Kate Hoffmann - Danny

“No,” she warned. “I’d be mad. My phone is in my pocket and I don’t think my watch is waterproof.”

Danny stepped between her knees and reached up to slip his hand around her nape. He gently pulled her toward him until their lips were just a few inches apart.

A tiny sigh slipped from her throat when he removed her watch from her wrist and set it on the pool deck. Then, Danny smoothed his hands over the skirt of her dress until he found her cell phone. He slipped it out of her pocket and set it beside her watch, then gently pulled her into the water. Jordan didn’t even bother to protest. What was the point? Trying to deny her impulses would only frustrate them both.

When her feet touched bottom, she reached for the hem of her dress and pulled it over her head, then tossed it to the pool deck. She’d chosen her underwear very carefully that morning and was satisfied that the scraps of lace and satin were enough for now.

Though it was difficult to ignore the fact that Danny was naked, Jordan decided to keep her gaze fixed firmly on his face to avoid any embarrassing moments. “It is nice,” she said.

He slipped his hands around her waist, his attention moving to her lips. “I’m going to kiss you again,” he murmured. “It’s past five, so I think it’s legal.”

He leaned forward and brushed his damp lips against hers. A flood of need raced through her and suddenly, she felt as if her heart might beat right out of her chest.

Maybe it was the warm water or their lack of clothing, but any attempt at self-control by either one of them had gone missing. Her fingers furrowed through his hair as the kiss deepened. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Every ounce of her being was focusing on the wild sensations racing through her body.

She wanted to stop, or at least slow down, but she seemed unable to put together the will. When his lips trailed along her shoulder, Jordan gasped. And when he cupped her breast with his hand, a little moan sneaked out. All she could do was react.

Maybe she’d known all along that this was coming. From the moment she’d met Danny, there’d been a powerful attraction. She ruffled his damp hair as his lips trailed from her neck to her collarbone. He drifted lower still, until he could tease at her nipple through the wet fabric of her bra.

Pleasure washed over her, so intense that she felt as if she were drowning in sensation. Jordan closed her eyes and threw out her arms, floating on the surface as he gently explored her body with his hands and his mouth. It felt like total surrender, as if the real world no longer existed. She had no worries, no doubts and nothing holding her back. She was a woman, from the tips of her toes to the top of her head, and for the first time in her life, she was truly comfortable with it.

And then a familiar sound echoed through the cavernous room. Jordan opened her eyes and groaned softly.

“Ignore it,” he said, pulling her up into his embrace.

“I can’t.”

“What could be so imp-”

“It’s probably my father. He calls every Friday about this time for a progress report. If I don’t answer he gets-well, he doesn’t like it.” She carefully untangled herself from Danny’s embrace and walked over to the edge of the pool. Bracing her hands on the edge, she boosted herself onto the deck, then retrieved her phone.

“Hello, Daddy,” she said, hurrying to the stairs and away from the echo of the pool. In truth, she was almost happy for the interruption. Things were moving far too fast with Danny and she needed a chance to take a breath.

From now on, she was going to think before she ripped off her clothes and gave in to the charms of a naked Irishman.

DANNY WOKE UP with a start, yanked out of a deep and dreamless sleep. The dogs were at the front door of the caretaker’s cottage, barking frantically. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood, wondering what had set them off. Dragging the sheet along with him, he wrapped it around his naked body.

“Shush,” he said, walking out of the bedroom and flipping on the lights. “What are you two about?”

A frantic rap sounded on the door and he opened it to find Jordan standing on the other side. She was dressed in just a T-shirt and her panties, her feet bare.

Pushing past him, she stalked inside, then spun around to face him. “Were you just in the house?” she asked.

He looked at her and shook his head, trying to reconcile her strange appearance at his door. “What time is it?”

“I-I don’t know. Late. Maybe two?” Her expression was etched with fear. “Were you just in the house?”

Danny raked his hand through his hair. “No. I was asleep.”

“Don’t lie to me,” she snapped.

“What the hell are you talking about, Jordan? After you left, I came right back here. I’ve been here ever since. Though not by choice.”

“Someone was in my bedroom,” she said. “I was having trouble sleeping and I turned over and opened my eyes and he was standing in the doorway. I could see him.”

Danny reached out and drew her into his arms. “It was probably just a nightmare.”

“No!” she cried, shoving away from him. “I reached out to turn on the light and then he was gone. But I heard his footsteps in the hall. I ran out to follow him, but there was no one there.”

“Sometimes your mind can play tricks on you.”

“I know what I saw.”

“The doors were locked. How could anyone have gotten in the house?”

She drew a ragged breath, then sighed softly, sinking against his body. “I-I don’t know. I was just so-I was sure I-”

Danny smoothed his hand over her hair and drew her closer. “Do you want me to go back and search the house for you? I’ll take the dogs. If there’s anyone in the house, Finny and Mogue will find them.”

“No. I’m fine.”

“You can stay here with me, if you like. We’ll look into this tomorrow.”

She glanced up at him, eyes wide. “I can’t stay here.”

“Why not? Nothing is going to happen.” He took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers, then drew her along toward the bedroom. “I’ll stay on my side of the bed and you have to promise to stay on your side.”

“I don’t know,” she murmured. “Maybe I should take my chances in the house.”

“Your choice,” Danny said with a shrug. “I can send the dogs back with you. They’ll protect you.”

“Maybe that would be best,” she replied.

Danny couldn’t think of anything he wanted more than to have Jordan in his bed. From the moment they’d first kissed it had been all he could think about. But it had to be on her terms. Since her father’s call, she’d been a bit more aloof and he knew exactly what she was thinking. Having an affair with him would probably break all kinds of rules that she couldn’t afford to break.

“I’ll walk you back and make sure everything is all right.” He strode into the bedroom, grabbed his jeans and tugged them on. Then he pulled his jacket from the bedpost and when he returned to her, draped it over her shoulders. “Come on, let’s go.”

As they walked outside into the chilly night, he whistled softly to the dogs and they fell into step behind them.

“You probably think I’m crazy,” she said.

“No. Does anyone else have a key to the house? Did you ever give one to any of the workmen?”

“No. I’ve always been very careful. And I lock the temporary doors from the inside with a padlock. There’s no way to get in once I’ve locked everything.”

They walked through the dark house. He could feel her tense beside him and he slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. When they reached her bedroom, he walked inside first. “I thought you said you turned on the light.”