Desert of Desire Read online

  His rock hard body moved over her, his eyes never releasing hers as he stoked, taking her closer and closer to her peak. She detonated, convulsed with pulses of pure pleasure.

  Eve opened her eyes to the empty room as the last waves of her orgasm ebbed. She grasped the sheet in her fist and shut her eyes, hoping to find herself back in her fantasy. But it was gone. He was gone.

  What’s the use? In a few days, she’d be back in Manhattan chasing socialites and movie stars. A fling with Beau would only end in heartbreak—probably hers.

  Chapter Two

  A sliver of sunlight forced its way through the curtains and nudged Eve awake. Propping herself on her elbows, she took in her surroundings. The room had to be almost as big as her entire apartment. Memories of the previous day drifted to her consciousness and made her smile.

  A wave of excitement rolled over her skin her knowing she’d spend the day with Beau. She reluctantly left the soft, warm confines of the bed and pulled open the curtains. Blue, yellow and pink flowers welcomed her.

  After a quick shower she put on a white sundress then ventured into the kitchen in search of coffee. She found none, but the sound of running water pulled her out the French doors into the garden. Everything smelled clean and fresh.

  A vase of purple blooms graced the table. She touched their soft petals, marveled at the velvety texture. Expecting to find yet another fountain, she took a few steps behind the chiminea, along a cobblestone walkway.

  She froze in her path when she realized the sound she’d heard came not from a fountain, but an outdoor shower.

  Beau faced away from her scrubbing his hair, his tan skin covered in soap. She stood there, mesmerized, unable to move. Her gaze traveled from his muscled shoulders to his powerful back, narrow waist, tight ass and rock-solid legs. She bit her lower lip to ward off the stirring between her thighs.

  Didn’t work. Her heart thundered and her breathing grew ragged. Pushed by an unseen force, she edged closer and watched him rinse his body, his hands sluicing over his slick skin. She halted only a few feet from him, squashing the little voice that told her to stop and think.

  Beau turned his head toward her and opened his eyes wide, obviously as surprised by her presence as she. A grin slowly curled a corner of his lips. He extended his hand and Eve took it, moving closer.

  Silently, sensuously, he pulled her into the shower. He took her face in his hands and brushed his lips over hers. A pleasant ache settled low in her belly. Her eyes slid lazily shut as he kissed her softly, his tongue dancing gently with hers. He tasted of mint, and she couldn’t get enough.

  She wrapped her arms around his torso, her hands exploring the muscled contours of his back. Evidence of his arousal pushed against her stomach. She skimmed her hands over his buttocks and heard his low moan of desire.

  Beau’s kisses burned a trail over her neck, down her chest. Her head spun with warnings, but she pushed them all away. This wasn’t about thinking.

  He opened the front buttons at her bodice one by one, nibbling on her skin until he slid the soaked fabric off her shoulders. Her dress dropped to the ground, leaving her standing before him wearing only her panties. Her nipples grew to tight, tingling peaks that ached for his touch.

  He got on his knees and looked up at her, his blue eyes smoky, burning with lust. His tongue tickled the skin on her stomach, slowly climbing to her wet breasts. He pulled her taut nipple into his mouth, and Eve sucked in a breath, thankful for the water, lest her body would incinerate on the spot. She grabbed at his head, her fists gathering his damp hair and forcing him to continue his sweet plunder.

  He looped his fingers into her panties and rolled them down her legs. She stepped out of them, kicked them aside knowing there was no turning back now.

  What am I doing?

  But desire trumped every rational thought.

  Beau pulled away and looked up at her. He reached toward the shower faucet and shut it off. “This is the desert. Can’t waste precious water.” Then he tugged on her arms. She sank to her knees, facing him, filled with carnal anticipation.

  “Speaking of precious commodities,” he held his hand against her cheek.

  She leaned into his touch. They kissed, this time hungrily. He guided her to the ground, trailed his fingers along her neck, her shoulder, her breasts. White hot need flooded her veins, rendered her incapable of resistance.

  Her universe shrank to Beau’s Garden of Eden. Above her, flowers canopied their makeshift bed, filling the air with sweet scents. He dotted her skin with light kisses, working his way to her belly, her inner thighs. Warm, wet sensations between her legs lifted her torrid need higher until ecstasy deluged her system. Wave after exquisite wave of pleasure wracked her body, leaving her throbbing and hungry for more.

  “I’ll be right back,” she heard him say.

  He was gone but a moment, then he lay beside her and slipped on a condom. His eyes questioned hers.

  “Please, Beau. Make love to me.” Urgency punctuated her every word.

