Tilting the bottle, she drizzled oil over his back as if pouring syrup on a stack of pancakes.
He flinched. “That’s…chilly.”
“Sorry.” Damn, she should have warmed it in the microwave. Wiping the oil in her right hand off on his shoulder, she recapped the bottle tightly and laid it on the bed beside her. “I warned you that I’m an amateur.”
“No problem. It’s warmer, now.”
“Good. Let me know if I hurt you.” And at last she laid both hands on his back and wondered why she didn’t hear a sizzle. He was so warm, so incredibly warm. The scent of almonds mingled with the aroma of healthy male.
He sighed.
That one little sigh set off major tingling and throbbing between her thighs. She became aware of the seam of her jeans pressing against her crotch, and that her legs were conveniently spread apart.
She did her best to ignore her body’s response as she smoothed the oil over his skin and leaned forward to knead his neck and shoulders. From that vantage point she could see his face in profile, his dark lashes brushing his bronzed cheekbones, his lips parted. Even the curve of his ear looked erotic to her. She imagined running her tongue over the outer rim and following the spiral around until the tip slid into the downy, shadowed interior.
Her nipples tightened as she caught a whiff of the mint-scented shaving cream he’d used while she was out buying sandwiches and massage oil. And condoms. The one in her pocket felt like a brand pressing against the top of her thigh.
She still couldn’t believe how solid he was. For a man who worked with a chart and a stethoscope all day he had outstanding muscles. They were knotted and tense, though, and she dug in deeper.
He moaned softly.
“Hurt?” she murmured. She was only too ready to kiss it and make it better.
“Feels…great.”
Didn’t it, though. Damn, now her panties were wet. She was turning herself on, and yet she was probably putting him into such a relaxed state that he’d drift right off. If that happened, she’d have to go home. Unless she pinched him. Very gently. Just enough to keep him awake.
No, she wouldn’t pinch him. Judging from the tightness under his shoulder blades, he needed this massage, and she was glad to give it to him. If he went to sleep, she’d figure out something.
She found another scar on his right shoulder, an older one that had nearly faded into his tan. And there was still another between his ribs, and a third in the small of his back. Apparently rescuing six people from a sinking sailboat was only one of many adventures he’d had.
As she scooted down to pay better attention to his lower back, he shifted his hips slightly, drawing her attention to his towel-draped buns and making her wonder why he’d decided to start this massage on his stomach. Because he didn’t want her to know that he was aroused.
It was the logical explanation. And it was easily tested.
Heart hammering, she moved still lower and opened the bottle of oil. Slowly she dribbled it on the backs of his thighs. He flinched again as he had when she’d poured oil on his back, but this time he said nothing.
Rising up on her knees, she studied the set of his jaw. Unless she was mistaken, he was clenching it. Her gaze traveled to his hands and discovered he’d closed them both into fists. Apparently she didn’t have to worry about putting him to sleep.
She could comment on his tenseness. Or she could capitalize on it. Closing up the bottle, she laid it on the bed and began a slow massage of his right thigh, dangerously close to the hem of the towel. His breathing grew shallow.
As she continued kneading his thigh muscles, she allowed her hands to move close to the towel but never underneath. She could feel his anticipation, wondering if she would honor that barrier. She did. Until she moved to his left thigh.
Once she’d rubbed the oil in well, she started her massage at the top of his thigh. Her chest grew tight as she allowed her fingertips to skim under the hem of the towel. She encountered nothing but bare skin. A flush moved through her and she trembled. There was nothing covering him but a layer of Egyptian cotton toweling.
He groaned.
Her blood pounded through her veins. This was really going to happen between them.
“Kate.” His voice was thick with tension.
“Mmm?” It was the best she could do. Her tongue wasn’t working at the moment. She waited for him to ask her to make love to him.
“I’m…you need to…stop.”
“Stop?” She hadn’t expected that word, and it sent her scrambling off the bed in confusion. “What’s—what’s wrong?”
He opened his eyes, and his gaze smoldered. “Because I’m an idiot.”
“I don’t under—”
“Your massage has really made me…” A muscle in his jaw worked. “I’m going crazy, Kate. I want you.” He ground out the words in obvious frustration.
“That’s okay,” she said softly. More than okay. Wonderful.
“No, it isn’t.”
“But it is,” she said, “because I—”
“I have no business wanting you.”
She swallowed. “Oh?” She wondered what he hadn’t told her, what terrible secret he’d been unwilling to reveal that would doom their love before it even started. “Why?”
“Because I’m not prepared, damn it. It just came to me that I am totally not prepared.”
She smiled in relief. So that was all. And how hero-like that he’d assume the responsibility was all his. Fortunately for him, she had that under control this time. She slipped her hand in her pocket.
“And I’m sure you aren’t, either,” he said.
She froze in the act of pulling out the condom packet. Maybe he’d think that a woman who brought a condom into a man’s bedroom, especially a man she’d just met, was too wild for him. The prudent thing would be to leave and never let on that she’d been so bold.
But she’d never been a fan of the prudent thing. Besides, he might be shy, but he was obviously a daredevil, too. Maybe he’d secretly applaud her courage. And she really, really wanted to be swept away tonight.
