His mouth was on hers, all demand. His hands held her still, all power. She had no time to stiffen, to struggle or to think. He took her with him quickly, through a journey of heat and light. She didn’t resist. Later, when she would tell herself she had, it would be a lie.

There were people on the sidewalk, cars in the street. Juliet and Carlo were unaware of everything. The heat of a Dallas afternoon soaked into the concrete beneath them. It blasted the air until it hummed. They were concerned with a fire of their own.

Her hands were at his waist, holding on, letting go. A car streaked by, country rock blasting through open windows. She never heard it. Though she’d refused wine at lunch, she tasted it on his tongue and was intoxicated.

Later, much later, he’d take time to think about what was happening. It wasn’t the same. Part of him already knew and feared because it wasn’t the same. Touching her was different than touching other women. Tasting her—lightly, deeply, teasingly—just tasting her was different than tasting other women. The feelings were new, though he’d have sworn he’d experienced all the feelings that any man was capable of.

He knew about sensations. He incorporated them in his work and in his life. But they’d never had this depth before. A man who found more and didn’t reach for it was a fool.

He knew about intimacy. He expected, demanded it in everything he did. But it had never had this strength before.

New experiences were not to be refused, but explored and exploited. If he felt a small, nagging fear, he could ignore it. For now.

Later. They clung to each other and told themselves they’d think later. Time was unimportant after all. Now held all the meaning necessary.

He took his mouth from hers, but his hands held her still. It shocked him to realize they weren’t quite steady. Women had made him ache. Women had made him burn. But no woman had ever made him tremble. “We need a place,” he murmured. “Quiet, private. It’s time to stop pretending this isn’t real.”

She wanted to nod, to simply put herself completely in his hands. Wasn’t that the first step in losing control over your own life? “No, Carlo.” Her voice wasn’t as strong as she would have liked but she didn’t back away. “We’ve got to stop mixing personal feelings with business. We’ve got just under two weeks to go on the road.”

“I don’t give a damn if it’s two days or two years. I want to spend it making love with you.”

She brought herself back enough to remember they were standing on a public street in the middle of afternoon traffic. “Carlo, this isn’t the time to discuss it.”