Kimberly Van Meter - Tempted

Apparently, Harper liked to move, too.

He glanced over at the exact time that Harper did. Their eyes locked. Sweat trickling down their faces, arms and legs pumping. She’d been running longer than him and yet her pace was as strong.

Fatigue started to eat at his stamina but he didn’t want to slow before her.

Harper dragged her gaze away and returned to her focal point, ignoring him.

But it was an act. If he could sense the energy between them, then she could, too.

Like it or not, they had something between them that wouldn’t go away.

And while Teagan had never considered running some kind of aphrodisiac, he was fighting an inappropriate arousal as they ran in tandem.

He couldn’t stop wondering how well they’d sync up if they were pressed skin against skin.

Working up a sweat in a different way.

Ah, hell. Now is not the time to get a stiff one.

As much as Teagan wanted to win this endurance race, he knew Harper had beat him.

Dialing down the pace, he caught a minute twitch of her lips and he could practically hear her crowing in victory.

Teagan smothered his laugh and, after a cooldown, moved to the weight machines.

Only this time, he purposefully selected a machine in Harper’s direct eye line.

Clearly having won that round, Harper slowed her pace and started her cooldown.

But Teagan wanted to keep her heated.

Pushing the weight bar overhead, he started his reps, knowing full well that his muscles were glistening and swelling as he worked.

He bit back his own victory crow when she couldn’t keep her focus. Her gaze kept darting to his arms and away again, as if she couldn’t quite help herself from taking a peek even though she didn’t want to.

Yeah, she could try and deny the attraction all she wanted.

Proof is in the pudding, darlin’.

Finished her workout, Harper wiped her face and stepped off the treadmill, risking a glance at Teagan one last time before she left the gym, practically running away in her haste.

He chuckled. Maybe the chase was worth the aggravation he would encounter.

Harper was fast becoming his favorite part about this trip.

Now, the question was...how did he get Harper to feel the same about him?

6

HARPER WIPED THE sweat from her face and hurried to her room to shower.

Her pulse raced even as she closed her door and stripped.

The nerve of that guy, to insert himself into her workout.

As if all that sweaty muscle would impress her.

Like she’d never seen a well-built male.

Harper barked a short laugh as if that alone would bolster her argument with herself.

But she was still shaking.

Her fingers were trembling and her insides felt twisted into knots.

She had too much restless energy and no outlet.

Get in the shower, start the day, just as you would have if Teagan hadn’t shown up.

Sound advice.

Eventually, she’d settle down and everything would go back to normal.

Harper turned on the water and stepped into the spray, gasping when the cold water hit her skin.

Yesss! A cold shower was exactly what she needed to cool down.

Why was Teagan so... She didn’t have the word for what Teagan was.

A distraction, that’s what he was.

She closed her eyes and drifted into the spray, letting the water pelt some sense into her head.

But Teagan was right there in her thoughts, refusing to leave.

That smile, that dimple. What was a grown-ass adult doing with a dimple in his cheek, anyway?

Dimples were for boy bands and babies.

Except there was nothing boyish about Teagan.

She groaned. All that hard, firm flesh...her fingers itched to touch.

Stop it.

Just stop.

She was tangled in knots, her thoughts couldn’t travel a straight line. It was the backup of sexual energy that had nowhere to go.

Harper looked at the showerhead and a thought came to her.

It’d been a fleeting spark of a thought but once it caught, a fire followed.

Leaning against the wall, she placed her foot on the tiny ledge that masqueraded as a seat and brought down the showerhead from its cradle. The water pressure was strong enough but not too strong.

Dare she say, just right?

Only one way to find out.

Closing her eyes, Harper brought the showerhead to her aching sex, nestling the pulsating jets against the swollen and ready nub between her folds.

Immediate pleasure flushed through her body as awareness flooded her senses. Harper gasped as she adjusted position, allowing for a better pulse, and squeezed her eyes shut when the violent threat of an immediate orgasm nearly stole the strength from her legs.

She was so close. Tantalizing close.

But she didn’t want to come just yet.

Harper wanted to savor the sweetness a little bit more.

Teagan.

His name floated from her thoughts and escaped through her parted lips as the pleasure mounted.

She ground the pulsing jets against her harder, relishing the pressure as her body began to shake.

Her thoughts were unruly, going unerringly straight to Teagan. Imagining what it would feel like to be pressed against him, his tongue inside her mouth, demanding everything from her, pushing her ever closer to that beautiful shattering moment.

Oh, God. She gasped, her free hand gripping the side of the shower as her knees wobbled.

Teagan...yesss!

Harper came hard. So hard that her toes curled into tight buds as her muscles clenched so violently that she might never wear heels again.

But it was worth it.

Dropping the showerhead from nerveless fingers, she sank to the floor, breathing hard.

The spray swung wildly and smacked her in the face, sending a wash of water straight up her nose as she struggled to get it under control.

Coughing, she rose on unsteady feet and replaced the showerhead in its cradle.

She’d made herself stupid with that orgasm.

Just thinking about Teagan had made her come.

So what would happen if she actually found herself skin to skin with the gorgeous man?

She might just spontaneously combust.

Harper chuckled weakly at her own joke and exhaled a long breath.

Well, at least she was relaxed now.

She eyed the showerhead as if it were a conspirator and said, “This is between me and you. No one else needs to know. Got it?”

Of course, the showerhead said nothing.

But somehow Harper felt better just saying the words out loud if only to pound the sentiment home to her stubborn subconscious.

She didn’t want Teagan.

She wanted...what was his name? Oh, that’s right, Teagan...no!

Stuart.

Stuart Money Bucks.

Think of those lovely millions and all the lovely ways you are going to spend it, she reminded herself, lathering up the body wash. So what if Stuart was old enough to be her grandfather and Teagan looked like sex on a stick. Money was the great equalizer.

That’s all she needed to remember.

* * *

THE ITINERARY FOR today was relaxed. A full day at sea as the Nautica sliced through the waters toward Mexico. There were a number of activities on the schedule if you were so inclined but mostly it was about relaxation and fun.

There were casinos and restaurants, spas, shopping and more food.

So much food! If Teagan came back with love handles, despite punishing himself at the gym, J.T. would never let him live it down.

His cell rang and he saw—speak of the devil—J.T. was calling.

“Hey,” Teagan answered. “You know this is going to cost me an arm and a leg.”

“I told you to get the international plan but you didn’t want to spring for the temporary cost. That’s on you.”

“I didn’t think I was going to get a check-up call from my little brother,” he returned drily. “What’s up?”