TheTemptationNotJustifiedAReFinal (12 page)

“With
what money?” Celeste demanded. “Why would he tell her such a thing when he
knows he’s not going to do it?”

“I
know, honey, but I thought I’d warn you. She’s already excited, and she chattered
about it from the minute she hung up the phone. She drew one of her little
pictures and hung it on the refrigerator. She said it’s a picture of you, her,
and her daddy in Washington.”

Tears
pricked behind Celeste’s eyes. “All right,” she said, feeling defeated. “I’ll
handle it.”

“Don’t
let it bother you too much, honey. How’s your little trip going?”

“It’s
going.”

“Is
everything okay?”

Celeste
almost caved at the worried tone of her mother’s voice. Sadness came over her.

“I’m
fine. I have a lot on my mind. Kiss my baby for me, okay?”

She
needed to confide in someone, but she couldn’t tell her mother she’d fallen
hard for a man who thought she was a cheater and who also thought she was involved
with his brother. Even if she’d had any chance of developing a budding romance
with him, she’d blown it by making the mistake of coming here under false
pretenses. She didn’t dare dream he had stronger feelings for her besides the
undeniable physical attraction between them. If she thought for one second he
did, she would have a talk with Derrick to end the deception.

When
she hit “end” on her cell phone, Celeste plopped onto her back across the bed.

As
vacations went, this was not a good one.

She
rolled onto her side. One full day to go. She would leave this picturesque
location and go back to the stark reality of her life, having to prevent any
damage her ex could cause to her daughter by not following through on his
promise.

“Jerk!”
she said softly, squeezing her eyes against the tears. She would tell him off
as soon as she could. She didn’t have the energy right now.

Hours
later, Celeste still hadn’t fallen asleep. Her mind raced with thoughts of Roarke,
her ex, and her daughter. Feeling restless, she rolled out of bed and slipped
on a pair of shorts and an oversized shirt.

Maybe
a walk on the beach would help. She could wade into the water, a pleasure she
hadn’t indulged in since she’d come here.

Barefoot,
Celeste tiptoed down the stairs. The quiet of the house made her move carefully
so as not to make a sound and disturb anyone in the household. She eased out
the back door and made her way off the porch onto the grass.

Stretching
her arms high above her head, she gazed up at the star-filled night. So many
stars. An ocean breeze mussed her loose hair and cooled her skin.

Movement
at the corner of her eye caused her to turn sharply. Roarke stood there, hidden
in the shadows. He wore only a pair of jeans, his broad chest bare, his
chocolate skin gleaming in the moonlight. Raw masculinity oozed from every
pore.

“I
didn’t know anyone was out here. I’ll go—”

“Don’t
leave on my account.”

Chapter
Ten

“We’re
supposed to stay away from each other.” Funny she had to keep reminding him of
that. The message wouldn’t register in his brain.

The porch
light shone down on her like a spotlight, showing off her bare legs in a pair
of shorts and an oversized shirt that hung seductively off one shoulder.

“I
think there’s enough space out here to keep us far enough apart from each
other. Don’t you?”

If
he answered his own question, the answer would be no. The yawning expanse of the
Grand Canyon didn’t provide enough space to keep him a safe distance from this
woman.

“I
guess.” Celeste grew silent, and Roarke returned his attention to the black
water. It rolled up to the seashore, the lulling sound almost hypnotic. “I
couldn’t sleep,” he heard her say, “so I came out here to get my feet wet.”

He
held up his bare foot and showed jeans rolled up to his calves. “Same here.” That
was only half the truth. Yes, he couldn’t sleep, but he’d come outside because
inside the house, he couldn’t stop thinking about her, knowing she slept but a
few feet away.

A
smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, and he smiled back. Easy. He knew
better than to get too relaxed. The minute he let his guard down, he’d be doing
something foolish and impulsive. And hypocritical.

He
should have let her walk back into the house as she’d intended. Avoidance would
be the best way to keep the wild attraction at bay, but he didn’t want to avoid
her. He’d watched her descend the stairs and stretch her arms above her head to
ease her tense muscles.

At
the same time, taunting thoughts dared him to step behind her and remove the
oversized shirt, which didn’t hide anything, only tempted. They encouraged him
to push her down on the grass and quench his thirst for her. A thirst so deeply
ingrained in him, it seemed to be part of his DNA. The day spent in her company
had only been bearable because being in public created a buffer, forcing him to
behave with a grain of common decency.

Celeste
lifted her eyes heavenward and showed off the graceful line of her neck. “I
hope this isn’t a stupid question,” she said, lowering her gaze back to him, “but
I’ve always wondered, why does it seem as if there are more stars in places
like this? In Atlanta, I hardly ever see them. Someone told me once it’s
because of the lights in the city. Is that true?”

“It’s
not a stupid question, and yes, it’s true. The reason we can’t see the stars in
cities is because of light pollution. Light pollution happens when naturally occurring
light levels are altered by artificial light. The light from signs,
streetlights, et cetera shine directly upward and obscure the stars, making
them difficult to see in larger cities. It’s also a pain for astronomers,
because it limits our ability to make good observations.”

She
listened with rapt attention. “I can see how much you love what you do.”

“I
can’t deny it. I do.” He hooked his thumb in a loop of his jeans. “Being able
to escape into my own world, into the stars, helped me through some difficult
periods in my life.”

“Derrick
told me about your parents.” She appeared hesitant, as if she wanted to gauge
if she’d said too much.

“So
now you know the whole sordid story. Did he tell you my mother died soon after
our father did? Supposedly of a heart attack, but . . . well, we think her
heart was broken from losing my father and finding out he was with his mistress
when he died. The actions of two people hurt a lot of other people.”

