by Anne
"Sara," he whispered, "don't you think it's time you stopped hiding behind your kids?"
"I'm not," she protested.
He put his finger over her lips to silence her. "Do you realize this is the first time we've been alone? Really alone? Not just sneaking around while they're asleep or sitting outside the camper while you listen for their slightest sound."
His hand brushed aside some damp curls from her forehead. His touch was enough to shatter all her objections, but she had no voice to tell him so. Her body warmed as her hunger grew.
"You're a terrific mother, but you're also a woman. Let me get to know the woman, just as I've gotten to know the mother."
This time he did not give her a chance to speak, but brought his lips down gently on hers. The touch was magic, making her heart race and her body turn to fire. It had been so long since a man had tried to please her. Tom had never made her feel like this. Now she wanted the pleasure to go on and on.
Her mouth was captured by his and she felt his arms slip around her. He held her gently at first, but as the pressure of his lips increased, so did the strength of his embrace until she was crushed against him. The soft velour of his robe and the thin fabric of her nightshirt seemed only minor barriers to the longings of their bodies.
His hands moved down her back, caressing her and pulling her ever closer as his tongue teased her lips, then slipped into her mouth. She clung to him, her hands doing their own exploring over his muscular back. Her normal reticence disappeared in the face of a passion stronger than she had ever known. Her hunger for him was overpowering. She seemed unable to think or speak, but just to respond to the ecstasy of his touch.
When he pulled away, she felt a mixture of disappointment and relief. She took a deep breath and tried to think straight.
"Ready for a swim?" he asked.
She nodded and picked up her suit from the floor where it had fallen. Maybe the water would cool them both off, she thought. But was that what she really wanted?
"Give me a minute to change, " she said, and hurried into the bedroom.
"Need any help?"
She smiled to herself as she changed quickly. She was being incredibly foolish, she knew, but she was going to have a good time. She wasn't going to think of tomorrow or next week. Just of tonight and of herself. She was going to have memories, not regrets, to take home with her. She grabbed a towel from the bathroom and hurried back to Mike.
"That was too quick. I was hoping to have to come after you." He put his arm around her shoulders and drew her outside.
"I have to admit I've never gone swimming at night before," she told him.
"I was going to suggest skinny-dipping, but I wasn't sure you'd go for that suggestion."
The air was warm and the gentle breeze caressed her skin and reminded her of the warmth of his touch. She smiled Into the darkness and sat down at the edge of the pool. "Oh, you never know."
"Is that a yes?" he asked. He was right behind her and his hands slid over her shoulders. Possessively, they cupped her breasts and pulled her closer to him, his lips placing gentle, teasing kisses around the base of her neck.
"Actually, it's a 'let's wait and see,' " she murmured, leaning back against him for a moment. His touch brought her a glimpse of heaven, but could not totally erase that whisper of worry from the back of her mind. What was she, cautious Sara Delaney, doing swimming alone with Mike Taylor in the moonlight?
She took advantage of a lessening of his hold to dive into the water. It was warm and enveloped her as sensuously as a lover's embrace. She heard a splash near her and knew that Mike was close by. but rather than look for him, she swam across the pool.
The thought of swimming naked in the darkness with him was dancing about in her mind. It would be heavenly to let the water wash over her and soothe away her worries. They could splash and play, frolicking in the water like children, but that would not be how they would end up.
No matter how they started, she knew they would finish in each other's arms. A few kisses and a moonlight swim were very different from making love, Sara thought. Could she spend the night in Mike's arms and walk away from him without hurting? Could she leave him and not feel any pain? If they had had to meet a famous actor on their vacation, why couldn't it have been Rin Tin Tin or Mr. Ed?
She reached the edge of the pool and held onto the side to catch her breath. Mike swam up behind her. His lips found her neck and he kissed her quickly. His arms reached out to pull her close.
'You'll never get a truly even tan with your suit on," he whispered between kisses. His hands moved to cover her stomach with their fire.
"There's no sun to worry about," she pointed out breathlessly. The temptation of his touch was more than she could fight, and she leaned back against his body, reveling in the wonder of his embrace. Was that why he was called Captain Wonder?
"Sara." His voice was a plaintive cry, a whispered caress that matched the movement of his hands. They moved up to cup her breasts; his fingers knew just how to turn the warmth in her body to a raging fire.
Waves of longing caused her to tremble. She was through being timid and uncertain, she decided recklessly. She wanted his hands on her, not on her bathing suit. She wanted to experience the pleasures that he alone could bring her. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted a man.
Sara turned in his arms to meet his lips, returning the pressure of his mouth as her hands roamed over his back. She held him tightly to her, not making the slightest objection when his hands undid the top of her bathing suit. He tossed it onto the deck behind him, and let his hands savor her softness.
"Don't you think you're overdressed?" she whispered, her mouth against his.
She felt his grin and moved back while he pulled his trunks off. She took the time to remove the bottom of her suit, then pushed off from the side of the pool, floating on her back as the water swirled in sensual delight around her.
