Copyright © 2009 Cathryn Fox
All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication
All Tied Up
Pamina moved farther into the room, the mysterious stranger shadowing her movements. Captivated by Pamina’s new friend, Lindsay scraped her teeth over her bottom lip and watched his strong, athletic body move with self-confidence and assuredness. When he circled Pamina and came around to face Lindsay, their gazes connected and locked. In that moment something sparked between them and a weird tingling began in her bloodstream.
Lindsay didn’t believe in love at first sight, nor did she believe in fate or destiny, but this guy, wow, this guy with his mesmerizing blue eyes could suck her under like a tsunami wave and make her believe in anything.
He smiled and Lindsay’s pulse leapt in her throat. Her lascivious, sex-deprived body immediately shifted into overdrive. One seductive look from him had her hormones firing at jet speed in record time.
His long athletic gait closed the space between them. As he stood before her, she tipped her head and pulled his spicy, panty-soaking aroma into her lungs, letting it wrap around her, letting it arouse all her senses. Lord, the man just oozed sexuality and testosterone.
Her gazed panned the length of him, stopping to inspect his broad shoulders, trim waist and rock-hard thighs. She wondered for a second if anything else under those snug jeans was rock hard. Damned if she didn’t want to find out.
Whew!
Had the temperature in the room suddenly skyrocketed?
Once again her hungry gaze traveled back to his face, taking in his dark features, unkempt shoulder-length hair, with bangs that swished to the side, square jaw and unshaven face. The guy had bad boy written all over him. Lindsay knew his type well. A Casanova who was, undoubtedly, so very, very good. Just the kind of guy she knew better than to get involved with.
Despite that, lust rose to the surface, clamoring for attention and all she could think of was men. Sex. Men and sex. And not necessarily in that order. Forget nailing jelly to the wall. She wanted this guy to nail
her to the wall.
Right here.
Right now.
Of course, this is what she got for going without sex for the last two months. It appeared that a quick trip back to Toys4Gals to pick up extra batteries and maybe even a few new gadgets was definitely in order. She made a mental note to put that at the top of her to-do list.
Mr. Slurpalicious gave her a sexy, predatory smile that screamed of the big bad wolf—and of even bigger and badder things they could do together. Libidinous slut that she was, she pondered for a moment if he would gobble her up like a frosted cupcake. Or if he’d lay her out like a buffet and take his time to savor her like a rich, decadent dessert.
Yummy.
After a thorough inspection of his tall, brawny body, her gaze went to his big hands. Damn, there was just something about a man’s hands that got her juices flowing like a broken dam. She noted that he had a working man’s hands, different from the soft, pampered hands of the good-for-nothing bastards she had a habit of attracting. Lindsay afforded herself a minute to visualize how those rough, callused palms of his would feel on her naked flesh, on her breasts, between her thighs. Oh yeah! She shivered. Almost violently.
A man like him could make her abandon her vow to stay away from men. She furrowed her brow and sifted through her memories. Why again was it that she’d made that vow?
When Pamina touched his muscular arm and he turned, giving her his undivided attention, a weird pang of jealousy cut through Lindsay.
“I’d like you to meet Lindsay Bell,” Pamina said. “She’s the brilliant interior designer I hired to turn this space into a BDSM room for lovers.”
Lips curved up at the corners, he angled his head, clearly intrigued. “Oh yeah?”
Heat arced between them as he stepped closer and held his arm out. Her body responded to his proximity. Pleasure raced through her and she became hyper-aware of dampness between her thighs. Had she been wearing panties, they’d have been soaked.
She attempted to rein in her desire, to pull herself together and abandon her lusty thoughts, she really did. But so far her efforts were proving futile.
His sensual mouth slanted and the gleam in his eyes held all sorts of promises. “A BDSM room. How interesting. I look forward to seeing the end results.”
She made one more attempt to gather control over her wayward thoughts, but his deep sensuous voice shattered all her efforts. In fact his rich tone sent her tortured, hormonal body into convulsions. Her nipples tightened painfully, heat and hunger lapped at her thighs.
