“How could it help?”

“It might help you figure out what you want. Where the two of us are in this relationship.”

His mouth moved up her neck to her earlobe, biting gently and teasing the sensitive spot just behind it. His fingertips stroked her rib cage through the silky fabric of her dress, moving higher until one firm breast filled his hand. His thumb grazed over the hardened tip as it pressed insistently at the fabric, begging for freedom and the pleasure of his touch.

“You want to know where I think we stand, Rose?” Xander asked as he pulled the zipper of her dress down a few inches. It allowed him to tug the straps of her dress down her shoulders to expose the thin satin bra beneath it. His mouth moved over the fabric, dampening it and making her squirm against him. He pulled down the strap and exposed her perfect, full breast.

“Yes,” she panted, although he was fairly certain it had nothing to do with the question he asked and everything to do with his hands.

Xander dipped his head and took the firm pink nipple into his mouth. He teased it with his tongue before drawing hard on it and eliciting a sharp gasp from her throat. He tortured her with pleasure for a few more moments before standing upright and focusing his gaze into the dark eyes that were hazy with her desire for him.

“If I have anything to say about it, Rose...my vote is for very close together. Come with me this weekend. Please.”

“All right,” Rose finally agreed with an exasperated smile. “If I can get the time off, I will go. But—” She started to speak but was silenced by Xander’s hungry lips on her own.

“No buts,” he said, backing her down the hallway to her bedroom.

* * *

“This is my place,” Xander said, leading Rose through the entryway of his town house and into the living room. “It was built in 1909 but was fully renovated in 1990. I had the hardwood floors refinished and put in some new appliances, but that was about it. The previous owner had taken great care of it.” He set down her bags and turned to look at her when she didn’t respond.

She was lost in her thoughts, taking in every detail. Rose brushed past him to look up the staircase and step into the large kitchen. It had oak cabinets the same shade as the floors and brown-and-black-swirled granite countertops.

She paused at the kitchen island with the bar-height stools that lined it. He could just picture her serving Joey Pop-Tarts at that counter, a thought that made him smile. He wasn’t certain if he could get Rose to agree to live with him here, but this trip was a start. He needed to convince her that D.C. wasn’t scary.

Xander wasn’t entirely certain he was succeeding. Rose looked a little overwhelmed. He could tell her brain was struggling to keep up with the fast-paced changes her life had taken since Wednesday night. Once she’d agreed to go with him, the wheels had been set into motion and there’d been no changing her mind.

Sweet-talking her boss into giving her the weekend off was like child’s play. Earlier today they drove to Hartford and caught a small charter jet provided by his publisher. The flight was short, but their time in the air was luxurious, with plush leather seats and a flight attendant who plied them with champagne and an amuse-bouche the moment they boarded.

They were picked up by a limousine, which made the rush-hour D.C. traffic a little easier to bear. Fortunately, it wasn’t a long drive from Reagan Airport to his town house. He asked the driver to take the scenic route, allowing Rose to see the glowing sights of the National Mall in the dim evening light. He wished he had time to walk with her down to the Reflecting Pool and chat with Lincoln, but if all went well, they would have plenty of opportunity to do that later.

“Do you like it?” he asked.

Rose chuckled and ran her fingers along the exposed brick wall. “It’s wonderful.” She pushed aside the drapes to look into the small private courtyard in back. “That’s the perfect space for entertaining. And this kitchen is like a dream. I love the double ovens and the grill built into the range. I bet you could make—” She paused and turned to him with a smile. “You don’t make anything in here, do you?”

“Not at all. I think I’ve microwaved popcorn and soup.”

Rose shook her head and strolled back to the island to lean against the countertop. “Such a waste! And I cook at home in an oven older than Joey. It’s really amazing how much space you have. It looks so small from the outside.”

“It really is deceiving. It has a full finished basement downstairs that’s perfect for a family room. There’s three bedrooms upstairs, too.”

“It’s a big place for just you. How long have you owned it?”

“I bought it a few weeks after I was elected. I decided this was where I belonged and I fell in love with this place the moment I saw the bay window out front. I knew that if and when I married, it would be perfect for a family.”

Xander wasn’t going to admit to her that the house had felt very empty since he’d moved in. He had envisioned the potential, but as the years went by and he remained single, the town house had almost started to mock him with its large hollow rooms. Just another reason to stay late at work.

But now he could just picture Rose baking in the kitchen while Joey played video games in the basement family room. It was as crystal clear a vision as if she were really there, surrounded by pans and bowls of batter.

“Would you like to see the upstairs?”

Rose nodded, stifling a yawn. “I’d love to get up close and personal with a bed.”

Xander smiled and scooped up her bag from the living room. “I can arrange that. We’ve got a big day tomorrow. You need your rest.”

“Big day?” Rose asked, following him up the stairs. “I thought there was just the signing and the party.”

“Well, yes. But preparing for those things takes time. I wanted to take you shopping in the morning before the signing. And after, I thought you’d appreciate some salon pampering.”

Rose stopped on the stairs and frowned. “You don’t think what I packed is nice enough, do you? It’s the fanciest thing I had. I don’t go to many charity galas.”

Xander turned and went back down a few steps until he could tip up Rose’s chin and force her to look at him. “Did I say what you brought wasn’t good enough?”

“No,” she muttered.

“I want to treat you to a day of girlish pleasures. I don’t want you feeling self-conscious—like right now—when you walk into that ballroom. I want you to feel beautiful and confident, as if you belong there, because you do. You could walk in the room wearing cutoffs and I’d still think you were the most gorgeous thing I’d ever seen. But I thought you’d prefer something a little more glamorous.”

Rose nodded and started back up the stairs beside him. “I didn’t want to come up here and be a burden. You have things to do, too. You don’t need to spend all your time cleaning me up to take me out.”

They reached the landing and he gestured her to go right into the master suite. “Rose, I’m a man. I shower, put on a suit and show up. That’s all I’ll do ahead of the signing. My publisher sets it all up. I only have to arrive and sign books. I’ll switch into a tuxedo before the gala, but again, not a big deal. I’d much rather watch you thoroughly enjoy getting the royal treatment.”

He pushed open the French doors that guarded the entrance to his bedroom and stepped aside to let Rose go in ahead of him.

“I feel like I’m already getting the royal treatment. Fancy jets, limousines, champagne...and then this place. My bedroom looks like a cheap hotel compared to yours.”

He watched Rose stroll into the only room in the house that felt fully lived-in to him. His bedroom was his retreat, his only perfectly private and safe place in the world. He might have let his decorator go a little overboard in this room, but he loved the result.