by Melody Anne
Looking up, her eyes connected with Spence’s, and she found herself again without words. What was going to happen next? Sage needed to figure out, and quickly, whether she was going to allow anything to happen, because after their earlier romp in the snow, she knew that it would take only the smallest encouragement to get her into Spence’s bed.
“This isn’t a good idea, Spence.” Maybe if she was direct, they could act like reasonable adults.
“The two of us coming together seems like an excellent idea to me, Sage.” He began closing the gap between them. When he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, Sage still didn’t know what she was going to do. When he bent down and kissed her, even her will to think fled.
After washing her face, Sage glanced in the mirror and cringed at her mussed hair and glowing cheeks. Spence knew how to kiss—that was for dang sure. He had turned her to jelly in five seconds flat, and then had continued to tease her body for the next fifteen minutes.
And somehow, when she’d finally managed to pull back—she was amazed that her legs had been able to hold her up—he’d let her go. He clearly wanted to make love to her, and she knew she wanted that same thing.
But Sage had never been a stupid woman—she usually lived up to her name. And she’d never been one to make impulsive choices. She was the responsible one, the one who had put school ahead of all else, who had received the best grades. She was the girl who stayed in to study while her peers went out to clubs.
She wasn’t about to start making mistakes now. And besides the fact that Spence was currently her boss—who was taking notes on her performances and could determine whether she became a critical-care surgeon or not—he was also the one who’d broken her heart.
To sleep with this man, to have a one-night stand or, even worse, a short affair, wouldn’t be wise. So here she was, hiding in his luxurious bathroom while she tried to decide her next move.
Sage could insist he take her home, but since she’d arrived at his place, the storm had picked up even more, and was leaving the wisest decision? If they got lost and froze to death, that wasn’t going to do anyone any good. Not that she’d know anything about it later . . .
The real question was whether she’d be able to sleep in the same house as this tempting man without ending up in the sack. She didn’t know how strong she was, but she’d soon find out.
Figuring she’d hidden long enough, Sage left the bathroom and made her way back down his curved staircase, her hand trailing along the mahogany railing as she moved soundlessly, cushioned by the thick cream carpeting. Stepping onto the wood parquet floor covered by a stunning Oriental rug, she was surprised to find Spence’s home so stately yet comfortable.
He didn’t seem the type to have a Waterford chandelier hanging from the sixteen-foot ceiling, or to have a gleaming white marble fireplace as the centerpiece of the room. Stunning ten-foot-high windows offering a gorgeous view of the thick falling snow made this her dream living room.
Spence was sitting comfortably on the leather sofa, flipping through the pages of a magazine, certainly looking like the king of his domain.
“I wouldn’t have taken you for the type of man to have such a . . . um . . . warm and romantic home,” Sage said, breaking the silence. He didn’t stir, confirming to her that he had known she had entered the room.
“I bought the place last month. I didn’t design it,” he said.
“Well, you still chose it. It’s pretty great. I love the antique fixtures in the bathroom.” She shifted on her feet, not knowing if she should sit or not.
“Thank you. My brother actually found them. Michael can be quite the . . . romantic,” he said, finally looking up and capturing her gaze.
“Yeah, that’s what I’ve heard,” she said, trying to relax.
“Why don’t you sit down and join me?” he asked, patting the cushion next to him. Okay, good, he wasn’t bringing up their hot make-out session. That was a positive.
“What are you reading?” she asked as she sat and tried to relax. It wasn’t easy to forget about the fact that the two of them were all alone on a night perfect for making love.
He was gazing right at her, and his eyes were hot enough to melt her, even though her body still felt frozen. Without his expression changing, he answered, “WebMD magazine.”
“It seems like forever since I’ve read for fun,” she said with a sigh as she curled her legs up underneath her, trying to get the shaking to stop. She worried she might never feel warm again.
“You have to take some moments for the pleasures in life, Sage, or you will burn out.”
“I can’t even remember what pleasure is all about,” she told him with a humorless laugh.
“That’s what I’m here for . . . to remind you.”
She froze at the clear look of desire he was directing her way. “Spence, I’m so exhausted and cold that I can’t analyze every little thing you say, so can you turn the heat levels down just a little?” She didn’t break eye contact as she made her request.
“You aren’t warming up, are you?” This time, it was concern in his eyes.
“No. I can’t stop shaking,” she admitted.
“All right, time for the hot tub,” he told her, and she shook her head. “Doctor’s orders,” he added as he stood up.
“I can’t. I don’t have a swimsuit,” she said, though the warmth of a hot tub sounded like pure heaven.
“Wear your undies. They cover as much as or more than a swimsuit,” he told her, and Sage tried to figure out which ones she was wearing. Were they modest enough? “I’ll turn around while you get in, and then the water will cover you.”
“Fine,” she said before she could chicken out. She really was cold.
Spence led her to the bathroom off the back deck, where his hot tub was located. The deck was covered, but a shiver still racked her body when she stepped up to the French doors with only a towel covering her modest underclothes.
She would have to step into the cold before she could enter the hot tub. “Come on. The deck is clear. Just walk quickly. I already have it open and ready,” Spence said as he stepped up beside her.
