Declan

5

DECLAN TURNED HIS face up to the sun, the mid-afternoon heat warming his skin and relaxing his body. He and Rachel had gone into town for breakfast, then spent the morning wandering along the streets and visiting some of the small shops in Boothbay Harbor.

He’d always hated shopping with women, but shopping with Rachel was actually interesting. She kept him entertained with her droll comments and quirky opinions. And she had a keen knack for knowing when he was becoming bored with the shopping experience, leading him out of the store just before he’d had enough. A waterfront restaurant was the perfect spot for lunch before heading back to the cabin for a lazy afternoon.

The sun was high in the sky when they’d returned to the cabin. They’d headed down to the pier and now lay side by side in a pair of plastic chaises.

“You have a really nice body.”

Dec squinted against the sun and looked over to find Rachel watching him. She still wore the skirt she’d worn into town, but now, the skirt was pulled up around her hips. She’d discarded the camisole and was left in just her bra.

“What?”

She sat up and crossed her legs in front of her. “You have a nice body,” she repeated. “The thing I really like about it is that it isn’t all pumped up. I don’t like men who look…artificial.”

“So you think I’m skinny?” he asked.

“No, you’re just right. You look like a man is supposed to look. Or at least how I imagine a man is supposed to look. That’s all that’s really important.”

“Hmmm.” Dec grinned, then closed his eyes and laid back. “I like your body, too.” He paused. “A lot.”

“What part do you like the best?” she asked.

“You mean, am I boob man or a butt man?” He sent her another glance, this time letting his eyes wander from her face to her feet. “Stand up.”

“No!” she cried.

“How am I supposed to give you an informed answer?”

Reluctantly, she did as he asked. Dec sat up and shaded his eyes with his hand, taking in her slender figure. She held her skirt up and he let his gaze linger on her legs. “It’s hard to say,” he murmured.

“There’s nothing about my body that you like?”

“No, I like everything about it,” he replied. “I can’t pick just one thing. I like your knees and your shoulders. And the small of your back. And your hair. I like everything about your face, but especially your mouth and your eyes. I’m a big fan of your breasts. And I’ve grown to appreciate your feet. And your legs are just killer.”

She flopped down in her chair. “You’re entirely too charming for your own good,” she muttered.

“And you’re too beautiful for yours,” he replied.

A tiny smile twitched at the corners of her mouth and Declan was amazed at how important that smile had become to him in such a short time. Though he took his professional responsibilities very seriously, he’d gone above and beyond his duties by watching after Rachel’s happiness as well as her safety.

It was a new and unfamiliar feeling to be so invested in the emotions of another person, especially a woman. Women had always seemed so complicated to him, but not Rachel. When she was upset, it showed, and it didn’t take much coaxing for her to reveal why. And when she was happy, his day was perfect.

“I could stay here forever,” she murmured.

“So could I.” Even a statement like that would have been too much in the past, alluding to promises that he’d never keep. But the truth was the truth. He could imagine staying in this place with Rachel, maybe not forever, but for a very long time.

“I don’t have to be back in town until Thursday,” she said. “We could stay an extra night. If that’s all right with you.”

He rolled over on his side, reaching out to run a finger along her arm. “I’d like that.”

“You don’t need to work?”

“I’ve got my cell phone. If they need to reach me, they can. Besides, I haven’t had a vacation for a long time. I deserve a break.”

“You should always take time for yourself,” she said.

“When was the last time you had a vacation?” Dec asked.

“Years ago,” Rachel admitted. “It’s no fun going anywhere alone.”

“I agree. But you’re not alone this time. And neither am I.” Dec sat up and swung his legs off the chair, then dropped a kiss on Rachel’s forehead. “I need to call the office. Can I get you anything while I’m up at the cabin?”

“I’d like another kiss, please,” she said.

He bent over her and Rachel grabbed him around the neck, pulling him down on top of her. She wriggled around beneath him until their bodies fit perfectly against each other, then nuzzled his neck. “Thank you for bringing me here,” she murmured.

