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  “Come on, let’s dance.” She stood up, grabbed his hand, and tugged him toward the throng of people enjoying the evening’s entertainment.

  As a distraction tactic, Shea had to admit it was very effective, especially since he had the pleasure of watching Claire move to the beat of the music. The floor was crowded, forcing them into close proximity, and she took advantage of that fact as often as possible by brushing up against him in sensual, shimmying movements designed to drive him crazy with wanting her. And he had a feeling that she knew it, too.

  Her flirtatious mood returned as she tempted and teased him with her come-hither smiles and infectious laughter. Between dancing and lighthearted conversation with him, she was thoroughly enjoying herself, and he loved watching her let loose and have such a great time. It was yet another side to her that he had never seen before.

  The time passed quickly, and after a long set of fast songs she took his hand and led him off the dance floor. Her face was flushed with warmth and she was breathing hard from all the exercise.

  “I need some fresh air,” she said to him over her shoulder. She grabbed her purse, and he followed her out of the main entrance to the pub’s parking lot, which was jam-packed with cars.

  Outside, it was much quieter and a whole lot cooler.

  Walking up to the wooden railing that ran the length of the establishment and also led to the beach below, Claire lifted the hair off the back of her neck and sighed as a light breeze blew across her hot, damp skin. Her eyes closed, and Shea had to resist the urge to step close behind her and feather his fingers along that sensitive spot at her nape.

  After a minute or so, she let her hair fall back to her shoulders and turned to face him again, a relaxed smile in place. “I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun.”

  “Then you’ll have to come by more often,” he said, knowing he’d love having her at the pub on a regular basis. Just to spend as much time with her as possible. “The band is here every weekend.”

  “The band was great, but you were a big part of the fun. Thanks for dancing with me.”

  He leaned a hip against the railing next to her and shrugged, though he couldn’t stop the grin that tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Like I told you, it’s all about customer satisfaction.” And satisfying her, in every way imaginable, was his main goal.

  An abundance of amusement glimmered in her eyes. “I didn’t see you dancing with any of your other customers.”

  “That’s because I didn’t want you dancing with anyone else.” It was the truth, and the reason he’d kept so close to her. “There were guys in there just waiting for me to leave your side for even a second so they could make a move on you.”

  As if he’d exaggerated, she rolled her eyes. “I highly doubt that.”

  She was so genuinely modest and had no clue how appealing she was. How sensual and alluring she came across in the way she danced and laughed and carried herself. And then there was that sexy dress she was wearing that had turned heads all evening long.

  “Are you off for the rest of the night?” she asked curiously. “Or do you have to stay here until closing?”

  “Actually, I took the night off.”

  She tilted her head to the side. “In that case, would you mind walking me home?”

  “You walked to the bar?” he asked incredulously, and pushed away from the railing.

  “It’s not that far, and it was still light out when I arrived so it wasn’t a big deal,” she said, brushing off his concern. “But I hadn’t thought about walking home in the dark, and I’d rather spend the time with you than call a cab. But, if it’s a problem—”

  “It’s not a problem,” he insisted. “I walk to work occasionally myself. Would you like to take the sidewalk along the road, or the beach?”

  She glanced toward the sound of the ocean in the distance. “How about the beach?”

  He gave her a quick nod, and toed off his shoes so they could walk through the sand, glad for the opportunity to prolong his time with her. “The beach it is.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  It was a gorgeous night for a stroll, with silvery moonlight streaming across the ocean and the small, breaking waves on the shore adding to the calm and soothing backdrop of sound. Holding her purse in one hand and her sandals in the other, Claire curled her toes into the wet sand, enjoying the cool texture on the soles of her feet, as well as the companionable silence between her and Shea.

  It didn’t take long for them to arrive in front of her place, and she opened the door with her key then turned toward Shea. The outdoor light she’d left on glinted off his pitch-black hair and illuminated his masculine features. He stared down at her, his green eyes dark and intense, reminding her of the conversation they’d had back at his pub when she’d asked him what he wanted. The one where he’d made his interest in her blatantly clear.

