She inspected her sanctuary with a mixture of relief and pleasure as she closed the door behind her. Aida had pulled aside the bedcovers and lit a fire to keep warm in the middle of December. The hearth's flames swirled, casting burnished-gold reflections on the polished antique furnishings. The aroma of burning olive wood permeated the room.
Lara tossed her sweater on the foot of the bed and kicked off her shoes, thinking that she'd made the correct decision. She couldn't deny the magnetic attraction she felt for Chris, but she also couldn't reject her feminine sense. It had warned her from the outset that yielding but in peril to her desire to him.
She'd find herself hopelessly, helplessly engaged with a man so far out of her league that she'd be guaranteed nothing but sorrow if she didn't step back now. After all, he'd made it abundantly plain that his attraction to her was solely sexual, and what else could she really expect? He didn't have place for
The nagging voice of warning advised her not to be fooled by his reasoning. After all, what was he offering her besides the joy of the moment?What had she achieved in the past by resting all her hopes on a brighter tomorrow, on the other hand? A nursing degree, a terrible mortgage on her apartment, a used automobile, and a brief and unsatisfying relationship with a medical student. Her circle of friends has shrunk as more and more of them chose marriage and children over being single. They haven't fully abandoned her, but their interests aren't as aligned as they previously were. Their schedules revolved around spouses and midnight feedings, whereas hers centered around shift work and case histories."Lara?" Chris's voice washed over her as she slid into the bathrobe, ostensibly sheltering her from his powerful beckoning to caress every concealed inch of skin, every minute pore.Why was she hoping for a future that woul
She stuffed racy new lingerie, sheer nightgown, sandals, and silk caftan, as well as shampoo, toothbrush, cosmetics, and all the other goods he'd specified, into a canvas tote made to contain far less, after supper that night. He'd assured they'd be absolutely alone, but he didn't seem to get that it wasn't about looking good for strangers, it was about looking good for him.Rocco had authorized an agency nurse to cover for her while she was away, but he had made it clear that he was doing so under pressure. He sulked all morning Friday and ignored Lara all afternoon to emphasize his point.He hadn't asked where she was going or with whom she was going, despite the fact that based on his frantic mutterings, he'd guessed it was Chris. So, rather than starting the weekend on a low note with a confrontation, Lara gathered her belongings and sneaked out of the villa a few minutes before six to meet Chris at the bottom of the road.
His demeanor shifted from relaxed indolence to alert alertness. "Are you claiming to be a virgin?"Her wine was choking her. "No.""No, that's not what you're trying to say to me, or no, you're not a virgin?" "No, that's not what you're trying to say to me, or no, you're not a virgin?""That is not what I am trying to say. The setting—the yacht, the glitz, the unusual specific location what I was alluding to. Is it really that important whether or not I'm a virgin?"He said calmly, "Yes, it does.Not because I'm going to judge you one way or the other, but because if I'm going to be your first lover, I'd like to know ahead of time." He put his hand on hers and leaned in close. "So?"Another flush rose up her neck, staining her face, which she prayed wouldn't be visible in the dim light. "I'm not," she says. He burst out laughing anyhow, having picked up on her discomfo
"We did, but you were the first to mention him.""Well, now that I've forgotten about him, let's talk about your parents instead, and satisfy my curiosity about something that's been bothering me since you first mentioned it: you said they died in a car accident, so how come you were left with virtually no financial security? Normally, in such cases, there's a substantial settlement, especially when a minor is left orphaned."If she had pushed him to confront his own problems, his question prompted her to confront hers as well. She stated, "There was no payout from the accident." "Not in my favor, at least.""Why the devil not?"She squinted, as if closing her eyes might make the facts more bearable. It didn't work out. It had never happened before "My father was to blame. He was speeding and inebriated. Unfortunately, he and my mother were not the only ones who suffered. As a result of his actions, four more indi
She could only manage a weak laugh. "I seriously doubt it. I never learned how to weep delicately. However, thank you for stating this. When a woman cries, most men despise it."He ran his fingers carelessly through her hair and added, "I'm not most men." It reminded him of silky smoothness. So, did her skin when he continued his patient investigation, stroking his knuckles along her jaw to her throat. "And you're not like the majority of women."Next, he rubbed his fingertip across her lips, teasing her. He didn't lean closer and kiss them lightly till they parted of their own.Her eyes slid shut, as if the weight of her lashes had been too much for her to bear. She let out a sigh. And as soon as she did, all of her pent-up tension dissipated, leaving her as pliable as a willow in his presence.He didn't try to rush her, instead cupping his hand around her nape and touching his lips to hers once aga
He wanted to tell her not to think of it as making love. Be like the other women I've taken to bed and think of it as fun sex. But she was so enthralled that he couldn't bear to let her down. This, in turn, prompted him to stab her in the impregnable heart with another worrisome stab. She elicited in him a protective affection that he found both scary and inappropriate.She said she was able to read his thoughts with frightening insight "Chris, don't be concerned. I'm not so foolish as to believe that this weekend will usher in a long-term relationship. I'm not expecting a marriage proposal or a ring at the end of it."“Why not?”He had to bite his tongue to keep the question from flying out of his mouth. When he regained consciousness, he added, "I'm in no position to offer either, even if I wanted to.My job doesn't allow for that kind of devotion, and I doubt many women would put up with a husband who is gone more
Lara Torres, on the other hand, would have smacked his hand away if she had any sense of self-preservation. She didn't melt at his touch; she melted at his touch. She rolled onto her back, slackened her legs, and made it clear that she was more than willing to accommodate him. Why not, she reasoned in a distant area of her mind. She had nothing to lose at this point, so she may as well save as many beautiful memories of this little charmed interlude as she could.He kissed her neck on the side. All the words men were meant to mutter to a woman they planned to entice were murmured in her ear. Words designed to tear down her resistance and make her submissive to his every command. He eventually dropped himself on top of her and slipped himself inside her by bringing her legs up around his waist. As if God had created them particularly for each other, she thought, striving to keep her grasp on reality.He loved her more gently this time, transp
Chris pulled the outboard engine clear of the water, and the bottom of the dinghy scraped onto the tiny strip of gravelly beach edging the island, and Lara concluded, "That's a terrific suggestion." Even while it was luxuriously comfortable, the yacht's major flaw was that it provided no way of escape if the debate became too heated. And it had veered dangerously close to disaster when she made the mistake of bringing up the subject of wanting to be needed. Her feelings for Chris, which she had been fighting so hard to keep hidden, would have burst out in a matter of minutes.She was able to reorganize while hiding behind her camera. She photographed wild geraniums and flamboyant poppies, as well as daisies and plants in mauve and white, while they were enjoying a spectacular last bloom before winter. She took a picture of the yacht, which was anchored comfortably in the secluded bay. Chris's beautiful smile, his chiseled profile, his lashes dipped to half-mast