"Well, you're right about me not sharing certain aspects of my life, especially my past."

She tilted her head and studied his strong profile, wondering why he was admitting all this now. She didn't have to wait long to find out.

"I've closed myself off to certain emotions for so long, I don't know how to share anything personal. But I'm willing to try…with you."

His willingness to finally open up enough to confide in her surprised and pleased her, yet a part of her remained skeptical. She didn't want to be disappointed again when he found old memories too painful or disturbing to share, and ultimately failed to deliver on his promise.

"Really?" she asked cautiously.

He gave a short nod. "Yes. Can you at least give me a chance?"

Repairing their relationship would take so much more than Grey sharing his past; it would require that he share her goals for the future, goals he didn't envision as his own. A crushing pressure filled her chest, and confusion swirled in her mind. "Grey, I'm all tapped out emotionally-"

"Please?" A desperation like none she'd ever seen flashed in his eyes. Gone was the self-confident, arrogant attitude he always displayed to the rest of the world. "And if it doesn't work out after this weekend, I'll leave you alone for good. I swear it."

Leaning her head back against the seat, she closed her eyes, wishing things weren't so complicated. Dammit, she didn't want to care about Grey's past or the heartache attached to it, but she loved him too much not to. Didn't she owe him this one small favor? If not for them, then at least to give him the chance to purge himself of the bad memories that kept him from giving her his heart.

The light touch of his fingers fluttered along her cheek. She opened her eyes and met his gaze.

"Please?" he whispered.

She melted, her heart softening just for him. Jade would call her weak and foolish for giving in to Grey, but what was one last weekend with him compared to an eternity without him?

"I'll stay…on two conditions," she finally said.

"Anything."

A small smile touched her mouth. "That we spend the time talking and getting to know one another. I want complete openness and honesty between us."

His dark brows pulled together in a frown. "I've always been honest with you."

"Honest, yes, but not open, especially about your family and your past."

He winced slightly. "Yeah, well, family ties aren't a favorite topic of mine."

"Regardless, that's part of the deal."

"Fine," he said. "And the second condition?"

"We don't make love." Because if they did, she knew they'd spend the entire weekend in bed and not get anything resolved or accomplished.

"You drive a hard bargain, sweetheart," he muttered in disgust.

She smothered a grin. "Deal?"

He drew a deep reluctant breath, but when he looked at her there was a glint in his eyes she didn't quite trust. "Deal."


She never said anything about touching or kissing in her stipulations for spending the weekend with him. Grey might have agreed not to make love to her, but he sure as heck didn't plan on being on his best gentlemanly behavior. He'd always found foreplay-mental and physical stimulation-to be the most exciting part of sex. He enjoyed bringing Mariah to a slow, escalating peak of want and need with nothing more than sexy words, the slide of his hands on her body and the caress of his mouth in all the places that made her shiver and moan. No, they wouldn't make love in its purest sense but he planned to heighten her awareness of him every chance he got.

Touching his fingers to the base of her spine, and hiding a smile at the subtle catch of her breath, he walked beside her on the cobblestone path leading to the custom-built cabin overlooking Lake Arrowhead. The trees around them were green and lush, the lake beyond a clear blue. The area was peaceful and quiet, a perfect, private retreat.

"Whose place is this?" Mariah asked curiously.

Retrieving the single house key from his front pocket, he slipped it into the lock and opened the door. "It's Mark's."

Hesitantly she stepped into the foyer and looked around. "I didn't know he had a mountain place."

"It was part of his divorce settlement," he explained. "His wife got the Mercedes and the house in Laguna Niguel, and he was awarded this cabin. He still brings his boys up occasionally."

She strolled into the cozy kitchen and set her purse on the dinette table situated in front of a bay window. "It was nice of him to let you use the place."

Mark had been more than happy to hand over the key, along with the suggestion to heat up the spa and take advantage of the romantic atmosphere. Grey intended to do both. "If you'll open up the place, I'll bring in the groceries and other things."

"Okay," she said, moving into the living room and toward the sliding doors that led to a redwood balcony.

