“How about meeting me?” he asked. Geez, the line had sounded so slick five years ago, but now it was downright corny.

She bit her lower lip, amused. “Does that line actually work on women?”

“It used to,” he replied. Kel turned to the bartender. “Can I have a bottle of your best champagne and two glasses?” He directed his attention back to Darcy, his gaze skimming her face. Two tiny worry lines marred her forehead and her hands were folded in front of her on the bar, her fingers so tense her knuckles were white.

When the bartender returned with the champagne, he poured them both a glass, then dropped the bottle into a silver bucket engraved with the Delaford logo.

“So, tell me, what are you doing sitting all alone in this place?”

“I’m not alone,” Darcy said, raising her glass. The crystal rang softly as she touched her champagne flute to his.

Suddenly, Kel couldn’t remember what came next. Had he asked her what she was doing in San Francisco? Or had they talked about their jobs? Damn, he’d replayed this so many times in his brain, but he’d always skipped over the incidental conversation and moved right to the interesting parts.

But then, it really didn’t matter, did it? This little game they were playing was just a means to an end. “Would you like to get out of here?”

Darcy stood up and grabbed her glass and started toward the door. Kel quickly signed his tab, then picked up the bottle of champagne and his glass in one hand.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he muttered.

He caught up to her just outside the bar, then walked silently beside her through the lobby and to the elevator. Desire coursed through his veins as he waited for the doors to open. When they did, Kel spread his hand across the small of her back and steered her inside. The moment the elevator door closed, he turned to her.

“If you have any doubts, now’s the time to tell me. Before I start pushing any buttons here.”

Without looking away, Darcy reached over and pressed the button for the third floor. But Kel couldn’t wait any longer. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her into a kiss, lingering over her mouth, his tongue tangling with hers.

The kiss sent a rush of warmth through his bloodstream and he felt himself growing hard. Darcy hooked her fingers in the waistband of his trousers and pulled his hips against hers, the heat of his erection pressed between. There was no doubt between them. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.

The elevator doors opened and Kel tightened his grip around her waist, pulling her along with him, his mouth still clinging to hers. They stumbled toward his suite, champagne spilling from her glass as they moved. When they reached his suite, Kel dug in his pocket for his keycard. He pressed Darcy back against the door, his chin resting on her shoulder as he clumsily slipped the card in the lock.

“Hell, I hate these things,” he muttered, unable to get the card to work. He dropped the bottle of champagne on the carpet and it fizzed as it spilled.

With trembling fingers, Darcy snatched the card from his hand and turned around. He pressed up against the soft curve of her backside. God, he felt as if he were ready to explode. If he expected this night to be like their first, he’d have to summon at least a measure of self-control.

Finally, Darcy managed to get the door unlocked and they both stumbled into the room, the last of the champagne splashing on the floor. Kel grabbed her glass and set it on the wet bar along with his, his face still buried in the hair at the nape of her neck, her backside pressed to his groin. He pushed her against the wall and drew her hair back, then kissed the skin just below her ear.

Her intoxicating scent filled his head and made it hard to think straight. But Kel’s instincts drove him forward. What had happened five years ago didn’t matter anymore. They were here, right now, and he wanted her beyond all rational thought.

He reached for the hem of her skirt and drew it up to her hips, then smoothed his hands along her thighs. Her legs were bare, the skin warm and silken.

Darcy sighed softly as he stroked her buttocks, his fingers tangling in the lacy scrap of her panties. But when his caress reached her belly, she pressed her buttocks against his erection in a silent invitation. They were both still fully dressed, but it felt as if she were naked in front of him.

He slipped his palms beneath the silk panties and delved between her legs, his fingers coming back damp with her need. Slowly, Kel explored and he felt her melting into him. He knew he could bring her to her peak with his fingers, but when she came, he wanted to look into her eyes.

Gently, he turned her around to face him. She leaned back against the wall and he delved deeper. Her eyes closed, Darcy arched back, but Kel withdrew and slipped his hand around her neck. “Look at me,” he said.

