house, bringing the warm scent of sunshine and flowers with her.
She greeted him with a smile and a breathy hello, and the look of happiness in her eyes filled him with a rush of pleasure so acute that it was almost painful.
Lainey gazed at Micah. She knew she was grinning like an idiot, but she was so happy to see him again, she couldn't seem to stop.
Micah felt an odd catch in his heart as he followed her into the parlor. How beautiful she was! She wore a blouse of some gauzy white material that was the perfect foil for her tawny skin and ink-black hair. A dark red skirt swirled around her ankles as she walked, emphasizing the feminine sway of her hips.
"What have you got there?" he asked, gesturing at the brown paper sack in her arms.
"Oh, not much. Candles, matches, some bread and cheese. A bottle of wine. Some fruit, and a couple of candy bars." She looked up at him, her expression sheepish. "One of my books."
Micah smiled. "Will you read it to me?"
"If you like," Lainey agreed, although reading one's own words aloud, to someone else, was often traumatic, like standing naked on a street corner, letting everyone see you, flaws, freckles, and all.
He followed her into the kitchen and stood in the doorway, his gaze caressing her as she moved about the room. She pulled two white china plates out of her bag, arranged layers of bread, sliced ham, and cheese on the plates, added sliced apples and oranges. Reaching into her bag again, she took out a bottle, two glasses, two cloth napkins, and a flowered tablecloth.
"Shall we eat in front of the fire?" she asked.
"If you wish."
"Grab the plates, will you?"
Nodding, he picked up the dishes, taking a moment to sniff the unfamiliar food before following her into the other room.
Spreading the tablecloth on the floor in front of the hearth, Lainey sat down and filled their glasses with wine.
Micah sat down across from her, setting the china on the floor between them.
"What shall we drink to?" Lainey asked, handing one of the goblets to Micah.
"Exploring," Micah replied, his voice sounding unusually husky.
"Exploring?" Lainey repeated. "That's an odd toast, but if that's what you want..." She touched her glass to his. "Here's to exploring."
He watched her take a drink, and then he took a sip. The wine was tart and sweet at the same time, different from the wine they'd had at the restaurant. But he wasn't thinking of wine as his gaze met hers. He was pondering the effect her nearness had on him, bemused by the heat that permeated his being whenever she was near.
"What do you want to explore?" Lainey asked, and knew the answer before the words left her lips.
"You," he replied, his tone hushed, and suddenly he knew without question what he wanted. "I want to explore every curve, every valley, every peak. I want to touch you, and taste you, until I know every inch of your body as I know my own."
Lainey stared at him, the glass in her hand forgotten. It was suddenly hard to breathe and she wondered what had happened to the air in the room. No other man had ever looked at her like that, with eyes filled with such hunger, such yearning. No other man had ever said anything quite so romantic, or made her feel so desired. So desirable.
"Micah, I..." She felt a blush creep up her neck into her cheeks. "I don't know what to say."
"Say nothing. Only let me touch you again, for a moment."
Heart pounding, Lainey put her wine glass aside. Mesmerized by the heat of his silvery gaze, she let Micah draw her into his arms, felt every nerve ending come suddenly, acutely, alive as his hand stroked her hair, her back.
"You're so soft," he murmured. "You smell so good. Feel so good."
Lainey made a small contented sound low in her throat as his hand caressed the curve of her cheek.
"Kiss me," she whispered.
He looked down at her, confused. "Kiss you?"
Lainey nodded. "You know, a kiss. Like this."
Her eyelids fluttered down as her hand slipped around his neck, drawing him closer.
And then he felt her lips on his, and his whole being was suffused with heat and light. It burned into every cell, exploding through his groin, arousing him to hungers he had never fully understood until that moment.
"Lainey!" He gasped her name, bewildered by the torrent of emotions flooding through him. Images danced inside