Jogging back to the Jeep, Grey opened the rear door and hefted a couple of bags of groceries into his arms. They'd stopped at the market for some basic staples and the necessary toiletries for Mariah. The market's deli special of lasagna and garlic bread was their dinner. When she'd gone to call her sister on a pay phone, he'd slipped into an exclusive boutique a couple of doors down and bought her a few outfits for the weekend, along with some underthings and a pair of leather sandals.

Once the car was unloaded and a cool breeze flowed through the house, Grey warmed their dinner in the oven and they sat at the kitchen table to eat. Outside, dusk moved- in, bringing with it the serenade of crickets. He kept the conversation light, establishing an easy, comfortable setting.

Once dinner was finished and the kitchen cleaned, he turned to Mariah, ready to put his plan of seduction into action. "How about a dip in the hot tub outside?" he asked.

She folded a dish towel and placed it on the counter, suspicion filling her eyes. "I thought we were going to use this time together to talk."

He grinned to put her at ease. "No reason why we can't do that while relaxing in the spa."

"I didn't have time to pack a swimsuit," she said sardonically.

"You don't need one." She opened her mouth to protest, and he cut her off. "If it makes you feel any better, I didn't bring one, either."

She crossed her arms over her chest, though a half smile curved her mouth. "This sounds just a little too convenient."

He couldn't deny her claim. The suggestion was convenient, one he'd be a fool not to take advantage of. "No funny stuff, I promise." He held his hands out in a show of trust. "We'll even sit across from each other."

Mariah stared at Grey, weighing his sincerity. The man could be so charming and persuasive, she found it difficult to deny him something so casual as sitting and relaxing in a hot tub together. It was the "naked" part she had a problem with. But it was getting dark outside, and they were both adults capable of keeping their desires on a tight rein. At least, she was.

"Well?" he prompted. "Should I go heat up the spa?"

She could do this and be totally unaffected by Grey. She needed to learn that particular discipline, and this was as good a time as any to show herself just how much willpower she possessed. To prove her determination, she lifted her chin and said, "Go ahead. I'll be out in a few minutes."

With a triumphant grin Grey slipped out onto the redwood deck. Seconds later the sound of the spa's jets could be heard as they sputtered and chugged to life.

Grabbing her purse, Mariah enclosed herself in the bathroom and stripped out of her shoes, outfit and underthings. She wrapped a towel around her and tucked the end securely, covering herself decently from her breasts to just above the knee. Finding a barrette in her purse, she piled her hair on top of her head the best she could. There was nothing she could do for the shorter strands that fell free and wisped around her face and neck.

By the time she returned to the deck, steam curled from the rapidly bubbling water. Grey sat on a redwood chair, bare feet propped on the railing and his hands clasped on his belly as he gazed out at the full moon that had risen above the lake over the past hour. He looked altogether too sexy and tempting and he'd yet to shed his clothing. Awareness unfurled within her, spreading a pleasant tingling along her nerve endings and making the towel around her body feel coarser against her skin than it actually was.

She shifted restlessly on her feet. So much for being unaffected. So much for willpower.

Picking up one of the two glasses of wine on the small round table beside him, he took a deep swallow of the drink, then refilled his glass before glancing at her. "Beautiful night, isn't it?"

All of a sudden she felt like a schoolgirl, which was ridiculous considering how intimate she and Grey had been. Absently double-checking the knot holding the towel in place, she looked up at the twinkling stars in the clear night sky. "Uh, yes, it is."

His warm and lazy gaze did a slow, appreciative perusal, from the haphazard knot of hair on her head to the tips of her bare toes. "You gonna get in or are you gonna stand there all night?" Amusement tinged his voice, but his eyes were all golden heat.

Her stomach fluttered. "I'm, um, not dressed."

Standing, he set their glasses of wine on the rim of the tub, then stripped off his shirt and tossed it on the chair he'd just vacated. "I won't be either in a second." Unbuckling his leather belt, he unzipped his fly and hooked his fingers into the waistband of his jeans and briefs.

She sucked in a breath, though his boldness shouldn't have surprised her. The man didn't possess an ounce of modesty. "Grey!"