In Over His Head

Chapter 4

Lexie stood frozen in place, heart pounding, the rough concrete of the pool apron abrading her shoulders, her mind a blank except for the mantra pumping through it. He's going to kiss me. He's going to kiss me.

She'd thought about little else during their lesson. She'd watched him as he'd floated, his eyes closed, staring at his sexy mouth form words about his home. Imagining that sexy mouth on hers.

Bracing his hands against the edge on either side of her, he bracketed her between his strong arms. His gaze slid from her eyes down to her mouth, and he leaned slowly forward. A brushfire of heat sizzled through her.

His lips brushed softly over hers, once, twice, with a teasing gentleness that immediately made her want more. Parting her lips, she touched her tongue to his bottom lip. And in a heartbeat the kiss changed from gentle to Oh. My. God.

With a low groan, he stepped closer. His arms came around her, his mouth covered hers. She was completely surrounded by him. By the delicious feel of his body pressing against hers. The warmth emanating from his wet skin. His large hands combing through her hair then skimming slowly down her back. The exquisite sensation of his tongue exploring her mouth.

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she indulged herself in the onslaught of sensations assaulting her. Everything faded except the need to feel more of him. Taste more him. Touch more of him. She ran her palms up his back, reveling in the contrast of textures of smooth, firm skin over hard muscle. Desire, hot and insistent and for so long forgotten, gushed through her, turning her insides to syrup. His hands slipped down to the small of her back and puller her closer. His erection pressed against her belly, inspiring a dizzying myriad of sensual images of him, and her, together.

A shriek of feminine laughter broke through the fog of arousal engulfing her. Clearly Josh heard it, too, because he lifted his head. A long mental noooooo of protest echoed in Lexie's lust-frazzled brain at the abrupt end to their kiss, and she forced her eyes open. Josh stared at her with an expression that seemed to simultaneously say "I want more" and "What the hell just happened?" The perfect mirror of her own thoughts.

Another burst of giggles sounded and Lexie turned toward the noise. A young couple emerged from the pathway leading from the beach. Arms entwined, laughing, they skirted the perimeter of the pool, so wrapped up in each other they never even noticed Lexie and Josh.

Pulling in a much-needed deep breath, Lexie returned her attention to Josh and found him still studying her with enough simmering heat to melt a polar ice cap, heat made all the more intense by the fact that their bodies still touched from chest to knee.

The need to say something, to break the tension-fraught silence, pushed at her, but unfortunately the only words that came immediately to mind were "Wanna get naked, cowboy?" Since that seemed somewhat lacking in finesse, she remained silent.

Finally he spoke. "That was some kiss."

She swallowed to locate her voice. "Can't argue with you on that."

The dimple in his cheek flashed. "Now that's a trait I really like in a woman."

"Being a good kisser?"

"Well, yeah, but I meant not arguing with me. And besides, you're not a good kisser."

"Oh?" She deliberately shifted her gaze down to where his erection still pressed against her, then looked back up at him with raised brows. "This…" she drawled, giving him a gentle nudge with her pelvis, "tells me differently."

"It sure does. It means you're an incredible kisser."

His words, delivered in that aroused-husky voice, combined with the desire so obvious in his eyes, was like a balm to her bruised feminine ego. His gaze slid down to her mouth, making it clear he intended to kiss her again. Her heart stuttered at the thought, but common sense prevailed and she laid her hands on his chest.

"Not a good idea, Josh."

He stilled, his gaze questioning. "Because…?"

"While there's no sense in pretending that that kiss wasn't mind-blowing, this isn't an appropriate place, especially for me." She dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "The resort sort of frowns on its employees engaging in passionate exchanges in the pool."

"That's understandable. Disappointing, but understandable."

Resuming her normal voice, she said, "You're paying me for swimming lessons. Let's keep it to just that while we're in the pool."

He nodded slowly. "All right. But what about once we're out of the pool?"

