she was such an innocent, the Palazzo daughter who would never do wrong. She’d always been aware of what people thought and had been careful to maintain a good reputation. But sometimes a girl just needed to be a little bit bad to have a whole lot of fun.
“Will there be anything else, sir?”
She’d forgotten that the waiter was even there, but as he brought a bottle of rare Rémy Martin cognac to the table and poured some into two snifters, she looked up, impressed by the man’s professionalism. How hard it must be for him not to laugh at their ridiculous conversation.
“No. Thank you very much. The meal has been quite pleasant,” Ian said, and the waiter disappeared, leaving them alone.
Rachel picked up her snifter and sipped the smooth liquid, feeling just the slightest effect from the evening’s alcohol. She in no way wanted to become drunk. She wouldn’t allow herself to blame her decision to sleep with the man on alcohol. She wanted to remember every second and have no regrets about it.
“You have guessed wrong. It seems that neither of us has a gift for reading other people,” Rachel said as Ian stood from the table and held out a hand to her.
“I think we will be much better at other things,” he replied as he slowly pulled her into his arms.
Here was the moment of truth. Was she really going to follow through on her plan? He was giving her plenty of time to change her mind as he looked into her eyes. She either lifted her mouth to him, or turned and walked away. She could do that.
The night could be about nothing more than a great dinner and some amusing conversation, or she could take what she wanted.
The moment seemed to stretch on forever as he waited for her cue on what to do next. She respected that he was a man of honor — that he wasn’t going to just take what he felt he deserved.
To stay or not to stay, that was the decision.
Chapter Thirteen
Lia
Shane’s perfected dive barely left a ripple in the crystal-clear water as he surfaced, droplets pouring down his face as he pulled Lia tightly to him. The only thing on his mind was the fact that they were both in this cool paradise, and they were both naked. He grabbed hold of her tightly — no hesitation on his part as his mouth met hers.
His lips coaxed Lia’s open and devoured her. This was no chaste meeting of mouths; it was a possession of the highest, and she was powerless to stop it. Who did she think she was fooling, anyway? He left her breathless.
She wanted him, even after all this time. She had tried dating other men, had even tried to sleep with one of them, only to find herself feeling absolutely nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. She’d called a halt.
Only one man turned her blood to lava, made her desire him from deep within her soul, and that man was Shane.
His hands slid slowly around her back, and she didn’t even feel the movement as he led them toward the surrounding land, where he could stand and then use his hands to glide across her body. She should at least try to stop this, but why?
They both wanted it more than they wanted rescuing, so what was the use in pretending otherwise?
“You are mine, Lia. I have given you room, I have been patient, but you want me just as much as I want you, and my patience is finished,” he growled low in his throat before his lips covered hers once again.
She should protest his high-handedness, and she would — in just a few minutes…
Shane’s hands slid from her waist and gripped her round behind, pulling her up his body so his straining erection was pressed just outside of her core.
She wanted to wrap her legs around him and feel the sweet bliss of him deep inside her. She was a fool to deny both him and herself. The real world would still be there tomorrow, but right at this moment, she was with him, with the man she’d wanted for so long, and hadn’t had nearly long enough in their brief fling in Vegas two-odd years ago.
“Tell me you want me, Lia!” he
“Will there be anything else, sir?”
She’d forgotten that the waiter was even there, but as he brought a bottle of rare Rémy Martin cognac to the table and poured some into two snifters, she looked up, impressed by the man’s professionalism. How hard it must be for him not to laugh at their ridiculous conversation.
“No. Thank you very much. The meal has been quite pleasant,” Ian said, and the waiter disappeared, leaving them alone.
Rachel picked up her snifter and sipped the smooth liquid, feeling just the slightest effect from the evening’s alcohol. She in no way wanted to become drunk. She wouldn’t allow herself to blame her decision to sleep with the man on alcohol. She wanted to remember every second and have no regrets about it.
“You have guessed wrong. It seems that neither of us has a gift for reading other people,” Rachel said as Ian stood from the table and held out a hand to her.
“I think we will be much better at other things,” he replied as he slowly pulled her into his arms.
Here was the moment of truth. Was she really going to follow through on her plan? He was giving her plenty of time to change her mind as he looked into her eyes. She either lifted her mouth to him, or turned and walked away. She could do that.
The night could be about nothing more than a great dinner and some amusing conversation, or she could take what she wanted.
The moment seemed to stretch on forever as he waited for her cue on what to do next. She respected that he was a man of honor — that he wasn’t going to just take what he felt he deserved.
To stay or not to stay, that was the decision.
Chapter Thirteen
Lia
Shane’s perfected dive barely left a ripple in the crystal-clear water as he surfaced, droplets pouring down his face as he pulled Lia tightly to him. The only thing on his mind was the fact that they were both in this cool paradise, and they were both naked. He grabbed hold of her tightly — no hesitation on his part as his mouth met hers.
His lips coaxed Lia’s open and devoured her. This was no chaste meeting of mouths; it was a possession of the highest, and she was powerless to stop it. Who did she think she was fooling, anyway? He left her breathless.
She wanted him, even after all this time. She had tried dating other men, had even tried to sleep with one of them, only to find herself feeling absolutely nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. She’d called a halt.
Only one man turned her blood to lava, made her desire him from deep within her soul, and that man was Shane.
His hands slid slowly around her back, and she didn’t even feel the movement as he led them toward the surrounding land, where he could stand and then use his hands to glide across her body. She should at least try to stop this, but why?
They both wanted it more than they wanted rescuing, so what was the use in pretending otherwise?
“You are mine, Lia. I have given you room, I have been patient, but you want me just as much as I want you, and my patience is finished,” he growled low in his throat before his lips covered hers once again.
She should protest his high-handedness, and she would — in just a few minutes…
Shane’s hands slid from her waist and gripped her round behind, pulling her up his body so his straining erection was pressed just outside of her core.
She wanted to wrap her legs around him and feel the sweet bliss of him deep inside her. She was a fool to deny both him and herself. The real world would still be there tomorrow, but right at this moment, she was with him, with the man she’d wanted for so long, and hadn’t had nearly long enough in their brief fling in Vegas two-odd years ago.
“Tell me you want me, Lia!” he
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