposed to do?”

Alex took her mouth in a gentle kiss, soft and

sure, but one that left his control at the edge of his endurance. She let him in, teasing the spark

between them the instant he caught fire.

“Zoe,” he pulled back, cupping her face in his

hands. “You have no idea how much I missed you

after you left Vegas. I think I grieved more for your 273

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loss than I did for Bianca’s.”

“You hurt me.” She looked up at him, the hurt

from so long ago fresh in her eyes.”

“I know.” He rained kisses over her face, tasting the salt of her tears. “Don’t cry.”

“I’m not.” Her hand came up to touch his cheek.

“Not in the way you think.” A smile replaced the pain in her gaze. “Where do we go from here?”

Alex rested his forehead against hers. “I have a plan.”

“Oh, what is that?”

“You’ll see.” His mouth captured hers, tasting, teasing her until her groan of pleasure hit him full force. His body responded, straining for release.

Zoe’s hand ran from his shoulders down to the

erection straining against the heavy denim of his jeans. His heart pumped faster at her feathered touch.

“Get out of those clothes,” Alex growled as he

unhooked her jeans. He had them off, including her shoes, in one desperate pull.

“The girls are asleep upstairs.”

“How long are they usually out?”

Zoe stifled a giggle. “They just went down. So we have at least an hour—max.”

“Time enough.” He knelt before her with a

wicked smile on his face.

Zoe pulled her top over her head and unhooked

her bra. She dropped it on the floor with a smile.

“There. Now what?”

Her scent filled his nostrils, calling to him. Alex kissed each thigh, his tongue stroking the tender flesh until he found what he wanted. Her fingers teased his hair as he tasted her, delved deeper between the pouty lips of her sex.

“Alex,” Zoe cried out as he found her clit, flicking it until her legs shook and she gripped the edge of the table for support.

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He stood. “I see my plan is working.”

“I have one of my own.” She captured his breath in her mouth. Her tongue stroked his, tangling in a hot mesh of passion.

Alex’s hand skimmed up her torso to graze the

underside of her breasts. His thumb found her

nipple, turning it into a hot beacon that begged for his touch.

“You’re the one wearing too many clothes.” Zoe

worked his sweater over his head, His heart raced under her hand. Zoe’s nails raked a gentle path over his ribs to scrape his nipple, tangling in the soft hair of his chest.

It wasn’t a time for gentleness. With one quick move, Alex sat her on the table and splayed her legs apart. His mouth crushed hers as his fingers delved between her folds to find the center of her desire. He stroked her, built the fire heating her skin..

His mouth moved lower to capture a breast.

While he suckled and nipped, one finger slipped inside her in a slow, deliberate slide. He added another, stretching her, preparing her.

She released the button on his jeans, unzipping them until she found his penis, strong and hard—

silk over steel. He used his thumb to work her clit until her body tensed and the world fell apart for her again.. Still, he couldn’t get enough.

“Alex, more, I want more.” Her words echoed his desire. She stroked the length of his erection. This time she held him, brought him closer.

Alex pulled her to the edge of the table and

spread her to seat himself at her entrance.

“I want you. Dear God, help me, I want you.”

Alex spilled desperate kisses over her face. His hands gripped her hips as he thrust forward.

Hazel eyes burned green, gold and amber into

his, hot and wild. She branded him soul deep. The truth had always been there—she belonged to him, 275

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no matter what.

Zoe lay back on the table. His thrusts deepened, each caress designed to drive her to the brink. Her breath came in little pants. Alex’s hands went from her shoulders to her breast, his fingers rolling her nipple, pulling and stroking until he bent over to take one in his mouth. The urgent movement sent her over the edge, taking him with her.

Her body trembled, shook with the power of her

orgasm. Alex, still buried inside her, braced himself on the table with his hands on either side of her shoulders. “You know, I really like this table,” he rasped.

Zoe smiled, still trying to catch her breath.

Suddenly, she stiffened.

“What’s wrong?”

“I thought I heard something.” Zoe’s head

turned toward the door, her bottom lip tucked

between her teeth.

Alex shook his head. “I think it was me. My

heart just exploded.”

“No, I thought I heard the front door.” She sat up and grabbed her tee-shirt.

“Are you sure you’re not just being paranoid?”

“Maybe the girls are up early.” Zoe snatched up the rest of her clothes and raced to the small powder room off the kitchen. “Hurry, get dressed. They’ll be here any second.” She called through the door over the sound of running water. “I don’t want to have to explain anatomy to them just yet.”

Alex chuckled as he did a hasty clean up and

yanked on his sweater. “We’d have a lot of

explaining to do.” He went into the living room to check on potential noises.

No one was there. He didn’t see anything out of place. Alex’s hand went into his pocket to find Zoe’s gold band. Once the tip of his index finger found it, he rolled it around in his pocket with all the zeal of a 276

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penitent doing the Rosary. Lord knew, he had a lot of amends to make to Zoe.