A quick war waged inside her-the part that wanted to remain in her safe cave versus the woman that wanted, needed, to break free. Break-free woman won, hands down. "Why don't we get dressed, then meet in the hotel bar? We can have a drink and some conversation and… see what happens."

His gaze remained steady on hers, and she could almost hear him reflecting her own thought. I think we both know what's going to happen.

"All right," he said.

"Great." He didn't move, and after a few seconds she said, "If you'll just back up, I'll-"

"I can't do that."

"Sure you can."

"No, I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because you're standing on my foot."

She looked down and, sure enough, the underwater lights showed that she was indeed standing on his foot. Good grief, he even had good-looking feet. Good-looking, big feet. Darla's smirk rose in her mind's eye. You know what they say about men with big feet, Lexie.

Yup, she knew. And the impressive size of his erection pressing against her left no doubt that the saying was true in Josh's case. The mere thought fired up a sizzle of lust that all but crispy-fried her synapses. Definitely time to get out of the water before she did something in a public place that could lead to an arrest.

She slid her foot from his, then waded purposefully toward the steps. Exiting the warm water, she wrapped her towel around her body, feeling the need to put something between her and this unsettling man who had all but turned her into one big, pulsating hormone. Jeez, her reaction to him bordered on embarrassing. Surely she'd be able to remain more focused, be more able to think and to carry on a conversation, once they were both dressed and there was a table, a couple of beer mugs, and maybe an order of wings between them.

When she turned around, she noted with relief that he'd exited the pool and slipped on his T-shirt. Grabbing up her things, she said, "I'll head over to the employees' locker room to change. See you in the bar in thirty minutes?"

"Wouldn't miss it." His dimple winked at her, and she had to force herself not to lick her lips. Lips that still tingled from the feel of his. But there was no stopping the yum, yum that wafted through her mind.

Sitting in a corner booth, Josh watched Lexie walk into the bar and every one of his nerve endings jumped like a bronc coming out of the chute. She wore a black tank top, a full, fire-engine-red skirt whose hem skimmed her toned legs at mid-thigh, and low-heeled black sandals. Her shiny dark hair curled around her head like a halo. She looked fresh, clean and damn near good enough to eat. And God knows he'd been ready to devour her in the pool. The instant she'd touched her tongue to his lip, she'd set him off like a bottle rocket. He couldn't recall the last time he'd felt such intense, instantaneous combustion. Sure, he'd experienced sparks plenty of times before, but nothing like that.

If she hadn't called a halt, he didn't doubt for a second that things in the pool would have quickly burned out of control. This was better, his mind told his protesting body for the dozenth time since he'd exited the pool. Based on her suggestion to meet for drinks and conversation, he clearly sensed that she wanted them to spend some time getting to know each other a bit before they explored where that kiss would lead. Well, that was fine with him. He was definitely interested in finding out more about her, and more than willing to give the lady whatever she wanted and needed.

The lady in question grinned and waved at the bartender, holding up two fingers at him. Then her gaze panned the room. As the bar was half-empty, she spotted him almost immediately, and made her way across the polished wood floor to his table.

Sliding across from him into the booth, she smiled and said, "Hi."

A cloud of some incredible, sexy, flowery fragrance wafted over him, fogging his brain. Thirty minutes. How the hell had she gone from soaking-wet swim teacher to this curly haired, scrumptious-smelling siren in thirty minutes? Good Lord, he knew women who took longer than that just to apply their makeup. He narrowed his eyes at her. It didn't appear she was wearing any makeup, and if she was, it wasn't much. In fact, all he could detect for sure was a hint of gloss on her lips that made them look even more tempting than usual.

Forcing his gaze away from that enticing mouth, their eyes met, and for the first time he could clearly see their color. Hazel. An intriguing mix of amber flecks on a bluish-gray background.

She waved her hand in front of his face, breaking him out of his stupor. "You okay, Josh?"

Nope. Feel like I've just been tossed from the saddle. Recalling that this was supposed to be a conversation/get-to-know-each-other session, he returned her smile. "Yup, just fine. You fix up real nice, Miss Lexie."

