"When are you leaving?" he asked, staring down at her with an intense gaze.

"Tomorrow," she said. "I have to get back to New York."

"Is there anything I could say to convince you to stay another night? I'd like to have dinner with you tomorrow evening. I have to fly to Detroit in the morning on business, but I'll be back by six."

Play it cool, she said to herself. Act pleased, but not too pleased. "I think I can stay. I haven't really finished everything I came here to do."

"Good," Rafe said. "Then I'll call you tomorrow after I get back and we'll go out."

His grip tightened on her waist and he gently pulled her toward him. Keely knew he was about to kiss her and kiss her thoroughly, but all she could think about was throwing up on his shoes. "Wait," she said, pressing her hands against his chest.

"Wait?"

"I-I just have to do something," Keely said. "I'll be right back. Just give me a few seconds." She turned and opened her hotel room, then closed it behind her, leaving him out in the hall. Then she raced to the bathroom and leaned over the toilet, the strawberries tumbling around in her stomach. Good grief, she was only going to kiss him!

She drew a deep breath and waited until the wave of nausea passed. Then she rinsed her mouth with water, splashed a bit of water on her face and looked into the mirror. "Loosen up and enjoy yourself," she murmured. "And for God's sake, don't throw up again. He may be sexy but I don't think he's kinky enough to find that attractive twice in one night."

RAFE STOOD in the hallway staring at the closed door of Keely's room. This wasn't exactly what he had planned. He leaned forward and peered through the peephole, but he couldn't see anything inside. Was she sick again? She'd seemed fine in the bar. Maybe a little edgy in the elevator, but, overall, he'd assumed the evening was headed in the right direction.

Rafe raked his fingers through his hair. This had really been a strange night. He'd never met a woman quite like Keely McClain. He wasn't sure what it was about her that made her so intriguing. Maybe it was because she was so…real, so unaffected. That probably had to do with the way they met. It would have been difficult for Keely to put on airs after what had happened in front of Quinn's.

He had to say, he liked that in a woman. She was honest and direct, sweet and funny. She was perfectly natural and, with her, Rafe could let down his guard. He could put aside all his responsibilities and his strategies and enjoy himself. Hell, he hadn't even thought about the Quinns since he'd met Keely on the sidewalk.

The door opened in front of him and Keely reappeared. She gave him a winsome smile. "I'm sorry. I just had to…well…never mind."

Rafe chuckled, then slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. "Would it be all right if I kissed you?"

"I think so," Keely said. She paused. "Yes. That would be nice."

Rafe didn't bother to ask twice. He hooked his finger beneath her chin and tipped her face up to his. Her skin was flawless, like porcelain. And for the first time, he had a chance to really appreciate the color of her eyes-an odd mix of green and gold. "You really are beautiful," he murmured as he brought his mouth down on hers.

The contact was electric and intense, much more than the casual kiss they shared in the bar. Heat raced through his body, his heart pumping hard, the blood singing in his head. Usually when he kissed a woman, it was more of an obligation, something that had to be ticked off the list before he could take her to bed. But kissing Keely, deeply and completely, was the only thing he had on his mind right now. And he was going to enjoy it.

With a low groan, he cupped her face in his palms and teased at her lips with his tongue. She tasted sweet, like strawberries. And he wanted more. Just a little bit more. Her mouth opened and Rafe sighed deeply as he accepted her unspoken invitation, savoring her taste like he would a fine Bordeaux.

When her fingers skimmed up beneath his leather jacket and smoothed over his chest, Rafe realized he'd been fooling himself. He wasn't going to be satisfied with just kissing. He already wanted to touch her, to explore her body, to learn more about this impossibly intriguing woman. It was as if he'd discovered a hidden treasure and he wanted to possess her before anyone else realized what he'd found.

Reluctantly, Rafe reached up and took her hands in his, then held them up on either side of her head. He looked down at her flushed face. "I should go," he said before he stole one more quick kiss.

"Yes, you should," Keely teased, pushing up on her tiptoes and capturing his mouth again.

Her hands fell to his nape, her fingers furrowing through his hair. Rafe took some satisfaction in the fact that Keely wanted him as much as he wanted her. He pressed her back against her room door until he could feel her body against his, her thighs, her hips, her breasts, warm flesh and inviting curves. This was crazy! Why not just seduce her? He'd never been one to deny his desires. Why the hell should he start now? Rafe Kendrick took what he wanted and didn't look back.

