He threw on the luxurious robe the hotel had provided and walked back to the living room where he flung himself onto the sofa. From where he sat he had the perfect view of the suite’s telephone. He stared at it. God, he wanted to call her. Even if nothing else came of it he needed to hear her voice.
Just as he was reaching for the phone it began to ring.
******
With palms gone damp with her nervousness, Meg clutched the phone receiver and held it close to her ear. Had he already gone to bed? Would he think she was crazy to be calling him at this hour of the night? And what if he did answer the phone? Then what?
She bit her lip. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. All she knew was that she didn’t want the night to end. Even if all they did was talk, she just had to hear his voice. After she’d gone inside her hotel room, Meg had done the usual ‘get-ready-for-bed’ things – showered, brushed her teeth, brushed her hair till it fell in soft waves around her shoulders. Then, dressed in the hotel's terry robe, she’d climbed into bed to wait for sleep to claim her. No such luck. She’d tossed and rolled in the bed for almost half an hour before finally giving up. There was no way she was going to sleep tonight, not without talking to Drake one more time.
Truth be told, talk wasn’t the only thing she wanted. In fact, it was sort of low on her priority list right now. There were so many other things, things that made her body shiver just thinking about them.
But talking was a good way to start so, after minutes of hand wringing and deep breathing, she’d gathered her courage about her, picked up the phone and dialled.
Drake picked up on the first ring. “Hello.”
His voice was deep and mellow, not like he’d been sleeping at all. Had he lain there, tossing and tortured as she had?
“Hi, Drake,” she said, her voice soft and hesitant. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“Not at all. I was just about to call you.”
“You…were?” Meg’s heart skipped at his words.
“Yes, I was…thinking about you.” There was a pause then she heard him sigh. “I want you, Meg, so badly it hurts. Can I see you tonight?”
Meg’s breath caught in her throat. Had he really come out and asked that question? She hadn’t expected that. Now what should she say?
“Yes.” The word escaped her lips in a soft, breathless whisper. Her hand flew to her mouth and her heart began to pound faster. There. She’d said it. And now there was no turning back.
“I’ll be down in a sec.”
“W…wait.”
But he’d already hung up. Holy cow. Drake was on his way down to her hotel room and he was expecting sex. More hand wringing, palms growing even more moist. Could she handle it? Maybe she should call him back. But no, he’d probably already left the room.
She rested the phone receiver in its cradle and slid off the bed. Smoothing her damp palms down her h*ps she dried them on the terry robe. Good heavens, was she ready for this? Maybe she should tell him no, that she’d made a mistake. Maybe she should-
There was a knock at the door and Meg started. He was here. Already? No more time for maybes. She took a deep breath and went to open the door.
Drake was standing in the doorway and as he looked down at her, his hair still damp from a recent shower, his eyes burned with a fierceness she had never seen before.
She stepped back, not saying a word. She didn’t need to. She knew what she wanted and the look in his eyes left her in no doubt as to what he wanted. This was going to happen.
He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him, and only then did she realize that he was barefoot. Had he been in that much of a hurry?
Then there was no more time for questions, no more time to think, because he reached for her, pulling her into his arms with a force that knocked the air from her lungs. His arm circled her back, locking her body to his, and then his hands went up, fingers sliding through her hair to cup the back of her head and hold her at his mercy.
And then his mouth came down on hers, sensual and strong, subduing her with a kiss that drove all thought from her mind.
When he’d kissed her till her bones melted, leaving her soft and pliable in his arms, he bent to lift her and carry her over to the king-sized bed where he laid her on the pillows. Then, hands moving urgently, he pulled the knot in her sash and opened her robe, leaving her blushing and bare to his gaze.
He groaned and as she moved her hands to cover her nakedness he caught them, trapping her wrists against the bed, drinking his fill of the sight of her.
Holy heavens. No one had ever looked at her like that before, not even Greg. In his eyes was a burning hunger that made her heart jerk in anticipation and just a hint of fear. She hadn’t done this in so long. Would he be gentle?
He dipped his head and in that move he wiped the question from her mind because his lips, so masterful and firm, were now on her right breast, sucking, drawing its pink tip deep into his mouth. He played with that nipple, teasing and torturing, till she gasped in delight and arched her back, wanting even more.
To her relief, he obliged. Drake’s urgent need seemed to match her own because he released her breast, but just long enough to raise her up and pull the robe away from her body. He tossed it to the floor. Then he was shedding his own clothes, swift fingers making fast work of the buttons on his shirt. In seconds he had it off and threw it on the floor.
Meg’s eyes widened and her mouth went dry. Holy Christ. She’d never been one to swear but, my goodness, did they build them this beautiful anymore? He was toned like a weapon of female destruction, the muscles cut in all the right places, the body tanned to perfection. She’d thought this man was a typical business executive with the body of someone who lived a sedentary lifestyle. But no, this man in front of her had the body of a professional athlete. He was like a well honed machine, far advanced from what she’d seen ten years before.
But she should have known. When he’d pulled her close he’d practically crushed her against a body that felt like rock. Now she knew why. He was solid muscle. She hadn’t quite finished admiring his upper body when his hands fell to his trousers and he began unbuckling his belt. She wanted to look away, she really did, but like a deer caught in headlights all she could do was freeze. And hold her breath.