Chapter 7

Sawyer wasn’t sure what he expected, but the sight of Regan storming around the house was almost comical. She would touch a wall or test a cabinet door and look at him and say, “Really?” Sarcasm was dripping from her tone and he had to do his best not to laugh.

“Is there a problem?” he asked.

“Well, it’s just that when you said ‘renovation,’ I thought you’d actually be doing something. I mean, I could have painted the cabinets. Hell, I think monkeys can be trained to do that. Why aren’t you replacing them?”

He had hoped she would have chosen to gripe at her mother; they had more practice. Sawyer wasn’t sure how to fake arguing with her. He stared at her defiant stance, arms folded over her chest and one dark brow arched with annoyance. “Well, you see, Regan—” he began.

“It’s Ms. Amerson,” she corrected tartly.

Sawyer had to turn away and clear his throat so he didn’t outright laugh at her tone. When he composed himself he began, in his best contractor voice, to explain the logic behind their project and how they always rehabbed what they could to save time, costs, and labor.

“Seems to me like it’s a cheap way to go,” she said simply and walked away.

Sawyer watched her leave and figured it was a good stopping point for today. Devin was grinning from ear to ear as Regan stormed from the house, and Sawyer had to fight the need to go after her and make sure she was all right.

“Now, that was what I was looking for,” Devin said. “Was that so difficult?”

Sawyer glared at him. “It wasn’t a matter of difficulty, Devin, this just isn’t what we do. I don’t argue with homeowners and I don’t like to make a mockery of their lives.”

“Well, it’s time you got onboard the reality TV train because this is what people want to see.” He dismissed the crew before turning back to Sawyer. “Tell her to turn up the bitch factor tomorrow. I’d like to see her unleash on her mom next.”

Then he was walking out the door and Sawyer had to do everything in his power to keep from throwing something heavy at him.

What had he gotten himself into?

Within fifteen minutes the house was fairly quiet; there were just a few members of his crew scattered around working on finishing up their projects for the day. Stepping outside, Sawyer reached for his phone and dialed Regan’s number. As soon as he heard her voice without any of the animosity of earlier, Sawyer felt himself relax.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “I know you didn’t want to be a part of this. I swear I’ll do what I can to move things along so maybe we can get done ahead of schedule.”

He expected her to agree with him, or to maybe complain about the whole thing. What he didn’t expect was her laughter. “I have to admit, I really wanted to ignore the whole process, but that was a little fun.”

“Fun? You thought that was fun?”

“Hell yes! The look on your face when I said that it was the cheap way to go was priceless!”

He grimaced at her mirth. “I still don’t see what’s so funny.”

“Oh, lighten up, Sawyer. I did what the network wanted, end of story.”

“Well…”

“What? What’s the matter?”

“I think we’ve only managed to poke the bear.”

“Meaning what?”

“Devin loved what you did today, but he wants more.”

Silence.

“Regan? Are you still there?”

“How much more?”

“He loved how you got in my face, but now he wants the mother/daughter fight.”

Regan considered his words. “I really hoped it wouldn’t have to come to that.”

“Me either. God, Regan, I’m so sorry. I’ll tell him no, that you’re not coming back. He’ll be pissed but—”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it,” she corrected. “I was just hoping to be done with it by now. Contrary to popular belief, I do still have a business to run and I have better things to do than spend my time making a spectacle of myself for the camera.”

The words were said lightly but Sawyer knew it was the truth. She did have other things to do that were more important than his show and the renovations. “I’ll handle it, Regan. Don’t worry about it.”

“I’ll be there tomorrow,” she said. “But after that I’ve got to get back to work.”

Sawyer dropped his chin to his chest. “I don’t deserve you,” he said quietly and smiled when she chuckled.

“Yeah, but you dared me and now you’re stuck with me.”

He still felt as if he had come out with the better end of the deal.

* * *

“Oh, this could be fun,” Caroline said the next morning as she sipped her coffee sitting across from Regan in their office.

“I don’t know if we’ll be able to do this with a straight face.”