“I’m sure I heard someone moving around in

here.”

He turned to see her bright-eyed, glowing with

satisfaction. The blush painting her cheeks made him crazy to take her over the edge one more time.

“You take my breath away.” Alex gathered her in his arms to place a gentle kiss on the heated skin next to her mouth.

Zoe’s face grew redder, her lashes dropped to

hide her eyes. “I’m just me.”

“But a very special
me.
”

The grandfather clock struck two. She frowned.

“I’m ah…I’m going upstairs to check on the girls.”

He took his cue from her and stepped out of her way. “Do you mind if I go up with you? I’ve never seen them sleeping.”

“No, of course not.”

Alex went up behind her, admiring the

movement of her hips, the way they filled out her jeans. No stick figure there, but enough to hold onto in the heat of lovemaking. His mind went back to the near miss in the kitchen. Maybe later tonight after the girls went to sleep for the night. Then, he’d give her the ring from his jacket pocket, ask her to be his wife. Zoe opened the door and flicked on the light. His appreciation died at the sound of her gasp. He

surveyed the room with the unmade beds of bright pink and white, the covers tossed aside as if the kids had just gotten up from their naps.

“They’re not here.” Worry threaded through

Zoe’s voice.

Her fear set off a wave of dread that hit him

dead-center in the chest. “Could they be somewhere else in the house?”

“Usually, they come down like a herd of

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elephants the minute they get out of bed.”

“Maybe they’re hiding in a closet or in another room. Let’s search before we get upset, okay?”

Zoe’s eyes went to the small coat tree in the

corner of the room “Their coats and scarves are gone.” She raced to the closet and opened the door.

“So are their snow boots.”

The worry in her eyes turned to panic. “The

house feels too quiet. They’re not here.”

Ignoring the rapid cadence of his own pulse, he sought to keep her calm. “You don’t know that until we look.”

“They took their coats, “ her voice rose as she raced down the stairs. “They’ve been outside the whole time we were—”

“Stop it.” He couldn’t let her go there.

“I’ve got to find them!”

Alex followed her, stopping only long enough to grab their coats from the hall closet. Snow flew harder. The sky grew dark and low even though it was only two in the afternoon. The wind tore at them. The flakes not so gentle now, bit with stinging little teeth.

“Macy,” Zoe called out. “Michaela, Mia!”

“Hey Mac, Mike, Mee-Mee, it’s Daddy. Answer

me. You’re not in trouble.”

Nothing but the snow-muffled groan of the wind

answered their calls. They shouted around the yard and the area beyond.

No little voices answered back

“I don’t see any footprints.” Alex cupped his

hands around his mouth and yelled. “Girls, answer me.” Zoe hugged her arms around herself to keep warm.

Alex pulled her against his chest even though

the frigid air siphoned the heat from his body. “They might have been here, but it’s snowing so fast their 278

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footprints could have been covered up.”

“Oh, God, where can they be?” Her cry of

desperation echoed his growing alarm.

“Zoe, you’ve got to hold it together. Can you

think where they might have gone?” he yelled over a frigid gust of air. “Anywhere.”

“Maybe they went to the park. We built a

snowman there a couple of days ago. What if they fell into the creek?” Her eyes glittered with half frozen tears as she blinked away the snow.

“What creek?”

“A creek runs through the park, near the back.

If the girls went back there, they might not be able to see the bank because of the snow.”

“Let’s get back in the house.” The bone deep chill closed over his heart. Scenario after scenario, none of them good, turned into a fear colder. deadlier than the storm blowing around them. “I need to make

some calls—fast.”

She nodded, taking one last look toward the

park. and followed him back to the house. They both trembled with the cold and reaction. He had to focus, keep his mind on the situation. Alex leaned into what he did best—he treated the storm as an

opponent, with his children as the victims of a crime.

The mindset let him think beyond this nightmare.

He contacted the police first.

The officers searched in and around the house

as well, asking a multitude of questions that only Zoe could answer. Alex watched her face, so pale, her eyes dark with worry and fear as she gave the officer in charge a picture of the girls, along with a

description of what they were wearing.

“They were all wearing blue jeans. Macy had on

a red sweater with Dora.” She held up the doll.”

“Yeah, my kid is crazy about Dora.” Officer

Eldon’s mouth thinned, his dark chiseled face set into a professional mask. “Mrs. Bennett,” he asked, 279

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his voice soft, yet firm. “What about the other two?

Do they dress alike?”

Zoe frowned, her mouth worked as she tried to

speak. “Not always. Ah, Mia—Mia had on her

favorite yellow sweatshirt with flowers and some lace.” She indicated the neckline of the sweatshirt.

“Right here. And Michaela had on a blue, long-

sleeved knit top, just a plain little top.” She dashed tears from her cheeks and inhaled. “They had

matching, dark green, ski jackets, the kind with all the puffs, and green snow boots. Macy has a scar through her right eyebrow.” Zoe touched her own with trembling fingers to show him the spot.