Blake helped Delaney clear the table. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten such a delicious meal. The woman had definitely gone into the right business. He didn’t know what most of those little things were she put out before dinner, but they’d tasted great.

“I’ll miss this cottage when I go back to New York,” Delaney said as she rinsed off a dish. “I wonder if it used to be someone’s home.”

She looked over her shoulder and smiled as he handed her the bowl he’d just carried from the table. Two adorable dimples winked from creamy cheeks to tease him.

“Could be, but if so, that was before my time. As far as I know, it’s been vacant forever. I remodeled it a couple of years ago so Mary could use it for guests. We worked out a pretty good deal. I supplied the labor, and she supplied all the strawberry-rhubarb pies I could fit in my freezer.”

“That was your payment?” Delaney looked shocked. “I mean—you did all the work for pies?”

“It’s obvious you’ve never tasted one of Mary’s strawberry-rhubarb pies. They’re almost as good as your salmon.”

She watched him for a moment as if he’d morphed into something unrecognizable before her eyes. Maybe where she came from folks didn’t look out for each other the way they did here.

“I don’t know too many people who’d do that kind of work without taking payment. It was…really a…nice thing to do.” She sounded troubled.

“It was no big deal.” Blake pondered Delaney’s odd reaction. “Mary does plenty for me and everyone else too. Besides, neighbors should help each other out when they can.”

Delaney’s mouth dropped open to form a perfect circle.

“You’re neighbors? I didn’t notice any other houses on this road. Of course, I guess neighbor is a relative term around here.”

“I live about a mile down the road.” He wished he had a window to her thoughts so he knew what that furrow in her brow meant.

“Oh. I didn’t know. But then there are a lot of things I don’t know about you.” The little lines on her forehead creased again as she looked at him. He had an uncomfortable feeling he was being measured with a hidden yardstick. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other.

Was she comparing him to an old boyfriend or maybe a current lover? The muscle in his jaw twitched as an uncharacteristic flare of jealousy assailed him without warning.

He couldn’t believe he felt jealous over a possible rival. He barely knew the woman, and all he wanted was a few mutually enjoyable evenings before she left town.

Blake looked away, annoyed at the possessive claw that seemed to dig a little deeper. He never should have started thinking of her as his leopard. She wasn’t his, and he sure as hell wasn’t hers, nor did he want to be.

“Anyway,” Blake said, irritated with the direction of his thoughts but not wanting to ruin the easygoing mood they’d established. “This is a great little cottage—solid. And it has great views of the river.”

“Yes it is, and I love the view.” Delaney turned back to the sink. “It’s so peaceful. I’d be tempted to stay longer if it weren’t for…if I didn’t have, uh…commitments back home.”

Blake wished she’d been facing him so he could have seen her eyes when she said that. He went back for the platter with the remaining salmon. He couldn’t shake the feeling Delaney was trying to hide something. He hadn’t missed how she sometimes filtered her words. Like just now. And she’d get jumpy for no obvious reason.

It nudged his caution, but then she’d give him one of those adorable smiles, or he’d look into those big green eyes, and she seemed so sweet he’d wonder why he had any questions about her honesty.

“I know I already told you,” Blake said as he carried the platter to the counter, “but that meal was incredible. I haven’t tasted salmon that good since my mom’s. Damn, that woman could cook.”

“Sounds like I just got a pretty big compliment.”

“Yeah, you two would have hit if off, and not just because of your culinary genius. She liked flowers a lot, used to always have a bunch in the house too, like those.” He hitched his head toward the vase on the table in the alcove.

Delaney gave him another deep dimpled grin, another slug to the gut. Go easy, he warned himself. She’d be lifting anchor real soon. Just keep your heart out of it, and no one gets hurt.

He helped her load the dishwasher and put away the leftovers. Once done, he leaned against the counter while she wiped off the table. He didn’t know why, but watching her putter around made him feel good. Just being here with her made him feel good.

“I make a mean after-dinner coffee drink with a little cinnamon liquor, chocolate powder, and whipped cream.” She gave him a look he thought was intended to be wicked. To him it was adorable, whatever she’d meant it to be. “Want one?”

“I’m usually a beer kind of guy, but why not. I’m game if you are.”

She reached up into the cupboard for two mugs. Blake took in the view and grinned, appreciating the way her slacks pulled tighter across her very cute little derriere.

While she’d spent most of the meal asking him all kinds of questions, he’d spent it watching her mouth, fantasizing about kissing her again. The fantasy had become a burning desire.

After Delaney made the drinks they carried them into the living room.

“This is a beautiful area, but it’s so far from everything.” She set her cup on the coffee table then sat down on the couch. “Have you ever thought about living anywhere else?”

“Nope.” Blake took up the place beside her. “I grew up here. The Bay’s in my blood.”

Right now she was in his blood. And if he didn’t know she’d be leaving soon, the way she made it rush through his veins like someone had hooked them up to a power washer and turned it on full blast might give him cause to worry.

Delaney picked up her drink then took a couple of delicate sips. A small dab of whipped cream dotted her upper lip. He wanted to lean down and lick it off. Before he could, the tip of her tongue darted out, sipped up the cream, and then disappeared back into the warm cavern he longed to explore.

“So I guess this is where you’ll settle down. You know—get married.”  She put her cup on the table again.  “Have kids.”

“Yeah…probably.” He sat back and crossed his ankle over his knee. He tried not to let any of his frustration show over the fact he already had a kid. And he’d tried every avenue he could think of to find him. Unfortunately, Connie seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth, taking his son with her.

The investigator Blake hired hadn’t met with any more success, chasing down one dead end after another. Blake had begun to think he might never find Benjamin.

“Do you like kids, Blake?”

What he’d like was a night to forget his lack of success at finding the one he had. Right now he wanted to forget with Delaney. Blake set his mug on the table next to hers.

“Let’s talk about something else.” He took her hand, rubbing his thumb over the smooth skin on the side of her wrist.

“What would you like to talk about?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. What made you pick Glebe Point as a base to do your research? Most people have never even heard of it. We’re not exactly a hub on the map.”

She flinched. At least he thought she did. He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze, hoping to put her at ease even though he couldn’t understand why he made her so nervous. It wasn’t as if he’d tried to jump her bones the second he walked through the door. Not that he hadn’t wanted to.

He angled his head so he could see her face better. Delaney gave him a shaky smile. Her eyes darted to their entwined hands. It was one of those moments that warned him, heads up big guy. Like the other times, he couldn’t make sense of it.

“I umm…I’ve always wanted to visit Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Some place quiet.” She cleared her throat. “You know, with the flavor of a small fishing town. The ones they always make look so sleepy and romantic in the travel magazines when they do those features on great vacation spots.”

She finally looked up. “A place where the loudest thing you hear at the beach is a seagull’s cry. And when the sun sets there’s always a lone fishing boat chugging through the golden orange light hauling its daily catch.” She smiled sweetly, with a hint of embarrassment he thought.

“Best of all,” she continued, “the air smells like salt, and crabs, garlic butter and lemon and…Bay seasoning.” She drew in a long breath as if inhaling the scent, and her eyes got a little dreamy looking. He wondered what it would take to make those green gems cloud over like that for him.

Blake laughed. “I’ve never noticed. I guess because I’ve been breathing it day in and day out for thirty-one years. Although I think I can relate. On the occasions I’ve visited Philly, there’s a smell in the air that puts me into a trance. Next thing I know I’m standing on some street corner chomping down a greasy cheesesteak with fried onions.” He shook his head. “It’s bizarre.”

It was her turn to laugh, and when she did, it reminded him of the first warm breezes of spring brushing against his skin, light and sweet.

