Feisty (6 page)

Brushing his lips across hers once more, he murmured, “Soft. So damn soft.”

His low, sexy voice set off the first flutters of arousal that made her pulse jump. She groaned, not wanting this moment to end. Instead she wanted to bathe in his attention. Devon must have felt the small contractions squeezing and releasing inside her, because he made a throaty sound and she could have sworn he thickened inside her.

This time when he located and stroked her g-spot, she gasped, shattering unexpectedly in his arms. He didn’t stop thrusting in and out of her. Unmercifully, he rubbed against the spongy, erogenous area to wring out every cry that seeped from her mouth as she held on to him. When her body began to jerk with every sensitive pass, he stilled and released a low moan. His cock pulsated once, twice, before she felt his warmth fill her.

Devon collapsed on top of her. His heavy breathing matched hers. For a moment, she listened to the rapid beating of his heart and wondered if the man who had loved her with such exquisite care was the same one who ravished her last night. She wasn’t complaining. In fact, Sahara had never known sex could be soul wrenching with a perfect stranger. Letting him go at the end of her trip would be hard. For some reason the thought disturbed her.

“What do you say we get going?”

Through a veil of hair crossing his face, he opened his eyes and looked at her. He rolled off her and lay on his side. “I thought we’d take a shower. Maybe get some breakfast.”

“I need a change of clothes. My car is still at the beach. Why don’t you drop me off? Afterward we can do what we need to.”
Separately
, she left the word unspoken. Sahara needed some time alone to gather her thoughts about what had happened between them. How comfortable she felt around him. And, how he drove her body into complete meltdown. “I can meet you somewhere.”

“Sure. If that’s what you want. Let me get some jeans on.” Devon frowned and rolled out of bed.

His impressive cock caught her attention and she mentally groaned. What she would give for one more time… Then again, it was probably better this way. No commitment—no expectations. She would be leaving soon and probably would never see Devon unless she came to visit Leo.

When Devon disappeared into the bathroom, she found some Kleenex and quickly cleaned up before she located her clothes and got dressed. She was putting on her lightweight jacket when she heard the door open.

Sahara turned and her heart skipped a beat. The bandanna was again wrapped around his forehead. His yellow muscle shirt emphasized his finely cut muscles, and those jeans… She sighed. All she could say is the way they hung low on his hips made him so appealing all she wanted to do was take him back to bed.

His brows pulled together. “Sahara?”

“Uh. Yes. Let’s go.”

Without a word, they strolled through the house. As she stepped outside, the clean fresh scent of pine touched her nose. She scanned the area, loving the serenity surrounding her. High above her a bird sang a song. It was peaceful and beautiful. No wonder Devon liked it here.

“Does Whispering Cove have a beach area that blends into the woods?” The combination would be a fantastic place for a resort.

He opened the truck door. She slid in and he followed her. “There’s one piece that has both, but it’s owned by the great-great grandchildren of the sea merchant who founded Whispering Cove.” He started the engine and shifted into drive. “Several of us have inquired about purchasing a small piece, but the owners aren’t interested in parceling the land.”

She smiled. Maybe there would be a chance they’d sell the whole thing—for the right price, of course.

“What?” he asked, steering the vehicle onto the road.

“Nothing. I’d love to see it.” Excitement flittered through her. This would be perfect for what she had planned.

“Sure.” He glanced at her before focusing back on the street. “Did you want to join me for breakfast?”

“No, thank you.” She had a number of things she had to do. “Tell me where to meet you and when.”

“How about the corner diner in about an hour and a half?” he suggested.

“Great.”

In no time they were back at the beach, but there was no party going on, only an elderly man with a metal detector. When he saw them he waved and Devon waved back.

“What’s he doing?” she asked.

“Trying to locate the crackers and forks we left behind last night.”

“That’s Mr. McDougal?”

Devon glanced at her. “Yeah. How’d you know?”

She winked, leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek before she scooted toward the door and let herself out. Without looking back, she headed toward her car. When she opened the door, her cell phone was ringing. As she climbed in, she reached for the console, popped it open to retrieve her telephone and propped it against her shoulder as she started the car.