It suddenly occurred to her he was waiting for a handshake. With little finesse, she thrust her arm forward and slipped her hand inside his. His huge palm practically swallowed hers up. As her flesh absorbed his heat, her libido roared to life in a way it never had before. Christ, she knew she had a healthy sexual appetite, but the sudden cravings for this man both frightened and excited her.
She schooled her features into polite interest while her hormones danced to the beat of that eighties AC/DC song “You Shook Me All Night Long”.
“I’m Lindsay,” she said.
He grinned and shot her a wolfish look. Assuring her, that with a huff and a puff he could blow her house down. Except it wasn’t a house Lindsay was interested in him blowing. Damn, this celibacy thing was definitely playing havoc with her body…and her mind. She needed to get her thoughts off sex and on to the conversation at hand.
“I’m Lindsay,” she repeated.
“I know,” he said. “Lindsay Bell.”
“How do you know my name?” Looking for a distraction, anything to get her mind off Mr. Sexy Pants, Lindsay grabbed the overstuffed chair and began to slide it toward the doorway. Damn, the thing was heavy.
“Pamina already introduced you.” His slow smile licked over her thighs and filled her mind with wild and wicked images.
Right! Damn. She was making a total ass of herself, which was something she never did. Christ, no man had ever had that effect on her before. She’d always maintained a cool, in-charge demeanor.
She strived for normalcy and tried not to stumble over her words. “And you are?” she asked, expecting his name to begin with big and end in wolf.
Expecting? Okay, okay, maybe
hoping was a better choice of words.
“I’m Brad Caldwell.”
Damn.
His gaze roamed over her and his deep, big-bad-wolf tone sent shivers skittering down her spine, making her suddenly wish she was draped in a red cape and covered in icing.
“Pamina asked me to stop by to chat with you.”
“Oh?” Lindsay turned to face Pamina, heavy chair forgotten.
Pamina waved one delicate hand through the air. “I thought Brad could take down that wall and open this room up for you.”
Lindsay glanced at the papered wall and considered that option. Not a bad idea. “That would certainly beat the hell out of peeling all that paper off.”
Face locked in concentration, Brad stepped up to the wall and ran his fingers over the aged paper. Lindsay’s stomach tightened and her knees weakened as she envisioned him running his hands over her body just like that.
Oh my!
Common sense dictated that she decline the offer and make do with the small room. Yeah, that’s exactly what she’d do. Decline Pamina’s suggestion to take down the wall and just make the best out of the cramped quarters. Because having him around for the next week or so would simply distract her and play havoc with her hormones. And since she’d sworn off men, it was a distraction she didn’t want or need. No way. No how.
Brad turned to face her. “So, what do you say, Lindsay? Would you like me to hang around and take down that wall for you?”
Hang around.
Take down the wall.
Strip her naked.
Have his wicked way with her.
With casual nonchalance, he rolled one broad shoulder. “I could even help you out with the bondage equipment, if you’d like.”
Help her out? As in try it out with her?
Hell yeah, she liked.
Brad picked up the overstuffed chair and with little effort moved it into the hallway. “You know, in case you need a strong arm to lift things.” His words said one thing but the heat in his eyes told an entirely different story. One that could easily get her into trouble with another bad boy. She quickly reminded herself why she’d sworn off sweet-talking playboys in the first place.
“So what do you say?” he asked again as her mind reeled.
Say no, say no.
“Yes.”
Damn!
All Worked Up
Chapter One
Interior designer Candace Steele stood on the cracked and pitted sidewalk fringing the unsightly Victorian inn, which was unquestionably defacing the quaint town of Mason Creek, a small community on the outskirts of Connecticut. As she examined the array of landscapers and painters all milling about in an effort to return the insect-infested yard as well as the paint-chipped cedar shingles to their natural beautiful state, she stretched out her legs in preparation for her habitual early-morning run.
Just because she was on a job, hired by a strange mystical-like woman named Pamina, and was on a tight deadline, it didn’t mean she was about to give up her regular exercise routine—partly due to the upcoming fall triathlon and partly because the exercise filled her sex-deprived body with endorphins. Since she and her colleagues, Lindsay and Anna, childhood friends and co-owners of the bustling interior design shop, Styles for Living, had all recently sworn off men, she damn well had to get her “natural high” from somewhere.
