Heather shut her eyes, her body trembling. “Why do I want you? Why do you make it impossible to think clearly?”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that we’re out of town,” she said, opening her eyes. “Away from Dover. Away from everyone who would judge us.” Her hand covered his, the gesture making him want more than a simple touch.
“You’re the one who wanted to put an end to what we started,” he reminded her. If he didn’t talk her out of this he was liable to repeat his mistakes. Repeat what they had done just days ago and make things between them even more complicated. More dangerous.
“And I have,” she said. “Put an end to everything. But what we do here won’t count, will it? We’re away from whatever it is that could stop us.”
“Heather, this is crazy—”
“Is it? Why fight it now that we’re alone together, far away from everything? Alone in a way we’ll probably never be again?” she asked. “Being here with you like this makes me want to do things I shouldn’t want to do.” She was breathing so hard that her chest was rising and falling, her breasts heaving.
What he wouldn’t do to get her out of her clothes and have his way with her again.
This was beyond insane. She had ended everything before it could get out of hand. Doing this again would destroy them both.
“We’ve already made this mistake,” he said.
“We have,” she conceded. “And since we’ve already made a mistake, what difference will it make if we make another?” She turned away, her back to him. “If you don’t want to do this, I understand. Crossing this boundary again is so dangerous. But I feel like, no matter how hard I try to keep away from you, everything else forces us together. The truth is, I wasn’t angry because I didn’t want to be stuck in a room with you. I was angry because I wanted it. And I was scared of wanting it.”
Simon reached for her, placing firm hands on her shoulders. He leaned forward, his lips right against her ear. “And I want this, too. That’s the problem. I want you so much I can hardly stand it. Being near you all the time, but not being able to touch you...”
She was shivering. “If you could have me one last time, would you take me?”
Simon shut his eyes. Then cursed himself for the one word he was about to say. “Yes.”
Heather’s hands were already reaching towards the zipper at the back of her dress. “Get me out of this.”
He tugged at the zipper, pulling it down until her back was exposed to him. Her pale skin was so inviting. So enticing that all he wanted to do was kiss across the expanse of her creamy skin. “Is this what you want?”
“You?” She inhaled sharply. “Yes. You are what I want. Right here. Right now.”
Simon knew that she meant it. Heather was only interested in being with him in the moment. Afterwards, she’d push him away again. End things. Maybe even act like nothing had happened. This hot and cold between them should have infuriated him, but it only intrigued him. Made him crave her like a drug. The tabloids might have thought he was mysterious, but it was Heather who was the real mystery. The real puzzle that couldn’t be solved, because it wasn’t meant to be.
Wrapping his arms around her waist, he held her tightly as he planted a kiss on her neck.
A soft moan escaped her throat and she leaned back against him. Slowly, he kissed down her neck until he came to her shoulder. There was too much between them. He needed her out of her clothes.
He pulled his arms from her and started to slide her dress off, the fabric pooling at her feet.
Heather glanced over her shoulder at him, biting her lip coyly. Seductively. She was so demanding, and yet still so innocent. It was that combination that drove him wild.
Stepping out of her dress, she turned to face him. She kicked her shoes off, now down to nothing but her underwear. And her glasses.
He paused, stopping to gaze at her. There it was again. That combination of sensuality and prim innocence. Simon pulled off her glasses and stared deep into her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” she breathed.
He swallowed. “If you could see what I see, you’d never want to leave this room.”