Deadline (Sandra Brown)

one day a man would enter my life and rekindle me, that he and I would share what I’d wanted with Jeremy but hadn’t had. I anticipated his arrival, but was in no particular hurry. I wasn’t going to seek him. I was content to wait and let him find me.
    “I didn’t know what he would do professionally, or what his interests would be, the nature of his personality. I didn’t know what he would look like…until I saw you.” She touched his lips, following their shape with the tip of her index finger. “I was afraid of you and absolutely furious at you, but all the while I was railing at you for spying on me, I was thinking, ‘This is him. He’s here. And he’s way more than I dared hope for.’” She gave a self-conscious little shrug. “That’s it. That’s my say.”
    He took a strand of her hair between his fingers and rubbed it thoughtfully, for a moment too emotional to speak. Then he said, “No one’s ever talked to me that candidly. About anything, but certainly nothing that personal. And I think you’re incredible.”
    “It sounds like there’s a but .”
    “No but . An and .” He pulled her to her feet as he stood up. “You’re incredible and , this time, all clothes come off.”
    In the bedroom, he flung back the bedcovering, then turned to her and quickly unbuttoned her blouse and pulled it off. He fumbled behind her back for her bra strap while she hastily undid his shirt buttons. Skin to skin they hugged. Just that. They held each other and savored the closeness, the various sensations, the arousing contrasts of their bodies.
    Finally he murmured, “I hope you don’t mind chest hair.”
    “Mind?” She rubbed her face in it.
    He hadn’t realized biceps could be an erogenous zone until she took a love bite out of his. Reaching behind her, he undid the fastening of her skirt. It dropped to the floor. She unbuttoned his jeans and slid them down along with his underwear past his hips, her hands firm against his ass.
    He nudged her middle with his erection and smiled. “I know you’re a lady, but feel free to notice.”
    She did considerably more than notice. He stopped her from taking more than the head, but the attention she lavished on it was almost more than he could endure. After several minutes, swearing and praying at the same time, he brought her up to standing and plunged his tongue into her mouth that had treated him to such hot, wet bliss.
    They got onto the bed. Lying face-to-face, he lowered his head to her breasts. “Remarkable.”
    “What?”
    He used his tongue to illustrate their sensitivity. “That first day on the beach—”
    She groaned. “I knew you noticed.”
    “I knew you knew I’d noticed, but I couldn’t help myself. Each time the breeze kicked up, I went a little crazy with wanting to see them like this.” His lips tugged on her nipple.
    “I was trying to be modest.”
    “I was praying for a gale wind and fantasizing this.” He continued the love play until it was unclear whether he was doing it to tantalize her or himself. It was working on both. Easing her onto her back, he kissed his way down her center, then angled himself away in order to take a look. “Beautiful terrain.” His hand skimmed past her navel.
    “Thank you.”
    Finding a faint white stretch mark on the outside of her hip, he followed it with his fingertip. “Which one gave you this?”
    “Grant.”
    “And this one?” he asked, finding another in the hollow where belly met thigh.
    “Grant.”
    He grinned. “Why am I not surprised?” Next he traced the slender white scar that was barely discernible under the soft hair. “Which one?”
    “Both. Hunter had to be Cesarean, and after one…”
    Her words dwindled to a soft moan when he dipped his head to nuzzle lower and his tongue began gently exploring the furrow. She responded exactly as he’d hoped. Parting her thighs, she clutched his hair, arched up against his mouth, responded to the guidance of his hands as they repositioned her, and gasped his name as the spot, the tempo of his stroking tongue, and the pressure he applied coalesced into a melting orgasm.
    He levered himself above her and watched her face as she slowly came down from it. She opened her eyes and gave him a drowsy smile, which he covered with a soft kiss. “Can I make a confession?”
    She nodded.
    “I’ve fantasized doing that to you.”
    “I can’t be less than honest.” Lifting her head, she whispered directly into his ear, “I