"Ha. You're only saying that because this is the first time you've seen me when I haven't looked like someone just dumped a bucket of water over my head."

Before he could assure her that she looked just fine all wet, a pretty redheaded waitress delivered two frosty mugs of beer to the table. "Hey, Lexie," she said with a smile, then she gave him a friendly nod. "Can I bring you two anything to eat?"

Lexie looked at him. "Hungry?"

"Always."

A flicker of awareness glimmered in her eyes. "Any preferences?"

"Anything you choose will be just fine with me."

"Hmm. Any aversion to spicy food?"

"The spicier the better."

"You're not a vegetarian, are you?"

"You're askin' a cowboy that?"

"Right. Dumb question." Turning toward the waitress, she said, "We'll have the extra-large Five-Alarm Platter, Lisa."

"Comin' right up," Lisa said with a jaunty smile, then she turned and headed back toward the bar.

"What's in this Five-Alarm Platter?" he asked, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the table, bringing him closer to her.

"Wings, chili fries, short ribs, quesadillas and cheese-stuffed jalapeños. All spiced up enough to make you breathe fire. Definitely not for the fainthearted. And enough fat grams to give any cardiologist palpitations. Which is why the Five-Alarm is only a once-in-a-while indulgence."

He lifted his beer mug and held it aloft. "Well, in that case, here's to once-in-a-while indulgences."

A hint of color stained her cheeks, charming-and intriguing-him. It had been a long time since he'd seen a woman blush.

"To indulgences," she agreed, clinking her mug against his.

He sucked down a long, icy swallow, then set his glass on the colorful cardboard coaster, resisting the urge to press the cold mug to his forehead. He needed something hot as much as he needed a hole in his head, but he couldn't deny he liked a woman who wasn't afraid to eat something other than a salad. And there was no point denying that he liked this particular woman. Or that she turned him on just by sitting here-hell, she'd turned him on the first time he'd seen her. Or that her kiss had the impact of a horse kick to the head.

Definitely time to get a conversation started-before she thought he was some sort of gawking, tongue-tied, weirdo. Unfortunately he wasn't a great conversationalist on his best day. All those awkward pauses, and wondering what to say next. How was he supposed to carry on a conversation with a gal who all but made him forget his name?

Offering her a half smile, he asked, "How long have you worked here at the resort, Lexie?"

And it was as simple as that. No awkward pauses, no not knowing what to say. The next two hours whizzed by in a blur of laughter, conversation, fiery-spiced food, and a pitcher of ice water to accompany their beer. He couldn't recall the last time he'd enjoyed himself just talking to a woman. When he'd felt so at ease. It had been a long time. Too long.

Yet, for all the being at ease his mind was enjoying, his body was having one hell of a hard time. Literally. Sexual awareness simmered between them until he felt as if he'd been stuffed into a pressure cooker. He saw it in her eyes, felt it tingle through him when their fingers touched passing the ketchup bottle. When her foot brushed his shin as she crossed her legs under the table. He wrapped his fingers around his beer mug to keep from giving in to the overwhelming desire to drag her into his lap and run his hands all over her. But every look, every smile she gave him, pushed him a little closer to the edge.

Over chili fries and wings, he learned that Lexie lived in a small house about five miles from the resort, that she loved animals, and had a cat named Scout who was fond of salmon, popcorn-buttered only-and Doritos-nacho-cheese flavor, please. She also loved baseball and classic movies, hated horror flicks and any story with a sad ending.

"I always rewrite the sad ending in my head so it's not sad anymore," she said, nibbling on a chili fry.

Watching those gorgeous lips wrap around that fry raised his temperature a good ten degrees. Feeling as if he'd burst if didn't touch her, he reached out and gently tugged on one of her chin-length, riotous curls. The soft, silky strands slid between his fingers.

"Happy endings, huh?" he murmured. "So at the end of Gone With the Wind…?"

It took her several seconds to answer, a fact that pleased him. Clearly she found his touch distracting. Good. Because for the past two hours she'd distracted the hell out of him.

