Desert Rain (19 page)

Deliberately Lincs palms caressed up the length of Hollys thighs.

Her breath caught in her throat, only to be let out in a groan of dismay. He did no more
than let his palms glide over her, ruffling the midnight nest of hair.

Linc?

Hmm?

She opened her eyes and saw the intense pleasure he took simply in watching his hands on
her body.

When he sensed her look, he smiled and let his hands move slowly from her navel to her
breasts. The nipples hardened even more beneath his fingertips, telling him of her growing
arousal.

Lincs breath came out in a rush. Slowly he lowered his face between her breasts, kissing
her with great gentleness.

Only then did he admit to himself how much he feared he had lost her.

After a long moment Linc lifted his head and kissed Hollys lips with an unhurried pleasure
that made her tremble. Then he lowered his head to trace her nipples with lazy strokes of
his tongue. His teeth closed delicately around her taut flesh, drawing gasps of pleasure
from her.

Slowly, deliberately, he caressed the length of her body with his teeth and tongue and
lips, pausing to taste each new curve of flesh. And all the while his hands moved in slow,
undemanding rhythms over her skin.

When Lincs teeth found the softness of Hollys inner thighs, she twisted slowly against
him. Her fingers threaded into his thick hair in a sensual demand she wasnt even aware of
making.

She felt an agony of suspense as his mouth hesitated, then moved upward. He nuzzled aside
her midnight hair and discovered the scented, melting heat of her response.

Linc whispered her name and her beauty against her softness. Then he began a slow,
thorough savoring of all the textures of her desire. He felt the waves of pleasure that
claimed her, heard her broken breathing, trembled to hear his own name called with each
ragged breath she took.

After a time Linc resumed his languid exploration of Hollys body. His tongue teased her
sensitive navel, made her breasts ache with pleasure, and gently tormented her lips.

His hand stroked her from her earlobes to the vulnerable hollow of her throat. He
cherished her breasts, her navel, then eased his fingers into the silky hair between her
thighs. Tenderly he sought the sleek, incredible softness inside her.

Holly made a sound deep in her throat and moved hungrily against him, asking.

Linc went rigid, gripped in a vise of relief and hunger that almost overwhelmed him. Many
women enjoyed love play. Not as many liked having a man inside them. He had been afraid
that he had killed that expression of passion in Holly.

Whats wrong? she whispered.

Her hands slid over Lincs face, tilting his head up to her, looking at his eyes.

I was afraid youd never want me inside you again, he said raggedly. But you do. Your body
cant lie.

His fingers stroked intimately.

The rhythm of his caresses stole the breath from Hollys throat in a husky sigh. Her hips
moved against his hand with a sinuous demand that shredded his control.

Linc closed his eyes, fighting to master his fierce response to her innocent sensuality.
When he opened his eyes, she was watching him. She held out her arms to him. Im not afraid
of your strength anymore, Holly said simply.

Despite her words, Linc gathered her against his body as though she were more fragile than
her new trust in him.

Hollys hands slid down his naked back, pulling him closer, savoring the power of him, a
power that he was holding in check for her.

But she no longer wanted him to hold back.

She took his hand and guided it down her body. The intimacy of his fingers was no longer a
shock, but rather a revelation of her own sensual possibilities.

With each sleek, probing movement of Lincs hand, the languid weakness that pervaded Holly
became a tension that had nothing to do with fear. A fine mist bloomed over her skin and
her breath shortened. She moved against him with liquid warmth, melting over him with
small moans.

Linc shivered as wild hunger fought self-control.

When her fingers found the towel that was still wrapped around his hips, she tugged it off
impatiently.

Holly Linc began.

I want to feel your skin against mine. All of you.

This time when Holly touched his heavily aroused body, she didnt retreat.

As warm fingers closed around him, Linc couldnt control the groan that shuddered through
his chest. Guiding himself to her sleek center, he rubbed gently against her soft, very
sensitive flesh.

