by Laura Moore
Lily was soon separated from Sean, brought into the fold of this group or that. But she never lost the sensation of Sean’s eyes watching her with a feral intensity. At dinner, she and Sean were placed next to each other and the tension that sizzled between them became almost unbearable. Though Lily gave every appearance of following the animated conversation around their table, every cell of her being was tuned to the dark, thrilling danger emanating from him.
By midmeal she was dying to leave. Dessert and champagne passed in a haze of toasts, clapping, and smiles, none of which registered. Then her grandmother stood up from her place. And suddenly, as endless as the dinner party had seemed, it was over. Lily glanced across the room where Kaye was seated. Kaye’s smile was knowing as she nodded, and then gave Lily a quick wink.
The message was clear: Lily was free. Kaye would say the necessary politeness when she disappeared.
She rose wordlessly, knowing Sean would follow.
She breathed in the night air, hoping it would clear his head, cool the blood that sizzled as it coursed through him. He walked with his eyes trained on the sensual sway of her hips encased in moon glittery black. His fingers dragged at the bow tie of his tux, loosened it, and pulled it off. Shirt studs and cufflinks dropped onto grass, onto sand, as Lily led him down to the beach. His jacket landed at the foot of a palm tree.
He watched as she bent down to remove her high-heeled sandals. For a moment she was caught in a moon-beam of silvery white, a nymph of pagan beauty.
“Hi,” she said softly as she straightened.
“Hello.” Sean thrust his hands deep into his trouser pockets. They were balled in tight fists to prevent him reaching out and pulling her into his arms. As fiercely aroused as he was, his mood was mercurial. Some primal part of his being resented her ability to bring him to this flashpoint of need so effortlessly.
“That was kind of fun tonight, don’t you think?” Though her voice was low, it carried over the sounds of the gentle surf.
He shrugged, his shoulders shifting beneath his tuxedo shirt.
Lily appeared not to notice his obstinate silence. Letting her sandals drop to the sand, she spoke again, her voice musing. “It’s so beautiful here at night. I’d forgotten how quiet it is. Just the sea and the palm trees stirring. I guess when we were kids we were too loud to notice the quiet.”
She had strayed to the edge of the water, her pale hair a silvered halo about her face. Sean stared, unable to look away, his heart hammering inside his chest. Her lips shimmered faintly as they parted in a smile. “I love the water on nights like this.” As though proving her words, she raised the hem of her dress, exposing the delicate points of bone and sinew of her ankles, and stepped into the gently lapping water.
He swallowed. “What are you doing?”
“Testing the water. It’s cool. Delicious. Like that champagne we were drinking earlier.”
“And how much have you drunk?”
She laughed, a musical note that teased lightly. Balancing on one leg, she raised the other until only the toe of her arched foot trailed through the surf. “Sean, you know exactly how much I’ve drunk. You’ve watched me all night, watched me swallow, seen the way I forced each sip past my throat. Little tiny sips, droplets really, because everything inside me is wound tight from wanting you.”
She stepped back onto the sand and approached him unhurriedly. Her eyes were fixed on his face as she drew near, loving how the moon cast his handsome features in savage relief. Loving him. “You’ve watched me as I watched you.” She stopped a short distance from him. Her hands grasped the fabric of her dress and began gathering it, slowly lifting it higher and higher. “The water’s perfect, Sean. Perfect for a night swim. Come in with me. Come and swim in the night.”
Lily’s invitation had Sean tearing off his shirt. For a second, it floated, parachute-like, before drifting to the sand. In the moonlight, his chest, with its smooth, sculpted planes, heaved with each labored breath. With the same rough speed, his hands moved to the fastening of his trousers, but then Sean stilled.
“Undress for me, Lily,” he commanded softly. “Show me what I’ve dreamed of.”
She smiled, the simple curve of her lips conveying everything she felt for him. Her dress rose.
Sean dropped to his knees before her.
They came together in the sea. Fierce and elemental, wrapped in each other’s arms, he moved, surged inside her in counterpoint to the waves breaking against them, to the water sweeping around them. A gentle, generous plundering, he took everything she gave him. Offering all he had in return. She melted, pouring herself over him, and her cry of joy pierced the night sky. Thrusting deep into her core, he took her with him. As one, they plunged to a fathomless love.
