She also felt his presence as he shifted against her—saw it in the small mirror in front of her—and her pulse picked up.
His skin gave off the scent of fresh air salty water and sunscreen—and healthy male sweat.
They stood in silence. He lifted first one lock of hair, then another, pulling the brush through from root to tip.
She felt the air around her grow hot and heavy, until she had to concentrate on keeping her breathing even.
"Just like a mermaid." he murmured, arranging one curling edge over her shoulder before lifting another section of hair.
"No fins." she said automatically, and couldn't believe how breathless she sounded.
He chuckled, then sobered.
"I've been thinking about your accusation, and I've done some research." he said. "I looked back over my business diary from four years ago to try to refresh my memory about the night you were talking about."
She stiffened. ‘I’m surprised you didn't attempt hypnosis."
He laughed shortly before going on. "We hosted a party that night for an up-and-coming British rock group, and there were plenty of celebrity hangers-on involved. The woman you saw that night was there on a lark. She must have followed me back from the Garrison Grand, or gotten a tip from someone there that I owned a yacht."
"I wonder how she could have gotten the impression you were open to a brief encounter." she remarked acerbically.
He didn't react, apparently refusing to be baited by her sarcasm. "I admit I had a reputation as a player, and since you weren't around that night, someone thought I was fair game."
"I bet." she said unbendingly.
"But I did not sleep with that bottle blonde." he continued inexorably. "She sneaked aboard, but I sent her packing the second it became clear why she was there."
"How do you explain the fact she was still straightening her clothing when I saw her?" Megan asked. She didn't want to give him a chance to clarify things, but curiosity got the better of her.
In the mirror, she saw Stephens lips twist. “I’m betting she saw you coming—maybe even recognized you—and decided to put on a show out of spite."
She finally felt herself relax a little at his words, despite her best intentions.
"You already think I'm a cheater." he said, as if reading her mind. “I’m not about to compound my problems by becoming a liar, too."
"How do I know you won’t cheat now?" she asked, her eyes meeting his in the mirror. "You're still the head of the Garrison Grand and—" she gestured around her"—you've still got this yacht. Women will want to come on to you."
He showed her the hand with his wedding ring. "This is your insurance."
She looked at his plain platinum band. "A wedding ring isn't considered an obstacle by some women."
"I just admitted that at the time you met me I had a reputation—"
She raised her eyebrows. "Really? The fact that you had to jog your memory speaks volumes." Though her words were sharp, it was getting hard to maintain her edge when he was practically giving her a scalp massage. "You couldn't even remember the woman who showed up that night."
"But I could never forget you." he said against her temple. "That's why I turned her away."
She felt his words with shattering force. Her walls where he was concerned—never sturdy to begin with—crumbled some more.
"I want to make love." he stated, and her insides turned to mush.
"That's not a good idea." she managed to say through a constricted throat.
"On the contrary." he responded, tossing the brush aside. "I think it's the best idea I've had in a long time."
He spun her around to face him and her hands fell against his chest.
He dipped his head, and his mouth plundered hers.
Tongues touched and lips moved, shifted, caressed, and just like that, the dam burst.
She moaned low in her throat.
His fingers delved into her hair, undoing his handiwork as he pulled her head back. His mouth skimmed along the side of her neck.
"I want you so damn much," he muttered.
Her hands moved to grip his shoulders, anchoring herself in a world gone topsy-turvy.
When his mouth met the obstacle of her bathing suit, his fingers went to the clasp of the halter top and released the bonds that kept her from him. Her br**sts spilled forward, and his hands came up to palm and stroke them, rubbing folds of nylon across sensitized ni**les.
The force of their desire came roaring to life, the way it always had.
They couldn't get enough of each other. Mouth fused to mouth, and his hands shot down, skimming under her skirt to grasp her bu**ocks and bring her flush against him to feel the strength of his need.
The past had been a glorious ride before she’d been thrown, but it had brought her Jade, and now suddenly she wanted to reach out again with both hands to grasp the sunshine, feeling reckless—no. feeling like a gambler.
She felt the strong beat of his heart and felt the thrilling excitement of wanting to be joined with him.
Her skirt hit the floor, and their hands roamed with increasing urgency. Her fingers stroked and delved, retracing every luscious inch of him that had been imprinted on her memory.
During the years they'd been apart, she’d still dreamed about him—fantasized about him. It hadn't mattered that she’d thought he was a cheat. Her heart at night was free to roam where her mind would not allow itself to go when she was awake.
Now he pulled away from her and yanked his shirt over his head, exposing a chest shed itched to touch ever since he'd stripped down to his bathing trunks for their swim earlier.
Her fingers danced over defined muscle, until she gave in to the urge to place openmouthed kisses where her hands had just been. His skin tasted warm. salty and sun-kissed.
With an oath of frustration, he bent and pulled down his swim trunks.
His impressive erection sprang free, exciting her even more.
She quivered, her body tightening—a reaction that echoed those shed felt whenever they were together.
"I've got to have you." he said, and her senses ran riot.
He hooked his thumbs under the fabric of her swimsuit and pulled it off her.
His mouth came down to ravage hers. After a moment, he hooked his foot behind her ankle, sliding her leg forward and throwing her off balance so they both tumbled onto the bed next to them.
He feasted on her br**sts, then found all her pleasure points: the hollow behind her ear...the curve of her breast...her inner thigh...her instep. All the while she did a slow slide to mindless desire.