day sheâd put on her shortest skirt, a brand new pair of stiletto heels and borrowed one of her motherâs push-up bras. Sheâd cornered Nathan in the kitchen and practically begged him to help her become a more experienced woman.
Then, he did exactly as she asked. Only not in the way she wanted.
Expression hard, gray eyes shot through with flashes of lightning, heâd held her at armâs length, laughed and told her to go wash her face and stop playing at being grown-up. And once he finished trampling her self-esteem to dust, heâd sauntered out of the kitchen. The following day heâd left for Las Vegas and hadnât returned to Texas until a few months ago.
Sheâd been thrilled to see him, believing sheâd mastered the skills needed to cope with his vast reserves of sex appeal. Oh, how little sheâd learned.
âIâm the one you want right now,â she countered.
âYou have no idea,â he murmured, coasting gentle kisses across her eyelids.
If she let him have his way, how long before he moved on? Could she stand to spend every second of their time together waiting for the other shoe to drop? No. Better to leave things exactly as they were. The memory of their one night together would have to be enough. For both of them.
âLetâs go back to my hotel.â His hands flowed from her hips to her waist, the firm pressure fitting her more fully against his unyielding torso. âIf you can resist screaming my name for an hour, Iâll never bother you again.â An hour?
Anticipation swelled, drowning anxiety, as she remembered all too well the roller-coaster ride of screaming thrills awaitingher at his hands. She rubbed her thighs together to combat a mounting frustration. The way she felt right now, sheâd climax before he had her clothes off.
Heâd win. He knew it. Worse, he knew she knew it. Hell, she was ready to scream his name right here and now just to make the building pressure go away.
âNathan, Iâm not going to sleep with you again.â
âAgain? You didnât stick around long enough to sleep with me the last time. Iâm looking forward to waking up with you in my arms.â
His hand was warm and compelling against the small of her back. She lifted her chin while he nuzzled her temple. When his lips brushed the corner of hers, soft as a butterflyâs wing, golden light spilled into her veins. If he had any idea how much sheâd wanted to end up like this tonight, alone with him and poised to surrender, she would be doomed.
Donât do this. A rational voice shrilled in her mind while her bones melted, and her skin flushed. Youâll never get a chance to marry for love if you let him seduce you again.
âYouâre afraid to give into this thing between us,â he murmured. âDonât be.â
âIâm not.â
Letting go had been fun. Sheâd fantasized about him for years. But not one sizzling daydream had prepared her for the thrilling hard press of his muscles or the urgency of his kisses. Heâd cajoled and demanded and sheâd happily surrendered.
It was the aftermath that had terrified her. The treacherous longing to surrender control and let him dictate where the relationship went and how long it lasted. Discovering how fast she became putty in his hands had made it easy to avoid his phone calls.
His lips trailed wildfire kisses down her throat to the hollow where her pulse fluttered madly. âI promise to take it slow.â
âHow thoughtful of you,â she said, injecting irony into hertone. He couldnât find out how much she wanted to give in. âBut I think youâre getting the wrong idea.â
âThe wrong idea about what?â
âAbout what I want.â
âAnd what is that?â
A man who would love her forever.
âThree, two, oneâ¦â voices shouted in enthusiastic unison. Noisemakers and horns generated
Kim Iverson Headlee Kim Headlee