The Baby Arrangement. Lisa Dyson
rose, pulling her up with him until they were both standing. He deepened the kiss and her body kept screaming that she wanted more.
He suddenly lifted her, and her legs wrapped around his waist. He carried her to the bed without removing his mouth from hers. She touched him everywhere she could reach—his back, his hair, his face, his arms, his butt. She couldn’t get enough.
He caressed her, as well, his large hands learning her body. When he stopped kissing her suddenly and pulled back to look her in the eyes, she groaned. She didn’t want him to stop. She didn’t want this to be a repeat of how he’d ended their kiss on the beach.
“Are you completely sober?” A strange question to ask her at this moment.
“Yes, I’m sober. Why?” She ran her hand down his chest to his abs, lingering on the button at his waistband.
He grabbed her hand and held it in his. “I’m serious. I don’t take advantage of inebriated women. I’m pretty sure neither of us was in good enough shape to do anything last night, but if you’re sure you’re sober enough to consent—” he grinned and waggled his eyebrows “—then I plan on taking full advantage.”
She grinned back. “Would you like it in writing or is my word good enough?”
His answer came in his extremely adept actions. Words were definitely unnecessary.
QUITE A WHILE LATER, after a most satisfying time in bed, Bree and Nick moved their activities to the shower. Still breathing hard, Nick reached around Bree’s wet and sexy body to turn off the water. She was facing away from him, and when she leaned back into him, she ran her hands up and down the outside of his wet thighs. He kissed the side of her neck and pressed his hand to her abdomen. He slowly inched upward until he cupped her breast, teasing her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.
He kissed her shoulder and groaned. “You feel so good,” he whispered close to her ear before reaching for a towel for her and then one for him.
“Need help?” he asked when she turned toward him as he toweled off his hair.
She grinned back. “I think you’ve been quite enough help, thank you.”
He opened the glass shower door and exited, wrapping his towel around his waist and securing it.
“I’m starving,” he said as his stomach growled. “Want to grab breakfast?”
When she didn’t say anything, he turned to look at her. She’d wrapped her towel around her body and now held on to it tightly between her breasts. She seemed to be surprised by his question.
“It’s just a meal,” he said. “I could use some coffee and about a gallon of water. Plus food.”
“I know. But...the girls will be expecting me.” She removed the wet laundry bag from her foot and tossed it into the trash can.
“Sure. I understand. I hope they’re feeling better than we were when we woke up.” He grinned. “My head still feels like it could explode any minute.”
“Could have fooled me,” she quipped as she ran a comb through her hair. “Your head didn’t seem to bother you a little while ago.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I think I may have found the perfect hangover cure.”
She smiled at him in the mirror and he felt an unfamiliar twist in his gut. He really enjoyed being with her. “Maybe we can get together later today. You’re here until tomorrow, right?”
“Right. We leave tomorrow. I don’t remember what time. I’ll have to check and see what the girls have planned.” She sounded hesitant.
“Is something wrong?” He suddenly felt slightly unsure of himself.
She hobbled past him to the bathroom door and turned to face him. “No, nothing’s wrong.” She smiled, a pleasant smile. Almost a sympathetic smile. One to let him down easy? “I’ve had a great time with you, Nick—”
“But that’s it,” he finished for her. He raised his hands. “Hey, I get it. A vacation fling and all that. What happens here, stays here.” He could feel his blood pressure rising as he spoke. “We both have lives to get back to.”
“You’re not upset, are you? I thought you’d be relieved that I’m not going to become clingy just because we had sex.”
He should be feeling relief. He’d come here for the same reason. To relax for a few days before returning home to the problems that were mounting for him there.
He didn’t need to add another to the list.
“You’re right. Anything more right now isn’t an option for me anyway.”
“Same here,” Bree said. “My friends say I’m married to my job.”
“And what do you say?”
“I say I’m dedicated to my company and have no time or interest in a relationship.”
* * *
AFTER NICK LEFT, Bree limped around her cabin as she slowly got dressed. She could tell that Nick hadn’t liked that she’d been the one to say that nothing would come of the good time they’d had together. She really liked Nick, but she also knew that being in a relationship would take up too much of her time and she wanted to focus on her company right now.
She braided her wet hair and made her way toward the breakfast buffet in the main lodge of the resort, although she had no appetite. Which was surprising after all the physical activity she and Nick had engaged in. In fact, the mere thought of food had her stomach reacting negatively. What she really wanted was coffee. Maybe that would help this awful hangover, because the large amounts of water she’d consumed in her cabin hadn’t done a thing for her.
As soon as she entered the large dining room, she nearly left again but was stopped by her friends waving to her. The smell of the food was upsetting her stomach even more. She was definitely avoiding alcohol for the near—and far—future.
Maybe she just needed dry toast and some precious coffee. She was well-known for not being able to function without several cups of the stuff during the day. So she headed to her friends’ table, and they pulled up another chair for her to join them. They all started speaking to her at once.
“How are you feeling?” Hannah wanted to know.
“You don’t look so good,” Amber said, not hiding the truth. “Is your foot bothering you?”
“Why don’t I get you a coffee,” Roxie suggested, and left the table before Bree could reply.
“My foot’s the least of my problems. Can someone tell me what happened last night, please?” She looked directly at Amber and then Hannah. Although after what had taken place between her and Nick this morning, it didn’t matter so much whether they had done the nasty during the night. She’d just like to fill in the missing hours in her memory bank.
“You don’t remember?” Amber asked, while Hannah seemed to go slightly pale.
“I wouldn’t be asking if I remembered.”
Roxie set a cup of black coffee in front of Bree. One whiff of it nearly did her in, and she pushed the cup away.
“You really must not be feeling well,” Hannah said unnecessarily. “You never turn down coffee. Can I get you something else?”
When Bree could answer without gagging, she said, “Maybe dry toast.”
“I’ll be right back.”
“Thanks,” Bree whispered as Hannah left the table.
“Maybe you should go lie down for a while,” Roxie suggested.
Bree shook her head. Her hands flew to her