Trying her best to prolong her tantalizing dream, Haley moved closer to the warm, hard masculine body lying next to her. But one by one, as her senses woke up, she became aware of several things at once. The feel of crisp hair beneath her palm, the light woodsy scent of a man’s cologne and the sound of soft snores chased away the last traces of sleep and opening her eyes, she found herself face-to-face with Luke.
Her sharp intake of breath must have wakened him because the corners of his mouth slowly curved up in a sleepy smile a moment before he opened his eyes. “Good morning, sweetheart.”
“What are you doing here, Luke?”
His low chuckle caused a wonderful fluttering sensation deep in the pit of her stomach and made every one of her feminine instincts come to full alert.
“If you’ll remember, we got married yesterday. This is where I’m supposed to be.”
“Oh, I remember.” She shook her head and started moving away from him. She wasn’t letting him off the hook that easily. “But I was under the impression that you had forgotten all about that.”
The smile on his handsome face faded and before she knew what was happening, he reached out and pulled her back to him. “I really regret that I missed having dinner with you last night.” He used his index finger to brush a strand of hair from her cheek. “But during my meeting with the Laurel office staff, I learned about a labor dispute with the work crews which had to be resolved immediately or there would have been a walkout on Monday.”
Her skin tingled everywhere he touched her, but Haley tried her best not to notice. As far as she was concerned, no matter what the reason for their marriage, there was no excuse for a man to completely ignore a woman on what was supposed to be one of the most important days of her life.
“There’s always going to be something that needs your attention.” She tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but his arms were like two steel bands holding her firmly against him.
“That’s true,” he said, confirming her suspicion that she would always come in a distant second to Garnier Construction. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Would you like to know what’s going to claim my attention today and tomorrow?”
“Not particularly.” She wasn’t interested in hearing about labor problems or another meeting with office managers. All she wanted to do was take a shower, get dressed and pack for their return trip.
“That’s too bad because I’m going to tell you anyway,” he continued as he ran his hand down the outside of her thigh, then back up, bringing the tail of her nightgown to her waist. “Today and tomorrow, you will have my complete and undivided attention.”
Haley wasn’t sure if her heart skittered to a stop because of what he’d said or from the feel of his hand slipping beneath her gown to caress her lower back. “B-but I thought…I mean, you said we would be going back to Nashville early this morning.”
“I’ve decided that we need time to rectify the situation you brought to my attention the other day at the office. We need to get to know each other on a more…personal level,” he said, giving her a smile that warmed her all over and left no doubt about what he had in mind. “We’ll head back home in a couple of days.”
“Home? Meaning your mansion?”
He nodded as his finger traced the lace edge of her panties. “Didn’t you inform the complex that you would be moving? Surely you didn’t think you’d be returning to your apartment, did you?”
She shook her head. “I…still have to…move my clothes.” How was she supposed to think with his fingers dipping beneath the scalloped trim?
“Don’t worry. I had some of my staff move your personal effects after we left yesterday,” he stated, his voice low and intimate.
Haley froze. “You did what?”
He kissed her shoulder. “Everything will already be unpacked and put away by the time we get back on Tuesday.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Your arrogance has no bounds, does it?”
“What do you mean?” He had the audacity to look truly puzzled.
“Did it ever occur to you that I might not like someone else handling my underwear?”
He smiled as he continued to touch her and every stroke of his warm palm on her suddenly sensitive skin increased the heat building deep inside of her. “I don’t…know what surprises me more…your arrogance or…you taking a day off from work,” she explained, struggling to catch her next breath and trying desperately to remember she was irritated with him.
“Why would my taking time off surprise you?” he asked, his warm breath close to her ear.
“The only time I’ve ever known you to take a day off from the office was when your sister graduated from college,” she retorted, trying to concentrate on something besides his hands moving steadily over her body. She was definitely losing the battle.
“I’m not all work,” he insisted, slowly easing her to her back. When he leaned over her, his smile and the gleam in his vivid blue eyes told her in no uncertain terms exactly what he meant when he added, “Believe me, I do know how to play, sweetheart.”
“I’m, uh, sure you do,” she hedged, staring up at him. “But I don’t think—”
“That’s all right. I’ll do the thinking for both of us,” he interrupted as he brought his mouth down to cover hers.
His lips teased and caressed, making Haley forget anything she’d been about to say. Wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders, she gave up trying to think and lost herself to his tender exploration.
How could she even begin to form a rational thought when she was lying in bed with a half-naked man? The very man she’d fantasized about for over five years? The man who was kissing her like she was the most desirable woman he’d ever known?
When he used the tip of his tongue to trace the edge of her mouth, she couldn’t deny him entry. She wanted to once again experience his taste and the feeling that Luke was claiming her for his own.
Her pulse sped up and she wasn’t entirely certain it would ever return to normal when he slowly slid his hand from her back to her abdomen, then up to the underside of her breast. Never in her wildest imaginings could anything have felt more sensual as when he cupped the soft mound and began to relentlessly tease the puckered bud with the pad of his thumb.
“You’re so sweet,” he said, breaking the kiss to nibble his way down her throat to the top of her nightgown. When he raised his head, he gave her a smile that heated her all the way to her soul at the same time he used his finger to trace the delicate lace edging at the neckline. “Let’s get you out of this.”