Candace lunged forward, preparing her thigh muscles for a strenuous workout. While she stretched, she thought about the job ahead and the fantasy-inspired theme room each designer had been hired to create. Lindsay had gone for a BDSM theme, Anna for sweet romance. Candace, however, drawing on her experience as a competitive runner, had decided to create a fantasy room for those interested in a little marathon sex. Talk about a room doing double duty for the actively inclined.
She lunged again and stretched her legs as she considered the props she’d need for her project. But her thoughts suddenly careened off-track when she caught sight of a stripper—a paint stripper, that is—who nearly turned said legs to mush.
Shirtless and sexy in a pair of running shorts, he turned her way, giving her a frontal view, and she took in his bronzed skin as it glistened with perspiration beneath the early-morning autumn sun. With those sculpted chest muscles, tight abdominals and long strong legs, it was clear to Candace that he had the body of an athlete, a man straight out of her erotic fantasies. As she perused him longer, taking pleasure in his short, almost military-cut hairstyle, firm square jaw, dark eyes and commanding presence, she wondered if he had the stamina to keep up with her on the track.
Or in the bedroom.
Damned if she didn’t want to go for a test run with him in her soon-to-be-created fantasy-inspired theme room and find out.
Why was it again she’d sworn off men?
As she pondered that a moment longer, wondering if Lindsay and Anna were also questioning the logic behind their pact, her cell phone rang. She pulled it from her zippered pocket and when she glanced at the display name, every reason she had for renouncing the opposite sex came rushing back to her.
Candace didn’t approve of nepotism and believed in making it on her own, which was why she’d pursued a career in design instead of working for her father, Jason Krane, a successful New York movie director who could easily make or break the careers of aspiring actors.
Whereas Lindsay attracted lazy good-for-nothing guys who wanted to separate her from her hard-earned money, Candace attracted the opposite: aggressive, career-driven men who would wine, dine and bed her in an effort to get closer to her father. When some guy seemed too good to be true, he usually was. She’d learned the hard way that men didn’t covet her for who she was, but for who she could introduce them to. The last thing she wanted was for her father to give these guys preference over others or to show favoritism simply because they were dating her.
She flipped open her cell phone. “Hi, Dad.”
“Candace, this is Olive. Your father asked me to connect to you. One moment please and I’ll transfer the call.”
As her father’s secretary put her through, she stole another glace at the sexy paint stripper and the way he carefully worked his hands over the cedar walls, taking his good old time, laboring slowly, methodically, conscientiously. He was a professional through and through, clearly determined to get the job done right. A warm tingle moved all the way through her body and settled deep between her thighs as she considered the way those large capable hands would feel brushing over her body, Mr. Shirtless taking the utmost care to get that particular job done right.
The deep sound of her father’s breathless voice came through the line and pulled her from her musings. “Candace, honey, how are you?”
She smiled, giving her father her full concentration. “I’m great. How about you?”
God, it was so good to hear his voice. Even though talking with him made it feel like he was close by, he was far away in New York. Candace had been only a child when her parents had split and she’d moved to Connecticut with her mother. She couldn’t remember much about New York or her time with her father, since he’d spent most of his days on the movie set, neglecting his family at home. Oh, granted, he’d given to her in other ways and tried to show his love by showering her with toys and money, but as a child Candace couldn’t really understand those gestures and only ever wanted his fatherly attention.
When her father went silent on the other end, Candace shook her head and chuckled. It was no wonder her mother had divorced him some twenty years ago. For as long as she’d known him, he’d never given anyone his undivided attention if it didn’t directly affect his latest movie. This lack of regard had undoubtedly been the downfall of his marriage. She knew as a director his mind was always in two places at once. As she grew up and entered adulthood, Candace had accepted his absent-minded professor disposition and learned to live with it.
“Dad, are you there?”
“Yes, honey, what is it I can do for you?”
She exhaled an exasperated breath. “You were the one who called me.”
“Oh right. Have you read today’s paper?”
