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  “Better embarrassed than dead. I can identify with that.”

  “Nobody expected my brother to have both entrances covered.”

  “How is Thomas?” Noah asked, anxious for word of his old friend.

  “He took a few hits the way I did, but I pulled him behind the crate with me when you made your move.” She heaved in a breath and let it out. “Simon’s dead. And so is Pearson. Instead of ducking for shelter, he ran for the door, and some serious pieces of debris caught him in the back.”

  “I…”

  “Don’t say you’re sorry again. He was rotten. I never knew how rotten until Jed told me about his arranging that accident in the parking lot.”

  “Yeah. It’s hard to believe he could do that to you.”

  “I still have trouble wrapping my mind around it.” She kept her hand in his, which seemed like a good sign for the two of them.

  “Thomas is waiting to speak to you. Will it upset you to see him?”

  “No. Send him in.”

  She jumped up and went to the door. Moments later, Thomas was standing by the bed.

  “Sir, I’m so sorry.”

  “Yeah, everybody’s sorry,” Noah said, trying not to sound weary. “But it worked out.”

  “I caused you a lot of trouble.”

  Noah shook his head. “Not you. Simon. He had a real talent for breaking out of that hospital.”

  Thomas nodded. “This time he used bribes. He’d told some of the staff that he could make them very rich.”

  “I assume they’ve been fired?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The mention of staff made Noah think about his own people. “What about everyone else here? Are they all right?”

  “Some, like Pablo, were bound and gagged. Simon forced me to tell the others that there was a threat here, and they had to clear out.”

  Noah sighed. “I hope we can get them back.”

  “Margarita is already in the kitchen fixing you chicken soup. And some of the others are on the compound, too.”

  “Good. We’ll have to give everybody who comes back a nice fat bonus.”

  “An excellent idea.”

  He could see Thomas needed more time with him.

  “Do you want me to leave?” Olivia asked.

  “No. Please stay,” they both said.

  She hovered near the door while Noah and Thomas talked.

  “Are you planning to stay here—at this estate?” the chief of staff asked.

  Noah glanced at Olivia, then back at his old friend. “I believe everyone who knew my secret is dead. Well, except the Light Street men, and I trust them implicitly. I believe it’s safe to stay here while we evaluate our options.”

  “Your options,” Thomas said.

  “Both of us. I’d never discount your counsel.”

  Thomas nodded gravely. Then Noah asked to see the Light Street men.

  Jed and Thorn came in, looking sheepish. “Sorry we got scooped up,” Jed said.

  “We’re not used to getting caught with our pants down,” Thorn added.

  “We were all in a hurry,” Noah answered. “If I hadn’t rushed you into danger, we would have had time to figure out the situation.”

  They spoke for a few more minutes, with Noah doing his best to assure the men that nobody could have done any better.

  Finally, he told them he was worn out and needed to rest.

  “Come here,” Noah said to Olivia when they were alone together.

  She took her seat again. “You made them feel okay about what happened.”

  “It was okay.”

  “But you always know the right thing to say to people.”

  “Everyone but you,” he said in a gritty voice. “Now that we’re finally able to talk, tell me why you insisted on putting yourself in danger.”

  “I guess I was testing myself—to see if I have what it takes.”

  “For what?”

  “To be the woman you deserve.” She looked down at her hands. “Well, that’s impossible, of course.”

  He felt like a great weight had settled on his chest. “I have a lot of experience with women. I knew right away that you were the right one for me.”

  “Except for the fundamental problem that I’m going to grow old and die and you’ll still be young. There’s nothing we can do about that.”

  “We can try,” he said softly. “Medical science is making new discoveries every day. Remember what the Light Street men told us about the foundation that’s run by Travis Stone? I want to talk to him about putting a major amount of money into longevity research. I’ll submit to any test they can think of, if they want to study me. Except running through fire.”

  “Oh Lord.” Her voice hitched. “That was horrible.”

