by Jo McNally
“Yes.”
That was all he needed to hear. He sat her on the arm of a chair and held up his hand so she knew to wait. She watched in obvious amusement as he rushed to secure the doors and arm the alarm system. Then he led her upstairs to his suite. She hadn’t said a word downstairs while he scrambled around. And she still wasn’t speaking. Any worries that she was changing her mind vanished when she stopped by the bed and began unbuttoning her blouse.
She reached back to unfasten her skirt after discarding the top. He started to unbutton his shirt, finally yanking it over his head in frantic frustration when her skirt dropped to the floor in a billowing pile of blue-green velvet. He stared at her alabaster skin and all those marvelous curves wrapped in black lace. How could one petite body have that many rounded invitations to please come explore?
His staring must have made her uncomfortable, because she started to raise her hands to cover herself. He stepped forward with an urgent “No” escaping his lips. “The day we met, you said this house was magnificent. But it’s not the house. It’s you. You’re the magnificent one, Amanda. Let me drink you in.” His voice was raw with desire.
She dropped her hands to her sides, locking her eyes on his as he reached for her. His eyes were going to be her lifeline. He could see that now. It was his job to make sure she felt safe. He held her gaze calmly. He pulled the pins from her hair, brushing it back over her shoulders as it fell.
Flickers of panic danced across her eyes, but they were gone as quickly as they appeared. If he just moved slowly and kept his eyes on hers, they’d be fine. The only problem was he didn’t want to go slow. He wanted to devour every inch of her, but he knew he couldn’t. Not tonight. His thumbs brushed across her bra and her lips parted with a shuddering sigh. He reached behind her slowly and unhooked the bra, and she let it drop to the floor. His eyes left hers briefly to glance toward the two perfectly rounded breasts now in his hands. His thumbs moved back and forth, and she made a strangled sound deep in her throat. One hand slid lower across her stomach, and she trembled beneath his fingers. But her eyes were fixed on his, and she was trusting him. She groaned as his fingers moved across the slick softness between her legs.
“Blake...” She breathed his name, and he felt his heart catching fire with want of her.
She hissed when his fingers found their target. She didn’t look away. Didn’t close her eyes. Just stared at him and made the most wonderful little mewling noises in her throat as he explored her. With a small cry, her knees buckled and he caught her up in his arms, laying her on the bed. He finished undressing and crawled on top of her, catching her gaze again. She was nervous, but she nodded, giving him permission. He kissed her deeply, then started trailing kisses down her neck and across her shoulders, glimpsing back up at her face after every other kiss. Her eyes followed him intently. She whimpered softly as he kissed her breasts and teased the tips with his tongue, then his teeth. He started sliding lower with his kisses when she spoke.
“Blake...please... I need you.”
That was all he needed to hear. There would be time for exploring later. He grabbed at his nightstand for a condom, then came back over her. She lifted her body up toward his, and he let out a loud groan as he sank slowly into her. Kissing her softly, he watched her eyes grow wide, then fade into blissful, unfocused distraction. Their bodies started moving together. He felt so very absolutely perfect inside of her.
This is where he was meant to be. She rocked against him and he pressed into her more firmly, more demanding. There was only one moment when she got tense, and it was when he got distracted watching where their bodies were connected instead of looking at her face. He looked into her eyes and smiled.
“It’s me, sweetheart. It’s me making love to you.”
She relaxed again, and they both picked up the pace. He felt her tightening and trembling beneath him. She started whispering his name over and over, and the sound drove him wild.
“It’s okay, baby. It’s okay to let go.”
And she did. She exploded. She opened her mouth to scream and he dropped his mouth over hers to own all of her orgasm before joining her.
* * *
Amanda felt like she’d just shattered into a million pieces. So this was what it meant to truly make love. She’d had no idea she could feel so powerful and wise and womanly until she felt him coming undone inside of her body. She flexed her fingers against his back and he groaned. He lifted his head from beside hers and propped himself up on one elbow to look down at her. She giggled at the sight of his black hair standing on end.
“Laughter isn’t exactly how a man wants to be greeted after mind-blowing sex,” he growled at her. But his eyes showed nothing but amusement and heat. Lots of heat. And he’d said “mind-blowing.” She grinned.
“You have such terrible bed head.” She reached up to run her fingers through his dark curls. He closed his eyes at her touch, and she brought her hand down to his cheek. He leaned into it and sighed.
“I’m still trying to put my brain back together, much less my hair. That was... I don’t know...incredible doesn’t even come close to describing it.”
“It was my first.” She blushed as she said the words. His eyes snapped open, and she wished she’d never said anything.
“Your first?”
“You know...the first time I really...um...finished...”
A lazy smile slid across his face. “I’m honored. How was it?”
She giggled again. “I think you know how it was.” Then she turned serious. “Thank you, Blake.”
“Oh, hell no, I’m the one who should be down on my knees giving thanks to you, Amanda. It’s never, ever been that good.” He rolled slowly off her to rest on his side and remove the condom, then kissed her softly on the lips. “I want to keep you in my bed forever.”
Her breath caught in her throat.
Forever.
“Blake...”
