After dinner, Nate lit the hurricane lamp against the growing darkness. He poured them both a glass of liqueur and they compared the movies, TV shows and books they liked, and the music they were into. Nate sipped his drink, enjoying the way they could talk together so easily. He loved the sound of her laugh and the way she tossed her head, her curls bouncing around her face.

She was so vibrant, he could hardly drag his gaze away from her. How could Suzie doubt herself? If only he could show her how incredible she was. At least he could make love to her the way she deserved. He’d make tonight special. As she’d said, this was their last night together.

Unless there was a way to see each other again. Maybe it needn’t be their last night?

But spending time with her was addictive, and if he got in any deeper he wouldn’t be able to stop. Nate had sworn off long-term relationships for good reason. The more people he cared about, the more vulnerable he was, and why risk the pain of a relationship that would most likely fail anyway?

Suzie should be with someone who wanted the same things she did, and one day she’d no doubt want a family of her own. Nate could never give her that. He wouldn’t have children, not after what had happened to Harrison’s daughter.

Besides, he and Suzie worked in different cities. They’d have no future beyond tonight, so he’d make love to her knowing he’d never get to do it again. And he’d do it his way.

Nate wasn’t like Troy, or any of the bad boys Suzie had dated. Tonight he’d show her who he really was. He’d be out in the open. Literally. And why not, when it was such a beautiful night? All he needed was to set it up.

Nate drained the last of his drink and went to the forward cabin. That bed was narrower than the one in the stern, so the mattress would be easier to move.

“What are you doing?” Suzie asked, as Nate hoisted the mattress and bedding, muscled it up the steps to the cockpit, then onto the deck. He dumped the whole lot near the bow where Suzie had been sunbathing that first day. So much had happened since then, it seemed they’d been two different people who’d argued with such passion. He smiled. They still had passion, that was for sure.

She joined him on deck and he motioned upwards.

“Look at that.” The stars were brighter than he’d ever seen outside a planetarium, and he could pick out different colors – not just white, but red, blue, and yellow. The Milky Way looked like glittering milk powder scattered across the sky.

“Wow,” she whispered, moving so close he could feel her body heat. Her head was craned up, her eyes wide and catching the starlight. “It’s lovely out here. Who knew there were so many stars?”

He pulled her close. “Speaking of heavenly bodies…”

The starlight was bright enough that he could admire the deep bow of her lips before he kissed her smile away. She tasted of sweet liqueur. Delicious.

He took his time over the kiss, enjoying the feel of her and the instant arousal her touch always caused. Then he slipped his hands underneath her T-shirt, stroking her back. Her skin was warm and silky. As he tugged the shirt up, she lifted her arms to help it come off over her head. His own shirt dropped to the deck a moment later. This time when they kissed, he could run his hands up the length of her back, enjoying the way her long curls tickled his hands.

When she took a step back from him, he wanted to protest. But she shucked off her shorts and panties and lay down, wearing nothing but an alluring smile. The words died on his lips. Tonight, he had to be the luckiest man alive.

He eased down next to her and drew her close so he could murmur in her ear. “You’re lovely enough to stop my heart, you know that?”

She bent her head so she could put her ear against his chest. “Liar. It’s still beating.”

He laughed. “Actually, it’s beating pretty hard right now. It’s either going to stop or burst.”

“In that case, we’d better make the most of what little time you have left.” She stroked the bulge in the front of his shorts.

“At least I’ll die happy.” Pulling his shorts off, he kissed her again. He loved the feel of her nipples against his bare chest, her long hair tickling his shoulder, and his naked length pressing against her warm belly. He loved her low, throaty laugh, and the way she dragged her fingernails slowly up his spine.

Was he falling for her?

He knew better than to open his heart, especially to someone he’d never see again. He couldn’t afford to fall for her…

But the thought disappeared as she wrapped her fingers around his cock. She stroked his length, then cupped his balls with her free hand. He breathed out hard. If she did that, he wouldn’t last nearly as long as he intended to. No, he wanted to taste her again, to lick her slowly, savoring every moment, and every inch of skin.

