of hope the way a shipwrecked sailor clung to a life raft.
‘Actually, I
am
protected,’ she said. ‘That’s something we don’t have to worry about.’
The breath left his body in a whoosh. Regular breathing resumed.
‘Call it a complete stab in the dark,’ said Hallie dryly, ‘but I’m guessing marriage and children aren’t on your to-do list.’
‘I, uh …’ He was still recovering, still trying to regroup. ‘No, they’re on the list,’ he said at last. ‘They’re just not at the
top
of the list at this point in time.’
‘Ah.’ She smiled. ‘Good to know.’ And from beneath lowered lashes, ‘For what it’s worth, I think you’re an incredible lover. I’m glad you weremy first.’ Then she lifted her face to the water and put her hands to her hair in a move so innately sensual he felt the force of it like a punch to his stomach.
Definitely not part of the plan, he thought as he dragged her up against him with a muffled curse. And took her again.
Nick soaped up beneath the spray as Hallie stepped from the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. She slid him a dreamy smile, followed up with a stern warning for him to keep his distance. Not a problem, he thought wryly, because, frankly, he was spent.
Lovemaking had always been a pleasurable pastime for Nick. Sometimes it was slow and lazy, sometimes quick and playful. This time had been different. This time his climax had ripped through him like a tornado, leaving him dazed and shaken. And worried.
So what if she was a generous lover?
So what if towards the end there he’d hardly known who or where he was, only who he was with? It wasn’t as if he’d found The One. Hell, he was only thirty; he was far too young for that. He had years and years left before
that
happened.
Yeah, whispered his brain. Years and years ofmediocre sex that will never
ever
measure up to what you’ve just experienced with one Hallie Bennett.
‘No,’ he said fiercely.
Oh yeah, throbbed his heart. Years and years spent searching for another Titian-haired, golden–eyed witch whose smile warms you through and whose kisses make your soul tremble.
‘No!’ Louder this time. This was not happening. Regardless of her sweetness, her savvy and her thorough understanding of football, Hallie Bennett was definitely
not
The One.
He wouldn’t let her be.
Hallie was lying on her stomach on the freshly made bed, leafing through the travel guide to Hong Kong he’d given her, when Nick finally emerged from the bathroom. Her trouser-clad legs were bent at the knees, her dainty little feet- clad in strappy little sandals- were crossed at the ankles. Her arms were bent at the elbows, her collared shirt showed a modest amount of cleavage. She looked casual, comfortable and perfectly at ease. Perfectly approachable, which was good because he was about to re-establish the boundaries of their relationship.
Just as soon as he put some clothes on.
She looked up at him and smiled as he crossed to the wardrobe and there was lazy satisfaction in that smile, a woman’s awareness. His doing, his alone, for there’d been no one else before him and damned if he didn’t relish the notion.
No way. No. This was
not
happening.
He turned his back on her and dressed fast, deliberately avoiding her gaze as he headed for the sideboard and his business papers.
‘I’ve been thinking,’ he said gruffly.
‘It shows.’
He shot her a glance, darkly amused. ‘I’ve been thinking we should stick to the plan from now on.’
‘Fine.’
‘I mean, the whole point of bringing you along was so that this kind of complication
wouldn’t
crop up.’
‘I know.’
‘We got a bit carried away, that was all.’
She smiled at that and he had the uncomfortable feeling that she’d anticipated each and every one of his defences.
‘I promise it won’t happen again,’ she said, and it was all he could do to keep his jaw from hitting the ground. ‘That’s what you want to hear, isn’t
‘Actually, I
am
protected,’ she said. ‘That’s something we don’t have to worry about.’
The breath left his body in a whoosh. Regular breathing resumed.
‘Call it a complete stab in the dark,’ said Hallie dryly, ‘but I’m guessing marriage and children aren’t on your to-do list.’
‘I, uh …’ He was still recovering, still trying to regroup. ‘No, they’re on the list,’ he said at last. ‘They’re just not at the
top
of the list at this point in time.’
‘Ah.’ She smiled. ‘Good to know.’ And from beneath lowered lashes, ‘For what it’s worth, I think you’re an incredible lover. I’m glad you weremy first.’ Then she lifted her face to the water and put her hands to her hair in a move so innately sensual he felt the force of it like a punch to his stomach.
Definitely not part of the plan, he thought as he dragged her up against him with a muffled curse. And took her again.
Nick soaped up beneath the spray as Hallie stepped from the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. She slid him a dreamy smile, followed up with a stern warning for him to keep his distance. Not a problem, he thought wryly, because, frankly, he was spent.
Lovemaking had always been a pleasurable pastime for Nick. Sometimes it was slow and lazy, sometimes quick and playful. This time had been different. This time his climax had ripped through him like a tornado, leaving him dazed and shaken. And worried.
So what if she was a generous lover?
So what if towards the end there he’d hardly known who or where he was, only who he was with? It wasn’t as if he’d found The One. Hell, he was only thirty; he was far too young for that. He had years and years left before
that
happened.
Yeah, whispered his brain. Years and years ofmediocre sex that will never
ever
measure up to what you’ve just experienced with one Hallie Bennett.
‘No,’ he said fiercely.
Oh yeah, throbbed his heart. Years and years spent searching for another Titian-haired, golden–eyed witch whose smile warms you through and whose kisses make your soul tremble.
‘No!’ Louder this time. This was not happening. Regardless of her sweetness, her savvy and her thorough understanding of football, Hallie Bennett was definitely
not
The One.
He wouldn’t let her be.
Hallie was lying on her stomach on the freshly made bed, leafing through the travel guide to Hong Kong he’d given her, when Nick finally emerged from the bathroom. Her trouser-clad legs were bent at the knees, her dainty little feet- clad in strappy little sandals- were crossed at the ankles. Her arms were bent at the elbows, her collared shirt showed a modest amount of cleavage. She looked casual, comfortable and perfectly at ease. Perfectly approachable, which was good because he was about to re-establish the boundaries of their relationship.
Just as soon as he put some clothes on.
She looked up at him and smiled as he crossed to the wardrobe and there was lazy satisfaction in that smile, a woman’s awareness. His doing, his alone, for there’d been no one else before him and damned if he didn’t relish the notion.
No way. No. This was
not
happening.
He turned his back on her and dressed fast, deliberately avoiding her gaze as he headed for the sideboard and his business papers.
‘I’ve been thinking,’ he said gruffly.
‘It shows.’
He shot her a glance, darkly amused. ‘I’ve been thinking we should stick to the plan from now on.’
‘Fine.’
‘I mean, the whole point of bringing you along was so that this kind of complication
wouldn’t
crop up.’
‘I know.’
‘We got a bit carried away, that was all.’
She smiled at that and he had the uncomfortable feeling that she’d anticipated each and every one of his defences.
‘I promise it won’t happen again,’ she said, and it was all he could do to keep his jaw from hitting the ground. ‘That’s what you want to hear, isn’t
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