The memory of her shedding her shirt and kicking off her jeans left him hard every time he thought about it. The urge to have his wife in his bed and begging for his touch was strong. Blake had promised to give her time to think about his offer but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try seduction to get what he wanted. Hell, she wanted him, too. He saw it in her sideway glances when she didn’t think he watched, in the way she licked her lips while staring at his.

Blake purposely avoided kissing her since she’d moved in. Yet every touch, every time he helped her out of a car, or placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her though a door, was torture.

He couldn’t wait to explore their volatile attraction and see just how high it would explode.

Walking inside his home, Blake had a strong urge to yell, ‘Hi, honey, I’m home.’ He smiled at the thought and walked through the quiet halls until the soft glow of candlelight caught his attention from the dining room.

Samantha sat at the table wearing a delicate ruby silk dress and a smile. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders in a soft curtain. Her eyes sparkled as she watched him walk into the room.

The smell of succulent beef met his nose and reminded him that he hadn’t eaten since noon.

Samantha lifted a glass of red wine and rose from her seat before walking toward him.

“What’s all this?” he asked as his gaze followed the slim lines of her figure. Her br**sts pushed up against the neckline of her dress, exposing her creamy flesh. Her legs, the ones she always complained were too short, peeked through the slit of her dress and fell to four-inch heels that did amazing things to her calves. He liked women’s shoes, he decided. A second closet was a small price to pay for the sexy view.

“I thought it would be nice to dine alone while we could. Your home in Europe sounds very… full.”

Blake took the glass she offered and listened for the sounds of Mary in the kitchen or Louisa in the hall. He didn’t hear anything other than the faint sound of the ocean through an open window. “We’re alone?”

“I gave Mary and Louisa the night off.”

He liked the sound of that, and the sultry look under Samantha’s hooded gaze brought several questions to the tip of his tongue. He tabled them and followed her lead. If she’d decided to take him up on his affair offer, he’d find out soon enough.

“I’m sure they didn’t argue.”

Samantha pulled out his chair and encouraged him to sit.

“All they asked is what time they should be here in the morning.”

“In the morning? They live here.”

Samantha removed the lid from one of the serving plates and steam escaped. She piled the plate in front of him with roast and trimmed it with scalloped potatoes and asparagus tips. “Louisa has a boyfriend, who was more than happy to put her up for the night.”

“I didn’t know she had a boyfriend.”

“And Mary was happy to visit her grandson and daughter.”

Samantha finished serving them both and sat beside him before picking up her fork. His concentration on his food was non-existent with the lavender smell of her skin so close. “And Neil?”

“He’s in his cottage. I asked him to give us some privacy.”

Blake felt his stomach rumble and his body heat up. “Why do we need privacy, Samantha?” He slid a sly glance out of the corner of his eye and picked up his fork.

“I thought it would be a nice change.” She speared her vegetables with her fork and brought them to the tip of her tongue for a taste. As the asparagus disappeared into the cavern of her mouth, and her eyes caught his, all concerns of where their night would end escaped.

The question was… would they eat before… or after.

Blake moaned as she delicately bit the tip of her food and worked her jaw in a slow chewing pattern.

Moisture fled his mouth. Blake kept his eyes glued to his wife as he reached for his wine.

Forcing his fork to pick up food and his mouth to open, he took two bites to her one.

“How was your day?” Her innocent question was asked after she’d licked the rim of her wine glass before taking a drink.

“Fine.” Was that his voice?

She smiled, knowing damn well her effect on him, then took a sip of her wine, and a bite of her food. Her lips moved slowly, reducing Blake’s brain to rubble. Eating a meal had never been more seductive.

He ate quickly.

Unable to put one more bite in his mouth, Blake tipped the rest of his wine down his throat and set the glass down hard.

Samantha’s innocent smile and mock surprise added to the sexual tension surrounding them both. “Is everything okay?”

He stood, his chair slid back without ceremony. “Oh, everything is perfectly fine.”

She reached for her wine but he caught her hand midway and pulled her to her feet. He didn’t offer her any escape before crushing his lips to hers. Like him, she greedily accepted his tongue in her mouth and offered up hers as well.

She tasted like wine and smelled like spring. Blake angled his mouth and deepened their kiss. The feel of her hands clutching his shirt soon opened and spread over his chest before circling his back. Samantha whimpered and melted into his arms. Every touch from this woman was so real and alive with desire. She matched him perfectly. Her fight for control, even now, was exciting and new. No one ever drove his relationships. Blake never gave them the reins. With Samantha, he could loosen his grip and trust that she’d drive them both in safe waters.

As Samantha pushed his jacket off his shoulders and he moved his lips from hers so he could breath, he allowed himself a glance into the passionate green eyes of the woman in his arms. “You’re beautiful.”