Flirting with the Society Doctor / When One Night Isn't Enough (13 page)

She moaned her delight, matched his passion, tested his willpower beyond what he thought he could endure. Somehow he managed not to lose his control, not like he had that first time, never like that again, not until she’d thrown back her head, arched off the bed, and screamed his name.

Then he allowed himself to let go, to lose himself inside the sweet escape she so generously offered.

Faith was in no rush to leave Cape May. Maybe she wanted to stay for ever, just stay wrapped in the exquisite cocoon of Vale’s undivided attention.

Unfortunately Sunday morning arrived all too quickly. She and Vale were sitting on his private balcony, having breakfast that had appeared while she had been in the
shower, letting the hot water ease the subtle aches in her muscles. She stared out at the ocean waves.

Cape May was a place of magic. No, the amazing man sitting across from her was the real magic.

“Could we walk on the beach before leaving?” she asked, wanting to prolong the fantasy as long as she could. She didn’t need him to spell it out for her to know that everything would change once they were back in New York.

Vale would be back in his zone, would have the world at his fingertips. She’d go back to being his neurologist in the operating room, jumping to his every command.

Only she hadn’t quite figured out how she was going to convince her body that she was no longer allowed to ignite from just looking at him. It had been bad enough prior to the having made love.

Now that she had experienced the wealth of his knowledge, she wasn’t sure she had the strength to deny how her body danced to the music of his touch. She didn’t fool herself otherwise, that somehow she was different from every other woman Vale had cast his spell over.

His gaze went out to the ocean.

“Most of my family is still here,” he mused, taking a sip of his juice. “Now that the wedding is over, they’ll be anxious to start plotting their next big event.” His face wrinkled with displeasure. “I’d rather not be around for that.”

His meaning dawned on her. “You think they’ll be plotting about us?”

He finished off his glass of juice. “You caught Sharon’s bouquet. Of course they’ll be plotting. To no avail, but they’ll be plotting.”

To no avail.
There it was. A reminder that they weren’t a couple and nothing had really changed between them. He
was her boss. She was his employee. When they returned to the office, they’d pretend they hadn’t kissed every inch of each other’s bodies. At least, she’d try.

Vale no doubt had enough experience with weekendafters that going back to the norm would be no problem.

He leaned across the table, brushed his finger at the corner of her mouth. Ack! Had she had a crumb on her face? He just smiled. “But if you’re not in a rush to return to the city, we could drive to the lighthouse.”

His unexpected offer caught her off guard, had her gaze shooting to his. “The lighthouse?”

Faith had barely set foot outside Manhattan and had never had the time or money for tourist stops. “I’ve never seen a lighthouse in real life.”

“Never?” His brow rose. “That settles our plans for the day, then. We’ll drive to the state park where the Cape May lighthouse is located, and go up.”

Delight filled her. “We can go up it?”

“All the way to the top,” he said in a teasing tone. “A hundred and ninety-nine steps.”

She gave him a quizzical look. “A hundred and ninety-nine steps? You know that how?”

“I’m a brain surgeon. I know everything,” he teased.

With an eye roll, she smiled. “Of course you do.”

He just grinned. “When I was a little boy I climbed to the top of those steps and had the T-shirt to prove it.”

“I bet you were a cute little boy.”

He waggled his brows. “I’m a cute big boy, too.”

“That you are,” she agreed, loving that he was smiling at her, whatever had been weighing on his mind apparently pushed aside. For the time being, at any rate. “That you are.”

Virginia Wakefield hugged them both goodbye, promising to call for lunch the next time she was in Manhattan.
Faith just hugged the woman back, accepting a kiss to her cheek, wondering why she wanted to burst into tears at the kindness Vale’s family had extended toward her. She followed him to the car where he stowed her suitcase.

Lost in thoughts of the weekend’s events, she truly hadn’t been prepared for her first sighting of the lighthouse above the tall grass blowing back and forth along the roadside.

“Wow.” She strained her neck, trying to keep the red top in her line of vision.

“We’re almost there,” he promised, turning the car down a winding, tree-lined road.

“We can really go to the top?” she asked again, not quite believing that she was looking at a real-life lighthouse. “Is that something anyone can do or just a Wakefield?”

