it to dominate you.”
She stiffened. “And are you?”
“No. I’m no manipulator. I want to make youhappy.” He paused. “I
can
make you happy, if you’ll let me.”
“Like this? Sex isn’t everything.”
“It’s a start. You can’t deny you need it.” His teeth gently closed on her earlobe. “I can give you what you need. Use me.”
Her breast was swelling beneath his hand, she realized with a feeling of helplessness. In another minute she wouldn’t be able to think of anything but what her body wanted from his. “No!” Taking Andrew by surprise, she abruptly rolled away. “I don’t use people. This was a mistake.” Her gaze wildly searched the darkness around them. Where the devil was her nightgown? “You wouldn’t let it end with sex. You’d blow it up into something more.”
“I need this too,” he said quietly as he sat up. “You know I’ve been wild to have you. I’d be satisfied for a while with just sex.”
“And then?”
“When I’m not satisfied any longer, you can cut me off. In the meantime we’d have had a hell of an affair. Tempting?”
He knew it was tempting, she thought. He seemed to be able to sense and play on her emotions as Cassie did the keys of her piano. “I have to get dressed and go back to Cassie.”
He knelt beside her. “Lily …” He stroked her wet hair back from her face. “It’s all right, love. Don’t be so frightened.” He glanced around, spotted her nightgown, then shook his head. “You can’t wear the gown. It looks like a dish rag.” He picked up his sweatshirt and pulled it over her head, putting her arms in the sleeves as if she were a little girl unable to dress herself. “This is wet, too, but it’s fleece-lined, and not drenched through.” He settled the shirt down over her hips and onto her thighs. “I wish I could see you in it. You must look sexy as hell, with those long legs …” He trailed off and gave her a quick, hard kiss. “Run along. See, I’m not trying to hold you. I’m letting you go.”
She jumped to her feet and turned to leave.
“Take a hot shower as soon as you get home, and be sure to dry your hair before you go to bed,” Andrew said briskly. “I’ll stay here andwatch until I see the lights go on inside the cottage. I’ll come as usual to be with you and Cassie on the beach tomorrow afternoon.”
She had already ducked from beneath the rocky overhang and was walking quickly down the beach through the rain.
His soft voice followed her. “And I’ll be here tomorrow night, love.”
She started to run. It wasn’t Andrew she was running away from, she told herself. Andrew was sitting back there, watching her leave, certainly not in hot pursuit. It was only sensible to hasten her pace to get out of the downpour.
He had said he was letting her go. Why did she feel that by doing so he had only forged new links in the bond between them?
Andrew carried a brown paper bag when he came down the trail from the cliff the next day. He called a greeting to Cassie, playing in the surf, and then plopped himself down beside Lily and placed the bag beside her.
“What’s that?”
“Your nightgown and robe. I washed and dried them when I got back to the cottage.”
Lily felt the color flood her cheeks. “Thank you,” she said, feeling awkward. “I’ll return your sweatshirt, of course.”
“No hurry.” Andrew smiled full at her. “You could wear it when you come to me tonight.”
The top buttons of his black shirt were open, revealing the strong line of his tanned throat and the springy brown thatch that covered his chest. Her palms tingled, and she felt a sudden urge to reach out and touch him, run her fingers through that triangle of hair and—She pulled her gaze away. Good heavens, she was turning into some kind of nymphomaniac. “You’re taking too much for granted.”
He shook his head. “Sex like we had is addictive. We’re both crazy for more.” He grasped a handful of sand and
She stiffened. “And are you?”
“No. I’m no manipulator. I want to make youhappy.” He paused. “I
can
make you happy, if you’ll let me.”
“Like this? Sex isn’t everything.”
“It’s a start. You can’t deny you need it.” His teeth gently closed on her earlobe. “I can give you what you need. Use me.”
Her breast was swelling beneath his hand, she realized with a feeling of helplessness. In another minute she wouldn’t be able to think of anything but what her body wanted from his. “No!” Taking Andrew by surprise, she abruptly rolled away. “I don’t use people. This was a mistake.” Her gaze wildly searched the darkness around them. Where the devil was her nightgown? “You wouldn’t let it end with sex. You’d blow it up into something more.”
“I need this too,” he said quietly as he sat up. “You know I’ve been wild to have you. I’d be satisfied for a while with just sex.”
“And then?”
“When I’m not satisfied any longer, you can cut me off. In the meantime we’d have had a hell of an affair. Tempting?”
He knew it was tempting, she thought. He seemed to be able to sense and play on her emotions as Cassie did the keys of her piano. “I have to get dressed and go back to Cassie.”
He knelt beside her. “Lily …” He stroked her wet hair back from her face. “It’s all right, love. Don’t be so frightened.” He glanced around, spotted her nightgown, then shook his head. “You can’t wear the gown. It looks like a dish rag.” He picked up his sweatshirt and pulled it over her head, putting her arms in the sleeves as if she were a little girl unable to dress herself. “This is wet, too, but it’s fleece-lined, and not drenched through.” He settled the shirt down over her hips and onto her thighs. “I wish I could see you in it. You must look sexy as hell, with those long legs …” He trailed off and gave her a quick, hard kiss. “Run along. See, I’m not trying to hold you. I’m letting you go.”
She jumped to her feet and turned to leave.
“Take a hot shower as soon as you get home, and be sure to dry your hair before you go to bed,” Andrew said briskly. “I’ll stay here andwatch until I see the lights go on inside the cottage. I’ll come as usual to be with you and Cassie on the beach tomorrow afternoon.”
She had already ducked from beneath the rocky overhang and was walking quickly down the beach through the rain.
His soft voice followed her. “And I’ll be here tomorrow night, love.”
She started to run. It wasn’t Andrew she was running away from, she told herself. Andrew was sitting back there, watching her leave, certainly not in hot pursuit. It was only sensible to hasten her pace to get out of the downpour.
He had said he was letting her go. Why did she feel that by doing so he had only forged new links in the bond between them?
Andrew carried a brown paper bag when he came down the trail from the cliff the next day. He called a greeting to Cassie, playing in the surf, and then plopped himself down beside Lily and placed the bag beside her.
“What’s that?”
“Your nightgown and robe. I washed and dried them when I got back to the cottage.”
Lily felt the color flood her cheeks. “Thank you,” she said, feeling awkward. “I’ll return your sweatshirt, of course.”
“No hurry.” Andrew smiled full at her. “You could wear it when you come to me tonight.”
The top buttons of his black shirt were open, revealing the strong line of his tanned throat and the springy brown thatch that covered his chest. Her palms tingled, and she felt a sudden urge to reach out and touch him, run her fingers through that triangle of hair and—She pulled her gaze away. Good heavens, she was turning into some kind of nymphomaniac. “You’re taking too much for granted.”
He shook his head. “Sex like we had is addictive. We’re both crazy for more.” He grasped a handful of sand and
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