A Thrill to Remember by Lori Wilde Page B

body stiffened. He felt her hover on the edge, her muscles taut, straining. When he touched his thumb to her clitoris she let loose a high, keening sound of pleasure.
    “Don’t…stop,” she begged, her voice muffled with the expectation of climax. “Oh, oh, oh…”
    And then, in one shattering moment, she came.
    Her muscles spasmed around his fingers, her buttocks arching off the sofa cushions. He’d never witnessed anything so lovely.
    An indescribable emotion tightened his chest. He felt as much satisfaction as if he himself had climaxed. This was his purpose—to pleasure this beautiful woman and help her heal whatever demons it was that pursued her. For he knew without knowing how he’d come by the knowledge that she had followed him into the forest as a tonic for what ailed her. He was so happy that he had been able to give her this small respite.
    She sagged against him and he held her close. He murmured sweet nothings in made-up Spanish, listened as her heart slowed from a racing gallop to a sedate pace.
    He felt oddly sated, to the point that when she reached up in the darkness, cupped his chin and said, “Now it’s your turn.” He shook his head.
    “No,” he said softly.
    She pushed against his chest, struggling to sit up. “Why not?” she asked.
    Caleb frowned. It had been bugging him for a while now, ever since she’d forgotten to speak in her Klondike Kate vernacular. Her voice sounded naggingly familiar. Did he know her?
    “I would rather wait.”
    He realized it was true. He had to see her again, and he feared if they fully consummated their passion he never would. But if he left her aching for more…who knew how long this game might last? Maybe, just maybe, she’d want to return for seconds.
    “Wait?” Panic settled in her voice, obscuring the familiarity. “Wait for what? I don’t want to wait.”
    He had her exactly where he wanted her. Caleb reached for her hand and held it tightly in his, even though she tried to pull back.
    Eventually the throbbing in his groin would abate. Eventually.
    “I want to see you again,” he told her.
    “No,” she said adamantly, reverting back to her Klondike Kate drawl. “This is supposed to be a one-night stand. Now take your pants off.”
    “Relax. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
    “You don’t understand. I don’t want anything more from you than sex.”
    “I’m not saying I do, either,” he cajoled, but his stomach pitched. Truth be told, he would like to see where this attraction might lead. See if the powerful sexual pull might take them to something deeper, more meaningful. “But I think dragging out the seduction will make it so much more memorable when we finally do go all the way.”
    Her nails bit into his palms. “It’s not such a good idea.”
    “Why not?”
    “Tonight we were overcome—by hormones, the full moon, by our costumes. It was magical, special. Why ruin it? Just make love to me now so things aren’t lopsided, and then I’ll slip away into the darkness. Let’s leave this a wonderful flight of fancy.”
    “I can’t accept that.”
    What was the matter with him? What she was proposing was every guy’s wildest fantasy. Anonymous sex with a beautiful stranger. No strings attached. No consequences. No regrets. Except more than anything in the world, he wanted to see her again. He was taking a risk, pressuring her like this, and he knew it, but he felt it was a risk worth taking.
    “I must see you again,” he insisted, unable to quell the urgency building inside him. “I must know more about you.”
    “Impossible.”
    “But why?” Then he froze as an ugly suspicion dawned. “Are you married?”
    “No.”
    Caleb exhaled in relief. Thank heavens. He wasn’t a home wrecker. “Then why deny us this pleasure?”
    “Simple logistics, my dear Don Juan. I’m leaving town tomorrow morning.”
    “You’re not from Bear Creek then?”
    “No.”
    “I’m sorry, but I cannot let you get away.” Stubbornly,