Caroline shrugged. “There’s always that possibility. We’ve never been able to have a really down and dirty fight without one of us breaking out in laughter. What does that say about us?”

“That we love each other and we know most arguments are about stupid things.”

“Maybe…” She paused and studied Regan. “So, before we decide on what we’re going to fake fight about, should we get the real fight out of the way?”

Regan’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“Me and Max. You walking in on us. Any of this ringing a bell?”

Oh…that. “Are we going to fight about it?” Regan asked while silently praying the situation would just go away.

“Well, I don’t know if we have to fight about it, but I think we do need to talk about it at least.”

“Why? What is there to talk about? Max is a great guy, the two of you hit it off, and now you’re…” Doing it! “Dating.”

The look of disbelief and a hint of disappointment said it all. It wasn’t going away. “Regan, you and I have always been a team. We talk about everything. You can’t sit here and tell me you’re fine with what you walked in on. I know you too well. Just say what’s on your mind and get it over with.”

“Honestly, Mom, there is nothing on my mind where that’s concerned. I’ve blocked it out.”

“That’s not healthy. So you walked in on me and Max while we were making love. You saw us both sweaty and naked! He’s got a fine ass though, doesn’t he?”

“Mom!” Regan threw her hands over her ears. “This is so not the conversation I want to have!”

“Why not? We’re both women! I may not be a genius, sweetheart, but I know you’ve had sex. Why can’t we talk about our sex lives? Which reminds me, you haven’t been out on a date in a while. Everything okay? Don’t you miss the sex?”

“Oh. My. God. You did not just ask me that!”

“Yes I did! Gosh, I had forgotten how wonderful sex was! It had been years since I’d had any and now, let me tell you, any opportunity Max and I have to be alone, I just—”

“LA-LA-LA-LA-LA,” Regan chanted loudly, hands back over her ears. “I’m not listening, I’m not listening!”

“Oh, for crying out loud.” Caroline stood and walked over to her daughter, pulling her hands away from her ears. “Cut that out. I am trying to have a serious conversation with you!”

“Don’t you have a friend you can talk about this with? Someone who isn’t, I don’t know…me?”

“All my friends are married and have been for most of their lives. Sex is pretty much over for them. I’m just discovering it again. I need to talk to someone about it.”

“Why? Why would you need to talk about…it?”

Caroline sighed. “Your father was the only man I had ever slept with,” she said and reached over to smack Regan on the head when she started to put her fingers back in her ears. “So uptight. I have no idea where you got that from.” She hugged Regan. “Loosen up a little. Find yourself a nice man and have a crazy night of sex just for the hell of it!”

“Okay, that’s it. I can’t talk to you anymore,” Regan said as she moved away. “I don’t know who you are anymore! What has gotten into you?”

“Max!” Caroline said with a wicked grin.

Regan stopped in her tracks and glared at her mother. “I don’t know how to respond to that, so I’m not going to.”

“Don’t go away all mad like that, Regan. Pouting is not attractive on a grown woman.”

“I am not pouting, Mom,” she said with an eye roll. “I’m just not ready for us to have this kind of relationship.”

Caroline approached and pulled her in for another hug. “I’m always going to love your father, you know. This isn’t going to change that.”

It was a miracle Regan’s eyes didn’t simply fall out of her head from the excessive eye-rolling. “I didn’t think that. I never thought that, Mom.” She pulled back. “I really am happy for you and Max. I like him a lot. I just don’t need all the details of how much you like him, okay?”

With a sigh and a nod, Caroline agreed. “I would totally listen if you wanted to talk about your sex life.”

“Yeah, I’ll just take your word for it, because I am never going to test that theory.”

* * *

As promised, Regan and Caroline put on a good show, and luckily Regan had a little bit of anger left from their earlier discussion to keep from breaking out in laughter. They had argued over moving, and she played the wounded daughter part to the hilt. By the time the cameras stopped rolling, Devin seemed damn near giddy.

“Thank you, ladies,” he said with a big grin on his face. “I think that should do it until the big reveal when Sawyer and the crew are all done.”

