“I want you, baby,” he said.

  “Then take me,” she begged.

  He reached into his pocket and grabbed his wallet, retrieving a condom. Heather was already working his belt and pants open, and when her soft, cool fingers brushed his cock, he thrust into her grasp. She squeezed him, smoothed her hand over the tip of his erection and then lifted her fingers to her mouth to lick off the moisture. The sight of his seed on her lips was enough to send another gallon of blood racing to his cock. If he couldn’t get inside her this instant, he was gonna go into cardiac arrest.

  Despite his shaking hands, he somehow managed to sheathe himself and stepped toward her. Heather lifted her leg, and he caught it in his grip, pressing her back against the glass. He found his way unerringly to the hot core of her, sinking his cock into her tight pussy with slow deliberation that belied his frantic need.

  He’d dreamed about this too much to rush. He wanted to savor every bit of her. The slowness enabled him to fully appreciate the pleasure every single one of his senses was being bombarded with by the beautiful woman in his arms.

  “Nobody else ever felt this good,” he said, losing himself, inch by inch, in the tight heat of her.

  “I know.”

  “I’ve lain in that bed, dreaming of you, fucking my own fist more times than I can count in the past year.”

  She groaned and squeezed him, deep inside, eliciting a groan from him, too. “I’ll admit, I invested heavily in some toys.”

  He laughed, which was crazy since he was having hot sex with a woman he’d fantasized about for months. But that’s how it was with Heather.

  Suddenly, needing her to hear it, he said, “There hasn’t been anyone else. Not since you.”

  Ten months of celibacy. It hadn’t been intentional...but he suspected his subconscious had known he wouldn’t find satisfaction with anyone else. Not as long as Heather was buried so deeply in his psyche. The months apart had only made her more beautiful, more alluring in his mind. But none of those images and fantasies could compare with the woman in the flesh.

  She looked up at him, those green eyes wide and more than a little surprised at his admission. Nate held his breath, wishing he’d said nothing, because she hadn’t responded in kind.

  It killed him to think of her with anybody else, whether he’d been around or not. He had no claim on her, had in fact hurt her, but he seriously wanted to put his fist through the wall at the very idea that any other man had been where he was now.

  Finally she put him out of his misery. “Same here.”

  He let out a relieved breath. “I realize I didn’t have any reason to expect...”

  “No, you didn’t.” She ran her tongue along his earlobe, biting hard enough to make him wince. “But you may have ruined me for other men.”

  “Same here.”

  “I ruined you for other men?”

  He laughed. “Shut up.”

  “Okay, but only if you shut up, too, and finish what you started.”

  “Yeah,” he said. “Actions are better than words.”

  He lifted her other leg, desperate to find his way a little bit farther into her until he was completely buried. She wrapped her thighs around him, and he gripped her by the hips as he drove even deeper.

  Heather cried out, raking her nails down his spine and squeezing him tightly, inside and out. And, at last, he felt as though he was in the right place again, back where he was supposed to be. The anger, disappointment and frustration of the last ten months fell away and he let himself do nothing but feel.

  In Heather’s body, in Heather’s arms, nothing else mattered.

  He pulled out slowly and thrust in again, greedily taking more as she arched to meet him. Their bodies were slick with sweat. He tightened his grip on her hips, and her eyes flared in excitement. She twisted her fingers in his hair, almost painfully, as hot passion snapped between them.

  Nate tried to maintain control. But the electricity between them sizzled as she began to lose hers. It was too good, too intense, too hot to resist, and he could no longer take it slow and steady.

  “Gonna go hard now.”

  “Do it.”

  That was all the permission he required. Burying his face in her throat, he pulled out of her and then thrust to the hilt. She was mumbling something—Yes, yes, yes—and matching his every movement. Together they thrust wildly, he giving all he had to give, she taking it and begging for more. Until at last he hit the cliff and came with a long, shuddering moan.

