what he was asking her. Appreciated that he’d given her some time to think. To be certain about the attraction and where it was headed.
But even with the fresh air to clear her thoughts, she still wanted him. Still craved the chance to feel all that warm male strength around her before she embarked on the most dangerous adventure of her life.
“Absolutely.” She slid her hand up his abdomen, teasing the hard ridges that moved and shifted beneath her touch. His chest rose sharply when her fingers rested on his pecs. Exhilaration forked through her.
“Cassie,” he groaned, stepping closer so that her feet brushed his in the shifting sand.
She rose on her toes and cupped her hands around the base of his neck, pulling his mouth to hers.
Bodies fusing at the same moment as their lips, nerve endings fired faster than the incoming tide. Hip to hip, breast to chest, her body curved into his, molding around all that hard, hot muscle. Pleasure tingled along her nerve endings, making her wriggle closer and sigh into his kiss.
She felt a low groan vibrate through his chest, but she didn’t hear it, the rush of waves drowning out everything else. Her breath caught at the back of her throat, her senses heightened. Every facet of the kiss imprinted itself on her consciousness, burrowing into her memory as if it would never leave.
He placed his hands on either side of her temples and kissed her gently, easing back ever so slightly. He traced her lips slowly with his tongue, then sucked on her lower lip in a way that made tension coil between her thighs. She wanted him. Wanted this.
But they were still too close to the bar.
Breaking the kiss, she whispered against his mouth, “Should we find somewhere more private?” Her dress rode up where she leaned into him, the denim on his thighs caressing her bare legs in a way that made her ache.
“Definitely.” Turning, he peered into the dark and pointed toward a sandy mound covered in sea oats with a shadowed area at the base.
There were no buildings. No lights.
“Let’s check it out.” She was already pulling him across the beach, calculating how fast she could have him all to herself. And then another thought occurred to her.
“Wait.” She stopped, kicking up sand as she spun. Her hand caught him midchest, halting him, too.
“I’m going to honor your wishes, no matter.” He sucked in a deep breath. “But I gotta say, I’d hoped we passed the ‘wait’ stage a while ago.”
“Me, too.” She licked her lips. “But I don’t have anything—that is, protectionwise—with me.”
“No worries.” His teeth flashed white in the darkness. “I’ve got that covered.”
Giddy relief lit her up inside and her smile matched his. A laugh bubbled up and she dragged him toward the sandy dunes. They reached the privacy of the sheltered area, where he stifled her laughter with hungry kisses, his hands entwined in her hair, his mouth warm on her lips. She kissed him back hard, not hesitating even when they heard voices from a boat out on the water, the dunes and sea oats hiding them from view. The space provided a private, intimate hideaway.
Closing her eyes, she tunneled her hands under his shirt, giving in to the insistent rush of pleasure that had started with the first accidental brush of their bodies. Now she could touch him. Taste him.
Their kisses grew deeper, more urgent. She wanted to feel his bare skin against hers, so she dragged his shirt up and off his broad shoulders. She opened her eyes to see what she’d unveiled.
So. Fine.
Her hands moved to his waist, resting on the band of his jeans, ready for more. But then he stepped into her, his kiss hotter. Harder. She could feel how much he wanted her and she shifted her hips to cradle that hard length against her softness. Things were escalating fast and that’s just what she wanted. More. Faster.
Mark.
* * *
THE FEEL OF Cassie’s hips pressed to his wiped his brain of any last remnant of thought. There was only him, her and the heat of this longing.
If he didn’t take her soon, he would explode. He broke off, his hands on her face, and saw her eyes, heavy with longing. Her lips parted, her chest rising and falling rapidly. He cupped the back of her head, wrapping an arm around her shoulders before easing her down onto the warm sand.
“Mark,” she gasped, reaching for him. But he knew having her hands on him would only drive him faster. And she deserved better than a tumble in the dark.
He lay on his side instead and undid the button at the top of her dress. He worked his way down that trail of fastenings, forcing himself to take his time. His fingers fumbled, unsteady, when he reached the final enclosure at her hem and parted the material. He drew it off her shoulders and down her arms, tugging her hands free so that she lay on top of the dress, naked except for a lace bra and panties.
His muscles twisted. Pulsed.
She was incredible.
The lush curves of her breasts rose and fell beneath her bra, her nipples straining against the fabric. Electricity sparked through his veins as he traced one nipple, then the other, a sigh whispering in the air as she arched into his hand. His mouth went dry then flooded with moisture. Desire ran rampant through his body, filming it in a light sheen.
He flicked open the front clasp of her bra and the sight of her full, round breasts knocked the air from his lungs. Made his chest burn. Need and craving pounded through him. He groaned as he palmed their satisfying weight and filled his large hands with their petal-soft flesh. When he lowered his mouth and circled her nipples with his tongue, tugging lightly on the hard buds, Cassie whimpered. She tasted of spun sugar, and her honey-and-vanilla scent, combined with the fresh sea air, scrambled his thoughts.
There was no denying she was as turned on as he was. He could read it in the hungry glow of her eyes, the flush of her skin and the way she squirmed beneath his touch. She undulated her hips, ribs and spine as if urging him to explore. And he didn’t need the encouragement. The grip on his control slipped further still, her effect on him devastating and bone deep. He kissed her with greater urgency, murmuring her name.
He traced her slender rib cage hungrily, the inward turn of her waist and the delicate flare of her hips before drawing an invisible line down her quivering abdomen. At the lacy top of her panties he paused, then slid his hand slowly beneath the material.
Her head tipped back and her eyes closed as she groaned again, her response jolting him with pleasure. His hand cupped her sex, lingering over its wet warmth. Dampness flooded his fingers as he stroked her hot, silken flesh. The metal teeth of his zipper bit into his straining erection. Blood rushed to his groin and made him light-headed.
Her moans deepened, and she gasped when he circled her clit with his thumb. He thrust a finger inside her and stroked gently in and out. Her tight flesh clamped around him, making him imagine how it’d feel around his cock... Yet he held himself in check. Wanted to pleasure her first. Chase away the last of those shadows that’d lingered in her eyes.
He delved deeper and she shuddered, back arching and hips thrusting forward, her chest rising and falling fast. She cried out and convulsed as she pressed against his hand. Hard. Then she collapsed, limp in the sand. With her face damp and flushed, her glittering eyes unfocused, she looked every bit as sated as he wanted her to be. As he wanted to be. He blinked down at her, the pressure of his desire licking through his blood.
Her burning cheek rested against Mark’s rigid shoulder and her ragged breathing gradually slowed. Not wanting to rush her, he held himself in check—barely. Kept his balled hands at his sides. Waited. And waited. When he felt her fingers slowly lower his bulging zipper, he shuddered.
Her cool fingers wrapped around his aching erection, gently skimming the length. It took every ounce of focus not to explode in her hands like a teenager. Jesus. She drove him crazy. His guttural moan seemed to encourage her