No Regrets Read online

  “I thought you wanted a fling. A purely, sexually gratifying fling.”

  It took a moment to register what he said. Horror followed and then embarrassment.

  “I’ve changed my mind,” she said flatly. He had known all this time that she was out to seduce him, and he was just playing with her. Another gust blew fiercely against the windows, rattling them. She was stuck here, alone with him in his house during a hurricane. She couldn’t leave. She had to stay and face him. Face the enemy.

  “Changed your mind? Women usually do,” he said.

  There was no missing the slight bitterness in his tone.

  “What happened to you?” she asked.

  He smiled a grim, humorless smile. “Ask anyone in Seabrook, they’ll tell you.”

  “I’m asking you to tell me.”

  He closed the distance between them. He stood so close to her their lips almost touched. She could feel his breath against her cheek and could smell the masculine scent of mud and rain mixed with his own distinct smell. A scent that was becoming far too familiar to her.

  “I’m not a man you want to get involved with, Jamie. Not for lust. Not for love.”

  “Listen, I really don’t-"

  “You want me Jamie, there’s no reason to deny the truth. You want me as much as I want you.” He leaned against her and kissed her forehead tenderly for one long moment.

  “But it’s not right for us, you know that," he said. "We have two different lives, far more different then you realize. I am tempted by you, yes.” He looked into her eyes and cupped her face in his hands as he lightly brushed her lips. “God knows I want you but I have other obligations and so do you. I have to keep reminding myself that,” he said.

  He let her go then, taking a step back, away from her. The sly seductress. That’s how he saw her. Could she blame him after what he overheard?

  “I know you’ve had a lot of tragedy in your life. Everyone has but-"

  “No, it’s more than that. I don’t know why you came back to Seabrook, but this town is not as pleasant as you think. Here it’s just hidden under the guise of small town charm. You are probably safer in the city. At least you know what to expect there. Here you don’t know what’s hit you until it’s too late.”

  “Then why do you stay here?” What she really wanted to know was what happened with his ex wife, but he wasn’t ready to tell her.

  His smile was unexpected, genuine, and all too fleeting. “Because it’s home.”

  Home.

  She looked at him, at the tragic beauty of him and realized for the first time she was dealing with a truly tormented man. A man with some very deep pain to overcome. Maybe he was right. They had moved on to markedly different lives and there was too much history between them for a fling. No sense in opening up all those feelings, only to be once again torn away from Aidan. She couldn't endure losing him again.

  “I’m going to take a shower.”

  Aidan watched her go without betraying a trace of emotion. It was for the best. He was protecting her from future heartache. What he had told her was true, they were not right for each other. Their time had come and gone fifteen years ago.

  He had to keep away, despite this lingering chemistry between them, despite the fact that when she was gone he missed her face, her voice, her smile. Every time he saw her, he wanted to strip off her clothes and bury himself in her with an animalistic passion he had never felt in his life. Not with Lauren, not with anyone. Feeling this desire, this passion was far too dangerous for a man like him. He was damaged goods, marred by grief and loss.

  He had to protect Ross, and he had to protect himself from feeling, from falling for her. Jamie definitely stirred his emotions, and roused his passions. She nearly destroyed his will to resist her.

  He could hear the wind’s low howling outside, the rain’s constant thumping on the roof, and he turned the radio up to drown out his thoughts of what could have been, to numb those old feelings for a woman who would never be his.

  He couldn’t believe it when he heard the announcement. The hurricane would barely skim the coast of Seabrook. It was hitting about fifty miles directly north of them. They would receive copious amounts of rain and strong winds but no hurricane was going to bring their houses down tonight. They were safe, for now.

  He called Jo and Ross to tell them he would be staying in Seabrook for the night. Ross was content. A few of his school friends were in the same hotel, and it was like one big party for the kids. He hung up the phone feeling less guilty.