“I’m sorry, Kate,” he murmured. “I shouldn’t have—”
“Look, I want you to know this is unusual for me, and I hope you won’t take it the wrong way, but…” She pulled out the condom packet and held it up.
5
HUGH STARED AT THE PACKET in Kate’s hand in astonished delight. Wow. This woman was absolutely perfect for him, and he was afraid that, crazy as it seemed, he might be already half in love with her. Fortunately she had all the signs of being an independent woman who took her pleasure where she could find it, someone who didn’t expect a commitment before she climbed aboard the fun bus. That sort of liberated attitude should help keep him out of trouble.
“Do you still want me to stop?” she murmured.
Somehow he managed to get the right answer past vocal cords that felt as stiff as his penis. “No. Absolutely not.” He rolled to his side and propped himself on one elbow. The towel fell away, but he didn’t bother to cover himself. There was no reason to be coy with a lady who carried condoms in her pocket.
Her gaze drifted south, and she caught her breath. “I guess you don’t.”
He held out his hand and cleared his throat. “I want you to come over here, please.”
She took a step toward the bed and hesitated. “So you’re not shocked that I came in here with this?” She held up the condom. “You don’t think I’m too pushy?”
He shook his head and grinned. “Definitely not too pushy. Maybe a little overdressed, though.”
Her green eyes took on a devilish gleam. “Would you like me to fix that?”
“I would love for you to fix that.”
“All right.” She tossed him the condom, which he caught in midair. “One naked lady, coming up.”
He laughed, unable to believe his good fortune. He’d known women who were playful and women who were bold, but he’d never found both qualities in the same l
over. He’d have to work very hard not to fall for her. “Kate Cooper, where have you been all my life?”
“Right here.” She pulled her T-shirt over her head, tousling her short red curls. “Waiting to see what develops.” She tossed the T-shirt away. “That’s a photography joke.”
“I like it.” He liked more than the joke. He’d always thought black lace was the ultimate turn-on, but white lace had just become his favorite, especially when it cupped breasts as plump and inviting as Kate’s.
She unsnapped her jeans and pushed them down over her hips. Then she paused and glanced at him. “Should I be doing a Gypsy Rose Lee number for you?”
“Maybe later. Right now I just want all that stuff to disappear. I’ve been in agony for…a long time.”
She did that thing where she stuck her tongue in the corner of her mouth and looked adorable. “I know.”
“You knew?” He’d worked so hard to keep her from finding out his condition, all for nothing. “When?”
“When I was checking you out in the bathroom and you were looking…lumpy.” She stepped out of her jeans.
“Lumpy.” Not the most flattering way to describe his package.
“Lumpy is good.” She reached behind her back, unfastened her bra and let it slide down her arms.
He moaned in total appreciation. “No, that is good.” He watched hungrily as she tossed the bra aside. There was no sweeter sight than the gentle sway of a woman’s natural breasts. In Hollywood he’d seen far too many that were anything but natural, and he’d never understood the appeal.
As she slipped off her panties, revealing once and for all that she was also a natural redhead, he wondered if he was dreaming. Maybe he’d fallen asleep on the plane and this was his ultimate fantasy playing in his exhausted brain.
She started toward the bed. “Want some help with that?”
He looked at the condom packet that he’d forgotten he held. Then he looked back at her. There was a lot of delicious territory to explore. Maybe he should wait awhile on the main event. He wiggled the dangling packet. “I’m assuming this is the Lone Ranger?”
She met his gaze. “What would you say if I told you there was a whole box in the other room?”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope.”
“Then I’d have to say you’re one hell of a shopper.” He assumed she’d bought the darn things while she was out getting sandwiches and was enormously flattened. “And I must have made a very good first impression.”
“When something’s right, it’s right.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Damn, but he loved green eyes. They were the perfect combination of innocence and seduction. “Are you sure this is Rhode Island?” he murmured, reaching for her hand and pulling her down to the bed.
Her breath caught as she settled beside him and looked up into his eyes. Her voice was low and husky. “Pretty sure.”
“I don’t think so.” He laid the condom aside and cupped her face in his hand. Her skin felt even softer than he’d imagined it would. “I think my plane touched down in heaven.” Then he covered her mouth with his.
THEIR FIRST KISS. Kate thought most soul mates probably shared their first kiss before getting naked instead of after, but she wasn’t complaining. Naked had some real advantages. Her hero had started by chastely stroking her cheek, but in short order he’d begun stroking the rest of her, and he didn’t have to fumble through layers of clothing to get to the good parts.
Neither did she. And the longer they kissed, the more convinced she became that a kiss involving full-body caressing was the only way that soul mates should begin a relationship. Right away she knew that his hand fit perfectly over her breast and that he understood exactly what to do once he arrived there to bring her to a fever pitch, not that she needed to get any hotter.
But whether she needed the added heat or not, he was giving it to her by the clever way he kneaded her breast and rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. And all the while he was kissing her full-out, and she was doing the same, holding nothing back.