“I guess it’s the same kind of thing,” she agreed with an amused smile. “I’ve had this craving for crab cakes ever since I got here.” She gazed up at him through lashes so thick they cast shadows on her cheeks. “If you hadn’t noticed, I have a tendency to romanticize things sometimes.”

Blake reached around her shoulder and eased her closer.

“You sure are pretty.” He wanted to kiss her, had wanted to kiss her from the minute he’d walked through the door, but all they’d done was talk. That was fine, but he wasn’t used to so much chit-chat.

She felt soft and warm against him. He’d played the good boy all night, trying to keep his hands to himself. But she kept looking at him with those exotic eyes, her soft lips mere inches away. And now his bad boy was getting restless.

Delaney cleared her throat again. “What did you do as a kid growing up in such a small town?”

Blake shrugged. “I don’t know…kid stuff…boy stuff I guess.”

He’d never been a big talker. Not unless he’d had a few too many beers, which he almost never let happen. Tonight he’d told her more about himself than he had to people who’d known him for years. But she liked to talk, and she seemed real interested in him; or maybe she was one of those people who made everyone feel that way.

“Like what?” she asked. “I mean, if I were a kid growing up around here, what would I be doing?”

Blake laughed. “Well, I can guarantee you wouldn’t be sitting on this couch with me.”

Unable to resist any longer, he leaned forward, brushed his lips across hers and smiled.

“I sure am glad you’re no kid, Delaney.”

“I’m an only child,” she quipped. Her obsession with a topic he wanted to avoid nipped his frustration.

“Doesn’t surprise me.” He bent his head to nibble the edge of her ear.

“Why doesn’t that surprise you? Is there something about only children?” she asked, persisting down a one-way path he had no intention of following.

“I think they must get a lot of air time,” Blake said, then covered her mouth before she could ask another question.

If she wasn’t leaving in a couple of weeks, all this kid talk would make a guy nervous. Women talking kids usually meant trouble for men who weren’t in the market to settle down yet.

He pulled her closer. Jesus, she felt stiffer than a starched Sunday shirt.

He changed the angle of the kiss and increased the pressure. Where were the soft lips of his memory, the ones that had driven him so crazy he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about tasting them again?

“Relax,” he breathed as he tried to pry her lips open with his tongue. The way she had them pursed he might need to get the crow bar out of the truck.

“I don’t think…” She brought her hands between them.

“Don’t think.” Blake took advantage of her open mouth. Taking her hands in his, he wove their fingers together.

He continued applying gentle pressure, giving, seeking. It took a minute before she began to loosen up, one more and he felt the sweet response he wanted.

Blake moved closer. His leg brushed hers. The innocent touch sent desire sizzling along his nerves. He brought her hands up to his shoulders, freeing his own to twine around her slender frame.

Delaney jumped when his lips touched the creamy silk on the side of her neck.

“It’s okay,” he whispered, before returning to marvel in the softness again.

She smelled nice, like some kind of flower. He didn’t know what but he liked it. He slid his mouth over the pulsing warmth at the base of her neck. Delaney groaned. Blake felt himself going under.

The warning signs were flashing, but those twitching dimples and impish eyes made him think it might just be worth losing his soul.

DELANEY HAD never felt anything as erotic as Blake’s mouth, his tongue, his hands, his big body molded against hers like living, breathing spandex.

Her past experiences with men had been nice, but she’d always remained in control. With Blake it was…oh Lord, what was he doing now?

“You’re about driving me crazy,” he murmured against her already heated skin. He dragged his tongue up from the base of her neck and over her Adam’s apple with little flicking motions that had no less effect than a match striking flint.

His mouth hovered above hers. “Yeah, out of my mind crazy.”

The condition was contagious. What else could explain her current situation, her current—oh God he made her feel good—ridiculous…situation?

Fat chance that muscle contracting thing would have worked for longer than a half-second. Obviously her mind had been AWOL for some time to even have considered it, probably since falling under his spell at the dance.

Even so, her conscience intruded to do battle against Blake’s hypnotic kisses. What she was doing was wrong. It didn’t matter how good it felt. He was Ben’s father, the man she’d come to discredit…the man who could shatter her world into a thousand irreparable pieces.

If she gave in to the feelings Blake stirred, what would happen when the truth came out? Would he be able to forgive her?  Would she be able to forgive herself?

Delaney jerked her head away from his warm, seeking mouth, apprehension suddenly overwhelming her—apprehension and guilt.

“I can’t do this.” She pushed against his chest, knowing she had to put physical distance between them. He was too magnetic. She couldn’t resist when he started using that killing mouth against her.

Her body felt like a million supercharged particles caught in an electrical field. Each caress, every kiss, sucked her into a funnel that led only to him, the path to her demise. If she didn’t stop now, she feared she wouldn’t stop at all.

“Please, Blake, let me up.”

He sat back, confusion and disappointment reflected on his face.

Delaney scrambled off the couch.

“Look,” she forced herself to meet his questioning gaze. “I’m sorry. This isn’t your fault, but I didn’t intend for things to go this far. I don’t do short-term relationships. And...I…well…” She threw her arms in the air.  It didn’t matter what she said.  She’d been wrong to let things go so far.

“We just shouldn’t be doing this—that’s all.”  Looking at everything but him, she crossed her arms under her breasts.

“Doing what, sweetheart? I thought we were getting along just fine.” He stood and rubbed his hands with aching gentleness up and down her arms. “We won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with.” He bent his knees enough to bring his eyes level with hers. “Okay?”

“Right.” Sighing, she said, “Just being around you makes me uncomfortable.”

“Does it?” He rubbed his thumb over her cheek. “Maybe you should stop fighting it,” he said, then leaned forward to brush his lips across hers again. “If you’re worried I’ll try to force you, don’t. I want you, Delaney, but I’ve never pressured a woman into something she didn’t agree to. So no matter how strong I may come on, the final call will be yours.”

A strange feeling bubbled deep in her belly, something she didn’t feel entirely sure about. This softening made her think she had much more to fear from him than she’d even imagined.

Delaney drew her bottom lip between her teeth.

“Thanks. I appreciate that. I’ve never…” She looked away. There was no reason to tell him she’d never made love to a man, and wondering about making love to this one was nothing short of self-destruction.

“I really don’t understand it. You have a way of making me throw caution to the wind.”

Blake lifted her face to his again. “I think I’ll take that as a good sign.”

Their gazes held for several seconds. His eyes were warm, caressing, filled with a golden fire that would melt her resolve in another moment.

She looked away.

“I’m not sure if it’s good or bad, just that I seem to have developed a pattern with you.”

“I think maybe I should go now,” he said, his voice soft as a summer drizzle. “Thanks for dinner, sweetheart, and everything else.”

He bent and kissed her again. She allowed him to linger there, longer than was wise. His touch was so tender, so patient. It was as if he were telling her he’d give her all the time she needed. How could she explain there could never be a time for them?

Had he become someone she wanted time with? Yes! The answer resounded back, surprising her in its clarity.

Blake released her arms, his eyes touching her even though his hands didn’t, trapping her in a swirl of emotion. When had she come to want him so much? Of all the times, and all the men, why this one, now?

“Sweet dreams, leopard lady.” He backed away slowly. His eyes never left hers until his foot hit the door. Then he was gone, leaving her staring at the place he’d stood only a moment before.

Delaney dragged in a steadying breath as she walked across the room. Her hand trembled when she turned the deadbolt. It was nothing compared to the internal turbulence breaking down her emotional underpinnings with the force of a hydraulic jackhammer.

She hadn’t learned spit about his feelings toward kids or if he knew anything about his son. It didn’t help matters at all that she really liked him. It hadn’t been part of the plan, and when it came to Ben, it didn’t work in her favor. It was impossible to reconcile anything she’d learned about Blake with the man her cousin had begged her to protect Benjamin from.

