Free Fall

shockingly possessively, as if she had the right. She stared at her hand on that vulnerable spot beneath his belly button, so flat and sinewy and male, and wriggled her fingers, thinking that it was his own fault her mind was wandering back to sex. He should have gone running when he had the chance. Instead, he'd stayed to talk, to cuddle, and he'd have to face the consequences… She slid her fingers down.

'Mmm,' rumbled from deep in his chest. With the denim already unfastened, leaving his waistband loose, she reached the pot of gold with no trouble at all, laughing softly, triumphantly, when he turned out to be already hard. 'Again, Lily?'

'Oh, yes.' She stood only to strip her jeans back off before she fell on top of him. 'Again.'

***

Logan woke up to an affectionate tap on his bare ass. He was sprawled facedown and sideways across Lily's bed, with all the bedding wadded on the floor. Lifting his head, he squinted into her light brown eyes?

Vague images of her beneath him, over him, panting, by turns demanding and whimpering, turned into vivid memories, and he grinned.

'Oh, no, ace.' Fully dressed, she backed up. 'We're done.'

Normally he'd be chomping at the bit now that he was awake, needing to get to work, but he didn't feel like chomping at anything but Lily's gorgeous, curvy bod. 'Come here.'

'I've gotta run.'

Hmm. Seemed Lily was doing all the chomping at the bit for the both of them. He pushed himself up, but she put a hand on his shoulder.

'Don't get up, I just wanted to say goodbye.' She blushed, which intrigued him given all they'd done to and for each other in the long hours of the night. 'I didn't want to just leave you a note.'

'I appreciate that.'

She stood there in her loose black cargo ski pants and a snug red turtleneck, looking like winter personified. He sat up on the edge of the bed and pulled her between his spread legs, wrapping his arms around her middle, putting his head on her chest and hugging her.

For a moment her hands fluttered at his shoulders, then she slid them around him and squeezed. 'Last night was…'

Tilting his head up, he smiled at her. 'Was…?'

'Nice.'

He laughed, watching her mouth curve-the same mouth that had been crying his name in a desperate mantra only a little while ago. 'Nice? Last night was nice?'

'Okay, it was pretty damn amazing,' she consented. 'And wild fun to boot, which is always a pleasant surprise. But I'm not sure it's something we should repeat.'

'Why not?'

Something flashed in her eyes. Unease? Fear?

What the hell was that about?

And then he got it.

She was afraid she couldn't keep it to just fun, not with him.

'Look, this was supposed to be a good time for what's left of your vacation,' she said cautiously. 'Even a great time. But that's all I've got to give.'

'How do you know a good time isn't all I have to give, as well?'

'Is it?'

He watched her hold her breath, looking ready to bolt if he so much as said boo.

Or admitted that hell, no, it wasn't enough. 'Yes.'

'Promise?' she whispered.

'Do you ask that of everyone you sleep with?'

She let out a disparaging sigh.

'Do you?'

'No.'

He found that fascinating. Hell, she was fascinating. He slid his hands down her pretty damn amazing body, cupping her sweet ass, nuzzling his face between her breasts. 'I'll see you later.'

'Promise me, Logan.'

He bit the inner curve of her right breast, smiling when she shivered. 'I promise to see you later.'

'Logan.'

He sighed. 'Fine. I promise you're a good time, and nothing but a good time.'

'Okay.' She backed up. 'Okay, then.' Beneath her tight red turtleneck, her nipples were two taut points, begging for his attention. Her eyes revealed the arousal, and also a huge relief.

He felt the arousal, too, but not the relief. 'Let me walk you out.'

'No, that's all right.'

He frowned when she turned away and moved to the door, shutting it behind her without a backward look. 'Wow,' he said to no one. Flopping to his back on her mattress, he studied the ceiling. Hard to believe it, but she wasn't being coy or playing with him. She'd said what she meant and meant what she'd said.

Fun, wild sex only. Nothing more.

Any red-blooded male would be dancing. He was dancing.

And if a small part of him wished things were different, he could keep that to himself. After all, he was only here for a few more days. Then it'd be back to his world.

Sans Lily.

Chapter 9

Lily glanced at her watch-7:30 a.m.-and tried not to imagine what she could be doing right this minute if an hour ago she hadn't looked into Logan's eyes and panicked.

God, it had felt good lying in bed with him wrapped around her like a pretzel, all sleek skin and hard sinew and easy sexiness. But she'd gotten up. Leaped up and out the door was more like it, mostly because she hadn't wanted to. She was going to have enough trouble not getting too attached for the next three nights, she didn't need to lounge around and relive the mind-blowing night.

And it had been mind-blowing, she'd give him that. She'd always equated sex with the subtle quenching of a thirst. A nice little treat, a release of the need, the end. At least until the next time she got thirsty.

Nothing about last night had been a nice little treat, an easy release of need. In fact, she felt more needy now than she had before, even though they'd hardly slept, unable to keep their hands-or mouths-off each other. Just thinking about it made her body hum.

What she needed now was to clear her head, and there was only one way to do that. On the slopes. She'd spent a few moments at her desk. She'd checked on the cafeteria. Everything seemed to be running smoothly. The bar was dark, and so was the shop, which wouldn't open for another hour. No one would be in their offices yet, and