Web of Deception - By Nina Blake Page 0,34

from wearing a beanie all day but she looked beautiful as always.

He wondered how it was possible for a woman to look so damn sexy wearing candy striped thermal underwear. He didn’t have an answer. He only knew he wanted to get her out of those clothes as quickly as possible.

Kate looked up at him. “I’m too tired to move.”

“You’ll feel better after a soak in the tub.”

“That sounds good,” she said. “If only I could get up.”

Daniel stretched out his hand and she took it, following him back into the bathroom.

She stepped ahead of him onto the bath mat, her hands on her hips as she peered into the tub. “That looks good.”

“We’ll have to get you out of these clothes first.”

He wound his hands around her waist from behind, hooked his fingers over the hem of her thermal top. Kate raised her arms obediently as he lifted the top over her head and tossed it onto the tiles. She turned her head to look at him through the corner of her eye. Daniel unhooked her bra, slid the straps off her shoulders before sending the bra in the same direction as her top.

Instinctively, he lowered his lips to the curve of her neck and kissed her gently from behind. He wrapped his arms around her waist again, his fingers inching higher up her rib cage towards those lush round breasts.

His fingertips skimmed the underside of her breasts. He wanted her. All of her. But he would make her wait.

Sidling up close behind her, his chest was pressed against the fine smooth skin of her back. She felt so good. His hands dropped lower until he hooked them over the top of her thermal pants and he slid them down over her thighs. Stepping out of them, she wore only flimsy black panties, striking against her pale skin.

Daniel slid one hand over her stomach and pulled her close. His other hand slid over the lace of her panties. She gasped and tilted her head back onto his chest.

“This isn’t very sensible underwear, now is it?” he said. “Best we get rid of it.”

Still breathless, she nodded and he lowered the scrap of fabric down to her ankles. On his knees behind her, he pressed his mouth on the soft flesh of her bottom, then slowly stood, trailing kisses up her spine. She was so soft, her skin so smooth, and as he pulled her close again he thought how well she fit against his body.

His towel hadn’t shifted from his waist, so he ripped it off. Last night and the night before when they’d made love, it had been so quick, so intense. This time, he was going to make it last longer so he could savour every moment.

Daniel pressed one final kiss to her neck. “We can’t let the spa go to waste. It’s our last night in the mountains.”

Taking her hand, he helped her into the tub, then joined her.

“Champagne!” Kate pointed to the silver tray with two glasses and a chilled bottle on it. Daniel had put it there before his shower.

“I’d almost forgotten about that,” he said. “I was distracted.”

Reaching across, he removed the foil, popped the cork and poured two glasses. He passed one to her.

Kate’s lips curled to a sultry smile as they clinked glasses. “This is the life.”

“So you could get used to this?”

She took a sip of champagne. “Absolutely.”

This could all be hers. And so much more.

If only she would open her mind just a little and look at things from a different viewpoint, from outside the square. She’d shown Daniel what she was capable of on the slopes this afternoon when she’d forgotten the rules her ski instructor had taught her. She’d trusted herself instead, flown down the hill, gone much faster than she thought she could. If only she would take his hand now and let him show her the way.

Kate knew what she wanted. She’d been very clear on the matter. A man, a home, a family, and a career, of course. And he respected that. There was no reason she couldn’t work after having children if that was important to her though her priorities might change after the fact.

So might his too, for that matter. He could scale down the business. It’s not like he needed the money but he did enjoy the thrill of the next deal. Working from home could be an option if he decided to spend more time with the children. He just