Carly Phillips - Hot Stuff

Annabelle stiffened as she waited for his answer. She expected a defensive word or a terse "no comment." Instead Vaughn's grin was as big as his colossal ego. Or at least the ego he used for public appearances, Annabelle thought. Unfortunately for her she'd gotten to know the real man, the vulnerable man, and that had been her undoing.

"You're going to have to ask Ms. Jordan the current status of our relationship. I'm open to whatever she desires," Vaughn said, obviously playing for the camera.

The louse.

Annabelle had seconds to contemplate her options. No publicity is bad publicity? Not a good choice because that mantra had come back to bite her with Randy Dalton. Instead of the wounded party, she'd come off as the spoiled, jilted brat. Discreet silence? Also not a possibility since it'd leave the viewer in control of perception and result in Annabelle looking as if she were Vaughn's latest conquest of the moment.

Perception, she thought to herself again. That was the key. She smiled big and wide for Vanessa and her viewers. "You heard the man. He's open to anything." She winked at the reporter in a woman to woman sort of way.

Then she gave the perception that she was one hundred percent in control by hooking her finger into Vaughn's belt buckle. "If you'll excuse us now, we have important issues to discuss." And with that, she pulled Vaughn toward the door, leading him by the front of his pants, laughing as the swinging ballroom doors closed behind them.

"That was low, Annie," he said in her ear.

She shrugged. "Next time wear a tie."

Vaughn growled. He was finished playing games. He lifted her around the waist, tossed her over his shoulder and refused to put her down until the valet brought his truck around. He buckled her in and locked the doors, including the childproof locks so she couldn't run out on him.

Late at night, no traffic. Man, sometimes he loved New York City and how close everything was, since not five minutes later, he pulled up to her apartment building. Fate was definitely on his side as a parting spot waited out front. He pulled in, then strode around to help her out.

He couldn't read her mind, but he knew she was less than pleased with him at the moment. He wasn't pleased with himself and wouldn't be until he had her alone in her apartment where she could yell, he could talk and they both could lay things on the line.

She stormed into the building and he followed her into one of the elevators. "Aren't you going to thank me for saving you from Bruno's wandering hands?"

She hit the eighth-floor button. "I could have handled him."

"I know," he told her.

That seemed to take her off guard and she glanced at him warily.

"It's just that I couldn't handle that SOB's hands on you. He's lucky his arm's still in its socket," Vaughn muttered.

They stepped out of the elevator and she stopped at the second door on the right.

"Tell me one thing," she said as she turned the key in the lock, then glanced over her shoulder at him. "What the hell gives you the right to act as if you have any rights over me at all?"

He leaned an arm against the wall beside her. From his perspective he had a clear view between her breasts, inside her dress. His heart pounded in his chest as he realized how badly he wanted what she'd just said. The right to claim her, all of her, as his own. "Nothing gives me that right. Not a damn thing. At least not yet but I'm hoping by the time I'm through talking, you'll give me that and more."

She pushed the door open and whispered in a shaken voice, "Come on in."

He took that as a positive sign and followed her inside. Leaving nothing to chance, he kicked the door closed behind them, then immediately turned the lock and slid the chain through the holder.

Boris greeted him, coming to a skidding halt at his feet and jumping up and down on his hind legs begging for attention. Vaughn couldn't believe how damn happy he was to see the fuzzy mutt.

He knelt down and patted him on the head. "Hey, Q-Tip, how're you doing?" he asked. "I missed you, boy."

As Vaughn rose to his feet, he glanced at Annabelle. Shoulders stiff, she walked to a large couch and shrugged his jacket off her shoulders, acting as if she didn't have a care in the world.

He knew better. He could almost hear her thinking, "What about me? Did you miss me, too?" Very soon she'd have her answer.

He drew a deep breath before joining her in what looked like a garden rather than a living room. He was surrounded by plants, by the cat who was curled on the windowsill, by the rabbit who stared from inside the cage. By everything that was important to Annabelle because these things gave her unconditional love. The love her parents' deaths had denied her and the love she'd been seeking all her life. Vaughn knew this because they had that in common.

He paused in front of her and took her face in his hands. Her eyes were wide, her cheeks damp and her hands, though clutched in front of her, were shaking.

She was afraid to believe. Something else he understood because he'd been there too.

He brushed a stray tear with his thumb. "I'm not going anywhere ever again," he said, his gaze never leaving hers. "I know this, I'm sure of this and I wouldn't be here unless I had no doubts." He tried to answer her unasked questions.

"What changed?" she asked him. "Because I can't let myself believe. I can't open up and trust-"

Her voice caught and he felt as if his heart were being torn apart, so deeply did he understand her fears.

She grasped his wrists hard. "I lost my parents. I lived in fear of being separated from my sisters. In the middle of the night, that fear still lives inside me. And though I told myself I'd been in love before, it was all an illusion until I met you." She bit down on her trembling lower lip.

"Go on." He needed her to be so honest, there could be no misunderstandings, no leaving ever again.

"I love you. I said it before I left, but you were half asleep."

She squeezed him even tighter, probably stopping his circulation. Which was okay since he knew she'd get his blood flowing again soon. "I thought I dreamt the words."

She shook her head. "You didn't. But saying them while you were asleep was safe. Saying them now is the biggest risk I've ever taken. You have my heart, Vaughn and if you abandon me or leave me, I'll hurt you worse than I hurt Roy and if you remember, he doubled over clutching the family jewels."

Vaughn smoothed his thumbs over her cheeks, caressing, soothing, silently asking her to believe in him.

He was rewarded when ever so slowly she loosened her grip on his wrists.

"It's funny-" he began.

"I'm not laughing." But her gaze seemed lighter, more open.

"It's just that I came here thinking I'd be the one to slice open a vein and beg you to take me back, but here you are as scared as I am of being left behind." He shook his head at the unexpected way this evening was playing out.

"Vaughn?"

"Hmm?"

Annabelle smiled. "It'd be a good time for you to open that vein about now."

Grinning but knowing he wasn't out of the woods yet, he pulled her down to settle on the couch with him. "I love you, Annie. And I only let you go because it was easier than facing myself."

She threw herself into his arms and kissed him hard on the lips. Kissed him for a good long time until, finally, she pulled back, but her arms remained hooked around his neck.

"Tell me more. Tell me something I don't know. Tell me how we got to this point because I never thought it would come, you know."

He completely understood. "My mother came by looking for you. She had breakfast in one hand and a peace pipe in the other. So to speak, anyway."

Her mouth opened then closed again.

It was good to see he still had some surprises left for her. "She said you'd helped her approach me. I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful you protected me from your uncle even when I hadn't done a damn thing to deserve your faith."