They made small talk until Regan could stand it no longer and excused herself. “I really do need to get back to the spa,” she said, shaking his hand—immediately, she wanted to pull hers back and wipe it off. The man was sweaty and smarmy and she didn’t get a good vibe from him at all. She managed to smile politely and say goodbye, then asked Caroline to walk her out to her car.

“I don’t trust that guy,” she said when they were out of earshot. “I can’t quite put my finger on it, but he just really rubs me the wrong way.”

Caroline nodded. “Max was telling me how both he and Sawyer are thinking about moving on and being done with the show. Max sooner than Sawyer. He hasn’t come right out and said it, but I think Devin is a big contributing factor.”

“Yeah, that’s what Sawyer said too.” The words came out so easily she forgot her mother wasn’t aware that she was spending time with Sawyer outside of the show.

“When did you talk to Sawyer about the show? I thought you didn’t like him?”

“Oh, um…when I was here yesterday to film my dislike of the project, he and I talked for a bit. I guess he sensed my unease, and then he told me he was thinking of moving on from the show.” Honestly, Regan didn’t know why she didn’t just come out and tell her mother about her relationship with Sawyer, but for now she was enjoying having him to herself. With Max and Caroline dating, she suspected they’d find themselves sucked into all kinds of double-dates or family time together.

“You really should get to know him, Regan, he’s a very nice man. Single, too.”

Great, just what I need, my mother playing matchmaker. “Can we please just get through one traumatic event at a time?”

“How is getting to know Sawyer going to be traumatic?” Caroline asked innocently.

“Mom, please. I know you are all happy and glowy right now and that’s wonderful. I don’t need you playing matchmaker for me and setting me up on dates. When I want to go out and meet someone, I will.”

“I’d like to have grandchildren before I grow senile.”

Seriously, Regan was going to need to see the eye doctor for this uncontrollable eye-rolling. “Grandchildren? Now you’re going to play the grandchildren card?”

With a frown, Caroline conceded. “You’re right. It’s just that you know the old saying—when you’re in love, you want everyone around you to be in love. It would be wonderful if we both fell in love and found the men of our dreams. I just want you to be happy, Regan.”

“I am happy, Mom. Right now I’m focusing on the business and getting this house done and sold.”

“I still wish you would reconsider and take it for yourself. I know how much you love this place, and for all my flippant remarks about it, I think it would be wonderful for you to have it.”

“We’ve been over this a million times, Mom. I think I’ll take that as my cue to leave. Max is waiting by the door for you. Go and play twenty questions with him.” She leaned in and kissed her mother on the cheek. “I love you and I appreciate all your concern for my lack of a love life, but honestly, I’m fine with it.” Before Caroline had a chance to make another comment, Regan quickly got into her car and drove off. She wished she had gotten the opportunity to have a minute alone with Sawyer, but she was sure she’d talk to him later.

As if he was there reading her mind, her cell phone rang and she smiled when his name came up. “You ran out of here pretty quick,” he said by way of greeting. “Are you all right?”

Regan relayed the conversation she’d had with her mother and was a little annoyed at how much enjoyment Sawyer was getting out of all of it. “It’s not funny, Sawyer,” she said when he finally stopped laughing. “Between having to hear about her sex life and her wanting me to find one, I may have to go into hiding. She’s killing me.”

“So why didn’t you let her set us up? I think it would have been pretty comical having to pretend we hadn’t already seen each other naked.”

“Really? That’s what you’re going with?” she asked with mock annoyance. “I simply want her to enjoy being a woman who is dating a man that she’s crazy about. And she is crazy about your dad.” She hesitated and hated how she was fishing. “I hope the feeling is mutual.”

“If you want to know how he feels, Regan, all you had to do was ask.”

She sighed. “I’m asking.”

“He’s crazy about her, too. He talked to me the other day and he wants to retire so he can spend some time with her.”

“That’s sweet,” she said with a smile in her voice. “How do you feel about it? The retiring part, not the spending time together.”