He kissed her and for a long time, he didn’t want to stop. Kissing had always been a means to an end for him, a necessary part of seduction. But kissing had taken on a whole new meaning with Rachel. It was just…fun. Like eating candy or riding a roller coaster or curling up in front of a fire on a cold night. A myriad of pleasures awaited him when his lips touched hers and every time they kissed, that revelation was brought home all over again.

When Dec finally got to his feet, Rachel had a satisfied smile on her face. “Bring me something to drink, please?”

“I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t go in the water. Always swim with a partner.”

She gave him a crisp salute. “Yes, sir, Captain Safety.”

Dec hiked up the small rise to the cabin. He found his cell phone on the counter where he’d left it. He punched in the memory dial for the office and spoke first with his secretary and then with his office manager. Once he’d gone through the daily details of business, he asked to be put through to the investigator he’d put on Rachel’s case.

“What can you tell me, Rick?”

“We’ve done a background check on Daniel Ellsworth. Nothing came up. No extramarital affairs, no gambling debts, no complaints from colleagues. He’s very well-respected and according to a few sources on campus, his interest in Miss Merrill is completely professional. They also noted that he benefits from the relationship. According to them, until he paired up with Professor Merrill, he wasn’t published in any of the prestigious journals.”

“No professional jealousies,” Dec asked.

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” Rick replied.

“What about her research assistant?”

“Simon Lister is sleeping with his thirty-five-year-old, married landlady,” Rick said. “But we’re still looking at him. He did have a crush on one of his professors during his undergrad years at Cornell and followed her around for a while. I’ll be talking to her tomorrow.”

“Were you able to come up with anything on those letters?”

“They were all printed on an Epson printer. Most of the printers at the university are Hewlett Packard. But I sent samples to Sam Devlin over at the FBI and he seems to think the letters were written by a woman.”

“He can tell that?”

“He claims he can. Women use words differently than men do, make threats differently. He can’t be a hundred percent sure, but that was his opinion.”

“So maybe it isn’t a guy. Rachel claims she hasn’t been involved in a relationship for a while.”

“That’s the truth,” Rick said.

“You checked her out?”

“The info in the file was pretty thin, boss. It made sense.”

“So what did you find?” Dec asked, suddenly curious.

“She’s had three serious relationships, all with academic types, none lasting longer than a year. Her most recent relationship ended a year ago this last April. Strangely enough, all three of the guys are now happily married.”

“All right,” Dec said. “Call Trevor Ross and update him. And stay on it. Whoever this person is will probably get a little desperate after a few days of not seeing her. We’re going to stay up here through Wednesday night.”

“Okay, boss. I’ll let you know if we get anything.”

Dec closed the phone, then set it back on the counter, surprised by the latest development. If Rachel’s stalker was a woman, then that changed the entire complexion of the case. In his experience, women usually stalked because of envy or jealousy, men because of sexual obsession. But that didn’t make them any less dangerous.

He decided to keep the newest development to himself. Though he could question Rachel about possible suspects, he’d do so later, after Rick had a chance to gather more information.

Dec grabbed a bottle of lemonade from the refrigerator and strolled back down to the water, thinking about the information Rick had given him. He hadn’t thought much about Rachel’s past relationships with men. In truth, had any of them lasted, then he wouldn’t be where he was today.

Yet, he wondered why other men hadn’t found what he had in Rachel. There wasn’t anything about her that didn’t fascinate him. In his eyes, she was pretty close to perfect. And Dec had never considered himself that much different from regular guys. But then, maybe these eggheads she’d dated weren’t regular guys.

Sexy was sexy, Dec mused. Egghead or not, it was the same for all men. And Rachel was definitely sexy. He walked down the dock, only to have his theory proved. Rachel had removed her skirt and was now lying in just her underwear, her panties matching the lacy black bra.

Though her lingerie was less revealing than most bikinis, Dec found it much more arousing. His mind wandered, focusing on how little effort it would take to rid her of the tiny scraps of fabric, just a quick tug here and there and she’d be naked.

“Be careful,” he said. “You don’t want to burn.”

Rachel smiled. “I know. I’m just about done. Even a little sun helps. I don’t want to have that pasty look of an academic.”

Dec thought her skin looked like perfect porcelain, now with just a hint of pink. “I like your skin, too,” he murmured. Rachel sat up and Dec opened the bottle of lemonade and handed it to her.

