Victor excused himself from the couple he was talking to and approached her and Josh. Bridget remained behind, casually sipping her glass of wine, but her cold, assessing gaze raked over Paige, then went on to scrutinize Josh. Josh merely smiled at the viperous woman, then turned his attention to Victor. He shook his hand as Paige made the introductions, using the false last name of Bennett that Josh had established as part of his cover.

Carranza smiled amicably, the expression in his dark eyes just as gracious, as he welcomed them to his home. Paige marveled at this man’s ability to appear so friendly and hospitable when she knew a ruthless criminal lurked beneath that pleasant facade. Victor spent the next half hour acquainting her and Josh with the other couples in the room, all of whom Paige found to be pretentious and snooty, then finally drew them toward the sideboard of appetizers and gestured for them to help themselves.

Paige was too nervous to eat and politely declined, but Josh had no qualms about sampling the delicacies.

Victor plucked a large shrimp from a tray and dipped it into the accompanying cocktail sauce. “You did bring the necklace, I hope?” Victor asked, his tone deceptively casual.

“Yes.” She smiled, miffed at Josh’s ability to eat when her stomach was in knots. He pretended disinterest in her conversation with Carranza, but she knew he was listening and alert. “I’ll be wearing it tonight.”

“Wonderful. My appraiser is looking forward to seeing it.” Victor glanced at the huge gilded grandfather dock that dominated a corner of the room, then back at them. “I’m expecting about a hundred guests for dinner this evening, and they’ll be arriving right up to six o’clock, when cocktails and appetizers will be served. You have three hours to play or relax, the choice is yours. You’re welcome to use the pool, or explore the grounds, or stay here and mingle.”

Three hours of polite talk wasn’t an option for Paige. “If you don’t mind, I think I’d like to take a nap. I’ve had a headache that I can’t seem to shake.” She pressed her fingers to her temples for emphasis and offered a smile. “A few aspirins and a nap ought to take care of it.”

Josh strummed his fingers lightly down her spine and leaned close. “I’ll take care of that headache for you, sweetheart,” he murmured, his warm breath caressing the curve of her neck.

Carranza, having heard Josh’s remark, smirked. “You’ll find the guest cottage fully stocked, so please enjoy the amenities.”

Josh’s large, masculine hand skimmed boldly over her bottom in sexual implication. “Oh, I’m certain we will.”

Paige struggled to catch her breath. Josh might be acting, but his lusty performance sparked a very real desire within her.

Carranza gave the butler a discreet nod. “Have Henry take Mrs. Montgomery and her guest to the west guest cottage.”

“Yes, sir,” the butler replied formally, and after motioning to the same man who’d taken their baggage earlier, he relayed the directions Victor had just given him.

Ten minutes later, she and Josh were alone inside an elegantly furnished cottage. Their accommodations consisted of a stocked kitchen and dining area, a luxurious living room with a big-screen TV, a bedroom twice the size of her own and a decadent bathroom complete with a Jacuzzi bath and a large, tiled shower stall. The cottage was situated at least two hundred yards away from the main house and right on its own private beach.

Josh switched on the elaborate stereo system in the living room to help drown out any noise they made or conversations they had. Soft rock music filtered through the cottage, familiar and soothing. Paige wandered into the bedroom, set her purse on the dresser, then opened the sliding glass door to let fresh air circulate through the room. She gazed out at the ocean while Josh inspected closets, drawers and other places for possible hidden listening devices. He found none, but they both knew that meant nothing.

“When our host mentioned amenities, he wasn’t kidding,” Josh said as he returned to the bedroom, amusement lightening his tone. “There’s everything from adult videos, to a fully stocked bar, to a box of condoms in the nightstand.”

She glanced over her shoulder and lifted a brow. “The hospitality here is overwhelming.”

He grinned, his eyes dancing with humor as he approached. His hands came to rest on her shoulders, and he massaged the tense muscles there with skillful ease. Her head fell forward and she groaned, feeling the stress drain from her body with every deep stroke of his thumbs along her neck.

“Now, about that headache…”

She shivered at the husky timbre of his voice and turned around, intending to tell him it had been an excuse to escape three hours of awkward pleasantries, but the knowing look in his golden-brown eyes cut her off. He touched his fingertips to her mouth, a gentle caress, and a huge ache yawned inside her.