He started with her neck, kissing his way down to the base of her throat. Then he moved to her breasts. Her nipples had some serious attitude, the way they stood up and saluted. He licked them approvingly, then nuzzled the swell of her breast beneath her nipple. That curve of skin fit perfectly into his hand, and he stilled for moment, studying its delicate shape. “I think this could be my favorite part of your body,” he mused. “Although, to be fair, the jury’s still deliberating.”

“Really?” There was a laugh in her voice. “But what about this part just here?” She ran her fingers lightly down her stomach, bumping over her silver belly-button ring, and stopping just above her pubic hair.

He bent his head and gently licked the trail her fingers had made, grazing the tip of his tongue across her skin. “Mmm,” he agreed. “A strong contender. The jury’s got a difficult decision to make.”

“And have they taken this part into consideration?” Her fingers disappeared between her thighs for a moment. Hell, she was sexy. He followed them eagerly, flicking his tongue across her sensitive skin. Her gasp of pleasure made his blood pulse even harder. She spread her legs for him, giving him access to explore her. When he pushed two fingers inside her, she gripped his shoulder and gave a low moan.

Her fingers buried into his hair as he moved further down so he could lick her. He loved the way she tasted, and the way she quivered when he ran his tongue over her. Even when she clutched his hair tight enough to hurt, it only made him more aroused. He couldn’t get enough of her. He wanted her to come in his mouth, to feel her shuddering climax before he gave in to his aching cock and slid into her.

Her moans were a drug that he couldn’t get enough of. He was an addict for her pleasure.

“Please,” she panted. “Please. Yes. Oh, yes.”

Nate flicked his tongue faster across her, and plunged his fingers into her. Her fingernails dug into his scalp, but he didn’t care. She was close.

With a long, shuddering cry, her muscles tightened.

Her release gave him the strangest sensation. Strange, because he felt it in every cell of his body, as though he were the one who was orgasming. Of course, he knew he wasn’t, but an intense warmth and pleasure surged through him anyway. The moan she made was the sweetest music he could have heard. The way she clenched around his fingers sent shivers over his skin. His own cock throbbed, but it didn’t seem to matter. All he cared about was drawing her pleasure out as long as he possibly could. Her pleasure was his. It was everything.

When she was spent, he held her, letting her breathing calm. Though he was painfully hard, there was no urgency in his need for her. Her body shuddering in his arms was all the satisfaction he needed. Her limbs were limp and her kiss languid, and that made him feel utterly at peace.

He was so relaxed, he didn’t even feel that alarmed. Not even when he asked himself again, Nate, are you falling for her?

But it was a question he didn’t want to answer. Now wasn’t the time to think about it, so he pulled her on top of him so he could watch her move with the stars behind her. Their silver light highlighted her skin in all the right places. With her head thrown back and her hair tumbling around her torso, she was so beautiful, he could hardly believe she was real.

But she felt very real.

Especially when she positioned him under her, and he felt the intense, exquisite pleasure of sliding slowly into her.

He wanted to tell her how perfect she was, but all he could do was groan. She pushed down until he was buried deep inside her, then pulled up again. He put his hands around her hips, loving her curves. If only this night could last forever.

But the way he felt, that wasn’t going to happen. In fact, if she kept riding him like that — oh yeah, like that — he wasn’t going to last at all.

He wanted her to come again. And this time he wanted to be looking into her eyes as they both plunged over the edge.

Shit. He had to be falling for her.

The thought should have terrified him, but as she increased her rhythm, her breath coming faster, there wasn’t enough room left in his brain for anything but pleasure. Anything but her. The only things in his universe were her gorgeous curves, the way her curls danced over her breasts, and her cupid’s bow, accentuated in the moonlight. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and he had to bite down hard to stop himself coming too soon. He was determined not to come until she did.

Then her cries of pleasure started, and the feeling of her orgasm sent him spiraling into ecstasy. With her head thrown back and her body shuddering, she was utterly gorgeous. He had to close his eyes as the sensation flooded his body, so strong it overloaded all his senses.

It seemed to go on for a very long time, and as it started to fade, he had an odd feeling that for a moment they hadn’t been two separate people at all, but a single entity, a tangle of limbs and sensations, joined in perfect unity.