“Hello.”

“Sahara?”

“Valerie.” She’d forgotten she’d asked Valerie to call her today. “Did you present Nick with my proposal?”

“Yes. And, Sahara…” Her assistant paused, before her voice squealed, “He loved it.”

Sahara couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face. She knew her boss would go for a resort in Whispering Cove. It was a perfect place for overworked CEOs who needed to unwind. There was no doubt in her mind there was money to be made in this project. The sleepy coastal town was perfect. Now that she’d located the right piece of land, maybe everything would fall into place. Hell, maybe she might even make partner soon.

“What does your brother think of your idea?” Valerie asked.

“I haven’t said anything to him. I want to make sure it’s a go before I surprise him.” Sahara pulled onto the main street and headed to Sleepy Cove. She glanced at the clock on the radio. It was already ten o’clock. “Valerie, you should see this place. It has antique charm about it. The people are warm and friendly. It’s perfect.” Leo would be proud of her and maybe she could bring some culture to the town. And, since this would be her brainchild, maybe she could get back several times a year. But it wasn’t Leo who was on her mind when she pulled in front of the inn and stopped.

Valerie laughed. “You’re making me jealous.”

She’d be envious if she knew how Sahara had spent her night and morning. The thought put a smile on her face.

“I’m hoping to find the perfect location today. If I do, I’ll call and leave you a message with the details. You can dig into it and discover the particulars tomorrow. Valerie?”

“Yes?”

“This can wait until tomorrow.”

Again, her assistant chuckled. “You’re one to talk. Aren’t you supposed to be on vacation and enjoying yourself?”

“I’m enjoying myself.” Thoughts of Devon rose, the way he’d cherished her lips, her body, this morning. Goose bumps rose across her arms.

“You got some last night!” When Sahara didn’t respond, Valerie continued. “Who is he? Is he gorgeous? I want details.”

Now it was Sahara’s turn to giggle. She was shocked by the girlish sound she made. “He’s amazing.”

“Tell me more,” Valerie encouraged. “What’s his name?”

“Devon Taylor.”

“Handsome?”

“He leaves me speechless.” And that was putting it mildly.

“I don’t have to worry about you?”

She turned off the car. “Not in the least.” Opening the door, she exited and hurried toward the door. “Gotta go. Love ya. Chat later.” She disconnected the telephone as she entered the inn and raced up the stairs to her room.

Chapter Four

Devon’s head was spinning with the activity of the last couple of days. He grabbed the handle of his suitcase and heaved it out of the back of his truck. A frantic call midday Sunday had him cutting his date short with Sahara, driving to Bar Harbor and jumping a plane to South Carolina where a small crew completed the finishing touches on a business complex. Since everything had looked to be under control, he and Reece had left the jobsite early to attend the beach party last Saturday. Murphy had raised his ugly head and a water leak had caused some unexpected damage.

He slipped his key into the front door of his house and let himself in. To make matters worse, Monday Tabby had been rushed to the hospital with contractions. Reece had been a basket case when he had called Devon. Thank God it had been Braxton Hicks—false labor. And then there was Sahara.

The darn woman had thrown a monkey wrench into his neatly planned life. It was Thursday, June 6,
and she had haunted his dreams every night. Even during the day, Devon had problems getting her off his mind. He strolled into the kitchen, noting the silence all around him. It might have been foolish, but he’d intentionally not called her in his absence to prove to himself he wasn’t pussy-whipped. Four fucking days since he’d been with her and he was dying to see her—touch her. He set his bag on the floor, and pushed his fingers through his hair. She was like a drug in his veins he couldn’t get enough of. It was ridiculous.

Tossing his keys onto the kitchen table, he headed to the refrigerator. When he opened the door, a rush of cold air smacked him in the face. Just what he thought—nothing to eat, but at least he had a beer. He popped the top and pressed the rim to his lips. The bitter amber was exactly what he needed to quench his dry throat. As he closed the door, his stomach growled. Maybe he’d head into town for a little lunch. Instead of finishing the beer, he set it on the table and retrieved his keys. Retracing his steps, he headed back to town.

