Randi couldn’t deny that she and Evan had off-the-charts chemistry, so she remained silent. She’d probably been just as guilty of watching Evan like a woman who just wanted to strip him naked and devour him.

  Hope came to Randi’s rescue. “Shall we join the guys? I think they’ve been deprived of our company for far too long.”

  Randi breathed a sigh of relief as they all left the kitchen to go join their men.

  The next evening, Randi wanted to laugh as she watched Evan trying to meditate. It was clear this night was going to be a challenge.

  Since Evan had brought her supplies to his house during the storm, she’d cooked at his place tonight, and he had eaten like a horse, including dessert.

  After spending the night with his family the night before, Evan had insisted on her staying with him on the Peninsula and letting him take her home early in the morning so she could get dressed for school.

  He’d rocked her world as soon as they’d walked through the door last night, and Evan had promptly announced he was “happy” the moment she had her first climax.

  She’d laughed, both exasperated and amused that Evan only appeared to be “happy” when he was making her come.

  Tonight, she was determined to show him that not all happiness or being content revolved around earth-shattering sex.

  So far, she seemed to be failing miserably.

  “You need to close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing,” Randi instructed as she sat cross-legged on his living-room floor. She’d brought a few items of clothing, including the pair of yoga pants and the tattered T-shirt she was wearing. “Center on your breathing and be an observer. You can acknowledge your thoughts, but don’t react to them. Just treat them as if they’re random information that isn’t connected to you.”

  “Not possible,” Evan grumbled as he sat across from her in a pair of gray sweatpants and a navy tank top.

  “Close your eyes,” she prompted.

  “Can’t,” he insisted.

  “Why?”

  “My thoughts aren’t something I can ignore, and my dick is hard. It’s been that way since I saw you come downstairs in those yoga pants,” he grunted unhappily.

  Randi laughed, wondering what in the world he saw in her that was attractive right now. The yoga attire had been washed so many times that the pink material was faded to a very light pastel color, and she’d pulled her hair back into a ponytail. In her mind, she wasn’t exactly an enticing sight.

  The man sitting across from her was a different story. Evan looked impossibly tempting, his hair slightly mussed, the muscles in his arms and chest rippling every time he moved.

  All she’d need to do was lean forward and lick every inch of his exposed skin, then she could . . .

  Stop. This is about Evan. I want to teach him to relax! I can keep my hormones under control for an hour. Okay . . . maybe thirty minutes.

  Randi slammed her eyes closed and swallowed, unable to stop her reaction to the hot look he was giving her, like he wanted to devour her as another helping of dessert. “Close your eyes,” she demanded. “I told you this wasn’t going to be all about sex.”

  It was the last evening she had to spend with him other than the ball. Tomorrow night she had a tutoring session. She and Evan would attend Hope’s party together and then he’d be gone.

  I can do this. I can spend one night with Evan without wanting him to do me.

  She felt his heated breath on her ear before he spoke huskily. “It isn’t all about sex, Randi. With you, it never has been and it never will be.”

  She shivered as she felt his lips nuzzle her ear, but she didn’t open her eyes. “Then what is it?” she whispered shakily.

  “I don’t have to explain it to you. You already know. You want this as much as I do,” he said with a low growl as he wrapped a strong hand behind her neck. “I need to do everything in my power to make sure you never forget how this feels, to make you remember that you’re mine. Everything about just being with you makes me happy.”

  It was all about the connection, the addictive euphoria of having him claim her like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like she could ever forget Evan? She knew that would never happen.

  “The man who tried to assault you is dead,” Evan told her unhappily, as though he was disappointed he couldn’t make Randi’s tormenter suffer. “He died of a heart attack several years ago.”

  “You tried to find him?” Randi asked, her eyes opening wide in disbelief.

  “Of course. If the asshole wasn’t already dead, he was going to wish he was when I found him,” Evan answered, his voice vibrating with anger.

  “You tracked him down for me?” She had no doubt Evan had been seeking revenge for an incident that happened years ago. Randi knew he wasn’t capable of cold-blooded murder, but there were plenty of other ways for a billionaire to completely destroy somebody’s life.

  “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you,” Evan answered in a grave voice. “If the bastard was still molesting children, he needed to be stopped.”

  Randi was relieved the man was dead. “How did you find out?”

  “There are very few things I can’t do,” Evan answered cockily.

  She squealed as her back hit the floor with Evan looming over her, his expression fierce. She asked breathlessly, “So this is what really makes you happy?”

  “It makes me fucking ecstatic,” he grumbled as his head swooped down to capture her mouth with his.

  Randi wrapped her arms around his neck, trembling as their heated skin made contact.

  Screw the meditation. I need this more. Evan makes me crazy, and I can’t concentrate.

  Randi separated her mouth from Evan’s with a determined turn of her head and pushed against his shoulders. “Up,” she grunted as she found herself pushing against what felt like a rock wall. Evan was heavy and muscular, definitely strong enough that she couldn’t move unless he let her.

  He did.

  Immediately.

  Helping her move to a sitting position, he looked at her, confused. “Are you okay?”

