Chapter 5

Regan was too shocked to respond instantly, but once Sawyer had her pinned up against the wall and his tongue licked her bottom lip, she was lost. Dropping her purse to the floor, she wrapped her arms around Sawyer’s neck, and managed to pull back enough to say, “How did you know I’d come here?”

He had a dirty comeback for her but didn’t dare say it. “Wishful thinking,” he panted as he dove back in for another hot, wet kiss. Sawyer knew he hadn’t played fair; he’d essentially dared her to show up and be alone with him. It was childish and a huge risk, but he was relieved it had paid off. Regan was here in his arms and he wasn’t about to let her run off anytime soon.

She tore her mouth away. “Just for the record, you kissed me first.”

Sawyer chuckled. “Just for the record,” he said and bit down gently on her earlobe, “I know.” He went for her lips again but she ducked her head to the side. “What?” He said a silent prayer she wasn’t reconsidering her options or regretting being here, because he didn’t think he’d be able to survive if she left again.

“I just…” Regan said. What? she screamed to herself. What could you possibly have to say right now that is better than having Sawyer’s hands and mouth all over you? “I just wanted you to know I didn’t come here for this.”

Sawyer’s smile turned wicked as he leaned into her, resting his forehead on hers. “I know. But I also know I seriously goaded you into being here.” Very tenderly, he placed a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose. “I wanted you here that badly.”

When his deep green eyes met hers, she was lost. “I wanted to be here, too,” she admitted shyly.

“Are we done talking?”

Regan nodded. “Most definitely.” She wasn’t aware a man could move so quickly. Sawyer bent at the knees and wrapped her legs around his waist as he pressed fully into her so she could feel how glad he was that she was there with him. A soft gasp escaped her lips right before he claimed them again. It was hot and urgent. Regan knew there was nowhere else she’d rather be than right here, right now, with this man.

It all became clear in an instant that this was destined to happen; from the first moment she’d seen him, touched him—even in the most casual of ways—it was all leading up to this moment. Regan had never felt such an instant connection to a man, such an urgent need. She needed Sawyer like she needed her next breath.

And right now, she was gasping for her next breath because of all the wonderfully wicked things he was doing to her. Sawyer’s hands skimmed up her sides, her back still braced against the wall. He gently teased the undersides of her breasts and she almost came undone. She gasped his name before uttering, “Bed. Now. Please.” Although the whole up-against-the-wall thing could be interesting, right now Regan wanted to feel the weight of Sawyer on top of her.

Naked.

No sooner were the words out of her mouth than she found herself sprawled out on the king-size bed with Sawyer stretched out beside her. “Promise me you’re not leaving,” he said, staring intently into her eyes. “Tell me what you want.” His words were spoken so low and so deep they were nearly a growl.

Regan was never one to be bold, but right now, under the intensity of Sawyer’s gaze, she was. Slowly, she lifted her shirt over her head and faced him in her simple black skinny jeans and a hot-pink lace bra.

“You’re killing me,” he said, entranced by the mere sight of her. His finger lazily traced the outline of the cups of her bra and he hissed when her nipples pebbled as he breathed over them. “From the first time I saw you in the sparkly T-shirt, I wondered what you were wearing underneath.” He removed his finger from her breast and reached up to trace her cheek. “This is better than I fantasized.”

“You fantasized about my underwear?” she teased.

Sawyer leaned forward to trace the line of one full cup with his tongue. “No,” he said simply. “I fantasized about you.”

Then they were done talking. Again. Regan lost track of how the rest of her clothes fell away. She couldn’t remember how she found the strength to have Sawyer stop touching her while she removed his swim trunks. But the next thing she knew they were both sighing with pleasure at the full skin-on-skin contact from head to toe.

Sawyer’s hands were everywhere, his mouth never far behind. Regan found herself on the brink several times, but Sawyer wasn’t ready to let her come yet; he seemed content to take his time loving every single inch of her. “Sawyer, please,” she begged, needing him more than she’d thought possible and finding she didn’t want to wait another moment to feel him inside her.

They were on the same page, because in the next instant he was kneeling between her legs, sheathing himself with a condom. His expression told her he was just as close to the edge as she was. “I’m not making any promises, Regan,” he said seriously, dipping his head to suckle on one of her nipples. “I feel like I’ve waited a lifetime for you. This is going to be fast and it’s going to be hard, but I promise you, the next time will be better.”

He didn’t wait for a response; he surged forward, his eyes locked on Regan’s. When hers closed, he commanded her to open them back up and to look at him. He needed to watch her and wanted her to see into his very soul as he loved her. She was wrapped tightly around him, and Sawyer swore when he was buried as deep as he could possibly get.

Perfect.

It didn’t take long for Regan to climax once he was inside her, crying out his name over and over as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her. Never in her life could she remember an orgasm as intense as what she was feeling. The longer he moved inside her, the more sensitized she became, until she wasn’t sure the feeling would ever end.

