Forged of Steele Bundle (Books 1-4) - Brenda Jackson [272]
He nodded. “All right. And after we talk I suggest we eat since it’s lunchtime. Do you want to sit here to talk or do you want to walk along the beach?”
The thought of the two of them strolling along the beach together set up a romantic picture in her mind, and she didn’t want to think romance. “We can sit and talk right here.”
He nodded before taking her hand to assist her down on the huge towel. The moment their hands touched, she felt an electric current charge through her body and knew he felt it, as well. He sat down beside her. When one of his bare legs brushed against hers, her heartbeat quickened. The sexual chemistry between them was overpowering. Even if she had had on layers and layers of clothing, she still would have felt his touch. Every fiber of her body was attuned to him, but she was determined to dispel some of that high-voltage sexual tension that gripped them, made her forget about talking and want only to lie on this towel with him, naked, instead.
“So what are your rules?”
His words interrupted her thoughts and she glanced over at him. Even sitting there as casual as he wanted to be, he still looked dominating, far more powerful and commanding than she liked.
The sooner she told him just how things would be between them, the better. Then he could take her proposal or leave it. She was inclined to think he would leave it, because a part of her refused to believe he could put total control in her hands.
The next few minutes would tell.
“I want to share an affair with you, Cameron, for the remainder of the time I have left on the island. Twelve days to be exact. During that time I will forget my dislike of you, and I want you to forget your dislike of me.”
“I don’t dislike you. In fact I like you. A lot.”
His words gave her pause, and it took a few moments to regroup her thoughts. “Okay, maybe your feelings for me are not as intense as my feelings for you, but even you would admit we really don’t get along.”
“That was your choice. You turned me down each and every time I asked you out. You refused to get within ten feet of me.”
Glancing down, Vanessa rubbed the bridge of her nose, wondering how they had strayed off the subject. She decided to use the opportunity to make him see that, unlike in the past, she wouldn’t be putting distance between them now…not as long as she was in control.
“Forget about the past, Cameron, because I’m within ten feet of you now, aren’t I? I’m sitting so close to you, I’m practically in your lap.”
A naughty smile touched his lips when he said in a low voice, “If you want to ease over into my lap, I won’t have a problem with it.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you won’t, but I need us to finish our discussion.”
“All right.”
“Like I said, we will put the past and our feelings behind us and start on that adventure you alluded to. But at the end of the twelve days, whatever we’ve shared will come to an end. No future. No promises. You will go your way and I will go mine, and if our paths cross again, which I’m sure they eventually will, given your close relationship with other members of my family, we will act as though nothing ever happened between us. There won’t be any repeat or any suggestion of such a thing. When this affair ends, it’s over. Totally and completely. Understood?”
He stared at her for a long moment but she refused to back down or wither under his gaze. She remained quiet and still while he considered her proposal.
Finally he spoke. “Yes, I understand but what happens if—”
When he stopped in midsentence she arched a brow and asked, “If what?”
“If we become addicted to each other. What if the intimacy is so good and we get so embodied into each other’s systems that we don’t want things to end? What if—”
Not wanting to hear any more, Vanessa reached out and pressed her fingers to his lips to silence his next words. She wished she hadn’t when the tip of his tongue lightly flicked across her fingers.
The action made her gasp, nearly took her breath away. But for some reason she couldn’t pull