When he broke off the kiss, she took a step back and reached for the zipper of his jeans. Once she had his fly open and noticed the thick thatch of hair, she immediately knew that Adam wasn’t wearing any underwear. She used the tip of her finger to trace a path from his chest all the way lower to his firm abdomen, noting the increased difficulty of his breathing. Earlier, he had checked out what was be-low her waistline, and now it was time for her to check out what was below his.
Holding his eyes with hers, she moved her hand lower and took hold of his erection. She tugged it out, glanced down, and swallowed. He was a lot bigger than she thought. He was huge, masculine, hot. Doing something she’d never done to any man, she took her fingers and explored him, the sound of his deep breathing encouraging her with every stroke.
“Shannon,” he said in a low, husky, warning voice. She heard the effort it took for him to speak, so she increased her strokes. “You’re asking for trouble,” he cautioned through clenched teeth.
“Trouble? Is that what you call this?” she asked, tightening her hand more firmly on him and meeting his gaze again. “Then yes, I’m asking for trouble. I want trouble. Now!”
Before she could take her next breath, he swept her into his arms and crossed the room to the bed. Within seconds she was on her back with her legs parted and raised high on his shoulders. He covered her body with his and within seconds was mere inches from entering her when he stopped and looked down at her.
“Birth control. I got condoms,” he said, about to pull away.
Her legs locked around him. “I’m on the pill, and if you’re worried about health reasons, I’m safe.”
“Good. So am I,” he said, and the thought of nothing between them while they made love sent a tremor through him.
“All right, then. If you’re safe and I’m safe and I’m on the pill, let’s get into trouble.”
He gazed down at her. “You sure?”
“I wouldn’t be here if I weren’t, Adam.”
There was something about how she’d said his name that pushed him over the edge and likewise, he slowly pushed into her, feeling how her body stretched to accommodate him, skin to skin. And then he formulated the perfect rhythm for them, giving his thrusts just the right beat, closeness, and impact. He threw his head back. He hadn’t planned for this, he hadn’t wanted this, but now that he was getting it, he wanted to keep getting it.
He’d never felt this way while inside a woman before. He was giving an all-out sensual assault on her body, claiming it in a way he had never claimed a woman’s body before. His thighs strained with every thrust, the firmness of his stomach connected with hers, and he felt himself growing even bigger each time she clenched her muscles to keep him in.
He was losing his battle with control, and at the moment he didn’t give a damn. The only thing he cared about was how Shannon was making him feel, and when he felt her inner muscles grip him tighter before her body detonated in one hell of an orgasm, he threw his head back again stretching the veins in his neck as an explosion the likes of which he’d never felt before ripped through him. He called her name as he flooded her insides with his essence, all the way to her womb. And dammit, he liked the feeling of coming apart that way within her.
Later he would get his head screwed back on straight, but for now he was willing to take everything Shannon Carmichael was giving him. And he greedily did so.
“I thought you couldn’t come more than once a night.”
Shannon lay there, not wanting to open her eyes, thinking she didn’t have the strength to do so but knowing she had to. And when she did, she looked into Adam’s face, looming over her with a smug look on it. And there was a hint of satisfied sex in the dark depths of his eyes.
“Tonight was a fluke,” she said, wondering if she would ever be able to walk again. Not only had she come once again but two more times after that. Incredible. His desire for her, like her desire, for him had reached a level that was nothing short of madness.
A smile touched the corners of his lips. “It wasn’t a fluke. Admit it. We’re just good together.”
“Think what you want.”
“And I will.” He settled back in bed and pulled her closer to him. “Do you need to make a phone call?”
She glanced over at him. “To who?”
“Those ladies you’re here with this summer. I wouldn’t want them worrying about you.”
That’s considerate of him, she thought. “I left them a note,” she replied. “They know where I am and who I’m with, and I’ve already told them not to worry if I stayed all night. My overnight bag is out in the car.”
Adam frowned and pulled himself up in bed. He looked down at her. “You were that sure of me?”
She couldn’t help but smile. “No, Mr. Corbain, I was that sure of me. I refused to let you reject me a second time. I intended to lay it on strong tonight. If you didn’t do what I wanted, then I knew what I figured was the truth.”
He cocked his head. “Which was?”
“That you’re not into women.”
He snorted with laughter at the absurdness of that. “And what’s your verdict now?”
“That you’re all into me, and since I am a woman, then you’re definitely straight.”
“Umm, but maybe I need to prove it again just in case you have any lingering doubts.”
And then he was kissing her with an intensity she felt all the way to her toes, and for the first time in her life, Shannon let herself be completely seduced by a man.
15
“I enjoyed spending time with you again today, Zach.”
“So did I.” There was murky moonlight overhead, but nothing could dim Anna’s beauty, Zach thought. When he first met her, it had been her eyes, dark and slanted, that captured his attention, but now everything about her was captivating.
“I know it’s late, but you’re welcome to come in for coffee if you’d like.”
Zach thought a moment on her invitation. It was late; almost two in the morning. But he wasn’t ready to part company with her yet. All he had to look forward to when he returned to his hotel was a lonely room that would be filled with thoughts of her.