  Now that they were completely alone, with a dozen sensual possibilities and this man finally within her grasp, the butterflies in Claire’s stomach came back with a vengeance. She had no idea how to go about seducing a man like Shea. A man who was so hot and sexy she felt completely out of her league.

  “Would you like to come in for something to drink?” she asked, figuring getting him inside the house was a start.

  Pushing his fingers into the front pockets of his jeans, he slowly shook his head, though his eyes never left hers. “I’m not thirsty.”

  “Are you hungry?” The words were out of her mouth before she realized the connotation of her question.

  He noticed, too. The playful smile that curved his sensual lips held humor, as well as a trace of something far more incorrigible. “Well, now, that all depends on what you’re serving,” he murmured huskily, and followed that shameless comment with a slow, visual caress that encompassed her breasts, her hips, and all the way down the length of her legs.

  She felt singed by his deliberate perusal. Her pulse tripped all over itself and settled into a steady, aching throb between her thighs. She hadn’t planned any of this provocative byplay between them, but she had to admit that the bold exchange made it much easier to put her desire for him out in the open, and gave her the fortitude to go after the affair she wanted with him so badly.

  With that in mind, she upped the stakes between them. “I’m serving whatever you’re hungry for.”

  Reaching out, he traced the thin strap of her dress all the way down to the low neckline, then feathered his long, warm fingers over the top swells of her breasts. Slowly. Leisurely. Like a man who had all the time in the world to pleasure her. Her knees went weak at the thought.

  “I’m hungry for another kiss,” he said in a low, silky tone, arousing her with his suggestive words as much as his thrilling touch. “I’m ravenous for the taste of your skin, the softness of your breasts in my hands, and the taste of them in my mouth. I’m starved for the feel of you warm and willing beneath me.”

  He paused, letting the erotic scenario play through her head and fuel her own imagination to dizzying heights before he finally said, “Knowing all that, are you sure you still want to offer me something to eat?”

  He’d revealed his deepest desires, and he was leaving the ultimate decision of what happened between them tonight up to her. Refusing what Shea was offering wasn’t an option, not when she’d fantasized about him doing all those things to her, and a whole lot more.

  “I’m sure, because I’m just as hungry as you are,” she said, baring her own emotions and sensual longings. “Maybe more so. It’s been a long time since someone has wanted me that much.”

  Heat flared in his eyes and he groaned like a man who’d been shoved over the edge of control. In a whirl of movement he gently pushed her inside the house, closed the door behind them, and backed her up against the nearest wall. Her shoes and purse dropped to the floor as he tangled his fingers in her hair and his mouth came down on hers in a deep, hot kiss that was an aggressive, possessive assault on every one of her senses.

  Hi
s body pressed hard against hers, branding her with a scorching heat from her aching breasts to her trembling thighs. He shifted his hips and effortlessly wedged a leg between hers. His hard thigh slid higher, exerting a delicious kind of pressure and friction right where she needed it the most. She arched into him, felt the thick, growing length of his erection, tasted their mutual desire as it built, and inhaled the intoxicating scent radiating off his skin—a heady combination of sea air and carnal sin.

  Desperate to feel more of him, she tugged his T-shirt from his jeans and pushed her hands underneath the hem. Beneath her flattened palms she felt the muscles in his stomach flex, heard the deep growl of sound that rumbled between them, and reveled in the knowledge that she could affect him on such a purely sexual level.

  He kept on kissing her as his large hands drifted down her neck to her shoulders. His fingers slipped beneath the straps of her dress and lowered them down her arms, until her breasts were completely bared. The dress hadn’t required a bra, and she was grateful that there was nothing to hinder the immediacy of his touch.