Finally she said, "Um, Scarlett gets her man."

He continued to play with her hair. "And West Side Story?"

"Ah, Maria gets Tony-who, of course, doesn't die."

"What about Hamlet?"

"In my version, Ophelia-who, of course doesn't die-gets Hamlet-who-"

"Of course doesn't die. I'm beginning to see a pattern." He tucked several curls behind her ear, then slowly traced her jawline with a single fingertip.

She swallowed. Hard. "So, um, do all cowboys read stuff like Hamlet?"

"They do if it's a college course requirement."

"I remember you wore a University of Montana T-shirt the other night. Is that where you went?"

"It is." Clearly she still wanted to chat. That was fine-he liked talking to her. But no law said he had to continue making it easy for her. His finger resumed its leisurely path across her chin. "Managed to graduate, even in spite of Hamlet."

"What is your degree in?"

"Chemical engineering."

She blinked twice. "You, uh, get to make much use of that expertise on the ranch?"

He laughed. "Hardly ever. Although after graduation I worked for a year at a research lab on a project geared toward developing alternate energy sources."

Her brows hiked upward, and he skimmed his fingertip over the arches, then down her smooth cheek.

"Mmm, why did you work in the field for only a year?"

"Turned out I'm not much of a nine-to-five guy. I enjoyed the challenge of research, but after a while I found being cooped up in the lab too confining."

"Office work isn't my cup of tea, either. I love being outdoors too much." She shifted slightly in her seat and her eyes drifted half-closed. "That feels… nice."

"Good." He moved his explorations lower, over her throat, to dip into the vulnerable hollow of her collarbone. Enjoying her quick intake of breath, he said, "Actually, the main reason I went to college was because my mom always wanted me to. She'd drummed the importance of education into me as early as I could remember. By the time I was in high school, I realized I wanted to go to college, wanted to try something other than bein' a cowboy. I did love the challenge and broadening my horizons, and it's nice to have a degree to fall back on, but being a cowboy is in my blood."

"That's very distracting, you know."

"What-me bein' a cowboy?"

"The way that you're touching me."

He studied her for several seconds, absorbing the delicate shiver vibrating beneath his cruising fingertips. He liked the way her skin looked next to his. Liked the soft feel of her skin under the glide of his thumb.

"Do you want me to stop?"

She shook her head. "No. I want you to tell me why a chemical engineer cowboy wants to buy a sailboat."

Taking her hands, he turned them palms upward, and while lightly caressing the pale blue crisscross of veins on her wrists, he told her. All about his dad, and the dream they'd shared to someday sail around the Mediterranean together, and how that dream was cut short by his father's death.

"So I'm going to do it myself," he concluded. "For me, and for my dad. It won't be the same without him, but I know he'll be up in heaven cheering me on."

She entwined her fingers with his and gently squeezed. "You really loved him."

"I did. He was a great man. If I manage to be half the man he was, I'll consider that I've done real well."

An expression he couldn't decipher flickered in her eyes. "You realize that attempting such a voyage is dangerous, even for an experienced sailor."

"And that's why I'm here. To gain the experience I need."

"You'll require more knowledge than you can cram into a few weeks, Josh."

"Maybe. But I have to start somewhere. And you're just the gal to teach me everything I need to know."

Her gaze flicked down to where his thumbs drew slow circles on her palms. "I suspect that you already know plenty."

He pulled their entwined hands to his mouth and pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist. "I know what I want."

Heat, mixed with a wicked gleam, kindled in her eyes. "Do you want to know what I want?"

"Like you wouldn't believe."

She leaned forward, pulling their joined hands toward her mouth. "I want to play a game. Do you like games?" she whispered against his fingers.

"I do. What kind of game did you have in mind?"

"It's called 'now it's my turn.' Would you like to know how I ended up working here at the Whispering Palms?"

"Darlin', I want to hear anything you want to tell me."

