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Authors: Debbie Macomber
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as well,” he informed her softly.
“You did?” Her eyes sought his for the first time.
He placed his hands on each side of her neck at the gentle sloping of her shoulders. “I’m seldom impractical.”
“I... know.”
His mouth descended an inch closer to hers, so close that she could feel his warm breath fanning her face. An inch more and their lips would touch. Stephanie moistened her lips, realizing all at once how very much she wanted to taste his mouth on hers. Her breath froze in her lungs; even her heart stopped beating.
“Could your wish have been as impractical as mine?” There was an unmistakable quaver to his voice.
Stephanie levered her hands against his chest, flattening her palms over his heart. His pulse was strong and even. “Yes.” The lone word was breathless and weak, barely audible.
His arms went around her, anchoring her against him. Gently, he laid his cheek alongside hers, rubbing the side of his face over hers as though he feared her touch, yet craved it. Stephanie closed her eyes, savoring his nearness, his warmth and the vital feel of him. A thousand objections shot through her mind, but she refused to listen to even one. This was exactly what she’d wished for at the fountain, fool that she was.
Jonas turned his head and nuzzled her ear with his nose, and she noted his breathing was shallow. His arms tightened around her and he whispered her name, entreating her—for what, Stephanie didn’t know.
It was at the back of her mind that she should break free, but something much stronger than the force of her will kept her motionless. He was her employer; they argued constantly and battled with each other at the office. Jonas Lockwood was an arrogant, domineering chauvinist. But all her arguments were burned away like deadwood in a forest fire as his lips moved to her hair. He kissed the top of her head, her cheek, her ear, and then moved back to her hair. He paused, holding her to him as though it were the most natural thing in the world for them to be wrapped in each other’s arms.
“Tell me, Stephanie,” Jonas asked in a hoarse whisper. “Did you wish for the same thing I did?”
Their eyes met hungrily and locked. Stephanie nodded, unable to answer him with words.
Jonas caught her to him and lowered his mouth to hers, claiming her lips in a greedy kiss that stirred her soul and left her weak and clinging. She felt herself responding; her arms slid around his neck. Their lips clung, and his tongue sought and found hers. Against her will, Stephanie arched against him, seeking to lose herself in his arms for all time.
Abruptly they broke apart, both of their own accord. Stephanie trembled from inside and out. She dared not look at Jonas. Neither spoke. For a moment they didn’t move, didn’t breathe. The world that only seconds before had been silent now burst into a cacophony of sound. Wind whistled through the trees. Car horns blared from a nearby street. An elderly couple could be heard arguing.
“Jonas, I...”
“Don’t say anything.”
She wouldn’t have known what to say. She was as stunned as he was.
“It was the wine, and this silly wishing business,” he said stiffly.
“Right.”
“I told you wasting your money on wishes was foolish.”
“Exactly,” she agreed, though not very strenuously. Their wishes had come true; now they both wanted to complain.
Stephanie noticed on the way out of the park that Jonas seemed to avoid being near her. His steps were quick, rushed. In order to keep up with him, she was forced into a half-run. The instant they hit the main thoroughfare, Jonas raised his hand and hailed the limo that drove them directly back to the hotel.
“Well, how was Paris?” Jan asked the first day Stephanie was back at Lockwood Industries. They sat in the employee cafeteria. Jan had purchased the luncheon special, and Stephanie had brought a sandwich from home.
“Fine.”
“Fine?”
“I was held captive in a stuffy, smoke-filled
“You did?” Her eyes sought his for the first time.
He placed his hands on each side of her neck at the gentle sloping of her shoulders. “I’m seldom impractical.”
“I... know.”
His mouth descended an inch closer to hers, so close that she could feel his warm breath fanning her face. An inch more and their lips would touch. Stephanie moistened her lips, realizing all at once how very much she wanted to taste his mouth on hers. Her breath froze in her lungs; even her heart stopped beating.
“Could your wish have been as impractical as mine?” There was an unmistakable quaver to his voice.
Stephanie levered her hands against his chest, flattening her palms over his heart. His pulse was strong and even. “Yes.” The lone word was breathless and weak, barely audible.
His arms went around her, anchoring her against him. Gently, he laid his cheek alongside hers, rubbing the side of his face over hers as though he feared her touch, yet craved it. Stephanie closed her eyes, savoring his nearness, his warmth and the vital feel of him. A thousand objections shot through her mind, but she refused to listen to even one. This was exactly what she’d wished for at the fountain, fool that she was.
Jonas turned his head and nuzzled her ear with his nose, and she noted his breathing was shallow. His arms tightened around her and he whispered her name, entreating her—for what, Stephanie didn’t know.
It was at the back of her mind that she should break free, but something much stronger than the force of her will kept her motionless. He was her employer; they argued constantly and battled with each other at the office. Jonas Lockwood was an arrogant, domineering chauvinist. But all her arguments were burned away like deadwood in a forest fire as his lips moved to her hair. He kissed the top of her head, her cheek, her ear, and then moved back to her hair. He paused, holding her to him as though it were the most natural thing in the world for them to be wrapped in each other’s arms.
“Tell me, Stephanie,” Jonas asked in a hoarse whisper. “Did you wish for the same thing I did?”
Their eyes met hungrily and locked. Stephanie nodded, unable to answer him with words.
Jonas caught her to him and lowered his mouth to hers, claiming her lips in a greedy kiss that stirred her soul and left her weak and clinging. She felt herself responding; her arms slid around his neck. Their lips clung, and his tongue sought and found hers. Against her will, Stephanie arched against him, seeking to lose herself in his arms for all time.
Abruptly they broke apart, both of their own accord. Stephanie trembled from inside and out. She dared not look at Jonas. Neither spoke. For a moment they didn’t move, didn’t breathe. The world that only seconds before had been silent now burst into a cacophony of sound. Wind whistled through the trees. Car horns blared from a nearby street. An elderly couple could be heard arguing.
“Jonas, I...”
“Don’t say anything.”
She wouldn’t have known what to say. She was as stunned as he was.
“It was the wine, and this silly wishing business,” he said stiffly.
“Right.”
“I told you wasting your money on wishes was foolish.”
“Exactly,” she agreed, though not very strenuously. Their wishes had come true; now they both wanted to complain.
Stephanie noticed on the way out of the park that Jonas seemed to avoid being near her. His steps were quick, rushed. In order to keep up with him, she was forced into a half-run. The instant they hit the main thoroughfare, Jonas raised his hand and hailed the limo that drove them directly back to the hotel.
“Well, how was Paris?” Jan asked the first day Stephanie was back at Lockwood Industries. They sat in the employee cafeteria. Jan had purchased the luncheon special, and Stephanie had brought a sandwich from home.
“Fine.”
“Fine?”
“I was held captive in a stuffy, smoke-filled
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