  She sighed into his mouth when he cupped her in his palms, gently squeezed her breasts, and dragged his thumbs over her tight, sensitive nipples. Then those strong, skillful hands were traveling lower, following the curve of her hips, gliding over her bottom and down the back of her thighs. He pulled up the hem of her dress until the stretchy fabric was bunched around her waist.

  He ended their kiss, and she shivered when he splayed his hand on her belly and stared into her eyes. Bracing his forearm on the wall behind her, he continued to watch her face, her expression, as he slowly skimmed his hand beneath the waistband of her panties, over her mound, and into the slick, wet heat of her own arousal.

  Biting her lower lip, she swallowed back the low, needy moan that rose in her throat. He leaned into her, his hot breath rushing across her cheek as he pushed a finger deep, deep inside her. His thumb found her cleft, and despite how turned on she was and how good his touch felt, she knew better than to expect any fireworks.

  But she hadn’t anticipated Shea’s patience when it came to her pleasure. His sheer determination. His amazing restraint and how much he enjoyed her uninhibited response. The way he stroked her with devastating effect and whispered in her ear all the wicked things he wanted to do to her. He took his time, and was rewarded for his persistence.

  When his lips closed over one of her nipples and he sucked her into his warm, wet mouth, her body jolted with a burst of sensation. The tension gathering tighter and tighter within her finally broke on a wave of stunning, unexpected heat and intensity. Her head rolled back against the wall, her eyes closed in surrender, and she moaned and shuddered as she gave herself over to a pulsing orgasm that seemed to go on forever.

  She panted, trying to catch her breath. She became boneless, her surreal climax leaving her weak and pliable. If it weren’t for Shea leaning heavily into her, she was certain she’d be in a heap on the floor.

  He withdrew his fingers, then removed his hand from her panties. As he nuzzled her neck, he adjusted the hem of her dress back into place. “I guess you needed that,” he said, his raspy voice infused with amusement and satisfaction.

  “Mmmm. I did.” She sighed contentedly, vaguely aware that Shea had covered her breasts back up, too. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” he murmured into her ear. “Though it was my pleasure.”

  She laughed, and shivered as he placed warm, open-mouthed kisses on her neck. “I believe the pleasure was all mine.”

  He pulled back, a boyish grin canting the corner of his mouth, his eyes bright with his own unquenched desire. “It could be again, if you’d like.”

  As a lover he was so generous. So giving. So unlike anyone she’d ever been with before. “I’d like that, very much.” What sane woman refused the promise of more orgasms? “But I think next time the pleasure should be mutual. Would that be okay with you?” There was nothing subtle about what she was asking—she wanted to make love with him.

  “Oh, yeah, that would be more than okay.” Then he grew serious, his dark brows creasing in concern. “I meant what I said back at the bar about wanting you, Claire. I think I’ve wanted you from the first moment I laid eyes on you, no matter how wrong that might have been because you were married at the time. So, I have to ask. Are you sure you’re ready for something like this? For us? Together?”

  She appreciated his caring, and knew that if she told him she needed more time, he’d back off and give it to her. But that wasn’t the case at all. No, she’d waited a long time to find someone like him, and she wasn’t about to let this night, or this man and everything he had to offer, slip from her grasp.

  Lifting her hand, she placed her open palm on his stubbled cheek and spoke from the heart. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life.”

  He touched his forehead to hers and closed his eyes, a shuddering breath escaping him. “I’m hoping you have protection, because I don’t have anything with me. I wasn’t expecting to get so lucky tonight.”

  His tone was laced with humor and hope, and it made her smile. “I have protection in the bedroom.” Not because she’d been anticipating this either, but because she hadn’t gotten around to cleaning out the nightstand drawers that still held some of Alan’s things.

  Taking Shea’s hand, she led him down the hall, and as soon as they entered the large master suite and she turned on a small light, he came to an abrupt stop. His surprised gaze took in the decor—mainly the floor-to-ceiling mirrored sliding closet doors on either side of the room, and the mirrored canopy over the bed. Wherever you looked, your image was certain to stare back. She’d grown used to the intrusion, though she eventually planned to redecorate the room and replace the current closet doors with something more contemporary.

