“I always thought that my father had a decent paying job,” she finally said. “I never knew how much he actually made, but we lived in a nice house in a good neighborhood, and my father drove a BMW Coupe. We had the big-screen TV, a pool and spa in the backyard, and a computer with all the bells and whistles on it, which cost a fortune at the time. Any new electronic gadget that came out, he had to have, too, and he didn’t think twice about his spending sprees.”

A gentle gust of breeze threaded through her hair, and she absently brushed a stray strand off her smooth cheek before continuing. “Anyway, after my mother passed away, whenever my father had to go out of town he gave me some cash to buy groceries and whatever Celeste and I needed for school, such as supplies, clothes and shoes. I learned to be frugal and thrifty with what he gave me, which was often barely enough, because I hated asking for more, and I always wanted to make sure that I took care of Celeste’s needs.” She shrugged, her shoulders shifting beneath her fleece jacket. “I never needed much myself.”

Or she’d just learned to do without, he thought, seeing just how incredibly selfless she’d been. It was just another reason for him to fall hard for this woman.

“What I didn’t realize until much later was that my father had a spending problem, and he charged everything on credit cards but never paid off the balance. So, over time he’d accumulated a huge debt that was nearly impossible to pay off. And, eventually, that led to him having to file for bankruptcy. We even lost the house we were living in.”

Rebecca swallowed hard, feeling the old flare of resentment and pain swell within her, and she struggled to keep that anger toward her father’s irresponsible actions from rising to the surface. “Celeste didn’t take the news as hard as I did, but I was absolutely devastated by the loss. It was the only home that Celeste and I had ever known, and suddenly it was gone, along with most everything inside. And it never should have happened.”

Compassion etched Connor’s masculine features. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Rebecca.”

She was touched by his sincerity, yet a part of her was too aware that he had the potential of being every bit as frivolous with his spending as her own father had been. “It was a very valuable lesson to learn, even at such a young age. Losing everything like that taught me the value of saving money and being financially secure. I don’t ever want to be in that kind of situation again.”

He nodded in understanding. “You gave up so much to raise your sister, even after your father’s death.”

She dropped her head back and stared up at the clear sky, and its scattering of a thousand brilliant stars. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

“I don’t doubt that for one second.” The gentle caress of his fingers along her cheek made her turn to look at him again, and then he asked, “But what about you, Rebecca?”

Uncertain about what he meant, she blinked at him in confusion. “What about me?”

“You’ve done a phenomenal job taking care of your sister, but now that she’s getting married and starting a life of her own with Greg, what about your life?”

How could the man be so perceptive? It was as if he knew what a difficult time she was having letting her sister go, not that she was going to admit it out loud to him. “My life is good.”

“As good as you want it to be?”

His dark brown stare was direct and unwavering, making her feel as though he could see all the way to her soul. It was an unnerving sensation, especially since he was the first man that she’d so openly and honestly shared her past with. “Nobody’s life is perfect.”

“True,” he agreed. “But maybe it’s time for you to think about what you want for a change, and go for it.”

Go for it. There was that phrase again, tempting her to give into her deepest desires, which seemed intrinsically linked to this man. Heart, body, and soul.

That frightening thought shook her up inside, but she refused to let her fears override what she longed for the most. “For this moment, and this weekend, I want you,” she said, then gave into the impulse to lean toward Connor, place her hand on the soft cotton T-shirt covering his chest, and kiss him.

His mouth was incredibly warm and soft against hers, and when his lips gradually parted she was the one who initiated the kind of deeper, hotter kiss she craved. Tongues touched and mated, and as each slow kiss melded into another, a knot of pure, sensual need tightened in her belly, and lower.

His clean, male scent filled her senses, and beneath her hand she could feel the rapid beat of his heart, which matched her own. Her breasts swelled, her nipples tightened, and before long her entire body hungered for so much more. Like throwing caution and modesty to the wind and making love to Connor right out here in the open.

It was Connor who eventually ended the kiss, then pressed his forehead against hers. “It’s getting late,” he said, his voice gruff with arousal. “We should head back to the hotel.”

