“Well, for one thing it’s dark and we’re alone on this section of the mountain.” He trailed kisses down the column of her neck. When she sagged against him, he added, “And for another, I promise I won’t peek until you’re settled in the water.”
“Why am I having trouble believing that?” Her throaty question sent his blood pressure soaring.
He chuckled. “How did you know I used up all of my allocated honor for the day?”
“Just a lucky guess.”
When she threaded her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck the heat in his lower belly turned into a hungry flame.
“I suppose we could wear our underwear in the hot tub,” she suggested.
His internal heat flared out of control and threatened to turn him to a cinder when she kissed the exposed skin at the open collar of his shirt. “I’ve got an even better idea, sweetheart,” he revealed as he swung her up into his arms. He carried her through the French doors of the great room and straight to the master suite. “Why don’t we skip the hot tub and just go to bed?”
As Luke cradled her to him, Haley put her arms around his shoulders and allowed him to carry her to his bedroom. They’d spent a wonderful day together with moments that she would never forget. And if she hadn’t been sure she loved him before, Haley knew for certain that she did now.
When he set her on her feet at the side of his bed, then reached over to switch on the bedside lamp, Haley’s heart thumped so hard against her ribs she was truly surprised it wasn’t deafening. She hadn’t anticipated they would be undressing in front of each other or that the light would be on when they did. But it appeared that was exactly what Luke had in mind as he bent to remove both of their shoes and socks. Straightening, he pulled her back into his arms.
“If we’d gotten in the hot tub without our clothes on, you were going to peek, weren’t you?” she asked.
Grinning, he nodded. “Shamelessly, sweetheart.”
“I think I probably would have, too,” she admitted.
“I assume this means that after today you feel we’ve reached a more personal level and you’re more comfortable with me?” he commented, sliding his hands from her back down to the curve of her hips.
“I know you think I’ve been ridiculous about our knowing more about each other. But you only knew Haley Rollins, the executive assistant who runs your office.” She raised her gaze to meet his. “I wanted you to learn about Haley Rollins, the woman.”
His gaze was positively sizzling as Luke studied her before he slowly began to lower his head. “And I’m glad I got to know the real Haley. You’re warm, compassionate and…” He brushed her lips with his. “…so damned sexy I can’t keep my hands off you.”
When his mouth covered hers, Haley’s eyes drifted shut and her heart soared. Maybe there was hope. Maybe in time Luke could learn to care for her as deeply as she loved him.
But as his firm lips explored her with a tenderness that robbed her of breath, she lost herself in his kiss and abandoned all speculation of what the future might hold for them. All that mattered was she was in his arms now and it felt absolutely wonderful.
As he coaxed her to open for him, she didn’t think twice about parting her lips and granting him access. She wanted to once again experience the mastery of his kiss and taste his growing need for her.
Tentatively touching her tongue to his, a tingling excitement filled every cell of her being and she felt as if her insides had been turned to soft, warm butter. Wrapping her arms around his trim waist, her heart raced and the delicious warmth spread inside her as she enjoyed the feel of his hard masculine body pressed so closely to hers.
Slowly easing the pressure of his mouth on hers, he broke the kiss and leaned back to capture her gaze with his. “Why don’t we get a little more comfortable?” he suggested, reaching to release the button at the top of her blouse. His slow, promising smile sent shivers coursing throughout her body. “Do you have any idea how much I’m going to enjoy taking these clothes off you?”
“I really…hadn’t given it…a lot of thought,” she said breathlessly. His fingers grazing her breasts as he unfastened the next button made it seem as if the air had suddenly been sucked right out of the room.
“Have you given any thought to what it would be like taking my clothes off?”
Every night in her fantasies for the past five years, but she wasn’t about to admit that to him. “I’m certainly thinking a lot about it now.”
By the time he finished with the buttons on her blouse, then slid the silk fabric from her shoulders and down her arms, Haley wondered if she’d ever draw another breath. The feel of his hands skimming over her skin as he whisked the top from her body was absolute heaven. She wanted his touch, wanted to again feel the same delicious sensations he’d created within her that morning. But just when she thought he would remove her bra and touch her the way he had when they made love, he surprised her.
“Let’s make this a little more equal, sweetheart,” he offered, taking her hands in his to guide them to the front of his shirt.
She knew what he was doing and she loved him all the more for it. Luke wasn’t only making an attempt to help her feel more comfortable by allowing her the freedom of undressing him, he was encouraging her to do a little exploring of her own.
As she worked the first button free, she kissed the warm, tanned skin just below his collarbone. “I think I’m really going to like this.”
“And I think it’s going to kill me,” he muttered, sounding more than a little winded.
“You don’t like what I’m doing?” she asked as she pushed another button free. She kissed the exposed area, then glancing up at him, kissed her way to the next button. “Would you like for me to stop?”
“Not on…your life.” He paused as if trying to arrange his thoughts. “Don’t get me wrong, sweetheart. What you’re doing feels damned good.” When she released the next two buttons and nibbled all the way down his chest to the rippling muscles of his abdomen, she was thrilled at the sound of his sharp intake of breath and the shuddering of his body. “But if you go much farther, I’m going to be finished way before we ever get started.”
“Hmm, I don’t think that would be good,” she confessed, smiling as she pulled the tail of his shirt from the waistband of his low slung jeans.
Laughing, he shook his head. “No, it wouldn’t be good at all.” Looking up at him, Luke’s eyes were tightly closed and a muscle along his jaw was working overtime. “Are you feeling all right?” she asked, thrilled that he seemed to be enjoying her efforts to arouse him.
“I will be real soon,” he answered.
When he opened his eyes, the intense blaze of passion in the dark blue depths heated her all the way to her feminine core.
His gaze held her captive as he slowly shrugged out of his shirt, then reached behind her to make quick work of unfastening her lacy bra. When he slid the straps down her arms and tossed it at their feet, he took her hands in his and stood back to gaze at her.
“You’re absolutely beautiful, Haley. I don’t ever want you to doubt that.”
He must have expected her to cover herself because before she had an opportunity to react, he pulled her to him. At the initial feel of soft, feminine skin meeting hard, masculine flesh, the fluttering in her stomach went completely berserk and tiny electric charges