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  This kiss was different from any she’d gotten from Devon. And she knew. He was being driven by lust and not love. But knowing that wasn’t a deterrent to the sensations he was stirring inside of her. Sensations and needs she couldn’t fight. And she didn’t want him to fight them either.

  Her body was getting hotter with every stroke of his tongue to hers. She could feel the hardness of his erection pressed against her, practically molded to the juncture of her thighs. And when he suddenly deepened the kiss, her heart nearly missed a beat. Whether he knew it or not, he was pushing her over the edge. Too soon and she wanted to fight it. When she experienced the big O again she wanted him fully inside of her.

  He suddenly pulled his mouth from hers and she could see his massive chest labor with deep breaths. She could sense every need and want in the dark eyes staring at her.

  “Oh, my God. Ashley,” he said, slowly backing up, taking steps away from her. “I don’t know what happened just now. I didn’t mean to lose control and kiss you like that. My desire for you is overwhelming. It’s like something has been building up inside of me for a while and tonight it demanded to be freed.”

  And she wanted even more to come out. He had no idea that she’d needed that type of kiss and wanted more of anything and everything else he wanted to share with her.

  “I’m sorry.”

  His apology invaded her thoughts and she moved forward, covering the distance separating them. “I don’t want you to be sorry, Ray. I wanted you to kiss me that way. I needed for you to do it. Men aren’t the only ones with needs.”

  “I know that, but...”

  “But what?”

  He leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers. “I don’t want to hurt you. I can’t promise you anything beyond fulfilling needs.”

  “You won’t hurt me, Ray, and I’m not asking you for promises. I know what I’m doing. I know what I want, what I need and what I desire. You’re all those things. Please don’t deny me.”

  He pulled back and took hold of her hand. “Come on. Let’s sit down and talk and—”

  “No,” she said, shaking her head and tugging her hand from his hold. “I don’t want to sit down and talk. I want to make love with you.”

  She reached up and lightly ran her hand around the beard. She felt a scar and figured the beard was his way of hiding it. And because Devon never had facial scars, she could only conclude it was the result of what had happened to him. She pushed the thought of what he’d gone through to the back of her mind. Truthfully, whatever reason he’d chosen to wear a beard didn’t matter. She liked the bearded look on him. The thick stubble covering his jaw made him appear sexier. Hotter. Just touching his face while he stared at her was heating her blood.

  “I don’t think you know how I feel when you touch me, Ashley.”

  She continued to stroke her hand along his face. “And how do you feel?”

  “Lusty.”

  She decided to test his claim by easing the lower part of her body closer to feel his erection in his pants. It was throbbing hard against her. “And what do you intend to do with all that lust, Ray?”

  “I shouldn’t do anything with it, but I want you so damn much.”

  He was still fighting it, but she refused to let him. “I want you just as much.” Leaning closer, she whispered against his mouth, “Make love to me, Ray. Please make love to me now.”

  * * *

  RAY DREW IN a deep breath. Were all women this brazen? He couldn’t remember. Had he always been a man who liked this type of aggressiveness in a woman? He wasn’t sure of that either. All he knew was that he liked everything Ashley was doing to him. She wasn’t waiting for him to comply with her request. Instead she’d practically taken charge. He was weak against her seductive strategies.

  “You like that, Ray?” she whispered against his moist lips.

  Hell yes, he liked it. He more than liked it. It made him wonder just what else she could do with her tongue. He shouldn’t wonder about such a thing, but she was making it difficult for him not to. And then he knew the exact minute she lowered her hand to touch him. Right there at the crotch.

  When she began fondling his hardness, he doubted she had any idea what she was doing to him. He hadn’t had sex for three years and at that moment he was feeling like a randy sailor who was back on land after having been at sea for years and ready to make up for lost time.

  “I feel you, Ray.”

  Her words and touch were like kerosene thrown on an already blazing flame. He parted his lips to tell her that maybe they needed to slow down, but parting his lips ended up being the perfect opportunity for her to slide her tongue inside his mouth. He wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to hang on before he lost the last shred of his control.

  Ray knew he was a goner when she tried easing his zipper down. His erection made it difficult. She glanced up at him, clearly not happy. “I want this, Ray.”

  He knew exactly what she wanted, and it was the same thing he wanted her to have. “What do you want to do with it?” he asked, like he didn’t know.

  She leaned up and whispered close to his ear, “Put it in my mouth, for starters.”

  Oh, hell. He could barely breathe now. Maybe next time he’d give her the opportunity, but now he suddenly had some plans of his own. He wanted to show her that two could play her seduction game. “You’re positive that you want to carry this further, Ashley? Are you sure you’re ready?”

  She whispered against his lips, “I’m past ready. It’s time we both move on, don’t you think?”

  In all honesty, he couldn’t think. He didn’t want to think. He just wanted to stand there and inhale her scent. Stand there and continue to hold her by the waist.

  But he also wanted to do more. She was right. It was time they both moved on. He was Ray Sullivan and he refused to worry about a past he might never reclaim. Not when he could enjoy the present with Ashley.

