Lance excited her. Dark, dangerously appealing, power held in check--a man a woman would notice. He offered his hand; their eyes met and Erin's heart melted. The glint in his inquisitive stare revealed he wanted her, too. Erin accepted his lead. After fearing for his life, she wanted to claim and savor precious moments like Beth had with Mark.
He escorted her to the netted enclosure he so obviously had deplored on his first visit. When he parted the net's drapery and bid her enter, she stifled a self-satisfied smile. "Max, go play with your teddy bear," she ordered.
The dog, following at their heels, retreated to the living room.
Erin approached the bed, this time feeling like the heroine in her last novel, and why not? She often had lain awake there, planning the heroine's needs and the hero's moves. Lance's suggestion to wait until their wedding night had been his choice, not hers. Now she stood in her heroine's place, an eager participant in what she knew would be a thrilling adventure.
Lance enveloped her in his arms, settling his hands at the back of her waist. "Erin, I need to know something."
Puzzled, she drew her head back. "Ask."
"What can I do ... to make you love me?" The slight tremor in his voice stunned her. Like a child seeking affirmation, his eyes burrowed wistfully into hers.
And then she knew.
)