  Desire still simmered in the pool of his gorgeous blue eyes, but it was mixed with concern.

  Randi reached for the bottom of his tank top and yanked, causing him to raise his arms to remove it. She tossed it over her shoulder as she told him sternly, “I promised myself I’d teach you to loosen the reins on your control when you aren’t working.” Reaching for the hem of her own T-shirt, she whipped it over her head and sent it in the same direction as Evan’s garment.

  She was braless, and her nipples were pebbled and sensitive, which was probably the reason Evan’s eyes kept returning to her chest.

  “Are we going to meditate naked?” Evan asked calmly, his gaze questioning as his eyes scanned her naked breasts hungrily. “If so, I’m definitely doomed to fail.”

  “Nope,” Randi answered firmly. “We’re just going to do it differently.”

  She pushed Evan onto his back and he went willingly. “Is this your naughty teacher persona?” Evan said huskily. “If it is, it’s pretty hot.”

  Biting her lip to keep from laughing at his comment, Randi stood and started sliding her yoga pants slowly downward. “Since you can’t seem to be happy unless you’re getting laid, maybe you can let go of control this way.” She kicked aside the thin, stretchy pants and her panties, leaving her completely naked. She looked down at him and licked her lips nervously.

  Evan was a dominant male, and was obsessive about making her climax. Would he tolerate her taking complete control? Would he trust her enough?

  “Do you trust me?” Randi asked him as she went to her knees and slowly pulled the drawstring on his sweatpants.

  “Yes,” he answered quickly, sincerely.

  He lifted his ass as she pulled at his boxers, cooperating to get himself as naked as she was at the moment.

  “Good.” She nodded at him as she swung her leg over his body. “Then let me have control this time. All you have to do is think of nothing except sensation.”

  His cock had been rock hard as she’d divested him of his clothing. Her core spasmed in anticipation as she grasped his shoulders and finally met his fiery gaze.

  “Why?” he asked huskily, looking like he was struggling with the idea of doing almost nothing.

  “Because I want you to,” she answered simply, letting her saturated core slide against the long length of his cock.

  Rocking her hips, she used Evan’s hard member to rub against her slick clit, a low moan escaping her lips as she felt the friction against the sensitive bundle of nerves.

  “Okay.” Evan didn’t sound happy, but he was watching her face as though he was mesmerized by her every movement.

  She could feel his eyes on her as she reached up and stripped her hair from its confinement, allowing the silky strands to fall in a messy heap around her shoulders. “Close your eyes,” she requested, her voice deep and aroused as she continued to move her hips against him.

  “I want to see you come—”

  Randi pressed two fingers against his lips to silence him. “You’ll know when it’s time. Just concentrate on clearing your mind of everything except the feel of us together.”

  He pressed his eyes closed, but muttered unhappily, “Like I could think about anything else?”

  Randi smiled because she knew Evan couldn’t see her. She knew that he fretted about making her happy and making her climax whenever they were together. She didn’t think he realized that it was going to happen naturally. He didn’t have to think about it, because he was Evan. She could get off just from thinking about him.

  She leaned forward and grazed her lips along his neck. “You’re so damn gorgeous, Evan. Everything about you turns me on,” she whispered softly, giving herself permission to be the aggressor, and with a man this dominant, it was pretty intoxicating.

  He let out a low growl as she nipped at his earlobe.

  “Fuck! Have some mercy, woman,” Evan rasped. “Fuck me. Now.”

  Okay . . . maybe he wasn’t able to be completely submissive to her, but it was enough. She speared one of her hands into his hair and pulled his ear against her lips. “I plan on it, big guy. I want to ride both of us to a cataclysmic orgasm. I’ve wanted that since the moment I first saw you.”

  “You can start anytime,” Evan replied desperately. “Jesus, you feel so damn good, Randi.” He lifted his arms and stroked his hands slowly down her back and cupped her ass. “There isn’t another woman who feels and smells like you do.”

  She could sense Evan’s anguish, the difficulty he was having not taking what he wanted and needed. But he didn’t. He trusted her.

  “There isn’t a man quite like you, either,” she confided as she lightly, teasingly brushed her lips against his.

  Lifting her hips, she positioned Evan at the opening of her channel and started to slowly slide down his length.

  “Oh, fuck, yeah!” Evan groaned, arching his back to help her.

  Randi was ready to ride him into oblivion. In fact, she couldn’t wait a moment longer. Sinking down on him, she buried his cock completely inside her, letting out a satisfied moan as she did.

  She started a slow, sensual grind, but Evan was having none of it. Granted, he didn’t open his eyes once, but he grasped her hips and held her in place as he pounded up into her . . . over and over again.

  In the end, it was Randi who got lost in sensation, focusing only on the feel of Evan permeating her entire being and stealing the breath from her body as they worked toward a common goal: a stunning, fireworks-seeing, sweaty climax.

  Supporting herself on his shoulders, she met Evan stroke for stroke, slamming down on him as he thrust his hips up, creating a fullness and a volatile joining that drove her crazy.

