Meg nearly swallowed her tongue. The hot looks Dan kept sending her way had her heart galloping at full speed. She didn't know what to say, but she did know what she wanted to do. She let him take her by the hand lead her to the second floor.

She hadn't taken the time to notice much about his bedroom the first time she'd been here, but it had been in the middle of the night and dark. He flipped on the wall switch and the room was bathed in the soft, incandescent glow of the light on his dresser. The mahogany four-poster and matching dresser seemed to fit in with the age of the house.

The black and gray striped comforter was soft to the touch. "Silk?"

He shrugged. "I like soft things."

He reached for her, snagging her shirtfront and tugging her closer. Starting with the one beneath her chin, he slid the buttons free slowly, drawing out the task, making her crazy with want. "Dan, I-"

"Shush. Let me." His mouth pressed against the hollow of her throat made her knees weak. She reached out to keep from falling and smacked her knuckles on his shoulder.

She saw stars and before she could protest was cradled against the warmth of Dan's massive chest. "I've got you," he soothed.

"My fault," she said. "I forgot."

He struggled not to smile and failed. "I'm glad I could make you forget... that's the plan tonight."

He set her on the bed and helped her out of her shirt and unhooked her bra. Tossing it over his shoulder, he urged, "Lie down."

The sight of his big hand in the middle of her chest did funny things to her insides. She shivered and he closed his eyes.

"Not yet," he told her, urging her down. "Don't close your eyes yet, Meg. I want to watch your eyes go soft and cloudy as you come for me." He undid the button and slid the zipper slowly down, pressing his lips to the skin he exposed.

Her insides were on fire. With the flick of his tongue, he added to the heat. Shifting her up, he slid her jeans off and tossed them to the floor. He sat on the bed next to her and let his fingers glide from her shoulder, along her collarbone, to the hollow of her throat. When his fingers slid down her breastbone, she moaned.

"Does that feel good?"

His voice added a new dimension to his sensual foray. "Yes," she hissed.

He stopped. "Did I hurt you?"

"No."

Their gazes collided and she knew she wasn't the only one turned on. When she nodded, he leaned over her and let his tongue trace the path his fingertips had journeyed. He blew on the skin he'd moistened with his tongue, tormenting her.

"Dan... I-"

"Not yet, Meg," he whispered. "Let me show you how I feel about you." His lips claimed hers in a heart-pounding kiss that had her body going limp and her juices flowing to the surface.

One look and she knew he understood. His lips tortured her as they slid along her collarbone to her throat. Molding her in his hands, he played with her breasts until the nipples pearled in his hands and she was writhing beneath him.

He put his mouth on her and she shot up and over the first peak. When her eyes could focus again, he'd stripped off his shirt and was stepping out of his work pants. "Again," he urged as he straddled her and bent to take her other breast in his mouth.

She grabbed a hold of him with her good hand and gave herself over to the splendor of his lovemaking. When he suckled her deeply into his mouth another orgasm shook her to the bone, and still he didn't pause to take off his tight-knit boxers or her black lace panties.

He swept his hands up her sides and down over her breasts with a feather-light touch, again and again, until her skin was sensitized and her core was weeping for him to fill her.

"I can't wait," she moaned.

"Come just once more for me... please?" He slid his hands inside her panties and slowly inched them down to her knees. His dark and desperate gaze set off a chain reaction. Her heart filled to bursting as her belly fluttered and her head spun. When he slid one finger inside her, she reached for him, but he evaded her. "This first time is all you, Meg."

He slid down next to her on the bed and nipped her shoulder. Sliding his tongue downward, he took her breast in his mouth as he slid a second finger inside of her. Working her with fingers, teeth, lips, and tongue, she screamed out his name as she came apart in his arms.

"You're like a wildfire, burning out of control."

He pulled her beneath him. His hot flesh pulsed against her. When did he strip out of his briefs?

He traced the tip of his tongue around the rim of her ear. "Burn for me, Meg."

She moaned as he nipped her earlobe.

His big body stilled, and she felt the tension coming off of him in waves.

She lifted her hips and brushed against his erection, inviting him to take what they both desperately wanted, but he held back as he covered himself with latex. Sheathed, ready to protect her, he paused. "Meg, tell me what you want."

She looked up into his eyes and saw everything she felt reflected back at her. "You, Daniel. I want you."

He slipped the tip of his erection inside of her. "What if you change your mind?"

She lifted her hips again; this time he groaned out her name. "I won't."

He slowly withdrew and then surged into her.

Meg knew the answer in her heart; all she had to do was share it with Dan. She arched her back so he was as deep as he could go. "I love you, Dan."

