Sarah Deacon released the breath she’d held in a long whoosh. Relief zipped through her veins. Charlie Hudson was home. He stood in his doorway, eyeing her speculatively.

Just as quickly as she’d released it, her breath hitched again. He might be home, but that didn’t mean there was no one else here.

“Sar,” he greeted.

“Charlie.” She bit her lip. “Are you, um, alone?”

He nodded. A slow nod, accompanied by a sensual smile. “As it happens, I am. Would you like to come in?”

Her belly tightened in anticipation. “I’d love to.” He had no idea how much.

It wasn’t the first time she’d asked the question. It was a key one between the two of them, and after eighteen months of asking, it needed no embellishment.

Charlie stepped back, allowing Sarah into his unit. The layout was identical to hers downstairs, but the furnishings were so different, no one would ever mistake his place for hers.

Charlie’s chocolate brown leather couches faced a huge flat-screen TV embedded in the wall. The wooden floor remained unadorned, with nothing but a glass coffee table set in the center. Stark, modern and nothing like Sarah’s lounge room downstairs, with her plush carpets, upholstered sofas and treasured collection of antiques.

Décor was the last thing on her mind now, although those leather couches would come in handy when her legs collapsed beneath her, as they usually did when Charlie worked his magic.

Already she fingered the hemline of her T-shirt, and the instant she heard the click of the door closing, she drew that hemline up over her breasts and tugged the tee off, turning to face Charlie in her bra.

The purple bra she’d chosen specially to wear tonight, because without a doubt, it was her sexiest.

His blue gaze darkened as it settled on her chest.

“Correct me if I’m wrong…” Charlie’s tongue touched his upper lip, leaving the spot glistening. “But didn’t you have a hot date this evening?”

“I did. And then I didn’t.”

“Ah, right.” He looked totally confused. “And that means what exactly?” Charlie stepped closer and brushed his hand over her arm, leaving a streak of goose bumps in his wake.

“He fell in love with another woman.” Sarah tried not to let the disappointment mar her tone but must have failed by the frown on Charlie’s face.

“In three days?”

“I know. Go figure.” She arched her neck as Charlie’s fingers trailed from her shoulder to her ear, a slow burn starting in her belly.

God, his touch felt good.

“I’m trying to figure, Sar, but honestly? You’re not making too much sense.” He flicked her red hair over her shoulder, bent forward and nipped her neck.

The second his teeth scraped over her sensitive skin, Sarah forgot to care how sexy her bra was. She just wanted it gone. Twisting her arms behind her back, she unclipped the hooks and let the underwear fall to the floor, loving the rush of air against her hot skin.

“He phoned and invited me over to his place,” she explained. “Which I thought was pretty okay for a fourth date.” She arched her back as Charlie wound his arm around her waist, dipping her, pushing her now bare breasts upwards.

He leaned his head down and licked her nipple. Ran his warm, moist tongue over it, and a soft cry filled the air.

Hers.

“Pretty okay,” he agreed. “Explains the purple bra too. Drives me crazy when you wear that thing. Suspect it would drive any guy crazy.” He kissed her other nipple.

Sarah’s breasts tingled beneath the arousing attack, and she arched her back further, encouraging him to keep it up—which he did, in a manner magnificent enough to send chills up her spine.

“So I get to his place, and there’s someone else there. His friend.”

Charlie paused. “So you wore the purple bra for…what’s his name again?”

“Sebastian.”

“For Sebastian and his friend?”

“No. I wore it just for Sebastian. His friend happened to drop in minutes before I arrived.”

“Did the friend get to see the purple bra?” He rubbed his left cheek on one breast then his right cheek on the other. His five o’clock shadow scraped over her sensitized skin, making Sarah shiver.

“God, no. The friend was a woman, and she wasn’t interested in my bra.”

“I’m interested in your bra.” He nuzzled her breasts then bit down gently on one nipple, taking Sarah’s breath. “More interested when your bra’s on the floor though.” He drew the nipple he’d just bitten between his lips and suckled it.

Sarah felt the action all the way down to her toes. Sebastian might be good-looking, but when it came to physical appeal he couldn’t compete with Charlie, her blond-haired, blue-eyed surfer dude. The man was sex on a stick. One look in his direction was enough to get her panties wet. “You’re getting distracted.”

“You’re distracting me.”

“I get dumped, and all you can think about is my bra?”

“Frankly, I’m thinking way more about your tits.”