As promised, once Sawyer found his rhythm, he all but lost control. She was too…everything. The feel of her, the sounds she made, the look in her eyes as they glazed over when he drove into her harder and faster…he was on sensory overload. His eyes started to shut. He was so close. Just another thrust—

“Look at me,” she whispered, and that was all it took. His gaze shifted to Regan’s and he lost the battle for control, filling her with everything he had. Their bodies were sheened with sweat. As soon as the waves of pleasure began to subside, Sawyer leaned down and kissed her and knew it wasn’t enough. One time wouldn’t be enough; hell, he was pretty certain a lifetime might not be enough.

He settled lightly on top of her and if anything, Regan wrapped herself even more snugly around him. It took a while for their breathing to settle and when Sawyer felt he could move, he rolled over and tucked Regan at his side. She placed a hand over his heart and sighed contentedly. When her breathing returned to normal, she said, “Wow.”

Sawyer pulled her close and relished the feel of her beside him. “You were pretty ‘wow’ yourself.” He kissed the top of her head, unsure what else to say. He had played dirty to get her here, but there were certainly no regrets. The fact that Regan was silent had him worrying that she did. Reaching up, he tucked a finger under her chin to force her to look at him. “You’re not sorry you’re here, are you?”

Regan shook her head. “No,” she whispered. “I’m not. I’ll admit I’ve never quite done anything like this, but…”

“Well, you were a natural,” he teased, and she pinched him. “Hey!” he yelled with a laugh.

“I don’t mean I’ve never had sex before, I just never…lost control with anyone so entirely. I don’t know what you do to me, Sawyer Bennett, but I think I like it.” She smiled up at him and Sawyer was lost. She was so beautiful, she fit him so perfectly, and he knew he had finally found that something elusive he hadn’t even been aware he was searching for.

“Well,” he said silkily, “if you liked that, then you’re going to love this.” And lightning-quick, he had her on her back again and was ravaging her mouth. “I believe I made some grand statement earlier,” he said when he finally released her kiss-swollen lips. “Something about the next time being better.”

Regan pretended to have to think about it. “Oh yeah,” she said, deep in thought. “I think I remember something about that.” She shrugged. “I’m not sure you can do much better than what we just did. After all,” she said and had to stop herself from giggling, “I thought it was okay.”

“Okay?” he sputtered. Pinning her hands up above her head, Sawyer gave her a devilish grin. “Sweetheart, I can guarantee you by the time I’m done, okay will be a distant memory.”

Her legs snaked out to wrap around his waist. “I’m counting on it.”

* * *

The sun was setting and Sawyer was curled around Regan’s back. He wanted to know more about her, so he jumped in at the only place he could think of to start. “So tell me,” he said quietly, placing a kiss on the side of her neck, “why won’t you buy your mom’s house?” Her body stiffened at the mention of the house, but his whispered question had her softening against him.

“I have a place of my own,” she said simply.

“Regan…” he said and heard her sigh.

“A lot of men are intimidated by the fact that I own my own business,” she said, and when Sawyer didn’t respond, she continued. “I’m an independent woman. I take pride in the fact that I was able to start a business that is successful and thriving.”

“As you should.”

“Well, you would not believe how many men find that to be a bad thing.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Most men claim they want an independent woman, but if she’s successful or more successful than them, it’s not such a good thing.” She thought briefly about the last guy she had dated and how much he used to complain about all the time she spent at the spa. In the end he had asked her to choose—she chose the business and never looked back. “Then there’s the fact that I’m a little old-fashioned.”

Sawyer’s brow furrowed with the last comment. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Well, I don’t know if that’s the right way to put it, but…if a man has a problem with me owning my own business, then he’s definitely going to have a problem if I own my own house too.”

“You own your townhouse, don’t you?”

Regan nodded. “I do, but it’s small, perfect for one person, maybe a couple, but not someplace you’d stay long term.”

“So you think that’s safe? And men don’t find it intimidating?”

“Oh, I know they don’t. Owning the townhouse shows that I’m practical, possibly good with money. But if I were to own a home the size of my mother’s, I don’t see a guy feeling good about moving into it. Like maybe I would have more of a say in things since it’s my house.”

“I’m sure there are men out there who wouldn’t mind that at all.”

“Sure, men who still live at home with their mommies and are looking to skate through life with everyone else taking care of them. I believe a marriage should be a partnership, but the man should be the head of the household.”

“Ah, there’s the old-fashioned coming through.”

Regan nodded. “I know it’s silly and maybe an outdated way of living, but…my parents had a great marriage. My mother worked until I was born, and then she was a stay-at-home mom for years. She went back to work part-time once I was in school, and when I got older, she went back full-time. My father passed away when I was sixteen, and from that point on, she and I were a team. The only reason I was able to open the spa was because of my mother. She’s my partner. My father’s life insurance policy helped us get started. As independent as we both are, I still can see every day that she’s not comfortable being in control of everything. She misses my dad.”

“Well, of course she does, Regan. She obviously loved him.”

“It was more than that—they were one. I want that. I want to find someone who’s not in a competition and there’s no mine or his—there’s simply ours.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” he said—although it bothered him that she might be telling him all this because he wasn’t that person. He automatically hated the man she deemed worthy of being made one with her. Sawyer already knew it could, and should, be him.

He just had to convince Regan of it.