Teasing Her Seal (Uniformly Hot!)(14)

As if he’d read her mind, he looked over at her, slowing his pace so she was walking beside him on the path. “You hanging in there?”

“I am,” she said, surprised to find it was true. She wasn’t nervous anymore. Chalk one up for her.

She was ready to do this. She really was. She was going to embark on a fun, exciting adventure with this incredibly sexy man and maybe, when it was over and she was headed back home to her new life of boring, she’d be a different person. The person she wanted to be.

The view from the top of the hill was stunning, the impossibly blue water of the Caribbean spreading away from their island. A few small waves broke on the beach below. She could almost see the strip of sand where he’d surprised her the other day, and the darker shadows of the coral heads promised good snorkeling. Later. Right now, she had herself a man to tease. The resort had positioned a romantic daybed for two near the edge of the lookout. The whole place reeked of romance, and her heart gave a little pang.

“So,” she said. “We’re here.”

She dropped down onto the cushions of the seat, her butt sinking into a pillowy softness that practically demanded she drag Gray down for a kiss. Or more. After all, the daybed was definitely big enough for two. They were outdoors, but she could be talked into indulging in a little fantasy action here. Surely they could hear anyone headed up the path in time to cover up. It could totally work.

Instead of joining her in the center, however, her big, brawny masseuse hesitated. Yep. Whatever he had to say was going to be good. Or, more likely, really, really bad.

“Just say it,” she advised. “Don’t lead up to it.”

He rocked back on his heels. “Wow.”

She shrugged. “There’s no time to sugarcoat in my job.”

“That’s good.” He gave her another one of those crooked half smiles that made her melt inside. “I’m not good with pretty words.”

Funny. He’d done just fine so far. But whatever. She wanted to have her wicked way with him, possibly beginning with sex on the daybed, so she wasn’t going to quibble with his word choice.

“I’m not looking for happily-ever-after,” he continued gruffly. “I need to make that perfectly clear.”

Uh-oh. Had he misunderstood her? Did he think she was shopping for a replacement ring? “Did I ask for that?”

He shook his head. “No, but—”

She cut him off. “I don’t believe in love.” Not anymore. “It’s a chemical thing.”

“Uh-huh. You’re a doctor.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Don’t they cover the scientific theories of love in those medical textbooks of yours?” He looked genuinely curious.

She went on the offensive. “Do you believe in love?”

“I don’t not believe in it, but it’s not something that’s ever made an appearance in my life.”

He didn’t sound as if he’d missed it, either. He had to be one of the stillest people she’d ever met. He dropped down next to her in a lazy sprawl, not moving a muscle, and yet she knew he hadn’t missed a thing. A parrot landed in the tree overhead, and his eyes tracked the movement briefly before returning to her face.

Remember the plan. “Tell me more about yourself.”

He shrugged. “I have no idea what you want me to say.”

That was the thing about guys. They seemed to think that she had expectations that the truth—or just whatever random thought was floating through their heads—would shatter her. When all she really wanted was to hear what he was thinking. It didn’t have to be profound or dressed up for her benefit.

She hitched closer to him. “For example, tell me about your last date.”

“You want me to discuss another woman?”

Well. Apparently, his face could show emotion, because he looked vaguely horrified. Had the date gone that badly? Looking at him, she assumed his last evening out had ended in bed. She didn’t want a blow-by-blow account, but she did want to prove her point. She’d bet he hadn’t been looking for love then, just a good time. So why couldn’t he do the same thing here, with her?

“Details.” She leaned back on the mound of pillows and toed off her shoes. She was seriously out of shape if her feet hurt after a half-mile hike.

He folded his arms over his chest. “Only if you tell me about your last date.”

“Is this a game of you show me yours and I’ll show you mine?”

He gave her a slow smile. “Or, we could just play doctor.”

She made a face. “You have no idea how many times I’ve heard that one.”

“It doesn’t work?” He grinned at her, a real genuine smile splitting his handsome face, bringing it to life.

“I’m here and I’m single,” she pointed out. “You do the math, but you still get to tell your date story first.”

