She let her left foot rest between his legs, gently rubbing against his crotch. “How about now?”

He growled softly. “I think you know exactly what you’re doing.”

“Feet can be very sexual,” she said. “The next time you look at my foot, you’re going to remember what I did. It will be imprinted on your brain and because it was pleasurable, you’ll want me to do it again. And you’ll look at women’s feet in a whole different way.”

He picked her right foot up and pressed a kiss to her instep. “If this is how our little vacation is going to go, maybe we ought to go home right now.”

“I think maybe I need to open up your mind a bit more,” Rachel said. “Not every paraphilia is strange or dangerous. Some are fun to explore.”

“You learn something new every day.” Dec smiled, then turned his attention back to the road. Once they reached Wiscasset, they drove over the bridge and turned south, toward Boothbay. Rachel watched for the road marked on the map that would lead to the cabin.

“Whose place is this?” she asked.

“A client’s,” Dec said. “I installed the security system for him. He lives over in Europe for most of the year, but he said I could come out and use the place whenever I want.”

Rachel hadn’t had a vacation for years, beyond attending professional symposiums and conferences in the major capitals of the world. She hadn’t seen the point of traveling without anyone to share the experience with. Last summer she’d spent her time in Paris sitting alone at cafés, drinking coffee and reading rather than seeing the sights and enjoying the romantic atmosphere.

“So what is there to do around here?” she asked.

“I’m sure we can fish. Jack says there’s a small boat we can use. We can swim, though I’m not sure how warm the water will be. The cabin is built on a saltwater inlet. The shore is slab rock, but there’s a pier. And it’s pretty secluded. We can hike, too.”

“I probably should tell you that I’m not very outdoorsy,” she said.

“Indoorsy can be good,” he said, glancing over at her. Dec steered the car down a narrow dirt drive and slowly, the woods opened up to reveal a rustic log cabin. It had obviously been built recently, but everything had been done to make it look as if it had been a part of the landscape for years.

Rachel gasped. “Wow, this is nice.”

He pulled the car to a stop, then jumped out and circled around to open her door. She expected him to pull her along to the cabin, but the first thing he did was yank her into his arms and kiss her. He pressed her back against the car and took his time, exploring her mouth with his tongue, teasing and tasting until Rachel’s heart was pounding in her chest.

When he finally drew away, she was breathless and dizzy. “How long have you been waiting to do that?” she asked.

“It was a long drive,” Dec said, dropping a kiss at the base of her neck. He grabbed her bag from the backseat, then took her hand and walked along the path to the front porch.

As they climbed the steps, Rachel felt her nerves begin to flutter. There was no going back now. Whatever was going to happen between them, would probably happen here. Now that they were away from her stalker, he didn’t have to focus on protecting her. What else was there to do but let their attraction run its natural course? But was she ready to indulge in an affair with this man? She’d known him less than twenty-four hours and all she could think about was seducing him.

He punched a code into the keypad and the door clicked, then Declan swung it open in front of her. Rachel stepped inside and groaned softly as she scanned the interior. It was perfectly quaint and romantic, rustic yet modern, exactly the kind of place she’d picture for a romantic weekend getaway with a handsome man.

“I think we’ll be comfortable here,” he said.

She wandered around the cabin, then followed a short hallway down to a luxurious bathroom and two large bedrooms. The first bedroom contained a pair of bunk beds and the second had a king-size bed.

Dec rested his head on her shoulder as she stared at the huge bed. “I’ll take one of the bunks,” he murmured.

“Thanks,” she replied, her voice wavering slightly. If they slept together, it would have to be her choice. Dec was a gentleman, that much was clear. But when Rachel was around him, she didn’t feel much like being a lady.

He set her bag down at the foot of the bed, then walked back to the large main room. Rachel followed and joined him in the kitchen. “We should run into town and get groceries,” he said. “There’s a decent grocery store in Boothbay Harbor.”

“I think I’d like to take a shower,” Rachel replied. She hadn’t realized it until now, but she really hadn’t had a full night’s sleep for a few weeks. And this morning, she’d been up before dawn. “Would you mind if I stayed here?”

“I think you’re safe here alone,” he said. “Just don’t wander off into the woods and get eaten by a bear.”

“Would you save me if I did?”

He chuckled. “That’s my job, ma’am.”

They put together a grocery list, Rachel requesting good coffee, fresh fruit and chocolate. Dec made sure to add beer and wine to the list as well as ice cream. When he was ready to go, he gave her a quick kiss, then headed for the door.

Rachel followed him outside, the screen door slamming behind her, then waved as he drove back toward the main road. When the car had disappeared through the trees, she sighed softly.

The sun was beginning to set over the water and she watched until it dipped below the horizon, then walked back into the cabin. She turned on the lamps on her way to the bedroom, then stripped off her clothes before slipping into her silk robe. Grabbing a pillow, Rachel curled up on the bed and closed her eyes.

If she allowed herself to indulge, this could be a wonderfully satisfying stay. Taking that next step with Declan seemed like the most natural thing in the world. An image of him swirled in her mind, Declan naked, standing behind the glass door of the shower, his body visible but the details blurred. That body had been haunting her thoughts all day long and she couldn’t help but lose herself in detailed fantasies. What would it be like to have the chance to touch him, to explore every muscled limb and masculine angle?

