He was magnificent. His dark beard growth making his jaw appear even squarer, his dark lashes creating a thick curve on his cheekbones.
Last night he had been both passionate and gentle. Powerful and tender. And completely insatiable. She had been completely insatiable. Waking in the early hours of the morning to find his mouth on her as he drew her from sleep in the most delicious way imaginable.
But it wasn’t just the way he made her feel that mesmerised her. It was the man himself. He was so strong, so sure of himself and, yes, controlling, but that was somehow part of his appeal, much as she never thought she’d ever say such a thing!
‘What are you looking at?’ he rumbled without opening his eyes.
Carly grinned. God, she loved him, and her heart felt as if it were glowing inside her chest.
‘You,’ she said, leaning down to gently kiss his jaw.
The arm beneath her came around her shoulders and he lazily caressed her spine.
‘A little less looking and a lot more action would be preferable,’ he advised with drowsy appreciation.
Carly laughed. ‘You’re insatiable.’
‘Hmm.’ He gripped the nape of her neck and encouraged her head to bend to his. ‘I am where you’re concerned.’
Carly stroked his chest. ‘We should check how Benson is doing.’
‘I already did.’
‘You did?’
‘I woke up earlier and called the hospital. They’re thinking of moving him out of ICU later today.’
‘Oh, that’s fantastic news.’ She smiled at him, drawing slow circles on the sprinkling of hair on his chest. ‘That was nice of you to check. I think “the old man” is growing on you,’ she teased.
Dare grunted and she hid a smile against his shoulder. He came over all cold and tough, but deep down he wasn’t. Deep down he was the man of her dreams.
‘Are you accusing me of going soft?’ he murmured suggestively.
‘Never!’
She squealed as he rolled her onto her back and held her hands above her head. ‘Let me up,’ she said breathlessly.
His eyes drifted over her naked breasts. ‘Make me.’
Carly reviewed her options and her stomach chose that moment to growl loudly.
Dare’s eyebrows rose in alarm. ‘Okay, I give up.’
Carly laughed at his antics. ‘I haven’t eaten for hours,’ she defended.
‘Then I’d better feed you.’ He rolled away from her. ‘How does an American omelette sound?’
‘Great, but what’s the difference between an American omelette and our omelettes?’
He dropped a kiss on her mouth. ‘We cook ours.’
Carly grinned, watching him tug on his jeans, leaving the top button undone, with the casual disregard of a confident male.
A surge of emotion shook her out of her happy delirium as it struck her that maybe she needed to pull back a little.
‘Why don’t you have a shower while I cook?’
She swallowed heavily and shook off the maudlin thought. Dare wasn’t a mistake. How could he be when it felt so good?
‘Sounds like a plan.’ She smiled.
‘Oh, I have plans for you, Red. I’m just building your stamina first.’
‘Promises, promises.’ Carly laughed and she headed for the shower.
* * *
Dare pulled a carton of eggs and a block of cheese from the fridge, a frying pan from the cupboard.
He was humming, he realised, and grinned. He couldn’t remember a time he’d felt this good. This amped. Maybe when he’d seen his risky stock options turn him from a possible contender on the financial markets to a man everyone respected. And maybe when he was speeding along an open road. But never with a woman before.
He glanced at the day outside the window. It wasn’t raining so maybe he’d try and get his doc to set aside her reservations and hop on the back of his death trap with him.
He frowned.
His doc?
She wasn’t his anything. She was very definitely her own woman and he could only imagine her temper taking hold if he suggested anything else.
He cracked eggs, ground pepper and salt into a bowl, and grinned.
That ex of hers had really done him a favour, he thought, cheating on her. The guy must have been a moron. It was the only explanation Dare could come up with because Carly was magnificent. Everything a man could ever want in a woman.