“Dad’s always worked hard. It’s been just the two of us for most of my life, and just like you, I think it’s time for him to focus on himself. Don’t get me wrong, it will be a bit of an adjustment not to work with him every day, but as long as I know he’s doing something that makes him happy, I’m fine with it.”

“Wow, you sound way healthier about this than I do.” And it was true. She could only hope that what Max and Caroline were experiencing was the real deal and not just a matter of being naive. She shared that thought with Sawyer.

“They’re adults, Regan. They’ve both been in relationships before. I think they know the difference between love and infatuation.”

“I hope you’re right, I really do. I don’t want her to get hurt.” While she knew nothing was guaranteed and they were talking about their parents, Regan couldn’t help but compare their relationship to that of their parents. Was she really falling in love with Sawyer, or was she just infatuated? What if it was just a strong case of lust?

“What are you doing now?” he asked, breaking her train of thought.

“I’m heading back to the spa. I have to work a little late because we have a bridal party coming in tomorrow for a morning of pampering. I love doing the whole group thing. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of prep work.”

“How so?”

“I make little goody bags for each of the girls. I have a list of items I get from the bride or maid of honor ahead of time that tells me the color scheme for the wedding, and so I make sure the spa is decorated a bit in those colors. I do what I can to really personalize the environment in celebration of the big day.”

“Wow, that’s impressive. How late will you have to work?”

“I’m not sure.” She looked at the dashboard clock and saw it was almost four. “If all goes well, I should be done by nine.”

“Do you have anyone available to finish up my shoulder massage? The last couple of days have been rough.”

“What if I told you Todd was the only one available?” she teased.

“The way I’m feeling right now, I’d accept it. That’s how uncomfortable I am.”

Her concern for him was instantaneous. “Tell you what, why don’t you come in at eight thirty and I’ll take care of you.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to take you away from what you need to be doing.”

“Are you kidding? This will give me motivation to get through all the preparations.”

“We were supposed to go on a date, if memory serves,” he reminded her.

“We will, just not tonight. It’s not a big deal, Sawyer, you don’t need to take me anywhere. I enjoy just spending time with you.”

Sawyer felt humbled by Regan’s admission and with a promise to see her later, he hung up and did a final walk-through of the house for the day. Along the way he made a mental checklist of what needed to be done, where they were lagging behind, what materials needed to still be ordered…

Designing and building came as naturally to Sawyer as breathing. From the time he was a little boy and Max had helped him build his first birdhouse, there was no doubt of what he wanted to do with his life. His father had always been a carpenter, and Sawyer had apprenticed under him all through his teens before heading off to college to learn the design aspect in more detail. Max would have been capable of teaching his son how to do it all, but he also knew it would only serve to benefit Sawyer’s future for him to have a college education.

Locking up the house for the night, Sawyer drove back to the hotel, took a hot shower, and then sank down on the bed to relax before heading over to A Touch of Heaven and to Regan.

Regan.

This whole relationship had hit him like a ton of bricks, and Sawyer was in uncharted territory. He was falling hard and fast and if he was reading things correctly, Regan was too. Every minute they shared together felt…right. The more he got to know about her, the more he wanted to know. In return, Regan seemed just as anxious to get to know him. They had so much in common and no one could argue about their compatibility in bed; they were explosive.

Still, as confident as he felt saying all this in the privacy of his hotel room and to himself, the thought of broaching the subject of a future to Regan terrified him. He didn’t want to rush her, nor did he want to be the one to jump in and say “I love you” first only to have her say she didn’t feel that way.

Sighing, he glanced over at the clock. It was barely six. His body ached from head to toe. As much as he hated the thought of making Regan work late so he could get a massage, it had nothing to do with the physical aspect of their relationship and everything to do with his overall well-being. He hoped Regan didn’t feel like he was taking advantage of her.

He really needed to take her out properly. Standing, he walked across the room, grabbed his laptop, and sat down at the desk. He went online and researched the local restaurants and places of interest. While his initial reaction had been to call Caroline and ask what Regan liked, he knew they weren’t ready to share their relationship status with their parents.

