‘Who the hell is Adam?’ Sam growled the question that was uppermost in his mind.
‘I told you, Adam is my brother-in-law,’ Lindy said impatiently, hardly registering the aggression in his voice. ‘Oh, Sam, Anna’s having a baby—two babies actually. She’s sick, but otherwise all right, Adam says. Isn’t it marvellous!’
With a cry that was halfway between a laugh and a sob, she ran across the room and threw herself at the general area of his chest. Sam responded in the required fashion and lifted her bodily into his arms with crushing enthusiasm.
‘It sure feels pretty marvellous to me,’ he agreed. ‘Why are you crying?’
‘I’m so happy.’
‘Stupid question,’ he said, sliding the damp strands of her pale hair from the side of her face and tucking them behind her ear.
‘What are you doing?’ Lindy asked in a dazed fashion as he began to stride out of the room with her in his arms.
‘I’m being spontaneous,’ he said, with a very devilish grin. ‘Very spontaneous.’ She felt a rumble of satisfaction in his chest as he kicked open a bedroom door with unnecessary force.
‘What about getting to know one another?’
Sam laid her carefully down on his bed. ‘One of the first things you’ll learn about me is that I’m subject to violent mood swings and I have a habit of overestimating my endurance. I prefer to call it adapting to a change in circumstances,’ he explained smoothly. The expression in his eyes made her shudder as an answering primitive hunger jolted through her body.
‘It’s as well to know the worst,’ she said breathlessly as he deftly untied the belt of her robe.
His mouth silenced any further observations with ruthless efficiency.
CHAPTER FOUR
LINDY lay in the gathering darkness, unable to sleep even though her body was weary. The night was sultry and the curtains pulled across the open window barely stirred in the stillness. The man beside her moved.
His features were a blur in the dark. The thin sheet skimmed his hips, leaving his powerful torso exposed. Lindy ran her fingers lightly down the curve of his powerful shoulder, over his hair-sprinkled chest to the flat hardness of his belly. The layer of sweat that had recently covered his skin had evaporated and his skin had a marvellous satiny texture. She stilled her exploration as he shifted in his sleep once more, drawing closer to her.
It wasn’t a dream, it was real. For better or worse Sam Rourke was her lover. As if to convince herself it was real, her mind kept replaying recent events.
His mouth had barely seemed to leave hers, but somehow he had accomplished the complicated removal of her damp swimsuit before she had even realised it. The memory of the greedy growl that had reverberated in his throat as he’d knelt above her and looked long and slowly at her naked form made her stomach muscles flutter almost as much as they had at the time.
Sensible Dr Lacey would have been alarmed at the primitive expression of desire that had blazed in his magnificent eyes, but Lindy had felt a swell of reckless anticipation. Her body had felt so sensitised by his survey that she’d almost imagined electrical currents were running under her skin.
‘You are beautiful,’ he’d gasped rawly.
‘I haven’t done this for a long time.’ It was something she’d had to get out of the way then whilst she was still capable.
‘How long?’
‘Long.’ She pushed aside memories she didn’t want. It was marvellously easy when Sam filled her thoughts.
‘Then we’ll have to make this worth the wait, won’t we?’ he murmured silkily.
Lindy nodded in silent agreement as he lowered his frame onto the bed beside her. His touch was tantalisingly soft as he moved over her body. With a moan she lifted her head and dragged his face to her own.
‘Kiss me!’ she demanded fiercely. His lips were only a breath away—the musky, male odour of him filled her nostrils. She wanted to fill her senses with him. The roar of blood thundering in her temples was deafening.
The force of his mouth as it plundered her own pressed her back deep into the pillow. Her body felt fluid as she wrapped her arms around his neck and, back arched, pressed closer to him. When he lifted his head her breathing was wildly erratic.
‘You’re so beautiful,’ she panted as his tongue flicked over the graceful curve of her throat.
‘You love me for my face?’ His voice was thick and muffled as his hands explored the rounded contours of her breasts.
‘I think the rest of you might be passable too, only it’s difficult to tell right now—’ A sharp gasp cut off her words. Sam’s lips had closed around one pink ruched bud. The sensation as he suckled fiercely sent her out of control. She was burning up and Sam had lit the fire!