  “It’s going to happen,” she panted as she felt her impending orgasm.

  “I know.”

  Looking down, she noticed his eyes were open and watching her before the massive waves of her climax hit her. Evan grasped her hands and held her upright as her channel clenched down on his cock, milking him of his own release as she threw her head back and screamed his name.

  He groaned and thrust into her one more time before staying buried deep inside her as he came.

  Randi collapsed on top of Evan still holding his hands. He untangled their fingers and wrapped his strong arms around her back, keeping her plastered against him.

  When they finally caught their breath, Evan muttered against her ear, “You’re right. Meditation is stimulating to the body and mind. I think it should be practiced at least a few times a day.”

  Randi actually giggled. It wasn’t often that Evan made a joke, but he seemed to be doing it more frequently in the last few days. “That was what I would call a much-modified version of what I wanted to teach you,” she scolded.

  “I think I like the modified version,” Evan decided as he stroked her hair. “I’m feeling very relaxed.”

  Randi leaned up so she could look at him. “You don’t really want to meditate for real, do you?”

  “I thought you wanted me to find happiness. Right now, I’m happy. I’m ecstatic whenever I’m with you, no matter what we’re doing.”

  Randi’s heart stuttered as she saw the serious look in his beautiful eyes. The truth was . . . so was she.

  Don’t do this to yourself, Randi. Don’t fall for Evan Sinclair. Even if he cares about you, he never wants to have a child, and you know you love kids. It might feel good right now, but the two of you together forever isn’t an option. He’s leaving, and you’ll still be here in Amesport teaching.

  Unable to utter an answer, Randi just buried her head against Evan’s neck and savored the unique scent of him and the feel of his body close to hers.

  Right now, she didn’t want to think about what would happen in the future. Right now was all she had.

  CHAPTER 16

  Randi tried to shake off the strange residual emotions following her visit to the Amesport cemetery on the way home that day.

  It felt odd that somebody else was apparently visiting her foster parents’ graves on a daily basis. The path was still clear, even though they’d had some light snow since she’d last been there, and the calla lily and the rose were still entwined and lying between the markers. The problem was . . . they were perfect. There was no way they were the same flowers. The two she’d put together would be frozen and dead. The only explanation was that somebody was there daily, moving the snow and leaving new flowers on the graves.

  Strangely, they had duplicated what she’d done by re-entwining the two flowers and leaving them there daily with the same tag with only two words: Thank You!

  As she opened her email, Randi wondered at the identity of the unknown person.

  One time hadn’t really made her think about it, but now that it seemed to be happening every day, it was making her curious as to what her foster parents had done for whoever was apparently honoring them.

  A note from S. distracted her from her musings.

  Dear M.,

  Just checking in to see how you’re doing. How’s your new relationship? Have you changed your mind about making it into something permanent?

  Randi smiled sadly at the note from S. She’d already given up on writing to him only from the Center. He knew plenty about her, enough to find her if he so desired. Somehow, she knew he’d never intrude on her life unless she wanted to meet him. Besides, he had a woman of his own now.

  Dear S.,

  No. No change. He has to leave tomorrow morning. Important business.

  He replied.

  Dear M.,

  You okay with that?

  She wasn’t okay at all, but it was reality, and she always knew her relationship with Evan could never be more than temporary. She answered.

  Dear S.,

  Yeah. I’m fine. I always knew it could never be anything more than a brief interlude. I can never fall in love with a man like him.

  How are things with your new relationship? Why aren’t you out? It’s a date night.

  Randi knew she was lying, but she could hardly tell S. that she was already in love with Evan Sinclair and that her heart was slowly shattering into tiny little pieces because he was leaving tomorrow. Evan might not be S.’s immediate supervisor, but he was the big boss in the scheme of things. Although she trusted S. with her own secrets, she couldn’t talk to him much about Evan.

  She waited, tapping her fingers on the desk in anticipation of a reply. He never took this length of time to answer when they were in conversation.

  She needed to get dressed and ready for Hope’s party. She’d had a lunch planned with her female friends today, so she hadn’t had time to see Evan earlier. Besides, she would have felt guilty taking up what little time he had to spend with his cousin Julian. The famous actor had just flown in from California late last night.

  More time passed before she got a short reply from S.

  I have to get going.

  Randi frowned at his response, afraid that she might have hurt his feelings because she didn’t want to talk about Evan. Maybe he saw her lack of communication as a snub. She sent a final one-line email, not sure how to explain why she couldn’t share her feelings with him.

  Have a great weekend.

  She signed out of her email, a sense of loss overwhelming her as she closed the laptop. Somehow, she was losing her connection with S., and tonight was going to be the last time she ever saw Evan. Oh, he’d be back someday for his family, but Randi knew she could never be with him again intimately.

  She was way too emotionally invested in this whole affair with Evan, and it hurt. The best thing she could do was try to forget what had happened in the past with Evan and move on. She did want to have children someday. Her love for kids had been her entire reason for going into teaching and trying to make a difference in their lives.

  I’ll forget him eventually. The emptiness I feel right now will go away.