She’d already become intimately acquainted with his back, so she explored uncharted territory, running her fingers through the springy hairs covering his pecs and massaging his hard little nipples. From there it was a natural progression to move lower and finally touch the source of his agitation for the past hour or more.
Now all that magnificence was causing her a fair bit of agitation, especially when she curled her fingers around it and imagined the kind of pleasure he could give her. She squeezed gently, and he moaned low in his throat. When she brushed her thumb under the small ridge at the very tip, he drew his mouth from hers for the first time.
He gulped for air. “Careful,” he warned.
She nibbled at his lower lip as she caressed him again. She was getting impatient for that ultimate bonding, where their fate would be sealed forever, when they would know without any doubt that this was the person they’d been born to love. “I don’t want to be careful. I want to be wild.”
“Is that right?” He slipped his hand between her thighs. When he found her drenched and ready, he sucked in a breath.
“Put on the condom,” she whispered, nipping at his mouth.
With a groan he pulled away from her and found the packet. Then she watched him tear it open and roll the condom over his straining penis. She doubted he understood the significance of what they were about to do, but once they were locked together, he might get a glimmer of the truth.
He moved over her, his gaze hot. “You’re incredible.”
“We’re incredible.” She concentrated on his stormy blue eyes. “Make love to me.”
“My pleasure.” His tone was light as he sank into her. But once they were locked together, the playfulness disappeared from his expression. “Oh, Kate. Kate, this is…”
“I know. Perfect.”
“Yeah.” Wonder filled his eyes.
“I knew it would be.” She welcomed every last inch as her body opened to him. Undulating waves of pleasure signaled that her orgasm hovered near, and she gripped his bottom to hold him deep inside her as she tilted her face up to his.
He started to close his eyes.
“Don’t,” she whispered. “Don’t close your eyes.”
His dark lashes fluttered, and then he looked at her with a mixture of awe and fear. “You’re blowing me away. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“I never thought….”
“Don’t think.” She lifted her hips and urged him closer. “Just feel.”
His eyes darkened. “Hold still.”
“I can’t.”
“I’ll come.”
She held his gaze. “And so will I.”
With a groan he drew back and plunged deep once more. “So good.” He gasped and stroked again. Then he hesitated, his whole body quivering. “Kate, I don’t want this to end. Let me—”
“Don’t stop.”
With a strangled cry he pushed home, propelling them both to a tumultuous climax.
HUGH LAY WITH HIS HEAD on Kate’s shoulder and struggled for breath while he tried to convince himself that his whole world hadn’t just tilted on its axis. Right now he might think that was the most amazing orgasm of his life, but he was exhausted and jet-lagged. Kate was wonderful—no doubt about that—but she wasn’t necessarily the most terrific woman he would ever meet.
His weekend promised to be an experience to remember, but come Sunday he’d fly out of Providence without a twinge of remorse. At the moment he couldn’t imagine saying goodbye to her, but once he’d had some sleep that neediness would disappear. Sleep deprivation messed with a person’s head. He’d read that somewhere.
Kate stroked his back. “You need to rest, now.”
He nodded, his cheek rubbing against her shoulder. Reluctantly he eased away from her, climbed from the bed and stumbled into the bathroom. When he returned she’d folded the sheets back and she stood, still naked, be
side the canopied bed. He’d carry that mental picture around with him for a while.
Memories were good. He had a head full of great memories, and this weekend would certainly spice up the old mental scrapbook. Gratitude rushed through him in a warm flood. Or maybe it was more than gratitude. His penis twitched.
He gave voice to the first emotion. “Thank you,” he said. “That was—”
“I know.” She stepped forward and placed a finger on his lips. “You don’t have to say a word. Words don’t really do justice to what happened, anyway.”
“You’re right.” He gazed at her rosy breasts and his penis twitched again.
“You need sleep,” she said.
He’d thought so a few minutes ago. Now he wasn’t so sure that’s how he’d choose to spend his time.
“I think I should go home and let you sleep for the rest of the night.”
“No, don’t.” His answer was too quick and sounded too desperate. He’d need to work on that between now and Sunday. “We’ll have so little time together once we get into the wedding activities,” he added.
She wound her arms around his neck, and sleep moved way down on his priority list. “I thought that, too, but I’m worried about you getting enough rest.”
He drew her into his arms and felt that dangerous longing again, that sense of rightness and forever that he’d taken great pains to avoid. Maybe keeping her here all night wasn’t a smart thing. “Let me worry about that,” he said, proving that his brain had no clout whatsoever.
Slipping away from him, she glanced at his gradually thickening penis and smiled. “I won’t leave, but maybe I’ll step out of the room for a little while so you can climb into bed and try to sleep.”
“If you’re going to step out of the room, you can go find that box you mentioned.”
“All right.” She tried to look stern and commanding. “But you’d better be in that bed by the time I come back.”
“I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.” And that in itself was scary. Hugh thought about that as he slid between the soft ivory sheets, because he’d been to a lot of cool places in his career. The movies he’d made had taken him in canoes down the Amazon and into the cracked heart of a glacier in Alaska. He’d scouted for rhinos on the Serengeti and ridden horseback across the Mongolian Steppes. For fifteen years his life had been a series of thrills.
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