“You think I get special privileges?”

“I know you do.”

He chuckled. “For a few bucks anyone can go to the top, but it is a good hike up the stairs. You up to it?” He shot her a quick glance, his gaze dancing over her with obvious intent. “After last night you might be too sore to climb stairs.” His grin was lazy, wicked, full of hot, steamy seduction. “I seem to recall you swearing you weren’t going to get out of bed today.”

Yeah, she had sworn that. She’d slept very little, instead reveling in the fact she lay cradled in Vale’s arms, her cheek against his strong chest, listening to his heartbeat.

“Good thing I’m a girl who likes a challenge.”

He’d definitely challenged her. Time and again. Over and over. Guiding her through wave after sweet wave of pleasure. Just the memory of him maneuvering her onto him, his hands cupping her hip bones, guiding her, her back arched just so, angling her against him until she’d shattered. Completely and thoroughly
shattered.
She’d collapsed onto his chest, smiling, gasping for breath, amazed
at how he’d played her body like a master musician, making her sing his praises, cry out his name. Just remembering had her squirming against the soft leather of the passenger seat, wanting him yet again.

Knowing if she didn’t get her thoughts under control she was going to forget the lighthouse and climb into his lap instead of up the steps, she shifted her gaze out the car window. “The lighthouse is magnificent, isn’t it?”

Vale parked the car in the lot between the lighthouse and the bird sanctuary also located in the park. A wooden boardwalk led down to the beach. Beyond that, she could hear the Atlantic crash into the shore.

“Yes.” Vale’s voice was low, husky.

Her gaze shot to his. She swallowed hard at what she saw glimmering in his azure eyes. Lust. Hot, sweaty, climb-into-my-lap-right-now-and-use-me-for-your-pleasure lust. Oh, my!

An elderly couple with binoculars walked past the car, bursting their sensual cocoon, reminding them both they sat in a public parking area. Faith sucked in a deep breath, wondering if she had the strength to climb the stairs after all. Her legs had turned to jelly.

“Let’s go.” Vale raked his fingers through his hair, cleared his throat. He opened her car door and extended his hand. He didn’t let go as they crossed the parking lot. “Cape May’s a functional lighthouse, a means of saving ships from crashing against the shore. The coastguard maintains the lights.”

They walked to the base, entered the building just inside the gate of the fencing around the lighthouse, and bought two tickets. The usual touristy type gifts were also on sale. T-shirts, postcards, snow globes, and keychains. Faith picked up an inexpensive snow globe with the lighthouse
inside, fluffy specs of white drifting around when she turned it upside down.

When she set the globe back on the shelf, Vale pulled out his wallet. He handed the trinket back to her. “I want to give you a keepsake of today.”

Swallowing the emotion clogging her throat, she nodded, knowing she’d treasure the globe for ever. While she waited at the base of the lighthouse, chatting with the lady inside, Vale returned to the car and stowed her snow globe.

Step by step they climbed to the top of the tower. They paused at each of the five small landings, reading the history of the lighthouse. Their privacy was only broken by two young women and their giggling daughters’ descent. Faith smiled at the girls’ delight in counting each spiraling step in a sing-song manner. She didn’t want kids, but those two were cute and the women’s smiles made her just a touch envious. Which was ridiculous. She was there with Vale. They should be the envious ones. With the way the blonde’s gaze flickered over Vale, perhaps they were.

No wonder. The man was multiple orgasms just waiting to happen. Faith sucked in a breath, clenched her thighs, and willed her body to quit throbbing.

Vale greeted the worker who sat at the top by name, shook his hand, and bent to say something to him. The leathery-faced senior glanced her way, nodded, and left. Truly alone, they went out to the barred railing hand in hand.

“I can’t believe I’m here. With you,” she admitted when she stepped out onto the roost.

The wind whipped at her hair and a fear of heights she hadn’t known she possessed tugged at her belly, leaving her a little dizzy. Or maybe the fact all her blood pulsed down south was why her head spun. With her free hand, she grasped the handrail running against the exterior of
the lighthouse. They walked to the far side, looked out over the ocean, having a bird’s-eye view of the sanctuary and surrounding property.

