Don't Tempt Me (33 page)

"You mean that?" Those damned tears came back, and this time she couldn't blink them away.

"I do." He smiled gently as a tear rolled toward her temple and he brushed it away.

"I still don't want to move to L.A."

"I know." His face hovered above her, blocking out the sun as his thumb strummed along her jaw. "We'll talk about that later. Right now, I only need this." He lowered his head and kissed her.

At the familiar taste of his mouth, she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding tight, needing him so much it hurt. He tilted his head to deepen the kiss. Heat rushed through her as she molded her body to his, desire building with frightening speed.

He trailed kisses over her face. "God, I want you," he rasped, stroking the curve of her waist and hip. "Two months is way too long to do without you."

"Agreed." She freed one leg to wrap it around his thigh, pressing into him and finding him hard. He kissed her deep and hard until her body quivered.

With a groan, he lifted his head and glanced toward the crowded pier. "I really think it's past time we go someplace private."

Nodding, she let him pull her to her feet. She started to brush the sand from her body, but he grabbed her hand and took off at a fast walk. They headed for the jogging trail, their steps quickening as they turned onto the smaller trail that led up the hill to his house. By the time they reached the porch, they were running.

He pulled her to him, kissing her as he opened the door, skillfully playing her mouth. With one arm about her waist he lifted her as he stepped inside, then turned and pressed her against the door, closing it. He stared at her, his eyes intense. "I have some things I need to tell you, but first ---" He unzipped the wet suit. "I want you naked."

"Adrian!" She laughed at his eagerness.

"Right here. Right now." Taking hold of the wet suit, he started working it down her arms.

"Wait." She dropped back against the door to see his face. "What happened to patience and anticipation?"

His heated gaze fell to her breasts as they sprang free. "Sometimes fast is fun, too."

The suit trapped her arms, giving him free rein to cup her breasts. Her nipples hardened against his palms and a moan escaped as her head arched back. "Oh yes, fast definitely ... works for me."

His mouth closed over one nipple as he peeled the wet suit away. She wiggled, helping him as she pulled his shirt free and over his head. He kicked out of his shoes and stripped off his pants.

"Bedroom," she gasped.

"Too far." He pinned her back against the door, his hands running over her body. Thankfully, he didn't need to stop for a condom, since they'd covered that issue over the phone. The thought of having him naked inside her for the first time made her tremble even more.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he hoisted her up and her legs went around his hips. He pressed his hard, bare length against her heat, rubbing back and forth.

"Oh yes. Please," she gasped.

"Mmm, one of my favorite words." He kissed her neck as he teased her with his body, rubbing against her, driving her mad. "First, say you want me."

"Of course I want you. Now, please, now." Her eyes squeezed shut as she lifted herself, trying to take him inside.

"Say you love me."

"I love you," she echoed mindlessly, willing to say anything. He plunged, driving deep, and hit some magical spot that made stars explode. With a gasp, her eyes flew open. "Oh, God, yes. Right there."

He drew back and plunged again and again, with dead-on accuracy, until she shattered apart with only his arms holding her together. He thrust once more and held, his big, muscular body shuddering with the force of his own climax.

His grip loosened, and she instantly tightened her arms and legs, afraid she'd drop to the floor. But then he had her again, cradled against his chest as he carried her. Before the stars had cleared from her head, he'd pulled the covers back and lowered her to his bed. He settled beside her, gathering her in his arms.

Oh yes,
she remembered as he nuzzled her neck,
the cuddling part
. A smile curved her lips as she tried to decide which she liked better, explosive orgasms or snuggling afterward.

One of his hands smoothed down her side, cherishing her with tender affection.

A tie
, she decided.
A definite tie.

He lifted his head, his gaze caressing her face as if memorizing every detail. She blushed, imagining how she must look, like a cat who'd just finished a whole bowl of cream.

He smiled back, looking equally content, and mumbled something in a lazy voice.

"What did you say?" she asked, drifting.

"Marry me."

Chapter 24

His heart in his throat, Adrian watched for Jackie's reaction. This, he realized, was far worse than all the other uncertainties combined. For several long seconds, she just kept smiling as if floating in a dream. Then her eyes went wide.

"What!"

"Marry me."

She scrambled out from under him and pressed her back against the headboard. "Ohmygod! I can't believe you said that. What do you mean, marry you?"

Okay, maybe he could have timed this better, but he was committed now. "You know, exchange rings, take vows, grow old together. Marriage. It's not a new concept."

"I know what it is, but you don't spring something like that on a person without warning."

"Jackie," he said slowly, since she looked ready to crawl up the wall to get away from him. "This can't be that big a surprise. I've been chasing after you for eight months."

"I thought you wanted sex."

"Of course I wanted sex. But that's not all I want. Come on, didn't the fact that I call you ten times a day clue you in to something? Do you have any idea what my phone bill has been like since I met you?"

"You want to marry me to save money on your phone bill?"

He gave her a don't-be-stupid look. "That and the fact that I love you."

The air left her lungs in a rush. "Whoa." She looked around, swallowing hard. "I think ... I'm going to be sick."

She sprang from the bed and raced for the bathroom.

Alarmed, he went after her, but she slammed the door in his face. He stared at the panel, taken aback. Of all the reactions he'd imagined, having her throw up wasn't even on the list. Instinct told him to ignore the closed door and go help her, but he knew she wouldn't want him to see her bent over a toilet.