Her limbs still trembling, her body replete, he carried her in his arms, up the silent, deserted beach to the shelter of the palms, where he eased her down upon the soft sand. Lily lay, languorous from his passion, gleaming from the sea. Sean knelt, his arms braced over her, drinking in the sight of her, with a thirst that was unquenchable. Lowering his mouth to her, he tasted ocean warmed by silken flesh. His lips traveled, catching drops of salt, savoring the sweet tang of desire. Dipping his tongue into the shallow indentation of her navel, he pressed a smile against her quivering flesh, at the throaty moan of pleasure he’d wrung from her, and continued his erotic journey.
She felt like liquid, flowing wherever he touched. And Sean touched her everywhere as he loved her with his mouth, as he worshipped her with his hands. When the wet warmth of his tongue probed her core, sampling her essence, she came in a flowing rush of ecstasy, her back arching as the pleasure went on and on, as she wept his name to the stars.
Smooth and fluid he moved over her, his mouth seeking hers. Entwined, their bodies pressed against each other, the contact triggering their desperate wanting anew.
Lily’s hands slid greedily over taut muscle and burning flesh, guiding him to her own slick heat. His gaze, bright with emotion, locked with hers. In one strong thrust, Sean entered her, sheathing himself, filling her, completing them both.
She rested with her back nestled against Sean’s naked torso. Cradled between his muscular thighs, with his arms wrapped about her, the incredible heat from Sean’s body kept her warm, warding off the chill of the witching hour. His slow, even breath fanned the shell of her ear, a lazy tickle that had her smiling softly, snuggling deeper in the cocoon of his embrace. Never had she felt this secure, this satiated, this . . . loved. She gave a soft murmur of happiness.
“Hmm, what?” His voice was as lazy as his hands, which were stroking her with slow, drugging caresses. When he traced circles over her breasts, she arched against him, her eyes drifting shut at the sensation.
She gave a moan of pleasure before saying, “I was thinking of a night on the beach long ago, the first time I realized I wanted to be held like this in your arms.”
“What night was this?” he asked, pressing his mouth to the hollow behind her ear. Lily shivered, feeling the moist heat travel all the way down to the base of her spine.
“It was years ago, eleventh grade,” she told him. “There was a beach party. I was sitting across the fire from you. For the first time, I looked at you and really saw you. It hit me like a bolt of lightning, how much I wanted you. . . .” She paused. Then shook her head lightly. “No,” she said, correcting herself. “Longed for you is a better way to describe what I felt at seventeen.”
“I’m not sure I remember—”
“You went off with Stacy Malloy into the trees and the next day I broke your nose. I’m sorry, Sean,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to, I was so jealous of her. I hate that I hurt you.”
His arms tightened, rocking her. “Shh,” he said, laying a kiss against her temple. “If I was stupid enough to go off with Stacy Malloy, I deserved to have my nose broken. Just for the record, Lily, there’s never been anything between Stacy and me—except whatever awkward fumblings occurred that night.” His hands d
rifted upward to trace the delicate wings of her collarbone. “And I always thought you despised me,” he said, his tone marveling.
“I mostly did,” she admitted ruefully. And her laughter mingled with his. “You were so perfect, Sean. You had everything—looks, friends, a wonderful family— everything. I envied you those things, that it all came so easily to you.”
“Not everything,” he contradicted her. “For instance, I had three years of ‘longing’ for you, starting way back in eighth grade. I’d say by eleventh grade, I was pretty much in a state of physical agony whenever you came near. You were what I wanted most.”
“No! That’s impossible,” Lily said with patent disbelief.
“ ’Fraid so.” His arms hugged her close. “And if I’d had a volleyball handy, I’d have torpedoed it straight at your boyfriend’s head in Rome.”
Lily straightened slightly. “Boyfriend?” she echoed in confusion. “What boyfriend? What are you talking about?”