She knew the sexual advances he’d made in Carranza’s presence were meant to establish the illusion of being intimate. Even now, Josh’s words and actions were chosen for the benefit of any listening ears. Yet as their eyes met, a hungry awareness swirled between them. She experienced a desperate urge to make love with Josh, to give him everything welling inside her, and take just as much.

She had no idea what tonight would hold, or what tomorrow would bring. More than anything, she wanted this one last time with him to take with her and remember when she was alone and missing him. She wanted to feel loved and cherished. No promises. No regrets.

“Paige…” His voice vibrated with uncertainties, though his gaze was fever-bright with desire.

“I want this. I need this,” she whispered, then gathered her courage to admit her strongest weakness, her greatest fear. “I need you.”

Not giving him a chance to reject her, she cupped his jaw between her cool palms, brought his mouth to hers and kissed him, pouring every emotion she felt for him into that fusing of lips, that tangling of tongues. He didn’t deny her, but then she knew he would never refuse anything she asked, not if her request was within his power to grant.

His selflessness made her love him all the more.

Her hands skimmed down his neck and slipped into the collar of his sports jacket, tugging it over his shoulders, down his arms, and letting it fall to the floor. He wasn’t wearing his shoulder holster, but she knew he wasn’t without a weapon. She continued to kiss him, aggressively, endlessly, searing her senses and inflaming them both. The thought of the impending danger they faced made her need for him more vital. Her fingers fluttered to the buttons on his shirt, but he caught her hands before she could part the material.

He tore his mouth from hers, his breathing harsh. “Give me a minute,” he murmured, his voice rough with arousal.

Those sixty seconds felt like an eternity to Paige. She watched him toe off his loafers, then bend down, lift his right pant leg and hastily remove the holster he’d secured there. He withdrew a snub-nosed revolver, set it on the nightstand next to the bed, and returned to her, his eyes glowing with golden heat and promise. Plowing all ten fingers into her hair, he closed his mouth over hers, picking up where they’d left off with a long, greedy kiss she returned with equal fervor.

Within seconds, they were wild and on fire for each other. Paige knew this wouldn’t be a gentle loving; what she longed for was fierce and primitive, and Josh was well on his way to giving her the untamed joining her heart and body clamored for.

She nearly tore off his shirt in her haste to touch bare skin. He shrugged out of the garment, and she rubbed her palms over his chest, dizzied by the feel of heat and muscle. She skimmed lower, over his flat belly to the waistband of his pants, struggling to unbuckle his belt. An encouraging moan purred in her throat when he reached behind her, unzipped her dress, and trailed his fingers down the ever-widening path to the base of her spine. She lowered her arms, and the silky fabric slid down her body and pooled around her feet, leaving her scantily clad in wispy cocoa-colored panties and a matching sheer lace bra. His pants and briefs quickly followed.

He reached to pull her close, to rid her of her lingerie, but she had other ideas. She broke their kiss and looked her fill of him, savoring every inch of his naked body. And he let her, though she knew by the tense set of his jaw it took incredible restraint. He was a gorgeous man, his body honed and tightly muscled. She stroked the breadth of his shoulders, touched her fingertips to his chest, lightly circled his navel…and explored lower, her gaze inexorably drawn to the thick arousal jutting from the nest of dark hair between his thighs.

Before she reached her destination, however, he grasped her wrist and jerked her hand away. “Paige, I can’t take much more,” he said gruffly.

She licked her dry lips, moistening them with her tongue. Her heart pounded in her chest as she thought of all the things she wanted to do to him. With him. Erotic things to remember for a lifetime. “Let me touch you,” she whispered. “Please.”

His eyes darkened, and she knew he wouldn’t refuse her provocative request. But she never could have anticipated his next move. Holding her gaze with his, he lifted her hand to his lips and sucked each one of her fingers into his mouth, thoroughly wetting them, then slid his soft tongue over her palm. Her stomach clenched and she grew damp, liquid, ready.

Lowering her lubricated hand, he wrapped her fingers around his straining shaft. She stroked his rigid length with her slick palm and he grasped her face between his large hands and kissed her, slipping his tongue deep within her mouth, enticing her with his own brand of seduction. And with each silken glide of her fingers he grew impossibly harder, thicker…