Rachel smiled as she let the fantasy take hold, imagining the feel of his mouth on her skin, the soft sounds he made when he kissed her and the delicious strength of his embrace. She’d never completely surrendered to a man, afraid that by doing so, she’d somehow diminish her own identity. But Rachel wanted, just once her life, to feel that complete capitulation, when she let go of all her inhibitions and allowed instinct to take over.

Sex was a powerful thing between a man and a woman, an intimacy that left both partners completely vulnerable. Rachel wanted to see that vulnerability in Dec, to look into his eyes as he buried himself inside her, to watch his face as he climaxed, and then to curl up in his arms and sleep until they were ready to do it again.

She had two days and two nights to make the fantasy a reality. Rachel knew exactly how to seduce him, how to make him want her unconditionally. Every trick that a woman had ever plied in pursuit of a man had been researched and defined and quantified. An expert like her could draw a road map to a night in bed together.

But using her knowledge to make Dec want her seemed a bit manipulative. He ought to desire her for his own reasons, not for the reasons she put into his head. Rachel groaned and rolled over, burying her face in the pillow. She was playing with fire and every moment she spent with Declan, she came closer and closer to the heat.

But the heat felt good and the danger made things even more exciting. Rachel wanted to burn, to let their desire burst into flames and consume them both. And if it left her a little scorched, that was all right. A night with Declan would be worth it.

DEC BENT FORWARD TO scan the contents of the refrigerator. Though he’d come home with bags of groceries, nothing he bought really appealed to him. He’d been lying awake in his bottom bunk for nearly three hours, thinking about the woman sleeping in the bedroom across the hall and wondering what she’d do if he crawled into bed beside her.

Since the moment they’d met, they’d played at romance, kissing and touching, knowing the moment would come when they’d both finally forget their reservations and do what their libidos wanted them to. But Declan couldn’t entirely put aside the job he’d been charged to do. Starting a relationship with the woman he was supposed to protect was not the smartest move in the world. They’d have to go back to Providence in a few days and then, he’d return to his role as protector. In truth, becoming Rachel’s lover headed his list of really dumb ideas.

But a woman like Rachel just didn’t walk into his life every day. Hell, he was even willing to give up the celibacy pact with his brothers for a chance to be with her, and Dec couldn’t recall ever deliberately losing a challenge to Ian and Marcus. He’d concede this one though, gladly.

He swung the refrigerator door shut then grabbed a pint of ice cream from the freezer and a spoon from the drawer. He’d returned from his shopping trip ready to prepare a late dinner and enjoy a bottle of wine with Rachel. But he’d found her sound asleep on the bed, curled up like a kitten, a pillow clutched to her body.

The past few weeks had taken their toll on her and for the first time, she could put her worries aside and completely relax. Even if that was all that happened during their stay, it would be worth the trip. So he’d closed the bedroom door and let her sleep.

As he walked out onto the porch, the cool night air hit his skin and he sighed. Though her comfort was important to him, his primary focus was still on catching her stalker. But for the next few days, he’d left that to some of his very qualified investigators. If they did their jobs well and caught the creep, Rachel would be able to return to her everyday life when they returned to Providence.

Strangely enough, he hoped that she’d need his protection for a bit longer. He certainly never expected to enjoy living with her-but he did. He’d never thought he’d be interested in spending all of his time with just one woman-but he did. And though he’d had a few serious relationships in the past, none of them had worked quite like his relationship with Rachel did.

From the moment they’d met, he’d felt completely at ease with her, as if he had nothing to hide. So often, he’d jumped head-first into a relationship, spending the passion and desire quickly before growing bored with what was left over. But now, he was almost afraid to experience further intimacies with Rachel, afraid that there was actually something between them worth exploring.

But what was it? Why did he find her so undeniably alluring? In the past, he’d always felt as if there were someone better out there, just waiting for him. But he couldn’t really imagine anyone more beautiful, more interesting, more intelligent than Rachel. And the way she had of cutting right through all the silly bullshit and ridiculous games, of getting to the heart of their attraction, was refreshing. Rachel didn’t try to manipulate his emotions and Declan liked that about her.

“You’re awake.”

He turned to find her standing behind the screen door, her hair tousled by sleep, her silk robe shifted off one shoulder. “I couldn’t sleep,” Dec said.

“Me, neither,” she said. “I had a bad dream. What time is it?”

“Three, maybe four in the morning. The sun will be up before too long.”

She smiled as she pushed the door open. “I guess I did sleep. I’m sorry.”

“You were lying there so peacefully when I got back, I didn’t want to wake you.”

She nodded, then crossed the porch to lean up against the railing beside him. She had no right to look so damn beautiful, so incredibly kissable. But she did and there was no way he could deny the desire racing through him.

He turned his attention to the ice cream, uneasy with the need that bubbled up inside of him every time she was near. He scooped out a spoonful and held it out to her. Rachel took the spoon in her mouth and smiled. “Ummm.”

A shiver shot through him as her tongue flicked at the corner of her mouth. Dec took a little more ice cream himself, letting it melt in his mouth before swallowing it. He was right to want her, yet at the same time, he knew he shouldn’t act on his feelings. Unless Rachel gave him an open invitation, he wouldn’t make the first move.

He fed her another spoonful and she looked up at him, her eyes wide, her lips damp and gleaming in the soft light filtering through the cabin windows. “Do you want to touch me?” she asked.