Disheartened at the way the media always distorted information and cold-heartedly attacked the rich and famous for the sheer pleasure of it, she plunked herself down on the sunburnt grass and blew a heavy sigh. “Yeah, I read it.”
Her father went silent for a moment. She listened to the sound of papers rustling in the background. “It’s not true,” he piped up.
“I know. You don’t have to call me every time, Dad. I know the accusations aren’t true and you didn’t fire Ginger Simone because she wouldn’t sleep with you.” He’d fired her because during the first week of shooting she never bothered to show up to the set. That woman was a prima donna through and through. Just then Lindsay, Anna, Pamina—along with Pamina’s fat cat, Abra—came sauntering out of the house. Candace gave them a wave and they all shouted a greeting as they walked to the masonry truck that had suddenly materialized in the driveway.
“Candace…” Her father’s voice went serious, and Candace prepared herself for what was coming next. “I think—”
She cut him off before he had the chance to continue. “No. I don’t need a security guard tagging around and smothering me.” She shivered just thinking about it. Sure it was sweet that he cared about her well-being, but she simply wanted to live a normal life. “Most people don’t know who I am anyway.” After the divorce Candace and her mother had both taken on her mother’s maiden name for privacy and safety. But of course, there were those few men who, after doing a little digging, had learned her true identity and tried to use her to get to her father.
“Candace, the letters are getting worse. They’re far more threatening than they used to be.”
She shaded her eyes from the sun and cast a glance around the quaint neighborhood, her focus settling on her two best friends. “Look, Dad, I’m safe here in Connecticut. I’m surrounded by family and friends. And it’s probably Ginger herself sending those letters.”
A heavy sigh and then, “I miss you, kiddo.”
“I miss you too, Dad. Right now I’m swamped with a project but I promise to come see you soon.”
“Maybe that’s not such a good idea. Not until the police find out who’s been sending the letters.”
“You don’t want me to visit?” she teased, trying to lighten the mood.
“You know I do, but—”
She let him off the hook and gave a breezy laugh. “It’s okay, Dad. I’ll be in New York later this fall for the state marathon and we’ll get together then.” With that they said their goodbyes. Candace slipped her phone back into her pocket and pulled out her iPod.
When she lifted her chin to look at the house, to take one more longing gaze at the stripper before her run, she noticed he was gone. She darted a glance around, but he’d disappeared without a trace. How very stealthy of him. Oh well. Maybe it was for the best. The less temptation the better.
Fully aware of the heat rising inside her lascivious body, Candace tightened her laces before climbing to her feet. She strapped her iPod to her arm and adjusted the buds in her ears before taking off for the running park circling Blueberry Lake—named after its super clean, crystal blue water. As she approached the water, she watched the waves lap gently against the embankment, undulating, rippling and reminding her of two salacious bodies coming together, over and over.
Dear God, her sex-deprived body was definitely showing signs of stress. Sure she had a good imagination, but conjuring up images of naked bodies in motion simply from watching the swell was over the top. Perhaps a trip to Toys4Gals for a few extra accessories was in order. Her thoughts raced back to Mr. Shirtless, and she suspected the only way to tamp down the flames inside her was by taking a dip in the water, now likely frigid from the cool autumn nights.
Marc Collins didn’t like the way she was watching him. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He liked it. A little too much. And therein lay the problem. Jason Krane had hired him to watch over his daughter, not for his daughter to watch over him—with interest in her eyes.
Sure he needed to get close to her, but there was a fine line between close, and up close and personal, and he knew better than to cross it.
But did she have to be so damn sexy?
With her tight athletic body, curvy in all the right places, long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and gorgeous green eyes, she made it hard to remember that he was here on an assignment. And that assignment meant staying alert and aware until investigators found whoever was sending Krane those threatening letters. The last thing he wanted to do was get mixed up with his boss’s daughter. No, Krane deserved better from him. After all, Marc owed his career to Krane, having gone from set designer to security specialist after halting a crazed stalker on the movie set. Krane, grateful for Marc’s quick thinking and bravery, had taken Marc under his wing, had him trained as a security specialist and hired him as one of his own personal bodyguards. He certainly didn’t want to betray his boss or jeopardize his position.
