They left the pickup in the square and took the waterfront path back to the cabin. Smoke slung an arm around her shoulders as they walked. She smiled up at him.

“I feel so bad for Ben. I don't know what the story is, but he looked devastated.”

Smoke nodded. “Poor guy. It sucks when the past sneaks up on you out of the blue like that.”

“That sounds like the voice of experience?”

“It is.” He really did not want to go there right now, even though he knew that if he was going to keep seeing Laura, he'd have to someday.

“But you don't want to talk about it, right?”

“Right.” They walked on in silence. His arm tightened around her shoulders. “We'll get around to it, gorgeous, but not tonight, huh?”

She nodded. “You're right, not tonight. Seeing the way Ben looked, I don't feel like opening up old wounds either.”

“So, are you going to tell me your story someday, too?”

She nodded. “It looks like that's where we're headed, doesn't it? But we can do it when we're ready.”

Smoke stopped walking and took her face between his hands, kissing her deeply. When they came up for air she was breathless, but looked puzzled. “What was that for?”

He planted a kiss on her forehead and took her hand as he started walking again. “Just for being you.”

The smile on her face had his chest buzzing with that happy feeling again. She wasn't like any other woman he'd ever known. Well, he hadn't really known many, other than physically. In fact he'd only really known one. And Laura was sure as hell turning out to be nothing like her. He was starting to think that maybe Pete was right. That everything he had thought a woman wanted and needed was based on Anabel's twisted ideas, and not on reality.

When they got to the cabin, he unlocked his door and let Laura step in ahead of him. He couldn't help but watch her ass sway as she walked down the hallway in those heels. He took a deep breath and adjusted his pants before following her. He wasn't going to have sex with her again until she begged him. He knew she would. Part of it was about making her pay. He'd already done so much for her that he'd never done for a woman before. Part of him resented that she couldn't see that, and was hurt that she could doubt his motives. Another part of him understood completely and wanted to reassure her. He could satisfy both those parts by making her want him so badly she would beg for it. Then he would thoroughly satisfy her—and himself—and the issue would be settled.

She stood in the kitchen, leaning back against the counter, smiling her sexy smile. “So, Captain Hamilton, you've got me here, and we've already established that we don't want to talk, so what do you suggest we do?”

Jesus, he was going to need some will power if he was going to be able to see this through. He stepped towards her, caging her there with his arms, just like he had that first night. He felt her body respond, going soft, yielding to him as he leaned his weight against her. He brushed his lips over hers and then stood back.

“I thought perhaps a glass of wine on the deck?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “If that's what you want.”

This would be fun—if he could keep it up. He brought the bottle and a small box outside, then poured just one glass. It was much chillier now; the seasons were changing. “I'll go get us a blanket.”

When he returned she was sitting huddled on the sofa hugging herself against the cold. “Come here, that's my job.” He sat down next to her and wrapped the blanket around them. “Better?”

She snuggled against him and nodded. “A little. I think shared body heat is supposed to help, isn't it?”

He laughed and hugged her to him, rubbing her arms briskly. “How's that.”

She looked up into his eyes and pouted. “It's not quite what I was hoping for.”

So she admitted she was hoping? This was going well. Her tongue came out to moisten her lips. He watched, mesmerized. He didn't miss the little smile before she bit her bottom lip—she knew full well the effect that had on him. He shook his head at her with a rueful smile. He wasn't going to fall for that so easily. He dragged his eyes away from her face before he changed his mind.

“Do you like chocolates?”

She frowned, disappointed that he'd been able to resist. “Of course I do. Who doesn't love chocolate?”

“Try this then.” He reached an arm out of the blanket and opened the little box. He brought a chocolate toward her mouth, holding her gaze as he did. “Open up for me, Laura,” he said, his words another echo of their first night together.

Her eyes narrowed again. “I would love to.”

He laughed and teased her, pulling the chocolate away just as she opened her mouth. “You'd love to, but what?” 

“But you're not going to give it to me, are you?” she laughed.

“I might, or you might have to take it.” He brought the chocolate up to his own mouth and held it between his lips. Lowering his mouth to her, he raised his eyebrows, inviting her to take it.

She put her hands on his shoulders and brought her mouth up to his, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of lust and mischief. She closed her lips over the chocolate and pushed it into his mouth with her tongue, tangling with his in a deep, chocolatey kiss. He crushed her to his chest, holding her against him, letting her feel how much he needed her now.

She broke away. “If you don't want to give it to me, I don't think I should take it, Captain Hamilton.”

He laughed. So competitive. She wasn't going to give in or admit defeat easily. “Fair enough.” he reached for the glass of wine and brought it to his lips.

She pouted. “You didn't pour me one?”

He smiled at her over the rim. “I thought we could share.”

He handed it to her and caught her free hand, bringing it down to cover the bulge in his pants. Her eyes closed as her fingers kneaded at him. “This is how badly I want you, Laura.”

“I want you, Smoke,” she breathed.

It took him everything he had, but he removed her hand, and took the glass from her. “But I can't have you thinking that's all I want.”

She stared at him wide eyed. “But Smoke....”

“But, what lady?”

“I don't want to play this game anymore.”

She looked and sounded as petulant as a toddler. He laughed, which probably wasn't the wisest move he'd ever made.

She looked hurt. “Is this just another small victory to you?”

