Page 95 of Seduction Under the Southern Stars

She doesn’t reply.

I shift on the pillows so I can turn on my side, and she presses up against me, our legs intertwining.

I stifle a groan. This is such a bad idea.

I sigh and close my eyes. I shouldn’t have given in to my desire. I seriously need to work on my self-control. The strange thing is, though, that normally I have quite a lot of willpower. I exercise daily, eat well, rarely indulge in food or alcohol, and rise at seven a.m. without fail. But ten minutes in Elora’s presence, and all my good intentions fly out the window.

She feels small and fragile in my arms. The last thing I want to do is hurt her. I know she’s going to feel it when I leave, and I won’t be immune either.

But is that a reason not to do this? I’m a big proponent of the saying ‘Better to regret the things you’ve done rather than the things you haven’t.’ Life is far too short to worry about coulda, woulda, shoulda. That’s what I’ve always believed, anyway.

The issue here, though, is that it’s not just about me. It doesn’t matter if I get my heart broken—it’ll serve me right for being an idiot. But I don’t want to hurt Elora. She’s young and beautiful, and she’s been through so much. I honestly wanted to help her.

Then I grit my teeth, angry at myself. Be honest, Linc. I slept with her because I wanted her. I wasn’t being noble or kind. I wanted to have sex with her, and I didn’t have enough self-control to keep my distance.

I tighten my arms, and she murmurs something and snuggles closer.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper.

She kisses my chest. “What for?”

I don’t reply, my throat strangled by emotions.

She turns and leans on my chest, resting her chin on the back of her hand. “Tonight was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I will never, ever regret it, no matter what happens in the future. I can’t control how you feel about it. But I’d like you not to regret it, either. It was just what I needed, and I suspect it was what you needed too, to reconnect with me. I’m under no illusions about what happens going forward. I know you’re leaving, because your life is elsewhere, and that’s okay. It doesn’t mean I won’t be sad about it. I might even cry. But that’s okay, you know? It’s all part of the process. I’m glad we slept together. So glad.”

This girl… she knows how to completely unravel me.

“I won’t regret it,” I say, my voice a little husky. “I promise.”

She kisses my chest, then settles down beside me again.

We stay wrapped around each other for the rest of the night, although it’s a long time before I finally fall asleep.

*

The next time I wake, the room is filled with light the color of the inside of a cantaloupe melon—a creamy orange-gold.

Elora is still asleep next to me, facing away. I’m curled around her, one arm tucked under my head, the other around her waist.

Carefully, I disengage myself and rise to visit the bathroom. When I come back, I stand by the window for a moment, looking out at the view, stunned. The sun is rising behind the Remarkables to the east, and the mountains are the color of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The sky is a bowl of figs, cherries, and apricots. The lake is filled with blueberries and butterscotch. The morning is bright and so sweet I can almost taste it.

But I bet I can think of something that would taste even sweeter.

I turn back to the bed and discover that Elora is awake and watching me.

“Morning, gorgeous,” she says sleepily. “If anyone has binoculars over the other side of the lake, they’re getting a great view right now.”

I laugh and come back to the bed. She’s all curled up, only her bare shoulders and arms protruding, the duvet tucked around her body and legs. Her blonde hair lies tangled and spread across the pillow. Her English-rose complexion is slightly flushed, and her bare lips look soft as rose petals. She’s absolutely stunning.

Her gaze slides down my body to the erection that has miraculously appeared, widens a little, then returns to my face. Her eyes sparkle, amused, excited.

Slowly, keeping my gaze on hers, I drop to my knees. I lift up the bottom of the duvet. Then I duck beneath it and begin crawling up the bed.

“Linc!” she squeals as I find her feet and begin kissing them.

I chuckle and continue, pressing my lips to each toe in turn, then to her instep, then the inside of her ankle. Taking my time, so I don’t startle her, I kiss up her calves, then the inside of her knees.

Slowly, I part her legs.

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