Secret Desire(25)

Her lips were parted. He watched her chew the edge of her bottom lip. Heat rushed through his body. He inhaled, trying to focus on something other than her mouth and his erection. If it wasn’t for the interruption, he’d be on his way to fulfilling a desire that rode him harder than any motocross trail.

His longing for Claire had pushed and prodded him through college. He wanted her and pursued an Ivy League education as if a piece of paper was the doorway back to her heart.

“I’ve got Wi-Fi. Do you need to use a computer?” He tried to slow his pulse and sound coherent.

“Yes. I do. But I’ve got the information on my hard drive. I’ll run home and get my laptop.” Claire gazed at him, a half-smile played on her lips.

“I’ll walk you.” He waited for her reaction. She blinked as if lost in a thought. She dropped her gaze and then rebounded back to his face, a deeper glow showing on her cheeks, and her eyes widened with a look of surprise. She’d obviously noticed his excitement.

“I think I’ll use my car. I don’t know exactly what I need.”

He felt like a high school kid again, unable to control his body, almost unable to control his desire.

This wasn’t how he wanted to get to know Claire as an adult. He’d imagine taking her to restaurants steeped in candlelight and soft music, with moonlit walks saturated with romance, and she’d fall in love with him slowly.

He cursed himself for being a romantic fool as well as caving in at the first chance in getting her alone and in his bed.

He cleared his throat. “I’ve got work to do in the barn. I’ll leave my laptop set up on the desk in the den if you need to use it. It’s a wireless connection. No password needed. There’s a printer on the credenza. Just make yourself at home. I need to go get the motorcycle. If I’m not around, call me if you can’t find what you need. Hold on.” He opened the front door, reached for a business card, and handed it to her.

She looked down at the card. “OK.” She pushed back the strands of blond hair trailing over her shoulder that had come loose while in his arms and tied a band around her hair. She gazed serenely back at him.

All thoughts stopped in his head. He watched her wind her hair into a knot, her breasts pushed up against the front of her dress, causing the material around the buttons to strain. If he didn’t get off the porch immediately, he’d sweep her up into his arms and take possession of her mouth. And every one of his good intentions would go straight to hell.

Claire smoothed her skirt. She looked down, almost demurely, and he watched her every move. She swept her fingertips along the rail and was graceful as she walked, hips swaying. Claire was near enough for him to bathe in her aroma, a mixture of woman and fresh flowers. He moved ahead of her and out of the path of his disintegrating convictions.

He tramped down the steps. He held his hand out to her and registered the charge that was released when their hands connected. If just touching her made him giddy, he was fascinated by the possibility of kissing her.

Jesus, what would it be like to make love to her? He inhaled her fragrance still lingering around him.

That fantasy was one he’d played out in so many ways. Now, the reality was within his grasp. His desire for Claire ramped up another notch, if that was even possible.

He opened her car door. She squeezed his hand before letting go. He held his breath, anticipating the moment when she’d bend and her dress top would fall away, revealing the swell of her breasts. He grit his teeth.

He tapped the roof of her car. “Drive safe.” He stepped back, shoving his hands into his pockets.

A smile tugged at her lips. “I’ll try my best considering the distance.”

Dustin waved and pivoted, not wanting her to see he was nearly out of control with desire. He went back inside, pulling off his shirt, which he waded into a ball and hurled at the wall.

“Brother.” He shed his shorts and put on an old pair of jeans.

He’d dated woman, plenty of them, and not one had left him in this state. But he’d not thought about them for weeks on end, certainly hadn’t entertained carrying some kind of torch for years for any one of those women. Claire was different.

She deserved to be courted and pursued, not tricked by physical desire. He wanted to pull apart and tease their attraction until both of them could not stand to be apart. He’d commit to being a miser with his desire to bide his time, correct the mistake he’d made, and win her back. This time for good.





Chapter Six



She didn’t want to call Laura in front of Dustin. She waited for him to go inside. “Of all the stupid mistakes.” She was convinced this had to be the worse. Well, almost. She’d barely escaped kissing Dustin. Hell, she’d almost gone to into his house and straight to his bed.