So he was on his own to plan this little romantic excursion.

Never in his life had Sawyer put any real effort into wooing a woman. He had dated his share of women, but it always came easily to him and he had been happy to go with the flow, let the women take the lead. Plus, he wasn’t really interested in taking anything into the long term. He found whoever he had been dating attractive and they, in turn, felt the same way, enjoying one another’s company for as long as it lasted and then amicably moving on.

He didn’t want to move on.

He didn’t want Regan to move on.

He resumed his internet search. Ideally, he wanted to go big but not too big. A weekend away would be his preference, but before he booked such a thing, he’d need to know Regan’s schedule.

Inspiration struck. For now, they would have a night out at a restaurant where they could have a nice dinner, listen to some jazz music, and then do the Art Walk around Raleigh. He’d have all the information he needed regarding a weekend getaway to the coast at the ready so as soon as he confirmed when she had time off, he could book it. It was perfect, and Sawyer reclined back in the chair and high-fived himself.

He, Sawyer Bennett, was going to sweep Regan Amerson off her feet. He couldn’t wait to stroll with her in the moonlight, holding her hand and hearing her talk about anything and everything that made her smile.

He was hoping he fit somewhere up high on that list.

* * *

Regan looked around the spa to make sure she hadn’t missed anything.

Dimming the lights and getting the blankets and pillows ready, Regan heated some lavender oil in the diffuser to get the scent just right. In the corner she turned on some soothing music, but would leave it up to Sawyer if he would prefer the sound of the ocean instead. For now the music calmed her. While she knew he was coming to her for medicinal purposes, any time Regan thought about running her hands all over Sawyer’s body was enough to get herself worked up. The man was simply magnificent.

Over the last several weeks she had gotten to know Sawyer and the more she learned, the more she liked. Was it possible to fall this quickly? Was Sawyer even thinking about a relationship beyond the job, or was this possibly the way he did relationships? That thought did not sit well with her. From everything she had learned about him, Sawyer did not seem like the type of guy who dated based upon the job he was doing. At least she hoped he wasn’t, because otherwise where would that leave her? At the end of the job, was she supposed to thank him for a fabulous home makeover and the orgasms and wave goodbye?

Yikes. That was a depressing thought.

On the other hand, if Sawyer felt for her even a little of what she was feeling for him, how would their relationship work once he moved on? Long-distance relationships were never a good thing and rarely succeeded. Would she be able to stand it if he was on another job and met a woman like herself? Not to say that she didn’t trust him, but did she know him well enough to spend a large amount of time apart and not question what he was doing in his spare time and who he was spending it with?

She was pathetic. Pushing all thoughts of Sawyer romancing every female homeowner in the Northeast aside, Regan took one last look at the room before stepping out and grabbing a bottle of water. She was starving; she hadn’t taken the time to grab any dinner and if Sawyer was on time, they wouldn’t be leaving the spa until after ten. Her stomach growled in protest. She could only hope she would make it that long.

As if reading her mind, Sawyer appeared at the door of A Touch of Heaven with a smile and a bag of takeout and Regan almost wept at the sight of him. Once he stepped in she locked the front door, smiling at the wicked glint in his eyes.

“Everyone gone?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Regan swatted at his arm. “Yes, everyone has gone home for the night and since we’ll be in the back, it’s for safety purposes that I’m locking the door. I don’t need anyone wandering in here to rob me blind while we’re in the back.”

“Well, that’s a whole lot less sexy a reason than I was going for,” he teased.

Rather than banter with him, Regan heard her stomach let out an unladylike growl and she asked, “What’s in the bag?”

“I figured you worked until you lost track of the time, so I grabbed us some Chinese food. I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I stuck to the basics, but I bought a variety.”

Regan leaned in and kissed him thoroughly. “My hero.”