  The present but not a future.

  He pushed that thought to the back of his mind because it was something he could accept just as easily as she could. They would live for the now, and when she left Catalina Cove at the end of the summer, he would have memories of their time together.

  She had tried her hand at seduction long enough. Now it was his turn. With that thought in mind, he suddenly swept her off her feet and into his arms and quickly moved toward her bedroom.

  After placing Ashley on the bed, Ray stepped back and gazed down at her. She looked simply beautiful staring back up at him. Her hair was all tumbled around her shoulders and her dress was twisted in ways that showed off her legs. Her chest, he noted, was heaving, taking in deep breaths. The same as him.

  She watched as he removed his shirt and then went to the snap on his pants. He hadn’t meant to give her a strip show, but since she was lying there seemingly transfixed with his every move, he thought, why not? He wondered when he had become so brazen. Was it an ingrained part of his character he didn’t know about? It had to be. Why else would stripping off his clothes in front of her turn him on?

  When she eased up on the bed and pulled her dress over her head and tossed it aside, he became the one mesmerized. Black lace. Both her bra and panties were made of black lace. Seeing it on her was a punch to the gut, something more than just lust. Had he been a lace man before?

  He decided to stop trying to figure out why so much about what she was doing and what she was wearing was so arousing. He would accept all this was new to him because in a way it was. But it all came down to the fact that this was Ashley, a woman he wanted.

  “What are you thinking, Ray?”

  “Too much,” he answered truthfully. He was thinking way too much instead of accepting his good fortune. Deciding to forgo removing the rest of his clothes for now, he moved toward the bed to finish removing hers.

  * * *

  ASHLEY WATCHED EVERY m
ove Ray took toward her, remembering other times he’d done so with that same heated look in his eyes. A look that clearly told her what he wanted. She had deliberately worn black lace because Devon loved her in black lace and she always loved wearing it for him. She rarely purchased underthings that weren’t made of lace for that reason.

  When he pressed his knee on the bed, she fluffed her bangs away from her face and moved toward him. Tonight was their night. More than anything, she wished what they did in this bed would trigger memories, but if they didn’t, she wouldn’t give up. They would build new ones.

  “I love lace.”

  His words made her swallow. Was he remembering or merely making an observation? “Do you?”

  “I believe so because seeing you in it is a total turn-on.”

  He was doing what Devon would do. Tell her how much she excited him and how he desired her. That part of him hadn’t changed. “I hope that doesn’t mean you don’t plan to take it off me. I promise you might like what this lace is hiding.”

  “I am definitely sure that I will.” And then with fingers that were just as deft as she remembered, he unhooked her bra and it slid off her.

  “Beautiful,” he said of her breasts, seemingly more to himself than to her. “So firm and full.”

  And ready for your mouth to devour them, she wanted to say, but didn’t. She discovered she didn’t have to when he lowered his mouth and sucked a nipple between his lips.

  Lordy. She closed her eyes as sensations of having this mouth on her—Devon’s mouth, Ray’s mouth—sent her hormones skyrocketing and made her moan. And when he began sucking hard, she mumbled his name over and over, forcing herself to remember this was Ray and not Devon. That kind of slip would ruin everything, and she didn’t intend to make it.

  He quickly switched to the other breast to give that nipple the same torment. She wasn’t sure how long he tortured her. But she knew she was seconds from going off the edge when he pulled back and began brushing kisses all over her body, nibbling gently, tasting and teasing. And when he slid his hands beneath the black lace of her panties, she moaned even more. Those same hands moved between her thighs and she knew he’d discovered she was wet and ready.

  “These need to come off,” he said, and she lifted her hips to accommodate him. He began easing her panties down her legs and suddenly went still.

  Concerned, she asked, “Ray, what is it?”

  She knew the answer when he ran the tip of his finger along the tattoo on the upper side of her hip. A sunflower. She drew in a sharp breath. She had forgotten about her tattoo.

  He glanced up at her. “I didn’t know you were into sunflowers.”

  She tried to retain her composure when she said, “It’s my favorite flower.”

  He nodded as he continued to look at her. “I think it’s mine as well.”

  She lifted a brow. “You think?”

  “Yes. I have a tattoo of the word sunflower written on my back. Not sure why. It’s one of those things I can’t remember but I figure it must have meant something at some point.”

  “Yes, it must have.”

  “That’s why I named my boat the Sunflower.”

  More than anything, she wished she could tell him the significance of their tattoos but couldn’t. At least, not yet. Not when all he felt for her was lust.

  She appreciated he let the matter drop, and after removing her panties and tossing them aside, he moved away from the bed to dispense with his clothing. The moment his penis was exposed, a sense of possessive familiarity raced through her. She quickly recalled that she had touched Ray and every part of his body before. Had tasted it as well. And to know he hadn’t been involved with another woman sent desire racing all through her.

  “I need to protect you,” he said, and then he reached for his pants to retrieve a condom from his wallet. He held it up to read something on it and then looked at her. “Checking the date to make sure it’s still good. I’ve been carrying it around in my wallet for almost three years now.”

