When she stopped spinning she staggered a little. Vivian caught her by one arm to steady her. Nick took Lyra’s other arm.
“She’s going to feel a little different in the morning,” he said to Vivian.
“I think you’re right,” Vivian said.
Lyra gave that observation a few seconds of close consideration. Then she giggled.
“You may be right,” she said. “But you know what? I don’t care if I have a hangover. It will be worth it. I danced with Ripley Fleming. And then I danced some more. I danced the whole night.”
“Yes, you did,” Vivian said. “Now give me your room key.”
“Sure.” Lyra fumbled with the catch of her small crystal-beaded handbag. When she got it open she handed the key to Vivian.
Vivian opened the door. “Need any help getting ready for bed?”
“Nope.” Lyra sailed past her and flipped the light switch. She turned around with a laughing smile. “You two can run along now. I’ll be just fine.”
“Lock the door,” Nick said.
“You bet,” Lyra said.
She smiled and closed the door. There was a loud snick as the bolt slid home.
“Have fun, you two,” she called through the heavy wood paneling.
Nick took Vivian’s arm. They walked out into the softly lit gardens, following the path that led to their villa.
“You’re worried, aren’t you?” Nick said.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Lyra in such a carefree mood,” Vivian said. “It’s a little unnerving.”
“You’re used to being the wild sister,” Nick said. He sounded amused.
“Well, yes, I suppose so.”
“Looks like you now have some competition.”
“Evidently. Don’t misunderstand me—I’m very glad Lyra discovered the truth about Hamilton before the wedding and I’m relieved she gave him back his ring. But now I’m afraid that in this new mood she’ll do something rash.”
“Such as?”
“I don’t know,” Vivian said. “That’s the problem. There are so many ways an attractive, vivacious woman with a lot of money and a reckless, devil-may-care attitude can get into trouble in places like Burning Cove.”
“There you go, thinking dark and depressing thoughts again. I believe I mentioned I have a remedy for that.”
A fizzy little wave of anticipation shivered through her, heightening her awareness. It was as if some part of her was suddenly attuned to the invisible energy of the night, the lush gardens, and most of all to the man who stirred her senses as no other man ever had.
“Yes,” she said. “You did tell me that.”
Nick brought her gently to a halt in the shadow of a grape arbor and took her into his arms. When his mouth closed over hers, the effervescent tide of anticipation was transformed into a hot wave of desire. She melted against his hard, lean body.
“Vivian,” he said against her mouth, “I want you so damn bad.”
“I’m glad,” she managed in a throaty voice. “Because I want you, too.”
“Enough to do something reckless and maybe a little dangerous?”
“Such as?”
“Come to bed with me and we will find out together.”
Somewhere inside she thought she heard a voice whisper words of caution. It’s too soon. He’s still a stranger in so many ways.
But the voice was thin and faint; easily ignored. The alluring whispers demanding she seize the moment were far more compelling. They called to her, challenging her to take what might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to discover the truth about the strength of her own passions.
“Whether or not I accept your invitation depends on the answer to a question I need to ask,” she said against his warm throat.
“Now you’ve got me terrified. What’s the question?”
She pulled away from him, just far enough to meet his eyes. “Will I be the only one taking chances tonight?”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got a tin of pros.”
It took her a beat to realize he was talking about prophylactics—condoms. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks and was suddenly very glad of the shadows. She did not know whether to be pleased or infuriated. Had he been expecting her to simply fall into bed with him?
“You came prepared?” she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.
“That’s a trick question, isn’t it?” He cradled her face in his hands and traced the lines of her jaw with his thumbs. “If I answer yes, I’m in trouble because it will look like I’ve been planning to get you into bed from the start. If I say no, you’ll wonder why I just happen to have the pros with me when I’m supposed to be doing my job, keeping you safe.”
“You’re right. It was a trick question. Don’t bother answering.”
“Too late. The answer is the hotel bellman. When he delivered the dinner jacket I ordered this afternoon there was a tin in the pocket.”
“Was it there because you requested it?”
“I’m afraid so. Does knowing that ruin the moment?”
“Nope. It means that your intuition really is very good. But just to be clear. When I asked you if I was the only one taking chances tonight, I wasn’t talking about prophylactics.”
“Ah. You meant that going to bed with me is risky because neither of us knows how it will end.”
“Something like that.”
He moved one hand through her hair as if he was threading strands of silk through his fingers.
“No,” he said, “you are not the only one taking a chance tonight.”
She threw her arms around his neck. “In that case, my answer is yes.”
“Vivian.”
He spoke her name as if it held a kind of magic; a name to conjure with in the darkness of night.
He scooped her up in his arms and carried her through the scented garden to the front door of the villa.
Chapter 36
Vivian wasn’t entirely sure how he got her through the door and into the shadowed hall. She was vaguely aware of Rex. The dog showed up briefly to greet them. When he discovered he was not going to get the usual amount of attention, he disappeared into the living room.
The next thing she knew, she was in Nick’s room. He set her on her feet beside the bed, reached down, and ripped the quilt and sheet aside. Breathless, she fumbled with the fasteners at the waist of the gown.