Oh, no. She heaved a deep sigh. Does this mean youre not planning to ask me to run off after dessert to get married so we can open a cute little bed-and-breakfast on the beach, where youll cook, and homeschool our eight children?
What are you doing while Im slaving over stove and chalkboard?
Eight children, she reminded him, her smile masking her bafflement at the idea of how much work that must be. Eight. Did anyone have that much love? Her mother hadnt even had enough for two. But this was a game, she reminded herself. Which means that I, of course, will be splitting my time between mommy duties and making sure I look hot and sexy in order to lure you into bed to work on number nine.
Does that lure include hot-oil body rubs, see-through nighties and the occasional role-playing game?
Of course.
Sounds tempting, he decided with a long, slow smile so sexy that Darby felt its impact deep in her belly.
Only one problem, he confessed. Im a lousy cook.
Me, too. She shrugged. I guess there goes that dream.
Its a good thing we found out now, before we got in too deep.
Mmm, deep. God, a part of her wanted to give herself a good forehead smack to shake those sexy thoughts out of her mind. It wasnt as if she was frigidno matter what Paul saidbut still, shed never been one of those sex-obsessed women focused on the varied and satisfying ways to get off.
Yes, sitting here with Dominic, thoughts of sex were filling her mind. Sexual innuendos. Sexual positions, sexual pleasure. Oh, yeah. Pleasure.
So now that we know were not destined for happy-ever-after? she ventured, wanting to get herself back on track along with the conversation.
Now I do the gentlemanly thing and tell you that as attracted as I am to you, all I can offer is this week.
Darbys pulse leaped with delight.
Talk about perfect. If she had ever thought there was anything to magic or intuition, Dominics words would have cemented her belief. But she was a pragmatist through and through.
So she took it as a sign, instead.
Paul thought she was too much of a control freak to ever let go, to ever just enjoy the moment without having to know every single detail. Well, look at her now. Here she was, proving exactly how wrong he was.
Just this week? As in, no commitment, no expectation of more than a little vacation fun? She leaned forward with narrowed eyes, angled her chin and arched one brow. So basically, all you want is sex? A little vacation fling? Some naughty nooky with nothing on the side?
Is that a bad thing? he asked, tipping back a chug of Scotch.
Both brows rose now. Shed made seasoned defense attorneys cry with that tone, but Dominic didnt even blink.
Actually, its an excellent thing, Darby decided, sipping her own drink and wishing the froth was something stronger. My life, my real life, gets intense. My career demands a lot of my attention, most of my focus. And theres nothing wrong with that.
She bit her lip, wishing that last sentence hadnt sounded so defensive. Another reason to dive into this vacation fling, she decided. She would rock the hell out of work-life balance.
You wont hear any argument from me. Im a big believer in giving one hundred ten, even one hundred twenty percent, to your career. As long as youre happy and fulfilled, its all good. His smile slipped a bit. Barring anything that breaks the national, state or city laws, of course.
Well, thats specific, Darby said with a laugh. Not just the law, but all shades of the law.
I believe in covering all contingencies.
I like that in a man.
Excellent. He gestured for the waiter to pour the wine, waiting until the man left before lifting his glass. Heres to vacation mysteries and pleasurable fantasies.
I think I can drink to that, she agreed, a little thrilled to realize that she could not only drink to it, but she also actually welcomed it.
So what do you do when youre not sipping frothy pink drinks in Hanalei? he asked after theyd clicked and sipped.
You had your two things, here are mine. Mind made up, she leaned forward with a smile hopefully tempting enough to lure him into agreement. First off, youre a gorgeous man who is filling my head with thoughts and fantasies so detailed and erotic that Im surprised Im not blushing.
Is that a fact? When he turned his wrist so their hands were palm-to-palm and gently rubbed his thumb over her pulse, even those thoughts blurred. Darby had to take a couple of deep breaths to pull them back into focus.
Mmm, yes. That is a fact. So thing one is to assure you that despite bursting my beachside B-and-B bubble, the attraction is very mutual.
