My Only Wish (7 page)

It only took a moment before he wrested control away. Molding her body to his, she shivered at the feel of him already hard between them.

Power surged through her, knowing that he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

He opened her mouth greedily, and she moaned as their tongues entwined, mating in a way that had her blood firing hotter.

She needed skin, the hot, silky press against her hands.

“I want—”

He cut her off with another demanding kiss before breaking away. “Take what you want,” he said, holding her head gently as his gaze burned into hers. “I’ll give you anything.”

Her breath clogged in her throat. She knew he didn’t really mean that, but it didn’t matter.

Hands trailing down, she tugged his shirt out of his jeans, quickly reaching underneath. The shudder that wracked through him had her feeling bolder than she usually dared. Moving to the front, she relished the feel of his muscles tensing in every place she grazed.

Releasing her mouth, he moved to her neck, licking and sucking the skin until she moaned. It was as though she wanted—needed—to bring him to the point of insanity.

As his tongue teased and flicked, she purred every time he found a sensitive place.

He cursed them, moving to jerk his shirt over his head. He grabbed her, pulling her into his lap as he moved to sit on the couch. She gasped as she straddled him, the feel of him, hot and pulsing beneath her.

Out of her mind, all she knew was that she wanted more. More of him, more of feeling this way. He unlocked a part of her that she had kept tightly hidden away. A part of her that didn’t want to be ignored any longer.

Reaching across her body, she tugged at the hem of her halter, pulling it up and over her head.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he said reverently, looking over the mounds encased in black lace. “Absolutely perfect.” His look and tender words pulled at something deep within her. And for once, she believed she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

Leaning back, she let him look his fill, almost daring him to see how far he could control himself.

Grazing her stomach, his fingers played with her skin, moving up to cup her in both hands. Leaning forward, he nipped at her taut peaks through the lace, causing an arrow of heat to fly through her body.

With his hands between them, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in for another fevered kiss.

He teased her with his fingers, plucking at the lace like a master, until she moaned, instinctively moving her hips against him.

Growling, his kiss became harder as he probed deeper into her mouth. His hands came to her waist, holding her, moving her against him in a rhythm that left them both wanting more.

She couldn’t think. Could barely breathe as they rode the storm of passion together.

It took a moment for her head to clear before she realized he was holding her away from him, his breath ragged as his eyes burned into hers.

“There’s nothing more that I want in this moment than to lay you down on this couch and make love to you.” Her heart leaped into her throat at his words, thrilling at the heat in his eyes. But she knew it wasn’t the right time. As much as she wanted him, to find pleasure in his arms and give him the same in return, she needed more. No matter what she thought the night before when she entered the bar.

Seeming to understand her feelings, he brought her closer for a lingering kiss, probing her mouth slowly as if to savor her.

He released her in degrees, looking as if he wanted to curse for stopping. But his reluctance only made her yearn for him more. He cared enough about her to respect her.

Helping her adjust the neck of her halter, he drew her hair aside and planted a kiss to her cooling skin, leaving a shiver in its wake.

Taking her hand, he led her outside, and she was surprised to see they had docked already. “I’ll take you home.”

She knew it was for the best. Because if she spent any more time with him, she was afraid she would jump him no matter what the consequences were.

“Do you have plans on Wednesday?”

 
“No. But, I have a stipulation about a second date.” Helping her into the car, he looked at her curiously. “I get to plan it.”

Part of her wondered if he would balk at her taking control, but when he laughed in amusement, she knew he didn’t mind. “I think I can handle that.”

“Good. But just so you know. I don’t think I can come up with anything that could top tonight, but I promise you’ll have fun.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

They didn’t speak much on the ride back, and she was grateful that they didn’t feel the need to fill the silence.

With a final kiss on her porch that left them both breathless, she went inside and closed the door, leaning against the frame, weak with pleasure.

Chapter 6

The beginning of the week flew by as Abby enjoyed more holiday rituals. Her mom had begun making the usual assortment of holiday candies, as it was now December fifth, and she wanted to get her goody plates out to her neighbors early.

For the past two days, Abby had been up to her elbows in cookies, caramels, chocolate, and lolly-pops, with little time to think of anything other than getting the concoctions up to a certain temperature. After ruining the first batch of caramels, she had been determined to lock out thoughts of Dylan while cooking.

But today, she was free to do so, and the thoughts that entered her mind had her heart hammering. What had passed between them on the yacht was overwhelming.

She hadn’t been a nun in her life, but she could definitely say that every experience had paled in comparison to that night. They had been in tune, completely in sync with each other’s emotions and desires.

That connection was something that her heart yearned for, something that she had wanted her whole life.