“Beautiful,” she gasped. “Absolutely beautiful.”

“Yes, you are. Come on.” He tugged on her hand. “Let’s make our way around and check out the views from up here.”

“Wish I had a camera,” she mused minutes later, staring out over the ocean, “but experiencing picture-worthy moments is really what life’s about.”

Something she’d not done up to this point in her life.

She’d been living inside a cage of her own making. A huge city-size cage, but a cage all the same. A cage she hadn’t realized until experiencing a weekend with Vale.

“You have a way of seeing things in a unique light, Faith.”

If he only knew.

She leaned against the red bars protecting her from falling, gazing at the ground below, reeled at the beauty of the coastline.

Vale’s hands clasped her waist, pulling her against him.

“What?” She turned, pressed her hands flat against his chest, confused by his sudden motion, wanting him more than she should.

He kissed her. Right there at the top of the lighthouse. Any dizziness that might have been from heights was replaced by the mind-numbing dizziness his kisses carried.

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” he admitted in a low tone, holding her close.

“Kiss a girl at the top of a lighthouse? Is that why you got rid of that man?”

“Kiss a beautiful woman at the top of this lighthouse and, yes, I asked Ray to give us some privacy.”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she threaded her fingers through the hair at his nape, wondering what he’d say if she told him she wanted him.

“I want you,” he told her against her lips, molding her body to him.

Yep, she couldn’t miss that. Not with his body fitted so tightly to hers. He kissed her again, his hands cupping her bottom, keeping her pelvis ground against him. Not that Faith needed any encouragement. Most likely this was the last time she’d get to experience Vale like this, to taste his lips.

Definitely the last time because anything more and she might fall into some fantasy world where she believed she and Vale had a chance, might end up like her mother down the road. No, she’d take this moment, make the most of it, and then she’d go on with her life. It was what she wanted. What Vale wanted. Everything would be okay.

Desperation flowed through her veins, making her crazed, making her crave him with an addict’s fervency. Maybe he felt crazed as well. His hands caressed her everywhere, his mouth marauded hers with demanding kisses, his body moved against hers.

When he tugged on her skirt, lifting the material, sliding his fingers beneath the lace of her panties, Faith moaned.

“Vale,” she breathed, vaguely recalling that they stood at the top of a lighthouse

“Shh, no one can see us,” he assured her. “And even if they can, they can’t tell what we’re doing. We’re too high up.”

Which didn’t really reassure her, but his flinger flicked across where she throbbed, and all sane thought
disappeared in the pleasurable fog that followed. His gaze locked with hers, he brought her to orgasm, smiled with satisfaction when she melted against him.

“You first. Now it’s my turn.” With that, he spun her and was inside her in the space of a breath. Hard, fast, deep, he thrust, stopping only long enough to swear and don a condom, before plunging back into her in a climactic finish.

Trying to catch the breath he’d stolen, Faith let go of the railing, turned and placed her hand on his cheek. His skin was warm beneath her palm, smooth and spicy from where he’d shaved that morning, moist from where he’d just made love to her.

She stared into his eyes, the intense blue shaming the sky around them. Her chest threatened to explode with the emotions she felt for this man. She could only imagine the outpouring of her love beaming out the top, lighting up the world with a kaleidoscope of colors. Vale’s world. The brightness of her love a guide to lead him safely home, to her. For ever.

Oh, Lord. What was wrong with her? She’d gone all sappy. For ever? For ever didn’t exist. Not outside fairytales and romance novels.

“Faith.” Her name came out a breathy sigh and he closed the gap between their mouths, brushing his lips across hers in a soft, reverent kiss, then pulled back to stare into her eyes.

Could he see the truth? Could he tell how much she wished this day would never end? That they could go on inside this magical beach bubble for ever? A bubble where just the two of them existed in this magnificent world?

Lord, her thoughts had gone corny. She wasn’t some silly schoolgirl prone to fantasies. She was a highly skilled neurologist, logical, realistic.

“We should go,” she insisted, pulling away from him. Their weekend was almost over. It was time for her to get back on track with life, with what was important. Her career. “I need to get back to the city.”