  He whispered her name, softly, sensuously as he started inside her, slowly at first. Inch by heavenly inch he advanced. Erotic friction set off a burning flood of bliss. She raised her hips, meeting his thrusts, grinding into him. He pushed deeper and deeper into her, drawing her closer to the edge of rhapsody once again. She wrapped her legs around him, forcing him against her. Her insides melted into him in a crescendo of ecstasy. Slowly, she drifted back to earth. Beau kissed her face, her neck, her breasts setting off sparks everywhere he touched.

  The pulse at his temples fluttered and his face reddened with restraint. Muscles on his neck corded. His strokes grew faster, harder then he moaned, long and low. His face contorted in pleasure and wonder. Then he collapsed over her, his heart thundering against hers.

  They lay there, locked in passion’s afterglow, recovering.

  She eased herself to a sitting position and stared at him. “I’ve never done anything like that before.” She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. “I mean I’ve done this, but not walked up to a man taking a shower and practically seduced him.”

  He smiled, his fingers tracing circles on her leg. “So you’ve seduced men who weren’t taking a shower?”

  She grinned. “You know what I mean. I’m not in the habit of seduction at all.”

  “Really? Too bad. Because you’re quite good at it, although I offered no resistance.”

  Heat rushed to her face as she searched the area for her dress, finding it nearby, a soggy mess. She held it against her chest and slid away from him. How could she have made love with the subject of her article?

  Beau propped himself up on one elbow, his expression suddenly serious. “Why do I get the feeling you regret what we just did?”

  She pursed her lips. “I…I don’t know what came over me. I saw you there and I…”

  “You wanted me. And I wanted you from the minute I first saw you. The more we talked last night, the more sure I became.” He got up and walked to the shower.

  Removing a large bath towel from a hook, he handed it to her.

  She quickly wrapped it around her body.

  “Things happen for a reason, Eve. You came out here to write a story about me. We created a new story, at least the beginning of one.”

  She shook her head. This was only sex—amazing sex—but only sex. The pull she felt toward him had to be loneliness, nothing more. “We live almost three thousand miles apart, Beau. We can have no story. You dwell in this beautiful garden you’ve created. But it’s not real.” She pointed toward the mountains in the distance. “That’s what’s real. This is the middle of a desert, not an oasis. What we have is only a mirage.”

  He folded his arms across his chest. “You won’t convince me you didn’t feel what I did when we made love.”

  She looked away, afraid he’d see the truth in her eyes. How could she tell him she’d screw it up if they pursued a relationship, as she’d ruined the few she’d tried? She wo
uldn’t risk her job, her home, her life to be with a man she hadn’t known more than a single day when she knew it would end in heartache for both of them. “It’s not meant to be.” She pulled the towel tightly around her and started toward the house.

  “Let me prove you wrong.”

  She stopped walking. “And how do you propose to do that?”

  “Leave that to me. Go get dressed. We’re going out.”

  She shook her head. “I’ve got to write my story. When will we do the interview?”

  He nodded. “All right. First the interview, then we go.”

  * * * * *

  Twenty minutes later they met in the living room.

  “Okay,” she began. “When did you know you wanted to be an author?”

  He shifted on the couch and crinkled his forehead. “I had to find a way to pay the bills.”

  Being so close to him made it difficult for her to concentrate on work. Images of what they’d done in the garden kept barging into her head, her skin so dark against his. “All right. What made you want to plant a garden here, in the desert of all places?”

  “It’s where I live, the most beautiful place in the country. Big cities make my skin crawl.”

  She bristled. “We have gardens there too, you know.”

  He smirked. “A couple of flowerpots on a balcony hardly qualifies.”

  “So you’re a garden snob.”

  “I just don’t get why anyone would choose to live in an urban jungle when they could be somewhere like this.”

  “I happen to like where I live. There’s culture and electricity and…oh yeah, jobs.” Yet the notion of living in the beautiful oasis he’d created seemed like a fairytale.

  “I made my own job. That’s why I write. If given the choice, would you really choose the city over this?”

  She forced herself not to think about the possibility of spending any more time with him in this beautiful place. “How many people can make a living at something like you have?”

  He pinned her with a knowing smile. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  She folded her arms across her chest. “I thought I was the one doing the asking.”

  “Do you have a nice home in New York?”

  She thought about her tiny apartment with bars on the windows. “I have a very…lovely place.” Her gaze swept the large room with its colorful garden view. “Can we stick to the interview please?”

  “Of course.” His self-satisfied grin irritated her. He’d seen through her lie, damn it.

  When she finished with all her questions, she stood. “Okay. Now I’m yours.”

  “Promise?”

  Heat coursed through her. Since when could a man turn her libido on with just a a word? Ignoring his question, she followed him to his car. The drive took them through some of the most amazing scenery she’d ever seen.

  He parked his truck on a scenic overlook next to the Grand Canyon then climbed out.

