Danica's voice escaped her. I'm a goner.

The waitress brought their meals, and they spent the next twenty minutes pushing food around on their plates and making small talk. They finished the bottle of wine and the waitress brought another.

"Oh, no, thank you," Danica said. She was already tipsy, and she didn't want to wake up tomorrow sorry for whatever she might do while under the influence of alcohol. She wasn't Kaylie, after all. Kaylie could pull off the morning-after routine well, but Danica was all fl.u.s.tered words and embarra.s.sment. She lived in the shadow of her profession, worried that someone would find out if she had a sordid one-night stand. She desperately wanted to throw caution to the wind just this once, but her professional persona still held the reins on her mind-even if they were becoming stretched and frayed with each pa.s.sing second.

"No, I don't suppose we do," Blake agreed. He set his napkin on the table and leaned back. "Are you up for a walk?"

A kiss or a walk? Jesus, Danica.

They walked toward town as snow began to fall. At first it was just a few light flakes, but within ten minutes they were walking amid a thick winter storm, which was not unusual for Colorado. Danica and Blake walked side by side, hands shoved deep in their pockets. They neared the center of town, where a brick, circular patio hosted ornate, iron benches.

Blake stopped beneath one of the old-fashioned streetlights. "Wanna head back to my car?" Blake asked.

That was the last thing Danica wanted to do. Walking beside Blake helped to settle her fluttering stomach. The crisp air revitalized her, freezing her worry about what she might do and replacing it with a modic.u.m of ease. Outside, she was free and there was room to breathe. In a car, she'd be trapped. She stole a glance at his profile. With his angular nose and snow-spotted hair, he could be a model, shot in a commercial for some manly cologne. G.o.d, he was gorgeous. He caught her looking, and this time she didn't look away. Her heart thundered in her chest. Her nerves tingled with desire, and it was as if she had no control over her muscles. She was powerless to turn away.

He stepped toward her, his breath visibly meeting the air between them. Their breath comingled into little puffs of white that evaporated into the night. "State of Grace" by Taylor Swift played loudly from a pa.s.sing car.

That's it. You are my Achilles' heel, Blake Carter. Goodbye, career. Danica stepped toward him, snow falling across her nose. Taylor Swift faded into the distance. I never saw you coming. And I'll definitely never be the same. Their lips met in a long, delicious kiss. Her arms circled his neck. He put his hands on her lower back, sending a tantalizing rush through her body. Never before this had she felt she was in the exact right moment at the exact right time. His tongue moved slowly inside her mouth, the sweet taste of wine alighting her senses. She pressed her body against him, feeling his need in his touch. His fingertips traveled up her back, beneath her hair, to the sensuous spot behind her ear. He kissed her until her body was filled with warmth instead of her head filled with thoughts. His lips found her chin, then her neck. Bliss. The world fell away. The street noises grew silent, save for the sound of her own sweet breath as he drank her in. She reached down and brought his lips back to hers, running her tongue along them, tasting the sweet wine and the salty desire that lay beneath.

"Danica," he whispered.

"I know," she said between kisses. Danica's heart pounded against her ribs, as if it might explode. In that split second, she made a decision that she knew there was no turning back from. "My place." She took his hand, and they hurried through the falling snow like teenagers, laughing and kissing every few steps. When they reached her condo, Danica fumbled in her purse for the keys as Blake kissed the back of her neck. He spun her around and kissed her, pressing his hips against hers and her back against the door. Heat electrified her body. She pushed him away and fumbled for her keys, unlocking the door as quickly as she could. She yanked him inside by the collar, then shut the door, thrusting him against it with a pa.s.sionate kiss. Danica felt as though she were falling into quicksand-and loved every blessed second of it.

She fumbled with the b.u.t.tons on his shirt, her lips trailing down his magnificent, muscular chest. She could barely catch her breath. She licked the soft skin just above his belt and worked it free, unzipping his pants as a moan escaped his lips.

He slid his hand under her chin and lifted her face to look up at him. He shook his head. "Not like this," he whispered.

Danica felt as if she'd been punched in the gut, her heart shattering into a million little pieces. She'd given herself to him and he was pushing her away?

He took her hand in his, kissing the tips of each of her fingers, and lifted his eyes to the stairs.