When Candace plunked herself down on the grass and answered her phone, Marc left his post and decided a short run was in order, to clear his head—both of them. Right now Candace was safe and sound, surrounded by her coworkers and friends, and he desperately needed a moment of reprieve from those flirtatious eyes of hers.
The soles of his running shoes tapped a steady beat on the path and helped drone out his thoughts of Candace. As a security specialist, keeping fit, alert and healthy was a necessary part of the job, necessary to keep both him and his clients alive.
Perspiration broke out on his skin as he ran long and hard, exhausting his muscles and focusing his thoughts. He turned his attention from Candace to Pamina, the willowy woman who’d hired him. How fortunate for him that she’d mistaken him for the paint stripper when he’d walked by the house a few days ago, after he’d finished setting up his hidden surveillance cameras.
A sound behind him gained his attention and he turned in time to see Candace closing the distance between them.
The swinging of her ponytail, the flush on her cheeks, her quick rapid breathing and the sight of her gorgeous breasts bouncing with each thrust had his mind racing and his cock throbbing. Despite knowing better, his thoughts took off on an erotic journey, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
All Lit Up
Chapter One
Now that had to be the most scrumptious ass Anna Deveau had ever set eyes on.
Tight.
Defined.
And downright squeezable.
The warm autumn sun beat down on Anna as she swiped her tongue over her dry bottom lip and zeroed in on the delectable male before her. Cripes, that man had buttocks like none other. Firm, ripe, ready for the picking.
Oh my…
As a shiver of awareness tingled deep between her legs, derailing her hard-fought ability to think straight, Anna took extra care in negotiating the cracked and pitted walkway in her thin-soled flip-flops.
Pamina kept pace beside her—the mystical-like woman who’d hired Anna’s firm to create fantasy-inspired theme rooms in the rundown Victorian inn situated on the outskirts of Mason Creek. As they strolled along the dilapidated path, Lindsay, a childhood friend and fellow colleague, caught up with them, and they all made their way to the masonry van in the driveway—where said scrumptious buns stood waiting. With the back doors spread wide open, Mr. Sex in a Pair of Jeans braced his muscular thighs against the bumper and leaned forward, presenting her with a perfect, unobstructed view of his magnificent backside.
Yummy…
His gluteus maximus muscles were perfect, all right. Perfect for pinching, or grabbing hold of and palming while he made sweet passionate love to her. A romantic at heart, Anna envisioned those strong hands of his removing her clothes, slowly, methodically, taking the utmost care with her body. Her thighs quivered as she gifted herself a moment to play out the sexy scenario—gentle fingers touching her private, intimate parts with purpose, the rough pad of his thumb working her sensitive nub into orgasmic bliss, his warm, wet mouth buried in the crook of her sensitive neck as he whispered sweet nothings in her ear. A small rapturous moan threatened to crawl out of her throat, and she promptly choked it back as the erotic slideshow played out in her mind’s eye.
Taking her by surprise, small beads of moisture broke out on her forehead, and she swiped at them, but the dampness had nothing at all to do with the hot sunshine beating down on the quaint town, and everything to do with the pact she’d made with her friends. A pact she was suddenly questioning the intelligence of. Damn, it had been so long since she’d engaged in an intimate relationship that her body had turned mutinous. Deep between her legs she felt libidinous, needy and hungry.
Positively horny.
Which had her questioning the logic behind their pact, and begged the question—exactly why had they all renounced the opposite sex again?
“What do you think, Anna?” Pamina asked.
Anna turned toward the tall, willowy woman with the knowledgeable green eyes, and struggled to comprehend the question. As Pamina stared at her, obviously awaiting a response, she shifted Abra—her very overweight cat—in her long, lithe arms as the ornery feline hissed and swatted at an imaginary fly.
Lindsay shot her a questioning glance. “Yeah, what is your opinion on it, Anna?” Her friend’s brow furrowed in concentration as she carefully picked her way forward in a pair of three-inch spiked heels that only a wild brazen woman like Lindsay could pull off.