  “Wow,” he said as he eyed the bed’s reflective canopy with unmistakable male interest. “Someone certainly has a thing for mirrors.”

  She cringed as she retrieved the box of condoms, and couldn’t stop the flush of embarrassment that spread across her cheeks. “It wasn’t my idea,” she said, making it very clear that she wasn’t responsible for the room’s hedonistic scheme.

  He pulled off his T-shirt and dropped it to the floor, then tipped his head curiously. “You didn’t find the mirrors erotic at all?” He unsnapped his jeans and slid the zipper down.

  “It was never about my pleasure in the bedroom.” She set the protection on the nightstand and stared unabashedly as he continued to undress as they talked—proving he was a man who was comfortable with his own nudity. And as a woman, she could easily appreciate such a well-built body. “It was always about Alan and what turned him on.”

  “You should have been more than enough to turn him on.” Hooking his fingers into the waistband of his pants, he pushed them off, along with his briefs, and kicked them aside.

  “Trust me, that wasn’t the case.” Without a stitch of clothing on, there was no hiding how aroused Shea still was. Claire’s mouth went dry at the sight of his erection, at how hard and thick he was between those powerful thighs. Lust and need pulsed low and deep, and increased in urgency as he stepped behind her, then turned her around to face one of the sliding closet doors so that she was staring at their reflection.

  “Then how about we make tonight all about you and your pleasure, and put these mirrors to good use.” Trailing damp, lingering kisses along her shoulder, he slid both straps of her dress down her arms. “Starting with getting you naked.”

  He accomplished that task with ease, stripping off her dress and panties in a slow, breathtaking seduction—made more provocative because she was watching the whole scene unfold. Once she was as naked as he was, Shea aligned the front of his body against her back, then lifted her arms and hooked them around his neck. Her fingers automatically threaded through the soft hair at the nape of his neck, and her body arched to accommodate the position.

  “Keep your hands right where they are,” he said, the r
ule obviously not applying to him since his hands were already caressing her breasts, his fingers plucking at her taut nipples. “Watch me touch you, Claire.”

  She did, and was stunned by the level of arousal he managed to evoke in her. His splayed hands glided over her ribs, across her stomach, and down to the juncture of her thighs. His tanned skin was a striking contrast to her pale blond curls, and her breath caught in anticipation of his touch.

  Flattening one of his hands on her abdomen, he slid the fingers of his other hand lower, delving between the hot, inner folds of her sex. She was still sensitive from her first orgasm, and he seemed to sense that, stroking her clitoris slowly, softly, rhythmically.

  The erotic visual images in the mirror mingled with physical sensations that threatened to overwhelm her. The reflection of her and Shea together, of what he was doing to her, was too carnal. Too stimulating. Too wicked and wanton.

  Unable to stop herself, she knotted her fingers in his hair and moved her hips restlessly against the heated length of his shaft, which was pressing insistently against her bottom. She heard him groan like a man in pain, felt the clutch and pull of his hand on her stomach as he drew her backside closer and pushed his fingers deeper inside her so it felt as though he was taking her from behind.

  She didn’t think it was possible, but she was going to come again. She turned her head and sought his mouth, and he gave her the kind of kiss she craved. It was hot and wet and wild—just like the unrestrained climax that convulsed through her.

  She barely had a chance to recover before he was guiding her onto the middle of the bed. Obviously done with foreplay, he sheathed himself with a condom, then moved over her and kneed her legs wide apart so he could settle in between her trembling thighs. His features were taut, the muscles across his shoulders bunching with barely concealed control, and his eyes blazing with need. Bracing his arms on either side of her head, he crushed his mouth to hers and slid the head of his shaft along her soft folds of flesh, then nudged slowly inside her body.