He couldn't help himself. Rafe reached down and grabbed her thigh, then pulled it up along his hip. Her skirt slipped up to her hips and he slid his hand beneath, grasping her backside and pulling her even closer. His hard-on was hot against her lacy panties and when she moved against him, he felt the heat build. If they weren't standing in a public place, her panties would be history by now and he'd be deep inside her. But Rafe was going to let this seduction play out at her pace, not his. And if she made any move to call an end to it, he'd do his best to walk away.

His fingers twisted in the lace at her hip and he tugged her panties, aching to touch the skin beneath, fully prepared to make love to her in the hallway. A tiny sigh slipped from her lips beneath his kiss and she tipped her head back. Rafe dragged his mouth along her jaw, his teeth raking her silken skin, then found a spot at the base of her neck. He gently sucked, as if the taste of her could somehow satisfy this hunger inside him.

Suddenly, she stiffened and the sound of the elevator bell registered in his muddled brain. He quickly shoved her skirt down and took a step back, but he didn't bother to remove his arm from around her waist. Keely pressed her forehead against his chest and he watched as a couple walked past them in the hall. He smiled and nodded, but they continued walking. And when they disappeared inside a room, she laughed softly.

Rafe figured it was over. Like cold water on a raging fire, the interruption had brought them both back to reality. Keely turned her back to him. She reached into her jacket pocket and removed her key card, then opened the door. When she stepped inside, Rafe waited. If he went inside with her, he knew what would happen.

She turned around and he expected her to bid him good-night. But instead, Keely grabbed the lapels of his jacket and yanked him into the room. Then she slammed the door closed behind him. The force of the door echoed in the silence, marking the exact moment when the risk of interruption was eliminated. And as if it were some signal to begin, they did.

His fumbling fingers worked at buttons and zippers. There was no method to his seduction, but he didn't care. This wasn't some game; this was lust, pure and simple. As soon as tempting skin was revealed, Rafe stopped to explore, first her shoulder, then her hip, then her belly. And she did the same. They didn't bother to remove clothes fully, only pushed them aside.

"God, you are beautiful," he murmured, his mouth finding the swell of her breast. "And you taste good, too." Rafe was surprised he was even able to put together a complete sentence. His brain was no longer running the show. Instead, he was driven by instinct and impulse and experience, and the anticipation of moving inside her, slowly, patiently. He knew how to make a woman ache with need and he wanted like hell to make Keely need him. Need him so much that she'd have no choice but to surrender.

Rafe gently steered her toward the huge bed and when they reached it, they tumbled onto it in a tangle of limbs and half-discarded clothing. Only then did he slow down and enjoy the process of removing her blouse. At first, she seemed uncertain. In truth, Rafe knew she was. Unlike other women he'd known, she wasn't playing coy. She was simply being Keely McClain.

"Tell me something," he murmured, bracing his head in his hand as he toyed with the strap of her bra.

"Yes," she replied firmly, answering his question before it was asked.

"'Yes'?"

"Yes, I want to do this. That's what you were going to ask, isn't it?"

Rafe nuzzled her breast, his fingers slipping beneath the satin-and-lace scrap that hid her from his gaze. "No."

"All right, no."

"No," Rafe repeated. "No what?"

"No, I've never done this before," Keely said.

Rafe froze, his fingers still twisted in her bra strap. He bit back a groan. "Never?" he asked.

"Never," Keely replied.

"Then, you're a-"

"Oh, no!" she cried. "I thought you meant had I ever-done this. Brought a man to my hotel room. A strange man. Not that you're strange. You're a stranger. Although you're not really that, either, because I feel like I've known you for a long time." Keely took a ragged breath and reached for the front clasp of her bra. "Can we please stop talking now?"

His gaze drifted down to the necklace she wore. The pendant hung at a spot between her breasts and he picked it up and distractedly slid it back and forth on the chain. "I think that might be best," Rafe said. And when her bra fell away, he couldn't help himself. He knew he had to taste her again, and this time, he found the sweet tip of her breast. With his tongue, he slowly brought her nipple to a peak. Satisfied, he moved to the other side, determined to keep the pace slow.