Not understanding the question and feeling a bit flustered by the sexual energy zinging through her bloodstream, Anna tucked a short blonde lock behind her ear and blinked her mind into focus.
“Anna?” Lindsay asked again.
Just then one of the many skilled workers on assignment at the inn crossed in front of her, and she nearly bumped into him.
“I, uh.” Goodness she’d been so caught up in lusting after Mr. Sex in a Pair of Jeans, completely preoccupied with the delicious images of his hard body climbing over hers, that she hadn’t been paying any attention to their conversation, or to all the other laborers milling about in an effort to return the inn to its natural, beautiful state. Truthfully, it was hard to believe that the mere sight of a hot guy had the ability to render her senseless. She was a smart woman, logical, proper, always maintaining a professional demeanor at the workplace, so what had suddenly gotten into her? What the heck had her thinking wayward thoughts about a man she didn’t even know?
Lack of sex, she supposed.
No doubt it would shock her friends if they discovered the naughty direction her thoughts had taken. Not that she would tell them. When it came to sex, unlike the bold and vivacious Lindsay, Anna was a very private person. Then again, she shouldn’t be fantasizing about the laborer Pamina had hired in the first place. It was a distraction she didn’t need. Especially since time was of the essence. She’d put so much work into perfecting her design that she was just beginning the renovations and Lindsay and Anna were well on their way to finishing.
From her peripheral vision, she spotted Candace, the third and final partner in their bustling interior-decoration business, Styles for Living. Candace lunged forward, stretching her muscles on the sun-crisped lawn before her habitual early-morning run. Thankful for the distraction, and deciding to take the focus off her and her current lack of communication skills, Anna gave a wave and shouted a friendly greeting. Pamina and Lindsay fixed their gazes on Candace and followed suit.
After exchanging pleasantries, Anna turned her concentration back to negotiating the walkway. Fortunately for her, Pamina and Lindsay returned to their conversation, forgetting all about Anna’s opinion. Deciding to pay a little more attention, she half listened to them discuss Lindsay’s BDSM room, but Mr. Sexy proved too much of a distraction, and Anna stole another glance as they closed the distance between them.
As though unaware of their presence as they approached his van, Mr. Sexy ripped off his professional polo shirt, the company name embroidered on the back, and proceeded to change into his work wear. Good Lord! His sun-kissed skin was bronzed, smooth and glistening under the morning rays. Firm shoulders tapered to a trim waist and the delectable sight had her feeling all warm and wicked inside. A fine tingle worked its way down her body and loitered around that hungry little spot between her legs. If the mere sight of his backside had the ability to rattle her like dice in a Yahtzee cup, she could just imagine what a full frontal would do to her.
Truthfully, only one other guy had ever made her feel so edgy, so sexually aroused, and she hadn’t set eyes on him since high school. Nor did she have any desire to. Not after what he’d done to her. Which suddenly reminded her why she’d agreed to the pact and sworn off men in the first place. She frowned, then quickly buried those thoughts in favor of more pleasant ones.
No, it certainly wasn’t the time to dredge up old painful memories of Daniel Long, the cute boy next door and Mason Creek High School sports hero who’d been coveted by all. It was time to take pleasure in the fit man before her and commit every striated muscle to memory. At least then when she was lying in bed later that night, it would give her something to fantasize about while she took the edge off. And take the edge off she would. Just because she’d sworn off men and had given up on finding her very own Prince Charming, didn’t mean she couldn’t dream about delicious, orgasmic sex, did it?
She absently toyed with the gold chain around her neck, bit back a chuckle and shook her head. To think that just a short while ago, she’d been both shocked and embarrassed as she stood on the sidewalk outside Toys4Gals and examined the array of sexual devices through the curbside window. Never had she thought she’d purchase such a toy, let alone use one. Now, here she was gathering quite the collection in her bedside table. Working solo wasn’t normally her style. But lack of action had forced her to think outside the box—or inside the box—or… Oh hell, she didn’t know what she was thinking anymore. All she knew was that she was hurting. Anna gave a quick shake of her head to clear her salacious musings and wondered if a quick shake of her hips would help push back the lust that gathered there.