When it was over, he lay on his back with her head on his shoulder, and stroked her skin as she snuggled into him. He stared up into the night sky, getting his breathing under control. She sighed with pleasure, playing with the light hairs on his chest. He kissed her forehead. Neither of them spoke for a while, and he thought she was enjoying the same incredible flush of complete satisfaction as he was feeling. He’d never felt this good in his entire life, not that he remembered.

Suddenly he felt the urge to try to put how he was feeling into words. And why not? She’d already turned him inside out and it was too late to worry about being vulnerable.

“The stars are gorgeous,” murmured Suzie. “When I was a kid, I dreamed of seeing them up close and looking at the Earth from space. I know I’ll never get to do it, but wouldn’t it be amazing to be an astronaut?”

He traced the moon and stars design on her shoulder. “Is that where your tattoo came from?”

“I figured if I was never going to get there, I’d have to carry a few stars around with me instead.” She gave a contented sigh. “It’s so clear tonight. I’ve never seen this many before. Have you?”

“Not even close.” He nuzzled her hair, loving the way it smelled. Like soap, only fresher, and with a hint of cinnamon. “But it’s not just the stars that are different tonight. Everything seems to have changed.”

She lifted her head so she could see his face. “What do you mean?”

How to explain it, this feeling rising from deep inside him? He hardly knew what he wanted to say, only that words were rising up too, and he didn’t want to hold them back.

He drew in a breath. “I must have looked up into the night sky a thousand times. Of course, the light pollution in New York makes it hard to see anything and even when I travelled to other places, I mostly saw a fraction of these stars. Even in Hawaii, it wasn’t like this. You come to accept what you see all the time as being the way things are.” He tightened his arm around her. “Except now, looking into a perfectly clear sky, I can feel my view of the universe shifting. I knew in the right conditions millions of stars would be visible, but it didn’t seem real until now. Until I could look up and see them.”

“I get what you mean.” When Suzie smiled, her cupid’s bow caught the light. How could such a tiny thing as the curve in her top lip have such a profound effect on him? The warmth that flooded through him at the sight was about as logical as the way he wanted to bury his nose in her hair so he could remember her smell forever. But it felt good. She felt good.

Suzie rested her head back on his shoulder and Nate smoothed a curl away from her face. “You’re like those stars,” he murmured. “All this time I’ve been walking around assuming people are like the sky in New York. But you’re like what I can see up there. You’re more than anyone I’ve ever known.” He gave a soft laugh. “That makes no sense, but it’s the way I feel.”

Did he want to break his ‘no relationships’ rule? The thought should set alarm bells jangling. Yasmina’s death had cut too deeply to leave himself open to pain like that again.

He couldn’t protect Suzie. What if something happened to her?

But even that terrible thought couldn’t break through the deep sense of peace he felt. Still, he’d need to talk the implications through with her in the morning, because taking it further wasn’t something he’d do lightly. But how could he not want more of this?

There was silence for a moment, and when she spoke her voice wasn’t quite steady. “I think that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

She lifted her head and kissed him so deeply and thoroughly that, against all expectation, he felt blood pumping into the part of him he was sure was exhausted. She must have noticed him hardening against her belly, because she broke off their kiss and gave a breathless little laugh. “Again?” One of her eyebrows lifted. “Not that I’m complaining. No, I think impressed is the word I’d use.”

“It’s your fault,” he protested. “You’re a disruptive influence, just like Mr Coleman used to say in science class.”

Stroking his length, her fingers banished any last trace of softness. “I’m not sure this is exactly what Mr Coleman was talking about.”

“I sincerely hope not.” His fingers found where she was wet and eager for him. “But just in case, let’s conduct a scientific experiment.”

“What kind of experiment?” Her voice was throaty as he kissed her neck.

“I’d like to study how long I can do this.” Demonstrating with one hand, he pulled a low, deep moan of pleasure from her. “Before neither of us can stand it and I have to slide inside you again.”

She dug her fingers into his back and bit his ear lobe. “Turns out science can be fun. Who knew?”