Logan bit into his sandwich, a.s.sessing her openly as he chewed and swallowed. "Fishing, Sarah?"

"Just making conversation."

"This is the first romantic picnic I've been on in a long time. Years, in fact."

She didn't want to admit how nice that made her feel, and just ate her salad because she wasn't quite sure what to say. Logan was making it clear he was interested in more than just buddying around, and she didn't know if it could be more than that. The fact that she wanted more, though she found it hard to admit, shook her, and the next words out of her mouth emerged from her anxiety as much as anything else.

"So is all this just a way to get in my pants again?"

The words cut through the air harshly, and she felt more than saw him draw back, his surprise at her response clear. Well, too bad. But instead of relenting, she dug in. She was too used to squaring off, and in her experience, that's what it was all about with guys. Why put pretty dressing on it? She took a deep breath, ready for confrontation.

But then he laughed, which was not what she'd expected.

"You do just lay it out there on the table, don't you?"

She shrugged, feeling her ire deflate in the face of his good humor, and bit into her sandwich. "Why sugarcoat things?"

He popped a ripe strawberry into his mouth and seemed to be considering her response.

"Well...we're attracted to each other, that was obvious last night. And I think you know I'd like to see that-more-happen again."

He ate another strawberry, slowly, his eyes on her with uncomfortable intensity. "But I also like your company. I'd like to think there's more to this-and to me-than just trying to get in your pants, though that thought is a very nice one, I have to say."

Well, at least he was honest; she'd give him that. And she was attracted to him, tempted in ways she'd thought were over and done for her. He was...unexpected.

"I'm not sure it will work out that way. Just to let you know, since we're being up front."

"You mean because things didn't go well last night?"

She nodded, not saying anything more, and almost jumped when he took her hand, running a half-bitten strawberry along her palm and then lifting it to his mouth. She inhaled sharply as his tongue lapped the sweetness off the sensitive part of her hand.

"So you don't like it when I touch you? When I do something like this?"

"I, uh-" Sarah lost any sense of what she was about to say when he took her index finger and slid it between his lips, and then drew it slowly out. His mouth was hot, and she made the mistake of looking down and meeting his gaze, then letting her eyes travel down a little farther where he unabashedly displayed an erection that challenged the tensile qualities of the neoprene.

She looked around, not so much concerned whether they were alone as making sure they were. If she'd been worried about his motives, she wouldn't have come. Even if she was wrong, she was more than up to the task of taking him down if things got out of hand. But, as he continued to lick hot kisses all over her fingers, and that gorgeous erection still strained within clear view, taking him down was not the first thing on her mind. Well, not in the violent sense, anyway.

She closed her eyes, trying to shut out the thousand sparks of desire he was igniting. She didn't want to feel these things.

But then again, why not? It was a vacation thing, right? In two weeks he'd head home, and so would she, and that would be the end of it. Maybe this was her chance to reclaim a little part of her life. Maybe it was time. No harm, no foul.

Remembering what he'd done to her the previous evening, she was surprised at how tempted she was. She was rarely seriously tempted by men, at least not so long as she could remember. But she was burning now.

"Sarah, you never answered my question. If you don't like this, all you have to do is tell me to stop. Just like last night. If you ask me to stop, at any point, I stop. No problem."

He slanted a mischievous smile, glancing down at his crotch, where her eyes had been planted just seconds before. "Well, maybe there's a bit of a problem, but not one you have to worry about. I mean it."

If he'd pressured her at all, she could have withstood the temptation, written him off as just another guy trying to find a way to get laid.

As it was, she just pushed her dishes aside and twisted, closing her hand over his forearm and lifting herself, snagging his leg and ending up solidly on top of him, pushing him into the sand as she lowered her lips to his. She pressed herself along his entire length while she kissed the breath from him, leaving him in no doubt about her intentions.

If she was going to do this, she was going to do it her her way. way.

She felt a rumble in his chest, a laugh, maybe, or a groan, maybe both, as his hands closed over her b.u.t.tocks and pulled her against him while they continued to kiss, forgetting about the need to breathe. Lifting up for just a moment, she saw him smile, his voice both husky with desire and teasing.

"Smooth move. Someone took some self-defense cla.s.ses at the local Y?"

She just smiled, opening her legs and locking her knees around his hips, pushing back against him before leading another a.s.sault on his mouth. Cla.s.ses at the Y. Yeah, right. If he only knew.

And then somehow, before she could take her next breath, she found herself flipped over on her back. Logan planted himself heavily on top of her and settled between her sprawled legs, his hands pinning hers on either side of her head. She smiled up at him, a little kick of admiration filtering through her.

"Pretty smooth, yourself. You must have had those same cla.s.ses."

"Yeah, something like that."

She waited, watching him stare down at her, apprehension and anxiety starting to brew as she wondered what he was planning. Why didn't he just do it already? Kiss her or something? Hadn't she made it clear she was willing? And ready, she thought, feeling his hardness pressing between her legs. Lord, was she ever ready. She was hot all over, and it wasn't from the midday sun.

