Had thinking ever been this difficult?

Lily doubted it, but only for a second, then she stopped thinking and gave herself over to the bliss of a simple kiss. Or not-so-simple kiss, seeing as it drew all her mixed-up emotions into one big ball and dropped them in the middle of her stomach, where they lurched up and down like a rollercoaster.

Maybe she was on a rollercoaster. God knew she hit a high every time Angus slid his tongue over hers. And dipped low when he pulled away, making her pay attention, making her answer questions. She didn?t want to pay attention. Didn?t want to do anything that required active thought.

She just wanted to continue on this ride for a very, very long time.

His finger whispered over the swell of her breast, his touch so light Lily almost questioned it being there at all. Almost, except for the fact that on contact, her nipple tightened into a hard, sensitive bead, and sensation shot straight to her pussy.

Desire, sweet and pure, burst through her. And Lily wanted. Just?wanted. Hungered for more. She shifted in her seat, ground down in an effort to subdue the sudden ache in her groin, the all-consuming need and emptiness.

It was all she could think about. All she could focus on.

Well, that and the taste of wine in her mouth. Rich, decadent wine, enough to intoxicate her.

Perhaps that explained her sudden need?greed?to be touched. To find satisfaction. Perhaps she was drunk. But then, explanations weren?t important. Not now. Not when that featherlight touch that set fire to her breast trailed down her sternum and lower, tantalizing her belly like it had her nipple, leaving scalding flames blazing in its wake.

?Are you thinking about him now, Lily??

The question was whispered in her ear, warm breath fanning down her neck, making her tingle.

Thinking about whom?

?Do you see his face when I touch you? Imagine his eyes looking at you??

Whose face? Whose eyes?

Blake?s? Or the dark, almost black eyes that haunted her nights?

She opened her own to find that same black gaze staring down at her, the same passion she felt blazing in their depths.

?Do you??

She?d thought of Blake, but right now? ?I see your eyes.? Wow. Where?d her breath go? Why did she struggle to talk? ?Your face.?

And that was about as long as she could keep her eyes open. Her lids were too heavy to continue staring into that dead-sexy, dark gaze. Especially when his touch had moved. When he now trailed his finger along the inside of her leg. Her bare leg.

How?d it get there? Hadn?t her dress covered her leg? Did it matter?

The instant her eyes closed, he kissed her again. Molded his lips to hers and tangled their tongues together.

No one had ever kissed her like Angus did, ever made the world disappear or reality recede with just the simple press of his mouth to hers. No one had?

Oh, dear Lord!

His touch was no longer comprised of one finger. No, now it was his whole hand, tickling her inner thigh just inches from her very wet panties.

Lord, how had he reached so high? More importantly, when had her legs opened to allow him access?

Even as she wondered, she drew her thighs farther apart and whimpered into his mouth. Pulses of heat throbbed through her, her need reaching fever pitch. She almost jumped off the seat when he trailed his finger along the elastic of her panties.

?Your fianc? may well be the stupidest man on the planet.? What kind of dumb fuck left his fianc?e at the altar? In fact, what kind of dumb fuck left a woman like Victoria at any time? That defied belief.

She shrugged. ?Or maybe I?m the stupidest woman on earth for believing we had something real.?

He made short work of the space between them, crossing the gazebo to crouch before her. ?Sexiest woman,? he corrected. ?Not stupidest. Never stupidest.?

Victoria looked down at him with wide eyes. He couldn?t make out the blue irises in the dimness, but wished he could, wished he could read in her expression what she hid with her words.

She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

It was only when a wet drop landed on his knee that he realized she was trembling. Shaking hard enough to spill the wine. As gently as possible, he reached up and took both the bottle and glass from her hands, setting them on the bench a little way away. Then he took her hands in his and gazed up into those enormous eyes.

.

Christ, her hands were blocks of ice. Not surprising seeing as she still wore nothing but the shorts and singlet she?d had on earlier. While the early autumn days were still warm, the night temperatures dropped a little. A slight chill bit at the air, yet Victoria seemed not to notice.

Andrew whipped off his hoodie and wrapped it around her shoulders, guiding her arms into the sleeves and encasing her in its warmth.

Then he knelt before her again and once more took her hands in his, holding them between his palms to share his body heat. ?I?m sorry,? he whispered as he looked up at her. ?So sorry he hurt you like that.?

She stared back at him, and there was no mistaking her shimmer of tears. Again she opened her mouth to say something, and again nothing came out. Well, nothing except a tiny sob.

Before Andrew had time to realize her intentions, she did the last thing he?d ever have expected: let out a small cry, grasped his arms in her hands and kissed him.

Not just kissed him. Consumed him.

Her mouth crashed down on his, her lips instantly molding to his open ones, startling him down to his toes. Her tongue demanded entrance to his mouth, pushing inside greedily while her lips destroyed his resolve to keep his distance.