  Pushing himself up, he reached for her. When she came into his arms and nestled against him, he let out the breath he’d been holding. “I love you. I’ll do everything I can to make you happy.”

  “I love you.” Raising her head, she looked him in the eye. “I had a lot of time to think about what your life must have been like. I know how lonely you’ve been and I hope I can make you happy.”

  His heart swelled, but he knew they still needed to work some things out. “I wasn’t thinking about what you needed when I brought you here. Well, beyond keeping you safe. Really, I was being selfish about wanting you in my life.”

  When she started to speak, he held up his hand. “Let me finish. I know that puttering around in the kitchen and decorating the house aren’t going to keep you busy and happy. Do you have any better suggestions?”

  “I’d want to visit my father.”

  “Of course.” He stroked his hand up and down her arm. “If you want to bring him out here, we could have round-the-clock nurses for him.”

  Her eyes shone. “That would be wonderful! If he’s up to it.”

  “Anything I can do for you or your father, I will.”

  “It’s just sinking in—how much my life has changed,” she whispered. Raising up, she met his eyes. “Money’s really no object.”

  “Well, unless you want something like a flight to the moon. And maybe even that could be arranged.”

  “Nothing so out of the ordinary. I used to dream of having a dance studio. Would you mind if I had a studio in Santa Barbara? I can’t dance professionally but I can still teach kids the skills I love.”

  “Of course.”

  She sighed. “I was afraid you wouldn’t want me going into town every day.”

  “Maybe we can compromise on four times a week,” he answered.

  “That gives me an excuse for limiting my hours. I can say my husband wants me home.” She tightened her hold on him. “Yes, I definitely think my husband and I need a lot of quality time together.”

  “You could start by locking the door.”

  She raised her head and grinned at him, then looked uncertain. “We still have guests in the house. The Light Street men.”

  “I’m sure Thomas is making them comfortable. We’ll come out and join them in a few hours. But they know we’re just married. They probably figure we want to be alone for a while.”

  “Just married,” she murmured, her eyes warm. “You made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I just didn’t understand what the two of us would mean to each other.”

  She hugged him, then climbed off the bed, walked to the door and clicked the lock. She was magnificent looking, so tall and straight with a dancer’s grace. He watched her possessively. His wife. He marveled again that they had met and that he’d had the sense to make her part of his life.

  “You could have left me after that stunt Bainbridge pulled,” he said in a thick voice. “I’m so thankful you gave me a chance.”

  “You proved how much you loved me when you saved me. I just had to figure out how I was going to cope.”

  “I—”

  She put her fingers against his lips to silence him.

  Then she leaned over and replaced her fingers with her mouth, g
iving him a long, passionate kiss.

  Noah wrapped her in his embrace and brought her down beside him on the bed.

  For long moments he simply held her. When he needed more assurance, his hands began to move urgently over her. As he cupped her breasts and began to play with the tight buds of her nipples, she arched into the caress—then suddenly pulled away.

  “What?”

  She raised her head and met his questioning gaze. “I want you to know how much I love you. Do you have any objections to a woman in charge?”

  “Of course not,” he answered, wondering what she had in mind, but sure he was going to like it.

  “Then lie back and relax.”

  He plumped one pillow behind his head, then stretched out, his gaze never leaving her.

  When he’d gotten comfortable, she knelt beside him on the bed and stroked his shoulders, pushing the covers down so that her fingers could comb through the hair on his chest before finding his nipples and playing with them.

  When he exhaled sharply, she grinned in satisfaction, then slowly rolled down the covers farther, exposing him from the knees up.

  As she reached to cup her hand over the erection straining at the front of his briefs, he couldn’t hold back a heartfelt exclamation. But why hold back? He wanted her to know how much he was enjoying this.

  “I see you love getting a rise out of me,” he murmured, unable to keep the grin out of his voice.

