“It’s so beautiful here. If I didn’t love my mountains so much, I think this is where I’d want to live.”
Logan angled his body to face her. “Or, you could live here half the year and the mountains the other half.” He could make that work.
“Summer in Asheville, winter in Pensacola? Sounds a little like Camelot.”
The breeze ruffled her hair, the moonlight making it shimmer. He burned with wanting her. If he let the fear take over that his inexperience would ruin tonight, then that’s exactly what would happen.
He’d survived brutal firefights, camel spiders as big as his hand, and friendly fire. How hard could it be to figure out how to please a woman? It seemed the best thing to do was just worship her body and the rest would follow.
Moving behind her, he wrapped his arms around her chest and pulled her against him, something he’d been longing to do all night. “Would you like living in Camelot?”
She lifted her hands and rested them on his arms. “Who wouldn’t?”
“Dani?”
“Hmmm?”
“All I can think about is kissing you.” To start with anyway.
“Yes, please.”
She twisted around in his arms. Eyes darkened to the color of forest moss stared back at him. A man could fall into those green pools and never leave. God help him, he was a goner. He brushed his lips across hers, marveling at their softness.
Though he tried to keep it a teasing kiss, when she parted her lips, he gave in and stroked his tongue over hers. She tasted of spices and wine, and he couldn’t get enough. He rubbed his groin against her, and when she pressed back, he squeezed his eyes shut. Damn, he was too close to the edge.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he said. Maybe he could cool down between the deck and his bedroom. Or, maybe not.
“Let’s stay here. I want to feel the breeze on my body when you make love to me.”
A racehorse’s heart couldn’t possibly beat faster than his did at that moment. “You will, I promise.” Logan took her hand and pulled her—probably too roughly—along behind him.
“What about the dishes?”
“To hell with them.” He was going to make love to a woman for the first time in his life and she was worried about the fucking dishes?
Opening the door to his bedroom, he pulled her inside. She stopped and looked around.
“Wow.”
“I thought Maria took you on a tour.”
“She did, but she said your room was off-limits. I think she was still feeling a little jealous of me at the time and didn’t want me to see it.”
He didn’t want to talk about his sister. Didn’t want to talk about anything. Words weren’t his priority right now.
“I’ve always wanted a fireplace in my bedroom,” she said.
Marry me and you will have one. “When I first saw the house, I knew I wanted it, but it wasn’t until I saw this room that I decided I had to have it no matter the cost.” He’d left the French doors open and the wind blew the sheer white curtains, making them look as if they were doing a kind of slow dance.
“I want your bed.”
They were in agreement, then—he wanted her to want his bed. He looked at the four-poster and imagined her in it. Later. They’d get to the bed later.
Taking her hand again, Logan led her out to the deck. “This is my favorite part of the room.”
She turned in a slow circle, taking everything in. He looked around, trying to see it through her eyes. On the back wall was a sink and counter, a mini-fridge underneath.
Half the deck was under cover, and he’d spent many hours under it watching storms stir up the sea, something that, for reasons he didn’t understand, calmed him. A chiminea sat near a chaise longue on the part of the deck with no roof. That was his destination.
“I hate to keep repeating myself, but wow,” Dani said. “If you’re ever looking for me, try here.”
More pleased by her words than she could ever know, he smiled. He steered her to the chaise. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll join you in a minute.”
“I need to check on Regan. As hard as she played today, there’s no doubt she’s in never-never land, but I need to make sure.”
“There are baby monitors in every room, but go ahead.”
“Really, where?”
“There.” He pointed to the monitor next to the sink. Why that earned him a look that appeared to be amazement, he didn’t know. It almost pissed him off. Did she have no idea he would do whatever necessary to ensure Regan’s safety?
“Go check on her.” His command was more abrupt than he’d meant it to be.
An eyebrow rose at his tone, but she left without commenting.