Mike caught up with her and slid his arm around her waist, pulling her close to his side. It was bare skin against bare skin, and it felt deli-ciously wonderful.
"You weren't leaving, were you?" he asked softly.
"Nope, just swimming." She turned slightly in the water so that her hands could reach him. The need to touch him was too strong to ignore. "That was what you invited me out here for, wasn't it?"
He laughed and put both arms around her. Their bodies were pressed together as the water surged around them. She could feel his need and knew it matched her own.
"You can stand here, can't you?" she asked.
"Nope." His lips found hers briefly, then moved to her neck and down onto her chest. "But what a marvelous way to go."
"Kansas City would be shocked."
She luxuriated in the splendor of his touch for as long as she could, then splashed away. The darkness, the delight of his embrace, and the anticipation of the wonders yet to come wove a magic spell around her. She had never felt so marvelously alive, so much a woman. If she lived to be a hundred, she would never forget this night.
Mike was next to her as she reached the shallower water. "Did I tell you I was a swimming expert?" he asked, his arms drawing her against his body.
"Oh?" She copied his whispery teasing voice even though her heart was racing.
"Want to see my breaststroke?" he asked, his hands on her breasts, gentle, but knowing somehow just what touch would ignite her. The tips hardened under his caresses, and waves of fire rushed through her blood.
"How about my sidestroke?" he went on. His hands slid over her sides, thumbs teasing at the edges of her breasts, then brushing down to her thighs. She swayed closer to him, her desires taking control, but he only allowed his lips to linger a moment on hers.
"Then there's my thighstroke," he said.
"Thighstroke?" she repeated with a giggle. "That's one I never heard of."
His hand had reached down and, with tiny featherlike caresses, teased her Inner thighs. ''Want me to stop?" he murmured.
&n
bsp; She moved closer to him, her body arching in pure physical need. "No, no," she whispered huskily. "I always like to learn new things."
Her body was crying out to him, demanding more and more of his touch. The movement of the water around her seemed a continuation of his caress, the darkness an echo of her reckless hunger. She reached out and touched him, her hands gliding over his wet body, her fingers delighting in the roughness of his hair and the silky smooth magic of his skin.
With a boldness she'd never known she possessed, her hands stopped at the center of his desire. The swift intake of his breath disclosed his pleasure at her touch, and she grew braver. Her fingers danced across his flesh, confident that the fires she stoked were equal in intensity to her own. Suddenly his hands on her spoke of a greater urgency.
"Sara," he said, a desperate plea In his voice.
They were out of the water before she knew it, wrapped in each other's arms. He led her to the deck behind the pool and tossed a long, thick cushion from the chaise onto the ground.
"Here?" she whispered, all her uncertainty and caution returning.
"Sara."
The need in his voice called out to her own desires and, without another coherent thought, she lay down with him. The darkness was a velvet cocoon, embracing them in a sensual caress as his hands moved quickly over her. Her breasts were firm with longing, her body warm and ready for his, but he did not rush in his lovemaking.
His lips moved along hers, teasing the corners of her mouth before his tongue began its explorations. Her body throbbed with answering hunger. His hands devoured her breasts, then moved over her flat stomach, reveling in her softness. Her thighs ached for his touch, demanding his attention. They opened, ready for him, almost shuddering with need when he entered her at last.
Their rhythms joined, they clung together in wonder and delight. Soaring higher than she had ever dreamed possible, Sara knew only that he was more to her than any man had ever been. His body and soul brought her ecstasy that she knew shed never find with another. The world around her danced and exploded, and only his body within her arms stayed firm and steady.
Afterward, they lay together quietly, slowly floating back toearth. Mike kissed her neck gently. "I've had enough swimming, haven't you?"
Sara laughed lightly. "We've hardly swum at all." She shivered in his arms, more from the intensity of her desire than from the cool air, but he pulled back.
"Wed better hurry inside or you'll catch cold. Too much swimming can be bad for your health."
She let him help her to her feet, finding her knees disgustingly weak. They started back toward the guest house, but she stopped him. "I've got to find my bathing suit."
"We can find it in the morning," he said.
"And let Fred know what we were doing out here? No, thank you."
Fred probably had a pretty good idea anyway, but thankfully Mike did not point that out. She didn't want to think of all the other women Mike had had, not now, not when she was still wobbly from the power of his love. She found her suit and they walked back toward the guest house.
"What if the girls are awake?" she asked suddenly.
"Sara, they were exhausted. Stop worrying."
"But they've never seen me with a man.'
He stopped at the door. "Go in and check."
She hurried across the living room and peeked into the girls' bedroom. They were sound asleep, she was relieved to see. Mike was being so thoughtful. More than she deserved, probably. She couldn't picture any of the men she knew being willing to wait outside while she checked on her daughters.
"They're asleep," she told him.
"Good." He slipped into the room. "It's freezing
out there." j
Somehow everything seemed different In the house. The lights were on, glowing dimly, but still on. Now she could see his body, and she marveled at how beautiful it was with all the muscles his Captain Wonder suit only hinted at. But he could see her body too. How did she measure up to the other women he had known? Would he make some excuse to leave?