  “Oh yeah. Help me out a little. Raise your hips.”

  He did as she asked, and she slid his briefs down his legs, exposing him to her hungry gaze and touch. Slowly, she stroked his ribs, then his abdomen. His muscles jumped under her fingers. When she bypassed his erection and ran her nails down one of his thighs to his knees, he made a pleading sound.

  “Maybe I’d better get comfortable,” she murmured.

  Smiling at him, she stood and unbuttoned her shirt, tossing it to the floor. Then she slowly unhooked her bra and flung it after the shirt, standing proud to give him a view of her magnificent breasts.

  It was all he could do to keep from surging off the bed and grabbing her. But he ordered himself to stay where he was and let her torture him.

  He’d obviously married a very talented woman and he wanted to find out how she would finish this, if he didn’t go crazy first.

  As he watched in appreciation, she unzipped her pants and slicked them down her legs, along with her panties.

  Unable to stop himself, he reached toward her. “Come here,” he begged.

  She shook her head and tortured him some more by playing with the blond hair at the juncture of her legs.

  “Have mercy,” he whispered.

  Arching her back, she lifted her hair off her shoulders, then let it fall again, smiling as his gaze followed every move she made.

  Finally, to his vast relief, she slid back onto the bed. Reaching out, she delicately glided one finger along his swollen length. To keep from grabbing for her, he caught two handfuls of the sheets.

  “Look at what you’re doing to me,” he breathed.

  “To me, too,” she said, continuing to stroke him with one finger, before closing her fist around him.

  He gasped, then moaned as she lowered her head, replacing the hand with her mouth as she swirled her beautiful hair against his chest.

  The feel of her lips and tongue on him was exquisite, pushing him toward what he knew was going to be a rocketing climax.

  “Not like this,” he pleaded. “I want you with me. All the way.”

  “Oh, yes.”

  In one quick motion, she straddled him, bringing him inside her.

  He struggled to wait for her, but he found he didn’t need to. As she leaned forward and moved frantically above him, he felt her contract around him, heard her cry out in satisfaction.

  Seconds later, he followed her over the edge.

  When she collapsed on top of him, he gathered her close, kissing her and stroking her back and hips.

  “I love you,” he said.

  “I love you—for as long as I can have you.”

  “I think we’ve found a love that defies the ages,” he answered, clasping her to him.

  She slid to the surface of the bed and nestled beside him. For a few moments, she seemed relaxed, until he felt tension gather in her.

  “What is it?”

  When she raised her head, her eyes were uncertain, but she kept them focused on his face. “You said you couldn’t have children, right?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry.”

  She pressed her fingers over his lips. “I should have gotten my period. I’m always right on time. And now…now I feel different. I was saying something to Margarita—not anything, you know, revealing. But she’s pretty smart. And she had one of those early pregnancy tests….”

  He raised his head, staring at her. “Are you trying to tell me you…you’re pregnant?” he asked in a strangled voice.

  “Yes.”

  “Oh Lord!”

  Her eyes clouded. “You hate the idea? Or you don’t think it’s yours?”

  “Of course I think it’s mine!” He sat up and raked his hand through his hair. “I mean, I know you…” He stopped and started again more softly, “This is a miracle.”

  “Maybe it means something important,” she murmured.

  “Yes.” He gathered her to him. “Children. I’ve had so many in my life, but never one of my own. Finally. After all these years.”

  She stroked his cheek with her lips. “I’m so happy that I could give you something nobody else ever has.”

  “Something precious.”

  They held each other for long moments.

  “I want to savor this, but we should see to our guests,” she murmured.

  “Right. The sooner we go thank them again, the sooner we can be alone for some quality snuggling.”

  She laughed. “You’re being devious.”

  “Only in a good cause,” he answered, his heart overflowing with love for this woman and all the gifts she had given him.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-3822-4

  MORE THAN A MAN

  Copyright © 2009 by Ruth Glick

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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