"I don't think I want to hear the rest of that story." That was a picture she

definitely did not want in her mental photo alb.u.m. "Thanks anyway, Darren."

He laughed. "Sarah, this guy isn't William Darcy."

"I know."

"So what's holding you back?" Darren paused. "Are you afraid?"

"I think so." Sarah let the shade fall down and crawled back into bed. "He is

different from William, Darren, and I think that's what I'm afraid of. That he won't leave me."

"Why is that a problem?"

She related all that had happened at the mall and how she'd felt. How watching women flirt with Alex day after day might wear her down. That even though he might not leave her, she might have to leave him because she couldn't face comparing herself to all those women.

"Do you think he's comparing you, Sarah?"

"That's the thing." Sarah twirled the phone cord. "He says no, and I believe him. He says he thinks I'm beautiful."

"But you don't think so."

Sarah gave a flat reply. "Rivka is beautiful. The redhead at the mall is

beautiful. The hostess at The Foxfire is beautiful."

"And so are you." She could just imagine his expression. "Sarah, honey, you may not be RuPaul, but you've got all the right pieces in all the right places."

"Thanks, I think."

"It's not the color of your eyes or what's in your bra that made him fall for you. It's what's inside you, honey. And if you don't love what's in your own self, how can you love what's in anybody else's?"

"How do I know if I love him or not?" Sarah waited for an answer.

Darren snorted. "What am I, your fairy G.o.dfather? You just know."

She sighed. "I really ought to start paying you more."

"Overtime, honey," Darren said. "Overtime."

CHAPTER 7.

"What am I going to do?" Rivka shrieked so loudly Sarah had to hold the phone away from her ear. "Everything's snowed in! My paintings are stuck someplace in Pittsburgh, Sarah, and the opening's in three weeks!"

"Calm down." Sarah tried to be as soothing as she could with Alex's tongue tracing erotic designs on her stomach. "We still have time."

"Time!" Rivka was really rolling now. "This d.a.m.n snow will be here until Memorial Day!"

Sarah stopped Alex's fingers just before they unb.u.t.toned the last b.u.t.ton of her blouse. It was difficult enough to think of ways to calm her frantic sister without him distracting her. Alex grinned as if he knew what she was thinking and mouthed, "Get off the phone."

"Sarah, are you listening to me?" Rivka let out a wail. "This is a disaster!"

"Oh, Rivka." It was hard to be concerned about Rivka's histrionics when Sarah herself felt so darned great. Having Alex come over on his cross-country skis had seemed like a crazy idea when he'd mentioned it before; now she was happy he'd been crazy enough to do it. "The price of k.u.mquats, now that's a disaster. This snow is just a glitch."

Even Alex could hear Rivka's response. Wincing, Sarah held the phone away from her ear. Alex laughed.

"Who's that with you?" Rivka paused. "Sarah?"

"We've been caught," Sarah whispered, punching him lightly. Then, to Rivka, "It's Alex."

For once, Sarah was glad to hear she'd shocked her sister into silence. Alex began his quest to reach her underwear again. She pushed his hand away firmly. Alex didn't seem deterred.

"Alex Caine?"

"Yes." Sarah giggled as the man-in-question's lips found a particularly ticklish

spot. "The one and only."

"He's at your house."

"Yes, he's here to talk about ... the menu for the gallery opening." Sarah knew

her sister wouldn't settle for that answer.

"How did he get there? There must be four feet of snow outside! Everything's shut down!"

"He ... skied." Sarah struggled not to laugh, though Alex had continued his

ticklish quest.

"He skied?"

At least Rivka wasn't shrieking any more. This new tidbit of information about

Sarah's private life had temporarily distracted her from her own problems.

"Yes, on his cross-country skis." Sarah was being deliberately obtuse.

"He skied through a blizzard to talk about menu options for my opening."

Rivka's voice clearly stated she didn't even believe it herself.

"And some other things." Sarah couldn't resist teasing her sister. Actually, she

was happy Rivka had discovered the truth about Alex. Her sister, while overbearing, would be ecstatic for her.

"Sarai." Rivka's voice was filled with admiration. "Is there something you

should be telling your big sister?"

Alex grabbed the phone away from Sarah, playfully holding it up so high she couldn't reach it. "Didn't your sister tell you she's in love with me?"

Sarah couldn't hear Rivka's response. Her face had become an oven anyway.

She hadn't told him yet herself, but she couldn't find it within herself to get

angry at his audacity.

"Since your showing," Alex was saying. "Yeah, I thought so, too, but I won her over."

Then he was soothing Rivka in a way Sarah never could. Somehow, he just knew all the right words to settle the artist's fears about her upcoming opening. Within five minutes, Alex had hung up the phone.

"I told her the food is completely under control." He pulled her into the crook of his arm. "I said we were planning on cooking all day."

"She knew you weren't referring to the kind of cooking one does in the kitchen, I presume." Sarah snuggled in close.

"Of course."

They sat in comfortable silence for a time. The fire crackled, the sofa was soft, and the snow falling outside the picture window was soothing. Sarah, who hadn't had much sleep the night before, began to doze in the warmth and serenity of Alex's embrace.

"You don't mind what I said to your sister, do you?"

Sarah's heart thumped. "No."

"Because it seemed pretty presumptuous of me, after I thought about it. I mean, since I don't even know if it's true."

Now her heart thumped even more fiercely, and her palms began sweating a little. The fire, which had seemed pleasantly cozy before, now felt more like an inferno. She licked lips gone suddenly dry. "I love being with you."

Say it! her mind screamed. Nothing could be more perfect than this moment. The fire, the snow, every detail made for a romantic scene. Yet, somehow, the words wouldn't come.

"I love being with you." Alex linked his fingers through hers in a gesture so natural it made her smile. "But that's not necessarily the same thing, is it?"

"No."

They sat in silence for a few more moments, hands linked. Content to feel the thump of his heart against her cheek, Sarah laid her head on his chest.

"I don't want to pressure you, Sarah." Alex pressed a kiss to her temple. "I don't want to do that at all."

She twisted to look up at him. The sun was too bright for the firelight to be anything more than a hint reflected in his gorgeous hazel eyes. In any light, though, he was still the handsomest man she'd ever seen. His looks no longer bothered her.

"You're not. I've been thinking a lot, since last night."

He brushed his fingers through her hair. "Good things, I hope."

"Very good." At once, it seemed very important that she reach up to kiss him. Sarah pressed her lips first to his forehead, then each of his eyes, and finally his mouth. She lingered there for a long moment, feeling the softness of his lips beneath hers. The kiss was sweet, gentle, but with the undertone of desire she had come to recognize so well. And yet, when it came right down to saying what she needed to ... she couldn't.

Fear froze her tongue and closed her throat. She wanted to tell him she loved him, but the memory of William's face kept her from speaking. Instead, she kissed him again.

"What was that for?" His tone was pleased.

"Because you're a big goofball."

Alex sat back on the sofa, arms behind his head and rolled his eyes. "Nice. Always dreamed of a woman calling me that. You've just made my dreams come true."