“Are you sure you’re up for company at this hour? You’ve had a full day.”
She smiled. “When we’re shorthanded at work, I’m known to pull doubles, so yes, I’m fine.”
“All right, then.” When she opened the door, he followed her in and closed it behind him. Zach glanced around. Her home suited her—just the right mixture of American and Asian flair.
“I’ll be back. I’m going into the kitchen to get the coffee started.”
“Okay.”
He watched her walk off. She had the sexiest walk of any woman he knew. Sighing in deep appreciation, he crossed the room to look at the pictures she had on the fireplace mantel. There was one of the two of them together. It had been taken that first night he’d delivered her to the family, at his father’s sixtieth birthday party. Then there was another one of them together, that one taken last summer on the Glendale Shores Fourth of July celebration. He had taken her out in his boat, and when they returned, Noelle snapped their picture. Then there was a third. The one of them together at his father’s retirement party from the Senate. She had been his date that night, and before the evening had ended, he admitted to himself that he had fallen in love with her.
There were other framed photographs: a family photo of Trey, Haywood, and Quad; one of his parents; her uncle Randolph and his wife, Jenna; her grandparents; and a glamour shot of Randi, her youngest first cousin, and Randolph and Jenna’s daughter. There was also a group photo that included Noelle and her former fiance, Donald Hollis. The two called off their engagement two months ago, and Noelle wasn’t saying why.
He studied the framed photos of him and Anna together, thinking there were three of them compared with only one of everyone elses. Was that some sort of statement? Was there a chance that she cared for him like he cared for her?
&
nbsp; Zach shook his head. All the times they’d been together, she’d never given him a reason to think such a thing, but then he’d never given her a reason to think anything either. What if—?
“Here we are.”
He turned around. Anna had reentered the room, carrying a tray with a coffeepot and two cups, and she was wearing a smile as bright as the sun had been that day.
He left the fireplace and crossed the room, and instead of sitting across from her in another chair, he joined her on the sofa when she sat down. He watched her pour the coffee, thinking that like everything else about her, her hands were beautiful.
“Thanks,” he said, taking the cup she offered him. He leaned back on the sofa. “So, when do you want to leave for Glendale Shores?”
She shrugged her gorgeous shoulders. “When do you think we should leave? Tomorrow is Friday, and I understand everyone will start arriving Monday. Do you want to wait until then or do you want to go early?”
Zach knew the answer to that. He’d already talked with the family. No one would be arriving before Monday, which meant if he and Anna left sometime tomorrow or Saturday, that would give them a few days on the private island alone. He had gotten his parents’ and her uncle’s blessings on what his intentions were—and he knew her grandparents would freely give their blessings as well. But there was one other person whose blessings he couldn’t dismiss, and that person was her grandmother, Mattie Denison. Although Mattie was deceased, Trey was convinced his great-grandmother had been instrumental in getting him and Haywood together by forcing them to be on the island alone for a few days to carry out the terms of her will.
Born a Gullah with what some would term a sixth sense, more than once, Mattie Denison had made her presence on the island felt to members of the family. Some had even gone so far as to swear to a Gramma Mattie sighting. He didn’t believe 100 percent in the supernatural, but he’d been around Gramma Mattie enough times to know she had possessed powers that defied logic. He also knew that she had loved Anna, the great-granddaughter she’d died before seeing, and that Mattie would want what was best for her.
“If it won’t cause you any inconvenience, let’s leave around noon tomorrow.”
She peered at him over her coffee cup. “Tomorrow?”
“Yes. That way we can get some boating time in before the others arrive. And there’s that painting of you I want to finish.” In his spare time, he enjoyed dabbling in art, his second love. It would not have surprised his family one bit had he chosen a career as an artist instead of an attorney. With Anna as his model, he had begun painting a portrait to add to the others that hung on the Glendale Shores Wall of Honor, located in the foyer of the main house.
“Oh, that’s right,” she said softly, after taking a sip of coffee. “I had forgotten about that portrait you were doing.”
He nodded. “Going early will give me a chance to finish it.”
“Then we should,” she said, smiling. “It won’t take me long to pack.”
Tomorrow, Anna figured, she could get up early and pack for the trip. The thought of spending a few days on the island alone with Zach sent sensual shivers down her back.
At that moment, her phone rang, and Zach glanced over at her. “You’re on call?” he asked, wondering who would be calling her this late.
She shook her head. “No, but still, I’ll let the machine answer it.”
He watched her face when a male voice came on the line and floated over the room. “Anna, this is Todd. Give me a call when you can. We need to talk.”
Jealousy reared its ugly green head inside Zach. Todd Langley was the man Anna was supposed to marry, the same man who called off the wedding two weeks before it was to take place because his parents couldn’t get beyond the fact that his bride was half Vietnamese.
“You and Todd Langley are talking again?” he asked, although he really didn’t want to know—especially if they were.
He watched her draw in a deep breath. “As far as I’m concerned, no, we aren’t talking. I hadn’t heard from Todd in almost a year, and then after it made news that I’m the niece of Randolph Fuller and the goddaughter of Senator Noah Wainwright, it seems that I’ve suddenly become acceptable to Todd’s family, and he’s suggested that we talk again to discuss the possibility of us getting back together.”
