by Lisa Weaver
“Oh, sorry. Option two sounds good to me.”
“That works for me, too. The roads are getting treacherous. We’d probably be safer flying at this point.”
“I’ll take my chances on the ground, thanks.”
“Trevor mentioned you never fly on company business. Did you have a bad experience?”
“Not exactly.” Though she seldom spoke about it, Brianna felt strangely compelled to share the reason behind her aversion to flying with him. “When I was a little girl, my mother told me my father died in a plane crash while he was traveling on business. I’ve been terrified of flying ever since, even though I know it’s totally irrational. And, as it turns out, my fear isn’t even founded on fact. My mother fabricated the story about my father’s accident so I wouldn’t know he was alive. She kept his existence hidden from me, and mine from him.”
“I’m sorry. That has to be rough. Have you met him yet?”
“No. I think I want to, but I’m not sure I’m ready.”
“You’ll know when the time is right. And speaking of timing—look,” he said as he nodded toward a road sign indicating a turnoff to a hotel.
Signaling for the turn, Luke followed the route to a lovely resort tucked at the edge of the ocean. The moment he pulled up under the portico, a valet ran over to collect the car.
“Tonight’s your lucky night,” the harried young man at the front desk relayed with a tired smile. “We have one room left. We normally don’t sell out this time of year, but the bad weather has driven a lot of travelers in off the road.”
Luke quirked a brow in her direction. “Do you mind sharing a room?”
It would be ridiculous to refuse, considering he’d been better behaved than she had last night.
“No. That’s fine.”
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
Luke unlocked the door and ushered Brianna into the room, ultra-aware of the tension in the air. The promise he’d made last night to let her decide when to take their relationship to the next level hung, unspoken, between them.
Confident she was safe in the suite, and needing to put a bit of space between them before he stepped out of line and acted on the attraction that had been pummeling him mercilessly all day, Luke decided to take a few minutes to check in with Liz.
“I need to print a few documents for tomorrow’s meeting. I’m going to pop downstairs to the hotel’s business center. When I get back, we can grab dinner.”
“That sounds great,” Brianna said, smiling.
After he’d left their room and was safely out of earshot, he put a call through to his boss.
“How’s it going?” she asked.
“Fine. There was no sign of a tail on the drive here. The only thing not cooperating right now is the weather.”
“I saw the storm changed track.”
“Yeah. We were driving right into the center of it, so we decided it would be prudent to get off the road. We’ve checked into a hotel for the night and we’ll travel the rest of the way tomorrow, once the weather breaks. Any more word on the bombing?”
“I’m afraid not. I do have news regarding Philip Dimitriou, though.”
“Really? I’m all ears.”
“The authorities paid him a visit to fill him in on last night’s attempted attack on Brianna. When he realized his daughter could have been killed, he contacted me and started singing like a canary. It turns out he does know who’s behind the threats against his family.”
“Let me guess. It’s Lawrence Mendacci, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I know I don’t have to remind you that you’ll need to be extra vigilant now that Mendacci’s involvement has been confirmed.”
“No worries. That bastard will have to come through me to get to Brianna.”
“That’s exactly why I wanted you on this assignment. And from the tone of your voice, it sounds like Dimitriou’s daughter is growing on you. Congratulations. I knew there had to be some warm blood running through those veins of yours, after all.”
It was more like a flood of red-hot molten lava where Brianna was concerned, but that, he decided, was more than Liz needed to know.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
Later, Brianna accompanied Luke to the hotel restaurant, where they soon were seated comfortably.
“What looks good to you?” he asked, smiling and looking up from the menu he’d been perusing.
The ambiance was lovely, with heavenly aromas filling the air and candlelight glowing from candelabras on the center of each table. But Luke was even more compelling. He smelled delicious and he looked delectable. “You do” was on the tip of Brianna’s tongue in response to his question, but she decided it would be far wiser not to utter the thought aloud.
“It all sounds wonderful, but I think I’ll go with the seafood stew and crab cakes.”
“Excellent choices. I’m going to go with the seafood stew as well. And, for the main course, the lobster alfredo.”
After taking their orders, their waiter returned with their starters and a loaf of fresh-baked bread. The heavy soup crocks arrived, filled to the brim with generous amounts of shrimp, lobster, and scallops swimming in a fragrant broth.
“This is incredible,” Brianna pronounced after sampling her first bite.
“Nothing beats seafood stew on a stormy New England evening,” Luke agreed.
When their entrées arrived, Luke forked a chunk of lobster from his plate and held it out for her to sample. The crustacean meat, sweet and succulent, practically melted in her mouth.
“It’s fantastic!”
He smiled at her enthusiastic response, his eyes meeting hers, and she blushed under his scrutiny. He was whipping her hormones into a frenzy again. She focused on the food and tried to ignore her panting estrogen.
They were lingering over dessert and coffee when he pointed out the rain had stopped. “Would you like to stretch your legs and explore the grounds a bit?” he asked.
“Sure.”
The post-storm air was fresh with the scent of pine trees and the ocean. They walked and talked, losing track of time, until a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, momentarily spotlighting everything in its path. It was followed closely by the rumble of thunder.