  Aidan ran his hand through his damp, muddied hair, and realized he needed a shower as well. He was covered in mud and dirt, and his clothes were soaking wet. He went upstairs to the master bedroom, stripped out of his clothes, and stepped into the steamy confines of the shower. He let the water wash away the night and carry away the scent of the tempting woman who stood naked in the shower downstairs.

  ~

  Jamie was blinded by embarrassment and frustration when she peeled her clothes off and left them in a pile on the bathroom floor. Now, naked, but clean and calmer she realized she had no clothes to change into and the ones on the floor were too damp to wear.

  She wrapped a velvety towel around her and stepped out into the hallway. Thorn was sleeping peacefully on a rug in the hallway, despite the incessant noise from the storm’s winds. Jamie heard the sound of running water and figured Aidan must be showering too.

  She followed the sound to the top of the stairs and into a dimly lit bedroom. Light and steam poured through the cracked door of the adjoining bathroom. She stood quietly outside the door. The shower grew silent and she was torn between letting Aidan know her presence, or stealing a glimpse of his naked body. Her courage failed her and she started to call his name when his towering figure appeared in the doorway, a towel wrapped around his waist.

  The light from behind him illuminated his body like a Greek god. His skin glistened in its dampness, his sleek muscles danced in the steamy light. She stood in awe, unable to utter a single word. She couldn’t help the way she reacted, the way warmth infused her entire body, the way her mouth watered at the sight of his wet, bare body.

  She licked her lips and exhaled a slow sigh. “I need something to wear. My clothes are all wet,” she said as heat rushed her body. She felt grateful for the diffused light in the room.

  The sight of her melted Aidan’s former control. He didn’t want her wearing any clothes. He didn’t want her standing in his bedroom wearing only a towel, a sight even he hadn’t imagined in his most erotic fantasies about her. He wanted her in his bed, completely naked, trembling with pleasure beneath his body as he plunged into her again and again.

  She watched him from the bedroom. Jamie was rosy cheeked and glowing from her shower. Aidan’s body was already rising to attention at the sight of her bare shoulders, her long, slender legs, and the knowledge that she was naked underneath the soft blue towel.

  A sudden crash of thunder vibrated the entire house and a slice of lightening followed. The electricity blinked off leaving Aidan and Jamie standing in absolute darkness.

  “Aidan?” Jamie’s voice was fearful through the blackness.

  “Stay where you are” he said.

  “It’s here isn’t it? The hurricane is-"

  Her voice was trembling. “No, it’s not going to hit us. It’s going to hit about fifty miles north of us. We’ll get some damage but we’re safe for now. Don’t worry.”

  He was trying to keep things on a practical level, trying to fight the temptation of the virtually nude woman standing in the dark a few feet away from him. He stepped toward her and reached out to comfort her. She grabbed his hand anxiously and pulled him toward her.

  “I’m afraid of the dark,” she whispered as if admitting to the most heinous of crimes.

  He smiled covertly in the darkness. He lifted her chin up toward his face. “I’m going to get some candles, okay?” She nodded. He stepped away from her, but she held on to him fiercely, stopping
him.

  “Don’t leave me alone” she pleaded.

  “They’re right here in the drawer, Jamie. I’m not going to leave you.” He refused to examine a deeper meaning in his words. He gave her hands a reassuring squeeze and let go. She waited silently in the darkness.

  He found the candles and matches and set them up on the dresser. He lit them one by one. Bracing, he turned to Jamie. He knew he was close to giving in. He thought of the gulf of differences that separated them. He thought of Villa Milagros, his dead brother, and unfaithful ex-wife. He thought of his devastating past linked to Conrad Malcolm and Jamie’s unexplained connection to him. He thought of her city life, her demanding career and his responsibilities as a single father.

  But there was nothing, nothing in the world that could obliterate the feelings, the desire, the need Jamie created in him. A word, a sigh, a gesture was all it would take to destroy his resolve.

  She held her hand out to him in the glittering candlelight. “Aidan,” she said softly.