On the contrary, he seemed like a decent man, easygoing and intelligent. Would he reveal a different side, though, if faced with a threat…like a child he didn’t want? Would his alter ego emerge, a snarling beast of a man capable of hurting innocent people?

Maybe her attraction to him shadowed her objectivity about his character. Or perhaps fear of losing Benjamin prevented her from seeing his character even more clearly. Was that what had happened with Connie? Had Blake’s charm blinded her to his true nature until it was too late?

Delaney pushed away from the door and turned out the light.

Blake hadn’t shown any kind of interest when she asked if he wanted to have kids. In fact, the subject of children seemed to frustrate him. Maybe he didn’t like them. That definitely wouldn’t make him a good parent to Ben.

There were too many unanswered questions, she thought, as she walked through the dark toward the bedroom. As much as she hated it, this awful charade would have to continue a little longer.

“HAVE YOU found Ben’s father yet?”

Delaney closed her eyes and wondered how much she should tell her mother on the phone. She could trust Mom to try and understand, but Mom would tell Dad, and Dad was a different story entirely.

If she revealed what a confusing mess she’d gotten into, Delaney wouldn’t put it past her father to drive to Maryland that afternoon, thinking to take over and rescue his little girl. She loved the man, but when it came to his only child, he went overboard.

“Delaney, are you there?”

“Yes, Mom, I found him.”

“What have you learned?”

“Not enough to make any decisions.” Delaney hedged. “There really isn’t much to tell, but I have met him…and…hmm, things should…umm, start happening soon.”

“Well, okay. I guess we’ll just have to be patient.” Her mother sounded unsure. No doubt she suspected more than she let on.

“Did you get those menus I sent?” Delaney asked, wanting to change the subject before her too keen mother guessed that things in Glebe Point were anything but okay.

“Yes. I’ve already sent out several packets to customers who had called to request information for holiday catering.”

“You’re the greatest, Mom. I feel bad you’ve had to handle everything solo while I’m down here.”

“I don’t mind. Finding Benjamin’s father and determining if Connie wronged him should be your first priority right now. We’ll take care of everything here until you can get back.”

Delaney knew she didn’t have to worry on that account. Her mom had helped with the business from day one, and her employees knew enough about things to function well without anyone looking over their shoulders.

“Your father will be sorry he missed your call,” Delaney’s mother said. “He’s been worried about you.”

“Tell him there’s nothing to worry about,” Delaney stressed, hoping to allay any concerns that might end in a surprise visit from her dad. When the time was right to tell Blake the truth, she wanted to be the one to do it.

“I’ll tell him,” her mom said, “but you know that won’t stop him.”

Delaney smiled. She did know, and despite the man’s overprotective nature, she adored him.

“I have to go, Mom. You can also tell Daddy that Ben informed me all about their trips to the ice cream parlor and that I said every night was a little excessive. If he keeps it up, Ben will be so spoiled by the time I get back, there will be no dealing with him.”

Her mother laughed. “I’ll tell him, but—”

“I know. I know.” Delaney echoed her mother’s laughter. “It won’t stop him. Give Ben a kiss for me, and tell that bull-headed father of mine I love him.”

After hanging up from the call to Ben and her mother, Delaney decided to walk up to the Inn to let Mary know she wouldn’t be there for dinner. She’d been toying with the idea of driving into Annapolis. She thought it would be nice to stroll along the waterfront, grab a bite to eat, and, if she was lucky, escape the turmoil that dogged her…even if only for a couple of hours.

She’d been restless all day. Things weren’t moving as quickly as she’d hoped. The longer they dragged on the more her conscience plagued her. She’d seen Blake three more times since the night he’d come to dinner but felt no clearer about what to do.

It wasn’t as if she’d had a good opportunity to learn much when she’d seen him. Once had been when he’d stopped by to see Ted about something on the job. He’d walked over to the cottage afterward to see her but had only stayed for a few minutes.

Yesterday she had bumped into him at the drugstore. He told her he was between clients, and they’d ended up having lunch together at Mosey’s diner.

She’d just happened to be visiting with Mary when he’d stopped by the inn Saturday evening to take a look at the furnace because Mary had called him earlier to say she couldn’t get it lit.

He told her he was meeting some friends at the bowling alley and asked if she wanted to go along. Thinking she shouldn’t pass up any chance to get to know him better, she’d agreed.

“Little good it did,” Delaney mumbled to herself. It had ended up being her and four guys, and although some women might like those odds, she’d felt terribly uncomfortable.

She still wasn’t sure why Blake had even asked her to join them, especially since he dropped her off afterward with nothing more than a brief kiss goodnight. She’d felt more than a little disappointed. If she were honest, she knew it wasn’t just because she hadn’t learned anything new.

Delaney blew out a breath. What did she think was left to discover? Did she expect him to spontaneously open up and reveal some yet unexposed side of himself? It was possible there was nothing to reveal. He simply might be exactly what he appeared to be. Then what?

She shook her head, no answer presenting itself. Tired of mulling the same questions over and over, she grabbed her bag and left the cottage.

As she approached the inn, Blake walked out the front door.

“Hey, I’m glad I ran into you.” He jogged down the steps. “I’ve got to drive to St. Michaels this afternoon. I was going to stop by the cottage just now to see if I could convince you to go with me.”

“What’s in St. Michaels?”

“I need to pick up some drawings from an architect. It won’t take long, and since you made dinner for me last week, I was hoping you’d let me return the favor.”

Delaney angled him a grin. “You’re going to cook for me?”

“I don’t think my cooking’s up to your standards, sweetheart. I had something else in mind.”

She needed to make a decision in Ben’s best interest. The only way to get the information to do that was to spend more time with Blake. She could go into Annapolis another time.

“Okay,” she said, feeling a stab of guilt for continuing to lead him on.

“I need to run,” he said after she agreed to go. “I’ve got to stop by another site to straighten out a problem before I can leave. I’ll pick you up around three-thirty.”

Blake didn’t return until after four, and when he did, he seemed rushed.

“Sorry I’m late.” He held her elbow as he hurried her toward his truck. “It’s been one of those days when everything that can go wrong does.” He opened the passenger door then disarmed her with a devastating grin. “I’m looking forward to you turning the rest of the day into a pleasant one.”

“Sounds like a challenge.” Delaney threw him a teasing glance as she snapped her lap belt.

“Yeah, but I’m betting you can handle it.” He met her gaze, holding it for several pounding heartbeats. “In fact,” he reached up and brushed his forefinger across her cheek, “the day’s already looking better.”

Blake leaned in front of her and yanked on the shoulder strap.

“Damn,” he cursed when it didn’t budge. “This thing jammed a couple of months ago. I never found a convenient time to get it checked, and since I’m usually the only one in the truck, I wasn’t too worried about it up ’til now.”

He scowled. “We could stop by my house, and I can drive the car.”

“I’ll be fine. Besides, you’re already running late.”

“Then make sure you’ve got that lap belt snapped tight. I hate taking chances with such precious cargo.” He stole a quick kiss before closing the door and hurried around the front of the cab.

Once under way, Delaney sifted through approach after approach. How could she find out what had really happened between Connie and Blake short of coming straight out and asking?

She watched the landscape roll past the window. It would be a difficult prospect. He offered almost nothing about his personal life. If her questions got too probing, it could turn him off. Or he might get suspicious, something she didn’t want to risk.

“I’m going to get a complex if you keep giving that window all your attention.” Blake reached across the seat and took hold of her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze when she glanced at him. “After discovering what a chatterbox you are, I thought maybe you’d fallen asleep on me.”