“Looks like round two is about to start,” Luke murmured.
“We should head back inside.”
“Yeah. We should.”
Instead of turning back toward the hotel, however, Luke leaned in closer. The warmth of his body seared her as he drew her to him. When he gently urged her face upward to meet his, any remaining hesitancy faded away, and she eagerly sought his lips.
Their mouths met in a lightning strike of carnal energy. Luke groaned, taking the kiss deeper. Locked in his embrace, she hardly noticed when the skies split open, bombarding them with heavy rain.
Luke took her hand, and they made a run for the shelter of the resort. After the way he’d rocked her world with one steamy kiss, Brianna couldn’t help but think she might be better off taking her chances out in the storm.
Chapter Eleven
Sprinting with Brianna to escape the deluge, Luke could sense the inner battle she was waging. It was obvious she was trying to decide which was more dangerous—remaining outside in the downpour, or returning to the hotel room with him.
By the time they crossed the threshold of their suite, she’d made up her mind. Buttons popped in the wake of her impatient fingers as she grabbed at his dress shirt, hastily undoing them.
She pushed the sopping wet fabric aside to run her hands over his chest, her fingers roaming over the territory she’d exposed in a masterfully thorough exploration.
He put his hands to good use, as well. Locating the zipper of her dress, he made short work of undoing it. The dress fell in a puddle of silk to the floor, and he stood back to revel in what he’d revealed.
Brianna’s beautiful breasts were showcased in a black demi bra that was temptation in sheer nylon and lace. The briefest of black thongs in the same sheer mate
rial flirted with her pert derriere. His fingers itched to strip both garments off, but he needed to be sure she understood the score first before this went too far.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked. “You know I’m not offering anything more than a physical relationship.”
“I know. I’m not looking for anything more. This is what I want, Luke. A simple, no-strings-attached fling—with you.”
She was talking a good game, he’d give her that. But it wasn’t indifference he saw in her eyes. Needing to be certain she understood he was the furthest thing from happily-ever-after material as it got, he persisted.
“I don’t have anything to offer you beyond that, so if you decide you really are looking for a long-term relationship all neatly packaged and tied up with a shiny bow, I’m not your man.”
“I get that, and that’s why this is perfect. That’s all I want, too. I just want to make love with you, Luke. This doesn’t have to be complicated.”
It’s already complicated.
He shouldn’t even be contemplating getting physical with her. It only upped the risk, and this assignment was dangerous enough already. But he’d have to suck up the increased sketchiness factor, because he didn’t have the willpower to refuse what she was putting on offer a second time. His sex already thrummed with the painful need to possess her. He’d never been so aroused.
“So we’re just two people mutually attracted to each other, scratching an itch? You’re certain that’s all this is?” He’d splinter apart if she decided to call a halt to what she’d started, but he did the honorable thing, all the same, and offered her one final out.
“Umm hmm,” she assured him, running her tongue along his jaw and down the cords of his neck in a sensual move that instantly had all the blood in his body racing southward. “Are you in? Or can you think of a better way of scratching this itch?”
He swallowed hard, struggling for control as she pressed a kiss at the very spot where his pulse was beating a frantic tattoo at the base of his throat. “Your suggestion sure beats calamine lotion. Hell yeah, I’m in.”
Even as he spoke the words he knew he shouldn’t be doing this. If—no, more likely when—she learned he hadn’t been honest with her about why they were partnered together, she’d never forgive him. But the sensual momentum that had been building from the moment he’d first laid eyes on her had reached flashpoint, and he didn’t have the willpower to walk away. Not this time.
He wanted to make this exquisite for her, so he schooled himself to take it slow. Leading her into the bathroom, he ran the shower as he stripped off her remaining garments and dealt with his. The water was steamy, but it was no match for the heat rolling off him in waves as he drew her under the pulsating spray.
He took his time, lathering her body in lazy circles until she became impatient and snatched the soap from his hands. She proceeded to show him that two could play at this game, standing on tiptoe to run the bar across his shoulders and down over his chest. Sweeping the bar lower, she strayed boldly into dangerous territory.
If she continued those tentative-yet-skillful strokes against his sex, he would lose what little control he still clung to before he could make this amazing for her.
“Tease,” he whispered, grabbing her wrists and gently pinning them above her head. “I won’t last if you keep that up. I want you too much. My turn.”
It wasn’t long before she surrendered to the creative roamings of his clever fingers and begged him to take her.
“Please, Luke,” she pleaded.
“Not here,” he countered, pulling back from the brink and defying his body’s urgings to bury himself in her hot, sweet wetness. “You deserve more finesse than that.”
“It’s okay. I don’t want finesse. I just need you. Now.”
He shook his head in mute refusal, then lifted her up into his arms. Setting her down outside the shower, he tenderly wrapped her in a fluffy bath sheet before carrying her to the bed to resume what he had begun. Pausing only for as long as it took to don protection, he made them one.
Outside, the storm continued to rage. Trees genuflected to the ground under the force of the wind, and hail plummeted the windows. Inside, Brianna was bringing Luke to his knees, too. Her cries of satisfaction mixed with his as they reached the pinnacle of ecstasy together.
