All Night Long

th ituation filled him with a head-spinning heat. This was right, he thought. Coming back here together, watching her undress, it all felt right.
    “What kind of questions?” he asked, peeling off the tux jacket.
    “For starters, what’s going on between Hackett and Katy?”
    That stopped him cold. “Hackett and Katy?”
    “Is there a problem there?”
    “Not that I know of.” He stopped in front of the mirror and loosened his tie. “What makes you thin here might be?”
    She straightened and met his eyes in the mirror. “Something about the way your brother kept watching her all evening. And the way she acted whenever he was close to her. I sensed some tension there.”
    “Beats me. But I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Those two have known each other forever. If there’s a problem, they’ll work it out.”
    “I’m sure you’re right.” She tipped her head slightly and reached up to remove one glittery earring.
    “None of my business, anyway.”
    He turned around and went very deliberately toward her. “You’re wrong, it is your business.”
    She was startled. “Why do you say that?”
    “You’re with me now.” He reached down and raised her gently to her feet. “Like it or not, while we’re together, you’re involved with my family. That gives you a license to comment.”

    “You’re sure?”
    “I’m sure.”
    “Well, then, I think your family is very nice.”
    “Yeah?” He was amused. “The words that come to my mind are ‘interfering,’
    ‘meddling’ and ‘intrusive.’”
    She laughed, “That, too. Guess it’s a family thing.”
    He moved his fingers to the back of the little black dress and slowly lowered the zipper. “Luckily non f the members of my family are around at the moment. So tell me, do you always wear black?”
    “No,” she said. “Sometimes I wear nothing at all.”
    “Works for me.”

----
    Irene stirred amid the rumpled sheets. The lovemaking had left her feeling boneless, utterly content and curiously calm deep inside. The feeling wouldn’t last, she knew, but for now it was enough.
p. In the glow of the night-light she could see Luke sprawled on his stomach beside her. His face wa urned away on the pillow. The white sheet draped carelessly across his lower body.
    He looked exoti nd mysterious and very male lying there beside her, an exciting creature of the night who had materialized out of her most intimate fantasies.
    She stroked the sleek contours of his back, enjoying the heat and strength he exuded.
    “Are you awake?” she whispered.
    “I am now.” He rolled onto his back and folded his arms behind his head. “What’s the matter? Can’t sleep?”
    “More questions.”
    “Let’s have em.”

    “I know I shouldn’t bring up the subject,” she said, “especially at a time like this. All of the advice books say that it’s a mistake to talk about previous relationships, especially in bed.”
    He freed one hand, caught and kissed her fingers.
    “This is about Katy isn’t it?” he said.
    “Well, I am a little curious,” she admitted. “Tonight I could see that the two of you were on friendly terms. There was obviously no animosity between you. In fact, you both seemed quite fond of each other. I just can’t help myself, I have to ask. Why didn’t things work out between the two of you?”
    For a moment she thought he wasn’t going to answer. He studied the bedroom ceiling as thoug earching for inspiration.
    “It was my fault,” he said finally.
    “How is that?”
    “I told you that when I got out of the Marines I planned a strategy designed to make me fit into the real world.”
    She nodded. “You told me that marrying Katy was part of that strategy.”
    “It took me a while, but it eventually dawned on me that she agreed to marry me because she was too kindhearted and too concerned about me to turn me down.”
    That gave her pause. “Are you sure about that?”
    He exhaled deeply. “Everyone in the family thought the marriage was a terrific idea.
    They put Kat nder a tremendous amount of pressure. I think she was given the clear impression that if she rejecte e I might jump off a bridge.”
    “And you came to this realization in the course of that unfortunate weekend on the coast?”
    “I sure did.” He paused, looking reflective. “I had that weekend all planned out, same way I had every other element of my strategy planned. Booked the honeymoon suite.”
    “Oh, my.”

    “You should have