“Chatterbox?” She sat up straighter. “I am not a chatterbox. Just because you seem to have an aversion to talking…maybe you’re conversationally challenged. I could help you work on that, Mr. Morrison. Besides,” she continued, “someone has to fill the dead air. If left up to you to carry us through a dialogue, we’d never get past ‘damn nice day, don’t you think, sugar.’ And it would be right in keeping for you to throw the responsibility back on me.”

He laughed, curled his gorgeous mouth into a weapon of dangerous seduction, and darted the sexiest sideways glance she’d ever witnessed across the front seat.

“Well hell, I’m not that bad.” Without taking his eyes from the road, he lifted her hand to his lips for a kiss. “Sugar.”

Delaney tugged, not because she didn’t like the feel of his fingers threaded through hers as if they belonged that way, but because she did. She also liked the way his mouth felt soft and warm against her skin when he’d brushed it across her knuckles. She was beginning to like everything about him. Too much!

She couldn’t afford to get so wrapped up in him. There was a very real possibility someone could be hurt. It was a high probability it would be her if she let herself fall for Blake, an impossible situation Delaney feared may have already happened.

Blake stopped at a red light, turned his head to look at her, and tugged back. “I sure do like the way your eyes light up with that green fire when I tease you.” His smile widened.

“Yeah, well be careful, Morrison, you might just get burnt.”

“Too late, you’ve already got me on meltdown, sweetheart.” He lifted her hand again to take light nips at her thumb, studying her with an intensity that trapped her under the heated probe of those amber lights. He held her hostage a moment longer then narrowed his eyes.

“You’re dangerous, cat lady.” Blake let go of her hand to watch the traffic signal.

Delaney blinked. She waited for him to look back, to say more, but he had apparently shifted out of meltdown into shutdown.

What did he mean by dangerous? She could understand that he might think she talked a lot. She always did when she got nervous, but dangerous? Delaney studied his profile. His frown suggested he’d undergone a mood change. Back to square one, it seemed.

“So, umm, does this mean you’ve met your word quota for the day?” She leaned forward to draw his attention.

After several seconds of worrying she’d somehow turned him off, he smiled.

“Don’t worry. I saved a few for dinner.”  The light turned green, he shifted the truck into gear and his attention back to the road.

“YOU’RE NOT going to eat them!” Delaney’s stomach did a little flip-flop as she stared at Blake’s sandwich later that evening in the waterside crab house they’d stopped at for dinner on the drive back from St. Michael’s.

“You bet. They’re good, taste sort of like french fries.” Blake grinned across the table at her and pulled one of the dangling legs off his soft-shell crab sandwich. “Want to try?”

“No!” She gulped and held up a hand. “I’ll pass on crustacean extremities, thank you.”

Blake chuckled. “Come on Delaney, don’t you owe it to your clientele to sample new taste sensations?”

“Don’t do that,” she said with a smirk. “I have a terrible sense of obligation, and that’s the one way to make me do something I’m not feeling particularly excited about.”

He raised a brow and held the offensive thing in front of her. It was brown and papery, shriveled and crunchy looking. And he wanted her to pop it into her mouth, not pick out the meat like the people at the table next to them were doing with the huge pile of steamed crabs mounded on their table, but eat it shell and all.

Delaney regarded the bent appendage the locals considered a delicacy and swallowed.

“Where’s your sense of adventure?” Blake prodded, giving the culinary tidbit a challenging wiggle. Her eyes moved from the leg to the long tanned fingers suspending it.

She imagined leaning forward, opening her mouth to take the morsel, licking the seasoning off those beautiful fingers one by one, and then sucking them into her mouth. The unsavory idea of accepting his offering suddenly held some appeal.

Delaney smiled. She was not the same woman who left New York. Blake had conjured up a sensual being in her that once released, refused to retreat. The trick now would be keeping the newcomer under control.

She glanced up to see Blake studying her, his brandied gaze warm and probing.

“What’s that grin about?” The light in his eyes flared as if he’d read her mind and already knew.

“Nothing.” She’d keep her fantasy a secret. The man didn’t need that kind of encouragement.

“I can’t believe I’m going to do this.” She leaned in, cringing as he brandished the crab leg in front of her.

“Open the hatch. He’s coming in for a landing.”

“Stop it.” Delaney laughed as she opened her mouth.

He slid the tidbit past her lips. She held it on her tongue while she weighed swallowing it whole or spitting it into her napkin.

“Chew like this.” Blake took a bite of his sandwich, a corner where two legs dangled from between slices of white bread. He closed his eyes, chewed slowly, his expression that of a man in ecstasy. After he swallowed, he ran his tongue across his lips and gave a soft moan of pleasure.

“Now that’s good eatin’.”

Delaney stared at his mouth, the leg on her tongue forgotten. For a suspended moment, there was Blake, his gorgeous lips, that soulful moan, and the undeniable stirrings he set to coursing through her.

“You better close your mouth, sweetheart, or it’s going to crawl right out of there.”

Snapping it shut, Delaney jerked to awareness. She started to swallow, forgetting all about the item she’d been holding in limbo, and gagged.

She managed to choke the culprit into her napkin, then grabbed up her water glass for a drink.

“Are you okay?” Blake looked suspiciously like he was trying not to laugh.

“Yes, I’m fine.” She wasn’t sure if his amusement stemmed from her obvious dislike for his offering, or from what she was sure was an even more obvious weakness to his allure. She didn’t feel like exploring either any further at the moment.

“I guess you didn’t like it.”

“You guessed right. I’ll stick with the more conventional version. You feel free to eat all the appendages you want though.”

“Well, I hope you like your meal. When you said you’d been hungry for crab cakes, I thought you might enjoy an authentic Maryland crab house.”

“That was very sweet of you.” Delaney felt touched that he’d remembered and had made an effort to please her. Once again he’d acted counter to what she’d expected him to be like. The realization only added to the growing weight of her dilemma.

Blake shrugged. “It would have been a shame to pass up on one of the shore’s top rated crab joints when you had a hankering for them. Besides, it was worth it just to see your expression when the waiter delivered my sandwich. It’s how we tell the locals from the tourists around here. That and how badly they shatter the hard shells.”

A quick sweep of the restaurant gave evidence to Blake’s words. Some customers casually enjoyed the mountain of crabs that had been dumped in the middle of long tables covered with brown paper. They picked them clean with effortless ease, as if they’d been born knowing how.

Others seemed to approach their meal as if they had to kill it again first. Using their wooden hammers to obliterate the shell into so many pieces it would be impossible to separate from the sweet meat.

“How do they get the shell to soften up when they fry it?” Delaney cast a dubious glance at Blake’s sandwich.

Blake spent the next ten minutes telling her about the molting process of blue crabs. It was the longest he’d talked at one stretch since they’d met.

“So as they outgrow their shell, they shed it. The female has to shed before a male can mate with her,” he explained. “Some people say the male’s courtship is romantic,” he added with a roguish grin.

Delaney felt a little uncomfortable talking about anything sexual, even if they were discussing crabs. It was difficult enough keeping her focus against the sensual pull Blake exerted over her, but he’d scratched her curiosity.

“Does he bring her seaweed or something?”

Blake chuckled. “Better than that. As I said, they can’t mate until the sook—that’s a mature female—loses her shell, but without it she’s vulnerable. She gives off a scent that lets the male know she’s ripe for him and getting ready to molt. Rather than lose her to another male, he cradles her to him for two or three days until the molt begins. Then he rises up and forms a protective cage over his lady while she sheds.”

Delaney watched him, her mouth parted, unsure if he was telling the truth or testing her gullibility.

“Once the female’s all soft and willing, then the male can do the deed.” He gave her a grin that stopped short of being wicked, and Delaney thought she might slide out of her chair and right under the table.

“Supposedly,” he continued, his eyes taking on a golden glow, “it’s a marathon event usually lasting six to twelve hours.”

Delaney only smiled lamely. Blake’s mouth twitched as he went on.

