of her intentions, all she could think was she wanted to make love once more with him.
She wound her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe and kissed him fervently. With a groan, his arm tightened around her waist and he shifted to stroke her back, twisting free the few buttons.
“Meg, darlin’, you’ll never know how I want you,” he whispered, pausing to frame her face with his hands and look at her. “With all my being,” he whispered and kissed her again.
Faint tugs at her back made her realize he was unfastening her top. He peeled it away and leaned back to pull it free and drop it. He unclasped her bra, taking it off, and then he cupped her breast and rubbed his thumb lightly over her nipple.
Desire was a storm, as impossible to refuse. He was enticement, forbidden dreams, a danger to her peace. But he’d already destroyed that. Her hips rubbed against him in invitation. Her kiss caused his groan. There was no stopping or going back. She was as helpless as a leaf carried on a rushing current.
His fingers touched her waist, and in seconds her skirt fell around her ankles. She stepped out of it and her shoes as he leaned back to look at her, his leisurely gaze made her tingle. Eagerly, she tugged off his shirt and unfastened his belt and slacks to let them fall. As soon as he’d kicked them off along with shoes, she peeled away his briefs to free him. He knelt to pull a packet from his trousers and then he picked her up.
“Jared, this is a dream,” she whispered, more to herself than him.
“It’s a dream come true, Meg.”
Clinging to him, she kissed him as he walked a few yards to place her on a chaise lounge. He moved between her legs and paused to put on the condom. Then he lowered his weight and she wrapped her arms and legs around him as he entered her slowly, driving her wild.
“Jared, love …” His kiss smothered her words and he kissed her as he eased out and then entered her slowly again, teasing and building need, until she arched against him and was writhing with urgency.
Perspiration beaded his shoulders and his forehead as he continued, and finally his control vanished and he thrust hard and fast. She crashed with a climax and rocked with him as he reached his, rapture enveloping her in a golden glow.
Sex was fantastic, but the wrong thing to happen in her life. She lay in his arms as he turned on his side and kept her with him. She caressed him, stroking his back, kissing his shoulder lightly.
“Meg, I want you here with me,” he whispered between the light kisses he showered on her temple and cheek. “Give us a chance and see what develops.”
In a tropical setting, it was more difficult to cling to logic and remain cool and remote. She knew she couldn’t trust him with her heart a second time. She had to go home.
He shifted, holding her close with one arm while he caressed her shoulder and brushed her hair away from her face. “You’re beautiful. And this is the best.”
She caressed his shoulder, kissing him lightly, momentarily enveloped in euphoria and wanting to stay that way a little longer. She wondered whether she would remember this moment all her life. Both of them nude, wrapped in each other’s embrace on the sandy beach. A faint breeze came off the water and she could hear the splash of breakers as they rolled into shore. Lantern light flickered over Jared’s face, illuminating his prominent cheekbones, leaving his eyes in shadows.
“We should shower,” she said.
“How about a quick, moonlight dip? Pool or ocean?”
“Ocean,” she replied and he stood to take her hand. They ran into the water, and when it was over their knees, both fell into it to swim. After minutes, he caught her and stopped, standing in waist-deep water to pull her to him and kiss her again. Their bodies were wet and warm, tantalizing to her. Her heart thudded and she was certain she had to go home to put distance between herself and Jared and get out of this magical dreamland setting where problems lost all reality.
Wrapping her arms around him, she kissed him. He picked her up and waded out to the beach to carry her back into a bedroom.
They made love in bed, and afterward he held her close while he caressed her and murmured endearments that she barely heard. Her mind raced over what to tell him and when, deciding to let it go this night, and to deal with it in the light of day, which would restore a semblance of normalcy.
She wrapped her arms around him to hold him and kiss him again.
They loved through the night and finally slept in each other’s arms, as sunlight began to tint the world with pink. In his arms, she thought about the future, deciding she would go home, mortgage the ranch and hire the best lawyers possible to fight Jared. That would throw it into the courts where the best lawyer usually won.
She woke to an empty bed and left to shower and dress in blue slacks and shirt.
As soon as she was dressed and ready, she sat by the open door to gaze at his tropical flowers and the ocean while she called the family accountant to get him to look into the best rates to mortgage the ranch. After a brief argument, he acquiesced and made plans, saying he would be prepared when she returned home.
Next, she called her South Dakota bank to check on the savings left to her by her father. Then she called the Santa Fe bank to check on savings there, then talked with her stock broker about what she could get from stocks and bonds.
She would have to find new lawyers, the best she could hire. Jared would know the most competent, but she couldn’t ask him. There was that billionaire client—he’d bought her pottery. He could probably give her sound advice. When she was back at the ranch and knew how much she would have available for a court fight, she’d get in touch.
She would have to go home and tell Ethan about his father. There was no avoiding that, so it might as well happen her way.
And she wanted Jared to have a day or two of full responsibility for Ethan, because as a confirmed bachelor, Jared might discover he didn’t want to be burdened with a child after all, and all her problems would be solved. She couldn’t imagine him enjoying being tied down to his son to the extent that he talked about.
Finally, she brushed her hair and put it in a thick braid. She found Jared in the kitchen with breakfast waiting.
He wore khakis, a white knit shirt and deck shoes, and he paused to look at her thoroughly. “Good morning. Come join me,” he said, strolling to her.
She put up her hand and shook her head. “Last night was magic, Jared, but it’s daylight, and reason rules now. I want to go home as soon as possible.”
“Why? I thought we were gaining ground. We’ve talked about some options, developed a relationship, eliminated some possibilities—what’s the rush?”
“I never intended seduction and lovemaking.”
“You can’t say it’s been bad,” he remarked.
“Of course not. But it isn’t what I want and it isn’t doing my future any good. And I told you, I can’t separate it from my emotions the way you can. I don’t want to fall in love again.”
“If falling in love occurs, I’d think it would be the best possible development. It would solve our problems.”
“I
