STAY THE NIGHT (The Phillips Family Book 1) (3 page)

    If and when she wanted more from him, she'd let him understand loud and clear her intentions.  He hoped and prayed she'd catch up to him real fast because his urges were rioting.  She'd be worth the wait if he could count himself an excellent judge and he could.

    Would the first time be with an angel or a demon?  Man, the thought had him getting hard.  If he liked a woman in bed, he never stopped at one time.  Maybe he'd get to make love to an angel and a devil in the same night.  What a fantasy come true!

    Thirty minutes later, he stretched out on his mattress, rubbed between his legs and groaned.  Hell, at his age he had countless women and if they didn't want to fuck he accepted it with aplomb and walked away without this gnawing need.  Everything changed tonight when he glanced across the room to see who laughed and met the woman he wanted to spend his life adoring.

Chapter 2

  The next morning as Cray made coffee, his cell phone rang.  He answered and heard,
“
Hey, you did a disappearing act on me last night.
”

   
“
Yeah, sorry, Mona.  I assumed you found a bed buddy of your own and didn't need a ride home.
”

   
“
Well, yeah, I did after I couldn't find you.  What happened?  Did you split from boredom?
”

   
“
It's early.  Did you chase your sleepover out of your place already?
”

   
“
He has terrible morning breath.  He's a smoker.  Yuck!
”

    Cray laughed. 
“
So another one bites the dust.  Didn't you realize he smoked before you took him home?
”

   
“
Yeah, it didn't seem so bad last night.  The old hormones acting up you know.
”

   
“
I met the woman I'm going to marry last night.  In fact, I asked her to marry me.  She thinks it's a joke, but it's not.
”

   
“
Stop.  I gotta' sit down.  Okay, I'm sitting.  Tell all.
”

   
“
She's beautiful and smart.  She's a professor of Philosophy at Columbia.
”

   
“
Holy shit, Cray.  Statuesque blonde from Norway?
”

   
“
Yeah. Do you know her?
”

   
“
Not exactly, but I heard about her.  Remember, last year I dated that English Lit professor from Columbia, the one that ordered ham sandwiches, cut them into four squares and called them Hamlets?  What an ass, but not bad in the sack.  Anyway, Dr. Andersson, spelled with two s's is the talk of the campus.  Kids, especially of the male gender, sign up for her class just to ogle her.  She's called the Norse ice goddess.  Did you get to first base with her?
”

   
“
She's a doctor?
”

   
“
Is that the only thing you got from my diatribe?  She hangs out with some pretty influential people in the city, so I'm told.  Ambassadors, consulate heads, those kind of people.
”

   
“
She's got her Ph.D.,
”
Cray said astounded.
“
She's only thirty-five.
”

   
“
Backup, Cray.  Give me the lowdown on her.
”

   
“
She loves raunchy, dirty jokes.
”

   
“
How the fuck do you know that or should I ask?
”

   
“
I told her I'd marry her if only to hear her laugh for the rest of our lives.  She agreed if I kept her supplied with a mess of dirty jokes every day because that's what makes her laugh.
”

   
“
I hope no one is recording this conversation.  It doesn't make sense to me and I'm on the receiving end of it.
”

   
“
Mona, she's not an ice maiden.  She's warm and funny.  We're going to dinner tonight.
”

   
“
Shall I alert the parents and our siblings, put an announcement in the paper that you're no longer an eligible man-about-town?
”

   
“
No, hold off a bit.  As far as I'm concerned you could, but I don't want to scare her.
”

   
“
I called the wrong number, didn't I?
”

    In a teasing voice, he said,
“
No, Mona, we talk almost every day.  You must recognize my voice by now.
”

   
“
You're hysterical, Cray.  Okay, when do I get to meet this paragon of womanhood?
”

   
“
I want to warn her about you, first, so it could be awhile.
”

   
“
That's mean; I'm harmless.
”

   
“
You'll give her a running play of my history and I'm not sure our relationship can handle that.
”

   
“
Hey, it's your history.
”

   
“
Yes, if I could retain it and keep it under wraps it'd be okay, but that's not the way it works with you.  You blab everything you can to women I dated.
”

   
“
That's not fair.  I tell the creepy crawlers that slither around you the sordid details of your life.
”

   
“
You tell every woman I ever dated horrific tales.
”

   
“
Can I help it if every woman you date is a creepy crawler?
”

   
“
I'll introduce you to her on our first wedding anniversary.
”