Pure deviltry stared back at him, and she began caressing his fingers, one by one, gently stroking their length. Her action was so blatantly sexual, she might as well have been stroking his penis. 'Cause for damn sure his body's reaction was the same.

"I landed here by way of almost a dozen air force bases all around the country," she said, and it took all his concentration to focus on her words. "My father was a career man, so every couple of years, phffft!-" she snapped her fingers "-we moved. The older I got, the more I hated being uprooted. Of all the places Dad was stationed, Florida was my favorite. I love the outdoors, the weather, the beach-all of it."

She paused, and with her eyes steady on his, she brought his palm to her lips. He held his breath, anticipating the feel of her lips against his skin. Instead she touched her tongue to his palm, forcing a moan from him.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"Hell, no."

He could actually feel his eyes glaze over as she continued her story, all the while alternately kissing, nibbling and flicking her tongue over his fingers.

"I attended the University of Miami and earned my teaching degree. But after three years teaching elementary school, I accepted the job here." With her gaze locked on his, she sucked the tip of his index finger into the heat of her mouth, damn near stopping his heart. He endured her tongue circling his fingertip until he thought he'd explode, then he slipped his finger from her mouth and skimmed it over her bottom lip.

"Working at the resort is perfect," she said, her soft lips brushing against his finger with each word, "because I can combine teaching, which I love, with the outdoors and sports."

"Is your dad still in the air force?"

"No. He retired three years ago. He and Mom 'live'-" she made air quotes with her fingers "-in Maryland, but they're rarely home. They bought an RV and spend most of their time traveling around the country. This week they're in Arizona."

"Sounds like fun."

"They enjoy their nomadic lifestyle. Me, I've done enough wandering around to last me a lifetime."

She settled his hands palms up on the table, splayed his fingers, then proceeded to slowly trace her fingertips over calloused skin that he'd never known was so sensitive.

Silence fell between them, which was just as well because her "now it's my turn" game had shot his ability to make chitchat all to hell. Unable to endure the sweet torture she was inflicting on his palms any longer, he captured her hand and raised it to his mouth, pressing a heated kiss to the flower-scented inside of her wrist. Her lips parted and he absorbed the quickening of her pulse against his lips.

She was lovely. And smart. And had him aroused as hell. Him-Josh Maynard, regular guy. Not Josh Maynard, rodeo star. There wasn't an ounce of artifice or being celebrity-struck in her gaze. Only admiration and genuine interest-sentiments he returned-and enough heat to make him feel as if he were roasting over a barbecue pit.

Lexie looked across at Josh, his dark eyes watching her over their joined hands, her wrist tingling from the warm press of his lips, her body humming from his feather-light touches, and she had to forcibly recall how to breathe. In with the good air, out with the bad air.

Okay. Over the past two hours of beer and artery-clogging food, she'd found out that Josh Maynard was not only painfully attractive, but articulate, intelligent, amusing and had cared deeply for both his parents. She liked him. He wasn't a wacko, thank goodness, and had the sexiest smile she'd ever seen. The mere brush of his fingers against her skin had her libido dancing the cha-cha, and his hands were really, really sexy. Strong yet sensitive.

She wanted those hands on her.

And if there was any man on the planet who could kiss better than him, God bless the woman who found him. Josh not only had a beautiful mouth, he knew how to use it.

She wanted that mouth on her.

Everything masculine about him had everything feminine in her waving white flags of surrender. No doubt about it, he was the perfect fun, wild, temporary guy to end her long bout with celibacy and to catapult her back into the social swing. He was definitely Mr. Fling.

Lisa paused at their table and left the check. "You two need anything else?"

Privacy. "No, thanks, Lisa," Lexie said. Before she could reach for the check, Josh pulled it toward him and scribbled his name across the bottom, charging the amount to his room.

"I invited you," Lexie protested. "This was supposed to be my treat."

"Aw, a cowboy can't let a lady buy his beer. Think of the ribbing I'd get around the campfire."

"Like you already get for your snakebite?"

"Exactly." He cocked a single brow. "Wanna see my scar?"