“I’m going to go up and start dinner,” she said. “Are you going to stay down here?”

“For a little while,” he said. “Call me if you need help. And be careful, those knives in the kitchen are really sharp.”

“There’s a broken board on the end of the dock. Aren’t you going to warn me that it might bounce up, hit me in the head and cause a traumatic brain injury?”

“Sorry,” Dec said. “Just doing my job.”

“There are a lot of things you do better than your job,” she teased.

As she walked away, Dec twisted in his chair and watched her leave, smiling to himself. He wasn’t sure where his protective streak had come from and in truth, it was a bit silly. Rachel had passed twenty-nine years of her life without injuring herself seriously with a kitchen knife or getting a third-degree sunburn. Maybe it was time for him to relax a bit.

He was here, alone with a woman he found incredibly alluring. There were much better things to do than worry.

RACHEL POURED THE LAST OF the bottle of wine into Dec’s glass. The remains of their dinner-grilled salmon, asparagus and a salad of baby greens-were scattered across the small table on the porch.

She took a sip of her wine, then leaned back into the cushions of the wicker chair. Try as she might, she couldn’t remember a single time when she’d been this content. There always seemed to be some problem plaguing her mind, but tonight, all she thought about was how good the wine tasted and how beautiful the sunset had been…and how handsome Dec looked in the waning light.

The day had passed in lazy enjoyment, both of them aware of what the night would bring. There had been penetrating gazes and innocent caresses, a kiss here and there, little clues that characterized the desire bubbling just below the surface. There was no doubt in Rachel’s mind they’d give in to that desire. All they were doing now was marking time.

“If you were back home, what would you be doing?” she asked.

“If I wasn’t working, I’d probably be at a pub watching the ball game, or hanging out with my brothers. Or maybe taking a run. What would you be doing?”

“Working,” she said. “I used to tell myself that it was good I didn’t have much of a personal life, but now I’m thinking I was deluding myself. I love it here. I haven’t thought about work since we got in the car and left Providence.”

“I probably shouldn’t even be here,” Dec said, running his finger around the rim of his wine glass. “Especially not with a single, beautiful woman. It’s too much of a temptation.”

“But that’s good,” she said.

“No. I’m supposed to be celibate until the beginning of September.”

“Are you planning to go into the priesthood or do you have some medical problem?” she asked, taken aback by his confession.

“My brothers and I made a bet that we couldn’t go three months without sex. Actually, I’m the idiot who offered up the challenge and they agreed.”

It was obvious he’d decided to break his pact. The intimacies they’d already shared were well beyond the boundaries of celibacy. Rachel was pleased that she’d been the one to tempt him. “Sometimes it’s good to take a break from sex, to gain perspective on relationships,” she commented.

“That’s exactly what I said,” Dec replied.

“Well, you were right,” Rachel said.

“Nah, I was full of shit,” he countered. “I should have never made the bet.” He drew a deep breath. “I just didn’t plan on meeting you.”

“Well, you haven’t lost yet,” she said. “We haven’t actually had sex. We’ve just messed around.”

“I wasn’t supposed to have any sexual contact with women. No touching, no kissing, no anything, for three months.” Dec reached across the table and grazed her jaw with his fingertips. “Now three more minutes is much too long.” He stood and drew her up to her feet, then wrapped his arm around her waist. “I can’t seem to get enough of you,” he murmured, kissing the curve of her neck.

Rachel reached for the buttons of his shirt and slowly undid them. When she was finished, she smoothed her hands over his chest. Bit by bit, inch by inch, they began to explore each other’s bodies, slowly pushing aside clothing as they stumbled back inside the cabin.

She nuzzled her face against his chest, then traced a path of kisses to his nipple. Darting her tongue out, she teased at it, bringing it to a hard peak before moving across his chest to the other. He groaned softly, furrowing his fingers through her hair to hold her close.

When she finished, he stole another long, deep kiss and Rachel felt her blood warm and her body relax. Suddenly, her mind became consumed with the sensation of his hands on her skin. She couldn’t think, but that didn’t matter. With every caress there came an automatic response, a shudder or a moan, an effort to move closer to what they both wanted.