The kiss came as an assault to his senses, an attack on his equilibrium, yet every fiber of his being accepted it as right. Welcomed it. Relished it. As astonishing as the circumstances might be, this, she, was exactly what Andrew needed, exactly what he wanted.

Sparks flared around them, as though he?d been struck by static electricity from her touch alone. His body hardened to the point of pain.

Common sense pounded at his head, telling him to pull away. Victoria might be what he wanted, but he was not what she wanted. He was not the man she?d chosen, not the man she?d promised her future to.

But as practical as common sense was, it could not force his mouth from hers.

He didn?t try to stop her. He just let her in, let her devour him with a hunger he hadn?t anticipated, until her passion carried him away on the ride of his life.

But there was more than just passion in her kiss. No matter how intensely he felt her lust, he sensed her ire, her fury and her disappointment too. It permeated her grasp, burning him as she dug her nails into his skin. It also echoed through his brain, vibrating in the groan of hurt and hunger she emitted as she kissed him.

She tasted like the very wine she?d claimed not to have drunk?silky, smooth and fruity. The flavor was intoxicating, throwing his head into an instant spin. Like an alcoholic desperate for another drink, he kissed her back, as hard as she kissed him, indulging in her addictive taste.

This was insane. Crazy. The woman was in pain. She was hurting, mourning the end of her marriage before it had even begun. He should be consoling her, comforting her. Offering sympathy, not trying to suck the tonsils from her throat.

But instead of doing what any decent guy would do, he took the opportunity to luxuriate in the velvety heat of her mouth.

Her hands vanished from his arms only to tangle in his hair. Had he tried to pull away and draw breath, he?d have failed. She clung to him, holding him close, allowing no path of escape.

But then who would want to escape or try to end a kiss with a woman who?d blown his mind a second after meeting her?

A decent man, that?s who. Someone who was thinking with his head, not his dick. Only Andrew seemed not to have been able to think with his head since he?d met her. The two organs functioning adequately were his dick and his heart, and both demanded he give this woman whatever she wanted.

?A pool?? He looked from her to the water and back again in disbelief. ?This is your idea of exciting and stimulating??

She grinned at him. ?A cool dip on a hot day. Stimulating, for sure.?

He held up his hands in defeat and gave a soft snort. ?Okay. I?ll admit it. You got me good with that one. A swim was the last thing on my mind.?

She gazed at him with wide-eyed innocence. ?You thought I was referring to something else??

He didn?t gaze back, exactly. No, she?d never describe the smoldering, sensual look he shot her as a gaze. Devastating, perhaps. A jumpstart to her libido, maybe, but not a gaze.

?Not thought. Hoped.?

?Brody?? Without realizing it, she?d placed her hand on his chest. Suddenly her palm was smoking, burning against his firm pecs and smooth skin.

Sheesh, what was it with her and touching him? She just couldn?t seem to help herself. But then his chest did feel incredible beneath her palm. Hot. Strong. Appealing.

So very, very appealing.

?Yeah?? He placed his hand over hers, holding it close to that warm, strong and appealing chest of his. His heart beat a steady rhythm beneath her hand, reminding her again of how alive she?d felt since barreling into him.

Bianca shook her head. ?I have no idea what I wanted to say.? His eyes were so blue and so green and so beautiful, she found herself getting lost in them.

The air between them crackled. Well, not really, but it sure felt like it did to Bianca. Felt as if something electric zipped between them, from his chest into her hand. An awareness, a connection.

She liked the feeling. It heated her blood. Made her breasts perk up with interest and her belly flutter with anticipation.

It was Brody who broke the connection, but only to let his gaze wander away from her eyes, down past her neck and breasts?although it settled there for a few brief seconds before continuing on.

He might as well have run his hands over her skin, the way his gaze burned wherever it landed. It gave her both goose bumps and shivers at the same time, and she knew he?d see the telltale signs of her arousal in the millions of fine hairs standing to attention all the way down her arms.

What would he make of them?

His gaze landed on her left hip, and he did a double-take. ?You have a tattoo??

Bianca?s hand found it an instant after his gaze did. She yanked her fingers from his chest and traced them lightly over the stem of the tiny red rose, lying just below the strap of her bikini bottom.

?I do.?

She?d had it done a few months back, after she?d been living alone for a while. She?d wanted to do something crazy, impulsive. Something to show her life was changing, show she was moving on. She?d gone and done the last thing she?d ever have thought she?d do, the last thing Rick would ever have thought she?d do. ?It?s new. I?m still not used to having it.?

Brody kept staring. ?Is that a?bee on the petals??

She smiled. ?It is.? Her symbolic bee, with its wings spread while it stood steadily on the rose. Free to fly, yet happy to have found its feet in a safe place. ?I was never into tattoos before, and the idea of getting one always scared the bejeepers out of me, but now that it?s there, well, I kinda like it.? She stroked the petals.

Brody?s face filled with appreciation. ?I kinda like it too.?

?You do?? His expression made her mouth water.

