Summer Days (Fool's Gold #7)

“Be careful. This kind of life can be seductive.”


He glanced at her and found her looking at him. She had beautiful eyes, he thought, staring into her green irises. A great smile. Her blond hair hung past her shoulders, all wavy from the braids.

He found himself wanting to touch the soft-looking strands, to pull her close and kiss her. But kissing would lead to other things, and that would be a mistake. Heidi might not be the enemy anymore, but she stood in the way of what he wanted. Sleeping with her would make an already complicated situation more difficult. But, damn, she was a temptation.

“Coals,” he murmured, not quite ready to turn away.

“What?”

“I should check the coals.”

“Oh, right. I’ll get the burgers.”

For a second, neither of them moved. Rafe knew he was seconds away from not caring about the consequences. But just as he was about to set down his glass and reach for her, she scrambled to her feet and walked into the kitchen.

Probably for the best, he told himself, ignoring the need building in his body, and the voice in his heart that whispered he was a fool to let Heidi be the one who got away.

* * *

HEIDI HAD A HARD TIME with dinner. The meal was great—there was no bad with hamburgers and potato salad—and she enjoyed the wine. Rafe was his usual, charming self. A funny, intelligent companion who could speak on any number of topics and still surprise her with his unexpected views on everything from the British royal family to his belief in renewable energy.

Her confusion came more from wondering why on earth any woman would have left Rafe. He was the kind of guy she would hold on to with both hands. Which led to the second problem… Unruly girl parts.

She’d moved past the tingling-in-anticipation stage and was firmly in “take me now.” Every time he smiled, she felt a tug in her belly. When his hand casually brushed hers, she wanted to whimper. If the man took her in his arms and kissed her for longer than thirty seconds, she would probably have an orgasm.

With dinner finished and the dishes washed, the rest of the evening stretched before them. May and Glen planned to go to a movie after their meal, which meant they wouldn’t be coming home for another three hours. Maybe more. The night was young, the sun just setting, and Heidi was terrified she was going to say or do something humiliating. Her only option seemed to be escape.

She swallowed the last of her wine, possibly a mistake considering she was already a little buzzed from her first glass, and stood.

“I, ah, should get some paperwork finished.”

Rafe rose. “You sure? I thought we could go for a walk.”

“In the dark?”

“I’ll protect you.”

She wanted to say yes. Wanted to spend time with him, talking to him and maybe more. But her fear was greater. With her blood pumping and her hormones doing their best to convince her to be wild, she was very likely to say or do something humiliating. Escape was the safest route.

“Maybe another time,” she murmured, moving back, anxious to get to the door. Once there, she could run for the stairs and make it to her room before disaster struck.

“Are you all right?”

“Fine. Great. Better than great.”

She gave him what she hoped was a brilliant smile and turned. Unfortunately she’d gone back farther than she’d realized and, in her haste, plowed directly into the cabinets. Her momentum was such that she staggered back and started to trip. Rafe caught her before she could tumble. He took hold of her arms and turned her so she was facing him.

His eyes were dark as night. His face all hard planes and sharp angles. Her gaze settled on his mouth as she remembered how good the kissing had been.

Then, she didn’t have to rely on memories, because he drew her close and pressed his lips against hers.

He tasted of the wine. Strong arms surrounded her, making her feel both secure and delicate. Female to his male. Her body nestled into his, her br**sts flattening against his chest, her thighs pillowing his. She lifted her arms to wrap around his neck, her fingers burying themselves in his hair.

The kiss was everything she remembered. Tender and demanding at the same time. Taking and yielding. She parted her lips and waited a heartbeat for his tongue to brush against hers. Wanting turned liquid. Hunger swept through her, like the tide coming in.

She tilted her head so they could deepen the kiss. He moved his hands up and down her back before sliding them to her waist. He paused there, as if waiting for her to decide what happened next.

There were options, she thought hazily. She could step back, say good-night and run away. The safe course, the sensible course. Or…

There it was. That delicious word. The road to possibilities. Or. Or she could give in to the need, find out if Rafe was as good as he looked, if she could satisfy him, if they were as well matched as she imagined. And she’d imagined a lot.