But Luke prevented it, his hands like vises around her. “Relax. They’ll turn around in a minute. There are only two casitas farther on. One of them is yours—and the other is too big for them.”
But she couldn’t relax now. Now her mind was starting to work through all the beers and warn her that this could be more complicated than she had anticipated. What if she liked the man too much? Then what?
Peyton shivered hot and cold, panting for her breath as her trembling hands futilely attempted to lift her top back up. “I’m sorry, Luke. I…I don’t know if I can do this. I’m…. so sorry. I’m just not this type of girl. Good night.”
She stood on trembling feet and tried to do her top with cramped fingers. He easily stood with her and steadied her with one arm.
“Shh. I wasn’t looking for this either. Let me walk you to your room. You all right?”
“No…yes. I just never drink.” She didn’t know if she was drunk, or if she was just too intoxicated by his touch, so she swallowed and shut up.
She could feel his concerned stare as he tied up her top, and then they headed in silence toward her casita. Her head spun with the effects of the beers, the effects of Luke Alexander. He was no longer touching her, and yet she continued to feel seduced by him in every way. In every way. He was an assault to all of her senses. A tease to her eyes, her nose, her skin, her ears.
He was perfect, too perfect, frighteningly perfect.
She shivered in the wind and rubbed her arms back and forth to warm the chill that had settled in her bones. “Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t looking for this either? You should’ve said you weren’t interested,” she softly accused, her throat tight. What had it been for him, back there? A pity fondling?
He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Do you honestly think I would pass on a chance to get my hands all over you? I’ve been doing things to you in my head all night.”
His husky admission made her want to feel his hands all over her, just like he’d said. It made her want to find out, in the flesh, exactly what he wanted to do to her, without being afraid whether or not she was emotionally equipped to handle this.
Head downcast while her traitorous nipples puckered to his words, she headed past her private hammock, now dangling lonely between two palm trees. Then she wound her way around her private pool and up two stairs to reach the terrace outside her suite.
Chest heavy, she turned and contemplated this sexy beach god of her dreams for what seemed like an eternity. Her sensitized body screamed for her to shut off her brain functions and just jump him. The night made his eyes look darker as he looked at her, and there was a shimmer in those eyes, a hunger.
His gaze roamed slowly over her face in a silent caress, until it settled on her lips. She could swear he was going to kiss her again. But when he didn’t after a long, breathless moment, the only thing she could do now was say, “Good night, Luke. I had a wonderful time. I’m sorry about…”
“Invite me in, Peyton. We’ll take it slower.”
She flushed at his words, the unmistakable intent in his eyes. Then she couldn’t take it and said, “I can’t. I’m sorry. Thank you. Good night.”
And then she disappeared into her luxurious, yet lonely suite, not even waiting for his answer.
She bit her trembling lip while she closed the glass door behind her, then she stared into the silent room. For almost a minute she stood there, shaking with uncontrollable lust and regret. God, she was so stupid.
She should have just told him that it had been years since she’d had sex with a man. Years. She could have invited him in. He’d stood there, wanting her. Ready to. So impossibly handsome and so…possible.
Damn, why couldn’t she just let go and let loose for once in her life? When, in her entire life, would she meet a man like him again?
She wanted him so much she couldn’t remember wanting anything this badly. What was she afraid of? That she would get attached? She was a practical woman and not a romantic. This was nothing to her. Just a much-needed fling. And with the sexiest man she’d ever seen in her life. She should be shouting with joy at the opportunity, kissing him, pulling him closer, running her hands through his beautiful windblown hair…
Oh, God, I really want him.
With new resolve, she whirled around, pulled the glass door open, and ran after him. She could see his lone, gorgeous male figure slowly making its way down the beach, and she urged her legs to run faster as she called, “Luke!”
He didn’t seem to hear, so she repeated his name. “Luke Alexander!”
He swung around at her voice, motionless as he saw her running toward him. She paused a few inches away, fighting for her breath.
“Luke, I…I thought…” Her eyes searched his face in the moonlight. “Look, I don’t usually do this…but…I leave Sunday…. We don’t have to exchange numbers, I can’t deal with a relationship. I just want something fun and meaningless…”
She couldn’t finish, she could barely fill her lungs with air. Standing there, longing and desire shimmering through her, it suddenly struck her how vulnerable she felt, how utterly devastating it would be if he were to reject her tonight.
But he had a beautiful smile on his face, and his gaze swirled with male knowledge. “This is the part where I tell you that ‘meaningless’ happens to be my middle name, and ‘fling’ my last,” he said, teasing her.
The instant his gaze dropped to her mouth, his smile vanished.
“But the truth is…” Heart-poundingly serious, he closed the distance between them and raised her chin as he lowered his face to hers. “I want this like I’ve never wanted anything.”
He brushed his lips across hers, igniting a teasing little spark that fluttered across her skin and curled around her toes. He followed with a second brush, in the opposite direction, a little firmer, leaving her a little more breathless.
Shivers of pleasure danced along her nerve endings as his mouth finally closed around hers. His lips moved sinuously against hers, and then his tongue dipped inside to taste her. A frantic moan tore from Peyton’s chest, and a deeper sound tore from his, and the kiss morphed.
It became a hostile takeover, the way his tongue pillaged her mouth, the way he pulled her up hard and hungry against him.
“Get rid of that top again and let me suck your breasts.”