Riptide

still had not a single
    clue about anything. Krimakov had kidnapped Sam to get her
    back to Riptide. Then he'd shot her in the shoulder to deliver that
    ridiculous note. In the gym parking lot. Nothing made sense.
    That night Adam came to her. It was very dark in her room. She
    was lying there, unable to sleep even though it was very late, staring
    toward the window, looking at the slice of white moon just
    above the maple treetops. The trees were silhouetted stark and
    silent against the night, and they were perfectly still, no breeze at
    all. Thank God the house was air-conditioned. It was cool in her
    bedroom.
    Her door opened, then closed quietly. His voice was soft,
    pitched low. "Don't be afraid. It's just me. And I'm not here to
    jump you, Becca."
    She looked over at him, standing with his back against her closed
    door.

    "Why not?"
    He laughed, a painful sound, and walked toward her, tall, strong,
    and she wanted him.
    He said, stopping beside her bed, looking down at her, "You
    never say what I expect. I want to jump you, at least a dozen times
    an hour, but no, this is your father's house. One doesn't do that un

der the parental roof -when one isn't married. But don't get me
    wrong. If I could strip that nightgown off you, I would have it
    gone in a second flat. But I can't. Not here. I just wanted to see
    how you were doing. Oh hell, that's a big lie. I'm here because I
    want to kiss you until we're both stupid with pleasure."
    He was beside her then, drawing her up and against his chest, and
    he kissed her, lightly, then with more pressure, and she opened her
    mouth and didn't want him to stop. His breath was hot and sweet,
    his scent rich, dark, and that mouth of his was delicious, and she let
    herself enjoy him fully. She wanted more and more. It was Adam
    who pushed her gently back after what seemed like only an instant.
    "You're beautiful," he said and streaked his fingers through her
    hair, pushing it behind her ears. "Even with your hair still a bit
    brassy."
    "I'm not stupid with pleasure yet, Adam."
    "I'm not, either, but we've got to stop." He was breathing hard, his hands flexing and unflexing against her back.
    "Maybe we could kiss just a little bit more?"
    "Listen, if we don't stop right now, I'll start crying because I
    know that sooner or later we'd have to stop. We'll stop now before
    it kills me."
    "All right, then. You be strong and let me mess with you just a
    bit." She kissed his chin once, then again. She touched her fingers
    to his cheeks, his nose, his brows, lightly traced over his mouth. She
    looked at his mouth as she said, "I haven't told you this before,
    Adam. So much has happened. We haven't known each other all
    that long, and nothing we've done together has been remotely normal
    or predictable. But here goes: You're very, very sexy."
    He stared at her in the dim light as if he hadn't understood her.
    "What did you say? You think I'm sexy?"
    "Oh, yes, the sexiest man I've ever seen. And finally I've gotten

to kiss you. I like it, very much. I kissed your chin because it's sexy, too.
    He looked inordinately pleased with himself, and with her. "I
    guess being sexy is okay. Is that all you think of me,Becca? I'm just
    a sexy hunk? Isn't there anything else, maybe, that you'd like to say
    to me?"
    "What else should I say? Your ego is big enough without my
    saying more." Then she looked up at him beneath her lashes, a
    provocative thing to do, and she knew it. For the first time in so
    very long, actually, longer than she could remember, she allowed
    herself to enjoy what was happening here.
    He didn't say anything, then suddenly he pulled her tightly
    against him again. He was rubbing his big hands up and down her
    back. His breathing was sharp, ragged. "I was scared to death when
    you were in that damned gym parking lot. When he shot that dart
    at you, Savich had to just about sit on me. I knew I shouldn't move,
    shouldn't yell like a banshee, but it was hard just staying still, watching
    you, damned hard. In fact, it was about the hardest thing I've
    ever had to do in my blessed life."
    He pressed his forehead to hers, holding her loosely now.
    His warm breath feathered over her skin. "Oh, yeah, I was married
    once. It was a long time ago. Her name was Vivie. Everything was
    okay for a while, then it just wasn't. She didn't want kids and I did.
    But I'm not serious about anyone else. It's just you, Becca. Just you."
    "That's nice," she said and yawned against his shoulder.