She’s exquisite.
He’d known they’d be good together, but he’d had no idea their coupling would be so perfect. He no longer knew where she ended and he began, and he didn’t care if he ever found out.
He was cradling her in his arms when a sudden flash of lighting lit the room, making her jump. “It’s okay,” he soothed. “There’s nothing to be frightened of. The hotel is built to withstand this kind of storm.”
“Of course it is,” she agreed. But the slight tremor in her voice betrayed her apprehension.
As if to mock his words, the lights flickered and went out. At her swift intake of breath, he put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Hey, relax. It’s all good. We’re safe here. Hang tight. I’ll get us some light.”
It was a sound plan, and it would have worked if she hadn’t moved at the same time he did.
“Oww,” she complained as his forehead bumped hers. “You have a hard head.”
“Sorry. Let’s try this again, shall we? Stay put this time.”
Making his way carefully through the inky blackness, he retrieved his flashlight and turned it on, sending a beam of light cutting through the darkness.
“That’s better,” he pronounced while subtly scanning the suite’s possible entry points for signs of a breech. Moving to the window, he surveyed the perimeter of the hotel grounds. To his relief, everything appeared secure.
“Not that I’m complaining, but why is it that you happened to pack a flashlight?” Brianna asked.
“I wasn’t kidding when I told you I was a Boy Scout. They taught us to be prepared.”
“Speaking of being prepared, doesn’t the hotel have a backup generator?”
“I’m sure they do. Generators aren’t the most reliable pieces of machinery, though. Sometimes they don’t cooperate.”
And sometimes they’re sabotaged.
Striding over to the window again, he blew out a frustrated breath, angry at his lack of self-control. He’d assuaged the physical demands of his body at the risk of Brianna’s safety. He needed to reign in his rampaging libido.
Brianna wasn’t about to make it easy for him to accomplish that feat. Scooting out of bed, she wrapped her delectable, naked body around his. “I know how you can take my mind off the storm,” she murmured seductively, her hands roaming over his chest, then lower.
The feel of her pressed up against him like that was electric, and pushed all thoughts of duty aside. He shouldn’t cave, but he wasn’t made of steel. He doubted even a cape-sporting superhero could resist such temptation.
They tumbled back onto the bed in a tangle of bare limbs, heated flesh against heated flesh. Poised above her, he rained kisses along the length of her neck.
“You’re driving me crazy,” she whispered.
She was driving him mad, too. “Am I?” he queried innocently. “Would you like me to stop?”
“No,” she insisted. “I like your brand of crazy.”
Ignoring the urgent pulsing in his groin, he focused on bringing her to the edge, continuing his sensual onslaught until she trembled with need.
“Tell me what you want,” he demanded.
“You. All of you.”
He couldn’t fulfill her request fast enough. Swiftly donning protection, he slid home, absorbing every nuance that was Brianna. His hands danced over her body, taking her higher and higher until she shattered beneath him. He followed her over the edge, shaking from the intensity of a climax that raged stronger than the storm.
And still it wasn’t enough. He was beginning to think it would be impossible to get his fill of her.
Chapter Twelve
The new day brought the comp
lete antithesis of the tempest that had raged overnight. The sun shone brightly in a cloudless sky, promising perfect weather for traveling. After a leisurely breakfast, Brianna and Luke checked out of the hotel and resumed their drive to Maine.
Brianna had expected facing Luke in the light of day to be awkward. Not only had they crossed some major lines last night, they’d annihilated them. Despite the new territory they’d ventured into, there wasn’t a hint of morning-after stiltedness between them. It was obvious Luke had no desire to resurrect the barriers last night’s intimacies had demolished, and that made this gorgeous day an even more spectacular one in Brianna’s eyes.
A pleasant, anticipatory kind of heat pooled low in her belly at the memory of how masterfully Luke had obliterated all her defenses last night. An even more satisfying glow coursed through her courtesy of the crackling buzz of sensual energy still pulsing between them. The lovemaking they’d shared had been beyond her wildest dreams. She’d known they’d be good together, but she’d had no idea they would click on so many levels.
She was jolted out of her pleasant ruminations when Luke pulled off the main road and turned into a private drive. One glimpse of the palatial estate it led to set off a cacophony of alarm bells in her head.
This was his vacation home? It made Trevor’s place look like a yurt by comparison. The sprawling architectural masterpiece was a disconcerting reminder that he shared the same tax bracket as the men who had made her mother’s life a living hell.
After disarming the security system, Luke invited her inside. Despite her intellectual disdain for the trappings of Luke’s wealth, she had to admit the place was breathtaking. She was immediately struck by the home’s warm and welcoming ambiance.
He reset the alarm, then grabbed her luggage and led the way up a gorgeous circular staircase of polished oak.
“I forgot to mention that my butler has the week off. He’s on a cruise with his sister. One of her friends is getting married on the cruise, and she’s part of the wedding party. She wasn’t excited about travelling alone, so he went along as her plus-one.”
“He sounds like a great guy.”
