Her tongue danced over the tip of his erection, sending currents of pleasure racing through his body. When she took him inside her mouth, the shock of her caress made his knees weak. Ian had enjoyed this particular act many times in the past, but he’d never felt such an intense connection to his reactions. Or to the woman causing them.

Every movement brought him closer to the edge, but he fought it, wanting these strange and wonderful sensations to last. He looked down, but the sight of her, kneeling in front of him, her lips surrounding him, only brought him closer to completion, his orgasm just a heartbeat away.

A knock sounded on the door, but Marisol didn’t seem to notice. “Busy,” he called, his voice cracking slightly. And then, from out of nowhere, the orgasm hit him, sending a deep shudder through his body. He stifled a cry and tried to stop the spasms, but then realized that he didn’t want to.

She took him in, continuing to surround him with her tongue and her lips, sapping him of every last bit of his desire. When it was finally finished, Ian looked down at her and found her smiling, satisfied that she’d pleasured him well. She ran her tongue over him one last time, then slowly stood.

“You’re making me crazy,” he murmured, breathless and spent.

She reached for the glass of champagne he’d set on the sink and took a long sip, then placed a kiss on the center of his chest. “Get dressed,” she said. “I’ll meet you outside.”

With that, Marisol slipped out of the bathroom. Ian quickly reached over and locked the door again, then drew a long, deep breath. Hell, if he had to pay his brothers ten thousand to break their celibacy pact he would. He intended to have as much of Marisol Arantes as he wanted and he wasn’t about to put a price on that kind of pleasure.

3

“HE CERTAINLY IS HANDSOME.”

Marisol nodded as she watched Ian converse with a small group of men. She wasn’t sure what they were discussing, but they seemed to be engaged in a very animated debate. In truth, she was surprised he fit in so easily. The society crowd could be closed-minded and judgmental at times. But Ian didn’t seem impressed by the wealth or position of the people around him and they didn’t question who he was or why he’d been invited to the party.

“I guess, when I moved to Bonnett Harbor, I really didn’t expect to find anyone that interesting,” she murmured.

“And is he interesting?” Sascha asked, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

Marisol nodded. “He’s different. He doesn’t have an agenda, he’s just who he is,” she added.

“Unlike David?”

She winced at the mention of his name. “Maybe,” Marisol replied. “It really doesn’t matter, though, because I’m just using him for sex.” The minute the words were out of her mouth, she regretted saying them. Perhaps it was the truth, but she respected Ian enough not to take their attraction lightly. It wasn’t just the physical connection they shared that fascinated her. There was something more to this man, something hidden beneath the surface that she found undeniably attractive. She hadn’t known him long enough to define what it was.

Sascha took a sip of her champagne as she scanned the guests on the terrace. “Speaking of lying, cheating scumbags, I spoke with David a few days ago. He and the Brazilian have parted ways. He actually admitted that conversation with her was such a chore he couldn’t stand her any longer. And, he asked how you were doing. I think he might give you a call. In fact, I expected him to turn up here tonight.”

There had been a time, before she’d met Ian, when Sascha’s revelation would have thrilled her. But now, Marisol felt nothing but mild annoyance. How could she possibly care what David said or thought when she had Ian to occupy her fantasies? “When you see him again, tell him I’m not interested.”

Sascha frowned. “You said it yourself, Mari. This Quinn is a temporary thing, so why close the door on David? You two were so good together.”

“Looking back on it, I don’t think we were,” Marisol said. In truth, she and Ian were much better together and they barely knew each other.

“You’re just saying that because you’re all caught up in this new man. Everything is very exciting. But this passion will fade, you know it will.”

Marisol nodded, but she couldn’t completely agree with Sascha’s statement. There was something about the way Ian touched her, the way he made her feel, that seemed to hold so much promise. Their attraction was a mystery and no matter how she looked at it, it didn’t make much sense. He wasn’t the type of man she usually found herself falling for.

But then, maybe that was the answer. She wasn’t falling for him. She was simply infatuated, as Sascha had said, swept away by the growing intimacy between them and by the fantasies yet to be explored.

“Have I stayed here long enough?” Marisol asked.

“Have you talked to everyone, introduced yourself and told them about the opening?”

She nodded, then reached into her purse and found her car keys, handing them to Sascha. “Can you make it back on your own?”

“And how are you getting home?”

Marisol nodded to Ian. “Park the car in front of the gallery and put the keys behind the potted tree to the left of the door.”

Sascha leaned closer and gave Marisol a peck on both cheeks. “Be careful. You don’t know much about this man. Don’t trust him so easily, all right? After that mess with David, you didn’t work for three months. I can’t afford you falling into a funk-and neither can you.”

Marisol walked away from Sascha, her attention now fixed firmly on Ian. He looked so different in the jacket and pressed shirt. Though it wasn’t as sexy as the uniform, it made him look less imposing, more approachable. He’d combed his hair, but the evening breeze had messed it up, the dark waves falling over his forehead. As she joined him, she fought the urge to reach up and brush the hair out of his eyes.

“Has everyone here been introduced to Marisol?” he asked, resting his hand on the small of her back. He made a few introductions and she listened distractedly, her attention focused on his hand. The simple yet possessive gesture sent a rush of warmth through her body and she held her breath as he let his palm drift slightly lower.

