He was a goner.
* * *
Harper watched Nick and tried to keep her breathing under control. Being so close to him on the sofa as she’d pretended to watch TV had set every single nerve ending she had on edge. And then he’d fed her ice cream... Her skin yearned for his touch, but if she gave in now, all would be lost—she might not be able to pull back.
Then she noticed the strong, insistent beat of his pulse at the base of his neck. The tension in his muscles as he held himself in check. The way his gaze smoldered.
And she forgot what they were fighting against.
“Nick?” she asked, her voice breathless.
“Yeah?”
“What would happen if we gave in?”
His gaze flicked to her mouth then back to her eyes. “Gave in to what?”
“To this.” She motioned back and forth with a finger. “To what’s burning between us.”
He swallowed hard. “You really want to know?”
“Yeah, I do,” she whispered.
He looked down at her in the dim light of the kitchen, then lowered his head until his lips brushed over hers, just once. “This.”
A sigh built within her and escaped her throat as she leaned into him. “Oh. This is a good plan.”
She lifted herself on tiptoes and found his mouth, warm and dark and inviting. He wrapped one arm around her waist, hauling her flush against him, and sank into the kiss she offered. The sizzling impact of his tongue, the decadence of it, had her whispering his name against his lips.
He pivoted and pushed her against the wall, pinning her with his weight as he kissed her like he hungered for her. Like she was the only thing necessary for life.
Panting, she wrenched her mouth from his. “I vote we stop fighting it for tonight,” she said, then paused to catch her breath. “Just give ourselves this one night.”
He leaned his forehead against hers, his breathing labored, too. “You have my vote.”
“Okay, then. Well, if we’re agreed—” she stepped away, leaving their laced fingers as their only connection “—this time we should aim for a bed.”
One corner of his mouth hitched, and he headed off down the hall. She followed as he led her to his room. She hadn’t been this way before, but she only barely noticed her surroundings—all her attention was on the man beside her.
He stepped into an open doorway and hit a switch with his fist. Soft light diffused through a large room dominated by a king-size bed. There were closed blinds on three sides, though small windows up high allowed fresh air in, and through another door, she spied an en-suite bath and shower that looked similar to hers. But now was not the time to explore. Now was the time for Nick.
“One more thing,” he said and disappeared into the attached bathroom, returning seconds later with a little packet of protection.
She grinned. “I’m already pregnant.”
“I’m clean, but I want you to know for sure.”
“I’m clean, too, but thank you.” She stepped closer. “So, I guess dessert is out of the question?”
“There’s no more ice cream.” He kissed her softly before saying against her mouth, “But I’ve been dreaming of tasting every square inch of you.”
Spearing fingers into her hair, he cradled her head as he kissed her—taking exquisite care with ravishing her mouth. It wasn’t enough. Would never be enough. With hands flat on his chest, she gently pushed, needing the room to explore his body, and he took the hint. Clothes were in the way, but still, she took advantage of the opportunity and roamed her hands across his broad shoulders, down his arms, across his chest, acclimatizing herself to him again. And he stood still, allowing her the freedom to do what she wished.
“My turn,” he said, his gaze burning. She wasn’t nearly finished, but it was fair, so she dropped her hands and waited to see what he’d do.
Button by excruciating button, he unfastened the front of her summer dress and pushed the sides open, exposing her skin to the cool night air. Her pulse fluttered madly. In simple movements, he unhooked her bra and let it drop to the floor, and she felt her breasts tighten in the light breeze from the high windows—and under his all-consuming gaze.
“Harper,” he said and swallowed hard. “You’re so damned beautiful.”