Page 4 of Summer Ride

“His name is Duke,” Carter said with a smile. “He loves all women that smell of honeysuckle.”

“Duke loves all people,” Andrea pointed out dryly. “But Kara does smell good.”

“Duke,” she said, and the horse nudged her again.

“Lunch?” Andrea said again.

They ate lunch in the shade of the trees while the horse nibbled on grass, bored now that he wasn’t allowed to play in the water any longer.

She could hardly remember anything they discussed during that first lunch. She barely remembered leaving the beach that day.

What she did remember was what happened ten minutes before her shift was over that evening, Carter walked into the pool house that housed the two private massage rooms.

She’d finished with her last client of the day almost half an hour before and was cleaning up. Andrea had left earlier for a dentist’s appointment.

“Hey, I thought you might like to grab some dinner,” Carter said casually.

The moment Carter’s eyes locked with hers, she knew what she wanted and what he wanted—and it wasn’t dinner.

What happened next would be her choice.

Kara Regan’s choice.

Without answering him, she locked the outer doors of the pool house, then flipped the open sign to the closed side.

When her knees threatened to buckle, she willed them to hold strong, to make it through what she had to do in order to gain the pleasure she knew she needed. Wanted.

It wouldn’t be the first time she’d made that choice. She’d learned that the act itself was nice when she wanted it. And something told her that she’d want it a lot with him.

Being with Carter was one of the easiest decisions she’d ever made.

Pressing her body against his, she took that first kiss, and when she felt him respond, she took it deeper until they were both vibrating. When his hands gripped her hips, something deep inside her shifted. It was something she’d never felt before, like a damn breaking free. And she didn’t want to control it.

“You’re sure?” Carter asked as she pulled him towards one of the massage rooms.

She stopped and smiled up at him. “Are you?”

That smile of his almost broke her. Almost had her bursting right there before he’d even touched her.

Here was someone good. She could tell by just looking deep into those chocolate eyes. Knew it by the innocence of his smile. He was genuine.

Did she deserve that? Would she corrupt it?

Whatever happened between them now, she could not afford to ruin him. No matter what.

She thought of backing out. Of telling him that it was a mistake. But then he pulled her closer and kissed her until all of her willpower dissolved.

He shoved her back up against the wall as his hands roamed quickly over her entire body.

The khaki shorts and camp tank top that she wore as a uniform each day were tossed aside while she fumbled with his clothes, then pulled them off.

For a moment she enjoyed the feeling of his muscular arms, his firm chest and belly under her fingertips. He had a light dusting of dark hair that she enjoyed running her fingers through. Then he gripped her wrists and pulled them over her head as he dipped his head and sucked in her nipple. She arched, moaned, begged for her release.

His hands moved over her hips, her butt, then he quickly lifted her and carried her through the doorway into the back massage room.

When he gently laid her down and covered her, she tried to hold onto the feelings that flooded her system. She knew that those first few moments of being with someone were the sweetest nectar.

They erased everything that had come before. Voided the pain, the bad memories, and replaced them with joy, excitement, desire.