Page 73 of Close Up

“Yes,” she said. “You did tell me that.”

Nick brought her gently to a halt in the shadow of a grape arbor and took her into his arms. When his mouth closed over hers, the effervescent tide of anticipation was transformed into a hot wave of desire. She melted against his hard, lean body.

“Vivian,” he said against her mouth, “I want you so damn bad.”

“I’m glad,” she managed in a throaty voice. “Because I want you, too.”

“Enough to do something reckless and maybe a little dangerous?”

“Such as?”

“Come to bed with me and we will find out together.”

Somewhere inside she thought she heard a voice whisper words of caution.It’s too soon. He’s still a stranger in so many ways.

But the voice was thin and faint; easily ignored. The alluring whispers demanding she seize the moment were far more compelling. They called to her, challenging her to take what might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to discover the truth about the strength of her own passions.

“Whether or not I accept your invitation depends on the answer to a question I need to ask,” she said against his warm throat.

“Now you’ve got me terrified. What’s the question?”

She pulled away from him, just far enough to meet his eyes. “Will I be the only one taking chances tonight?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got a tin of pros.”

It took her a beat to realize he was talking about prophylactics—condoms. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks and was suddenly very glad of the shadows. She did not know whether to be pleased or infuriated. Had he beenexpectingher to simply fall into bed with him?

“You came prepared?” she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.

“That’s a trick question, isn’t it?” He cradled her face in his hands and traced the lines of her jaw with his thumbs. “If I answer yes, I’m in trouble because it will look like I’ve been planning to get you into bed from the start. If I say no, you’ll wonder why I just happen to have the pros with me when I’m supposed to be doing my job, keeping you safe.”

“You’re right. It was a trick question. Don’t bother answering.”

“Too late. The answer is the hotel bellman. When he delivered the dinner jacket I ordered this afternoon there was a tin in the pocket.”

“Was it there because you requested it?”

“I’m afraid so. Does knowing that ruin the moment?”

“Nope. It means that your intuition really is very good. But just to be clear. When I asked you if I was the only one taking chances tonight, I wasn’t talking about prophylactics.”

“Ah. You meant that going to bed with me is risky because neither of us knows how it will end.”

“Something like that.”

He moved one hand through her hair as if he was threading strands of silk through his fingers.

“No,” he said, “you are not the only one taking a chance tonight.”

She threw her arms around his neck. “In that case, my answer is yes.”

“Vivian.”

He spoke her name as if it held a kind of magic; a name to conjure with in the darkness of night.

He scooped her up in his arms and carried her through the scented garden to the front door of the villa.

Chapter 36

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