“The guy you were with when I came to pick you up at the pensione,” Sean explained. “He came up behind you and stood smirking at me, ’cause he, the lucky bastard, was with you—”
“Oh, my God!” she cried, feeling both appalled and saddened. “Sean, that wasn’t my boyfriend! He was a guy who’d hooked up with Petra, my college roommate.”
Sean turned Lily around by her shoulders so that she faced him. His eyes searched her expression. “You’re kidding me,” he said, then cursed as she shook her head silently. “What a bloody fool I was.”
“No more than I,” Lily reminded him softly. “I was convinced Kaye had forced you to come. I was so mortified, I wouldn’t let you into the room.”
“Ahh, Lily,” Sean said. His voice was filled with regret. His fingers stroked her, gently caressing. Then he spoke again. “Maybe it was meant to be, that you and I were at cross-purposes all those years. You see, Lily, I’ve dreamed of you, dreamed of holding you in my arms just like this. And the reality turns my wildest dreams to the palest of shadows. So perhaps it’s for the best that we had to wait until now. If we’d gotten together too soon, I might not have understood—let alone appreciated— what I know now.” When Sean paused, Lily turned her head to gaze at him, and her heart swelled at the tenderness of his smile. “I wouldn’t have known,” he said, “that I will never love another woman the way I love you, Lily.” His mouth found hers in a melting kiss. “Let me take you home,” he whispered. “Let me make you mine.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Sean scooped Lily out of his convertible before she had a chance to walk, then he refused to set her down, laughingly insisting they’d go much faster this way; the swing of her hips when she moved was too damned distracting.
With her head resting against his broad shoulder, she asked, “Are you rushing because you’re afraid you’ll drop me, McDermott?”
“What are you talking about?” He hefted her in his arms as he unlocked the door to his bungalow. “You’re nothing but a puny girl.”
“I am not puny!” she retorted, grabbing a lock of his hair and yanking hard.
“Ow! Okay, you’re right.” With a grunt, Sean kicked the door shut behind him. “Thank God we’re nearly there. My arms are giving out.” Then suddenly, he loosened his grip, laughing when she squealed and clutched his neck.
Sean’s bedroom was dominated by a king-size bed. Directly above it, a wide-blade ceiling fan rotated slowly. He’d left the lamp on the bedside table burning and its light cast a honeyed glow over the room. Lily had assumed Sean would stop here, perhaps toss her onto the gigantic bed in retaliation for her teasing.
He didn’t. He continued on, carrying her into the adjoining bathroom. Only then did he slowly let her down, gently setting her on her feet as if she were a priceless work of art.
She stared about at the marbled splendor of his bathroom. “Wow.”
“Amazing, huh? The guy I bought this place from had a serious bathroom fetish. There’s another, smaller version by the second bedroom.”
“It’s, uh, very impressive,” Lily said.
“Let me get you out of this dress and I’ll show you impressive.” With a wicked grin he slipped his fingers beneath the thin shoulder straps of her gown. He seemed to derive special delight in peeling the dress slowly down her body, in blowing teasing breezes at the specks of golden sand, which clung to her alabaster skin. His skilled hands tormented, touching, tracing her breasts lightly until she shivered, her nipples tight and aching. “Sean,” she whispered, arching toward him in supplication.
“No, Lily, you’ve got to hold still. This is a most delicate of operations, this first stage of sand removal. I don’t want a single grain to abrade your skin.”
At last, Lily stood before him, with only the tiniest scrap of black silk covering her hips. Reverentially Sean removed this last remaining barrier.
He rocked back on his heels, his eyes drinking in the beauty of Lily’s body.
She was pale and downy soft.
His hand trembled as he reached out to brush the nest of light gold curls. He looked up, meeting her gaze with a somber expression. “I’m undone. You terrify me, Lily. That you can be this exquisite, all dazzling beauty and a brilliant brain—”
“A brain,” she interrupted in a shaky voice, “which will be fried if you don’t undress and make love to me right now. I mean it, McDermott. Consider this your duty—in the interest of science.”
He sighed, rising to his full height. “No doubt, just one among many sacrifices I’m destined to make, in the interest of science, in the interest of mankind,” Sean said, his shirt already hitting the tile by their feet. “Turn on the water, Dr. Banyon.”