Oh, thank G.o.d. A smile replaced her fears. She kissed him again, then led him upstairs to her dark bedroom. Once she let him in, there was no going back. Danica stood by the bed, battling her conflicting emotions for only a second before accepting that she could not turn him away. Her body begged for him; her heart had already let him in. She would not turn him away. He unb.u.t.toned her shirt slowly, stopping between each b.u.t.ton and touching her skin lightly with his fingertips. When he reached her navel, he lowered his lips and licked tiny circles along her skin, sending heat between her legs. She took a step toward the bed, and he held on tight to her hips, not letting her lower herself down. His tongue trailed up her center to the clasp in her bra. He used his fingers and unclasped it. Danica shivered as her b.r.e.a.s.t.s broke free.

"I don't want to rush this," he whispered, dropping her blouse from her shoulders.

Danica's chest heaved up and down with each breath. She couldn't think past her desire to touch him, but her hands were trapped against her sides by her blouse. She stood, half naked, trembling beneath his touch and growing hotter by the second.

He moved his tongue to her nipples, gently licking around them until she thought she might scream. He took her breast into his mouth and rolled his tongue lightly across her nipple; then he drew away and pulled her blouse from her arms, dropping it to the ground beside them. The shock of cold air intensified her desire.

Habit took over, and she moved to cover her stomach.

"Uh-uh," he said, and kissed her sides, sending a tickle right through her.

He came to his full height and slipped out of his shirt. She touched his chest, running her fingers along the ridges of his pectoral muscles, shivering inside at the sensuality of him. Blake ran his hands under her thick hair and palmed her skull, tilting her head back. He kissed her neck until her legs felt like rubber and her thoughts ran together. Then he lifted her within his arms and laid her gently on the bed, where he kissed his way down her neck, to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, her sternum, and her belly b.u.t.ton, where his tongue lingered. She slithered out of her skirt, and he from his slacks. She lay beneath him, wanting him inside her, wanting to feel his bare chest against hers, her heart beating in time to his.

He lowered his lips to hers. "Danica," he whispered. "You are so beautiful." He repositioned himself so he was lying next to her, his arm over her chest, his erection against her thigh. He breathed hard and fast, leaning on one arm, looking down at her. "I just don't want this to be something it's not."

Her heart shattered again. She sucked in a gasp of air.

"You're not a one-night stand. This is real. Do you feel that way, too? Before we go any further, I have to know."

She pulled him on top of her and guided him between her legs. "You are anything but a one-night stand."

He rested his forehead on hers.

"I don't even know how to have a one-night stand," she admitted.

"And I never will again." He kissed her hard as he slid inside of her.

Chapter Twenty-Six.

Waiting for Kaylie was like waiting for it to snow in Florida, and Danica had been waiting for her for twenty-seven years. She checked her watch again. Kaylie was fifteen minutes late. What else was new? She flagged down the waitress and ordered iced teas for them both-and not the benign kind. Today she needed alcohol. It wasn't every day she confessed her deepest sins to her little sister.

The middle-aged couple at the next booth held hands across the table. Danica noticed their wedding bands and wanted that safety, that comfort. Finally, after years of being the proper one and not letting herself do anything that might not be seen as becoming of a therapist, she'd let herself relax into the most sinfully delicious night of pa.s.sionate s.e.x she'd ever experienced. Beneath Blake's touch, she became a different person. She allowed herself to try things she'd heard Belinda and Kaylie talk about, using her body in ways that she'd imagined only sleazy people might. But there was nothing sleazy about what she and Blake had-she knew that with every fiber of her being. She couldn't understand the hows and whys of them ending up together, or the night they had shared, but as she thought about his touch, the feel of his tongue lingering on her skin, the taste of him in her mouth, her legs tingled and her body shuddered with aftershocks that were almost as thrilling as the original o.r.g.a.s.ms.

Kaylie flounced through the door in her crushed-cotton skirt and T-shirt, carrying an armful of colorful shopping bags. Every eye in the cafe was drawn to her, like metal to magnet, male and female alike. She dropped the shopping bags next to the booth and sat down, oblivious to the attention.

For once, Danica didn't pull her sweater around her middle, feeling second fiddle. She didn't try to fix her hair or cast her eyes down to the table. One night really can change everything.