She led him back to her office and set up a makeshift dining area for them. Sawyer could tell she was tired; he saw the shadows beneath her eyes and felt a pang of guilt that he was going to make her keep working tonight for his sake. They sat on opposite sides of her large desk and he reached across for her hand. “We can do this another time if you’d rather call it a day.”

Regan waved him off. “Are you kidding? I’ve been waiting for this all afternoon,” she said with a sexy grin. “It’s not very often that I get to kick off my own shoes and relax while I’m giving a massage.”

“You can kick off anything you want. You don’t have to stop at the shoes.” His tone was playful but his mind began to conjure up all the possibilities. Before he got too wrapped up in the fantasy, he pushed it aside and decided to ask about the rest of her day.

Regan told him about the preparations for the bridal party and how busy she expected the next morning to be. “They’re scheduled to arrive around ten and there are six of them, including the bride. It will be a four- or five-hour event.”

“For manicures and pedicures?” he asked.

“Oh, no,” she said, waving a chopstick at him. “By the way, dumplings are my favorite.” Reaching into the container, she took another one out and ate it before continuing. “If it was only mani-pedis, we’d have the girls in and out of here in about two hours. I would have enough staff to make that happen. No, besides the mani-pedis, the girls are getting facials and massages. Full-service pampering party.”

“Sounds like a lot of work.”

“It is, but I’ve got the entire staff coming in tomorrow, including my mother, so we’ll have a nice rotation going.” Regan sat back and sighed with pleasure as she ate. It was the perfect meal, and if he had asked her what she wanted, she would have picked everything Sawyer had bought. “I really can’t thank you enough for this. I didn’t realize I was so hungry until we opened everything up.”

“So how does your mom feel about the house? Have you talked to her about it? She’s been around the job site more than I thought she would and I’m curious if she’s doing it because of my dad or because she’s concerned about the work.”

“It’s definitely because of Max. You wouldn’t believe the fuss she put up over having to come in tomorrow. She was going to miss sharing Max’s coffee break.” There was that eye roll again. “It’s like she’s a seventeen-year-old girl.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“No, definitely not a bad thing, but it is taking some getting used to. My mom has always been pretty stable and reliable, and for the most part pretty straitlaced. Since she’s met Max, I’ve heard more about her personal life than I’m comfortable with and she’s starting to change her appearance.”

“How?”

“It was small at first, a bolder nail color and some jewelry. Then it moved on to a sassier wardrobe. She was never one to fuss with clothes, and now suddenly she’s all spunky and wearing things that are trendy. She showed me a push-up bra she bought and I’m not going to lie to you, it was a little racier than what I wear.”

One dark brow arched at her.

“Whatever you’re thinking, stop it,” she said as if reading his mind.

“What? What did I do?” he asked innocently.

“Don’t think about my mother’s underwear. That’s just creepy.”

Sawyer dropped his chopsticks, nearly choking on his food. Once he was done coughing, he looked at her with disbelief. “Regan, I was not thinking about your mother’s underwear. I was, however, thinking about yours. I wouldn’t mind us sampling a little something from the lingerie store.”

“You men are way too easy,” she said with a laugh and then called dibs on the last dumpling. “What is the point of spending a fortune on ridiculous scraps of silk and lace when they get tossed aside almost as soon as you see them?”

“Maybe. But let me just say that thinking about you in those ridiculous scraps of silk and lace is enough to make me break out in a sweat.” Then he winked at her before picking up his chopsticks again.

“As for the house,” Regan said, changing the subject, “she’s very pleased. She’s excited to see all the potential you found in it. While it’s been a little more emotional for her than she expected it to be, she keeps commenting on how some lucky family is going to love all the improvements.” With one final bite of fried rice, Regan pushed the food away and sighed with contentment. “She sings your praises daily, if that makes you feel any better.”

“It does,” he teased. “But seriously, I’m glad she’s enjoying what we’re doing. It really is a great house and other than being a little outdated, there weren’t any lurking issues with the structure or plumbing or anything. Whoever built that house built it to last.”

A look of sadness came across Regan’s face and Sawyer cursed in a low voice. “Hey,” he said softly, once again reaching for her hand. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. I enjoy talking about the job I’m working on and it just sucks that this one has us at odds.”