“Being a thoughtful lover, he doesn’t just take off when they’re done. It takes two to three days for the female’s shell to harden. During that time, the Jimmy—that’s the male—carries his mate constantly, wrapped in his arms, or rather legs, shielding her from harm. When they’re joined like that, they’re called doublers. Occasionally, I’ll pull a pair up in a trap.”

“Oh.” She winced. The thought of catching the lovers when they were vulnerable bothered her. Almost as if they’d been intruded upon.

“I don’t keep them.” Blake reached out and took her hand, stroking his thumb over hers. “It doesn’t seem right somehow. You know, after they’ve just...well, shared such a sweet experience.” His eyes had locked with hers, and Delaney had the distinct feeling his thoughts had drifted from crabs to more human forms of life.

She cleared her throat, already overly sensitized to the sexual current that pulsed between them.

Blake’s mini lesson on crabs had increased her knowledge of crustaceans by roughly one hundred percent, but he’d made her curious, and she still wasn’t clear what happened after the female’s shell hardened. Did the two stay together and raise their offspring? Did they mate for life like Mary had told her geese and swans did?

The warm fingers caressing hers invited a sweet experience of their own. The temptation felt overwhelming. With crystal clarity, Delaney realized she was ready to discover what she’d been missing, and with an even purer certainty, knew she wanted it to be with this man.

Shaken by the intensity of her desire, she slipped her hand free, unsure what to do about the mushrooming yearning she no longer seemed able to control.

“Do the crabs stay together then, like a couple?” She tried to focus back on their conversation.

“No. Once the female’s shell hardens, they go their own way, the female in search of deep waters where she can spawn, and the male in search of another female.”

“Rogue,” Delaney said. “If he doesn’t really care about her, why waste time protecting her?”

“Most likely he’s protecting his fatherhood. Making sure some other male doesn’t get to her until his parentage is ensured.”

“So much for the romance.” Delaney took a bite of her crab cake sandwich.

Blake held his hands up and shrugged. “What can I say,” he answered with a deep chuckle.

Delaney shook her head. “He could at least have the decency to hang around and help raise his kids. Men,” she goaded with a taunting snort, “love ‘em and leave ‘em.”

Blake’s expression changed in an instant. His eyes hardened. The muscle in his jaw flexed dangerously.

“The female isn’t exactly a role model for motherhood. She heads south for saltier water toward the mouth of the Bay, not a hospitable environment. She spawns about a million crab larvae to fend for themselves in the turbulent waves and currents. I’ve read estimates that about one in a million survive to become adult crabs, no thanks to their mother’s protective instincts.”

He sounded bitter. It seemed unlikely he could get that upset about the female crab’s maternal shortcomings. So why the mood swing?

She’d only been teasing him—male, female sparring. It was glaringly obvious he hadn’t appreciated her joke. She wished now she could take the words back, or at least find new ones to disperse the cloud gathering over them.

“A million, wow, who wouldn’t feel overwhelmed with that many hungry mouths to feed?” She quipped, hoping to make him smile.

His response was a smirk…so much for humor.

“First reaction is to blame the guy, though, right?” Blake rolled his jaw.

Delaney sensed she was treading dangerous territory. Apparently her comment about the male sticking around had really pricked a sensitive nerve.

“Blake, I was joking. Obviously, it wasn’t a very good one.” She toyed with her napkin. “I’m sorry if I offended you,” she said, feeling a little unsure how to deal with this new side of him.

He regarded her a few seconds in silence, his expression guarded. The thoughts behind that golden gaze might as well have been locked in a steel vault for as much as he gave away. What did she really know about him, she wondered, except what he wanted her to see?

An uncomfortable thought occurred to her. Did he know about Ben? Was it possible he’d found out he had a son and felt Connie had wronged him by keeping the boy away from him? If that were the case, her little joke would have been like a slap in the face.

Delaney felt a moment of panic. It would also mean her hopes of adopting Ben could be met with a fierce challenge.

“Hey,” Blake said, switching gears so fast she might have only imagined he’d ever seemed upset. “I didn’t mean to sound morose. Hell, we’re talking about crabs, and any way you serve them up they taste mighty good.”

He picked up his beer and held it toward her before taking a sip, intent, it seemed, to close the subject.

“What made you decide to go into construction?” Delaney asked a short time later after they’d moved out of murky waters.

She’d wanted to pursue questioning him about his views on fatherhood, but after sensing his earlier irritation thought it might shut him down completely. She’d wait for a more opportune time.

“I like the creative process. Especially when working from scratch. You start with nothing and watch it take shape. It’s concrete and that satisfies me.”

Blake flexed his hands.

Delaney watched as he ran his fingers along the side of their table.

“Here, feel this.” He took her hand and very lightly, barely touching, drew it with his over the beveled edge with the reverence of a lover’s caress.

“This table’s made out of ordinary pine, but someone took the time to round off the skirt in order to eliminate any sharp corners. Do you feel how smooth that is?”

He glanced at her to see if she was paying attention. She nodded, amazed as always at the deep gold of his eyes.

“Most people wouldn’t notice something like this unless they banged their elbow against it. Then they’d appreciate the carpenter’s efforts. You put your hands on something. You feel it. You see the quality of the workmanship.” He paused to look at her.

“It’s like that for me, whether it’s a new home or a kitchen remodel. It doesn’t matter. It’s more than just a job. It’s a part of me I’m leaving behind. If I can’t feel proud about it, I don’t want to do it. I’ve turned down jobs where I thought the architect’s design was faulty and they wouldn’t change it.”

By the time he finished several minutes later, Delaney was convinced if she ever had a house built, she’d want Blake to do the job.

Hopefully, he wouldn’t quiz her on what he’d said.  She really wasn’t interested in the details of the size of nails and bolts or why this thickness of a board was better for a certain function.  Apparently Blake was adamant about doing things right, though. It probably all mattered very much in the end, but when he started talking about material specs, her attention had wandered.

She’d gotten caught up watching his mouth, fantasizing about how it would feel against hers, and how those large hands, eloquent in their expression as he described the importance of checking and rechecking everything, would feel holding her close.

She wondered if he was as thorough when he made love as he was in building a house. She thought she already knew the answer.

So caught up was she that when the waiter brought the check, Delaney realized that, once again, she hadn’t learned anything about how he felt about children. Or maybe she had.

BLAKE WRAPPED his arm around Delaney’s waist as they walked back to the truck from the restaurant, enjoying the way she felt against his side.

She’d be leaving soon. He didn’t have to worry about how much he liked being with her or that she made him wonder if he should reconsider settling down sooner than later.

When she left, he’d get back on track, carry on with his life just like before she’d shown up to unhinge it. He opened the passenger door then helped her up into the cab. Until then, he couldn’t muster the willpower to deny himself what he wanted.

“Thanks,” she said with a smile. The adorable dimples that made him feel like molding his lips against hers every time she flashed them his way creased her cheeks. Yeah, damn good he wouldn’t have time to fall head over heels in love with this woman.

The light rain that started before they pulled out of the restaurant parking lot had turned into a downpour. Squinting didn’t help. Blake couldn’t see more than a foot or two in front of the truck.

“Maybe we should pull over until it lets up a bit.” Blake didn’t miss the thread of worry in Delaney’s voice.

“We’ll be okay.” He looked across the seat. She had a death hold on the door grip, her eyes glued to the windshield in a useless attempt to see beyond. She threw him a distressed glance that went straight to his nerve center.

He sighed. “Okay, if it’ll make you feel better, we’ll pull over.”  

“Thanks.” She gave him a weak smile. “Just until it eases up.” She relaxed her hold on the grip enough that some of the color returned to her knuckles.