His tone was light but there was no mistaking the husky note of arousal in his voice or the underlying meaning behind his question. Leaning forward, she looked him right in the eye and whispered, "Yeah. I do."

His eyes darkened, filling with heat and promise. "My place or yours?"

"Yours is closer."

He slid across the booth, stood, then held out his hand. Without breaking eye contact, she slid her hand into his.

Josh congratulated himself on his self-control while walking her across the lobby-not an easy walk with his jeans nearly strangling him. And a nearly impossible amount of time to wait to touch her. Kiss her. What was it about this woman that had him so undone? So captivated? Had him wanting her as he'd never wanted another woman? And damn it, he should know, 'cause he'd sure as hell wanted his fair share.

Another couple stepped into the elevator with them, giving him a moment to collect himself, to get his desire under control. Indeed, by the time he shut the door to his room behind them, he had everything back in perspective. Sure he liked her, sure she was desirable, but that was it. A healthy case of lust. On both sides. They'd enjoy each other tonight, hell maybe for the duration of his stay here, and then they'd go their separate ways. No mess, no fuss, no interruption or complication of his plans. Perfect. His inner voice snickered, Yeah, right, but he managed to ignore it.

He slid the door bolt into place, then crossed the room to stand in front of Lexie, who stood at the foot of the king-size bed, looking at the floor. Uh-oh. Clearly she'd also spent those few minutes in the elevator thinking. Touching one finger under her chin, he gently raised her face until their eyes met.

"Second thoughts?" he asked.

"No. Yes." A short laugh pushed past her lips. "No. It's just that I'm feeling a bit discombobulated. It's, um, been a while."

Curious he asked, "How long is 'a while'?"

A flush of clear embarrassment washed over her cheeks. "Almost a year."

A soft whistle blew past his lips. "Must have been a hell of a breakup."

"Not in an acrimonious way. Actually it was more sad than anything. He was a good guy, but just not the right guy for me."

"Were you married?"

"Engaged."

"Well, he might have been a good guy, but he couldn't have been the smartest horse in the stable to let a gal like you get away. You can't let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch of bananas."

She laughed. "Now that's a mixed metaphor if I ever heard one."

"Well, that's the kind of woman you are."

"Hey, I'm a lot of things, but I am not a metaphor mixer."

"I meant you're the kind of woman who makes a man forget what he's saying. Forget what he's doing. Makes him all confused and-what was that word you used?"

"Discombobulated?"

"Yeah. That's what you do, all right. Get a man's ulated all discombobed." He brushed his fingertips over her smooth cheek. "Lexie, there's nothing to worry about. Making love is like riding a horse-you don't forget how."

A smile lifted up one corner of her mouth. "Bad analogy for two reasons. First, I think that 'you don't forget how' thing is about riding a bike."

"Not where I come from. What's the second reason?"

"I've never ridden a horse."

He couldn't hide his surprise. "You're kidding. An outdoorsy gal like you?"

"Not kidding. The opportunity just never presented itself."

"We'll have to see what we can do about that. You don't know what you're missing." He looked down into her hazel eyes. "Any other problems?"

"Condoms?"

"Got 'em."

"Well, then, I guess I'm all talked out."

"That's the best news I've heard all night." Settling his hands on her hips, he pulled her closer, until their bodies touched from chest to knee. A wave of heat washed through him, gaining momentum at the desire simmering in her gaze. Lowering his head, he brushed his lips lightly over hers. A tiny sigh escaped her, warm and spicy against his mouth. She parted her lips, and his tongue glided into the velvet heat of her mouth.

In a heartbeat their kiss turned wild, a lush, open-mouthed mating of lips and tongues. It was as if she'd hooked him up to a bunch of electrodes, then flipped the switch. Raw want scraped at him, narrowing his every thought and focus on her. Her soft, fragrant skin, the feel of her hands moving up his chest, over his shoulders, then tangling in his hair.