Her words seemed to break the tight leash he had on his control. He drove into her again and again, coaxing her with whispered words, lips, and tongue to come with him.

She willingly followed, soaring into the heavens with his whispered words filling her heart. "I love you, Meg."

Chapter 14.

Meg woke to the scent of coffee. She opened her eyes and saw a swirl of steam and a bright red mug. "You made me coffee?" She sat up and shifted so she was sitting with her back against the headboard.

"It was a hardship, but you're worth it." He bent so he could capture her lips in a kiss that had her skin tingling and parts of her ready for another bout of lovemaking.

Instead, he drew back and handed the mug to her. She blew across the surface and sipped. "Your coffee beats Peggy's any day."

He grinned at her. "Speaking of Peggy..." he said slowly.

She frowned. "I wasn't."

He took a step back and held up his hands. She worked hard to concentrate on what he was saying-all those yummy muscles were hard to dismiss.

"I just didn't want you to hear it from anyone else; the pic you sent was from the other night when I was in the diner. It was funny-one bite of pie and we started talking piecrust."

She grinned into her cup and sipped. "I hate it when you talk pastry with another woman."

He laughed. "Well, one thing led to another and we have a contest going."

Her interest piqued, she asked, "What kind of contest?"

"We're both going to bake pie for the turkey supper and not tell anyone which is which and we'll see at the end of the dinner whose piecrust wins."

"How will you know whose is whose?"

"That is the beauty of the plan-it's like a blind taste-testing, but I'm leaving the judging up to my aunt and Mrs. Winter to decide."

She tucked her legs beneath her and the sheet slid off her shoulder. His eyes widened and his nostrils flared; she loved that she got to him as quickly as he did to her. She'd hate to feel this way alone. It totally sucked being in love alone-been there, survived that.

He closed the distance between them and reached for her mug. "I think we need a shower." He set it on the bedside table and lifted her into his arms. "Let's start with your hair and work our way down."

She shivered at the blatant desire in his eyes. "If we get a baggy and some duct tape, we won't have to worry about my hand getting wet and we could start by washing you."

He changed direction and headed downstairs.

"You didn't have to carry me all the way down here. I could have walked."

He bent slightly and opened the drawer in the corner of the kitchen. "There should be a roll of duct tape there."

She pulled it out and he spun around and asked her to open the cabinet above them. "The Baggies are up there."

"Really, Dan, I can walk-"

"I can't bear to let you go yet, Meg," he confessed. "Humor me."

She laid her head on his shoulder. "I love you, Dan."

"Good."

She pinched his ear.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"I just told you I loved you, damn it."

"And I just said good."

"And you think that's OK because..."

"I'd hate to be in love alone. I love you, Megan Maureen Mulcahy."

She kissed the ear she'd just pinched. "You're right," she teased. "It is a good thing."

Meg couldn't stop smiling. She was in a good mood and knew she was never going to hear the end of it. Grace knew she hated to work in the office and if Meg was in a good mood, Grace would just badger her until she told Grace why.

Despite that possibility, she was humming when Dan dropped her off Monday morning. It might have been the eye-popping kiss they'd just shared. Whatever the reason, nothing could bring her down today.

Grace stared at her when she opened the door. "You're late."

"Sorry," Meg told her. "I'm not used to office hours, so I wasn't sure what time to get here."

Her sister snorted out a laugh. "Good one, Meg."

To her surprise, her sister went back to whatever she was doing on her computer, ignoring Meg.

They worked in companionable silence for the rest of the morning until Meg made the mistake of looking at the clock and then her sister, saying, "I'm hungry, do you want lunch?"

Grace shot to her feet and said, "OK, tell me. I can't stand it."

Meg shook her head. "Tell you what?"

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. Just because you're older than me doesn't mean that I have no idea what you and that gorgeous hunk of soccer coach have been doing together."

"For the record, what business is it of yours?"

Grace put her hands on her hips. "I'm your sister! I should know what's really going on before Peggy finds out and starts spreading rumors that might not be true."

Meg agreed and said, "Dan and I are enjoying spending time with one another."

Grace snorted again.

Meg frowned. "Well, we are."

"Playing canasta, no doubt."

Meg smiled. "Grandpa always loved playing cards when we were kids."

"OK," Grace said. "So if anyone asks, I'm supposed to tell them what for instance?"

Meg shrugged. "Nothing. It's nobody's business what Dan and I happen to be doing."

"For God's sake, Meg, we both grew up in Apple Grove... not in a convent. We both know that anything that goes on in town is fair game as far as the gossips are concerned."

"One of those gossips happens to be Dan's great-aunt."

"All the more reason to tell me first so I can make sure I spread the right story."