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Daniel’s breath hitched. “Hannah,” he whispered. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”
I usually had good instincts about people. My gut rarely made a mistake, and right now it urged me to hold onto Daniel as tight as I could. I slid my arms around his waist and felt him tense at my touch. Stretching up on my tiptoes, I brushed my lips across his, paused, and then kissed him again. He stood motionless. Had I offended him? Crossed some undefined line?
Daniel made a muffled noise in his throat, and then responded. His kiss was hard, and hungry, and greedy. He claimed me totally and dismissed every other thought from my head. There was just Daniel and myself, his lips on mine, his hands holding me in the perfect position to drive the kiss deeper. He owned me, body and soul, and I loved every second of it.
He pulled back just far enough for us to gulp for breath. The silver of his eyes darkened in the fading light, but the longing in them was unmistakeable. It probably mirrored my own. Standing on the deserted beach, our bodies pressed together, we could have been the last two people on the earth. I curled my fingers into the fine cotton of his shirt, and felt the heat radiating from his body.
My heart raced and my palms were damp, and right now I was more nervous than when I’d first met him. “I don’t have to stay in the guest bedroom tonight, Daniel.”
“Hannah.” He dropped his head, forehead resting against mine in a strangely intimate move. “I wish,” he hesitated and my heart sank. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
That didn’t sound good. I clung tighter to his shirt and waited.
“I want you, Hannah. More than I can say. But, it can only be for one night. Nothing more.” His voice was ragged and I braced myself to hear something bad.
“Can you tell me why?” The possibilities were many. He had a wife, or girlfriend already. He was paranoid about getting close to anyone.
He took an unsteady breath and gathered me tighter in his arms. “It’s unethical. I’m your funding officer. If anyone found out we’d slept together it would raise all kinds of ugly moral questions about the corporation. In the worst instance, your agreement would be revoked.” His bald words sent a chill through my heart.
“They’d think I coerced you into it, as a condition to receive the funding. It wouldn’t look good for either of us, Hannah.”
“Oh.” There was a flaw in his logic. “But one night is okay?”
“It’s a risk, but we can keep it quiet.” Daniel lifted his head and gazed into my eyes. “There’s something else too. I’m leaving soon for Hong Kong.”
“Hong Kong?” I echoed. “How long for?”
“Four years. I’ve just accepted a transfer there.”
No matter how I tried to think around it, my mind kept circling back to the fact that I wouldn’t see him again. “Well,” I whispered, “we should make the most of tonight.”
“Are you sure?” Daniel’s thumbs brushed against my skin and my heart lurched. “It’s still a risk.”
“Nothing is completely safe.” I sounded more confident than I felt. “But I’d rather have one night with you than forever wonder what I missed.”
Time seemed to stand still. Daniel stared into my eyes for the longest moment, then claimed my lips again. Without speaking, we released each other, clasped our hands and walked back to the house.
It was completely dark when we crunched over the gravel and across the dry grass to step onto the deck. Lights came on and bathed the area in a soft glow. Pearl Jam still played, and it was another of my favourites, Given to Fly. I turned to face Daniel. “Dance with me? I love this song.”
His brow creased, but he gathered me in his arms and we swayed together. I kicked off my shoes and the wooden deck was warm to my feet, but that was nothing compared to the feeling of the man I held. Heat radiated from his skin. It was like wrapping myself around a ball of sunlight. He sang along, his voice muffled against my skin, his fingers caressing me through my clothes.
“The idea that a man can grow wings and fly. It’s just so magical.” I let my head tip back, and Daniel pressed a series of scorching kisses down my throat. I’d never had a one-night stand before. My limited sex life had been with guys I had relationships with.
I wasn’t sure I’d be able to walk away in the morning.
The song changed to another crooning ballad, Immortality, and Daniel muttered something I didn’t catch.
“What?”
“Turn around.” He guided me to stand with my back to him, his hands flat on my stomach, his teeth nibbling at the sensitive skin on my shoulder. My breasts ached for his touch. My pulse fluttered at the idea of him undressing me, taking the time to peel away my clothes. I wanted him with a hunger I’d never felt before.
His hard-on nudged my behind and I ground against him, drawing a moan in reply.
It was my turn to moan when his deft fingers eased the button of my jeans open, and slipped inside.
“I want you,” he rasped. “Want to feel you under me. Make you shout my name.” He eased down the zipper and then slid a hand inside my panties, grazing the hot flesh. I knew the exact moment he felt how wet I was. His fingers stilled, and he made a rumbling noise of satisfaction.
I tried to turn, to kiss him again, but he held me firm, one hand splayed across my stomach. “You wanted to dance,” he murmured. “Don’t know about you, but I’m enjoying this.” He nipped at the base of my neck and I whimpered. I was helpless, a toy for him to play with, to tease into submission.
Would I survive with my heart intact? Unlikely.