He ran one hand up her back, silting his fingers into the curls brushing her nape, while his other hand wandered down to the curve of her bottom. She rose up on her toes, pressing herself more fully against him, and his erection jerked in response. Logic told him to slow down, to take his time and savor her, but unfortunately logic wasn't in charge. Besides, she was having none of it, and he wasn't about to argue. Her hands raced restlessly over him, down to his waistband, where she tugged impatiently at his T-shirt. He broke their kiss only long enough to pull it over his head. In the instant it took him to remove his shirt, she'd yanked her tank top over her head, then sent it sailing across the room.

He cupped her full breasts in his hands, gliding his thumbs over her aroused nipples. A low groan sounded in her throat, and he pulled his gaze up to her face. Her eyes were smoky with want, her lips wet and reddened from their ardent kiss. Before he could register more, she ran her palms down his chest, tickling her fingers over his abdomen, forcing a quick suck of air into his lungs. He moved forward, walking her backward, until the backs of her legs hit the foot of the bed.

Dipping his head, he ran kisses down her throat, then circled his tongue around her nipple before taking the tight bud into his mouth.

Lexie threw her head back, and simply let the sensations wash through her. An ache of deep want pulled at her, from where his mouth caressed her breast, down to her core. She felt hot, and impatient, and wanted them both naked. But his mouth was so warm and seductive, distracting her from her goal of ridding him of his jeans.

And before she could regroup, he gently urged her back until she sat on the bed. He dropped to his knees in front of her, lifting her foot to slowly remove her sandal. He caressed her bare foot, running the pad of his thumb up her instep, shooting delight up her leg. He looked up at her, and her breath caught at the concentrated heat emanating from his eyes.

"You're beautiful, Lexie," he said in a husky, aroused voice as he slipped off her other sandal.

The way he was looking at her, with those sexy eyes all hot and focused, made her feel positively woozy. Before she could return the compliment, which she surely would have if she'd been able to find her voice, he ran his hands up her legs, pushing up her full skirt until it bunched around her waist. Leaning forward, he pressed his open mouth against the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. The sight of his dark head between her legs, the brush of his tongue dampening her flesh, brought a deep groan to her throat.

"You smell so good," he whispered, his warm breath caressing her. "Like flowers. And sunshine."

He moved closer, the breadth of his shoulders spreading her legs wider. Reaching under her skirt, he eased her lace panties down her legs. Heart pounding with anticipation, she reclined back on her elbows, watching as he kissed his way slowly up her thighs, sliding his hands under her to pull her closer.

At the first touch of his mouth to her feminine flesh, her breath left her body in a rush of hot desire. Then she simply forgot how to breathe, as he lifted her against him and made love to her with his mouth, his lips and tongue caressing and gliding, delving, circling, until she was mindless. His hands, his mouth, were relentless. Unstoppable. Everywhere. She collapsed back onto the mattress, fisting her hands on the bedspread in search of an anchor as an intense orgasm throbbed through her.

While delightful aftershocks still pulsed, she felt him rise. Heard the sound of a drawer opening, then the shush of him removing his jeans. She pried open her eyes in time to see him rolling on a condom. Then he loomed over her, and their lips met in a voluptuous kiss. His heat, mingled with her musk, inundated her senses. With her skirt still nicked up about her waist, she spread her legs wide, lifting her hips to welcome him.

He slid into her in one long stroke, filling her. She expected fast and furious, flash and heat, but instead he stilled. Breaking off their kiss, he propped his weight on his forearms and looked down at her.

Compelling eyes, dark and intense, searched hers. She looked up at him, absorbing the sensation of him inside her. The brief thought that this interlude was supposed to be light and fun flickered through her mind. Surely it wasn't supposed to feel this… intense. Surely she wasn't supposed to feel this connection to him.

"Lexie." That single, husky-voiced word sounded faintly like a question. As if he, too, felt and wondered at this… whatever it was passing between them.

