Wicked Burn(45)

“Vic, there’s something—” Meg began, but just then the lights dimmed, signaling that the intermission was over. Niall got the distinct impression from the concerned expression on Meg’s face that she’d been about to tell him that Jennifer Atwood was attending his play.

When Eileen Moore came onto the stage a minute later, Niall suddenly recalled what Vic had said about sleeping with her after he’d suffered a serious breakup with a woman he’d planned to marry. Her unease deepened. Had Vic been engaged to Jennifer Atwood? And more important . . . was he still in love with her?

TEN

The second portion of Alias X held the audience even more spellbound than the first. Niall had never seen a production that was so carnal, so volatile, and yet so intellectually thought-provoking at the same time.

During the second half she began to better understand Vic’s use of symbolism in his minimalist set design. She recalled what he’d said when they made love in her new condominium. I’m a guy. I like the visuals. Niall didn’t know if it was because he was a male or not, but as a scholar in the arts, she recognized the genius behind his vision for set design.

Vic planned to meet Niall, Meg, and Ellen at the opening night party after he took care of some business at the theater. They paused outside his office after he’d given them the backstage tour of the Hesse to which Meg hadn’t had access.

“You know the opening night party is going to be at Mina’s?” he asked Niall.

Niall smiled at the dry edge to his tone and nodded. She knew of the place. It was a posh restaurant with a clublike atmosphere that overlooked Michigan Avenue. Vic caught her grin and smiled back. Just like that, Niall knew that someone else had made the opening night party plans and Vic was resigned to spending his special night at such a trendy, fashionable venue.

She saw something else in that quick flash of his eyes as he smiled at her, though. He looked forward to tonight—to them making love after almost a week’s abstinence. And Niall was more than ready for it, too, especially given the near to bursting feeling she had in her chest cavity every time she glanced at Vic or touched him after watching his amazing play.

Vic abruptly grasped her hand. “We’ll just be a second,” he muttered to Ellen and Meg before he dragged Niall back into his office and slammed the door behind him.

“Vic, what—”

But he cut her off as he swept down and began to devour her with his mouth. He bent over her, drinking from her thirstily before he grunted impatiently. Niall felt him strengthen his hold on her and her feet rose off the ground. Her hands gripped desperately at his shoulders, instinctively recognizing she might be swept into uncharted, tumultuous territories by the magnitude of their combined desire.

By the time Vic slid her body erotically down the length of his lean body and set her boots back down on the ground, both of them were out of breath. Niall thought she would overheat at her core when he spread his hand over her breast and massaged and shaped it to his palm.

“You’re spending the night at my place tonight,” he stated firmly.

Niall moaned softly in pleasure at his touch and nodded.

“Don’t plan on getting any actual sleep, though.”

Niall laughed throatily and pressed her belly against his iron-hard erection. “Sleep wasn’t on my agenda, I promise you.”

He stared down at her for a few seconds, his features rigid. “I guess we should go get this over with,” he said regretfully.

“You should try to enjoy yourself. You deserve to celebrate. You’ve done a phenomenal job.”

He sighed and parted from her with a look of regret. “Niall?” he said as she turned toward the door.

“Yes?”

“Did you really like it?” he asked, a grin tilting his lips, as though he found it amusing that he wanted her reassurance.

“I thought it was incredible,” she said feelingly.

“It wasn’t exactly pretty.”

“Pretty?” Niall repeated slowly. “No . . . I don’t suppose it was. But it was very human. And there were parts of it that were”—she paused, searching for the right words—“astonishingly beautiful,” she finished softly.

His brushed his thumb tenderly across her cheek before he kissed her once more.

Ellen and Meg didn’t bat an eyelash when Niall and Vic returned to the corridor looking flushed, mussed, and entirely pleased with themselves. Ellen just patted her son’s cheek fondly as they said their temporary farewells.

“Got no reason to be grouchy tonight, do you, boy? You got yourself a winner there,” she stated baldly. She’d glanced over at Niall, who was encircled in Vic’s arm, and winked mischievously. “The play wasn’t half bad, either.”

Vic looked down at Niall. “My mom always does pick the winners,” he said in a low rumble. Then he kissed her unashamedly as Meg and Ellen looked on with identical smirks on their faces.

Niall walked out of the theater a minute later and breathed deeply of the refreshing, cool air. “The city looks beautiful tonight, doesn’t it?” she asked, genuinely amazed at the surreal uniformity of the midnight blue sky, the sharp, crisp outlines of the buildings against it, how vibrant and colorful the lights from the high-rises were.

Meg laughed softly and took her arm as they headed to get a cab. “Oh, honey, you’re in it deep, aren’t you?” she murmured fondly. She laughed when Niall gave her a look of puzzlement.