“That is one hell of a fine woman,” Mark said firmly, not a hint of embarrassment at having been caught gawking.
“Ashley wanted me to pass on a message,” Travis said, ignoring Mark’s comment. “She’s been working on a painting you might be interested in.”
Mark paused. “Ashley does good work. I’ll be needing art for the house.”
His nephew’s grin grew wider. “This one might be perfect.”
He vanished before Mark could dig any more information out of him.
Then he and Dana caught up with Mike and Marion for a while, but as they ate, the most curious sensation poked at Mark.
Dana sat against him, comfortable and easy, his hand around her waist. She’d placed her hand on his thigh and was rubbing her knuckles up and down, almost as if she wasn’t aware of the motion.
Only when she wrapped her hand a little farther around his thigh, rising a little higher than usual, Mark barely caught himself before a growl escaped.
She kept on talking, the face of an absolute innocent, and not at all as if she were damn near stroking him right in front of their family.
Mark was willing to take the pain, but when Rafe and Laurel walked past, plates full of food as they headed to join a set of their cousins, sudden inspiration struck.
He leaned in close, fingers sliding over Dana’s hip as he whispered in her ear. “You do realize your house is empty right now.”
She stiffened slightly, her fingers freezing in mid-tease.
“And I seem to remember having gotten all the names right for everyone we met. Which means I get a reward, yes?”
Dana wiped her mouth with a napkin then grabbed hers and Mark’s plates, stacking them and smiling across the table at her brother and sister-in-law.
“We’ll catch up with you later,” she said sweetly, somehow dragging Mark away without looking as if she was hauling him along as fast as she could.
He made it to the truck before giving in to temptation. He whirled her against him, backing her up against the vehicle and pinning her in place with his body. “Please tell me yes.”
“You might need to be more specific,” she teased during the split second before his mouth covered hers.
The kiss was wild enough to get his blood pounding and his entire body tightening with need. When he did pull back, it was to damn near growl, hips pressed tight against her. “I want to take you home. I want to take off your clothes and kiss you everywhere. I want to make you scream my name.”
He eased back, putting enough space between them to see her eyes had gone dark, pupils wide.
“Dana,” he whispered. “I want you.”
Her head bobbed, a small movement but rapid. “Yes.”
Good answer.
Somehow, they both made it into the cab of his truck, Dana sitting beside him in the middle of the bench seat. Both of them got their seat belts on before he cautiously manoeuvred out of the crowded parking area and headed down the gravel road the couple of miles toward the Angel homestead.
Only once they made it to her house, his attempts to stay slow and in control failed.
It didn’t help that as soon as they walked into the kitchen, she turned and caught the hem of her sundress, stripping it over her head and dropping it over the back of the chair.
“Sweet fuck.” Mark nearly tripped over his own feet as he stopped to stare.
Her chin rose again as if she were gathering courage. “I’m no spring chicken. What you see is what you get.”
“Then I’m a lucky, lucky man,” Mark said, closing the space between them. He trickled a hand over the sweep of her waist and up her side to where her pretty green bra covered her breasts. “Dana, I’m the same age as you and have done far more miles. The map might not be quite as fresh as it once was, but the picture’s all the richer for the details the time has brought.”
He stepped forward, stripping away the layers over his torso and tossing them on top of her dress.
He brought her against him and got ready to listen in a whole new way.
Dana had given this moment a great deal of thought over the past months. She was sensible enough to guess the opportunity for sex would eventually arrive. Hopeful enough the event would be something she could truly enjoy.
What she hadn’t wanted was a series of comparisons or thoughts about what had been. Which meant taking charge in