The Seafarer was busy when he stepped inside. Harold, Errol and Byron were sitting at a table and they waved him over.

“How’s Tabby?” Errol asked.

As Devon pulled a chair out, the legs scraped across the wooden floor. “Talked to her on the way back from Bar Harbor.” Taking a seat, he waved a waitress down. “Said she’s doing well, but tired. I’m more concerned for Reece. He’s as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.”

The men erupted into laughter.

“Same for his brother, when Andy was ready to pop. Harder on the menfolk than the ladies.” Harold crossed his arms over his barreled belly.

A tall slender teenager sauntered over to the table, pad and pen in her hand. “Hey, Devon. What’ll it be?”

“Hi, Tish. Shrimp basket and a beer.”

The young brunette pinned Devon with a questioning look.

“What you waiting for, lassie?” Harold asked.

“You don’t think he’s through, do you? I’m waiting until he completes his order before I leave.”

Again the table burst into chuckles.

Heat rolled up Devon’s neck. Now that she mentioned it, maybe he did always add to his order. A side of crabcakes did sound good. “Crabcakes,” he said quietly. She raised a brow. “And maybe a piece of Katy’s apple pie. With ice cream,” Devon added, gaining more laughter from the men around the table.

Tish smirked, giving them an I-told-you-so expression before she turned and walked away.

Byron raised a glass of iced tea to his mouth. “I think the ladies have you pegged. You’ll need to marry someone like Katy.”

“Marry? Me? Naw.” Devon glanced out the large picture window when Sky and Sahara appeared before it. They slowed and stopped as they chatted.

“Looks as if Sky and her soon-to-be sister-in-law are out taking care of wedding business,” Errol said.

“Sahara be a pretty thing, isn’t she?” Harold asked.

She turned at that moment and locked gazes with Devon. His heart fluttered and his damn breath caught. Pretty wasn’t the right word. Sahara was gorgeous and sexy as hell. The jean material across Devon’s lap grew taut.

“They look to have a lot of packages. Be a good lad and see if you can help them,” Harold suggested.

“I… Uhm… Well.” The last thing Devon wanted was to act too anxious to see Sahara.

“Get, boy,” Errol barked.

Devon pushed to his feet and made a beeline for the door. As he exited, Sky greeted him. Sahara remained quiet.

“Need some help?” He stumbled over the words when what he wanted to do was take Sahara into his arms and feel those soft lips on his.

“No. I’m quite capable, but thank you anyway.” There was almost a chill to her voice, or maybe it was his imagination.

“Sky?”

“No. I’m good, but thank you.” There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before Sky cleared her throat. “Uh. We’re late for a dress appointment.”

“Of course.” But he couldn’t get his feet to work. “You ladies have a good day.”

“You too,” Sky said, before she linked her arm through Sahara’s and they continued down the sidewalk.

Devon couldn’t take his eyes off Sahara’s shapely backside. When had he let her get beneath his skin? He pinched the bridge of his nose, gathered his wits and went back into the restaurant.

Sahara could have kicked herself for her offish demeanor. The man didn’t owe her anything, but a telephone call would have been nice. Of course, she was now thinking like a girl, instead of the independent woman she was. The truth was she had missed Devon. His stupid crooked smile and his dreamy blue eyes that looked at her with such hunger.

The damn man had been on her mind more than she would have liked to admit. But she hadn’t let his absence deter her from what she had come here for. She wanted to spend time with Leo’s fiancée, learn if this was a good match. Finding the right plot of land was an extra bonus. When she shared her thoughts with her boss, he approved for Valerie to locate the owner and make an offer.

As she waited for Sky to try on her wedding dress, Sahara found her mind wandering back to Devon and how he had made love to her that Sunday morning before he left for South Carolina. The sigh she released was cut short when Sky exited the dressing room.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful,” Sahara breathed.

Sky stood on a pedestal, displaying the essence of vintage chic in a Vienna crepe back satin slip gown with a v-neckline.

“Turn around.”

When Sky complied, Sahara placed a palm against her chest in awe. The back of the gorgeous dress plunged dramatically and was trimmed in sequin-embellished lace. No other adornments were needed. It was perfect.