Part 40 (2/2)

”Oh, yeah,” he breathed, his eyes locked on hers in the mirror. ”Oh, baby. Oh, man, that's a little too nice. Hang on a sec, Joan, will you?”

She wouldn't. She didn't want to. She was about to explode, and she wanted him exploding with her.

”Don't stop,” she said, moving against him. ”Oh, please...”

And there, in the mirror, Joan could have watched herself fly apart. Instead she watched Muldoon as he watched her come, and the look on his facea”satisfaction and desire and pure, hot, raw male admirationa”was one she knew she'd remember for the rest of her life.

And when he met her gaze, he came, too. Even if she hadn't felt the tightening and sudden surge of his body, she would have known just from looking into his eyes.

Then there they were, breathing hard, eyes and body still locked together.

Muldoon smiled at her. ”I hope I broke you of your irrational fear of mirrors and bright lights.”

Joan laughed. ”Was that what that was? A selfless humanitarian act for the good of mankind?”

He laughed, too. ”No, it was entirely selfish. I happen to enjoy an occasional mirror or two.” He pulled her back with him to collapse on the bed. ”G.o.d, my knees. You just aren't quite tall enough.” He turned his head to look at her. ”For that, I mean. Not that I'm complaining.” He smiled and reached over to touch her cheek.

This was where, if her life were like one of the romance novels she loved to read, he would confess that he loved her.

His smile was so sweet, and his eyes were so warm and filled with emotion.

He moistened his lips slightly before he spoke. Cleared his throat. Here it came...

”I'm starving. Want to get room service?”

Joan had to laugh at herself. It had been more than twenty years since she was a ten-year-old, and she still struggled with her Snow White complex. Some day her prince might come, indeed, but if he did, honey, the truth was, he was going to have to run to keep up with her. He was going to have to hunt her down, because she wasn't sitting at home waiting for him to show. And he was going to have to be willing to abdicate the crown to be with her.

Muldoon was a prince, for sure, but she just couldn't see him doing that. As much as she might want him to.

Oh, but don't do this, Joan. Don't make this into something that it's not. Don't start making any plans that include Mike Muldoon.

”I hear they have a mean fish chowder here,” he told her, a devilish light in his eyes.

Enjoy this for what it was. Enjoy him. ”Kiss me first,” she said.

”With pleasure,” he whispered, pulling her more completely into his arms.

He kissed her slowly and quite thoroughly, his mouth hot and sweet.

Just like the man himself.

Chapter 19.

Sam was hung-over.

Mary Lou knew from just one glance when he walked into the kitchen. She'd seen more than her share of hangovers starting back when she was Haley's age.

”When did you get home?” she asked.

He winceda”she was talking too loudly. Well, screw him. He had no right to go out and get drunk with G.o.d knows who and then come crawling back home at some unG.o.dly hour, after last call, no doubt.

”A little after two,” he said.

Last call, indeed.

Sam Starrett was a very good-looking mana”tall and lean with blue eyes and brown hair that streaked golden when he spent a lot of time out in the sun. His face wasn't pretty-boy handsome like a movie star's, though. Instead, he had prominent features that were going to be called craggy when he got a lot older. But regardless of that, he was one of those men who was going to be just as attractive at sixty as he was at thirty-something.

Because no matter how old he got, he was still going to have that smile.

It was a killera”a combination of genuine amus.e.m.e.nt with life and a sly awareness that he was, indeed, the King of the World. It had slayed her completely the first time he'd aimed it in her direction.

But he wasn't smiling right now.

”You stink,” she told him sharply. ”Go take a shower and brush your teeth. And shave while you're at it. I'm getting Haley up in a few minutes and I don't want her seeing you looking like human garbage.”

Well, that surprised the s.h.i.+t out of him. Just a few days ago, she would've quietly gotten him some painkillers and a big gla.s.s of water, and tippy-toed around, talking in hushed tones, treating him like royalty. She would have ignored the fact that she'd already made a pot of oatmeal. She would have woken up Haley and then taken her out of the house for some high-calorie fast-food c.r.a.ppola breakfast so her little girl wouldn't have to see her father at his worst.

But that wasn't faira”why should she and Haley be the ones always to accommodate him?

What was he going to do? Move out? Tell her he wanted a divorce?

And so what if he did? She loaded dirty dishes into the dishwasher with a rattle and bang that made him wince again. She'd be better off without him.

”What time do you have to be at work?” he asked, opening the cabinet where they kept the aspirin and shaking more than he should be taking into his hand. He swallowed all of the pills at once, without any water.

”Same time that I always have to be there,” she told him. ”I always work the same hours.” It felt good to allow herself to be p.i.s.sed at him. ”I'm mad at you, in case you haven't noticed.”

Sam nodded, so serious. ”Yeah, you have a right to be. I've been... I don't know. Phoning it in, I guess, for a long time.” He took a deep breath. ”I know you've been really unhappy, Mary Lou, and I have been, too. We need to find some time to sit down and talk.”

Mary Lou felt faint. Oh, s.h.i.+t. He wanted a divorce. He was going to ask her for a divorce. What had she done?

”I'm not unhappy,” she said. ”I'm very happy. I shouldn't have spoken to you that way. That was wrong of me and I apologize. Do you want some oatmeal? Why don't you sit down and I'll get you a bowl?”

He caught her arm as she was reaching up into the cabinet. ”Stop,” he said. ”I'm the one who should be apologizing, not you. I'm going to go shower, like you said. I have to be on base in just a few minutesa”I don't have time to talk right now. In fact, the next few days are going to be hectic. I just thought that maybe after this President's thing is over, we can sit down and be honest with each other.”

”We don't need to do that,” she said. ”Really, Sam, I'll try hardera””

”Jesus, Mary Lou...” He rubbed his forehead, rubbed his entire face. ”Will you just do me one little favor, please?”

”Of course. You know all you ever have to do is ask. I'd do anything for you, Sam. Anything,” she stressed. ”I know it must bother you not to have beer in the house, and well, I've been thinking, I've been doing so well that I'd be fine ifa””

”Stop,” he said. ”Christ, just stop and listen.”

She shut her mouth, trying to hide the fact that her lower lip was trembling. He was going to leave her. She just knew it. And she wouldn't be better off without him. She'd be alone, just like her mother had been, with a baby and bills she wouldn't be able to pay anda”

<script>