She managed a nod, grateful that at least Connor was able to think straight. A soft bed would be so much more comfortable than the hard ground or maneuvering around on a rock. “Okay.”

The ride back to the resort seemed to take twice as long. Once they arrived at the hotel, Connor dropped her off at the side entrance where he’d originally picked her up, then went to park his motorcycle.

She entered the hotel alone, wondering if this was the end of their night together since Connor hadn’t mentioned anything about seeing her in a few minutes, or even later. Obviously, he was respecting her request that they keep their relationship discreet and not be seen together in public. Or maybe she’d scared him off by giving him a glimpse of her dysfunctional past.

Uncertain what to do, Rebecca let herself into her room and headed toward the bedroom as she unzipped and shrugged off her fleece jacket. A smile curved her mouth when she caught sight of an unwrapped gift that had been left on her pillow. Last night she’d found chocolate-covered strawberries, and upon closer inspection she realized that this present was equally tempting, and made her come to the quick conclusion that her evening with Connor wasn’t over after all. Not if she didn’t want it to be.

She picked up the jar of Sinfully Sweet chocolate body paint, her mind already tumbling with wicked, erotic scenarios. Tied around the lid was a big red bow and two small paint brushes, along with a note card that read Do you dare? in Connor’s handwriting.

For once in her life she didn’t think twice, or analyze her answer-just went with feminine instincts and desires.

Yes, she dared.

4

AS SOON AS Connor opened the door to his room, a surge of anticipation rippled through Rebecca, and her fingers tightened around the jar of chocolate sauce in her hand. She’d never been one of those women that had seduction down to an art form, but there was something about this man that made her feel wanton and decidedly naughty.

She fingered the tip of the paint brushes and shivered as she imagined the feathery sensation of those soft bristles gliding across her bare skin. “I’m not much of an artist, but if you don’t mind me being an amateur, then I’m more than willing to give it a try.”

The grin that pulled up the corners of his mouth was blatantly sexual, and all male. “I don’t think that chocolate body paint requires you to be a perfectionist. In fact, in my opinion, the messier the better, because the best part is licking everything clean.”

She wasn’t about to argue with that. “Sounds like fun to me.”

“I was hoping you’d feel that way.” Taking her hand, he pulled her inside his room, closed and locked the door, then led the way toward the bedroom.

It appeared that after their conversation earlier at the lake, idle chit-chat wasn’t necessary. They both knew what they wanted-one another-and neither of them cared to waste time with small talk. Not when there was a perfectly good jar of Sinfully Sweet chocolate sauce waiting to be used.

Once they were in his bedroom, Connor turned on the light next to the bed, then stripped off his T-shirt and tossed it aside. Even though he’d been half-naked last night while they’d made out on the couch, Rebecca’s mouth went dry once again as she took in his sculpted body and thought about all the different ways she wanted to paint on him. His chest alone made one heck of an inspiring canvas.

“I get to paint first,” she said, breathlessly.

“You can go first, but I want both our clothes off because they’re just going to get in the way.”

He took the jar and brushes from her hand and set them on the nightstand next to a few foil packets he must have put there in preparation for tonight’s tryst. Then, he started unbuttoning her blouse.

It took the two of them less than a minute to undress down to their underwear, and for the moment Rebecca was grateful for that teeny bit of coverage-on both of them. Without it, she had a feeling that this first time together would be over before they even had the chance to enjoy the paint. She was already shaking from the heated caresses of Connor’s hands skimming along her curves as he’d stripped off her top, bra, and jeans.

Much to her own delight, there was no mistaking how aroused Connor was, either. His solid erection pressed against his snug briefs, long and thick. She licked her lips as she envisioned that part of him covered in delicious chocolate, and heard him groan.

She raised her gaze to his face, stunned by the intensity of his expression. It was a powerful, exhilarating sensation knowing that just one glance and a lick of the lips could inflame him so much. But she understood exactly what he was feeling, because one seductive look from him had the ability to make her melt inside, too.