Their mouths still locked, they moved to the sofa and Dec gently laid her down, stretching out beside her. Rachel had never been kissed the way Dec kissed her. He took his time, as if focusing all his seductive powers on her mouth. As his tongue delved inside, then withdrew, she was reminded of what they’d soon share, his hips nestled between her legs, his shaft buried deep inside of her.

A dull ache pulsed at her core and the need seemed to multiply with every breath she took. Rachel rolled over and straddled his body, then tugged her camisole over her head. When she reached around to unhook her bra, Dec sat up and pushed her hands aside.

He slipped his fingers under the straps and let them fall off her shoulders. His mouth found a spot at the base of her throat and he kissed her there, lingering over a pulse as if he could sense her excitement. A moment later, she felt his fingers at her back and the bra fell away.

Rachel shivered in anticipation and when he drew her nipple into his mouth, tiny explosions of pleasure shot through her body. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift, arching against him, inviting him to take more.

He seemed to know her body, sensing what made her moan and tingle and sigh. Though she felt a frantic need, he drew the seduction out, each caress meant to exact the maximum amount of pleasure before moving on to something new.

Rachel’s hands smoothed over his wide chest, along the sharp angle of his shoulders and down his muscular arms. His shirt was caught beneath him, hindering his reach and after a time, he grew frustrated with the restriction and twisted out of it.

There was so much more to explore, she mused as she reached for the top button on his jeans. But just as she undid it, a phone rang. Rachel groaned and continued her task, but the sound had broken Dec’s concentration. He glanced over his shoulder, then cursed softly. “I should get it,” he whispered.

Rachel reluctantly crawled off of him, then smiled. “I’ll just finish cleaning up.” She grabbed her camisole and tugged it over her head, then walked out to the porch and began to gather the dishes from the small table. Inside, she heard Dec speaking softly on the phone. She couldn’t make out what he was saying, but a sudden wave of doubt washed over her. What if he was talking to another woman?

A tiny knot grew in her stomach. She knew he had brothers, that he didn’t have time to vacation, and that he did work for Trevor Ross. A man as handsome and charming as Dec probably had plenty of female company. And many of them probably had his phone number. When she’d asked him if he had a girlfriend, he’d said no. Rachel frowned. And if he did have a girlfriend, why on earth would he agree to remain celibate for three months?

Maybe he’d had so much sex over the past year that celibacy sounded good. She laughed softly. Celibacy would never sound good to a man. It just wasn’t in their nature to give up sex completely, unless they planned to become a priest or a monk.

And did it really make any difference how many women he had in his past? This was never supposed to be anything more than a short-term affair, a passionate night or two together before they’d both agree to go their separate ways.

But the better she got to know Declan, the more she realized it might be difficult to give him up. If the sex was fabulous, it might even be impossible. Rachel stacked the dishes in front of her then picked them up and carried them into the cabin. She wasn’t going to think about the future. They had two more nights together and that would have to be enough for now. As soon as he was off the phone, they’d pick up where they left off.

Dec was standing in the middle of the kitchen when she went back inside, his cell phone clutched in his hand, his brow furrowed into a deep frown. “That was my office,” he said.

“I thought it might be one of your girlfriends.”

“I don’t have any girlfriends,” he said, his expression unchanged.

“Good to know,” Rachel replied as she set the dishes in the sink. “Is there a problem at the office?”

“The police just arrested someone in your stalking case. An intern from the radio station. Some kid named Jerry. One of my guys interviewed him earlier this evening and he admitted it.”

Rachel gasped. “Jerry? No, Jerry couldn’t have done that. He’s a sweet kid, he’s harmless. He cleans up late at night and I see him during my shift. Every now and then, he brings me coffee. He has a little crush on me. He’s just not capable of this.”

“He has a crush on you? Why didn’t you tell me this? Rachel, you can’t keep these-” He stopped and forced a smile. “He admitted it,” Dec repeated.

Rachel slowly leaned back against the counter, bracing her hands on the edge. “Then it’s over?”

He nodded. “I guess so.”

“Wow, that was quick.” She drew in a deep breath. “I guess that means we don’t have to stay here any longer.”

