“Working,” she said. “I used to tell myself that it was good I didn’t have much of a personal life, but now I’m thinking I was deluding myself. I love it here. I haven’t thought about work since we got in the car and left Providence.”
“I probably shouldn’t even be here,” Dec said, running his finger around the rim of his wine glass. “Especially not with a single, beautiful woman. It’s too much of a temptation.”
“But that’s good,” she said.
“No. I’m supposed to be celibate until the beginning of September.”
“Are you planning to go into the priesthood or do you have some medical problem?” she asked, taken aback by his confession.
“My brothers and I made a bet that we couldn’t go three months without sex. Actually, I’m the idiot who offered up the challenge and they agreed.”
It was obvious he’d decided to break his pact. The intimacies they’d already shared were well beyond the boundaries of celibacy. Rachel was pleased that she’d been the one to tempt him. “Sometimes it’s good to take a break from sex, to gain perspective on relationships,” she commented.
“That’s exactly what I said,” Dec replied.
“Well, you were right,” Rachel said.
“Nah, I was full of shit,” he countered. “I should have never made the bet.” He drew a deep breath. “I just didn’t plan on meeting you.”
“Well, you haven’t lost yet,” she said. “We haven’t actually had sex. We’ve just messed around.”
“I wasn’t supposed to have any sexual contact with women. No touching, no kissing, no anything, for three months.” Dec reached across the table and grazed her jaw with his fingertips. “Now three more minutes is much too long.” He stood and drew her up to her feet, then wrapped his arm around her waist. “I can’t seem to get enough of you,” he murmured, kissing the curve of her neck.
Rachel reached for the buttons of his shirt and slowly undid them. When she was finished, she smoothed her hands over his chest. Bit by bit, inch by inch, they began to explore each other’s bodies, slowly pushing aside clothing as they stumbled back inside the cabin.
She nuzzled her face against his chest, then traced a path of kisses to his nipple. Darting her tongue out, she teased at it, bringing it to a hard peak before moving across his chest to the other. He groaned softly, furrowing his fingers through her hair to hold her close.
When she finished, he stole another long, deep kiss and Rachel felt her blood warm and her body relax. Suddenly, her mind became consumed with the sensation of his hands on her skin. She couldn’t think, but that didn’t matter. With every caress there came an automatic response, a shudder or a moan, an effort to move closer to what they both wanted.
Their mouths still locked, they moved to the sofa and Dec gently laid her down, stretching out beside her. Rachel had never been kissed the way Dec kissed her. He took his time, as if focusing all his seductive powers on her mouth. As his tongue delved inside, then withdrew, she was reminded of what they’d soon share, his hips nestled between her legs, his shaft buried deep inside of her.
A dull ache pulsed at her core and the need seemed to multiply with every breath she took. Rachel rolled over and straddled his body, then tugged her camisole over her head. When she reached around to unhook her bra, Dec sat up and pushed her hands aside.
He slipped his fingers under the straps and let them fall off her shoulders. His mouth found a spot at the base of her throat and he kissed her there, lingering over a pulse as if he could sense her excitement. A moment later, she felt his fingers at her back and the bra fell away.
Rachel shivered in anticipation and when he drew her nipple into his mouth, tiny explosions of pleasure shot through her body. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift, arching against him, inviting him to take more.
He seemed to know her body, sensing what made her moan and tingle and sigh. Though she felt a frantic need, he drew the seduction out, each caress meant to exact the maximum amount of pleasure before moving on to something new.
Rachel’s hands smoothed over his wide chest, along the sharp angle of his shoulders and down his muscular arms. His shirt was caught beneath him, hindering his reach and after a time, he grew frustrated with the restriction and twisted out of it.
There was so much more to explore, she mused as she reached for the top button on his jeans. But just as she undid it, a phone rang. Rachel groaned and continued her task, but the sound had broken Dec’s concentration. He glanced over his shoulder, then cursed softly. “I should get it,” he whispered.
Rachel reluctantly crawled off of him, then smiled. “I’ll just finish cleaning up.” She grabbed her camisole and tugged it over her head, then walked out to the porch and began to gather the dishes from the small table. Inside, she heard Dec speaking softly on the phone. She couldn’t make out what he was saying, but a sudden wave of doubt washed over her. What if he was talking to another woman?
A tiny knot grew in her stomach. She knew he had brothers, that he didn’t have time to vacation, and that he did work for Trevor Ross. A man as handsome and charming as Dec probably had plenty of female company. And many of them probably had his phone number. When she’d asked him if he had a girlfriend, he’d said no. Rachel frowned. And if he did have a girlfriend, why on earth would he agree to remain celibate for three months?
Maybe he’d had so much sex over the past year that celibacy sounded good. She laughed softly. Celibacy would never sound good to a man. It just wasn’t in their nature to give up sex completely, unless they planned to become a priest or a monk.
And did it really make any difference how many women he had in his past? This was never supposed to be anything more than a short-term affair, a passionate night or two together before they’d both agree to go their separate ways.
But the better she got to know Declan, the more she realized it might be difficult to give him up. If the sex was fabulous, it might even be impossible. Rachel stacked the dishes in front of her then picked them up and carried them into the cabin. She wasn’t going to think about the future. They had two more nights together and that would have to be enough for now. As soon as he was off the phone, they’d pick up where they left off.
Dec was standing in the middle of the kitchen when she went back inside, his cell phone clutched in his hand, his brow furrowed into a deep frown. “That was my office,” he said.
“I thought it might be one of your girlfriends.”
“I don’t have any girlfriends,” he said, his expression unchanged.
“Good to know,” Rachel replied as she set the dishes in the sink. “Is there a problem at the office?”
“The police just arrested someone in your stalking case. An intern from the radio station. Some kid named Jerry. One of my guys interviewed him earlier this evening and he admitted it.”
Rachel gasped. “Jerry? No, Jerry couldn’t have done that. He’s a sweet kid, he’s harmless. He cleans up late at night and I see him during my shift. Every now and then, he brings me coffee. He has a little crush on me. He’s just not capable of this.”
“He has a crush on you? Why didn’t you tell me this? Rachel, you can’t keep these-” He stopped and forced a smile. “He admitted it,” Dec repeated.
Rachel slowly leaned back against the counter, bracing her hands on the edge. “Then it’s over?”
He nodded. “I guess so.”
“Wow, that was quick.” She drew in a deep breath. “I guess that means we don’t have to stay here any longer.”
He walked over to her and slipped his hands around her waist. “It’s too late to drive back tonight and the traffic will probably be murder,” Dec said. “Besides, I’ve had a little too much to drink. We’ll stay tonight and go back tomorrow.”
Rachel turned back to the sink and began to fill it with warm water. She’d hoped that he’d want to stay longer, but he’d probably stayed away longer than he ought to, especially since this was a job and not a vacation.
Declan ran his palms up her torso and gently cupped her breasts in his hands. “We still have tonight,” he murmured.
“Tonight.” Suddenly, she wasn’t quite sure why she was doing this. Was she really willing to settle for one wild night of sex with this man and then return to her regular life? There were no promises between them, no indication that this was anything more than just lust. “Your job is done now.”