She wanted to reply, to say his name, but then he started to move, slowly rocking his hips, and she lost the ability to speak. Her eyes slid closed, and she gave herself over totally to her passion. Her hands glided down his smooth back, to his buttocks, urging him deeper, higher. Her tension escalated, then in a rush, her orgasm washed over her like a great wave. A long, deep moan vibrated in her throat and she clutched him tighter, wrapping her legs around his hips. She felt him thrust again, then he buried his face against her neck, his groan of release sounding in her ear.

Still intimately joined, she laid beneath him, sated, languid, listening to his choppy breathing as she waited for her own breathing to regulate. His weight pressed her into the mattress, and she savored the press of his chest against hers, the tickle of his chest hair against her breasts.

She felt him lift his head, and opened her eyes to find him looking down at her with an unreadable expression.

There were about a dozen things she wanted to say, first and foremost, Thanks, I needed that, but lengthy speech was still beyond her. So she said the one word she could manage.

"Wow."

He studied her in silence for several seconds, then nodded. "Yeah." He touched the tip of his tongue to his lower lip. "You taste like flowers. Everywhere."

Heat swept through her. "Well, you would know."

"That's some spark that's between us."

"Definitely shorted out all my circuits." She raised her hands above her head and stretched like a contented cat. Then she ran her index finger over his lovely bottom lip. "You know, in the body-score-keeping scheme of things, you know a lot more about me than I know about you. And now that I can breathe again, I think it's about time I evened up the score."

"Consider me at your disposal."

"So, uh, what's your recovery time looking like?"

"Definitely gonna need a few minutes."

"Would a massage help?"

"Depends on what you plan to massage. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking about you, me and a nice warm shower. What are you thinking?"

A slow grin eased across his face. "That great minds think alike."

"Hey, there's no scar on your ass."

Josh pushed his wet hair from his eyes, then looked over his shoulder. Lexie stood behind him, shower spray bouncing off her shoulders, bar of soap in hand.

Her eyes were narrowed on his butt, and she looked disgruntled.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Your ass." She ran a soapy hand over his buttocks and he sucked in a breath. "No scar." She looked at him with a clearly suspicious expression. "I thought you were bitten by a snake."

"I was. Right there." He touched his finger to a spot on his left buttock. "Didn't leave a scar. Snakebites usually don't." He turned around and took the soap from her.

Her gaze skimmed over his torso, lingering on his groin, which tightened in response. Then she reached out and brushed her fingertips over his upper thigh. "How did this happen?"

"All your fault, sweetheart. 'Fraid I took one look at you, and I've been hard ever since."

"The scar. On your leg."

"Oh. Got caught by a Brahman horn."

Her eyes widened. "Brahman? As in bull?"

"Don't know of any other kind."

She ran her fingers down the length of the thin seven-inch scar. "Aren't those bulls wild and vicious? What were you doing so close to one?"

"I was ridin' him in a rodeo. Or rather, I was trying to ride him. Without much success, unfortunately, as that scar can attest."

She stared at him with an expression he couldn't recall any other woman ever looking at him with, especially when he mentioned riding in the rodeo. Instead of interest and admiration, Lexie looked downright horrified. "Rodeo? You ride in rodeos?"

Hmm. Her reaction piqued his curiosity, but at the moment, other things were much more interesting.

Such as that trio of golden freckles dusting the base of her throat. Brushing a single fingertip over the marks he said, "You say 'rodeo' like I kicked small dogs and stole social security checks from elderly ladies. Most cowboys try their hand at the rodeo at least once."

"Isn't it very dangerous?"

"It is. But I don't do it anymore." That was certainly true. He was officially retired. "Now, I can think of at least ten other things I'd rather be doing than talking. Like playing a game of Shampoo, for instance."

"Sounds interesting. How do you play?"

"I get you all in a lather. Then rinse and repeat." To demonstrate, he leaned forward and kissed her.

When he lifted his head, she murmured, "Hmm. Nice kiss. I give it a 9.4."

"Nine point four? Hell." He stepped forward, backing her against the wall. Shower spray rained down on them as he pressed against her, his erection sliding against her soapy belly. "Hang on, sweetheart. We're going for a ten."