"Hey, sis." Kaylie wiggled into the seat across from her, shaking her perfect, little C cups and surveying the people in the next booth. She smiled when the man looked over. Danica wondered if Kaylie noticed-or cared about-his wife's sneer. "Sorry I'm late."

Right. Danica wanted to be mad at her for being late, but ever since her evening with Blake, and the good morning kiss he'd planted on her lips, she'd been unable to harbor anything but joy. "No worries. I knew you might be, so I ordered us drinks. Iced teas."

Kaylie's eyes lit up; then she peeked into the bright pink Victoria's Secret bag. "So, what's the dealio?"

Danica's usual annoyance at how cute Kaylie sounded when she used slang was gone. Her entire outlook had changed overnight. She was happy for Kaylie's silly, little mannerisms. Maybe she'd been too judgmental of her sister all along. Maybe her criticisms were there because she, herself, wasn't happy. Danica mulled over the truth of her thoughts. She had to tell Kaylie about Blake. No, she wanted to tell her. She deserved to know. Ease into it. Danica wasn't sure if Kaylie would hate her or cheer her on.

"I just thought we could catch up. I guess I just miss seeing you." Are those bags under her eyes? Kaylie was acting like her peppy self, but her eyes were anything but peppy. Danica wondered what was up.

Kaylie whipped a pink thong from her bag. "Look what I got. Isn't it cute?" She held it up between her index fingers and thumb, her pinky stuck up like Vanna White presenting a prize.

Kaylie pushed her hair behind her ear. A wayward curl sprang free. Although Kaylie was acting like her effervescent self, Danica saw fatigue in the lines around her eyes.

"Are you all right, Kay? What's been going on the last few days? You look tired."

"I've been tired." She shrugged.

Not a surprise with your s.e.x life. The waitress brought their drinks, and Danica tried to figure out how she would tell Kaylie that she'd slept with Blake. Kaylie had called dibs on him, but that thought had been nowhere near her mind last night. She checked the time again. She had two hours before meeting Blake, and she promised herself she'd tell Kaylie. Danica had no desire to sneak around or pretend she wasn't with him at the wedding, but she didn't relish telling Kaylie that she'd ignored her dibs for the first time in her life.

"Kay, who are you chasing now? What happened to that other guy?" G.o.d, what is his name? "Chaz?" It seems like yesterday when they'd been behind the closed door of their childhood bedroom, lying on the floor, head-to-head, Kaylie talking about which base she let her latest boyfriend get to and Danica trying to convince her that she shouldn't be letting boys touch her. My, how the tables had turned. Danica was the one ready to kiss and tell.

"Chaz?" Kaylie swatted the air and feigned a laugh. She looked away and swallowed hard.

s.h.i.t. Something's off.

"He was fun, but..." Kaylie took a big gulp of her drink; then her eyes grew wide. "Oh! Iced tea! I thought you meant the nonalcoholic iced tea." She pushed it away.

"Not drinking?"

Kaylie shrugged. "Tired. Chaz wanted to get serious, and, well-" She shrugged, scrunching her face in that adorable way she had that made guys swoon and girls cringe.

"What's wrong with that? Don't you want a steady boyfriend instead of running around all the time?"

"Yes. No. I'm not sure," she said. Kaylie pulled her foot up and put it underneath her other leg, laying her hand across her stomach.

"I don't get it. I mean, Chaz is drop-dead gorgeous and he treats you well. Isn't that what you said?" Kaylie went through men like puppies went through shoes-fast and furious-then tossed them away, damaged and heartbroken.

She twisted a curl around her finger. "Maybe I want someone else." She wrinkled her nose. "Blake, maybe." When she said it, it came out like a dream, silky and untouchable. "I think he's different. I think there's more to him than just the hunky man I want to pounce on."

Danica's stomach lurched. Down girl. Put your claws away. "Wha-what makes you think that?"

"Well, for one thing, he didn't go home with me that night."

Thank G.o.d for little favors.

"Hard to get. I like that," she said.

"What about asking if you could take a date to the wedding? What was that all about?" Careful. Don't hurt her. "Kaylie, why do you always sabotage the good relationships in your life?"

