Carly Phillips - Brazen

"Well over a mile." He lay her down in the center of the double bed. His eyes twinkled with mischief. "But I have faith in you."

Before she could reply, he began stripping off his clothes, rendering Sam speechless, which considering her case of nerves was saying a lot. What was about to happen… Well, it was the real thing.

She told herself to grow up. After all, this wasn't her first time. But it was with Mac, a little voice in her head warned. And you've given him so much of yourself, what's left? that persistent voice asked. She pushed the thought aside, and when he joined her on the bed, she welcomed him with open arms. Because he would be giving her everything she needed from this week.

And more, that voice said. This time, Sam didn't just ignore the voice, she smothered it by burying herself in his strong arms and solid body. He rolled her onto her back and straddled her, catching her hands above her head with one hand.

As she stared into his dark eyes, desire struck her again. Hard. His breathing was labored, as if he'd been the one who'd just… She shook her head to dislodge the memory of having his hands on her body, his eyes watching her as she came. But the image stayed and she couldn't help wondering, Was such continuous passion between two people rare?

Not if the chemistry was right, she told herself. And that's what she and Mac shared. Chemistry, that's all. She realized she was telling herself an awful lot of things tonight. She hoped they weren't lies-she had no choice but to believe them.

Not if she wanted to remain whole. Remain the same Samantha who'd walked into this bar a few days ago. Good luck, sweetheart. Oh, Lord. That was Mac's voice she heard in her head.

His lips nuzzled the side of her neck and she sighed. His hands slipped to the juncture of her thighs and she knew he found her wet and wanting. She lifted her hips as he eased one finger inside her. A soft moan escaped her lips and another finger joined the first.

"I'd like to take my time," he groaned, arousing her with penetrating thrusts. "To wait."

Her head fell back against the pillow. "Why?"

He chuckled, a relaxed sound that eased her mind. "Because I want you to remember this." As if realizing he'd just reminded them the end was coming, his laughter ceased.

Her chest constricted at the same time warning bells sounded in her brain. Ignore them, she insisted. Only this time, it wasn't so easy. But dwelling on the inevitable wouldn't serve any purpose.

Leaning forward, she eased one hand out of his grip and grasped him in her fingers, running her hand down the length of his erection and back again to the tip. A small drop of liquid coated her palm.

This time she couldn't control her thoughts. Life, love, babies. Mac's life, his love, his babies. All possible, but not for her. If this were another time, another place, she'd forget caution, forget being sensible and go with her feelings. But her emotions had to remain locked away. If she didn't acknowledge them, then they didn't exist.

Right? No little voice answered. Right? Silence. Oh, she had a bad feeling about this.

His groan echoed in the small room, bringing her back to the present. "Mac?"

Sweat beaded on his forehead. "Sorry, sweetheart, but waiting won't work."

"I don't recall asking you to wait." She smiled and let him retake her hand and lock it back with the other one above her head. "But you do have to trust me if you want to reach for that box over there."

He grinned. "You won't touch?"

"Not unless it's necessary."

He released her hands to grab for protection. She immediately plucked the foil packet from his fingers, feeling little embarrassment. With each successive moment of intimacy, Sam felt less inhibited. She could be herself with him, something that had never occurred before… and never would again.

"You promised not to touch." His lips twitched in amusement.

She shook her head. "I said I'd touch only if necessary. And it is." Because if she didn't touch him, she might die and then she'd never experience having him inside her. So he had no choice but to forgive her for taking liberties with her promises. Just as she had no choice but to forgive herself for feeling when that hadn't been part of the plan.

She covered his erection with one languid stroke, making sure her hands grazed and lingered longer than strictly necessary, purposefully playful and light. But as he raised himself over her, Sam realized she wasn't playing anymore.

She lifted her pelvis at the same time he grabbed her hips in his hands and joined their bodies with a smooth, easy thrust. Then he let out a groan, a deep, masculine grunt of satisfaction that coiled her stomach into an even tighter knot. He stilled, letting her body stretch to accommodate him. The gesture was thoughtful, but unfortunately for Sam, unnecessary. Her body accepted him like a lost part of itself had come home at last. Every muscle inside her felt him pulsing and alive, filling her. Completing her.

Oh, sweet heaven, she was in more trouble than she thought. Her eyes grew damp. Was that a tear trickling down her cheek? Oh, no. No, no, no, no.

"Sam?"

She forced her eyelids open and plastered a phony smile on her face. "Yes?"

His thumb caught an errant tear and he raised his finger to his mouth for a taste. "Salty," he said. "I hurt you."

"Oh, no." That much she could say honestly. She lifted her hips, drawing him in deeper, groaning at the penetration and perfection she'd found. "How could that hurt me?" How could anything this man did ever hurt her?

"Oh, baby, it can't." Then he surged into her completely, losing himself in her.

Fully impaled on his strong erection, she decided since she'd come this far, she might as well enjoy the rest of the trip. But as she began to move, to grind her hips against him and recapture the waves of delight she'd felt earlier, she realized this was much more than a vacation gone right. This was beyond fun and games, beyond sex.

She'd lost the ability to hold a part of herself back and found herself giving it to Mac instead. As he pumped himself into her, each time harder than the last, her body rose to meet his. The sighs, the moans, the gentle coaxing, they came from her lips but also from her heart… because her emotions swamped her, forcing her to let go, to give without reservation.

Her body felt full to bursting, when without warning he slowed the pace. "Don't stop," she whispered. If he kept moving and she kept feeling, she wouldn't be able to think. And Sam wanted to remain lost in Mac with no intrusions.

"In a second. First I need this." His hands roved over her breasts, cupping and caressing her already-hardened nipples, drawing them into tight distended peaks.

"Oh, Mac. Please…"

"I will. Just as soon as I do one more thing." He pulled her upward, so she felt every hard ridge of his arousal, stopping so she was poised at the tip of his erection.

"What?"

Bending his head, he opened his mouth over her breast and sucked on her tender nipple. He nibbled, tasted and soothed, all the while rocking her swollen body against his rigid muscle. Waves didn't wash over her, they pummeled at her and demanded release. "Oh, my…" She choked on her words just as he lunged into her again.

As he surged inside her, seeming to grow larger and pulse stronger with each thrust, Sam didn't need long. He'd pushed her close to the edge already and she didn't have far to go. So when he stiffened and groaned her name, his final plunge pushed her into the ultimate oblivion she so desperately sought.

Her breathing came in labored gasps and her body trembled as she opened her eyes to find the world still waiting for her. The world she wanted but couldn't have… with the man who still remained inside her. The man she didn't just have sex with, but had made love to instead.