  Heather was still holding on, her arms around his neck, her legs around his hips. She kissed his earlobe, traced her tongue down his neck, murmuring soft sounds of satisfaction.

  He wanted nothing more than to walk over to his big bed, toss her onto it and stay there for days. But even now they could hear voices downstairs and outside. A house full of guests was waiting for them, probably already wondering where their host had disappeared to and why he’d been gone so long with the maid of honor.

  “I guess we can’t stay here and do this all night,” he said with a sigh of disappointment.

  “I guess not.”

  He slowly let her down, and she bent to pick up her dress and panties, noticing the glass behind her.

  The color fell out of her face. “Oh, my God, you don’t suppose anybody could have seen us, do you?”

  “Nah, the angle’s wrong.”

  “I should hope so. Can you imagine?”

  “Would it matter? We’re not sneaking around, are we?”

  She shook her head as she reached around her body to zip up her dress, shoving her feet into her sandals at the same time. “No, sneaking around won’t be necessary. This was a one-shot thing. I’m not into stepbrother romances.”

  He closed his eyes and shook his head, hating that image. “Way to kill a mood, Red.”

  “There is no mood. It’s done.”

  “You really believe that was it for us?”

  “Yes, I do. We have to get on a small boat tomorrow...”

  “That boat is not small, believe me. It’s almost two-hundred-and-fifty feet long.”

  She shrugged, obviously not truly envisioning it. He understood—the thing had to be seen to be believed. The charter yacht was crazy extravagant, costing more for a week than most houses, but nothing was too good for his father’s bride.

  “It’ll feel small with two dozen other people on it, watching our every move. In Vegas, we could do what we wanted because we were completely anonymous. But everything’s different now.”

  She walked past him toward the adjoining bathroom, and he followed. As he cleaned up and got his clothes back into place, he watched her eye her messed-up hair in the mirror. She blew out a frustrated breath and then grabbed his comb to try to fix it. But she was obviously still filled with a nervous type of energy—maybe stress—as the truth of what they’d just done hit her.

  “You’re gonna make yourself bald,” he said, taking the comb from her hand and gently working through the tangled strands for her. Her hair was silky, thick and soft. He hated that he was fixing it for her to go downstairs to interact with other people, when what he wanted to do was strip her naked and stay in bed with her for the next week.

  She stood there and let him. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” he replied, putting the comb down and then turning her to face him. “You ready?”

  “For?”

  “For the dinner party from hell?”

  She laughed softly. “I suppose.”

  “For a maid of honor, you don’t sound excited about the festivities.”

  She licked her lips, rubbing her hands up and down her arms, as if chilly. “I’m just...this has been hard for me.”

  “It’s going to be a lot harder once those two realize what a huge mistake they’ve made,” he said, trying to keep things even. Because, though he questioned her mother’s motives, he also questioned his dad’s. His father had married out of sheer loneliness more than once, to his great regret.

  “Maybe,” she said. “Or maybe they’re really in love and will live happily ever after.”

  Nate couldn’t help rolling his eyes and huffing out a disdainful grunt at that idea.

  “What, you don’t believe in true love and happy endings?”

  After the year he’d had? “No, Red, I really don’t.”

  She licked her lips, pivoting away from him toward the sink, where she busied herself washing her hands.

  He’d said the wrong thing, something she didn’t want to hear. For a moment, he half regretted his answer but it was the truth. He had never believed in fairy-tale romances, and the last year had made him stop believing in romance altogether.

  Sex? Hot, wild screwing up against the door the way they’d just done? Yeah. He believed in that.

  But love, soul mates, happily-ever-after? Honestly, he didn’t believe they existed. That didn’t mean he wasn’t enjoying himself with Heather and couldn’t envision them continuing this white-hot affair. But love...that word wasn’t in his vocabulary.

  “At least you’re honest about it,” she murmured.

  “Only way I know how to be.”

  She gestured toward the bedroom. “So this was...”

  “Fantastic? Something I want to repeat many, many times?”

