Full Surrender

He’d expected a tough time holding back, but in the aftermath of her orgasm, he felt more grounded than what he’d imagined he might. He wanted her, of course. Badly. But he’d given her the kind of experience she needed to start feeling more confidence again, and that felt incredible.

Hell, just watching her reach that pinnacle was an experience he’d never forget. That fulfillment helped him as he began the battle to will away the mother of all hard-ons. But this had to be about her.

They held each other in the glow from the dim chandelier for long minutes. He pulled a blanket over them and listened to her breathing until it went back to normal. The sound of her soft sighs provided a kind of ease he hadn’t known in forever.

He was almost able to draw a whole breath again when she shifted beside him, her smooth thigh grazing his leg as she rolled closer. On cue, his body returned to full-on happy mode, ready to take care of her every need.

Damn it.

“This isn’t a one-way street,” she whispered against his lips, her hand coming to rest on his chest. “I’m more than ready to return the favor.”

His blood pounded in his veins, the need for her turning into a throbbing ache all over again. But as much as he wanted to bury himself inside her, he didn’t want to rush the progress they’d made.

“There is nothing to return,” he assured her, kissing her eyelids so that he wasn’t mesmerized by those wide blue eyes. “I got to see you find release and that was...so much more than I ever would have expected tonight.”

The high road never killed anyone, right? Although the pain in his balls after this self-denial would probably come close.

“Are you sure?” She frowned and opened her eyes again, clearly concerned for him.

And that, as much as getting to touch her, made him a happy man. If she cared about him like that, there might be hope for something more down the road.

“Positive.” He dragged another blanket over them along with the first. “Do you want me to leave the light on?”

She bit her lip, her indecision so palpable that he remembered why he was holding back. No doubt she was still battling some demons from her past.

“If you don’t mind, that would be great.” She smiled gratefully over her shoulder while she lay down on her side.

Danny tucked her against him, careful to keep his hips out of the equation.

“No problem.” He stroked her back long after she fell asleep in his arms.

Yeah, the light on was no big deal. But the fact that she needed time to trust again, coupled with him leaving in twenty-one days, was going to be a hell of an obstacle.

7

TWO DAYS LATER, Stephanie had to pinch herself to be sure she wasn’t dreaming.

She was finally sitting next to Danny Murphy again after waiting and waiting for him to come back to the States. He’d proven to her—several times since that first night together—she could hit her sexual peak with him and everything was in good working order on that front. Now, she mulled over the selection of wines stashed above the wet bar of the Murphy Resorts corporate jet on the flight to Cape Cod for Danny’s welcome-home party.

It was a dream come true, if only she could convince Danny she was ready to take the next step physically. But it was tough to ask for more from a man who kept bringing her to heights of pleasure she’d forgotten existed.

“I can’t believe your father sent a company plane to pick you up,” she mused while she ran her hand over bottles of Tempranillo and Beaujolais and other wines made from varietals she’d never even heard of before. “It must have been quite an experience being a kid in your family.”

Maybe talking about the Murphys would prepare her better for this time spent at his childhood home. Besides, she could use a distraction from thinking about how much she wanted to advance to the next level of recharging her mojo—sex with Danny. She’d dreamed about it both nights she’d fallen asleep in his arms after he’d touched her.

“We were fortunate,” he admitted, pocketing his phone that he’d just used to text his family that they were airborne. “And trust me, my dad doesn’t usually roll out the company plane for his sons to travel home. He runs the business by the book. But Jack’s wedding is a special occasion, so I think he pulled some strings to hire out the plane himself this week to transport the family.”

“I don’t have any siblings.” She left the wet bar to investigate a wall full of television screens and a low bookshelf beneath them. “I can’t imagine how helpful it would be having a brother or sister to occupy at least half of my parents’ compulsive attention.”