But was it only physical? She hopped in the shower, still pondering the question.

She hoped it wasn’t. The time they had spent talking, getting to know each other, had been just as enjoyable. He had a sense of humor that she appreciated, and he put her at ease.

She didn’t feel the need to be anyone than who she was, and she relished that.

Finding out more about him, picking away at the different layers to find the man beneath intrigued her. But would she like what she ultimately found?

After drying off, she donned her red cashmere sweater and some jeans. Pleased, when she noticed that they drew attention to her curves. Not that she wanted to be overly sexual, but she did want him to notice her.

Pulling her hair back in a low ponytail, she secured it tightly. The salty air that day would wreak havoc in a matter of seconds. But she didn’t care.

Her cell phone rang on her nightstand, still charging from the night before. Seeing the number, she felt her stomach drop in disappointment.

“Hello, Mrs. Shaw. How is your vacation going?” She tried not to fidget as she waited for her employer’s response. But she already knew what she would say.

“Wonderful, Abby, but we had to hurry back for a meeting. I know this is your time off, but we really need you to watch the kids today.”

“Of course.”

“Thank you. I know it is an imposition. I hope you didn’t have any plans.”

“Nothing that can’t be rescheduled,” Abby said reassuringly, but she wished she didn’t have to. She had looked forward to today and was bitterly disappointed that she wouldn’t get to see Dylan.

“Excellent. We need to leave in an hour, but if you need a little more time to get ready, Mrs. Bennett is here.” The housekeeper that Mrs. Shaw spoke of would be able to handle the kids until Abby arrived, but she knew that the older woman would ply the kids with so many sweets that they would have stomachaches by noon.

“An hour should be fine.”

“All right. We’ll see you then.”

After hearing the click on the other end, Abby ended the call and sank down into a chair. It wasn’t often that she minded her career, it was just times like these where she suddenly wished for traditional job hours. But there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

Mr. and Mrs. Shaw paid her well to be at their disposal, whether they needed her at noon or midnight. Both lawyers, they owned a law firm that did steady business and often took them away at inconvenient times.

Still, her ruined plans were a disappointment.

Reaching for her phone again, she went to dial Dylan’s number to tell him about the change in plans but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Glancing at the glowing screen, she saw that he was right on time. She winced, thinking of the time he wasted in coming to get her.

She opened the door wide, inviting him in. “Hi.”

He stepped inside, his limbs moving easily in his jeans and black bomber jacket. “Hi.” He searched her face. “Is something wrong?”

“Not really wrong, but I’ve been called in to work today.”

“To watch the kids? I thought they were out of town.” He didn’t look upset, which she was grateful for, just curious.

“Yes. Their parents are lawyers and get called in for last minute meetings sometimes. Apparently this was important enough to fly in for.”

“I see. When do you have to go get them?”

“I need to be there in an hour.” She held up her hands before letting them fall back down. “I’m sorry about this. I just got their call only a few minutes before you arrived. I’m sorry you wasted your time driving here.”

“It’s no problem.” He shrugged her concern away, and she felt more at ease. A part of her had been worried about his reaction. Some men she had dated had hated it when something like this happened, and while they did their best to veil their reactions, she could tell they resented it. “I understand when work pops up like this. It’s actually quite common in my field.”

“I can imagine.” And she could. PI work was another field in which traditional hours didn’t apply. “I love the kids, but I’m disappointed we won’t be spending the day together.”

“What had you planned?”

“A day at the pier. I thought it could be fun to wander around and have a casual lunch at the beach.”

“Sounds fun. Is there a reason we can’t still go?”

“Well, yes. I have to work.” She laughed but looked at him in question. She had already told him that.

“You said you needed to watch the kids. But from what I’ve seen of children, I think they’d enjoy the day out. Aren’t you allowed to take them with you?”

“Yes, but… Are you saying that you want to spend the day with the kids and me?”

“That was the general idea.” He moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Do you have a problem with that?”

She looked up into his eyes, and was startled by the sincerity she saw there. He really wanted to. “No. I’m just surprised. Not a lot of guys would want to take kids on a second date.”

“I’m not most guys,” he said quietly, almost like he was imparting a secret.

“I can see that.” But she looked at him skeptically. “Do you have any idea what you’re in for?”

He only smiled. “I have an idea. I was once a kid myself.”

She laughed. “All right then. This should be interesting.” Leaning up, she brushed a soft kiss against his lips. “Thank you for this.” Regardless of how the day turned out, she had learned something important about his character. He cared. And he didn’t mind being inconvenienced. His patience and attitude spoke volumes about him. And she couldn’t help but feel herself be even more drawn to him.