He nodded. The way she made him feel right now, he’d stand on his head if he thought it would make her happy. He returned the smile, even though he had an uncomfortable sense he was sailing an uncharted course, then looked back at the road.

In the next instant a dark shape shot out from the woods.

Blake swerved, then slammed on the brakes, reacting on instinct rather than thought, but it wasn’t enough.

He shifted into neutral and turned off the truck. Leaning his head against the seat rest, he closed his eyes a second to calm down.

“Damn,” he swore under his breath. There was no way he could have avoided the deer. At least from the way it had run back into woods, it had probably just been stunned and not seriously injured.

“You okay?” he asked, and then rolled his head to the side to look at Delaney when she didn’t answer. She was bent over, holding her head.

Blake yanked off his lap belt and practically dove across the seat.

“Delaney.” He cradled her in his arms. “Delaney, look at me, babe.” He cupped her face. “Are you all right?”

A soft moan drifted past her lips as she raised her head and looked at him with dazed green eyes and gave a dubious nod.

He brushed the hair away from her forehead to expose a long red line that had already begun to swell where she must have hit it against the dash. Damn, he should’ve gotten that strap fixed.

“What hap—” She winced.

“Don’t talk.” He put a finger to her lips. “Not just yet. We hit a deer. I didn’t see it until it was too late.”

Blake eased her against the seat. “Look at me.” He examined her eyes for any sign of a problem, thankful for the EMT training he’d been required to take when he joined the volunteer fire department and that he knew how to recognize the danger signs.

He held up his index finger. “Follow my finger with your eyes,” he told her.

She did.

“Do you feel lightheaded?” he asked.

“No.” She shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”

She tried for a smile. It looked rather pitiful, but he admired her effort. He kept his arm around her and pulled her head against his chest, feeling an enormous sense of relief that she didn’t appear to be seriously hurt.

Blake buried his nose in her hair and breathed in the fragrance, the soft fresh scent unique to Delaney. Long after she was gone, he’d remember the sweet smell of her hair, her skin, the delectable taste of her lips, and knew he’d miss her. He drew her closer.

“Will you be all right for a couple of minutes while I check out the truck?” He set her away from him again and watched her eyes.

“I’ll be okay.”

“I won’t be long, but I need to check the damage.” He held her another minute then kissed the top of her head.

“Go ahead,” she urged. “Really, I’ll be fine.”

He eased away reluctantly. She felt so good in his arms. She was such a perfect fit, like the piece that fit his in an intricate puzzle.

“I’ll leave the door open. If you start to feel dizzy or anything, call me, all right?”

Delaney nodded.

He squeezed her hand then opened the glove compartment and pulled out a flashlight before sliding back across the seat to get out.

“I’ll just be right here.”

She nodded again.

Blake turned on the flashlight and aimed it into the woods. He tried to make out any movement through the rain but saw no sign of the deer. He looked back into the cab to make sure Delaney was still okay.

Pushing a lock of wet hair out of his eyes, he turned his attention to the truck.  A quick appraisal revealed they wouldn’t be driving it back tonight.

The truck would be out of commission for at least a couple of days until it could be fixed. Blake frowned as he got back into the cab. He didn’t like to rely on his crews too much to pick up materials, but now he’d have to or risk delays on some of the jobs.

His frustration over that inconvenience quickly evaporated when he saw Delaney. She looked miserable, a condition he wouldn’t be able to do anything about soon enough for his liking.

“How do you feel?” He glanced at her forehead. She’d probably have one nasty headache from that bump.

“Okay.” She reached out to wipe some water off his cheek. “You’re soaking wet.”

The gentle touch unsettled him. Man she was sweet. Maybe her research would take longer than planned, and she’d have to stay in Glebe Point a few extra weeks. Selfish on his part he knew, but he liked being with her. He liked her more than any woman he’d ever dated. Knowing that in a week, maybe two, she’d be no more than a memory depressed him.

He jerked his gaze away from her entrapping green eyes. Traveling that road was dangerous, kin to a one-way drive to the chapel. He only planned on making that particular trip once in his life. When he did, he’d be damn sure it was with the right woman.

“Yeah, well, torrential rains will do that.” He grabbed the blanket he kept in the back seat for emergencies and dried off the best he could.

“I need to call for a tow. The wheel rim’s bent so the truck isn’t drivable.”

As he said it, he noticed a pair of headlights appear in the rearview mirror. The car slowed down then pulled off the road and came to a stop behind the truck.

“We’ve got company.” Blake reached across Delaney’s chest and locked the passenger side door. Until he knew who it was, he didn’t believe in taking chances, not when they were stranded in the middle of nowhere.

He couldn’t make out what kind of car had come up behind them, especially with those lights shining in his eye. When the driver got out and walked toward his truck, Blake saw the man was a cop.

He held up his badge as he approached the driver’s side window. Blake rolled it down and nodded in greeting.

“You folks have a problem?” The officer glanced past Blake to Delaney then back to Blake.

“A deer ran into the side of the truck. I’m going to need a tow. Can you recommend someplace?”

The cop walked forward and looked at the wheel.

“Must have been a big guy,” he said.  “Did quite a job on that rim.”

“Yeah.” Blake got out of the truck, and the two of them surveyed the damage together. The rain had slowed to a drizzle again, but after being soaked earlier, he barely noticed.

“I can call my cousin Ollie,” the cop offered. “He owns the station about ten minutes back that-a-way.” He pointed over his shoulder to indicate the direction behind them. “You probably passed it.”

The image of a country store and gas station flickered through Blake’s mind.

“Yeah, I think so. That’d be great, thanks.”

“Name’s Henderson, Chuck. I’m the Sheriff for these parts. Where you folks from?”

“Glebe Point. We were on our way back after having dinner at the Crab Shack.”

“They’re the best. Course, some might say I’m a bit partial. My cousin Derek’s a waterman, supplies them crabs right off his boat in season. You won’t get ‘em any fresher.” Sheriff Henderson glanced into the cab again. “You and the little lady got friends nearby? It’s a little late to get anyone to drive from Glebe Point.”

“I’m afraid not. We’ll probably have to find a motel.”

“Let me call Ollie about that tow. You’re going to have trouble getting a room. Everyplace within thirty miles is booked full. The fall boat show,” Sheriff Chuck volunteered in explanation. “Not near the size of the one in Annapolis, but it still draws a big crowd.”

Henderson started back to his cruiser then looked over his shoulder. “I can’t promise, but I might be able to help with a room.”

Blake got back into the truck and explained to Delaney what was happening.

“It looks like we’re going to have to find a place to stay tonight.”

He didn’t miss the apprehension that flashed in her eyes. As much as he’d like to erase her concerns, he didn’t feel right putting anyone out at this hour to come pick them up.

Hopefully they wouldn’t end up sleeping in the truck, although if the sheriff was right, they might not have a choice.

“You’re in luck!”

Blake turned back to the window where the officer stood smiling from ear to ear.

“Ollie said he’ll be here in twenty minutes, and I got you a room.”

“Great, how’d you manage that?”

“Like I said, I didn’t want to promise anything until I talked to Clyde. He owns the Outrigger Motel. It’s not more than five minutes from Ollie’s place. It just happens some guy’s wife went into labor two weeks early. Fellow checked out this evening to try and get home before his kid arrived. Clyde says he’ll hold the room unless I call him back to say you don’t want it.”

“We’ll take it.” Blake jumped at the offer. He knew they might not be able to find anything else and hated to think of Delaney spending the night curled up in his cab after what she’d already been through.

“If you’re okay waiting here, I’ll be on my way. Ollie should be along soon. He’ll give you a lift to the Outrigger.”

“Thanks for the help.” Blake reached through the window to shake Henderson’s hand. “By the way, are you and Clyde cousin’s by chance?”

“How’d you know?”

