Drinks in the hotel bar had turned into dinner, and if he kept looking at her with that roving gaze, she had a hunch it was going to turn into a helluva lot more. She had a nine A.M. flight she really didn’t want to miss, two hours’ worth of paperwork, a dozen calls to return, and a hotel suite to pack. But at the moment, she didn’t have any desire to get up and leave the table. Part of her figured she deserved a bit of relaxation after the last few crazy weeks. And there was something about this man that made her lose all sense of rational thought.
“So tell me of some of your excursions.” He lifted a spoonful of tiramisu and brought the tempting treat to his lips.
Her gaze followed, and she remembered that full mouth pressed up against hers. Heat shot straight to her belly.
She’d had enough business chitchat to last her a lifetime, and right now she was afraid she just might give in to temptation and crawl across the table to lick the frothy cream from his mouth if he didn’t do it soon himself. “Do you really want to hear about dark caves and subpar living conditions?”
He wiped his mouth with the napkin. “I thought searching for buried treasure was romantic.”
She couldn’t stop her smile. He’d been teasing her all night, his dry sense of humor enticing her almost as much as his muscular body. “It’s dirty work. And there is no such thing as buried treasure.”
“Well, now. That’s a surprise. I didn’t expect you to be a pessimist, Dr. Maxwell.”
“No, I’m a realist. There’s a big difference.”
He leaned forward, waving a spoonful of the sinful concoction in front of her. “Why don’t you tell me just how dirty it can be?”
She hesitated, then opened her mouth and slowly used her tongue to lap the chocolate cream he’d smeared on her bottom lip. His gaze followed the movement. Her blood warmed at the heat she saw in his eyes. His foot brushed hers under the table, sending a tingle up her leg at the brief contact.
Oh, man. The wine was doing a number on her system. Or maybe it was the candlelight, or that alluring smile of his. She wasn’t sure which. At the moment though, she didn’t care. She had an overwhelming need to feel that hard body pressed up against hers again. While wild, unexpected flings had never been big on her list, the thought of one now wasn’t making her cringe. Unfortunately, some small part of her was still sane enough to know he was a distraction she couldn’t afford. Not right now.
“You missed your plane,” she said, changing the subject.
“There’ll be another.” He grinned. “Sometime.”
The waiter interrupted them. Happy for the distraction, Lisa sat back, wiped her lips with her napkin and listened as Rafe responded in fluent Italian. The waiter nodded, set the bill on the table and walked away.
Lisa reached for the leather folder. Rafe’s hand covered hers before she could lift it. Electricity ran over her skin. “Please. Let me.”
“That’s nice of you, but you don’t have to.”
“Yes, I do. To thank you for the most enjoyable meal I’ve had in a very long time.”
His dark eyes were filled with desire and boring a hole right into her soul, chipping away at what was left of her resolve. Her stomach quivered under his intense gaze as she contemplated her choices. The promise of passion was as plain as the tiny scar on his chin.
Eyes locked on his, she let go. Before she could change her mind, she rose and slipped the strap of her purse over her shoulder while he paid the bill. When he stood, she ran a hand down his arm and smiled. “Since you already missed your flight, how about a nightcap?”
His lips quirked up, white teeth flashing against tanned skin. “I think that sounds like a delicious idea.”
She felt tiny tremors of heat trickle between her legs. And knew she wasn’t getting any packing done tonight.
A former junior high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton traded in her red pen and test tube set for a laptop and research books. She now writes sexy romantic adventure and paranormal novels full time from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards including the prestigious RITA® awards by Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, The Golden Leaf and the Golden Heart. When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ballpark or dreaming up new and exciting adventures. Visit her on the web at www.ElisabethNaughton.com.