  She decided not to tell him a part of her wished it wasn’t effective. More than anything, she wanted his baby. A pregnancy from him would definitely be wanted.

  After sheathing himself, he asked, “You sure about this, Ashley?”

  She could tell from the sound of his voice that he was still unsure as to whether this was something she really wanted. “Yes. I am sure about this, Ray. In fact, I’m more sure of this than I’ve been of anything in my life.”

  She knew he thought what she said was merely words, but it was true. When she decided to move to Catalina Cove for the summer, she hadn’t known if Ray would willingly reciprocate any interest. He had and now it came down to this and she intended for it to be something he wouldn’t forget.

  He came back to the bed, drew her into his arms. Their bodies rubbed against each other, causing heated friction to ignite. And when he began nibbling around her mouth, she tightened her arms around him, meshing their bodies even more.

  Ray kissed her long and hard and in a way that made her stomach quiver and had desire humming through her veins. But the one thing that took over her mind and soul was love. She loved him more than life itself. When she thought she’d lost him, she’d been hurt and heartbroken beyond repair. Now he was back and was initiating foreplay in ways only he knew how to do. Her body was remembering, whether he did or not.

  Without breaking the kiss, he lowered her down in the bed. Her naked hips flowed into his, their bodies perfectly aligned. The feel of his sculpted abdomen pressed against her sent every pulse in her body vibrating. And when he broke off the kiss, it left her panting for more.

  Their gazes held as he moved his body over hers and heat curled inside her while at the same time her womb contracted with intense need.

  “I want you so much, Ashley,” he whispered softly. “I want to make it good for you.”

  She smiled up at him. “You will.” He wouldn’t know how true that was. The moment he slid inside of her body it would welcome him home. And she intended to give him the kind of homecoming he would think about for days. Devon had taught her just what he liked, and she was determined to make sure he got it tonight as Ray.

  She moaned when she felt him easing inside of her, stretching her wide from months, years of inactivity. Her womanly muscles grabbed hold of his shaft the moment they felt him. She could tell from the look in his eyes that he was aware of it.

  When she began milking him, the way he’d taught her to do, he went still, and for a second she thought he was remembering, but then he closed his eyes and whispered in a husky voice, “Jesus. That feels so good.”

  He began moving, thrusting hard in and out of her. Just the way she liked. His repeated strokes made her body’s most primal reaction kick in with a vengeance. Her hips lifted off the bed with every one of his downward thrusts to meet him halfway.

  Over and over, their mating sent heat flaring in every part of her body. She was fully aware of his every sensual movement and the sound of his low growls. Devon Ryan style. He could make love to her like nobody’s business and was doing so now.

  And when she felt deep arousal in her core where their bodies were connected, she released one hell of a scream at the same time he threw his head back, sucked in a long draw of air and began thrusting inside of her harder and faster. Suddenly, he hollered her name at the top of his voice.

  His orgasm triggered another for her and she felt as if she was drowning. In his taste. In his scent. In everything about Ray Sullivan. Slipping an arm around his muscled back, she held on when he, too, went for another sensuous round. The air surrounding them shimmered with undeniable need. Needs being fulfilled.

  The happiness of being reunited with her husband was so great Ashley could hardly stand it. Throbbing desire overtook them and once again they succumbed to the pleasures they’d found in each other’s arms.

 
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  ASHLEY WOKE TO kisses being placed on the side of her face. She blinked when she saw Ray standing next to the bed fully dressed. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was close to 6:00 a.m. He had spent the night and she was over the moon about it.

  “I need to go home and change for work.”

  She shifted to her back. “Okay.”

  He caressed the side of her face with the tip of his finger while staring down at her. “Can I stop by later?”

  She smiled. “I was hoping you’d want to.”

  He smiled back at her. “I definitely want to. And we can eat out if you’d like.”

  She recalled last night at dinner they’d gotten a lot of attention from the locals who probably had known of Ray’s no-dating rule and were surprised to see her out with him. A temporary newcomer.

  “I have an even better idea.”

  “Which is?”

  “Let me prepare something here.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t want you to go to the trouble.”

  “No trouble and I’ll prepare pork chops. You like pork chops.”

  He chuckled. “Yes, I do like pork chops. How did you know?”

  Too late, Ashley realized her slip and quickly said, “I think you might have told me at some point.”

  “Oh.” He straightened to his full height and then said, “In that case, I’d love to try your pork chops. I’ll call before I come.”

  “All right.”

  He leaned back down and kissed her thoroughly. Straightening again, he said, “Enjoy your day.”

  She chuckled. “After a night like last night, there’s no way I can’t.”

  Ray gave her another huge smile before leaving.

  When she heard the front door close behind him and then the sound of his truck leaving, she released a deep sigh, full of the happiness she felt. But that happiness hadn’t come without hiccups. First was when he’d seen her tattoo and then just now with her slip about the pork chops. She would have to be careful in the future about the information she shared with him; otherwise he would get suspicious.