Page 23 of An Heir Made In Hawaii (Hot Winter Escapes)

He ripped the sheet from her body. Shocked, aroused, she stood just beyond the doors of the balcony, the rain hitting her bare back. His hands framed her face, slid into her hair as he kissed her, lips moving masterfully over hers. Gone was the gentle lover, the sweet seducer. In his place was a conqueror, a man who wanted to ensure she would never forget the feel of his body against hers as he tugged her down onto the floor, the taste of him on her lips as his tongue plundered her mouth.

This was what she needed. Hard sex, no kindness, nothing that could draw her heart into the equation.

Just once more. To get him out of my system.

He slid his hands up the backs of her arms, started to roll so that she would end up beneath him.

No.

This time she was in control.

She pushed back, knocking him off balance. She took advantage of his momentary surprise, planted her hands on his chest and pushed him down. Straddling his hips, she delighted in the flare of lust in his eyes as he grabbed her thighs. She reached between their bodies and grabbed his erection. The feel of his bare skin in her hand made her gasp. A mad desire shot through her, to feel him inside without any barrier between them.

“Condom,” he ground out. “End table.”

Thank God one of them had enough rational thought. She stood up and grabbed a condom packet off the table. After he slid it on, she wrapped her fingers around him and slid herself, slowly, down onto his hardness. He hissed, his fingers digging into her thighs as he tried to urge her to sink down further. She resisted, rising up until he was just barely inside her, before she lowered herself again, each stroke sending physical waves of pleasure through her body as feminine satisfaction wound through her at the frustrated need on his face. The cold rain at her back heightened each sensation, made her feel wild and uninhibited for the first time in far too long.

Finally, she sank down onto his full length, their moans mingling as they found their rhythm. He reached up and cradled her breasts in his hands. The light strokes, teasing touches, made her move quicker, reaching for that incredible peak he’d already brought her to twice.

They soared over it together. She collapsed on top of him, allowing herself the intimacy of being held by her lover as the storm continued to rage on outside the doors.

Anika blinked against the sun streaming through the windows. She mumbled her discontent and started to roll over, then sat straight up when she came face-to-face with Nicholas’s smiling face.

“What are...?” Her voice trailed off as the night, and early morning, came back to her in a rush. “Oh.”

“Good morning to you, too.”

He surprised her by sitting up and pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

“Um... I didn’t mean to fall asleep here. Sorry—”

“Don’t hide from me, Anika. Not after what we shared.”

Irritation replaced her embarrassment. “Excuse me?”

“I always knew you were a force to be reckoned with.” His eyes warmed as they traveled down her naked body. She resisted the urge to cover herself with the sheet. “But the woman I saw last night was truly incredible.”

What was she supposed to say when he sat there clad in loose black pants and nothing else, morning stubble dark on his cheeks? Her hands itched to reach out and feel the roughness beneath her fingers.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” His face sobered. “I ordered room service. We need to talk.”

“Ah.” She looked away, detesting the faint sense of dread that crawled through her. “The four words every woman likes to hear.”

“Anika—” He swore as a ringing noise cut him off. “Give me a moment.” He rolled off the bed, crossed to the glass doors and stepped out on the balcony, pulling his phone from his pocket and pressing it to his ear.

Alone, Anika released the breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding. Spying her robe and nightgown draped over the back of a chair, she hopped off the bed and made quick work of getting dressed. Once the robe was firmly belted at the waist, she let out a sigh of relief. Clothed, she felt more in control, like drawing on armor as she prepared to do battle against her enemy.

Except at some point Nicholas had ceased to be the enemy. She bit down on her lower lip and glanced over at the balcony. He stood at the railing, his head tilted up toward the sky, his shoulders thrown back in a stance of confidence. Never had the sight of a man’s naked back made her want to swoon before.

But it wasn’t just his impressive physique or how he’d made her feel last night. His appreciation for the hula performance, his sharing the horrifically tragic circumstances of his childhood, had humanized him. He was still a cocky bastard, she thought with a small smile as she watched him start to pace back and forth, one hand gesturing as he talked. He didn’t want the things she did, which made anything beyond what they’d shared last night an impossibility.

Before this week, that thought had made her roll her eyes and thank the heavens she wasn’t the kind of woman who interested a man like Nicholas.

But now...now it just made her sad.

She turned away from the balcony. The only thing she could think of that he would want to discuss with her was the inn. Had last night changed his mind? Had he finally accepted her answer, was perhaps even coming to respect her as a fellow business owner?

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