  It was all he needed.

  He took her hand and Jamie pulled him close, letting her towel drop to the floor. He tried to pull away. He needed to warn her about the consequences, the commitments he had and the ones he couldn’t make to her, but she covered his mouth with her hand.

  “No more words,” she whispered.

  Jamie slowly led him to the bed. She dropped down against the mattress and pulled away the towel that was still wrapped around Aidan’s waist. He was hard and ready and she enclosed her fingers slowly around him and began to stroke him. He groaned, letting the pleasure engulf him. He was done resisting her.

  He pushed her against the bed and she fell dreamily against the soft cotton, her skin glowing in the candlelight. He covered her body with his, resting on his elbows at her sides as he began a trail of fiery kisses from her lips down her neck. She cried out as he found her nipple and began sucking, nipping, kissing both her breasts until her body shook with pleasure and she didn’t think she could stand another moment of the delicious torture. He slipped off the bed as he kissed his way down to her stomach and pushed her legs apart with gentle urgency.

  She wanted to shut her legs, wanted to refuse such intimacy yet, she waited in anticipation as he spread wet kisses along the insides of her thighs. She lay back as he teased her with slow, languid kisses. She wanted his mouth on her, wanted to feel his tongue, his hands, the exquisite pleasure of him touching her in any way he pleased.

  The feel of his tongue against her was shocking. She moaned softly, and giving herself to him, she pulled his head firmly against her. He knew exactly what to do, how to make her mad with desire, how to bring her to the brink of ecstasy and wait for her to recover before starting again. She laid languidly on the bed letting him pleasure her, lost in bliss.

  Her mind had stopped functioning and her body had taken over, immersed in the erotic sensations that grew stronger and more powerful with every lap of his tongue. She quivered against his skilled touch and trembled as he slid his fingers into her, losing herself to the contractions that shook her body over and over again.

  Aidan moved over her and kissed her deeply, sliding her body against the soft sheets, his erection ready and waiting between her open thighs. He nudged against her, teasing her, taunting her until she could wait no longer.

  “Make love to me, Aidan.”

  He slid into her, a thunderous joining of their bodies and he moaned at their final, delectable union. He began the rhythmic dance, stroking her, slowly, rapidly and then slowly again until she could take it no longer and she urged him to give into her with a reckless wantonness she had never known before. She felt like an animal, wild and free as he moved in her, and she met his every breath, his every kiss, his every thrust with her own.

  She felt the climax building inside of her and she knew Aidan was there with her. She heard him whisper her name as she felt his warmth spill into her and he brought her with him over the edge, taking her to a place from which neither of them could return.

  Chapter Eight

  Jamie awoke the next morning feeling oddly triumphant and content. She had successfully crushed the boundaries of the almighty Aidan's defenses and broken the bonds of his self-control but who had come out victorious? They had made love two more times last night. He had pleasured her body until she was nothing but a mound of skin and bones and lust, begging for more of him, more of everything until he complied to her wishes again and again, until she wasn’t sure who was more insatiable.

  She had a potent effect on him. The last time he had made love to her, he had plunged into her like a man possessed, spilling into her with abandon. He'd fell next to her, exhausted and shaking and she'd curled up on his chest, against his radiating warmth and fell fast asleep in his arms.

  She awoke alone in Aidan’s bed, her muscles sore but her body satiated. The room was still dark since the hurricane shutters covered the windows. Jamie rose, and made her way to the bathroom. She switched the light on, which was blessedly functioning now and took a shower, letting the hot water sink into her aching body.

  She had much to do today and number one on her agenda was to make it clear to Conrad to leave her alone. Initially, she'd been flattered by his proposal. What a fool. The man was a certifiable nut job. Conrad's odd, violent tendencies had initially stunned her. Now she found them chillingly frightening.