     Mona laughed.
“
What are you going to do, ban me from our family get together on the holidays?
”

   
“
No, I'll tell her that you're released from an insane asylum on special occasions and to discount your babbling because you're demented and crazy as a loon.
”

    Mona laughed so hard through the phone that Cray pulled the phone away from his ear.  When she quieted, she said,
“
If you love her that much, I'll be good and keep your lurid secrets.  Are you in love with her?
”

   
“
I've never been in love, but what I'm feeling is different from any emotion I ever had so if it's not love, I need a shrink.
”

    Mona's voice grew soft when she said,
“
Ah, Cray, I'm happy for you and I hope it works out the way you want.
”

   
“
Thanks, Mona.  You're the only one I'd ever confide in this early.
”

   
“
I love you, big brother.
”

   
“
I love you, little sister.
”

   
“
So where are you taking her for dinner tonight?
”

   
“
Do you really think you're not transparent?  If I tell you, you'll show up and ruin everything.
”

   
“
You cut me to the bone, Cray.  Give me a hint.
”

   
“
It's a restaurant in the city.
”

   
“
Thanks a hell of a lot.  What are there, a million restaurants here?
”

   
“
Close.
”

   
“
Narrow it for me.
”

    He grinned to himself and said,
“
She likes sushi.
”

   
“
Oh, hell, it's that new sushi bar you've been raving about downtown.  See ya' tonight, Cray.
”

   
“
Okay, thanks for calling.
”

    He closed his phone and laughed.  His phone rang again and he answered.  Mona said,
“
You're not taking her to a sushi place.  You lied to me.
”

   
“
Would I lie to you?
”

   
“
Yeah, when it suits your purpose.  You're evil and wicked.  I'll see you Monday at work.  Don't do anything I wouldn't do.
”

   
“
There's not one thing I can conjure that you won't do.
”

   
“
Exactly.
”

    At two minutes before seven that night, Cray exited the elevator on Angelica's floor, strode to her door and raised his knuckles to rap.  Before he could, the door opened and she glided to his arms and said,
“
I love punctual men.  How are you?  You smell delicious.  I'll get my coat.  I'm hungry.
”

    He stepped inside her apartment, noted the spacious layout and the attractive Scandinavian furnishings.  She handed him her coat and he helped her on with it.  While he helped her, he said,
“
My father insisted we be punctual, I'm fine, thank you, it's Paul Sebastian, I'm happy to help you with your coat and I, too, am hungry.
”

   
“
Aren't you the clever one?
”
she said, brushing her lips against his.

    If this is the Norwegian version of an ice maiden, bring it on, he thought, wrapping his arm around her waist as they walked in the elevator and descended to the ground floor. 
“
I'm glad you're hungry because the place we're going serves wonderful food and in my opinion everything is delicious.  I hope you agree.
”

    She wrapped her arm through his and snuggled against his shoulder. 
“
I'm sure I'll love every morsel.  Norway is so cold that the people eat heavy food.  It keeps the body fueled against the freezing weather.  It's the way I grew up and I still can put it away.  I hope I don't embarrass you.
”

   
“
You won't.  Most slim women push their food around on the plate and barely eat enough to stay alive.  Your appetite will be refreshing.
”

   
“
Is the place we're going romantic?
”

   
“
I'll let you be the judge of that, but there is candlelight, soft music and I requested a table in an alcove.
”

   
“
I'm going to love it.
”

    Not as much as I love you.  He said,
“
I sincerely hope so.  Angel, why didn't you tell me you're a doctor of philosophy?
”

   
“
Is that important to you?  Did you look me up on the internet?
”

   
“
Second question first.  No, I talked to my younger sister today and told her about meeting you.  She dated an English Lit. professor for a short time last year.  Evidently, you don't escape discussion on campus, so she recognized your name and told me you have your Ph.D.  It's not important to the extent that I see you in a different light, but I am impressed that you have your doctorate at your age.  I have friends and acquaintances who are in their forties and still working toward it.
”

   
“
I earned a good income modeling so when I got my undergraduate degree I began my masters and then decided to extend my education further while the money rolled my way.  I'm glad now I did because Columbia accepted me as a full professor.
”

   
“
I can't imagine how busy you were.
”

   
“
Yes, at times it took its toll.  I had no social life to speak of, trying to juggle the modeling assignments and the doctoral work.  I never went to a shoot without my books.  Modeling is a lot of standing around for a shoot, so I studied while I waited to get in front of the camera.
”

   
“
Weren't you exhausted at times?
”