Hard and Fast

“There’s only one woman I want to see topless.” He softened his voice. “Please, Amanda. I’m dying here.”

“You make me do things I know I shouldn’t, Brad Rogers.”

“The feeling is mutual, sweetheart. Believe me.”

“Room 125,” she whispered and hung up.

18

AT 5:00 A.M. THE DAY the team left for Dallas, having completed the Houston series, Amanda stood at her hotel door saying her goodbyes to Brad.

He held her close, his hands sliding beneath her silk robe to touch her naked skin. He should be leaving so that he’d be in his own room before the team was up and about. Instead, he seemed to linger.

“Don’t be nervous about the flight.” He kissed her nose. “It’s a short hop, up and down, and it’s over.”

They had their plan worked out. They’d take seats far apart from one another on the plane. They’d pretend they weren’t intimate with every inch of each other’s bodies. They’d pretend they hadn’t spent every night of this trip exploring each other with slow, exquisite perfection.

“I hate take off and landing. I’ll pretty much be in hell.”

“I wish I could sit with you and keep your mind off of it.” He nuzzled her neck. “Pull down the shade and shut your eyes. Think about all those things I did to you last night.”

“Hmm,” she said, smiling. “There’s a plan that might actually work.”

“You remember I’m meeting your sister later tonight, right? I really appreciate you setting this up.”

Her hands settled on his chest. She wondered if this would be the last time she’d touch it, the last time she’d be in his arms. “My sister won’t walk around the facts. She’ll tell you how it is.”

He brushed a wayward strand of hair from her face. “Must run in the family.”

“My sister makes me look like an angel. She makes a barracuda look like an angel.”

“I like direct and honest, so we should get along well.” His eyes softened. “I guess I better go before the guys wake up.”

Amanda nodded. “Yeah. Guess so.”

They stared at each other. Neither saying a word about tonight. For the first time, Brad didn’t promise that the night they’d just shared would be their last. But they also didn’t speak of having another night together. Amanda wasn’t sure what to think of that.

She watched his mouth descend to hers, anticipation building even as emotions rushed over her. Emotions she didn’t completely understand. She touched the rough stubble of his morning beard. She loved how he looked when he woke up. So manly. So rumpled and sexy. When his lips touched hers, she felt her chest tighten. Felt her body melt.

The kiss was slow, full of seduction, full of the spark she’d felt during their lovemaking but never in a simple moment such as this one. This was a kiss not about sex. It was a kiss that spoke of affection and tenderness. Had something already taken root despite their best efforts to stay uninvolved?

Long moments later, Brad seemed reluctant to end the kiss, his lips slowly pulling away. His eyes were so blue, she felt as though she were swimming in heaven. They didn’t speak. But she could tell he was reeling from what had just happened as much as she was.

But they couldn’t name what was between them. They couldn’t allow this to be more than sex. Perhaps, they were both afraid of crossing a line that they could never step back over.

Brad’s knuckles skimmed her jaw. Then he left. Amanda hugged herself, feeling the loss of his presence in every ounce of her body. And when she was completely alone, she faced the truth.

She was falling in love with Brad.

***

“ALL DONE, sugar,” Kelli said, walking into the exam room where Brad had just been rolled out of an imaging machine. “Sit up and try to relax.”

Brad eased into a sitting position and rolled his shoulders, taking in Amanda’s sister as she told the technician who’d helped with the testing he could go home. She had the same smooth skin as Amanda, the same long hair, only hers was light brown with blond highlights. She was taller with a fuller figure.

Kelli oozed an inborn, Marilyn Monroe kind of sexuality. She didn’t have to dress the role. Even the simple black skirt and blouse seemed to scream sex. There had been a time when he’d liked this type of woman. Now he preferred the soft, sultry combination of innocence and sensuality that Amanda wore like a second skin.

“I said relax,” Kelli commented, hands going to her hips. “If you keep grinding your teeth like that you’ll need a dentist as well as a surgeon.”

“Surgeon?” Brad’s gut tightened.

Kelli’s expression showed nothing, though Brad tried damn hard to read her. “Why don’t we go into the other room and look at the pictures together?” she asked.

They headed for the exit when a male voice came from a short distance away. “Hello. Kelli?”