“Lucky guess,” Blake said with a grin. “Thanks again, Sheriff.”

“How’d you know the motel owner was the Sheriff’s cousin?” Delaney asked after Henderson pulled away.

“It seems the local lawman has a large extended family. In addition to Clyde, he’s also cousin to the service station manager and the guy who provides crabs to the restaurant where we had dinner. I’ve got a feeling if we were in the market for a new car, Henderson would have a relative who could help us there as well.”

“That’s probably not uncommon in these small towns. I think it’s nice.”

“Yeah, I guess it is.” Blake took her hand and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “How’s your head?”

“I’ll survive.”

“You look cold.”

“A little. If I knew you were planning on taking me parking, I’d have worn a warmer coat.”

Blake chuckled, surprised by her teasing remark considering their situation. “Honey, if I’d taken you parking, you wouldn’t need a coat to keep you warm.”

“No, I guess I wouldn’t.” She looked away, out the window. He could feel her withdrawal and attributed it to the night still ahead.

“Delaney.” He moved back across the seat and put his arm around her shoulder. “Don’t worry about tonight. We could only get one room, but it probably has two beds; most of them do.”

She looked back at him and nodded, but he could tell she still had apprehensions. It wouldn’t matter to him. Hell, he couldn’t think of anything more appealing than spending a night wrapped around Delaney. But he wouldn’t push her.

“Look, if there’s only one bed, I can sleep on the couch. Whatever, we’ll work it out,” he said, trying to ease her worry.

She glanced toward the back window. “It looks like the tow truck’s here,” she said.

“That might have been the fastest twenty minutes in history.” Blake reached into the back seat again to retrieve the blanket he’d used to dry off with earlier.

“This should help take off some of the chill.” He unfolded it, laying it over Delaney’s lap and tucking it around her hips. “I’ll go talk to Ollie.”

AN HOUR later, Blake finished checking them into the Outrigger.

“Thanks for holding the room,” he told Clyde when the man handed over the key.

“Must be your lucky day.” Clyde echoed his cousin’s earlier words. “With the boat show, everyplace within miles has been booked for months.”

Blake nodded. He didn’t feel so lucky. He turned to look at Delaney who waited in silence across the small lobby. She looked tired and cold and very uncertain about their situation.

There wasn’t much he could do now except make the best of things. He returned to where she sat and reached down to help her up from the chair.

“Come on.” He put an arm around her shoulder as he led her back outside. He wanted to pull her into his arms, offer what comfort he could, to feel her warm and soft against him. Delaney’s uncharacteristic silence warned him that he should back off, though. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her more by acting on his selfish desires.

“This is it.” Blake stopped in front of the door marked 4B. “Let’s get you into bed,” he said, thinking sleep would be the best thing for her right now.

Delaney opened her mouth to respond but stopped and just stared up at him. The anxiety he read in the soft depths of her incredible eyes stirred all the feelings he’d been trying to ignore. Well hell, did she really think she had anything to fear from him?

“Poor choice of words,” he tried to assure her. “You’re exhausted. You haven’t stopped shivering since you got out of the truck. And I’d be a world-class jerk to try to seduce you after what you’ve been through tonight. So relax, I’m not that depraved, Delaney.” He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and pushed open the door.

One bed…damn…and no couch. There was a chair, though, a somewhat small, lumpy looking chair that, with a pillow and blanket, might provide enough comfort he’d be able to sleep for maybe a minute.

Blake eased Delaney into the room, closing his eyes behind her back and wanting to groan out his frustration. He’d make do.

“Blake, there’s only—”

“It’s okay. I’ll take the chair.”

“You can’t sleep in that chair. Look at it! You wouldn’t be able to move by morning.”

She glanced at the bed and bit her lip.

“Don’t worry, I’ve slept on worse. And if I get uncomfortable, I can stretch out on the floor.”

“That’s crazy. It’s not right I sleep in the bed while you try to make the best of an under-stuffed chair, or worse, the floor. It isn’t your fault we’re in this predicament.”

“I don’t mind,” he lied. “Let’s just try to get some sleep now.”

“No, Blake.” Delaney shook her head. “I can’t let you do this. We’ll share the bed.  Besides…” She pointed to the chair. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep worrying about you being uncomfortable in that thing.”

If she was willing to share, he wasn’t inclined to pursue an argument for the sake of chivalry. A soft mattress held too much appeal right now, especially considering the alternative. Still, he wanted her to feel comfortable.

“Are you sure?” He nudged her chin up with his thumb, giving her the option to change her mind. He resisted the urge to bend down and taste the soft lips that tortured him with such sweet appeal. A more challenging struggle he couldn’t remember.

“I’m sure. I’d be up all night.”

“I guess that settles it. I can’t let you lose sleep worrying about me.”

He knew one of them wouldn’t get much sleep either way. As difficult as it would be, he’d keep his hands to himself if he had to tie them together. Lord knew, though, he couldn’t vouch for his thoughts.

DELANEY COULD hear him breathing. He was close enough that she imagined she could feel him, even though not a single inch of him touched any inch of her. Was it possible their situation could get more convoluted?

After putting her to bed, Blake had gone into the bathroom to get out of his wet clothes. He’d assured her she didn’t need to worry. He would try to dry his boxer shorts with the complimentary hair dryer, all 800 watts. It had given her little comfort. He’d still be half naked.

At some point exhaustion took its toll, and she’d fallen asleep before he came back into the bedroom. Delaney had no idea how long she’d been out, but any restful moments were behind her. She’d awaken to the realization they now shared the bed.

Knowing Blake lay the length of her pinky away, with many bare parts those boxers didn’t cover, had her so edgy she couldn’t stand it. The burgeoning desire he’d awakened in her refused to loosen its hold.

Since discovering they had to spend the night together, all she could think of was…what if? Would this be the night she crossed that portal into womanhood? Would Blake try to make love to her?

He hadn’t even made an attempt. She should be thankful he’d behaved like such a gentleman.

Delaney frowned. Was she that easy to resist? Disappointment made her doubt her appeal until she remembered the night at the cottage. No. Blake was attracted to her. At least, she thought he was.

He sighed in his sleep. She tried to make out his features in the dark. Mary had been right. Blake Morrison cornered the market on handsome. No wonder her cousin had—oh God. How could she even think about making love to Blake until she straightened out this mess?

She wanted Blake more than she’d ever imagined it possible to want a man. Was this what lust felt like? That must be what afflicted her because she didn’t seem to have any control over it. The sensations just overtook her with the simplest touch from him. A mere glance or that sexy off-center smile made her knees go weak.

She feared she’d never be the same again and had no idea what to do about it.

“What’s the matter?”

Delaney almost jumped off the bed.

“Blake, you startled me. I thought you were asleep.”

“I was, but you’ve been squirming around like a worm in a hot skillet.”

“A worm in a—” She wrinkled her nose.

“Forget it. Are you feeling all right?” He rolled onto his side. “Is your head bothering you?”

“Not too much.”

She heard him sigh.

“Then why aren’t you sleeping?”

Oh, she could count several reasons off on her fingers, and all of them would include him. What would he do if he knew why she’d really come to Glebe Point? Maybe if she told him now. No! She couldn’t. Not yet. Not until—until what? What other proof did she need that Connie hadn’t told the truth?

Blake wasn’t the man her cousin had portrayed. Delaney knew it. With all her heart she knew.

“Come over here.” He slid an arm under her waist, pulling her toward him.

“Blake, I—”

“I’m just going to hold you. Help you relax.”

Just? There was no just! She was in bed with Blake, in his arms…out of her mind…the end.

He rubbed a hand up and down her back. She waited for him to make some other move, but he didn’t. He did exactly what he said he would do, just held her.

Delaney did relax a little. Blake continued to stroke her, nuzzling his face into her hair, something he seemed to enjoy. Something she enjoyed.