  A faint hint of color flushed her cheeks. “It was just sex.”

  “Great sex.”

  “Yes. But just two bodies, doing what comes naturally.”

  No, it hadn’t been that at all. Not to him. Heather wasn’t interchangeable with any other woman—she was the only one he wanted. For now. But that didn’t equal love. Right?

  “Look, let’s not debate it or put a name on it,” he said. “We have chemistry, Heather. Let’s leave it at that.”

  Her jaw was tightening. Her eyes narrowed. “Chemistry.”

  He drew her close, putting his hands on her ass and pulling her up on her toes so their bodies lined up the way they were meant to. “We’re good together. Let’s have fun while we can.”

  He bent to kiss her. She jerked her face away. Which was when he realized how seriously wrong things had gone.

  “Admit it, you want me as much as I want you.”

  She shook her head slowly and backed out of his arms. Her rigid posture told as much of a story as the sheen of moisture he saw in her eyes.

  “Being good together and having fun isn’t enough for me, Nate. Maybe it was last spring, in Vegas. But I’m not the same person I was then. My life has changed, and I’ve learned some drastic lessons. I want something different now.” She drew in a deep breath, and slowly released it. “So I’d really appreciate it if, once we get on that boat, you stay away from me.”

  “You’ve gotta be kidding.”

  Her chin went up. “No, I’m not. I’m finished, Nathan. We’re finished. I want you to leave me alone.”

  Their stares met and locked, both of them breathing heavily with passion and anger. He waited, certain she would temper that, change her tune, but she didn’t say another word.

  He couldn’t believe she was really pulling this, and wasn’t sure what she wanted him to say. That he had wedding bells ringing in his ears, and thought the two of them could go off and live in a fairy castle? Honestly, these days, he was just happy to be with someone who not only made him hot, but also made him laugh. He liked her, a lot. He wanted to be with her. Why wasn’t that enough for now?

  Whatever the reason, whatever she claimed, he was aware of one truth: sexually, she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Her mouth might say one thing, but her body said another. He certainly wasn’t going to force her to admit it, but sooner or later she would. Especially since they were going to be together for the next week in some pretty romantic, sensual settings.

  “Okay, Heather,” he finally said, “have it your way.” Then he smiled, full of confidence. “But something tells me your way is going to last no more than twenty-four hours.” He reached out and brushed a strand of her hair off her cheek. “You want me, babe. You know it, and I know it. And once we’re stuck on that boat, and you can’t hide away and pretend otherwise, you’re going to admit it to both of us.”

  4

  NATE HADN’T BEEN kidding when he said the yacht was huge. Heather had been struck into utter silence when the limos dropped them off at the port and she realized they’d arrived at their destination. When she’d first viewed the massive, graceful craft, she’d mistaken it for a small commercial cruise ship.

  It was anything but. The AnnaLucia was the visual definition of luxury. If Jerry had spent less than a half million on this cruise she’d eat her flip-flops.

  That was probably more than her father had earned in a decade. Toto, we are not in Kansas anymore.

  Honestly, she wasn’t sure what she’d expected. Maybe something like submarine-barracks type accommodations, with bunks for all the single ladies, of which she was one.

  Instead, the ship boasted fourteen bedrooms. As the maid of honor, and the bride’s daughter, she had her own. Nate did, too, and the bride and groom shared the luxurious master stateroom. The remaining eleven rooms were divided among the other guests, and everyone swore they’d never slept in such comfortable beds.

  The common areas were magnificent, boasting plush leather furnishings, thick carpeting and mahogany paneling. There was a seawater swimming pool on deck. Nearby was a six-person Jacuzzi. And a bar manned by a guy who made the best mojitos she’d ever tasted.