Thats good to know. His smile shifted, his dark eyes narrowing with desire. Since I plan on finding out a lot more about those fantasies of yours so we can play them out in exquisite detail.
Oh, boy. She wanted a sip of ice water to cool her throator a gulp of wine to steady her nerves. But she forced herself to continue without either.
Which brings me to the second thing.
Talk about wicked. His smile shifted, sparking a curl of hot desire deep in her belly. The kind that made Darby want to press her thighs tight together to intensify, to build until the pleasure exploded.
The second thing is that we agree that whether our time together is limited to dinner, to the night, or the entire week, that its only about here and now. Afraid she was sounding like some goofy romantic in a sappy movie, Darby cleared her throat and continued. Whatever time we spend together will be focused on the matter at hand with no sharing of personal details. Topics such as careers, job demands, educational specifics or anything work-related is off-limits.
Interesting. He arched one brow. Are you involved in anything illegal?
Tempted to laugh, Darby shook her head.
Immoral? Illicit?
Immoral? Thinking of the thousands of lawyer jokes shed heard over the years, Darbys lips twitched again.
There is nothing about my vocation that the United States government would frown on, she said primly.
So thats it? No sharing home addresses or phone numbers, and no job talk?
Not even a hint.
Considering, he leaned back in his seat while the waiter set salads lush with leafy greens, spears of fruit and a dusting of fried plantains in front of them.
Any other personal details off-limits? he asked as soon as the man was out of earshot.
Last names, she added, just for fun. She knew all itd take was a visit to the front deskprobably even less for himto get that information. But it added to that the mystery. We stick with Darby and Dominic. Which would have been a great name for that B and B, by the way.
I can see the carved driftwood sign hanging over the door, he agreed. But since youve put the kibosh on that particular fantasy, I guess well settle for the other one. A week of vacation pleasure. Well live in the moment, with no pressures and no expectations on either side. Except for pleasure. I have a lot of expectations when it comes to pleasure with you, Darby of no last name.
His expression was easy, the look in his eyes promising that the pleasure he offered was more than anything shed ever imagined. But there was something else there, Darby realized. Shed seen hints of it already, an intensity and guarded pain, that made her realize that while this little escape into fantasy was something she wanted, it was actually something Dominic needed.
His expression was easy, the look in his eyes promising that the pleasure he offered was more than anything shed ever imagined. But there was something else there, Darby realized. Shed seen hints of it already, an intensity and guarded pain, that made her realize that while this little escape into fantasy was something she wanted, it was actually something Dominic needed.
A tickle in her belly joined the sexual tingles teasing her skin. Darby wasnt sure what it meant. She recognized the attractionthe guy was gorgeous, after all. But there was something deeper pulling at her, tugging her heartstrings. Making her want to cuddle the man close and smooth away any pain. To give him a safe haven against the miseries she saw in his eyes.
Whoa.
Freak-out alert. Darby could feel her brain scrambling back from the concept of emotional anything.
Emotions led to feelings. Feelings led to pain. Pain led to debilitation. The kind that slayed hearts, destroyed families, ruined lives.
No can do.
No way.
No thanks.
Darby drew in a slow, deep breath, feeling as if shed just backed away from a mental cliff on a windy day.
Emotions didnt come into this, she assured herself. This thing, this week, it was all about the physical. Or, better yet, the fantasy.
Thats exactly what I want, she told Dominic, leaning forward take his hands in hers. I want the fantasy. I want to lose myself in the pleasure of this gorgeous resort, this beautiful island and each other. Id like to see what life is like outside of the world I usually live in.
Dominic lifted both her hands to his lips, brushing a warm kiss over the knuckles of one, then the other. He smiled, his mouth still warming her skin.
If its a fantasy you want, darling, its a fantasy Ill give you. One youll never forget.
Uh-oh.
Darby knew trouble when it was kissing her hand.
But this was vacation.
Her chance to prove that she had a life outside of work. A way to relax that she could actually enjoy.
So what if the guy was trouble?
Nobody was going to be hurt by this. They were both single, both free to enjoy themselves. And both interested, with a solid finish line already spelled out.
It was perfect.