“No!” Damn! He didn't want her to think that! “Yes, it's a game, but I'm only playing it to make a very important point—to you, and to myself. You already know how badly I want to lay you down right here, right now. I need to feel you naked under me. I need to be inside you so badly. But you need to know that this....” He tapped his forefinger on her chest, then tapped his own. “Us. That we're about more than that. It's killing me not to pin you down and make you scream my name as you come. So, yes, I'm making it a game. Because that's the only way I can survive this. If I give in, take you now, you'll still be wondering, won't you?”

She shook her head rapidly. “I already know, Smoke. I had a moment of doubt, but you've reassured me in every way possible that this is about so much more than sex. You told me with your text. You made the point crystal clear when you kissed me at the airport. And you've shown me all evening long, by the way you took me out with everyone, made it perfectly clear to them, and to me, that we were together. Smoke, I need you to know that deep down I already knew it. You keep breaking your rules for me. I keep breaking my rules for you. Neither of us would do that just for sex. It's just that this is scary, for both of us, and I don't think either of us knows what to do with it.”

She reached up and closed her hands around the back of his head, drawing him down into a kiss. A kiss that tasted of wine and chocolate and the sweetness that was just Laura. It wasn't any kind of game anymore. That kiss was raw and honest, it reached deep inside him and touched that part of him that he'd thought was untouchable. It did touch his heart.

When he finally lifted his head, he took her hand. He knew what he needed to do. What they both needed to do. He stood up and pulled her to her feet. Her eyes were full of questions, but he shook his head and led her inside, into his bedroom. He brought her to face him and took hold of both of her hands. “I don't want to have sex with you, Laura.” Looking into her eyes he raised his eyebrows slightly in question. She searched his face, then gave the tiniest nod.

***

Laura could feel her heartbeat in her chest. She knew exactly what he meant. And she'd said yes.  She felt so safe here in his arms. She should feel scared, they were about to do something they'd never done before. She didn't think she ever had. He was kissing her now, holding her close. Their mouths communicated so much better without words, their tongues seeking and giving reassurance, making promises, in a way their words hadn't been able to express.

There was nothing rushed about this. His hands moved over her slowly, tracing lines, leaving burning trails on her skin in their wake. Her top was gone, her bra soon followed. This time he let her unbutton him. She ran her hands over his smooth chest, up to his shoulders so she could push his shirt off. His hands were on her zipper. She mirrored his movements, pushing his pants down as he pushed hers. Once they stood naked, he put his hands around her waist. He looked down and shook his head. Her waist was small, she knew that, but his hands were so big they weren't so far from being able to close around her. It brought back his words. I'm bigger than you. I'm stronger than you. And I will never, ever push you around. She knew how true it was. She brought her hands up to cup the back of his neck as she looked into his eyes. He looked pained.

“What is it, Smoke?”

He shook his head.

“Please tell me?”

Keeping his hands around her waist he pulled her closer. He leaned his head back into her hands as he looked down at her. “This is the one rule I swore I would never break. You already know I'm no saint. You already know I've screwed a lot of women. But this? I swore I would never let a woman do this to me. I told you, you were trouble.”

“Smoke, we don't have to.”

“Yes we do. It's what we both want...what we need. We have to do this just like the sun has to rise tomorrow.”

His erection was pressing into her belly, his fingertips stroking her back as he held on to her waist. “But I need you to know something, Laura.”

She nodded, she felt completely overwhelmed by the way he was surrounding her—and more so by the honesty in his eyes. “What, Smoke?”

He took a deep breath then let it out slowly. “That's not my name. That's what I need you to know. My name is Cole Alexander Hamilton.”

“Cole?” She tried out the sound of it. It sounded good. It felt good on her lips.

From the look on his face, he liked it too.

She smiled up at him. She understood that telling her his real name was something very important to him, but she didn't understand why. Hopefully he would explain to her—afterwards. For right now...she planted a kiss on his lips. “So, Mr. Cole Alexander Hamilton, are you going to make love to me?”

His eyes were so gentle as he backed her up to the bed. “I am. And you, Miss Laura Benson are going to make love to me.”

And they did.

Their bodies already knew each other so well. They fit together like they were made to. This time when he thrust his hips and filled her, she was really letting him in. He gazed into her eyes as they moved together, telling her so much with that look. They rolled over and she took the top, but this was about sharing, not winning. His hands circled her waist, moving her in his time and she gave herself to him, letting him direct her as she sat up to take him deeper. Every inch of her came alive as she moved above him, eyes locked with his in an exchange as intense as the one between their bodies. She was close, so close, he was too, but she didn't want this to end. She lay forward against his chest. “I want to be underneath you...Cole.”

He closed his eyes and bit the inside of his lip, deep furrows creasing his brow. Oh, how she hoped she hadn't done wrong. He was still rocking his hips underneath her, slowly now, his eyes still closed. When he opened them he flipped her onto her back and was back inside her in one smooth move. “Now you really are mine, Laura. And you're where you belong.”

She clung to him, giving herself up to him as she moved with him. He took a handful of her hair and drew her head back, holding her gaze as the heat built and built. She felt herself tense in the moment he threw his back and gasped, “Mine, Laura.”

His climax ignited hers, sweeping through her, taking her soaring away with him. “C-o-l-e!” She screamed his name, finally understanding the difference as they flew together. She wasn't having sex with the guy she knew—she was making love to the man she wanted to know.