“Shh. Talk later. Not now. Right now I need to sleep, baby. Stay here and sleep with me.” He pulled her into his arms and she closed her eyes, feeling safe and at peace.
When Amanda woke, the sun was shining brightly through the windows. She was alone in Blake’s bed. She closed her eyes tightly.
She’d made love with Blake Randall. Her client. Zach’s uncle. Her “friend.” Her date. The man she couldn’t imagine living without. She was falling for him, and hard.
The door to the suite opened and he walked in, carrying two mugs of coffee. His hair was damp from a shower, and he was wearing jeans and a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He looked good enough to eat. She blushed at the thought and pulled the sheets up higher to cover herself, which made him laugh.
“A little late for modesty, don’t you think? Your robe is there at the foot of the bed, but feel free to stay as you are.” He set a mug on the nightstand.
“I overslept. Zach. Breakfast.”
She couldn’t form whole sentences in his presence. Blake sat in the big chair by the fireplace, looking annoyingly smug.
“Zach’s down at the game room at the resort. Jamal’s keeping an eye on him. For some reason, you were in a very deep slumber this morning.” Blake laughed when she blushed. “Don’t be embarrassed, sweetheart. I managed to feed my nephew breakfast all by myself.”
She sat on the edge of the bed, pulled on her robe and reached for the coffee. A dusting of cinnamon covered the white foam at the top of the mug. “And then you trotted into the kitchen and whipped up a cup of Dario’s cappuccino? Come clean, Blake. You took Zach to the café at the resort.”
He tipped his head back and laughed out loud. She loved the sound of his laugh. She loved him.
Wait. What?
She looked at him in shock, but fortunately he was still looking at the ceiling as he laughed. Oh, God. She was in love with Blake Randall. The man who abandoned his nephew. The man threatenin
g to build a casino on Gallant Lake. The guy who didn’t believe in love. The man who captured her body last night, and now her heart. Was there any chance for this to end well?
“Okay, I confess I didn’t cook breakfast, but at least I made sure he ate.” He noticed her distraction. “Amanda? What’s wrong?” She forced herself to smile at him as she shrugged.
He moved to the edge of the bed, cupping her chin in his hand and leaning close to her face. “No regrets. Okay?” He dropped a kiss on her lips. “We’ll figure this out.”
Her body began to sing as a pulse of energy shot through her. She looked into his eyes. Those eyes that held her safely last night. Those eyes she trusted.
He studied her face. “If you keep looking at me like that, you’ll never get out of this bed. And right now I have to go talk to someone in town about some land I’m interested in. I’ll be back later. Are you okay?”
Land? The casino. Damn it.
“Still working on the casino plan?”
He stopped her with another kiss. “No, sweetheart. This place has become hallowed ground to me. No one’s building anything here. No one.” A shadow crossed his face for just a moment, then he grinned again. It was a sweet, childlike grin that charmed her completely. “You’ve ruined my good business sense, girl. Gallant Lake Resort stays whole. Halcyon is my home. My nephew’s going to public school. And I have a brave, bewitching woman in my bed.”
No casino. Zach in public school. Her in his bed. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. He groaned and turned, pressing her back against the bed, returning the kiss. He bit her lower lip and rested his forehead on hers. “I’m not kidding, Amanda. I’ll keep you in bed all day long, and then again all night. We’ll starve, but we’ll die happy. Is that what you want?”
“Yes. But not the dying part.” She giggled, then sighed into his neck as he hugged her. “You make me happy, Blake Randall. Scary happy.” He lifted his head.
“Scary happy. Yeah, I guess that captures it, doesn’t it?” He kissed her quickly, then sat up and rose to his feet. “Drink your coffee and get dressed, lazybones. I’ll only be gone for an hour or so, and I promised Zach we’d go fishing.”
Chapter Sixteen
She didn’t join the boys for their fishing trip in the small aluminum boat. Instead, she curled up in one of the Adirondack chairs by the shore with a romance novel she’d borrowed from Julie. It was almost November, but the sun shone bright and warm. She tried in vain to keep her attention on the book in her hands and not on the incredible sex she’d had with Blake last night.
It was more than sex, of course. She was in love with him. Fingers of panic traced a path up her spine.
After an hour or so, the two fishermen returned to the dock, empty-handed but laughing. Blake surprised her by giving her a warm kiss right in front of Zach. Her face burned, but Zach just smiled and looked away. She frowned at Blake in disapproval, and he laughed.
“It’s getting chilly out here, Miss Amanda. Why don’t you come inside and I’ll pour us both some wine?”
Blake and Zach were laughing upstairs when she came into the house, and another piece of her heart fractured. That voice of fear started whispering again. How long could their little fantasy family life last? Was Blake really ready for a home and a family? Could life here at Halcyon satisfy him for more than a few weeks? He still had an international business empire to run, so he’d have to travel a lot, leaving them behind.
She wanted to believe it could work. Because she was completely and utterly in love with the man. There was no sense in denying it. She just had to figure out exactly what that meant for her heart. And for her future. He walked up behind her as she stood in the living room staring out at the lake. He wrapped one arm around her stomach and pulled her back against him, sliding a glass of wine into her hand as he kissed the top of her head.