"Don't get all therapisty with me, Danica." The spark in Kaylie's eyes faded. "I was gonna take Chaz, but I don't know. I think I need some s.p.a.ce. I'm not the commitment type."

"Only because you decided that you aren't. You're beautiful, smart, and lovable. Why Blake? He's not your type." Anymore.

"Maybe not, but at least I won't end up like Mom."

"Kaylie, stop it. You aren't Mom. Chaz isn't Dad." Blake is mine! "Talk to me, Kaylie. What's really going on?"

With that, tears sprang from Kaylie's eyes. "Can we talk about something else, please?" Kaylie called over the waitress and asked for ice water. She wiped the tears from her eyes and changed the subject. "The wedding is tomorrow. You're ready?"

"Of course I'm ready. Aren't you?" What the h.e.l.l is going on? Kaylie had been ready weeks ago.

Kaylie fiddled with her napkin. "My dress is being let out. I have no idea why, but it's a little tight." She looked at Danica with a feigned smile across her lips and her hand across her stomach. "Gotta watch that or no one will want me."

"You're more than your looks, Kaylie. You have a line of suitors that would wrap around this building twice. What on earth is really going on with you?"

Kaylie didn't answer.

Danica's phone buzzed with a text. She read the message from Blake: Miss you. Can't wait to kiss you. She turned off the phone and tucked it into her purse, her heart thundering in antic.i.p.ation.

"I don't know. I've just been so emotional lately. Hormones or some s.h.i.t, I guess."

Danica took a gulp of her iced tea. She had to tell her. She couldn't let the charade go on much longer.

"After the wedding, you know how Camille said we could change into something more comfortable than those awful bridesmaid gowns?" Kaylie pushed her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah."

"I'm wearing that little black number I bought the other week, the thong," she lifted her eyebrows, "and...I wanted to borrow those slinky, black, stiletto boots you have."

My f.u.c.k-me heels? She'd been wearing them the night she ran into Blake at the bar. The night that Kaylie and Danica had first been introduced to him. The night Kaylie had turned to Danica and said, "Dibs." Guilt thickened around Danica's chest. No, Danica though. I'm not going to feel guilty about being happy.

Kaylie grabbed Danica's hand across the table. "Pretty please? I'll be really careful with them."

Danica couldn't deny her. Kaylie was still her younger sister, and she knew Blake would never betray her, so why not? Her lips lifted into a smile as she soaked in that thought: Blake would never betray her. "Okay, but be careful. If one little-"

Kaylie half stood and pulled Danica across the table into a tight hug. "Oh, thank you! Thank you! I'm sure to get noticed now! I'll come by around six thirty."

s.h.i.t.

Chapter Twenty-Seven.

"Why don't we tell her together?" Blake lay on Danica's bed, leaning against the pillow, the lower half of his body still wrapped in her comforter.

Danica sat on the edge of the bed, pulling on her jeans. "You can't be here when she gets here. That would be too awkward, and there's no way I'd ever make a scene at the wedding." She slipped her T-shirt over her head and turned to face him, desperately wanting to melt right back into his arms. "Besides, she's my sister. I have to tell her in the right way."

"I'll do it," he said in a c.o.c.ky voice. "How hard can it be?"

"She bought a pink thong for you." Danica smirked.

"Really? And why do I want to turn her away again?"

She threw a pillow at him and he caught it midair, then sprang up and tackled her on the bed, kissing her neck and pawing at her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She playfully pounded on his back.

"You're such an a.s.s," Danica kidded. In the past, she never would have gone anywhere near a man that Kaylie had called dibs on. Her insecurities would have run wild: Is she prettier than me? Would you ever leave me for her? Are you trying to get to her through me? I'm not as fun as she is. With Blake, those questions came nowhere near her lips.

He laid the full weight of his chest on Danica, looking seriously, sensuously, into her eyes. If Danica were a hopeless romantic, she might liken the way he stared right into her soul to love, but she knew better. Great s.e.x and an insatiable desire to be together for twenty-four hours did not equate to love. Did it?

He kissed her head and whispered, "I started writing that list you asked me to."

"Really?"

"Yeah. So far, what I like about myself is you." He kissed her cheek. "You'll tire of this, you know," he said.