As she tried to marshal her thoughts and focus on the job at hand, Pamina stepped forward and spoke to the man at the rear of the truck. Mr. Sex in a Pair of Jeans turned to face the woman who’d hired him. With his work shirt dangling in his left hand, he reached out with his right. As they exchanged greetings, Anna shot him a glance. Catching his profile, she began a leisurely inspection of his perfect physique. So much for her efforts to redirect her concentration.
Beginning with his rock-hard thighs, she let her glance wander upward, stopping to linger around that impressive bulge just below his waistband. A tremble worked its way through her body and her mind went on an erotic journey as her gaze climbed higher, to take in his handsome face and chiseled features. When her eyes met his, he angled his body, giving her a full-frontal view. As Anna took in the Grade A specimen at the back of the truck, her brain practically shut down and her jaw gaped open. It couldn’t be.
Oh God, it just couldn’t be.
She attempted to speak, but couldn’t seem to formulate any words as the sight of the man standing before her left her speechless.
Totally and utterly speechless.
Not because of those long hewn legs of his, or how she envisioned them wrapped around her body. Not because her fingers itched to touch those tight sculpted abdominals, now damp with early-morning perspiration. And definitely not because those mesmerizing hazel eyes seemed to be staring into her soul, unearthing feelings best left buried.
Oh no, not at all. It was because the man behind those eyes was none other than Daniel Long, the high-school stud who’d destroyed her belief in Prince Charming and happily-ever-after.
He gave her a wolfish grin, flashing his perfect white teeth, as he took one measured step closer, closing the small gap between them. He dipped his head and put his mouth close to hers, and his warm breath felt more intimate than a kiss. As her body absorbed the heat radiating off his bare chest, her nipples tightened beneath her cotton sundress, and she crossed her arms over her chest, fearing he could see her ill-favored arousal.
He gave her a warm smile and a moment of silence ensued as she took a brief second to peruse the features of the man before her. Gone was the young handsome boy from high school and in his place existed a man. A real man. Tall, broad and oozing sensuality in a way the young Daniel never had. The years had definitely done him well, she decided.
“Hi, Anna.” His sensuous tone curled through her body like an aphrodisiac as his familiar scent thickened her blood. Not only did that provocative aroma take her back in time, it aroused her senses and made her feel downright hot.
Edgy and distracted, her every nerve ending burned with unfettered desire. Her legs went a little rubbery and she locked her knees to keep herself upright. Once again silence hung heavy, and the tortured sound of her swallowing down the lump that had taken up residency in her throat cut through the air.
Striving for normalcy, Anna blinked her eyes tight and opened them again, convinced that she was hallucinating. Surely lack of sex had her mind conjuring up images of the guy she’d lusted after for years, because no way could her high school crush—captain of the football team and every girl’s dream—be standing before her. Years previous Daniel had gone off to the city for college, and the last place she expected to see him was here in Mason Creek, Connecticut, standing behind a masonry truck, no less. As she sorted through matters, one question remained. Why had he come back after all these years?
He gave a sexy tilt of his head, his eyes assessing her. “It’s nice to see you again.” His voice was dark and warm, his tone husky and sensual just like she’d remembered, and despite herself, she leaned into him, momentarily forgetting past hurts.
But the ever-protective Lindsay hadn’t forgotten. Not even for a minute. She cupped Anna’s arm and hauled her back. Her eyes shot daggers at Daniel when she said, “I think you should leave.”
Daniel continued to stare at Anna, but with her brain currently on overdrive, trying to process this unexpected turn of events, she could barely vocalize a response.
Deep smoldering eyes skated over her. “Do you want me to leave, Anna?” She didn’t miss the invitation or the odd ache of longing in his voice. Nor did she miss the strange way he was looking at her.
“Do you?” he asked again.
As her brains screamed yes, her body, especially the moist juncture between her legs, screamed no. No with a capital N.
“Daniel—” she croaked out, not really knowing what she was about to say.
Discretion aside and ignoring those around them, he touched her hair and that intimate gestures spread warmth through her body. “It’s been a long time.”
“Yeah, a long time,” she agreed, shocked that she could actually speak, let alone formulate a sentence.