A minute later, he heard the commode flush and cracked the door to peek inside. He found her sitting on the floor, her head back against the wall, her eyes closed. Getting a washcloth, he wet it and took it to her.

"You know," he said, sitting on the edge of the tub, "you do wonders for my ego."

"Your ego is just fine." She hiccuped, and pressed the washcloth to her mouth. A rush of tears filled her eyes. "No one's ever said that to me before."

"What, 'Marry me'?"

"No. 'I love you'."

He stared at her."No one?"

"Not that I remember. Maybe when I was little. I always wanted ... that. Not just to hear the words, although, that's ..." She swallowed again. "That's ... yeah."

"You're not going to be sick again, are you?"

Tears tumbled down her cheeks. "I didn't know it felt like that to hear someone say it."

"It's kind of a shock to the system on this end, too."

"But you've probably said it and heard it all your life."

"With my family, yeah." He watched her dry her eyes. "But never like this. I've never been in love like this before. And I have to say, I'm starting to get a little queasy myself since you haven't given me an answer. So, what do you think?" He managed to smile past his panic. "Wanna marry me?"

"I can't answer that! I haven't had time to think about it." She rose and went to the sink to splash water on her face and rinse her mouth. Squirting toothpaste on her finger, she scrubbed her teeth. "Where are my clothes? I need to get dressed."

"All you have is your wet suit."

She went through the bedroom toward the door to the hall.

"Hang on."

"What?" She turned with a dazed look. This really wasn't going well at all.

"I'll get you something to wear, then we can sit and talk." Off balance and more scared than he could ever remember being, he grabbed a T-shirt and pair of jogging shorts for her. While she dressed, he slipped on a pair of chef's pants. When he straightened to look at her, she still looked so lost his heart twisted. "Come with me."

She let herself be towed into the living room, where he pointed to the sofa.

"Sit. I'll get you some water." When she nodded, he went to the kitchen and returned with a glass of ice water. Handing it to her, he sat beside her and waited until she took a few sips and some color returned to her cheeks. "Okay. Now tell me what you have to think about."

"A lot of things. Geez!" She pressed a hand to her forehead. "The logistics. The timing. Good grief, there's all kinds of things to consider here."

"Right." He wanted to kick himself. "I guess I got this out of order."

"Got what out of order?" She set the glass aside as if afraid she'd drop it.

"Remember I said I had some things to tell you?"

"When did you say that?" She frowned at him.

"Right before I stripped you naked and we both got distracted. Sorry. Really. I actually had this planned out better. I was going to cook you dinner, talk to you over candlelight, and propose over dessert"

"You mean you
planned
to ask me?" The thought clearly mystified her. "It didn't just pop out on the spur of the moment?"

"Actually" ---he took her hand, still icy from the glass ---"I've been thinking about it for quite a while, and pretty much nonstop for the last week."

She just sat there, her eyes wide.

"Here's the deal." He rubbed her fingers to warm them. "I don't want to live in L.A., either. Three weeks was enough, believe me. At first it was great. In fact if I'd taken the agent up on his offer back when I was a teenager, I probably would have eaten it up ---and become a completely different person. A very vain, shallow, obnoxious person. So, thank God I chose family then, just as I'm going to choose family now."

"You're going to give all that up for your sisters?"

"Not just them."

"Oh ... no." She shook her head, looking ready to bolt again. "Don't you dare say me. I already told you not to let me stand in your way. This is your big chance. I don't want you to give it up because of me."

"But that's the thing. After thinking it through, I've realized I'm not giving anything up. At least, nothing I care about. I've talked to Brian, my agent, and asked him to tell the producers I'll only do the show if they film it here."

"But what about the modeling, and the TV commercials, and the cookbook?"

"I've decided to say no to the modeling, since it doesn't interest me, maybe to the commercials, because I do like to act and it won't require moving to L.A., and yes to the cookbook, but somewhere down the line."

"And what if the network says no to filming the show here?"

"Then I won't do it." Staring into her eyes, he trailed his fingertips from her temple to the curve of her cheek. "I finally figured out that what I want is to live and work here at the inn, surrounded by people I happen to enjoy. I only felt restless because you weren't in the picture yet." His fingertips moved to her chin. "I'm tired of only seeing you once a month, though, so I want you to move your business here, and I want to sail with you whenever possible. Now, what do you think?"

"I ..." She swayed into his touch, wanting to give in, then pulled herself back. "I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know?" His hand fell away.

"Adrian, this is huge!"
It's everything I've ever wanted and I'm scared to death to reach for it and have it blow up in my face. I don't know where the bombs are in this minefield.
 "I need some time to think this through."

"I see."

She saw the hurt in his eyes and rushed to soothe his feelings. "Oh, please don't take that the wrong way. Please. I just need to think."

"All right," he agreed, visibly struggling to understand. "I'll wait for your answer, since I don't really have a choice, but I want to know one thing. Did you mean it when you said it? Or did you just blurt it out when you were too excited to think straight?"

"Blurt what out?" She frowned.

"You said you love me."

"I did?" Her lungs constricted. "When?"

He stared at her.

She thought about it, then blushed. "Oh. Then."

"Well?"

"I ..." The words stuck in her throat. "Oh God, this really is hard."

"Tell me about it." He squeezed her hand in encouragement. "If it helps, I promise not to throw up when you say it."