A sunburst of fire went through Holly. She twisted against him, trying to touch all of him
at once, seeking something that would end the beautiful agony gripping her. She whispered
his name in a litany of desire, asking him to be part of her.

Are you sure? Linc said huskily, fighting his own consuming need to be inside her. I
couldnt live with hurting you again.

She shifted, opening herself to his body with a trust that almost undid him.

Hands trembling, he reached into the bedside drawer. With swift motions he sheathed
himself.

Linc?

Gently, Holly. Very gently.

He guided her legs around his waist. Then he teased her slick softness with his body until
she cried out and melted all over him again.

At that instant Linc began to take her, using the same tender care that he had in seducing
her. He advanced by fractions, always giving less of himself than she wanted.

Linc, she said, trembling. You said you would make the ache go away. Youve made it worse!

With a husky sound that was Hollys name, Linc let himself sink into her.

Hollys eyes widened with surprise as she felt how deeply they were joined.

Does thishurt you? he managed.

She tried to answer. She couldnt. A sweet heat was melting her very core, spilling over to
him.

It was the only answer Linc needed and far more than he had expected. He moved slowly
within Holly, deeply, watching her surprise and wonder as her own sensuality consumed her,
giving her wholly to him.

Arching, shivering, crying his name again and again, Holly clung to the man who was giving
her ecstasy.

Linc kept moving slowly, wanting it to last forever, to spend his life held within the
shimmering instant of Hollys consummation. Fiercely he willed himself not to give in.

Then he felt control being stripped from him heartbeat by heartbeat. Each silky
contraction of her body was a tongue of fire licking over him.

With a throttled cry he bent down and drank the cries of ecstasy from her lips, letting
himself drown in the sweet rain of her release.

The next morning Holly woke up still held closely along Lincs powerful body. Their legs
were tangled together, his arms were around her, and the hair on his chest both tickled
and delighted her.

With unselfconscious pleasure she burrowed against him. She enjoyed the intimacy of his
hard thigh between her legs, his muscular chest warming her breasts, the strong tendons of
his neck beneath her palm. She moved even closer to him, savoring the changing pressure of
his body on hers.

Memories of their lovemaking sparked through her. Last night had been a time of sleeping
and waking in warm darkness to the feel of Lincs mouth loving her. Passion had broken over
them like a desert storm, shaking them until they cried out and held each other in an
ecstasy as fierce as lightning.

Then Holly had slept again and awakened with a smile because even in total darkness, she
knew Linc was near. She could taste him, touch him, drink in his presence with every sense
in her body. Then she could pull his male strength around her until he filled her and
lightning rained down again.

Heat uncurled in the pit of Hollys stomach as she remembered how it had been. She tried to
lie quietly, but finally the temptation of having Linc so near was too great to resist any
longer.

She stretched sensually against her sleeping lover, caressing and being caressed by his
body in return. Smiling and murmuring softly, her skin so sensitized to his presence that
it was almost painful, Holly stretched again.

Even before Linc was fully awake, his arms tightened around her. He pulled her onto his
chest and smoothed his hands down her spine to her hips.

Holly shivered with pleasure and sensual anticipation. She smiled down at him. Good
morning, she said huskily.

Linc looked at Holly for a long time. His hazel eyes were dark with emotions that she
couldnt name, but she sensed that all of them werent as warm and peaceful as hers.

Youre even more beautiful in the morning, he said, thinking about the night before.

Memories of Holly, sweet and wild and abandoned in his arms, responding to him as no other
woman ever had.

Memories of himself, responding to her as he never had to any woman.

Then came memories of his father, a shell of a man obsessed by a woman too beautiful to be
faithful to just one man.

MyGod,whatamIgoingtodo...?Lincaskedinarawtone.

Hollys breath caught at the tension in him, the darkness in his eyes and voice. She knew
he was thinking of his mother and stepmother, as cruel as they had been beautiful.

Youre going to trust me, Holly said. Im not like them.

Before he could respond, she bent her head and traced his lips with the tip of her tongue.

I love you, Linc.