Much later in the night, Lily woke briefly to the sound of rain beating against glass. Sean lay facing her, his leg and arm draped over her possessively, holding her captive. She didn’t want to go anywhere. She cuddled closer to his solid warmth, and placed a palm over the steady thudding of his heart. With a soft, dreamy smile, she listened to him breathe and drifted back to sleep.
“Good morning, Doctor, how’s the brain?”
Lily opened her eyes and blinked. Sean looked wonderful, dressed in just a pair of jeans and a lazy masculine smile. Lord, what would it be like to be treated to a smile like that every morning?
She stretched, saw how his eyes zeroed in on the vee of her legs, and felt a secret thrill of womanly satisfaction. “The brain’s fine. No permanent damage,” she murmured, her voice husky with sleep and awakening desire.
“That’s a relief.” Sean sat down on the bed, his blue-jeaned hip next to her waist. The weight of his body had her rolling toward him. He leaned over so his mouth could nuzzle the hollow of her throat.
“Mmm,” she purred. “What’s that I smell? It’s divine.”
“Me, perhaps?”
She shook her head against the pillow. “No, better.” And had to bite her lip when he glowered at her.
With an exaggerated sigh, he said, “It must be my coffee then. I made you breakfast. I figure, maybe if I feed you, you’ll realize what a wonderful guy I am.”
Dear Lord, she was only too aware just how wonderful Sean was. Looping her arms about his neck she drew his face down to her. “I think I might have figured that out.” She paused and frowned with sudden confusion. “But the reasons why are a little hazy now.”
He dropped a kiss on her nose and grinned. “Then I guess it’s time for a refresher course.”
He shifted, settling himself over her, and the feel of his erection prodding the juncture of her thighs had Lily’s toes curling in anticipation. Her legs slid against the sheets, opening for him. He didn’t need to be prompted twice. His hips dropped in an erotic grind of denim against flesh. It was like a spark that touched off a wildfire. Lily was consumed by desire.
In silent demand, she pushed against his naked shoulders. Ever obliging, Sean rolled onto his back. She followed and straddled his hips, and her body tightened with anticipation.
He looked at
her, naked and open above him, and growled low in his throat. His hips jerked instinctively, seeking her damp heat.
Lily’s gaze held his. She smiled, shaking her head slowly in teasing denial. Then, lowering herself over him so her nipples grazed his chest, her smile grew wicked at the sound of Sean’s breath whistling through clenched teeth. Mouth open, Lily began pressing wet, lingering kisses along the fine arrow of dark brown hair that led to the waistband of his jeans. The kisses continued as her fingers went to work, tugging at the metal buttons. Sean’s harsh groans filled the air. Lily pulled the denim wide, and Sean’s cock sprang free. Momentarily tearing her eyes from the awesome sight, Lily gazed into the scorching heat in Sean’s eyes. Knowing just what would drive him wild, and feeling an answering wildness deep inside, she licked her lips. “Behold a very eager student.”
Lily stirred languidly beneath the lazy petting of Sean’s hands. As her head shifted against the pillows, she cast a glance at the rain-spattered window. The dark, overcast day made it impossible to judge the hour. “What time is it?” she wondered, hardly aware she’d spoken aloud.
Sean lifted his arm from her waist and checked his watch. “Twelve.”
“Oh, my God!” She made to swing her legs out of bed, but Sean’s arm snaked about her waist, holding her back.
“Whoa, there.” Laughter threaded his voice. “What’s the rush?”
“Karen! She’ll be worried—”
“Ever heard of a telephone, Banyon?” he asked, as his other hand reached up to stroke her naked shoulder. “I called the apartment earlier. Told Karen you were with me. Didn’t seem terribly surprised or concerned. She said hi, by the way.”
“Oh,” she muttered, and sank back onto the pillows.
Sean leaned over and kissed the slight furrow on her brow. She had an adorably disgruntled look on her face. For some reason, that filled Sean with a ridiculous, irrational happiness. Lord, he loved her madly. She was grumpy and he was charmed.