Taking a breath, she rushed through the doors, dropped the towel, and then quickly climbed down into the hot tub, the warm water stinging her frozen limbs as she submerged herself.
“Ah, this is exactly what we needed,” Spence said as he climbed in beside her, giving her a glimpse of his impressive chest before the water covered him to his neck.
Scooting to the far side of the hot tub, Sage eyed Spence warily, but he didn’t make a move toward her, so she leaned back after a minute, finally beginning to relax as warmth seeped into her skin and the cold finally evaporated.
The coolness on her face and the heat of the water were a perfect combination and she soon found herself feeling human once again. When she began to drift, she felt a wave in the water, and as her eyelids cracked open, she found herself looking into Spence’s eyes.
“Want to play a game?”
“I don’t think I could win any game against you, Spence,” she said. She couldn’t back away—he’d left her nowhere to go.
“Come on, Sage. Don’t chicken out on me.” He brought his hand up and rubbed the top of her shoulder, which was peeking out from the water.
“What game can we play in the hot tub, Spence?”
“Hmm, truth or dare, of course,” he said with a gleam in his eyes.
“Fine,” she said, shocking herself and him.
“Good. I get to go first,” he said as he leaned back, giving her a little breathing room. “Truth or dare?”
“Truth.” She hesitated for only a moment before uttering the word.
“When did you have your first kiss?” he asked.
Sending him a glare, she hesitated only a minute before answering him. “I was fifteen the first time. It was with Basal, the foreign exchange student my sophomore year of high school. He could really kiss,” she said, thinking back with a fond smil
e.
“Oh really?” His eyebrows went up in shock.
“I’m not always the innocent little girl, you know.”
“Come on, Sage,” he said in disbelief. “Since meeting you again, I’ve had a few flashbacks, and I remember your reputation. And from what I’ve heard recently, that reputation stayed with you in college.”
Bluff called! “You were checking up on me?” she asked, irritated, forgetting all about their little game.
“I’ve learned everything I can about you, Sage.”
The way he said it was a challenge. She just didn’t understand what the challenge was.
“Maybe I also know all about you, Spence Whitman.”
“Do tell.” He wasn’t at all fazed by her words.
“Some things should remain secret,” she said, not wanting to play games with him anymore.
“You can’t start this conversation and then just stop,” he said, moving closer once again.
“I wasn’t the one who started it,” she insisted.
“Yeah, but you don’t want to run, do you, Sage? You like exactly what’s going on between us,” he said, his arms coming up on either side of her, boxing her in. The problem wasn’t his closeness; the problem was the fact that she wanted him even closer.
Knowing she was falling for him, knowing she was about to cave, she spun around, kneeling on her seat, facing his spacious yard while leaving her back to him.
“Are you trying to hide, Sage?” he asked as his chest pressed against her back.
“Yes,” she said, not even recognizing her own voice.
“I don’t think I’m going to let you,” he said, his mouth grazing her ear and sending shivers down her spine that had nothing to do with the freezing night air.
“I’m not sure I can resist you,” she told him, and his lips, which had been grazing her neck, stopped in their tracks.
“Then don’t.” He resumed his assault on her neck, wrapped his hands around her waist, and pulled her back tightly against his chest. “Tell me to stop if you don’t want this to lead where we both know it’s going to.”
Sage leaned against the edge of the tub, the jets massaging the front of her while his hands trailed across the skin of her stomach and his mouth slid over her neck. Did she tell him to stop, or did she let this take its natural course?
What did she want?
“Do you want me to stop?”
Stop? Why would he possibly stop when this felt so good? Somewhere, buried deep in the back of her mind, Sage knew she should indeed call a halt. She just didn’t know why. And if she couldn’t figure that out, wasn’t it time to finally see what all the fuss was about? It was now a bit ridiculous to be a virgin. She could only use school and work as an excuse for so long.
As a doctor she knew how the body worked, knew it was chemicals and hormones. But as a woman, she had no clue what she was experiencing. Whatever it was, though, it was fantastic. And stopping was the last thing on her mind.
As Spence’s hands now brushed the undersides of her breasts, her body pulsed with need. When he shifted her, lining up her body in the most perfect way with the pulsing jets, she felt heat building inside, felt something she’d never felt before.
“More,” she groaned, wanting to feel his hands come over the mounds of her breasts, to caress her nipples.
“More,” he agreed, and then he cupped her, his fingers squeezing her aching peaks through her bra, and a guttural cry of need escaped her throat as she leaned back, her head resting on his chest while he continued his exquisite ministrations.
His fingers found the front clasp of her bra, and then, thankfully, he freed her from the sodden material. Finally his hands were on her skin, his thumbs rubbing across her nipples, making her cry out in pleasure as he twisted them, making them even harder than before.
Spence’s hands began moving all over her body, caressing her sides and her breasts again, and then lower, tracing the curve of her hips and proceeding to the inside of her legs. He spread her thighs and centered her core on one of the jets, making her writhe in front of him.
“Spence,” she cried weakly, unsure of what she was feeling.
