of golf. Celeste was animated and bubbly and filled with excitement, and who could blame her? In less than twenty-four hours she was going to marry the man she loved and become Mrs. Greg Markham the Third.
Rebecca was feeling a tad excited herself, but her anticipation was centered around the man who’d rocked her world the night before-and they hadn’t even had sex. He’d been on her mind all day, and she couldn’t wait to find out what he had up his sleeve for the two of them tonight. She felt as giddy as a young girl anxiously awaiting her first date, and it had been forever since she’d had that kind of reaction to a man. It was a heady, thrilling sensation she embraced whole-heartedly.
“Those spa treatments must have done wonders,” Connor said as he set his fork on his empty salad plate, then shifted his gaze across the table. “Rebecca is positively glowing and she looks more relaxed than I’ve ever seen her.”
Rebecca nearly choked on the drink of water she was swallowing. Oh, his comment sounded innocent enough, but she knew darn well that his “glowing,” and “relaxed” remarks had nothing to do with the spa and everything to do with the orgasm he’d given her last night. Heck, he was practically gloating.
Celeste smiled from Rebecca to Connor. “Yeah, she is glowing, isn’t she?”
She set her glass back on the table, refusing to let Connor shake her composure out in public. “There’s something to be said for a nice, long, pleasurable massage. It has a way of releasing all kinds of tension.”
“Ummm, I might have to try one of those massages,” Connor said with an incorrigible grin.
Rebecca bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Only she knew what kind of massage he was really referring to. And, undoubtedly, he’d want it to come from her.
Dinner passed at a leisurely pace, amidst amusing conversation between bridesmaids and groomsmen, a lot of boisterous laughter, and too many flirtatious looks and comments between herself and Connor. If anyone at the table noticed those playfully seductive gestures, specifically her sister, no one called them on it. Or maybe they were all used to the attraction and didn’t give it a second thought.
It was after ten by the time the rehearsal dinner ended and everyone went their separate ways. As Rebecca casually made her way out of the restaurant with the rest of the group, Connor came up beside her, lightly touched the base of her spine with his fingers to get her attention, and leaned in close.
“Go and change and meet me downstairs at the side entrance to the hotel,” he whispered, and then he was gone.
It took her an extra five minutes to separate from her sister and the other bridesmaids, and ten minutes after that she was walking out the double glass doors to the hotel’s side carport area dressed in the only pair of jeans she’d brought with her, a long-sleeved blouse, and a fleece jacket.
Connor wasn’t there, but seconds later a big black-and-silver Harley Davidson pulled up in front of her, the rumbling sound of the engine as dramatic as the man sitting on the bike’s leather seat.
Connor grinned, those boyish dimples of his beckoning to her. “Hop on,” he said, and handed her an extra black helmet that matched the one on his head. “We’re going for a ride.”
As far as surprises went, this was something she never would have imagined. “You’re kidding.” She’d never ridden a motorcycle in her life, and the whole idea of doing so intimidated the heck out of her. “Why couldn’t you have driven one of your fancy sports cars?”
“Because this is much more fun. You’ll see.”
She shook her head, not completely swayed. “I think I’m too old for this.”
He rolled his eyes at her poor excuse. “You’re as young as you feel. Come on, Becca,” he cajoled sweetly. “Be a little spontaneous and try something new.”
She was certain that his choice of words, which reflected the message she’d found in her chocolate heart half, was nothing more than a coincidence. Still, they were enough of an impetus to give her the courage to be more adventurous than she’d ever been in her life.
Before she came to her practical, rational senses, she took the helmet, slipped it on her head, and let him secure the strap beneath her chin. Then, with Connor’s help, she straddled the seat behind him, so that her thighs bracketed his in an incredibly intimate position.
“You need to hold on tight.” He grabbed her wrists, pulled her closer against his back, then pushed her hands beneath his leather jacket. “Your fingers might get a little cold on the drive. This will keep them warm.”
Warm was an understatement. She splayed her palms over the soft cotton T-shirt covering his taut stomach, the heat emanating from him like a furnace.
He revved the engine, and Rebecca’s entire body vibrated right along with the bike. Though they hadn’t even started on their way, she could already feel the latent power in the motorcycle, and she felt her heart skip a beat.
“Since this is my first time, go slow and easy on me.” She didn’t want her first experience to be a wild, fast ride. “I’d rather not be in a body cast for my sister’s wedding tomorrow.”
He chuckled, the muscles in his belly rippling beneath her palms. “I’ll be gentle with you, sweetheart. I promise.”
CONNOR WAS A MAN of his word. He’d never been a reckless driver or felt the need for speed, and tonight he was extra careful to keep things low key. He wanted Rebecca’s trust. Wanted her to see that he wasn’t the kind of guy who was rebellious and wild, or took unnecessary risks, as he knew she believed.
He veered the motorcycle onto the road just outside of where The Delaford Resort was located. It was a gorgeous night, cool but clear, and he took Rebecca on a smooth, leisurely, scenic ride around the perimeter of Crystal Lake.
Initially when they’d started off, she’d been nervous and stiff sitting behind him, but as he navigated the stretch of road ahead she eventually relaxed against his back, and the hands he’d tucked around his waist loosened their death grip.
After a while he found an alcove off the side of the road that had a perfect view of the lake, and he pulled over onto the gravelly area.
“So, what did you think?” he asked once they’d dismounted and removed their helmets, watching as she shook her silky hair, then combed through the strands with her fingers.
Energized after the ride, she turned toward him, a dazzling, exuberant smile on her face. “That was amazing!”
Her vivacious response was exactly what Connor had been hoping for. “Good, I’m glad.” He extended his hand to her. “Come on, let’s go sit down by the lake.”
Without hesitating, she slipped her fingers into his, their cool fingers intertwining intimately. It was a simple, uncomplicated gesture, but it was one of those small things that Connor appreciated and savored, because it felt like an expression of Rebecca’s faith in him. Or so he’d like to think.
With only the shimmering moonlight guiding them, Connor led the way down a grassy knoll to a cluster of large boulders near the edge of the lake. He sat down on top of one of the bigger rocks and helped Rebecca up beside him. They were no longer holding hands, and he missed that warmth and connection.
“So, why do I get the impression that you haven’t had a whole lot of fun and adventure in your life?” Connor asked.
She tipped her head at him, amusement glimmering in her eyes. “Not all of us can afford the kind of fun you can.”
“I’m not necessarily talking about material things,” he said, and unzipped his leather jacket so he could enjoy the cool evening temperature. “I’ve known you for three years now, and you’ve always come across as so reserved, so completely opposite to your sister’s lively, outgoing personality.”
She lifted a brow. “So, are you saying I’m a snob?”
Beneath her teasing tone Connor detected a sensitive, guarded emotion he didn’t fully understand. “No, you’ve never come across as a snob,” he said, trying to find the right words to get his point across. “You’re just so much more serious than your sister.”
“Celeste is also six years younger than I am,” she replied, as if that alone explained their contrasting dispositions.
Six years also separated him and Rebecca, Connor knew, and refused to let her use that as a defense with her sister, or as a way to distance herself from him. “I don’t think the differences in your personalities have anything to