For the first time in her life, she was ready to simply live in the moment. To grab on with both hands and ride it like a wild stallion, wringing every drop of pleasure there was to be had from it.
Talk about work-life balance.
Who knew it could feel so delicious.
CHAPTER THREE
BY THE END of dinner, Nic was mentally writing a thank-you note to whatever universal being had sent Darby his way. Fate, his guardian angeland no way a man saw what he did and lived through it all without believing there was an angel watching over his assor, in his case, the god Poseidon, whom hed pledged service to when hed earned his trident.
Whoever, whatever, there was no question that they were looking out for him. Darby wasnt just stunning, she was intriguing. There was an edgy sophistication in her demeanor that pricked at his curiosity and engaged his mind. As easy to talk to as she was to look at, she had a husky laugh, a wicked sense of humor and an easy sexuality that spelled interesting things for this week of living a fantasy.
Nic watched her lick the last smear of caramel from her spoon, liking the way she seemed to give her entire focus to enjoying experiences. Food. Drink. Flirting. So far, the woman seemed to embrace every sensual moment of them.
The band is good, she observed as the music drifted up from the lanai.
Theyve got a solid reputation, he agreed. Then, after a long moment, he asked, Would you like to dance?
His hesitance didnt stem from reluctance to hit the dance floor. It was simply a matter of not bursting the fantasy bubble before theyd even got naked. The lead singer of the band currently rocking out an island version of Welcome to the Jungle was his cousin. If they went downstairs, there was no way his identityor rather, his career, which was one and the samewould stay secret.
Do you not like to dance? Darby asked, resting her elbows on the table and leaning toward him with a teasing smile. Are you self-conscious about your moves? Oh, I know. Maybe youre one of those awkward, flailing dancers? Or do you give Frankenstein a run for his money?
She added a jerky, stiff-armed shimmy that made him laugh.
My moves are solid, he assured her as he mimicked her stance to watch the candlelight dance highlights over her face. And I promise, theres nothing awkward about my body when I use it.
Her mouth rounded in an O, even as her eyes narrowed as if she was imagining just how thatd feel.
Then, her hypnotic eyes locked on his, she arched one brow, pursed her lips and said, Prove it.
For all the fantasy talk, hed figured itd take them a few days to build to a climax...so to speak. He hadnt thought hed be proving anything tonight. Hed left his rack-em-and-stack-em days behind a decade ago. But, dammit, hed never been able to resist a dare.
So, planning it out with the same quick thinking and detailed focus as he would any operation, Nic stood, holding out his hand to her.
Shall we?
Youre going to show me your moves?
Theyll leave you begging for more, he promised.
Ive got to warn you, I dont usually dance with a partner.
You have something against moving against a partner?
She gave a tut-tutting sigh even as she slipped her hand into his.
Sadly, Ive yet to find a partner who has the right rhythm to match my moves.
Nic shot her a doubtful look and asked, Are your moves really that awkward?
Appreciation and humor danced in those big whiskey eyes for a moment before challenge took their place. With her head tilted to the side, she locked her eyes on his and, taking a minute step forward, rose.
Just close enough to hint at their bodies brushing against each other. His body tightened, heat kindling. The look in her eyes said she knew she had his interest, and she was deciding just exactly what she wanted to do about it.
Nic liked that.
He liked that a lot.
It wasnt just the appeal of a woman who could laugh at herself that turned him onalthough that was sexy as hell.
For a man whose entire life was built on overcoming challenges, was there any sexier allure than a woman whose expression promised that she was up to meeting any challenge he tossed her way with absolute assurance and confidence?
As he drew her toward the railing, where they could better hear the music, the distraction hed been searching for took on a whole new light.
Here? Looking self-conscious for the first time, she glanced at the other diners. There were only four tables on the balcony, but theyd be the only ones dancing.
Here. Under the moonlight, away from the crowd. Its all about the fantasy, he assured her.
Then, because it was, he drew her into his arms. Nic had never narrowed his interest to only one type of woman, but he realized as he pulled Darby close, that hed never gone for petite. If hed ever thought about it, hed have figured the foot difference in their height would make dancing awkward.