“Umm, you smell nice,” he murmured, his breath moist and warm where it caressed the side of her head. Strong arms folded closer around her, giving her an odd sense of comfort. What was it about him that belied every caution she’d ever exercised with other men, especially with him?

The more time she spent with him, the harder it became to justify not telling him about Benjamin. He hadn’t proven to be selfish or inconsiderate or cruel…just the opposite. When they had the accident tonight, his first concern had been for her. When they got to the room, he saw to her comfort before doing anything about his own.

“I’m sorry I woke you.” She felt suddenly sorry she hadn’t given more consideration to what he must be feeling. His truck had been damaged. The temperature had barely gotten above fifty all day, and he’d spent half the night standing outside in wet clothes. Now her squirming had kept him from getting some much needed sleep.

Delaney lifted her head to look at him. His eyes were closed. She rose and fell with his chest. The urge to kiss him came from nowhere, from everywhere. She tried to scoot higher, but Blake tightened his hold.

“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, sweetheart.” His voice held a soft warning. “I’m not even close to being a saint. Unless you’re up for being ravished, in which case I’d be happy to oblige, it wouldn’t be smart to tempt me.”

Delaney considered his words. She should tell him now. If she did and he understood, maybe everything would work out for the best. She couldn’t imagine feeling this way about him and not have it work out. And after she told him, she thought she’d enjoy very much being ravished.

“I’ve never been very good in the temptation department,” she said, thinking of how reserved she’d been with other men.

“If you were any more tempting, someone would have to tie me down to keep me from making love to you right now.”

“I wouldn’t want anyone to tie you down.”

Delaney caught the corner of her lip, amazed she’d actually said that. She wanted so badly to feel his mouth on hers. She leaned toward him, unable to deny herself a simple kiss. He was so appealing, so sexy, and she wouldn’t let it go beyond a kiss, not without telling him everything. That was all. One—sweet—she inched closer—so very sweet—

Blake growled.

In the next instant that coveted mouth was claiming hers in passionate abandon. Rational thought vanished. There was only Blake, his mouth, his arms molding her to him as if he’d never let go.

She could have been snatched up by a tornado, spinning helplessly out of control, her world whirling faster and faster until she could barely think at all.

“Christ, I want you.” Blake’s harsh breathing seemed to echo in her ears. His fingers worked the zipper on the back of her dress, and then it was gone.

The feel of his hands against her skin destroyed her. Sensations unlike anything she’d ever known inundated her one after another, refusing to let her catch her breath, smothering any and all resistance that might have come with a lucid thought.

She moaned, a foreign noise of pagan need that sounded like it came from some other woman, her other woman. God, what was happening to her? She wanted more, had to have more, of this, of him.

He moved against her and in a moment of clarity she realized they were both naked. She didn’t remember him removing the rest of her clothes, or his. He kissed her, long and hungry. Something inside her burst, setting free the uninhibited primitive woman he called forth.

“You’re so beautiful.” Blake’s words flowed over her like liquid silk. She was aware of them, savored them, but the deep resonance of desire in them was what she heard.

Delaney was caught in the magic. The battle to resist what she wanted so desperately was long lost. She wanted this to go on forever. She wanted to lie here with him touching and thrilling her until she died.

“Blake. Oh, Blake.”  His name whispered past her lips.

“Tell me this is what you want.”

“Blake.”

“Tell me, Delaney. Tell me you want me.”

“Yes. I want you. Dear God, I want you.”

It must have been all the approval he needed, and with expert skill he moved her along a path of no return.

When she thought she could bear no more, he came over her, his probing hardness exciting her beyond her wildest imaginings.

She arched toward him, her body sensing instinctively what it wanted, where he led her. Blake lowered his head, resting his forehead against hers.

She was vaguely aware of him reaching out and fumbling for something on the bedside stand. For a second she was afraid he would leave her, but then he was over her again, giving her his full attention.

“I’ve wanted you from the first moment I saw you.  Kiss me, leopard lady.”  She did and he drove into her. Delaney felt a burning stab and winced as he filled her.

Blake stiffened.

“Jesus,” he exhaled, “Jesus! God, Delaney, why didn’t you tell me?” He kissed her temples, her eyelids, cradled her face in his hands, and caressed her lips with his own.

“You should have told me. God!” He seemed half-stunned. “Did I hurt you?”

She could feel him deep inside her. The initial pain was already ebbing to be replaced by an intensifying need.

“No.” She shook her head. “No. It…you feel wonderful. Please, please Blake, please don’t stop.”

He groaned into her mouth. “Sweetheart, I’m not sure I could now. I just don’t want to hurt you.” He kissed her again.

“Don’t worry. I don’t want you to hold anything back. I’ve been waiting too long for this.”

Blake searched her face as if looking for any doubt, but after coming this far, she didn’t want to be deprived of a single measure of his loving.

“Really,” she said, stroking his arms.  “I’m good,” she tried to assure him.

“Oh, sweetheart.” He touched her cheek. “You’re better than good, so much better than good.”  He moved within her then, and Delaney thought she might go mad. A building tension propelled her upward. She wanted more of him. Thrusting harder he increased the pace, his need for her palpable. He seemed an unstoppable force; the sure driving strokes came primitive and demanding.

His desire transmitted to her, claimed her in its power, and drove her in its hunger. Bare skin slick against bare skin. He led and she followed. She gave and he took, giving back with such generosity it awed her.

Blake groaned, and Delaney could feel his restraint in the bunching muscles of his back as he guided her toward heaven’s door.

“Delaney.”  He moaned a low, earthy appeal of need.

The pressure built inside her, a frenzied aching urgency that grew higher until she felt almost desperate. Blake reached between them to stroke her, the rhythm of his movement making her feel like she would come apart.

He circled, eased up, then imbedded himself again. He thrust high, deep, his hunger seemed out of control. Delaney felt herself spiraling further into an abyss of endless pleasure, and then suddenly, she shattered.

He followed.

Time stood still for several seconds then slowly, very slowly, they drifted back to earth.

Blake rolled over, pulling her with him to rest on his chest.

“You were incredible.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’ve never, and I mean never felt anything like that before. Never,” he said again as if the other two weren’t enough.

“Me neither,” Delaney whispered.

Blake’s chest shook gently, and she lifted her head to see that he was chuckling.

He opened one eye to look down at her. “No kidding?”

“No.” She licked her lips.

“I guess you wouldn’t have, considering.” He gave her a crooked grin then hugged her close.

Delaney let his teasing comment go. It might have been her first time, but even lacking experience, she was fairly certain she’d pleased him.

DELANEY’S KISS had sent Blake over the edge. He’d wanted her so damn bad. Had been fighting it all night, promised himself he’d behave, but then, even after he’d warned her, she’d kissed him.

It had been too much. Like an invitation for a parched man to drink, he’d been unable to deny the offering and drank. And what sweet nectar had awaited him.

Blake caressed the arm that lay draped across his chest. He hadn’t been able to keep his hands off her. He’d wanted to learn the landscape of her: every valley, every rounded curve, every glorious rise, fall and plateau of her.

Had he ever wanted a woman before so desperately? He couldn’t remember a time if one existed.

He tried to convince himself she was no different from any other woman he’d been with. Try as he might, it didn’t feel that way. Not in his head, not in his heart, and certainly not as she lay against him all soft and warm.

The satin greeting of flawless skin beneath his questing fingers enticed him to explore more. He bent his head to kiss the top of hers. Her breathing held the deep, steady rhythm of one well satisfied.

Blake grinned. He felt pretty damned good himself. He’d tamed himself a leopard. Or maybe the leopard had tamed him. Right now it didn’t matter. All he knew was that he planned to enjoy every minute he could get with her until she had to leave.