“You don’t have to be sorry, Sawyer. I need to let it go and move on. If I were at a different place in my life, I might not feel this way. But it is what it is and I have to deal with it. Hell, who knows? Maybe my mom and Max will move in together and they’ll decide to keep it.”

“That would be interesting. Dad has a great house on the coast near the Outer Banks he’s been working on for ages. He’s never had enough time off to spend doing the things there he wants to do. It would be nice for him to finish it and then they could split their time between the two places.”

“Look at us planning our parents’ future!” Regan said with a laugh and then stood and stretched. “If I sit any longer, I may fall asleep. Let’s clean up and get you on the table so we can work the kinks out of your shoulders.”

Sawyer pulled Regan into his arms and kissed her, slowly, sweetly. When he raised his head, his expression was full of tenderness. “I meant what I said earlier, if you’d rather call it a day I would understand. You’re exhausted and I don’t want to be the cause of you not feeling well.”

Standing on tiptoes, Regan placed a kiss on his nose, then took him by the hand and led him toward the room she had set up for him. “You go and get yourself ready while I clean up the dinner mess.”

“Regan—” he began.

“Oh, shush,” she said and gave him a push in the direction of the room. “Give me five minutes and I’ll be in there. No arguments.” She didn’t wait to see if he had moved but went about cleaning up her office and clearing her mind of any talk of business.

When she finished, she walked to the last door on the right and gently knocked before going in.

Sawyer was on the table, face down with the blanket draped over his hips. Without asking, Regan switched the music over to the sounds of the ocean and kicked off her shoes. There was no reason to speak; words weren’t necessary. She got everything she needed and poured the scented lotion in her hands and began to work on Sawyer’s back. He let out a low moan of approval and she smiled. It would have broken the mood to talk about sex noises as they had the last time, so for now she enjoyed listening to the sounds of the waves and Sawyer’s sounds of pleasure.

By the time Regan reached the injured shoulder, she could tell Sawyer was relaxed. The feel of his muscles and the sight of his tanned skin was having the opposite effect on her. She was anything but relaxed. The more she touched him, the more she heard his moans and sighs of pleasure, the more Regan wanted to please him.

Silently, she took a step back and rethought her original plan for the night. Just when he was about to lift his head and ask if everything was okay, Regan was back to running her hands over him as professionally as she could. Leaning in close, she worked her hands from his lean hips all the way up to his scalp. Gently, she scraped her nails along his skin, moved back down, and started again. She did this several times before returning her attention to his shoulder.

“You can roll over now,” she said softly and stepped back to give him room to move. Sawyer’s expression started out sleepy, but once his eyes focused on her, it changed. “Is something wrong?” she asked, striking a little pose.

“You seem to have lost some of your clothes,” he said gruffly.

There she stood, in all her curvy glory, wearing nothing but deep red lace.

“I’m a woman, Sawyer, of course I shop at Victoria’s Secret.” She stepped forward and with a hand on his chest, gently forced him to lie back on the table. “Now let’s work on the shoulder from this side, shall we?”

He nodded and closed his eyes, but every once in a while she caught him peeking. Every time she leaned forward with the massaging motion, her breasts brushed his arm or his chest. “Regan,” he said in a low growl.

“No talking,” she whispered. “Just relax and enjoy the sounds of the ocean and the feel of your muscles relaxing.”

“Darlin’, if you keep this up, nothing on me is going to be relaxed. And that isn’t a threat, it’s a promise.”

His tone was deep and sexy and Regan wanted to run her hands and her mouth over him from head to toe. “But your time isn’t up yet,” she said sweetly, leaning in even further to put a little more pressure on the offending muscle. Sawyer hissed and she wasn’t sure if it was in pleasure or pain, but she continued her work. Her hands slowed as she relished the feel of him and all but purred when he whispered her name.