He walked over to her and slipped his hands around her waist. “It’s too late to drive back tonight and the traffic will probably be murder,” Dec said. “Besides, I’ve had a little too much to drink. We’ll stay tonight and go back tomorrow.”

Rachel turned back to the sink and began to fill it with warm water. She’d hoped that he’d want to stay longer, but he’d probably stayed away longer than he ought to, especially since this was a job and not a vacation.

Declan ran his palms up her torso and gently cupped her breasts in his hands. “We still have tonight,” he murmured.

“Tonight.” Suddenly, she wasn’t quite sure why she was doing this. Was she really willing to settle for one wild night of sex with this man and then return to her regular life? There were no promises between them, no indication that this was anything more than just lust. “Your job is done now.”

Dec gently turned her around, reaching out to shut off the water as he did. He took her face in his palms and gave her a gentle kiss. “This was not part of the job. This just happened and I’m glad it did. I hope you are too because it doesn’t have to end here.”

She took a ragged breath and fought back the tears that threatened. “It doesn’t?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” He wove his fingers through hers and pulled her along toward the sofa. “Leave the dishes. I’ll do them tomorrow before we go back.” Dec sat down and pulled her down beside him. “Now that this is over, maybe we should get some things straight between us,” he suggested.

Rachel stared down at her hands, nervously twisting her fingers and knowing that the “let’s slow this down” speech was about to be dragged out. She had heard it before. You’re getting too attached, things are moving too fast, you expect too much from me. She’d promised herself this time that she wouldn’t fall in love, but a tiny part of her already had.

“I know,” she said, reaching out for his hand. “This was crazy, the two of us. But it was an affair of opportunity. I never expected anything long term.”

“You didn’t?”

She shook her head, falling back on an academic explanation for the ache in her heart. “Physical attraction doesn’t always translate into a long-lasting commitment. This was just about sex.”

Dec sat back, pulling his hand from hers. “So you were just another notch on my bedpost and I was just another chance for you to experiment?”

“We were more attracted because what we were doing was forbidden. Now that it isn’t, the attraction won’t be so strong.”

“Speak for yourself,” Dec said. He stared into her eyes, then smiled cynically. “Somehow, I get the feeling that this is a test. That you’re just watching me, ready to measure my response.” He stood. “The one thing I liked about you, Rachel, was that you didn’t play games. I guess I was wrong.”

“I’m not playing a game. I’m just being realistic. Can you really tell me that once we go home, we’ll continue on like we’ve been doing for the past two days? No. You’ll go back to work, I’ll go back to work, we’ll have excuses why we can’t be together. Occasionally we’ll fall into bed, and then it will gradually end.”

“Because that’s the way it’s always happened before?”

“Dec, let’s be realistic. We’ve known each other for two days.”

He considered her statement for a long moment, then shrugged. “You’re right,” he said. “Not a good idea. Better to stop it right now before we make a mistake.” He walked to the door, then stood staring out into the night. “I’m going for a walk. I’ll be back a little later.”

Rachel didn’t want him to leave, but in the end, she didn’t stop him. The moment the screen door slammed, she let out a tightly held breath and closed her eyes. This was for the best, wasn’t it? She’d been so caught up in this whirlwind of desire that she’d never really considered the consequences.

It would be so simple to fall in love with Declan. He’d been her white knight, riding to her rescue, ready to protect her with his own life. Gosh, it was such a predictable response that she was surprised she hadn’t seen it coming.

And never mind the fact that she’d manipulated him into wanting her. She’d had her own bad luck with love, but Rachel wasn’t sure she’d be able to recover from a bad ending with Dec. It wasn’t in a woman’s nature to separate sex from love. She’d tried and it didn’t work. Maybe, if it had been another man, she would have succeeded. But Declan Quinn was just too much of what she’d always wanted.

DEC WASN’T QUITE SURE how such a promising evening had ended so badly. He cursed his decision to pick up the phone, knowing that the call had been the beginning of the end. A walk in the woods hadn’t helped his mood and when he returned, he’d fully intended to straighten everything out with Rachel. After all, she’d always been interested in how he was feeling.