  Eve joined him at the railing. The canyon seemed to stretch on forever and held more purples, blues and browns, more stunning formations that she could have imagined.

  Sweeping his hand across the vista, he smiled. “What do you think?”

  The beauty and the sheer scope of the place took her breath away. A majestic condor circled overhead before it landed on a nearby cliff. “I’ve seen pictures but I never knew.” Her heart was racing.

  “Can’t be captured. You have to be here to understand, to commune with it. It changes you.”

  She looked at him. “Someone else said that too.”

  They spent the afternoon walking along the rim, holding hands and talking. After dinner at the El Tovar Hotel, they watched the sunset paint the canyon in darker shades. She couldn’t remember enjoying a day more, or a man’s company.

  Her head swam with confusion during the drive back to Sedona. She had no doubt she’d begun falling for Beau and for his world, despite just meeting him. “You have so much beauty around you,” she said as they neared his house.

  He lifted her hand to his lips and again, the contrast in their skin tones gave her pause. “Yes, I do.” He parked the truck. “I want to make love to you. This time in my bed.”

  She swallowed hard. The temptation clutched at her, but she resisted. “I really ought to go to my hotel, check in. I’ve got to finish my story.”

  His face fell. “Eve, please stay with me tonight. You can write your article in the morning.” He touched a finger to her lips. Let’s not waste a moment of our time together.”

  Powerless to resist, she nodded. Beau brought her to his room. Its dark wooden beams, Native American tapestries and stone floor paid tribute to the west. Beau lit a fire in the stone fireplace.

  She sat on a loveseat near the fire. She couldn’t wait to touch Beau again yet a deep sadness filled her because this would have to be the last time. Her life was in New York.

  “I can see the wheels in your head turning. What’s on your mind?” He sat next to her and pulled her into his strong embrace.

  “Nothing. I was just thinking how much I like your bedroom. The whole house.”

  He shook his head. “Thank you, but I don’t believe that’s what’s got your brow furrowed.” He pressed a finger to her forehead.

  She didn’t want to dwell on what couldn’t be so she kissed him then looked into his smoky eyes and told him how much she wanted him.

  And he returned the sentiment with a slow, tasting kiss. Passion elevated her awareness.

  Beau slipped his hand under her shirt to cup her breast. Need quickened her blood. He rolled her erect nipple between his fingers and took her arousal to the next level.

  She lifted her top over her head then stood and shimmied out of her shorts. Beau’s heated gaze swept over her and there was no mistaking the look of appreciation in his eyes. Electricity crackled in the air between them.

  She climbed onto his lap facing him and moved her pelvis against the bulge in his pants.

  Beau pushed his jeans down and off, then his boxers. Then he shucked off his t-shirt. His skin smelled of his pine cologne and pure man. She ran her hands over the sinewy muscle and felt his quiver.

  He caught her breast in his hand and massaged and kneaded. She wanted him so badly that her whole body quivered with lust.

  Beau lifted her up and carried her to the soft rug by the fireplace. He laid her down and propped himself on one elbow beside her. He leaned his head to her breast and licked the tingling peak.

  Liquid heat stole through her. She let out a desperate whimper.

  Beau moved between her legs and touched his finger to her entrance. She bucked with longing. He spread her legs wider then blew on her mound. Then his tongue was there, in her most private spot, licking her feminine folds.

  She fisted her hands in his hair as he drove his tongue deeper. Long possessive fingers skillfully touched her, gently rubbed her clit until she detonated in bliss.

  Without waiting for her to recover, he pushed his erection between her thighs and slipped inside her.

  They moved together, in a rhythm as old as time, as if they’d been making love all their lives. When she felt her climax approach, she saw the signs on Beau’s face but he seemed to be hanging on to his control.

  He held her close and turned her over so she was now on top. She was so close. She rolled her hips as she splayed her hands over the hard ridges of his abdomen. When her orgasm neared she threw her head back and let out an unbridled scream.

  Beau held her hips to control her movement. He thrust into her hard and fast, ratcheting up her pleasure as he took his.

  They locked their gazes at they shared the ecstasy. It was hands down the single most sensuous moment of her life.

  After they recovered, Eve lay in his arms, content and warm. “I wish you could come back to New York in my suitcase.”

  “This is where I belong, Eve. Will you consider staying for a while?”

  She thought about her bills and her apartment and her job. “I can
’t. I have a life in New York.”

  “You could have a life here, with me.”

  How could she tell him that she’d only screw it up? That she’d failed every time she’d tried to build something with a man? Beau would shake his head, say her luck had changed. “Maybe we can visit each other. You know, every few months or so.”

  He propped himself up on one elbow and stared into her eyes, raking his fingers through her hair. “Why won’t you let go, Eve? What’s holding you back?”