She opened her eyes and he saw the passion swirling in their depths. Her lips parted and he kissed her, capturing her mouth as he had her sex. A tiny moan slipped from her throat and Kel knew that she was close. But then he felt her hand around his wrist, drawing him away.

She reached for his belt and began to work it open with clumsy fingers. His zipper was next and a heartbeat later, her fingers wrapped around him. Kel closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of her touch. He’d fantasized about this so many times, wondering why all those years ago his response to her touch had been so intense. Even now, he couldn’t explain it.

Kel kissed her again. “I need you to slow down,” he whispered against her mouth. “I won’t get a prize for finishing first.” And there was no way he could continue on like this. He smoothed the back of his hand across her cheek. “We have time.”

“I can’t wait,” Darcy said. She reached in her jacket pocket and withdrew a foil packet.

“You came prepared?” he asked.

“I wasn’t sure when or where it would happen.”

Her confession pleased him. “But you knew it would?”

She nodded, then slowly slid his trousers and boxers down over his hips. When she tore the condom package open, he held his breath, wincing as she sheathed him. They had to stop. Just for a minute or two. But Darcy was determined to have him and have him now. And all he really wanted to do was please her.

He’d thought about this for years, having her in his arms again, being able to touch her at will, to sink into her and stay there forever. With a low moan, Kel drew her legs up around his waist and pushed aside the silky barrier of her panties.

Kel closed his eyes, just the thought of what he was about to do bringing him closer to the edge. But for a moment he hesitated. How could he go back once he lost himself in her? Would it be everything it had been that night in San Francisco, the stuff of fantasies?

“Please,” she murmured, her breath warm against his ear.

Kel slowly entered her, the feel of her heat around him sending a shockwave through his body. When he’d buried himself deep inside, he waited, trying to slow his pulse. How did Darcy do this to him, take away his self-control?

She shifted above him, her legs wrapped around his hips, and he couldn’t stop himself. Kel began to move, carefully at first, just barely keeping his need in check. But as he drove into her again and again, he lost touch with reality. Every thought was focused on the sensation of being inside her, of losing control in her arms.

He wasn’t sure how long they lasted. But when Darcy arched against him, holding her breath, Kel knew she was on the edge. He wanted to bring her back, but then she cried out, her body convulsing around him. Her orgasm went on and on until Kel couldn’t hold back and he drove into her one last time. Then he collapsed against the wall, his face buried in the curve of her neck. They’d come to it so quickly, but the release seemed to last forever, the two of them shuddering and moaning their pleasure.

This was the way it had been, Kel thought as he inhaled her scent. And this was the way it was. Nothing had changed. If he’d thought he could put Darcy Scott out of his head for good, then he’d been mistaken. She’d found a way back in and this time, Kel suspected he might never recover.

3

DARCY STARED INTO her third cup of coffee as she sat at the restaurant table, patiently waiting for the caffeine to kick in. She hadn’t slept more than a few hours last night, plagued with thoughts of Kel. Regret, confusion, frustration all swirled around in her head until she’d been forced to get out of bed and find something to calm her down. The half pound of truffles that she’d gobbled down at 4 a.m. hadn’t helped matters at all. The moment the sun had risen, Darcy had conceded defeat and crawled into the shower.

She’d done the right thing, come and run, making her exit shortly after she’d pushed her skirt back down around her hips. Indulging in an entire night of pleasure wouldn’t alter the facts. Even though the sex had been quick, it was still the best she’d had in five years.

With other men, Darcy had always been so careful, holding back, avoiding a complete surrender. She’d never really trusted Neil to completely possess her and that turned out to be a good thing. So why did she trust a stranger like Kel Martin? It didn’t make sense.

With just a simple caress, he’d stripped away every fear and inhibition she’d ever had with men. Her brain had shut off and he’d set her body free to enjoy every wonderful sensation. Maybe that freedom came because she knew he was just passing through her life. He’d make love to her and then leave her. What was she really risking after all?

Darcy took a sip of her coffee. She felt as if she’d hit the sexual lottery. A million-dollar orgasm with just one try. Now all she wanted to do was buy another ticket, and another and another, damn the odds and the risks.