And how was he feeling? Frustrated, confused? A little angry, maybe? He’d been so quick to trust her, so certain that she wasn’t like other women he’d known. But Dec realized he might have been wrong. After her behavior tonight, he could call her fickle and capricious and manipulative.

He could also say, in all honestly, that she might just be a little bit confused and he still wanted her more than ever. As he walked back to the cabin, he went over in his mind what needed to be said. But when he got inside, Dec found the lights turned down low and Rachel’s bedroom door closed. He walked up to it and raised his hand to knock, but then realized that the closed door was proof enough of her feelings. So he’d stretched out on the sofa in the dark with a cold beer and every intention of getting himself good and drunk.

In the end, he fell asleep midway through the first beer. It wasn’t a restful sleep and he hovered near consciousness as images of Rachel flickered in his head. Over and over, he’d wake himself up, more determined to stop thinking about her. And then, he’d lapse into a fitful dream that made him even more frustrated.

He wasn’t sure what brought him out of his dreams again. But when Dec opened his eyes, he cursed softly. The clock on the mantel was closing in on three a.m., barely three hours since he’d first laid down. With a deep sigh, he threw his arm over his eyes. The effects of the earlier wine had worn off and Dec considered waking Rachel, getting her packed and leaving for Providence right then and there.

But there was still time to figure out how to salvage something from what had begun between them. Couldn’t she see what it would be like for them, Dec wondered. Wasn’t she even curious where it might lead? She must have had some pretty nasty experiences with men to blow him off so quickly.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then drew in another and another, consciously trying to relax himself. As he lay perfectly still, Dec slowly realized he wasn’t alone. He pulled his arm away and pushed up on his elbow. Rachel stood at the entrance to the hallway, her back against the wall, her eyes closed.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She jumped, as if surprised to hear his voice, then quickly straightened. “I just came to get a glass of water. I was afraid I’d wake you.”

“I wasn’t asleep,” Dec said.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she murmured.

She moved toward the end of the sofa, her hands clutched in front of her and her gaze fixed on the floor. She wore just her camisole and panties and he could see the soft outline of her breasts beneath the fabric. Dec couldn’t deny he wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her, to shelter the vulnerable woman he saw before him.

When he held out his hand, he was prepared for her to refuse it. But then she slowly moved closer to take it and he knew what had been said earlier made no difference at all. She still wanted him.

He pulled her down on top of him, stretching her slender body over his until he could feel every inch of her. Her leg slipped between his and he brought his foot up along her hip, bringing them even closer together. Rachel pressed her lips to his naked chest but before she could do more, he raked his fingers through her hair and forced her to meet his gaze.

“Don’t mess with me,” he warned. “Either you want to be with me or you don’t.”

“I do,” she whispered, an edge of desperation in her voice. She slid up along his body and kissed him softly. “I do want to be with you.”

Her belly rubbed against his cock as she shifted on top of him and he felt himself growing hard. His need for her had always been consuming, but after this evening, Dec felt it even more deeply. He ached to bury himself inside her, to lose himself in her heat and damp.

But Rachel had wanted to take things slowly and now he saw the wisdom in that. He’d make her want him as much as he wanted her. He’d drive her so crazy with desire that she’d have no choice but to continue seeing him once they’d returned to Providence. It wouldn’t be finished tonight. He’d make sure tonight was just the beginning.

Dec drew her thighs up along his hips, then cupped her backside, running his hands beneath the silky fabric of her panties. The feel of her skin was amazing, perfectly soft and smooth. She sat on top of him and Dec pushed up to sit, his erection pressed against the warm spot between her legs.

He kissed her breasts through the soft cotton of her camisole, holding her close as she arched back. And then, grasping the hem of her shirt, he pulled it over her head, revealing a body that grew more beautiful every time he looked at it.

Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck as he gently brought her nipple to a peak with his tongue. When he’d done the same to both breasts, he trailed kisses back to her mouth. She left him breathless, teetering on the edge, and he was stunned at the power her touch held over him.

Even the most innocent caress-a soft nibble on his ear, her nails raking down his back, her foot sliding down along his calf-sent desire spiraling through his body. And when he didn’t think he could take any more, he could. Dec was almost afraid to go further, afraid that the pleasure he ultimately felt would be so profound that it might ruin him for sex with any other woman.

