The Pretense

Chapter 15

Matt woke up early as usual and smelled the scent of sex at the same time as he registered that Harper was no longer in his bed.

Confounded, he cracked an eye open and was even more puzzled to find the room empty and silent except for a couple of magpies warbling outside his window.

He was used to a woman clinging after a night of sex. Not that he remembered ever having a night quite like that. He'd been insatiable. A grin split his face as he recalled how she had matched him the whole way.

He stretched his hands above his head and flexed stiff muscles. Last night had been incredible – and against every one of his rules.

Sort of.

It wasn't that he'd forbidden himself to have sex this close to race day. It was getting involved emotionally that was the no-go zone. He might have thought about Harper more than he would have liked over the past couple of days, but he knew now that he'd had her in his bed, his interest would start to wane.

Which is why it is a good thing that she would be leaving this morning. He had and enormously busy week, made even more so because he'd had to cancel yesterday's round of meetings to care for Harper.

Rolling out of bed, he pulled his jeans on and went in search of her to find out what time she wanted him to get the jet ready. He found her outside, watching the sun rising over the ocean that stretched beyond his backyard. She was completely enveloped in his black robe – so appropriate, he mused – her hair mussed and wavy, the sun's rays highlighting the gold among the brown.

She turned when she heard the sliding door open and fingered her hair self-consciously. She looked adorable and so uncomfortable.

He immediately sought to put her at ease and ignored the whisper of apprehension that floated across his mind. He didn't doubt for a minute his ability to control this situation between them.

"What are you thinking?"

"I didn't know men wanted to know what women were thinking so much."

He studied her, feeling as if he was facing down one of Dante's highly strung thoroughbreds. "I don't want to know what women are thinking, I want to know what you are thinking."

"I'm thinking that you have a beautiful home. For some reason, I took you as a city type."

"I visit too many cities as part of my job. My mother lives on the other side of the island and I bought this place when she fell ill a couple of years ago."

"Is she okay?"

"Fine. Fitter than I am."

Harper's lips into a faint smile, "Well, it's lovely here. Peaceful even." She glanced out over the lawn towards the beach and he caught the nervousness in her eyes, "But I should probably heading back home."

Her lips were still kiss swollen from last night, and he noticed a slight red mark from where his beard growth had grazed her neck. He'd have to be more careful to her soft skin, though some primal part of him was pleased to see his mark on her.

"It's seven in the morning. Are you sore?"

She colored her cheeks in a pretty manner. "That's personal."

"Baby, it doesn't get any more personal than my mouth between your legs."

She gasped. "You can't say that!"

She looked mortified and for some reason, her reaction pleased him. He was so used to women preening and posing in front of him that her embarrassment was refreshing. She hadn't been a virgin, he knew that, but she wasn't a practiced sophisticate either, and one of the things he loved – hell, liked – about her was that she was so easy to tease.