“How
did you handle all of it?” she asked quietly.

“To
be honest, I didn’t think about it much. I grieved, but not for long. I had to
take care of my brother and sister, and my first semester at MIT was about to
start. I couldn’t let what happened to our parents keep us from moving forward.
The pain of my parents’ deaths and the chaos afterward slowed me down for a
bit, but we were alive, and our whole lives stretched ahead of us. Our only
option was to move forward.”

Celeste
bowed her head, and he watched as she drew shapes in the grass with her toe. “I
don’t think parents fully understand how their actions affect their children.
I’m conscious of what I do and what I say to Arianna. I wish her father—I wish
her father was
as considerate. It’s hard sometimes, but I promised
myself I’d never say a bad word about him in her presence, and I haven’t. It’s
his loss he doesn’t have a better relationship with his daughter. She wants to
see him so much, but he’s always too busy, and he never comes through to help
me out like he says he will.”

The
dull tone of her voice called out to his protective instincts. He took a step
toward her and stopped. The need to shield her from pain rushed through him,
but it wasn’t his place. He balled his hands into fists, fighting the urge.

“You
shouldn’t have to do it alone,” he said, anger and frustration hardening his
voice.

Celeste
looked up at him, an embarrassed expression on her face. “I didn’t mean to drop
my personal problems on you. I’m upset because I spoke to my mother tonight and
found out my ex made more promises he knows he won’t keep. I wanted to send Arianna
to science camp this summer, but I won’t be able to. He couldn’t come up with a
lousy hundred and fifty dollars to help me pay for the camp, and I told him
about it months ago. If he’d sent the money like he promised . . .”

Roarke’s
biceps tensed under the force of his tightening fists.

“Which
camp?” he asked, to distract himself from the foolish idea of gathering her
close to comfort her.

“The
one at Fernbank Museum. She really likes science, learning about animals and
rocks and everything in between. I thought she would enjoy it.”

 “I’m
familiar with the program. I volunteered there as part of my community service
requirements for tenure. You’re right, they have a good program.”

“Yeah,
well, it’s too late now,” Celeste said despondently.

Her
eyes strayed to the water. The forlorn look on her face cut through him, and he
wanted to take the weight of worry from her shoulders, protect her from the
storm buffeting her emotions.

“Go
ahead and get your feet wet,” he encouraged. “The water’s cool and refreshing.”

“I
think I will,” she said, arranging a semblance of a smile on her face. She made
her way across the yard down to the sand.

Go
inside, Roarke
.

If
only his feet would obey the command from his brain. Instead, they followed her
down to the water, away from the house, where darkness hovered more closely.

“Ooh,
it’s cold.” The temperature didn’t stop her from splashing through the shallow
waves like a child. She laughed, glancing back at him over her shoulder.
“You’re so lucky to have this place,” she said, her eyes aglow with newfound
pleasure.

He
stood there, entranced, as she swished the water around with her feet. He liked
watching her. She had a beautiful mouth, for one. Whenever a smile played
across the lavish symmetry of her lips, a stab of pleasure filled him. In the
moonlight, her skin looked as smooth as it felt—like satin.

Without
thinking, past caring, he walked into the ocean near her and kicked water at
her calves.

“Hey!”
With a look of surprise and brimming with laughter, she turned on him.

His
chest swelled, and he treaded on dangerous ground. But now he’d heard it, her
laughter was a drug. Like a drug fiend, he wanted to prod and tease her so he
could hear the melodious tones continue to drift from her throat and watch her
eyes dance with merriment.

She
returned the splash, and before long, the game got out of hand. “Wait! Wait!”
Celeste squeaked, rushing away from him to escape getting doused when he bent
down and scooped up two handfuls of salt water.

“Where
do you think you’re going? Come back here and take your punishment.”

He
abandoned the terrible deed to race after her. With little effort he closed the
gap between them and caught up to her on the grass, grabbing her around the
waist.

“You
started it!” Celeste squirmed, forcing him to tighten his hold.

Grabbing
and holding her was the first mistake. Her soft buttocks pressed against his
pelvis. For her part, Celeste suddenly stilled, though her breathing remained
labored. Slender fingers clutched his wrists, but not to remove his hands. Her
hold on him was tight, as if she were binding herself to him.

“You
gonna behave now?” he asked in a low voice.

His
body filled with the unbearable pain of wanting and the knowledge that every
thought and touch was wrong. His conscience warred with his body and was losing
ground fast. Even though guilt ate at him, it wasn’t enough to stop him from
lusting after her.

The
second mistake was looking into her eyes as she tilted her head back. Her dark
gaze lowered, and her sweet breath touched his chin from her parted lips.

The
third mistake was telling himself all he wanted was a taste. Just one little
taste of her soft mouth, and he would stop. Somehow he would find a way to pull
back and fight down the agonizing erection pressed against the crease of her butt
cheeks.

Liar.

His
hand slid under the loose-fitting shirt and covered her breast. Her eyes closed
on a moan as she made a sensual little movement in his arms, and he was lost.
The other hand reached up and circled the back of her neck so he could hold her
in place. A rush of consuming hunger, like nothing he’d ever known before,
enveloped him, and he crushed his mouth onto hers. No teasing kisses, only
desire, plain and raw.

She
melted, pliant, pushing her hips back against him. His arousal pressed harder
against his jeans, welcoming the exquisite pleasure of her cushiony backside.
When he tweaked her nipple, he felt the shudder that blasted through her body. Through
the cotton shirt, she squeezed the hand palming her breast, and soft, throaty
moans fell on his ears and tore through him.