Right now, Rachel was the only woman he wanted and he couldn’t imagine it being any other way. Her pleasure was what he wanted to see, her surrender. He grabbed her waist and pushed her back into the pillows on the end of the sofa. Holding her arms above her head, Dec kissed her neck, her long, lovely arms, her fingertips. Then, he began a slow, sensuous trip lower, kissing and nipping and licking until he reached her belly. Hooking his fingers beneath her panties, Dec pulled them down and tossed them aside.

He stared at her for a long moment, her body completely naked, flushed with the excitement of his touch. He’d always appreciated the special qualities of a woman’s form, the things that made it so different from his own. To his eyes, Rachel’s body was absolute feminine perfection, from her small but full breasts to her narrow waist to the gentle flare of her hips. Everything about her was designed to drive him mad with desire.

His gaze dropped to the neatly trimmed patch of hair below her belly and he reached down and gently parted her lips with his fingers. A sudden cry erupted from her throat and she jerked in response to his touch.

Already, she was hot and damp, as if prepared for him. But Dec had decided that they wouldn’t complete the act tonight. Tonight, she would have her pleasure. He dipped his head and ran his tongue along her tight slit. Her eyes flew open and she looked down at him as he settled himself between her legs, his tongue gently working her clitoris.

She was sweet and damp and with every stroke of his tongue, Rachel grew more wild with desire. Her fingers twisted in his hair as she responded, giving him cues to what gave her the most pleasure. Dec brought her close several times, then backed off and let her relax.

He’d never been quite so careful, so attentive to a woman’s responses. This was not just a prelude to his pleasure, this was meant to prove something to Rachel. He couldn’t be denied. He was the only man who could make her feel this way and she’d be silly to go looking for any other.

He flicked his tongue across her clit again and again and she arched against him. But this time, when he sensed she was close, Dec decided to take her all the way. Gently, he began to suck and her immediate reaction was so strong that he knew he’d found the key to her release.

A few seconds later, she stopped breathing, tensing, her fingers clutching at his hair. And then, in a heartbeat, spasms wracked her body. She cried out, repeating his name over and over as she came, writhing beneath his mouth until she was completely spent. Gasping for breath, she tugged his head away, then laughed in delight.

There was no doubt in Dec’s mind that he’d pleased her. She’d want this again and again and each time, he’d make sure it was as good as the first. He slid up on the sofa, until he was stretched out beside her, gently caressing her belly until the last of her orgasm was spent.

She rolled over and faced him, pressing a kiss to his chest. “Now you,” she murmured.

“Don’t worry about me,” Dec replied, gently biting her shoulder. “I’m just fine.”

“It’s not good to hold it in,” she whispered as she tongued his ear.

“Is that the doctor talking or you?”

“Nature requires that men ejaculate at least once every seven to ten days. It’s dangerous not to. It’s a physiological imperative.”

“Gee, I wonder why the nuns never told us about that,” Dec joked. “Besides, you forget what you did to me last night. I think I took care of my imperative.”

“Let me do this for you,” she begged.

Dec stood up and grabbed her hands, pulling her to her feet. He bent and pressed a kiss to her belly, then pulled her along to the bedroom. They tumbled down onto the bed together. At first, all he’d wanted was for Rachel to sleep again, to do away with the temptation of giving in to her demands.

But she was determined to please him and he was left with no choice but to bring her to her peak once again, simply to distract her. Her second orgasm, this one more powerful than the first, did the trick and before long, she was curled up beneath the covers sound asleep, her body relaxed and sated.

Though Dec laid down beside her, he found himself unable to sleep, his mind filled with images of what he could have enjoyed. He slipped out of bed and walked to the bathroom, certain that a shower would relax him. But the very thought of Rachel, her body twisting and tensing against his mouth, was too much to deny.

He stood beneath the shower, the warm water rushing over him and stroked himself until he found relief, fantasies of Rachel swirling in his head, vivid and arousing. This would be what he was left with until he decided the time was right to surrender to her.

Two could play her game and he intended to win-especially since the prize was something he’d been searching a very long time for.