First, he’d been devastated to find out that she was married. Then he’d felt guilty that, married or not, he wanted her so bad he could almost taste her. And then she told him her husband was dead. And what had he felt then? Swine that he was, his first reaction had been relief. Even before he’d felt sympathy for her loss his heart had leaped inside his chest at the thought that he actually had a chance. How could he be so callous?

But on the other hand, how could he help it? Like a miracle, the woman he’d fallen for ten years ago had walked into his office and back into his life. Just like that. And just like that, his senses had gone haywire all over again. Shoot, he’d been twenty-three then, and yet at his ripe old age of thirty-three he was still bowled over by the sheer beauty of her.

Ten years ago she’d been a shy junior but now she was a sophisticated woman - independent, competent and talented. How many writers could say they’d hit a best seller list? And, although under sad circumstances, she was available. At least he thought she was. His mood grew serious as he thought about it. He really hoped she was.

“Andy, horsey needs to get some water, okay?” Drake looked over his shoulder at the now pouting Andrew. “Let’s take a break.”

“Aaw.” Andrew didn’t hide his disappointment, pouting even more and folding his arms across his little chest. His face turned stubborn and Drake knew what that meant. He’d have a fight getting him off his back.

“Now come on, Andrew. Slide off.” Drake sat back on his haunches but the boy wrapped his stout arms around his uncle’s neck and refused to let go. Drake ended up having to pry his arms loose to get him to slide down to the floor. That set off a round of wailing that could be heard a mile away. Andrew ran off to his mother, finally leaving Drake in peace.

Now alone, his mind was free to wander back to that night he would never forget.

He’d been a senior, just a day away from graduation, when he’d finally struck up the courage to ask Meg Donovan to the graduation dance. He’d been admiring her for weeks but somehow he’d felt hesitant. She seemed so innocent yet so…aloof. She was like an exotic flower in a garden of daisies. How could anyone dare pluck a flower like that? Still, he’d asked her out and, lucky son-of-a-gun that he was, she’d accepted. They’d danced into the wee hours of the morning and then, unwilling to let the night end, he’d walked her back to her dorm room. He was surprised and grateful when she’d invited him in but he’d tried his darnedest to be a gentleman, hiding the bulge in his pants and playing all casual and cool like there was nothing amiss.

He did a pretty good job of it. For a while. The trouble started when he drifted off and woke up to find the angel in his arms. She was lying on top of him and, dazed as he was, there was no way he could resist. Well, that was what he told himself. He'd wanted her so badly, he just didn’t want to fight it.

And so when she’d kissed him he’d kissed back and then he’d kept going, tasting her and caressing her, savoring her sweetness until he wanted nothing else but to possess her fully.

And she’d been so willing, so eager. What sane man would have said no?

They made sweet music that night and when he found out this would be her first time he’d been gentle, coaxing her and bringing her to her peak of ecstasy. She’d cried out and his heart swelled with love at the sound of his name on her lips. Strangely, though, after that she'd been very quiet but he'd put it down to the fact that this was all so new to her.

Drake’s heart pounded as he recalled what happened next. He’d gone to meet his family for an early graduation breakfast celebration then before he knew it, it was time to head off to the graduation. He’d had to rush to make it for the procession. After the ceremony his college buddies whisked him off to yet another celebration and then another, only releasing him in the wee hours just before the sun came up. Exhausted, he crashed on the bed and did not budge again until the sun was high in the sky.