But if he waited much longer she might lose her resolve, and she would have to back down, again. She fought the thoughts crowding her mind. She didn't want that to happen.

"Logan-" Her voice held an edge of panic and he freed one hand, and brought his to her face, gently wiping away some sand and pushing her hair back.

"Shhhh, Sarah. Relax. We don't have to make this a contest of wills. We can both win."

"But-"

"Shush." The command was gently issued, barely a whisper, but it worked. She didn't usually take well to being bossed, but these were...unusual circ.u.mstances.

He leaned down and rubbed his mouth over hers, releasing her other hand and framing her face with both of his. Something told him that he needed to show her more than desire, something more than s.e.x.

It surprised him that this woman, for whom he had no intentions beyond s.e.x, could inspire such tenderness inside him. He wanted to make her feel...more. More than good. More than hot.

Beautiful as she was, she had a toughness about her. She was too p.r.i.c.kly, too ready to fight. It intrigued him, since many of the women he'd known romantically had been too accommodating for his tastes, too eager to please. But Sarah made him curious; he wanted to find the soft parts, the ones she had hidden. He slid his hands into the short, spiky silk of her hair. Yes, he wanted to know everything soft about her, inside and out.

"You're perfect," he whispered huskily, caressing the curve of her face with his eyes before burying his face in her neck, leaving hot kisses all along her neck and shoulder until she was arching into him, baring her skin to him.

He pushed his groin into the warm V between her strong legs, delighting in the fierce need that made him want to rip his shorts off and get inside her now, and the equal desire to take it slow and have her begging for him. She was a strong woman and that made it all the more necessary for him to know she was as desperate as he was.

Sliding back, he sat up on his knees, looking down at her flushed cheeks and pa.s.sion-smudged eyes, drawing her up into a sitting position. He lifted her top, pulling it over her head and exposing her to his eyes, the sun and the ocean breezes that brushed her nipples, stiffening them even as he lowered his mouth to the tempting buds.

She was nicely proportioned, firm, muscular, but sweet. As he drew at the hardened pebbles in the middle of all her softness, he listened to her breath quicken, felt the shudder work its way along her form.

"Logan, please..."

"Yes...beg me to touch you so I know you need me as much as I need you."

She tensed for a moment, and he knew what he was asking, knew she probably never begged for anything, but he wanted to hear her beg for him. When he pushed her b.r.e.a.s.t.s together and suckled at them both the pleasure was so excruciating pleas tumbled from her lips as she grasped the back of his neck and pulled him in tighter, urged him to suck harder. He was happy to accommodate, happy to give her whatever she wanted, though he took it slow, savoring every taste, every scent as he worked his way down her body, trying to discover her secrets.

With an impatient curse, she maneuvered herself forward, dragged her hands along the planes of his back and found the edge of the flexible fabric of his shorts. She slid her fingers underneath, working it down.

"Sarah, wait...."

"No, no waiting." Her need was fierce and reflected in her voice as she wriggled against him, working to get them both naked.

"I don't have any protection. I wasn't planning on..."

She scrambled to her feet, thumbs hooked at the waist of her shorts, looking down at him, and he thought he'd never seen a woman more magnificent. The sun was high, casting out its brilliance behind her, and she looked like a warrior. This wasn't a woman who would beg-not for long, anyway. She spoke, shucking the shorts and standing before him gloriously nude.

"I'm protected. Unless you have something you need to worry about, it's been a long time for me. A very long time. I'm clean. And I'm ready."

He blinked, then grinned. "Okay, then. No problems here."

He pushed his shorts down off his legs and flung them to the side, turning over to lie back on his elbows, unashamed of letting her see how turned-on he was. He barely had time to brace himself when she fell to the ground, tackling him again. He laughed into her kisses. So much for begging-this was a woman who was fully prepared to take what she wanted. Thank G.o.d she wanted him.

"How long?" he managed to sputter as she lifted over him, easing him inside of her with a look on her face that nearly did him in. She was so d.a.m.ned tight and wet he almost lost it in a way he hadn't in years. But as she settled down, encompa.s.sing him, he held on.

"What?" she was breathless, already starting to rock on top of him, her fingers digging into his shoulders. Before he could repeat his question, he felt her tightening around him, her voice ragged, her breathing sharp. "Logan, I'm sorry, this is going to be quick...."

Hardly wanting apologies for her amazing hunger, he watched her let go, moving as she needed to, coming fiercely around him, squeezing him tight inside and with her thighs, crying out in release. The milking action of her muscles nearly drove him over the edge, too, but he managed to lie back, keeping his own pleasure at bay, at least for the moment.

Apparently it had been a very very long time for her, and he was in no hurry. He wanted this to last. He wanted to feel more than the basic physical connection with her that he was feeling at the moment, but he opened himself to her, letting her do as she liked, his own body straining in response. There'd be time for more later. long time for her, and he was in no hurry. He wanted this to last. He wanted to feel more than the basic physical connection with her that he was feeling at the moment, but he opened himself to her, letting her do as she liked, his own body straining in response. There'd be time for more later.