“Enjoy it,” he whispered before his lips traced her ear. With one hand he encircled an aching breast, while with the other he reached inside her panties and ran a finger down her folds, spreading them and sliding easily inside her heat.
She wanted more, needed more. Her body knew what it wanted, and she was following the commands it was issuing. When he pulled back, she whimpered until he turned her around and looked into her eyes, his own green depths burning with desire.
“I want to take you now,” Spence said.
“Then have me,” she said on a sigh before he bent down and captured her lips, needing both to give and to take.
Sliding his hands slowly over her hips, he drew her panties down her slim legs, leaving her naked for his pleasure. She was burning up, both from the water and from the inferno he was building inside of her.
And still it wasn’t enough.
He let go of her long enough to discard his shorts, and then she was being lifted to the side of the hot tub. He spread her legs wide so he could see all of her secrets. She wanted to hide, but as his head descended and his hot tongue traced the outer folds of her heat, she lost any impulse to fight.
The cold air on her wet skin made her nipples tighten painfully, while the hot water and steam from the tub rose up to fight the chill. He kissed her core, letting his tongue swirl around her most sensitive area, and then suddenly she was flying, her body releasing in an explosion of pleasure so great she almost lost consciousness under the barrage of fireworks in her body.
As the last of her tremors subsided, she felt herself being pulled back into the water, the gentle heat warming her cooled limbs as Spence pulled her on top of him, her thighs spread over his, his erection pressing against her core, begging for entrance.
She needed to tell him. He should know . . .
But she couldn’t say the words. In a blissful euphoria, she waited as he began to press forward, his erection stretching the opening of her heat. “Spence,” she sighed as his mouth caressed her neck. All the sensations he was giving her were overwhelming in the most wonderful of ways.
“Oh, Sage, I can’t hold back any longer,” he cried. He gripped her hips and pulled her down hard on his solid shaft.
Pleasure evaporated. A sharp pain ripped through her and her eyes shot open, her body tensing. Everything seemed to go quiet as Spence froze with their bodies still locked together. He pulled back just a bit and looked into her eyes, his own rounded.
“Are you a virgin?”
Oh, she didn’t want to play truth or dare anymore. She didn’t want to answer this question. Why did the female body generally have to be so obvious when it hadn’t had sex before? Why must there be a barrier for a man to discover?
“Seriously, Sage, are you a virgin?”
“Yes. Or, well, I was a couple of minutes ago,” she finally said, trying to make a joke of it. He didn’t laugh.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked in a calm and gentle voice. “Why did you allow me to hurt you like this?” He began pulling out of her, and she panicked.
“No. Don’t stop, Spence. I don’t want to stop. I . . . I don’t know why I waited so long, but I chose you,” she said before she was able to stop the words.
“Sage, this changes things,” he said, and then pulled his body from hers, leaving her feeling empty and rejected.
“It changes nothing, Spence,” she said, on the verge of crying. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I’m still me, just no longer a virgin.”
“I can’t do this. I just can’t, Sage.”
The sting of his rejection was almost too much to bear. She certainly didn’t want to look at him. He pulled her back to him as his hand trailed down her back. His touch was no longer comforting, though, it was humiliating.
“I’m sorry, Sage. This shouldn’t have hap
pened.”
“It doesn’t matter, Spence. Please let me go.” She was too mortified to sit there and talk about her feelings. She wouldn’t beg him to make love to her again.
Without another word, he released her, and Sage climbed from the tub, grabbed the towel she’d discarded, and practically ran inside his house and straight up to the guest room. She wanted to leave badly enough to risk going out on the snowmobile, but she knew better.
It would just be a very long night in his oversized home. She’d spend it facing the humiliation of a second rejection by the man she’d loved for the better part of her life.
THE NEXT MORNING, when Camden showed up to give her a ride home in his truck, she was more than grateful. It was time to start forgetting about Spence Whitman. She had warned herself when he was flirting with her that he only wanted one thing. She just hadn’t realized that he’d wanted it with an experienced woman.
“Spill the beans right now!”
“Huh?” Sage turned toward Grace and lifted an eyebrow before she faced the tree again and checked it over. It had to be perfectly decorated. The ornaments had to be spaced evenly to give it the best appeal, and everything needed to be in its place. She knew she was ridiculously over the top when decorating, but she couldn’t help it. The people around her would just have to deal with her holiday OCD.
Besides, it was something she could control in her life, unlike people. She couldn’t control them at all, and that was hard for her to accept. The day after her humiliation in the hot tub, Spence hadn’t even bothered to talk to her, let alone call. He’d flown back to Seattle for some high-profile surgery. Yes, he’d been sending a vase of flowers every day since, making her home look like a dang floral shop, but not a single phone call, nor a text, and not a word of explanation. If he really thought flowers were going to make her all warm and fuzzy, he had obviously never tried to court a woman like her before.
Decorations! She needed to focus on the decorations and not think about Spence Whitman or his stupid hot tub, or snowstorms.
As if the stress of Spence wasn’t enough, Grace walked over to her perfectly organized table, scooped up a few ornaments, and placed them on the tree all wrong before she scooted around one of the large vases filled with roses and plopped down on the couch.