“I think I may need to change the angle in order to get where you seem to need it most.” Her words sounded professional enough, but before Sawyer could take a breath, Regan was straddling him on the table. He said her name again and it came out as a plea. “Is there something you need, Sawyer?” she asked softly, seductively, as she leaned forward and placed her lips a breath away from his.

“You,” he said, reaching up and cupping the back of her head. “Only you.”

Playtime was over.

“I don’t know how you do it,” he said breathlessly between kisses, “but you make it impossible for me to have any form of self-control.” Another kiss. “I could live ten lifetimes and never get enough of your hands on me.”

“Good,” she said, licking her way down his throat only to rain a trail of kisses across the expanse of his wonderfully muscled chest. “It’s good to know I’m not alone in this.” Regan flicked her tongue across one flat nipple and when he hissed, she did the same to the other one. “I have done plenty of massages before, and this is the first time I couldn’t keep my clothes on.”

“Good to know,” he said, pulling her back up so he could kiss her again. “I’d hate to have to come in here and kick every guy’s ass that you massage.” Regan chuckled softly but Sawyer was serious. His grip on her tightened possessively. “The only man you’ll strip for is me,” he said in a low rumble. “Mine.” It was the last word he could utter before reaching around and grasping Regan’s bottom in both hands and pulling her snugly against his arousal.

The intensity of his words and the feel of his hands holding on to her had Regan ready to lose control. Every time with Sawyer was exciting and yet something about this moment seemed so much more. “We’ll have to be careful,” she whispered. “This isn’t the sturdiest of tables.” She kissed him, trying to calm the beast in both of them.

“Then we’ll have to go slow,” he said, lifting her slightly so he could kick free the blanket that had been covering him from the waist down.

Regan gasped. Unable to help herself, she reached out and stroked the hard length of him. “That’s pretty naughty,” she teased before scooting down a little farther on the table and taking him in her mouth. Sawyer gasped out a breath and ran his fingers through her hair.

Suddenly he stopped her. When she looked at him in confusion, he said, “No more. I need to be inside you. Now.” Roughly, he pulled her up the length of his body and then groaned.

“What? What’s the matter?”

“Condom,” he said. “Over on the chair—in the pocket of my jeans.”

There was a seductive smile on Regan’s face as she climbed off him and pulled two condoms from his pocket. “I guess you really were a Scout,” she teased.

He shrugged. “It pays to be prepared.”

While Sawyer sheathed himself, Regan shimmied out of her panties. No sooner had they hit the ground than Sawyer had his hands on her hips, positioning her above him. Just when he was about to enter her he stopped and let his hands skim up her body, where he unhooked her bra and tossed it to the floor on top of her panties, and then finished traveling up to her face.

“You are so beautiful, Regan,” he said, mesmerized by the sight of her. “So damn beautiful.” Tears glistened in her eyes at his words and she wiggled in his lap, letting out a small plea. Sawyer was more than ready to comply. In one swift move he was inside her. Their mingled sigh of pleasure was the only sound in the room for a long time and then Regan slowly began to move. Sawyer guided her movements, his hands gently gripping her hips.

Between the candlelight, the sounds of the ocean, and the sensual way she rode him, he knew she wouldn’t last long, couldn’t last long. Taking one strong hand from her hip, Sawyer reached out to where their bodies were joined and gently used his finger to stroke her. Regan gasped at his touch, picking up her pace slightly but Sawyer kept up with her, stroking her inside and out with an accuracy that was guaranteed to take her over the edge. With his name a cry on her lips, wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her. Her hands were braced on his chest as she rode her orgasm out until she felt as if there wasn’t a bone left in her body.

Spent and exhausted, Regan draped her body on his. “My turn,” Sawyer whispered as he pumped into her repeatedly until his own orgasm took over—and seemed to go on and on until he, too, was completely spent. Their hearts beat against one another in sync and it took long moments for their breathing to calm.

Regan sleepily lifted her head and smiled dreamily down at him. “I think we’ll save that second condom for another time.”

Sawyer chuckled and reached up to cup her head and bring her down for a soft, lingering kiss. “Deal.”