“You’re thinking too much again.”
How did he always know? He squeezed her and answered her unspoken question.
“It’s in your shoulders, in your face, in your silence.”
“I’m just wondering if we’re kidding ourselves here.” She hadn’t really intended to speak her fears out loud. But there it was. He turned her in his arms.
“Kidding ourselves in what way?”
She sighed and blinked away. “It’s like we’ve been living in a bubble. What will happen to Zach if something happens between us, Blake?”
“Happens, how?”
“We’re giving him the illusion that we’ve become this instant family, and he’ll be crushed if that falls apart.” She didn’t mention that she’d be crushed, too. “He’s already been through so much. Are we doing the right thing for him? I mean, it’s all fun and games while we sit here in Gallant Lake, but you’ll be leaving again, and how appealing is this place going to be to you when the snow starts to fly and you’re walking the beaches in Barbados or wherever?”
“What are you talking about?” He stepped back. “What have I done that makes you think I haven’t been honest with you?”
She couldn’t think of one thing. “Nothing.”
“Then what the hell, Amanda?”
“Look, I know how you were raised. I know how driven you are. I know what you think about romance. Are you saying you’ve become a totally different person in the past few weeks?”
“Yes.”
She gasped at how quickly he answered.
His eyes were steady as he held her gaze.
“Yes. I’ve changed. Haven’t you?”
She looked down and thought for a moment. After all, she’d trusted him with her body, when she hadn’t been able to do that with any man.
“Yes. I guess I have. But maybe we should take a step back.” When would she stop living in fear? Why couldn’t she trust him with her heart?
Love is like fool’s gold, Amanda. Love is an illusion. A trick. A flicker of a moment that’s not worth the resulting trouble.
* * *
She slowly opened her eyes the next morning, trying to get her bearings. She turned to look at the source of radiating heat behind her, knowing he was the reason she’d slept so soundly. Good Lord, he was gorgeous.
Blake’s face was soft in slumber, but still sexy. His hair fell down over one eye haphazardly, and his lips were curled into an almost-smile, as if he’d just sighed in contentment. The sheets were down around his waist, so she got to peruse his broad chest, covered with dark curls. She couldn’t help reaching out to trace her fingers down his sternum. His eyes snapped open when she touched him, and they were smoldering.
He reached his hand out and rested it on her cheek, giving her a crooked, sleepy grin. She immediately decided this was her favorite look on him. Rumpled, half-awake, aroused and in lo—
No! She gave herself a hard mental shake. He was not in love with her, regardless of her feelings for him. He was the guy who didn’t believe in love. Didn’t have time for it. Thought it was foolish. He could easily betray her, just like all the other men in her life had done. Frowning at her troubled expression, he stroked her bottom lip lightly with his thumb. He leaned in for a deep kiss, and she forgot what she was worrying about. He pulled her under his body without breaking contact with her lips. He traced kisses lightly down her neck and lifted the hem of her nightgown. He left her only long enough to get a condom from the nightstand, but even that was too long. She whispered his name.
“I’m here. I’m here, beautiful. I’ll always be here...”
She decided to believe him a while longer and lost herself to the sensation of him filling her completely. She arched into him and closed her eyes, focusing only on the wonder of Blake making soft, sweet love to her. Her pulse began to race. She whispered his name over and over, and he growled as he became more aggressive. She wasn’t afraid. In fact, she was eager. She dug her nails into his back and cried his name one last tim
e as her body fell apart. He joined her wordlessly, groaning as he fell onto her, breathing hard.
Finally he spoke. “Best. Alarm clock. Ever.”
She giggled into his ear. “Speaking of alarm clocks, Zach will be up soon, and if he comes looking for me...”
“How can you talk about Zach after we just set the sheets on fire? Let me just enjoy the moment, will you?” He chuckled and bit her lightly on the shoulder. “Besides, I can’t move right now, even if the entire village of Gallant Lake came into this room. Even if Madeleine Pendleton herself joined us. I’m not moving.”
She tightened her arms around him. He might break her heart someday. But until then, he was hers. He moved his weight off her and pulled her close. She nuzzled his chest and kissed him there.
“Just stay with me a few more minutes,” he sighed. “Let me hold you.” His breathing changed, and she knew he’d fallen asleep. She snuggled into him, but if she closed her eyes she’d never get Zach off to school. And she certainly didn’t want him to walk in and catch them together in bed. She slid carefully out from under the covers and left Blake sleeping there.
He didn’t come downstairs until after Zach left. She couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled up when he walked into the kitchen, looking so very pleased with himself.
“And here we go with the laughter after sex again.” He held his hands to his chest in mock offense. “I’m going to get a complex.”
“Sorry.” She slid a mug of coffee across the island to him. “You just look so totally... I don’t know...satisfied? Like a Cheshire cat.”
“Satisfied is definitely how I’m feeling this morning. I didn’t even feel you leave the bed. Is Zach off to school?”
“Of course. You’re the only lazybones this morning.” She reached for the paper bag on the counter, knowing Blake liked a simple breakfast. “Bagel?”
