The four of them, two couples and six weeks of love, lust and drama. It had been one of the best summers of his life and he’d allowed the memories to slip away. He wondered if maybe it would have been the best summer of his life if he’d spent it with Heather instead of Moira. But Heather back then had been so young, so innocent and too sweet to take advantage of. Moira, on the other hand, had been more than eager to embrace everything he threw at her and to introduce him to concepts he’d never known existed.
The lift doors opened and Jason’s heart skipped a beat, only to settle again when four guests stepped into the lobby.
He looked from the stairs to the elevator again but still saw no sign of the woman who had taken up permanent residence in his mind. He couldn’t get over the irony of the situation. Back then he hadn’t been able to bring himself to be intimate with Heather. Now his imagination was running riot. He would have to find a way to bring himself back to his senses. He had hoped a few hours away from her presence, hours of studying her website and all her suggestions for the party, would help him get used to the idea of having her stay here. They should have cleared his head off any images of him seducing her out of her mourning. Unfortunately his thoughts weren’t cooperating.
Staring at the elevator he became aware of a presence behind him. Turning around, he found her standing on the stairs. This was a Heather he hadn’t seen before. Her hair had been tamed and fell sleekly down her face, coming to rest on her slim shoulders. Without the curls, her face looked longer, less round, more grown-up. Okay, it took her straight from sweet and attractive to sexy and hot.
He still had no control over his thoughts. The red dress she wore showed every inch of her body off to its best advantage, making her look at least as lush as she was in his memories. Those gorgeous, full breasts were allowed to show just enough cleavage to excite. She exuded sexiness without being provocative, although the picture she presented did trigger a few sinful thoughts in Jason’s mind. The dress hugged her curves. The little red number ending just above her knees allowed him to appreciate her shapely legs, elongated by the heels she wore.
As Jason took his time walking toward her, he couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face. She was beautiful and unless she’d changed a lot over the years, she would be delightful company. Even if he had to restrain his urge to touch her, to bring her to his bed, to play his games with her and, God help him, take her to his dungeon, he could have a good time with her while she was here.
With Heather standing on the second step of the staircase, their eyes were at the same height and Jason took advantage of the opportunity to look straight into her beautiful green irises. His groin tightened when she lowered her gaze for a moment, only to flash it back up and stare right back at him. There it was. Such a small sign. A slight indication that the submissive inside this woman hadn’t died with the man she’d called Sir. He saw the slight blush coloring her cheeks and realized she was as aware of the signal she’d just transmitted as he was. Jason forced that piece of information to the back of his mind as he reached out and took both her small hands into his.
“Heather, you’re a sight for sore eyes.” Unable to help himself, he bent forward and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. Her perfume was light and flowery. The aroma mirrored the way she looked—beautiful, self-assured and subtle.
“And you’re still as imposing as you always were.” Heather’s teasing smile didn’t stop him from treasuring the little shudder he’d felt going through her when his lips had met her cheek.
He needed to deflect his thoughts, keep this meeting light. “Imposing? My dear, you have no idea. If you think I’m imposing now…” He allowed the sentence to die. She’d never see