buttons. But her stop was upon her, and subway doors slid open. Ventura gritted her teeth and raced from the car, clutching her blouse. “Have a good day!” she told the others as they gaped.
“Jason,” Ventura whispered as she made her way into Richard’s kitchen, “do you have a few safety pins I could borrow?” He glanced at her hands gripping her blouse and tugging it shut.
“Um, sure. Hang on one second.”
“I’ll be in the bathroom,” she said, heading that direction.
En route, she nearly bumped into Richard in the narrow hall.
“Everything okay?”
“Uh-huh,” she said with a death grip on her blouse.
Richard angled his chin and eyed her curiously. “If it’s too cold in here, I can turn up the air-conditioning.”
“Oh no!” She felt herself blush fiercely as she hurried past him. “That won’t be necessary.”
For the first time all week, the kids had some downtime, which was good since it was Friday afternoon. All Ventura had to do was get through these next few hours; then she’d be seeing Charles for their big date.
The kids had asked her to read them some stories, which sounded ideal to Ventura at the moment. She was exhausted from a morning of birthday parties and roller skating , and that was after she’d picked the kids up from their ritzy year-round kindergarten program. They sat on the sofa in the den, with Ricky snuggled up on her left and Elisa on her right. After her day of running around and indulging the kids by joining them on wheels, her cushioned seat felt like heaven. Each child had picked out some books, including newer titles and a few old classics. This won’t be so bad , Ventura thought with a yawn. She actually liked bedtime stories. Before long, little Ricky had dozed off and soon little Elisa had also slumped against her. Was it any wonder the kids were exhausted from the rapid-fire pace of the life they led? Ventura found it slightly overwhelming too. Her eyelids began to droop as the book slipped in her hands. She felt the weight of it settle in her lap as a soothing darkness closed in.
“Who’s been sleeping in my bed?” a sexy baritone rumbled.
Someone yanked back the covers and Ventura’s eyed popped open.
“Richard?” she asked, sitting up.
He sat down beside her on his king-size bed and cupped her cheeks in his hands. Her skin tingled, and her body felt warm all over. “Why, Ventura,” he said in a husky whisper, “what big eyes you have.”
Ventura caught her breath as his handsome face grew near.
“And your lips.” He moaned like a beast of the wild. “They’re to kill for.”
“Die for?” she asked uncertainly.
“Yeah.” His gaze delved into hers like he longed to devour her completely. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this. To take you, to have all of you.”
She stared up at him, her heart on fire and cheeks ablaze. “Me too, Richard. Oh, me too.”
Her silk blouse gaped open, but she didn’t care. In fact, she hoped he’d rip it off her completely.
“Ventura,” he growled, his mouth hovering over hers. “My sweet Ventura. How I want to make you mine.”
“Oh, Richard,” she sighed as his mouth closed in.
His lips brushed hers.
“Ventura…”
“Richard…”
“Ventura?” he said more loudly. “Can you hear me?”
Ventura opened her eyes with a start to find Richard leaning over her where she’d apparently been dozing on the sofa with both kids.
“Richard!” she yelped.
He eyed the books on the floor with a laugh. “Well, I’m not the Big Bad Wolf.”
“Of course you’re not,” she said, straightening her blouse as the kids groggily awakened.
“Looks like you’ve all had quite a day.”
“Ventura took us skating,” Elisa said with a happy smile.
Little Ricky’s eyes were wide. “She can even do it backwards!”
“Is that so?” Richard asked with a chuckle. He eyed Ventura with appreciation, and her face warmed under his perusal. “Well, how about
“Jason,” Ventura whispered as she made her way into Richard’s kitchen, “do you have a few safety pins I could borrow?” He glanced at her hands gripping her blouse and tugging it shut.
“Um, sure. Hang on one second.”
“I’ll be in the bathroom,” she said, heading that direction.
En route, she nearly bumped into Richard in the narrow hall.
“Everything okay?”
“Uh-huh,” she said with a death grip on her blouse.
Richard angled his chin and eyed her curiously. “If it’s too cold in here, I can turn up the air-conditioning.”
“Oh no!” She felt herself blush fiercely as she hurried past him. “That won’t be necessary.”
For the first time all week, the kids had some downtime, which was good since it was Friday afternoon. All Ventura had to do was get through these next few hours; then she’d be seeing Charles for their big date.
The kids had asked her to read them some stories, which sounded ideal to Ventura at the moment. She was exhausted from a morning of birthday parties and roller skating , and that was after she’d picked the kids up from their ritzy year-round kindergarten program. They sat on the sofa in the den, with Ricky snuggled up on her left and Elisa on her right. After her day of running around and indulging the kids by joining them on wheels, her cushioned seat felt like heaven. Each child had picked out some books, including newer titles and a few old classics. This won’t be so bad , Ventura thought with a yawn. She actually liked bedtime stories. Before long, little Ricky had dozed off and soon little Elisa had also slumped against her. Was it any wonder the kids were exhausted from the rapid-fire pace of the life they led? Ventura found it slightly overwhelming too. Her eyelids began to droop as the book slipped in her hands. She felt the weight of it settle in her lap as a soothing darkness closed in.
“Who’s been sleeping in my bed?” a sexy baritone rumbled.
Someone yanked back the covers and Ventura’s eyed popped open.
“Richard?” she asked, sitting up.
He sat down beside her on his king-size bed and cupped her cheeks in his hands. Her skin tingled, and her body felt warm all over. “Why, Ventura,” he said in a husky whisper, “what big eyes you have.”
Ventura caught her breath as his handsome face grew near.
“And your lips.” He moaned like a beast of the wild. “They’re to kill for.”
“Die for?” she asked uncertainly.
“Yeah.” His gaze delved into hers like he longed to devour her completely. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this. To take you, to have all of you.”
She stared up at him, her heart on fire and cheeks ablaze. “Me too, Richard. Oh, me too.”
Her silk blouse gaped open, but she didn’t care. In fact, she hoped he’d rip it off her completely.
“Ventura,” he growled, his mouth hovering over hers. “My sweet Ventura. How I want to make you mine.”
“Oh, Richard,” she sighed as his mouth closed in.
His lips brushed hers.
“Ventura…”
“Richard…”
“Ventura?” he said more loudly. “Can you hear me?”
Ventura opened her eyes with a start to find Richard leaning over her where she’d apparently been dozing on the sofa with both kids.
“Richard!” she yelped.
He eyed the books on the floor with a laugh. “Well, I’m not the Big Bad Wolf.”
“Of course you’re not,” she said, straightening her blouse as the kids groggily awakened.
“Looks like you’ve all had quite a day.”
“Ventura took us skating,” Elisa said with a happy smile.
Little Ricky’s eyes were wide. “She can even do it backwards!”
“Is that so?” Richard asked with a chuckle. He eyed Ventura with appreciation, and her face warmed under his perusal. “Well, how about
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