“I don’t date.”

Right. Pulling teeth here. “You’re telling me you’ve never gone out and had sex? That you’re a virgin?”

Because she so wasn’t buying that one. She might be sex-starved, but she wasn’t stupid.

He laughed. “The last time I hooked up was with a gal I met at a biker bar. There was nothing romantic about it. I bought her a beer. We danced a time or two. Then I gave her a ride on my bike, and we...”

He gestured with his hand and, oh boy, she got the idea. He’d taken his newfound friend outside and done her. On the bike, over the bike, near the bike—she should really find out.

“You like your bike.”

“You bet.” He watched her so intently, his eyes hooded. Did he expect her to run screaming? Things had been simpler when they were kissing. He couldn’t talk. She couldn’t think. It had been perfect and she needed to re-create that moment. Stat. Unfortunately, he was still talking. “Is this another fantasy of yours, hearing me talk about having sex with someone else?”

Dirty. Out of character for her. Either or both labels applied. It definitely was not the sort of conversation she’d ever had with Harlan or anyone else at the hospital, so she went for honesty. “Think of it as a preview of coming attractions.”

He smiled roguishly. “I can work with that.”

“But you need to know something, too. This isn’t me.”



THE DAYBED CURRENTLY hosting Gray’s ass looked like something straight out of a bridal magazine. It was romantic as hell and positioned for kisses at sunset or for wedding photography. Not that he had any idea how a bride would traipse up here in one of those big, puffy dresses his former teammates’ fiancées typically chose. The poor woman would get hung up on the palms and the vines.

The truth was, he sucked at dating. Threading his fingers through Laney’s, he tugged gently. She landed hard on his chest with an audible oomph and he grinned. She didn’t hold back.

“You feel plenty real to me,” he said. “Or was that you outing an alternate personality when you said this isn’t me? Because that could definitely be a deal killer.”

“This is a fantasy. A game. One night...no strings. In real life, I’m not that woman, no matter how much I’m going to enjoy being her for tonight.” She offered him a solemn smile.

“And what if I want more than one night?”

His voice sounded gruff, and he had no idea where those words had come from, because he’d just finished telling her that he wasn’t playing for keeps. He eyed her cautiously, wondering what it was about her that made him want to be different. Why wasn’t he halfway down the hill by now?

“I made a reservation. I’ve only got so many nights.”

“Then I want all of them.” Stupid. Because he couldn’t, shouldn’t make promises. It was easy to imagine her in a white coat, making rounds with cool competence, but raunchy sex with a virtual stranger? Yeah. That seemed like a harder sell, because she’d have to unbutton and strip down. Let him in. He brushed his thumb over her collarbone, because it was a pity to be this close to her and not touch her.

“And then I go home.” She stared at him expectantly.

“Sure.” Getting started on those nights suddenly seemed like a great idea. He brushed his thumb over her cheek, leaning in closer because he needed to know her answer.

“What fantasy would you pick tonight?”



LANEY WAS WET. She wanted more kisses. And she definitely didn’t want to feel alone in needing more from him.

So why was she still fully dressed?

“I need an answer.” His mouth hovered inches from hers, though, as if negotiating wasn’t what he had in mind. Good. She had big plans for that incredible mouth of his, plans that involved sliding her tongue along his lips and then possibly nipping at his lower lip. Biting him. She wasn’t sure of the details of said plan, but how hard could it be to figure out? She gave it five minutes tops before he lost his clothes.

But then he didn’t kiss her again, which was a damn shame. Somehow, she had to spell her fantasy out for him. She inhaled, but the air didn’t help. Instead, she smelled Gray, a scent that was all male underlain with the tang of something metallic and the sea. Whatever he got up to in his spare time, it didn’t involve patchouli oils. She could imagine him outside, running or pounding through the surf. He was the kind of man who pushed his body hard, not accepting any weakness. If he’d been a caveman, he’d have been the best catch, the leader of the pack and the baddest-ass hunter of them all. He was going to be hers, and how awesome was that?