Silver Currents of Change

Chapter 29

They had been back from New York almost three weeks, and, on a warm Friday evening, Harvey Wilson was feeling anxious. He had only been able to catch glimpses, throughout the day, of the beautiful young woman he loved. He knew she was busy managing and working with the editorial team, and he knew the day would have to end before he got a chance to really see her, but that day, waiting was hard. In the longest glance he caught, she looked amazing in a long-sleeved, short, body hugging chestnut-brown dress and sexy bronze stiletto pumps. Shoes that made him want to feel her legs wrapped around his back. But that wasn't the reason for his anxiety. He had something he needed to talk about with her, and it was urgent.

All day long, Zarah had been leading production of the premiere issue of Araminta, her magazine. She and her team were preparing it for market testing, and, at half-past six in the evening, Harvey was about to go looking for her when she walked into his office. Looking at him with fiery passion in her eyes, she locked the door to the inner part of his suite, then walked toward him and stopped in front of his desk. She told him it had been hard to wait until the last member of her staff left, because all day she'd wanted nothing more than to show him her appreciation for bringing Araminta to life. He told her the class chose it, and all he did was ask the board to make it his company's newest title. One he had no doubt would be a big hit with its market, in print and online. Didn't matter, she said. He made her dream come true, at WPI, so now he had to deal the adrenaline rush that was making her feel like she was on fire.

He said he believed he could handle it, then he gave her his most intense stare and what he hoped was his sexiest smile while he was loosening his glacier blue tie. He told her he understood exactly how she felt. It was definitely a "rush" when any long-time dream became real. He knew, he said, because she was his dream.

She reached down and caught the hem of her very short dress and pulled it up and over her head in one swoop. Then, wearing just her heels and matching black lace strapless bra and bikini panties, she stood in front of his desk, waiting for his response. She didn't have to wait long.

An hour later, after they made sweet, passionate love on the floor of his office, on his Persian rug, they got dressed and went upstairs to his apartment. It was time, he told her, for them to have a talk, and to make some decisions. He was too much in love not to have the talk, and even though he hated to risk ruining the romantic and playful mood of their evening, he had to, because it was time.

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After taking a swim, they were playing around on one of several blue chaise lounge sofas near the pool when playing around quickly turned into another lovemaking hour. Once they were both exhausted and lying in each other's arms, she asked, "Do you realize what day this is?"

"Another day I find myself even more deeply in love?"

"Me too. But. it's our anniversary. When we met last year?"

"I knew it felt like a special day." He gave her another kiss. "And now I know why." He leaned in for one more kiss. "Happy anniversary, darling." He hated that he had to bring up something not so pleasant for his own peace of mind, but he was madly in love and he needed to be sure she understood what it meant to be in a committed, adult relationship, with him. "Sweetheart," he said, "I've been meaning to ask you ... about Carter. I know he's your ex, but I also know he still comes here, to WPI, to see you, whenever he's home. And I need to know that we, you and me, that we're monogamous, with each other."

"Oh. He wants us to be friends. But we broke up, for good, months ago. I told you. So you already know that."

"I know, but you always called him you 'ex' boyfriend. So I just want to be sure you and I are, you know ... monogamous."