As they listened to the conversation, she imagined his thoughts were on seduction and not on the subject of the discussion, the current state of the stock market. Ian’s hand drifted up and down her back as he smoothed his palm against the silk dress, the sensations driving her mad with the need to touch him in return.

“Will you excuse us?” she suddenly said, taking Ian’s arm. They hurried back toward the house, Marisol pulling him along behind her.

“Are we going to the bathroom again?” Ian asked, offering slight resistance.

“We’re getting out of here,” she replied. “I’m tired, my feet hurt, and I can’t talk about myself any longer. These people bore me to death.” She turned to him. “And I have this overwhelming need to get naked with you. You don’t bore me.”

It was so easy with Ian, she mused. She didn’t hesitate to tell him exactly what she wanted. Maybe it was because he wanted the same thing. But it wasn’t just sex and the act of pleasuring each other that she enjoyed. It was the intimacy, the feeling that at the very moment he surrendered, she knew him better than any woman on the planet.

When they reached the privacy of the house, Marisol wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, her tongue offering a taste of temptation, her body molding to his. “It was nice of you to come,” she said as his hand skimmed along her spine to cup her backside. “But I think we should leave now.”

“Are you sure?” Ian asked. He kissed her again and again, short, sweet kisses all around her mouth, his breath coming in little gasps, his eyes shadowed with desire. They stumbled back into a dark corner, laughing softly as Marisol’s hand brushed the front of his linen trousers.

“Positive.”

“We’d better get out of here before we get caught,” he murmured as spun her around. “I do have a reputation to maintain.”

“And I don’t?” Marisol teased.

“You make sculptures of naked men. And you don’t wear underwear. I think people expect you to be a little wild.”

“There’s only one thing to do then,” she said, turning away from him. “I must find a way to ruin your reputation.”

“There you are!” Ian and Marisol jumped apart as Cheryl Templeton hurried into the room, flushed from too much champagne. She grabbed them both. “You’re not leaving? It’s early.”

Ian cleared his throat, then moved Marisol in front him, obviously embarrassed by the erection that pressed against his trousers. “Marisol has a lot of work to do before her opening,” he explained. “And I have to get back.”

“Oh, pooh,” Cheryl said. “Well, before you leave, I have to show you our new acquisition. Come, it’s in the library.”

She hurried ahead of them and Ian took Marisol’s hand, weaving his fingers through hers. They walked past the bathroom beneath the stairs and Ian made to pull her inside, but Marisol sent him a warning glare and dragged him back into the hallway.

“George hates it, but I love it,” Cheryl said, staring at the abstract oil. “Emory Colter’s work has grown so much in popularity over the past ten years that we paid far more for it than we intended. But I don’t care.”

She stood in front of Marisol and Ian and chattered on and on about the painting, about their art collection, about the artists she’d entertained. He bent close and dropped a kiss on Marisol’s bare shoulder, his lips warm and damp. She pulled away, but Ian moved behind her and wrapped his hands around her waist, smoothing his palms along her hips, then around to her belly and lower.

The silk provided no protection from his touch, the heat of his hands burning into skin. Marisol closed her eyes and leaned back against him as his hands moved up to cup her breasts. She didn’t care that there was another person in the room, yet she was aware that any moment Mrs. Templeton would turn around and see what was happening.

Why was she so defenseless against his touch? When he put his hands on her body, she lost the ability to think for herself. He took control and she was happy to surrender. Through half-hooded eyes, she watched their hostess, waiting for her to move and recognize what was going on behind her.

Ian’s thumbs brushed across her nipples, bringing them to hard peaks. Marisol reached back and ran her hands along his hips, rubbing against his erection, the silk transmitting the warmth and feel of him.

Suddenly, she regretted her decision not to duck into the bathroom. Any show of resistance was silly at this point. The attraction between them had become wildly overwhelming and she loved the way it made her feel-alive with excitement, as if every breath she took was filled with a hunger that begged to be sated.

When he touched her, or simply looked at her, she could think of nothing but tearing his clothes off and enjoying the pleasure of his body. And there were many pleasures to enjoy-his wide shoulders and narrow waist, his flat belly with the tiny trail of dark hair that led to temptations below. He had a small birthmark above his right hip and a scar on his left shoulder, just a few details she remembered from their time in the bathroom. But Marisol wanted more that just a map of his body. She wanted the key to his passion.

What made his heart pound, what made his desire for her burn? Did he like to be kissed in a certain way, was there something in her touch that made him hard and ready? And what would he feel when he finally moved inside her, when his orgasm overwhelmed him?

There were so many things she needed to know and she was impatient to learn it all, first in bed and then by sculpting him. Already, she could imagine Ian standing before her, quiet, still, relaxed and completely naked. But this time, she could touch him as she worked, run her hands along his flanks, explore the perfect curve of his backside and examine the beautiful line from his hip to his ankle.

“Well, I’m sure I’m boring you both to death.” Mrs. Templeton slowly turned and Ian’s hands immediately returned to his sides. Marisol felt a warm flush creep up her cheeks and was glad for the low lighting in the room.

“It’s a lovely piece,” Marisol said.

“And I can’t wait to get a look at your new work,” Cheryl countered. “Your friend here has been singing your praises all night.”

“Yes, well, I’m not getting much done lately,” Marisol explained, surprised that Ian had been talking about her. “And I really should work tonight.” She held out her hand. “Thank you for everything and would you say my goodbyes?”