What do you do? On a typical Saturday night.”
“I’d probably be out. Dinner and maybe a movie. Sometimes a concert. A few weekends ago, I went to an art gallery opening.” She thought back over the dates she’d had in the last year, noisy parties and crowded theaters. She couldn’t remember enjoying a single occasion as much as she’d enjoyed this dinner. Or remember being with a man as attractive as Charlie.
“You must have your pick of men,” he said.
“And what do you do on a typical Saturday night?” Sarah said, deftly changing the subject.
“Same thing,” he said. “Gallery openings are big in Sutter Gap. Just last week Dub Watley got a new Elvis on velvet and we all stood around at the Lucky Penny and admired it. It’s a masterpiece, I tell you.”
Sarah laughed. “You’re a very charming man, Charlie Wilbury.”
“And you’re a very beautiful woman, Sarah Cantrell,” he replied.
Sarah knew if she just leaned forward slightly he’d kiss her again. It was there, in the soft curl of his smile and the sleepy look in his eyes. She ached to be swept off her feet by a kiss, to be so overwhelmed by a man’s touch she lost all sense of time and place. And since she’d met Charlie, she was certain he was the kind of man who could make her wildest fantasies come true.
But bending Charlie to her will had nothing at all to do with sex, she reminded herself. Though she might be tempted to jump into bed with the first sexy wilderness guide to come along the trail, she had to keep her eye on the real prize—Sam Morgan.
“It’s getting late,” she said. “I should really get back.”
He reached out and smoothed a strand of hair from her face. The simple contact had a devastating effect, instantly melting her very last thought of Sam Morgan.
“Sarah, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Her breath caught and she groaned inwardly. She’d heard those words, that tone of voice, from several men she’d dated. It never signaled good news. “You’re married?” she said.
“No!” Charlie replied, as if insulted.
“Then you’re getting married. Or you have a steady girlfriend. Or you just got out of a relationship.”
He shook his head. “No. No girlfriend.”
“Oh,” she murmured, her cheeks warming with embarrassment. “Well, that’s good to know. So what did you want to tell me?”
Charlie stood, rubbing his palms on his thighs. “It’ll wait.” He held out his hand to help her to her feet. “I’ll just grab our things and we’ll be off.”
Sarah was grateful he couldn’t see her embarrassment in the dark. She watched him by the light of the fire as he packed the remains of their meal into the grocery bag. She’d obviously said or done something that had cooled his desire for her. She hadn’t meant to imply that he was a liar or a cheat. It’s just that her experiences with men had taught her a few things. But then Charlie wasn’t like any other man she’d known.
Maybe his sudden aloofness was for the best. She needed Charlie’s help, not his body. And falling into bed with him simply to satisfy a momentary craving would only make things more complicated between them.
As they drove back to Sutter Gap, Sarah thought about the days ahead. If she was forced to spend more time with Charlie, then she’d have to find a way to control her attraction to him. The problem was she had no idea how to make that happen.
THE YELLOW BULB above the motel-room door cast Sarah’s face in a soft light. As they stood there, saying their good-nights, Sam was now absolutely certain she was the most exquisite woman he had ever met.
Throughout the evening he’d searched for excuses to touch her, longed for opportunities to kiss her. But then he’d remembered the little lie hanging between them and he’d stopped himself. There’d never seemed to be a perfect moment to tell her.
And now that their “date” was over, all he wanted to do was drag her inside to her bed and make love to her. Yet he knew that would mean crossing a line he didn’t want to. He’d always prided himself on being a gentleman. And though he really needed a woman right now, there were limits to how far he’d go to get one.
“I had a wonderful time tonight,” Sarah said, her gaze fixed on the front of his jacket.
“So did I,” he replied. He reached down and tucked a lock of her auburn hair behind her ear.
Sarah looked up at him and his pulse quickened. This was the moment when need usually overpowered common sense, the moment when a simple kiss would lead to a night in bed.
In the end, Sam didn’t have to make the choice—Sarah made it for him. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Not a sweet, gentle first-date kiss, but a hot, frantic take-me-to-bed-sailor kiss. At first, Sam wasn’t sure what to do. Though he’d had sex on the brain from the moment he’d set eyes on Sarah, he hadn’t expected her to take the lead.
Her body molded to his and with a low groan, Sam furrowed his fingers through her hair and deepened the kiss. His tongue dipped into her mouth, tasting the wine they’d shared earlier. He’d always enjoyed kissing women, but he’d looked at it as a necessary prelude to sex. Kissing Sarah was pure sex—it was powerful and stimulating and unsettling. The feel of her mouth on his, her hands skimming over his chest, instantly dissolved any indecision he might have had.
“Invite me in,” he whispered.
She fumbled with her purse, refusing to break their kiss, then pressed the key into his hand. Sam reached around to unlock the door and they both stumbled inside. The sound of the door closing was like a starter’s pistol and they immediately began to strip off their clothes.
She wanted him as much as he wanted her, that much was clear. Sam had never been so desperate to feel a woman’s skin beneath his hands, to revel in the soft curves of her body. When their jackets and sweaters lay on the floor around their feet, he slid his palms up to cup her breasts through her lacy bra.
“Take it off,” she whispered against his mouth.
Sam reached around and unhooked her bra. She let it slip along her arms and drop to the floor. Then he quickly tugged his T-shirt over his head and pulled her back into his embrace. When skin touched skin and her breasts brushed against his chest, desire flooded his senses.
“This doesn’t mean I’m going to take you to Sam Morgan,” he said, nuzzling her neck.
Sarah furrowed her fingers through his hair and gently tugged his head back. She met his gaze. “And I’m not doing this because I want you to take me to Sam Morgan,” she countered. “This is just about the sex, pure and simple.”
“Then you expect we’re going to have sex?” Sam asked, grinning.
She returned his smile then let her hands drop to the button on his jeans. “We’re both adults, we both have needs. I didn’t invite you in to play Parcheesi.”
“There’s nothing standing in our way,” he countered. “Nothing except the rest of our clothes.”
“Then