He nodded. ?It?s sexy.? His voice dropped about six tones. ?Bloody sexy.? When he looked back into her eyes, his were the color of a polished aquamarine. They took her breath away. Or maybe the way he looked at her did. As though he?d like to get to know her tattoo a little better. A whole lot better. Quite intimately, in fact.

She couldn?t help it. She pictured him on his knees, his face by her hip, his mouth nuzzling the rose, tracing the outline of every petal.

?Brody.? His name was a whisper.

?Did it hurt??

?What??

?The tat. The needle.?

?A little.? More than that. But pain was not topmost on her mind right now. Desire was. Her belly was a swirling mass of lust. Wet heat pooled between her legs. More than anything she wanted Brody?s tongue on her hip. Wanted to feel the scrape of his beard against her bare skin as he explored the bee.

?I would have kissed it better.? Now his voice was a whisper.

?You still could.?

?It still hurts??

?Oh, yeah,? she lied. ?Heaps.?

He reached out, brushing his fingers over the tattoo, over her fingers. ?I?d kiss it here.? He traced the lone leaf on the stem. ?And here.? She almost shuddered in ecstasy as he drew his finger along the tiny stem. ?And perhaps I?d lick it, just?here.? He stopped at the part were petals met stem.

?Y-you?d have to concentrate real hard. The rose is small. You m-might miss the spot.?

?I?d give it my full attention. I promise.? He stepped closer, caressed the bee and rose from top to bottom. And maybe caressed a little bit of her hip as well.

?It would?? She cleared her throat. ?It would require your full attention.?

Desire, red-hot and lightning-quick flooded her body. It swept her away on a tide of passion, clouding her thoughts, fogging her brain. Brody stood so close his scent drifted through her nose, his aftershave sinfully seductive: mellow notes of the outdoors and subtle suggestions of man and musk. If she could bottle his scent she would. She?d keep it beside her bed to sniff at night. And in the morning. And perhaps once or twice during the day, as well.

Then she heard it. The booming, familiar laughter. The unmistakable sound of a man?s mirth, followed by a higher-pitched feminine chuckle.

Panic hit her full in the chest.

Oh, shit. She wasn?t prepared for this. Wasn?t sure how to deal with the situation.

She should run. Fast. Turn and head for her room. Or the sea. Or the safety of the forest behind the hotel. Anything to get away. Otherwise she?d have to deal with something she wasn?t at all ready to deal with. But running wasn?t an option. It would just draw attention to her.

Bee sprang into action. She did the only thing she could think of on the spur of the moment. Bracing herself, she shoved Brody with all her might.

No small feat, taking into account her size and his stature. He weighed at least double what she did. But she had both the element of surprise on her side and a sudden, desperate need for privacy. Coupled with a hit of adrenaline, they gave her the strength she needed.

The unsuspecting Brody lost his footing and tumbled backward into the pool.

With a growl born of desperation and agony, he wheeled around, and once again stormed off, disappearing through that same bedroom door and leaving nothing behind but the sound of the banging door.

?Declan!? Violet let her anguish show in the frantic way she cried his name.

He didn?t answer.

?Noah.?

?I?m right here, baby.? His voice was soothing, but not enough.

?I-I can?t do this without him.? She didn?t want to do it without Declan. Not when everything she felt for Noah was all tangled up with everything she felt for Declan.

Besides, Declan had started this. Brought her to this level. Kissed her, seduced her, aroused her and made her half-crazy with yearning for him and Noah. Then he?d handed her over to Noah?and left. ?He?s part of it. Part of you and me.?

?Shh.? Noah kissed her cheek, letting his soft lips play against it. His fingers, still buried inside her, had stilled. ?He?ll be back. As much as he doesn?t want to acknowledge how he feels about us, he won?t be able to help himself.?

A crashing noise echoed from behind the closed door.

?He wants you, baby,? Noah reassured her. ?As much as I do.? He pressed his palm flat against her clit and rubbed in gentle circles, his fingers moving by default.

She closed her eyes against the pleasure of his touch and the pain of Dec?s departure, and let her head fall back on Noah?s shoulder.

?He?ll be back because he wants me too,? Noah soothed. ?As much as I want him.?

?I want you too, Noah.? Admitting as much after all this time was difficult, but denying the truth was impossible. ?I have since that first meeting we had, two years ago. I want you so much, but?but I want him too.?

?I know. He makes us work. He?ll be back. I promise.?

Another crash echoed through the closed door.

?Count to ten,? Noah whispered.

His hand continued its hypnotic motion, and as much as Violet ached for Declan, she couldn?t deny the thrill or gratification Noah gave her. He thrust his fingers inside her, counting each time he did so. ?One? Two? Three??

Noah reached eight before the door was flung open. And there was Declan, stalking across the room again, his stride and expression filled with angry intent.

He came to a standstill between their legs, leaned down and right there, beside Violet, he kissed the other man. Just smashed his lips against Noah?s.