Win a Signed Copy of Memories of Us by Linda Winfree

Copyright © 2008 Linda Winfree

McMillian was in the pool, swimming laps. Celia paused at the top of the steps, watching him cut through the water with powerful strokes. Tight muscles rippled beneath his skin and the nervousness fluttering in her stomach shifted, morphed into a liquid stab of anticipation.

Forget the deep breath and open eyes. She was ready to be in over her head with him.

Ready to drown in him.

She descended the steps. Ferns waved in cedar planters, and the setting sun cast blue shadows on the patio. Stainless steel lights spilled pools of gold here and there.

He hadn’t noticed her. She stopped by a lounger and laid her bag aside. Tendons stretched and pulled in his back. She swallowed. The man was absolutely beautiful. Agonized expectation swirled through her, a rush of wanting and unadulterated lust, settling into a warm ache low in her belly and between her thighs.

No, he wouldn’t be hers, but he’d be her lover. And at this rate? All he’d have to do was touch her and she’d be a puddle at his feet. She needed to get a grip.

He reached the deep end and stopped, holding on to the concrete apron with one hand, pulling goggles off with the other. He wiped water from his face and grinned at her, short dark hair plastered to his head. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself.”

“I’m glad you decided to come.” He released the apron, treading water. Water trailed down his neck to the tight muscles of his shoulders and biceps. “You should come in. The water’s great.”

Said the shark to the fish. She shrugged off the whimsy and toed out of her skimpy sandals while pulling her camisole over her head. She slanted a quick glance at him. His grin had died, male appreciation sparking in the cool blue of his eyes while he surveyed her plain black bikini top.

She pulled the clip from her hair and shook it loose about her shoulders. A wicked smile tugging at her lips, she half-turned from him. Men were such simple, visual creatures.

Make her come to him? He was trying it again. Well, she’d make him wait for it.

She slid her chain over her head and dropped it into her bag. “I thought we were having dinner.”

“We are.” His voice was nearer and she looked over her shoulder to find him at the side of the pool, the strong point of his chin rested on his crossed arms. He was eyeing her legs and his gaze traveled up her body to her face. He grinned again, the expression purely male and predatory in nature. “But I thought you might want to cool off first.”

“It’s not that hot yet.” She turned her back, biting her lip to hold in a laugh. Taking her time, she slid her khaki shorts down her legs and stepped out of them. Not looking at him, she folded them neatly and laid them beside her bag.

“Oh, I don’t know. From here, it’s pretty damn hot.” His voice sounded a little strangled. She turned to face him and unclasped her belly chain, coiling it atop her shorts. He met her gaze, his face taut. “That bordered on cruelty, Cee.”

She liked hearing the nickname on his lips. With a sultry laugh, she took a running start and dove. The cool shock of the water closed in, enveloping her body. She surfaced, gasping a little at the sudden chill, and slicked her wet hair from her face.

He remained in his prior location, leaning against the pool wall, watching her. She blinked away water, the faint aroma of chlorine filling her nose. “You’re right. It is nice.”

That prowling grin curving his mouth again, he pushed away, doing a slow crawl to the other side. “It could be a whole lot nicer.”

God, he was all ego. And damn if she didn’t like it. She treaded water, cool waves lapping at her but doing little to soothe the heat spiraling under her skin. “Patience, McMillian. Good things come to those who wait.”

“Maybe I’m not a patient man.” He swam to her, stopping scant inches away. She stared into his eyes, droplets clinging to his dark lashes, falling free to follow the slashes by his mouth. His white teeth flashed in a shark’s smirk, one that sent heat pooling in her abdomen. “Sometimes great things come to those who make it happen.”

A heavy expectancy filled her, a stinging rush that tightened her breasts and sizzled along her skin. “I like the way you think, Counselor.”

She closed the minuscule distance between them, threading her fingers into the short hair at the back of his head. Her chest bumped his, stomachs rubbed, treading legs tangled. She saw the flare of surprise and desire in his eyes before she took his mouth.

The kiss was no tentative exploration. Instead, he opened his lips immediately, their tongues stroking, teasing, dueling. An arm clamped around her waist, dragging her against him and she closed her eyes before they sank beneath the surface. Excitement flashed in her, the intensity of sensations zinging along each of her nerve endings.

She moaned into his mouth and wrapped her legs around his waist, giving herself over to his strength and the cushioning hold of the water. He pulled her closer, dipping his tongue deeper into her mouth.

They broke the surface and she pulled her mouth from his, filling her lungs on an exhilarated laugh. He chuckled, finding his footing on the pool’s sloping floor, still holding her with one arm, smoothing her hair from her face. She held his gaze, finding her own reflection in the desire darkening his eyes.

He lowered his head and kissed her again, slow nips along her lips rather than the all-out ravaging they’d shared before. Surging closer, she explored his shoulders and arms, loving the play of muscle beneath her fingers.

His hands eased up and down her back, circled her waist, smoothed up her ribcage to the edge of her bikini top. His lips held hers, clung, let go. He smiled, stroking his thumbs along the line of her ribs.

Satisfaction cascaded through her. Tonight, he’d be hers. Fantasies and images kicked off in her mind—her head tossing on golden pillows, her body arching into his as he thrust into her.

She blinked. Not her fantasy. His. What he wanted, in her head again. She didn’t understand how, but she wasn’t in the mood to question. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her breasts into the hard wall of his chest and brushed her mouth over his. She’d just have to make sure every one of his fantasies came true.

She was sure he’d satisfy hers too.

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