Twins On The Way. Janice Maynard

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      “Fine,” he said tersely. “Put your clothes on, and we’ll see the sights.” He’d been awake for almost twenty-four hours, but what the hell. Carpe diem it was...God help him.

      * * *

      When they reached Gavin’s rental car, Cassidy was delighted to see it was a convertible. “Why don’t I drive so you can enjoy yourself?” she said.

      Gavin yawned and nodded. “Probably a good idea. I’m sleep-deprived.” He went around to the passenger side. “You’re in charge.”

      She didn’t think he meant that statement to be provocative, but the image it conjured made her shift restlessly as she settled behind the wheel. Gavin Kavanagh was an imposing man. Imagining him nude and at her mercy made her mouth dry and her cheeks hot.

      Once they folded back the top and exited the parking garage, her passenger slumped in his seat with his head against the headrest. She drove down the strip, pointing out places of interest that were unique to Vegas. The fabulous architecture, the neon lights, the endless spectacle and the marquees touting famous entertainers.

      When she paused at a traffic light, Gavin waved a hand. “You love it here, don’t you?”

      His perception surprised her. “I suppose I do. We take the good with the bad. There’s nothing like it anywhere in the world.”

      “I wasn’t too impressed with Vegas before tonight. You’ve convinced me it has a lot to offer.”

      When she glanced sideways at him, the look in his eyes made her shiver. He wanted her. And he planned to have her.

      Sweet heaven. Without asking, she turned the car around and headed out of town. She barely remembered her name. Sexual arousal flooded her veins, hot and sweet. Exhilaration, laced with anticipation, made her feel as if she could fly.

      Fortunately, gravity kept her grounded. Driving in the desert at night was a special pleasure. The road was straight, traffic sparse and the spring air invigorating.

      She was a good driver, and she knew her limits. Pressing down on the gas, she watched the speedometer hit sixty, then seventy, then eighty. In her peripheral vision, she saw Gavin straighten. “I’m not paying for any tickets,” he said.

      The implied but laconic warning made her grin. She pushed it to ninety and laughed out loud as the wind tangled her hair. “Don’t worry. I know every law enforcement official in a fifty-mile radius.” She had to raise her voice for him to hear her.

      A rush of adrenaline took over, encompassing an odd mix of sexual hunger and sheer fun. Her hands were steady on the wheel. Anticipation rose in her chest like a wave of bubbles. The night was hers...the open road, as well. Earlier, she had panicked, plain and simple. She had second-guessed her decision to change the status quo. But now she was ready. She wanted Gavin Kavanagh, and she wasn’t going to let her inexperience stand in her way.

      Only the late hour curtailed her road trip. At last, she eased off on the accelerator and dropped back to a more sedate speed. At a pullout on the right, she slid the car to a stop and turned off the engine. The sudden silence was deafening. Overhead, a million stars twinkled and sparked.

      Gavin reached for her before she had a chance to take her hands off the wheel. His kiss was urgent. Thorough. Masterful. She had assumed he was half-asleep. Which proved how wrong a woman could be. This was a hunger that had been building since she went to his hotel room.

      The kiss was firm and demanding. It sent little squiggles of lust into every cell of her body. His hands anchored her head, one on each side of her jaw. Tilting her face to his, he ravaged her mouth, barely giving her a moment to breathe.

      For Cassidy, it was earth-shattering. She’d never been too impressed with foreplay. In the course of her limited experimentation, it had proven to be awkward and usually disappointing. Apparently her subconscious had recognized Gavin Kavanagh as the man to prove her wrong.

      Desperately, she pondered the logistics of getting naked in the backseat. But while she didn’t mind being pulled over for speeding, getting caught in sexual flagrante delicto was another matter entirely. This was Vegas, true. But her father would have a coronary, and this was not a time she wanted to court his displeasure.

      Gavin had more control than she did, apparently. He eventually gentled the kiss and released her, though his chest heaved. “You dazzle me, Cassidy Corelli.”

      His rough praise stroked her ego. Coming from a man like Gavin, that was a compliment worth savoring. “The feeling is mutual.”

      He snorted. “You sound like a little girl practicing her social etiquette. Tell me honestly. Why are you here in this car with me?”

      “I really don’t know,” she said, recognizing the truth as she spoke it. “But I never had a choice. There’s something about you I can’t resist.” She paused, grimacing. “We get lots of flimflam artists in Vegas. Con men, gaming sharks, wannabe Don Juans. So I’ve learned how to spot them. But you’re different, Gavin Kavanagh. You’re the real deal. Don’t ask me how I know. I just do...”

      He leaned back in his seat with a sigh, but he took her hand in his. “This is the first time all day I’ve felt comfortable. The stars are just as bright in North Carolina.”

      His thumb played lightly over the pulse point at the back of her wrist, making her dizzy. “Do you live at the beach?” she asked.

      “No. In a place called Silver Glen. It’s in the western part of the state...in the mountains. My ancestors discovered a silver mine back in the day and restored the family fortunes after the Depression.” He pointed to a group of stars. “Do you know your astronomy? Those are the Pleiades...the seven sisters. And over there is Orion. The fuzzy spot in his dagger is a nebula.”

      “You’re very smart, aren’t you?”

      He chuckled. “Any third grader worth his salt can spot those.”

      She half turned in her seat, forcing him to release her hand. She couldn’t see his expression very well. “There’s one more place I need to go, just a quick stop, and then I’d very much like to return to your hotel. For real this time. You know...to—”

      He put a hand over her mouth. “Don’t say it out loud. I’m on a hair trigger. But I’m trying to behave myself.”

      A sudden gust of wind made her shiver. At night the desert temperatures plummeted. She wanted to cuddle into the warmth of his embrace, but if she did, they might not make it back to the hotel. And while she was prepared to lose her innocence with him, she would prefer her first time to be in more traditional surroundings.

      She settled for nipping his fingers with her teeth. The naughty bite drew a groan and a curse from him. He gripped her shoulders. “You’re playing with fire, Cass. I’m not averse to taking you over the hood of the car. Is that what you want?”

      The possibility that he might decide to do just that made her melt inside. She could see herself, spread-eagled, Gavin lifting her skirt from behind and moving against her. She felt lost in an emotional desert, desperate for water. The inside of her mouth was like sand. “No.” Yes. Yes. Yes.

      He released her and sat back in his seat. “Then let’s get out of here.”

      * СКАЧАТЬ