  If the warm sunshine, smooth, crystalline waters and poolside bar weren’t entertainment enough, you could hang out in the game room, complete with every game system known to man, or the small movie theater with films from all over the world. The on-board hair salon didn’t come with a hairdresser, but the mirrors and lighting were fabulous. There was even a spa with a trained masseuse. The two chefs provided delicious, gourmet meals in the centrally located dining room, and the crew was always on hand to help satisfy any craving an onboard guest might have.

  Except, of course, the sexual craving that had been gnawing at Heather’s bones from the moment she’d realized her stateroom was two down from Nathan’s. And both were very lush and private.

  “You’re halfway there,” she mumbled as she headed up to the pool on the third day of the cruise. “You can make it the rest of the way.”

  Sure she could. She was woman, hear her roar and all that.

  Truthfully, though, she had to admit, if he’d put much effort into it, he could probably have her purring instead of roaring in no time. Telling herself she wanted more than he could offer was all well and good. But seeing his gorgeous, muscular body in his swim trunks on deck every day, and noting how the other women all drooled over him, too, was playing hell with her self-control.

  If a sexier man existed on the planet, she’d yet to meet him. Nate, with his windblown dark hair, his ruggedly handsome face, those broad shoulders and thick arms, and rippling six-pack of muscles, was absolutely sex on a stick.

  She still wanted him, desperately. No island hookup with a random guy was ever going to be a good enough substitute. He had been totally right about how she was going to feel during this cruise.

  As it turned out, though, he’d didn’t try to seduce her. He had made his desires clear at the house. More than once she’d caught him watching her with desperate want, and he’d offered her intimate smiles that invited her to let down her guard. But he hadn’t so much as touched her in the past two days.

  It was a message: If a move was to be made, she’d have to be the one to make it. He’d drawn a line in the sand, wanting her on his own terms and wanting her to admit how much she desired him. Nate was holding out for a no-strings fling like they’d had in Vegas and was confident she would give in.

  The fact that she no longer wanted that would sink into his head sooner or later. She hoped.

  To help ensure it, Heather went out of her way to convince him she wasn’t interested. If the rest of the guests wondered why she sniped at him so often, or why he zinged her right back, they at least minded their own business. Hopefully nobody realized it was pure, sizzling sexual tension that made them act as if they couldn’t stand the sight of each other. But, underneath the bickering, she sensed his amusement—and his confidence. If he were a betting man, she imagined he’d have laid money that before this cruise ended she would be back in his bed.

  If she were a betting woman...well, she wouldn’t bet against him.

  “No! It might feel good now but will only hurt more when he’s had his fill and moved on,” she told herself as she walked up the stairs toward the bright sunshine. Wanting to take advantage of the gentler, early-morning sun, she was skipping breakfast, figuring she’d grab something later.

  “There she is! How’d you sleep, Heather?” called Hank, one of Jerry’s employees, who managed an office in Arizona.

  Hank was the obnoxious blond from the limo ride. He wasn’t as bad as he’d seemed at first, probably because he’d nursed a hangover and seasickness the first two days of the cruise and had cut way down on the drinking. Right now he seemed sober and happy, sitting poolside with a smear of white on his rather large nose.

  “Fine, thanks,” she said as she stripped out of her clothes, down to a hot-yellow bikini, and sat on a lounge chair near the railing. “Feeling better today?”

  “I’m finally sober,” he admitted, appearing sheepish. “I plan to stay that way for the rest of the week. Don’t know what I was thinking on the flight down here—except that I’m scared to fly! I’m just glad Jerry’s a great, understanding boss.”

  So she kept hearing. Everybody sang Jerry’s praises, especially when she was in earshot. Perhaps they’d noticed she wasn’t exactly cuddling up to her new stepdaddy. She was never rude or the least bit unfriendly. But she didn’t go out of her way to spend time with the man, either.

  “Your loss, bro. But hey, Red, you can count on me to keep your whistle nice and wet.”

  That came from the dark-haired one, Tony, who had lived down to all her initial impressions of him. Cocky and on the make, he had his eye on Heather. Absolutely the only reason she spoke with him was because she knew it drove Nate nuts.