  She came out of the bathroom and found her dress and panties laundered and laying out on the bed. She smiled at Aidan’s thoughtfulness. After last night, maybe he would come around about Villa Milagros too. He had to understand how much it meant to her. There were other properties he could develop. He had to know what was at stake. She would have to tell him.

  She dressed and went downstairs into the kitchen. Aidan had removed a few of the shutters, and the day was bright and sunny. She watched him out the kitchen window playing with Thorn. The man did have a side to him that was relaxed and fun. She poured herself a cup of coffee as the two of them rushed through the door. He kissed her lightly on the lips, and she felt her cheeks burn slightly as she caught his sparkling eyes roaming her body possessively. She, conservative career woman, had behaved like a wild, lusty woman last night. No doubt that amused him.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Good Morning.”

  He kissed her again, lingering this time.

  “Good Afternoon, sleepy head” he said. “It’s after noon.”

  Noon? She'd never slept past eight in her life! “Why didn’t you wake me?” She was slightly embarrassed.

  “I figured you needed the sleep.”

  He touched his nose to hers and let her go. He poured her cup full of more steaming coffee. She took a sip, needing it desperately to help wake up and bring her down to earth. She sat down at the breakfast table and Thorn jumped against her knees happily. She scooped the puppy into her lap.

  “How’s your shoulder feeling?”

  His smile was mischievous. “Battered. It'll heal.”

  A familiar grin passed between them, and Jamie found that she liked the feeling it gave her.

  “I’ve got a million things to do today,” she said lightly.

  Aidan looked at her and a grim expression moved across his face. “Make that a million and one,” he said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Your cottage sustained some serious roof damage during the storm. It’s not safe to stay there until I can get my men to fix it.”

  “When did you see it?”

  “This morning, while you were sleeping I went out to inspect the damage in the neighborhood.”

  “And Villa Milagros? Did you check on that too?” she asked, a little grudgingly. "I suppose if it's been blown away, that would save you the trouble."

  He bent down to pat Thorn’s head, ignoring the question.

  She didn't know why she had blurted it out. She was feeling much too content to bring up such a divisive subject. But the house was so very important to her. She had to know how it ha
d fared.

  He bent down and kissed her forehead affectionately. “We’ll figure it all out later,” he said.

  She nodded, letting it go for now. He busied himself cleaning the kitchen while Jamie drained her coffee cup and put Thorn on the floor. She had to go to Palm Beach, but she didn’t want to leave. She felt at home here in Aidan's house. She was afraid once she'd left, last night would be forgotten, like some sort of casual one night stand. It curdled her blood to think that was all it was to him. She didn’t want to admit, to remember that was how she had planned it. What a fool she had been to think she wouldn’t have feelings after all the years of longing for Aidan.

  She cast aside those thoughts. She had to check on Villa Milagros and her Palm Beach Condo. Well, initially she had to inspect her cottage in Seabrook. If it were as bad as Aidan said it was, she would have to find a place to stay while the repairs were made. She wasn't ready to return to her Palm Beach condo.

  “I guess I better go take a look at my cottage,” she said, wishing he would beg her to stay, one more day, one more hour, or even one more minute.

  He pulled her close to him and kissed her slowly, as if they had all the time in the world. She felt the fires of passion rekindling as heat rushed her veins. Last night had not satiated her desire for Aidan. She wanted more.

  “We’ll talk later” he said.

  She gathered Thorn in her arms and Aidan walked her to the door.

  Aidan watched as she walked through the scattered debris and the flowing rainwaters, evidence of last night’s storm despite the sunny day. He had checked the path to her house for down power lines and he knew it would be safe for her to walk home. He needed time to himself, time to think about the consequences of last night. Hell, they hadn’t even used contraceptives.

  He picked up the newspaper from his yard and marveled that it had been delivered, despite the near hit of a hurricane. His shoulder ached from the night’s activities but he had to admit the pleasure was worth the pain. She had certainly answered his question, and the answer was she was a warm, sultry sensual woman. There was certainly no doubt about that now.