He groaned and buried his fingers in her thick, long hair. He held her mouth against his
in a passionate kiss.

The phone on the bedside table rang.

He ignored it. The mating of her mouth with his was too good to end.

The phone kept ringing.

Five times. Six.

I never should have plugged the damned thing in again, Linc said against her lips.

Silently Holly agreed. Silently, because Linc was kissing her again, deeply, telling her
with each slow movement of his tongue how much he wanted her.

Ten rings.

Eleven.

Twelve.

With a savage curse, Linc turned aside. His finger raked over a switch, activating the
speaker on the phone.

People usually give up after twelve rings, he snarled.

There was a pause, then Rogers laughter floated up out of the phone.

Good morning to you, too, Roger said dryly. Is Shannon still around, or did you have her
for a midnight snack?

Linc raised an eyebrow in Hollys direction.

She sighed.

Good morning, Roger, she said with a total lack of enthusiasm.

She tried to ignore Lincs expression, changing as she watched, stopping just short of the
hard-faced stranger who had taken her so casually the first time.

Then she remembered his anguish when he realized what he had done . . . and the single
tear that had burned all the way through her skin to her very soul.

Silently Holly prayed for more time with Linc.

Hell learn to trust me,she thought,if only I have more time before were torn apart.

Roger cleared his throat.

Holly realized he must had said something that she hadnt responded to.

What was that? she asked.

Sorry if I caught you at an inappropriate moment, Roger said. We leave for Cabo San Lucas
in an hour.

Thats not enough warning she began.

Its all I have, he interrupted. Hurricane Giselle is closing in on the cape.

But

If were lucky, Roger continued relentlessly, well get five days. If not, only two. Giselle
and the fashion seasons wait for no man. Ive packed up your stuff here. Meet us at the
airport in an hour.

Holly made a sound of frustration. Cant I fly down after you have everything in place? she
asked. Its already in place. I sent the technicians there when Hidden Springs was rained
out. She muttered something. So did Roger.

Really, love, Im sorry, he said finally. But were behind schedule as it is. If we dont get
the shots we need, the Romance campaign is in the loo.

Get another model, Linc said.

His voice was clear and hard enough to make Holly flinch.

Rogers laugh was equally hard.

Youre joking, Roger retorted. Shannonis the Royce Romance campaign.

Linc looked at her.

Waiting.

Ill be at the airport in an hour, she said tonelessly.

She flipped the switch before Roger could reply.

Linc got out of bed in a single, savage motion. He stood with his back to her. Every
muscle in his big body was rigid with tension. When he spoke, his voice showed the effort
it took to control himself.

Why? Linc asked. Its my job. Quit. Im under contract. Break it.

Hollys breath came in with a rough sound. Too soon,she thought wildly.This is all
happening too soon. No, she said. Slowly Linc turned around. His eyes searched hers. She
met them squarely. Is it so important for you to be wanted by more than one man? Linc
asked. What? You heard me. That has nothing to do with it! It did for the two models I
knew, he said coldly.

They werent typical, Holly said. Women who call themselves models and sell sex on the side
dont last long.

Yeah. Right.

You bet Im right, she said in a rising voice. What those so-called models are peddling is
nothing special. It can be found in any town big enough to have an alley.

Lincs disbelief showed in the sardonic curl of his mouth.

Holly got up and walked over to him.

Listen to me, she said. Real models work on their feet, not their back, and they work
damned hard.

Doing what? Undressing?

Real models hold poses in impossible positions for hours on end and smile convincingly on
command, she said flatly.

Linc looked skeptical.

Real models dont eat when theyre hungry, Holly said. Real models exercise when theyd
rather be asleep, work long hours under miserable conditions and then put up with insults
from ignorant, bigoted people who think that model is another name for whore.

Linc watched her with eyes that were nearly black, as opaque as stones at the bottom of a
twilight river. She took a deep, shaking breath, caught between anger and a fear that was
turning her stomach to ice. Models arent whores, she said. Fashion is a business. Models
are part of it. Some business. Showing off overpriced clothes for rich women.