One Wild Night. Heidi Rice

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СКАЧАТЬ read, there’s at least a thousand easy ways to die out there.”

      “Concerned, Ally? I’m flattered. Just yesterday you would’ve been pleased to hear of my possible imminent demise.”

      “That’s not funny.” Maybe a little bit true, but still not funny.

      Chris shrugged. “Don’t worry, though. Should I be lost at sea or eaten by sharks, you and the baby will still be well taken care of.”

      For the first time that day, nausea rolled through her stomach. It must have shown on her face, because Chris leaned forward to take her hand, concern pulling down the corners of his mouth. “Hey, I’m just kidding about the eaten-by-sharks bit. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

      “I don’t see how you can treat this so lightly.”

      “I’m not. Trust me when I tell you the Dagny is the safest, most well-built ship on the planet, and I don’t plan to take unnecessary risks.” His thumb brushed over her knuckles, soothing her. “I need to do this—not only for me, but for my dad and the company, too. But you don’t need to worry about it. I fully intend to make it home in one piece.”

      I’m sure your father had the same intention. She didn’t say the thought aloud. After all, she really didn’t have any business getting involved in his plans. She shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place.

      The light brush of his thumb increased in pressure until he was practically massaging her fingers. The mood was getting too tense and his touch too familiar. To break it, she mimicked his earlier tone. “Then I’ll just cross my fingers you don’t end up as shark bait.”

      “I appreciate that,” he said wryly.

      At that tentative understanding, Chris signaled for the check. As he paid, Ally nibbled on her thumbnail and wondered why she cared so much all of a sudden.

      Ally had to be the most incomprehensible woman he’d ever met. It could be downright frustrating at times to try to figure her out. The upside, of course, was that she was utterly fascinating. Her moods changed rapidly and without warning, like a squall rising from nowhere, but that unpredictability was part of her allure.

      And that allure was becoming increasingly impossible to resist.

      He wanted her. Intensely. It didn’t seem to matter whether she was spitting fire in his direction or trying to freeze him out, his body burned for her. From the moment he’d met her on Tortola, she’d been a craving he couldn’t seem to satisfy.

      Wanting her had gotten him into this situation, and eventually—in spite of her objections—he and Ally would have to come to a workable solution, even if right now they were in complete disagreement as to what that solution would entail. The idea of marriage had grown on him, but Ally still seemed dead set against that. He’d have to convince her differently. Sex might work in his favor there—after all, he knew she wanted him, too, and it might be just the right angle to work. Logic argued he should take this slow, win her over the old-fashioned way, but logic wasn’t controlling him at the moment.

      He wanted her. Pure and simple.

      Now, preferably.

      Ally kept a careful distance as she walked beside him to the parking lot. If she only knew what was running through his mind…

      She seemed lost in thought on the short drive back to her place, occasionally biting a fingernail as she stared out of the window at the darkness. He was still easing the car into a space in front of her house when she had her seat belt unbuckled and her hand on the door.

      “Thank you for dinner. And the lovely necklace. I’ll see you—”

      Nice try. “I’ll walk you up.”

      Ally seemed poised to argue, but she did wait for him to come around and assist her from the car. At the front door, she put her key in the lock and tried again.

      “Good night.”

      “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

      “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Chris. Let’s just take this one step at a time. No need to rush things.”

      He stepped closer, close enough to feel the heat radiating off her and see her eyes darken. “Who’s rushing?”

      Ally stepped back a pace, the door blocking a further retreat. “I’m not stupid, Chris.”

      Her hair had escaped its clip again, and he caught the lock that trailed over her shoulder, winding it around his finger. “I never claimed you were.”

      Ally stammered as her breathing picked up pace. “We…we…we can’t just pick back up where we left off. Everything is diff-different now.” Even as she spoke, her hand slid gently over his forearm, belying her words. “There’re so many complications…”

      “It’s not that complicated at all.” He shivered as her hand worked its way over his chest, coming to rest over his pounding heart. He traced a finger along the stubborn curve of her jaw, and she lifted her chin, putting her mouth only inches from his. “This is pretty simple.”

      Ally lifted her eyes from his mouth and met his gaze. The hunger there rocked him. A second later she rose on tiptoe, and the hand on his chest slid to his nape. “I’m probably going to regret this.”

      Her lips landing on his blocked his response, and as she fitted her body against him his argument died in the flames that stroked him.

      This he remembered all too well. The inferno Ally stoked in him. The feel of her mouth moving hotly under his. The taste of her as his tongue swept inside her mouth to explore. The little moan that vibrated through her as his hands slid over her back and pulled her tightly against him.

      The sound of a car passing penetrated the sensual haze Ally wove around him, bringing his attention back to the fact that they were on her porch, providing a show for the neighborhood. He reached behind her, found the key still hanging in the lock and pushed the door open. Ally stumbled backward, pulling him over the threshold, and he was able to kick the door closed with a foot.

      In the half-light and privacy of her living room, Ally’s kiss deepened, turning carnal with need. Her hands tugged at his shirt, pulling it free from his jeans and over his head, and her hands slid over his skin, causing his muscles to contract at her touch. He worked the buttons of her shirt quickly, and it slithered to the floor.

      Ally broke the kiss and stepped back. Even in the dim light, he could see the flush on her chest and the rise and fall of her breasts with each shallow breath. With a long look that scorched him, she reached for his hand and led him down the hall.

       CHAPTER EIGHT

      YOU’RE CRAZY. SEND HIM HOME. Don’t do this. Her conscience hammered the words at her as she led Chris the short distance down the hallway. Her whole body was alive, though, for the first time since she’d left Tortola, and the electric hum thrumming through her easily outweighed any arguments her brain might want to put forth.

      Chris had a pull on her she didn’t quite understand, СКАЧАТЬ