Zach tightened his hand on the cup’s handle as he studied the dark, murky liquid inside for a moment before raising his head. He asked Anna, “And is there that possibility?”
A frown appeared on her face before she shook her head. “No. None whatsoever. I have more pride in myself than that. If he couldn’t stand up to his family for me as my fiance, then I certainly don’t want him to be a part of my life now or ever.”
Zach let out a relieved sigh. He intended to make sure Todd Langley was never a part of Anna’s life. He slowly stood. “Thanks for the coffee, but I think you need to get some rest. I’ll come get you around noon.’5
“All right.”
“Come walk me to the door.” Zach surprised Anna by taking her hand in his. When they reached the door, he surprised her even further when he leaned over and brushed a kiss across her lips. “Good night, Anna.”
She blinked, in a daze. “Good night, Zach.”
When the door closed, the thought that immediately consumed Anna’s mind was that Zach had never kissed her on the lips before.
16
“Shannon didn’t come home last night.”
Faith glanced at Monique over the rim of her coffee cup. She heard the panicked tone of her friend’s voice and noted the worried look on her face. “Yes, I know. I told you last night she left a note on the fridge saying a possibility existed that she wouldn’t.”
“Yes, but I didn’t take that note seriously. I can’t believe she did that. Shannon really don’t know this guy.”
A smile curved Faith’s lips. “Trust me, knowing Shannon, she’s getting firsthand knowledge of everything she needs to know.”
Monique dropped in the chair across from Faith after glancing toward the clock. She didn’t have to meet Lyle for another thirty minutes for their morning jog. “And you find her behavior amusing? I can’t believe you aren’t worried.”
Faith shook her head. “Shannon is a thirty-three-year-old woman who knows the score, Monique. The last thing she needs is for us to start acting like her mother.”
“I know, but—”
“No, buts,” Faith interrupted. “And although we haven’t met this guy, I have it on good authority that he’s okay and is probably what she needs.”
Monique leaned back in the chair. “Really? Did you talk to someone who knows him?”
“Not exactly.”
Monique leaned forward. “So what exactly? Our best friend spends the night with a total stranger and you’re fine with it?”
“No, but like I said, someone told me not to worry.”
A frustrated frown appeared on Monique’s face. “Who is this someone?”
“You won’t believe me when I tell you.”
Monique crossed her arms over her chest. Her patience was wearing thin. “Try me.”
Faith didn’t say anything for a moment, then she said, “Cely. Cely said it’s okay.”
Monique took a moment to think about what Faith said before asking, “Cely? Our Cely?”
Faith nodded. “Yes, and I know it sounds crazy, but it was the weirdest thing. I was standing here in the middle of the kitchen and had pulled Shannon’s note off the fridge and then went into a state of panic—the same way you did when you discovered she hadn’t come in last night. Anyway, I could actually feel my blood pressure rising to my head when I could have sworn that I heard Cely, in that calming voice of hers telling me it was okay, to leave Shannon alone and that she would be fine.”
Monique waved her words away. “You were imagining things. And you did say you had a little too much wine at lunch yesterday.”
“Yes, and you’re probably right, but still I was left with this fe
eling that Shannon has finally met her match, but not in a bad way.”
“With the guy who’s a mechanic?”
Faith met Monique’s befuddled stare and nodded again. “Yes, with him.”
“Your friend Faith is right, Nicky. Shannon’s a grown woman who’s responsible for her own actions.”
Monique was standing at the window in Lyle’s condo looking out at the beauty of the early morning sunrise. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him removing his T-shirt, and she couldn’t help but breathe in a sigh of female appreciation. This morning they had run a little longer than their usual hour. Unlike the previous mornings, today a cool mist had covered the beach, making running that much more exhilarating. Neither had wanted to stop.
Lucky for her that she had taken him up on his standing offer for her to use his shower, so she had come prepared. She had taken her shower, and he was about to take his.
“I know that, Lyle,” she said turning around—against her will— then wishing that she hadn’t. He had stripped down to his running shorts, and his body was as solid as any male body could be. A luscious flutter went off in her stomach and, beneath her scoop-neck tank top, her breasts began to feel achy, her nipples straining the lace material of her bra.
“If I recall, Shannon was the youngest of the four of you, right?”
Monique nodded. “Yes, a year younger, and she was always the most outrageous and nothing has changed.”
“Well, like I said, I wouldn’t worry about it too much.” He crossed the room and took her hand in his. “She’s a big girl.”
Monique’s breasts came to life when Lyle touched her hand. She summoned all the control she could muster to say, “I know you’re right. I guess I’m nothing but a worrywart.”
He smiled. “And a pretty one at that. Give me a few minutes for my shower, and I’ll be ready to go.”
“All right.” They had decided to go out to breakfast at a restaurant not far away.
“And how about dinner this evening?” he said, stepping a little closer. “I need to go somewhere to celebrate the start of the weekend. And speaking of weekends, do you have anything planned?”
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