Page 67 of Mr. Scandalous

ChapterSixteen

He suckedin a quick breath and his pulse jackhammered as her sweet womanly scent filled his nostrils. The rest of the weekend stretched out before them like a long, languid ribbon of highway just waiting to be driven and he couldn’t think of anyone else on earth he’d rather drive it with.

Taking her hand, he guided her around the other guests, slipping away into the crowd and heading toward his Ferrari glistening darkly in the dim glow of the parking lot vapor lamps. The ocean stretched out past the pier, blue and deep and the low, earthy sound of a passing ship’s foghorn vibrated the night air.

His imagination raced ahead of him. Sprinting to the B and B, leading Eden into their bedroom, slowly undressing her. Tonight, he’d already decided, was going to be special. No gadgets, no games, no toys. Just he and Eden together, making love slow, soft and easy.

He couldn’t wait to see her naked body, couldn’t wait to run his fingertips over her bare skin, couldn’t wait to taste the salty flavor of her womanly essence.

Beside him sat a woman who understood him, and he felt the thrill of her acceptance. She did not demand more than he was able to give. If anything, she was the one to put restrictions on their relationship. He adored her for not trying to change him.

He’d never met anyone quite like her before. She was a paradox. At once down-to-earth and steadfast but with a sexy playful streak that never failed to catch him off guard.

And he loved her dichotomy. She kept him guessing.

She reached across the console between the seats and touched his hand. “Are you ready for a night to remember?” Her low, husky voice sent a flashback of heat rolling through his system.

“Are you kidding? I’m up for anything. Always.”

Her throaty chuckle sent goose bumps flying up his arms. “Yes,” she said. “Yes, you are.”

Taking his eyes off the road for a whisper of a second, he pinned her with a stare. She licked her lips, and they gleamed wetly in the darkness.

A jolt of awareness caught him by the short hairs. God, she’d never been so desirable as she was at this moment.

He stepped on the accelerator and the Ferrari leaped forward, his mind awash in testosterone, his body hard, hot and ready for her. When they arrived at the B and B, he hopped from the car and rushed over to the passenger side to help her out.

She tossed her head and peered up into his face. Her hair was windblown from the convertible, her dress rumpled from all that dancing, her eyes ablaze with hedonistic purpose. She looked wild and wanton and totally sexy.

This was what he’d wanted from the moment he’d spied her in the window of Wickedly Wonderful. This jolt, this drive, this live spark of sexual heat.

A turbocharged affair with a sexy woman and nothing more. Tonight would be the culmination of his dreams. He struggled to keep his hand from shaking as he took her elbow and guided her into the B and B. His heart thundered, rapping against his rib cage like an electrical storm.

They climbed the creaky stairs to their bedroom, the muted lighting from the wall sconces illuminating their way. Eden’s hands were all over him. Touching his back, reaching up to stroke his chin, skipping along his knuckles.

But once they were inside their room and the door had closed behind them, Eden turned hesitant. She pulled her hand from his and moved away from him, away from the bed looming out from the wall in suggestive invitation.

He sensed the shift in her mood but could not ascertain why, in a matter of seconds, she’d gone from red-hot to reticent.

He stared deeply into her misty blue eyes and spotted passion mixed with uneasiness. This reaction was new. What was different?

The answer came to him. Ah. She had no costume to hide behind. It was just the two of them alone in a bedroom. No pretenses, no charades, no provocative scenarios.

That’s what had her rattled.

Alec took a step toward her.

She waltzed back.

He came forward.

Eden sidestepped, but he went with her, literally forcing her into the corner until her butt was pressed against the window ledge and she had nowhere else to go. By intentionally invading her personal space, he was heightening both the tension and her arousal.

Eden gulped, swallowing back her fears. This was it. The moment they’d been building up to for the past four weeks. The moment when she finally revealed to him her secret.

What would he do? she fretted. Would he, like Josh, flee in disgust?

What if...

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