“Too long.” Something in his voice hitched and Anna had the distinct feeling that he wasn’t at all surprised to see her, and that, unlike her, he was completely prepared for this encounter.
Was it possible that it was she who’d inspired him to come home?
She quickly dismissed that ridiculous notion as soon as it hit, and resisted the urge to slap her forehead. Good God, she’d spent years trying to get over him, and it irked her that all it took was one second in his presence to have her fantasizing about Prince Charming and happily-ever-after again. With him. Him! The guy who only thought of her as a conquest, one of a handful of high school girls he’d yet to nail. Perhaps he’d come back to try again. At that thought, Anna squared her shoulders and pulled herself together. Well he could forget it. He couldn’t get into her panties back then and he certainly wasn’t about to now.
“Of course she wants you to leave,” Lindsay interjected and jerked her thumb out toward the road.
Feeling much more in control than she had seconds before, Anna touched Lindsay on the shoulder. “It’s okay. I’ve got this.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. Just give us a minute.” With that both Lindsay and Pamina stepped aside, but not far enough that they couldn’t hear their conversation, or Lindsay couldn’t intervene if she felt Anna needed her assistance.
Anna turned to Daniel. He’d only been a boy when he’d given her a hard cold dose of reality, a boy who cared about his own needs. Thankfully she’d found out what he was all about before she’d handed her heart over to him. Because once she had, she was sure there’d have been no coming back from that. In fact, maybe she should be thanking him for opening her eyes to the real world, where Prince Charming existed only in Disney movies and romance novels.
“Why are you here, Daniel?”
He gestured with a nod toward the two women hovering nearby. “I was hired by Pamina to install marble around the Jacuzzi tub and to lay brick around the fireplace.”
Anna gave a quick shake of her head. “No, what I mean is why are you here? In Mason Creek. I thought you’d moved away for good.”
He grew quiet for a moment, as if weighing his words carefully, then stated the obvious, “I’m back.”
“I can see that.” She tapped a restless foot. “What I want to know is why?”
Warm heat passed over his eyes. “Because I—” He opened his mouth to tell her, then seemed to change his mind. He gave a casual shrug and in a low, controlled voice said, “I thought it was time.”
“Last I heard you hated Mason Creek, and everything about it. And when you went off to college, you had no intentions of ever coming back.”
He drew back looking a little hurt, like her words had triggered some dark memory. “I’m helping my brothers with their business.”
Anna nodded. She’d completely forgotten that his older brothers had started the town’s only masonry business, very much needed now, thanks to the growth in the housing market and the boom in new home construction. But hadn’t Daniel gone to State college to get a business degree? Not that she was keeping tabs on him. Because she wasn’t. Not really.
“It’s crazy how much they’ve expanded,” he added.
As she listened, she wondered what a guy with a business degree knew about masonry work.
“I take care of the office end of things,” he said, answering her unasked question. Then he grinned and laughed fondly under his breath. “Mike and John have made a mess of the paperwork. Good thing I came back when I did.”
Anna crossed her arms. “If you run the business end, then what do you know about laying marble and bricking around a fireplace?”
“I’m not without my own skills.” He paused, then pitched his voice low. “I can do a good job for you, Anna. I promise. I’ll make it good. Real good.”
She swallowed hard and wondered if he was talking about laying marble or something else entirely.
Lindsay stepped in, probably catching his sexual undertones as well. “I don’t think you’re the man for the job.”
He shrugged. “I’m all you’ve got.” He gestured toward the house. “We’re the only game in town, so if you want the work done…”
“Send someone else from the company.”
“My brothers are on other jobs. Completely buried.” When he turned his mesmerizing hazel eyes on her, it felt like she’d been sucker-punched. “I’m your man, Anna.”
The way he’d said those four simple words caused the blood in her veins to boil. Years ago, she’d really thought he was her man. So sweet, kind, respectful and genuine. Confident, yet always a little shy around her. A real-life Prince Charming. But it was all an act to get her into his bed. She’d learned long ago that beneath that perfect package, Daniel Long was nothing but a bad apple.
And no matter how much he charmed her she would never, ever sleep with him.
She didn’t think.
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