"Again, Sarah. Take what you need."

She looked down, leaning over him so that her face was close to his, her mouth closing over his. The next time she came, moving over him with such intensity that she took him with her, they were both moaning inside of a hot kiss as the world fell away around them.

Holding on to each other in the aftermath of their intense joining, something stirred deep inside him: undeniable physical satisfaction mingling with a sense of unease, a feeling of something left adrift, disconnected. What had happened between them had been sheerly physical, and he wasn't complaining, but he knew he hadn't reached her past the surface. And for some insane reason, he wanted to.

6.

"SO, HAVE YOU been behaving yourself?" been behaving yourself?"

Sarah rolled her eyes, thinking about her recent behavior, and of how surprised E.J. would be to know she was taking a page from his book and living in the moment. Love the one you're with, or some such thing. But she was in the middle of the main room of the inn; it wasn't the time or the place to share. So instead she kept to the real reason she'd called in the first place.

"Please, E.J., help me out here."

"No way am I inviting the wrath of Ian down on my head, darlin'. He's been a knot of nerves since he found out about Sage, and if he finds out you aren't enjoying yourself as ordered, we'll both be used for target practice."

Sarah sighed heavily into the phone before a smile reluctantly twitched. Ian had just found out Sage was pregnant and according to E.J., he was freaking out. She could easily imagine it. But really, she was so happy for Ian and Sage, and for herself, in an odd way. She'd been estranged from her own family for so long, been alone for most of her adult life, that it was weird-but nice-to be part of a group again. They felt like her family.

"So she's doing well?"

"Healthy as a horse, and not giving Ian an inch, though he's trying to boss her every which way. He wants her to put a hold on her work for now, and you can only imagine her response to that. Fur is a-flyin'. And I think he wants to drag her into some kind of shotgun wedding, to boot. I saw them this morning and she looked healthy enough-she was chewing him out one but good. Hormones, maybe-she was really on a tear."

Sarah laughed. Sage was no pushover, though she wasn't usually argumentative. There was no need to be-she and Ian worked together like peas in a pod, and it almost made Sarah think romance might be worth the trouble. Ian was usually putty in Sage's hands, but they were both strong personalities, and every now and then, as E.J. described, the fur certainly did fly.

"Good luck to him. Sage will never give up work, he's got to know that. She's fought too long and hard to get where she is. As for the wedding, well...that ought to be interesting."

"True, but it won't keep him from trying. I think he'll settle down as things move along. He just needs to know she's okay. On some level he's just scared to death."

Sarah knew Ian's first wife had miscarried and had almost died from the complications. Ian, an FBI agent at the time, had been away on a job, and it had been the beginning of the end for their marriage. She could imagine the conflicting emotions her boss must be going through at the moment, but she knew he could handle it.

"It's good for him."

"I agree. So how about you? Enjoying your time off in the sun and sand?"

"It's dull, though I've found a few things to do." She closed her eyes, picturing Logan on the sand as she'd ridden him the day before, finding pleasure that had rocked her soul. They hadn't seen each other since they'd returned. They'd had dinner, talked about nothing in particular, and shared one hot kiss before retiring to their separate rooms. He'd seemed distracted, and she wasn't going to nag or push. He was probably just tired.

But Sarah had to admit to being disappointed that they hadn't spent the night together. He'd opened a Pandora's box; now that her body had been reintroduced to s.e.x, she wanted more while it was available.

But he hadn't been at breakfast that morning, and no way was Sarah going to go all girly and start waiting for him to show up. They'd had a good time, but she had a life of her own.

"I just thought you could mail me over those reports. I could get a little reading done, you know, while I'm sitting on the beach."

"Are you getting a tan?"

"I wear sunblock, so no."

"Good girl, but if you don't come back looking a little sunkissed and completely refreshed, Ian is likely to send you on permanent vacation. He'll want evidence of fun. So no, no work. No reports. They'll be waiting for you when you get here."

"Can't you just tell me what they say then-"

"Have fun, Sarah-bye."

And he hung up, laughing, the devil. She growled, setting the phone back in the cradle with a frustrated bang, forgetting she was standing in the middle of the main room where her bad temper was on display for anyone pa.s.sing by. d.a.m.n the lack of privacy here!

She stood by the base of the stairs, fuming. She refused to give into the impulse to find Logan, though there was a nasty little voice in the back of her brain that taunted her. He got what he wanted, why should he bother looking for you now? She felt her eyes burn as she closed them with effort. She would not fall back into that trap again.

"Are you okay?"

Opening her eyes when she felt a hand on her elbow, she found Ivy staring at her with concern. The young woman spoke gently to her again.

"Come here, sit down. Did you get some bad news?"

Sarah shook her head, sighing, letting Ivy pull her to the plump sofa in the corner.

"No, just a frustrating call."

"You looked liked you didn't feel good."

"I have a headache." Sarah knew she sounded b.i.t.c.hy, and she didn't really have a headache, she just wanted to be left alone. Looking into Ivy's open, honest face, she immediately felt bad.

"You stay here, let me get you something. Some aspirin."