'"Do you know how beautiful you are?" he said suddenly, sweeping her up into his arms.
She Just laughed. She didn't care if he was lying or just blind. Tonight she felt beautiful, and she needed him to tell her so. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her into the bedroom, and he paused just inside the door so that she could shut it.
Then he laid her gently on the sheets still neatly pulled back from when she had been about to get In, hours and lifetimes ago. This time their exploration of each other was slow and tender, as if they had all the time in the world. This time they watched their desire grow, not just felt it, so that when they came together again, the explosion of feeling was more breathlessly powerful than the first time they made love.
Then, still wrapped in the safety of Mikes arms, Sara fell asleep. She didn't care what the girls would think if they came in. She was too happy, too satisfied, to think beyond the moment.
Eight
"Mommy! Wake up!"
"Is this really Mike's house?"
Sara turned over slowly, reluctant to relinquish the sweet peacefulness of sleep. It didn't seem possible that it was morning already. How late had she and Mike—
Her eyes flew open and she sat up, but Mike was gone. The bed next to her was smooth and unrum-pled. It was as If he had never been there. She hadn't dreamed it all, had she?
"Mommy, how come you aren't wearing your nightshirt?'
No, she guessed she hadn't. She got her Captain Wonder nightshirt from the chair where she'd left it and slipped it on, feeling more like her old self. Back down on earth from the glorious heights she and Mike had reached last night. "I was too hot and took it off," she told the girls.
"Can we sleep without our pajamas?"
She ignored the question and forced herself back Into the role of mother. "Come on," she said, herding them into her bathroom."How about a bath In that tub before you get dressed?"
The sunken tub successfully distracted them and gave her time to put her mind back in working order. She ran the water while they undressed.
"Can we take a bubble bath?"
"This is Mike's house," she pointed out. "Tin sure he doesn't have any bubble bath." But, sure enough, they found one shelf with a whole array of bath oils and soaps and bubble bath. She poured some into the water, trying not to wonder why it was there or who had used it. The girls squealed with delight at the mounds of suds that appeared.
"Don't forget to wash," Sara cautioned, then went across the hall to their bathroom to shower.
She was relieved that Mike had no longer been in bed when the girls came in, but at the same time she was more than a little hurt that he had left without a word. Hadn't it been as spectacular for him as It had been for her? She had lain in his arms for most of the night, and somehow that was how she had expected to awaken. To his touch, not the girls*.
And when she did see him, what was she supposed to say? She didn't have much experience along these lines. Was she supposed to play it cool and pretend it had never happened? Or greet him warmly, as if she wanted the whole world to know?
She was dressed and back in her bedroom before the girls were done. She could hear them laughing and splashing as they played. Probably the best way to handle it was to play It by ear, she decided, follow Mike's lead. And, of course, it wasn't as If they would be here much longer. No, they'd pack up their few things, say good-bye to Mike, and be gone. The thought left tears in her eyes.
She really didn't want to go, she realized. What she really wanted to do was run out the door and throw herself into Mike's arms. She wanted to feel his body next to hers and know that his need for her was as desperate as her need for him. She needed to know that one night together hadn't quenched his thirst for her, but only made It stronger. Her burning for him certainly was stilt raging out of control.
Somehow she managed to make her bed and lay out clothes for the girls, packing their pajamas Into her bag, alon
g with her damp bathing suit. She was just about to get the girls out of the tub when the phone rang.
It would be Mike, she thought as she flew across the room to answer it. He would be calling to wish her a good morning and to tell her that he would have liked to stay later, that he had only left because he'd feared the girls would come in. But it was Fred, asking her to come over to the main house when she was ready for breakfast.
Sara thanked him and told him they'd be over in about ten minutes. Then she hung up the phone and took a deep breath. She didn't care that It wasn't Mike, she told herself. She hadn't expected him to be hanging around just because they had spent the night together. That wasn't the way things were done anymore. She'd see him at breakfast and that would be soon enough,
"Come on. girls, time to get out," she called as she walked briskly into the bedroom. "We're going to have breakfast with Mike and then be on our way."
She ignored their protests and got them dried and dressed and over to the main house in the allotted ten minutes. Fred was waiting for them and showed them to a table set for three out on the patio.
"Where's Mike?" Megan asked the question Sara had been holding back.
"Mr. Taylor had to leave for the studio," Fred said. "Now, what would you like for breakfast?"
"Pancakes," Kari said. Megan nodded her agreement.
Fred left to prepare breakfast and Sara listened vaguely to the girls' chatter. Somehow time had meant little white they were traveling together, but now that Mike was back home, how could she have expected him to be around? It was Monday morning and he had to get back to work.
Still, why would he leave without saying goodbye to them? He knew that they were planning to go this morning. It was hard enough to leave him, but to find out he didn't care enough to say goodbye really hurt.
Fred came out with a glass of orange juice for each of them. "How come Mike left so early?" Megan asked.
Sara stared into her orange juice and listened.
"Shooting starts real early, between five and six A.M. He has to be there."
