Her cheeks burned with fear and embarrassment, and she realized that he wasn’t going to touch her again. But could she…touch him? Was it so wrong to want this moment for herself, just to love him for a night?

Without asking permission, she ran her hands over his warm skin, across his shoulders and down to his stomach. The sheet fell away, baring her naked body as she walked to stand in front of him. His face tightened, but he made no move to stop her. Instead, he stood and faced her.

When her hands moved to the button of his trousers, he caught them. “Emily.” His voice was husky, and he drew her fingers to his lips. “What is it you want?”

She froze, wishing she could hide her head beneath the covers and die. Had she misread him?

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just…don’t want you to stop.”

She moved her hands away, but he took them and brought them around his neck. Her bare breasts rested against his warm chest, and as soon as their skin touched, her arousal heightened. “I’ve never asked you for a future, Whitmore,” she breathed against his throat. “Not in all the years we’ve known each other. I would never make demands that you couldn’t give.” She hoped he would understand that this night was not a means of trapping him.

His hand moved down her spine, tracing a silken trail to her hips. His eyes were hooded, like a man on the brink of losing control. “You deserve better than this.”

“I want a memory to cherish.”

She leaned forward to kiss him, and he cupped her hips and drew her close to him. Against her body, she could feel his rigid manhood. It swelled, straining against the fabric of his trousers. His hands palmed her bottom, torment etched upon his face. Once more, she reached for the buttons of his trousers, and this time, he removed the rest of his clothing. Skin to skin, he embraced her, lifting her leg over his hip. The heat of their bodies evoked needs she didn’t know she had.

The iron ridge of his manhood glided against her intimately, and a breathless moan escaped her. Her body welcomed him, the slick moisture making her desire more.

“I want you, Emily,” he said roughly. “Even more now than I did ten years ago. But I don’t want you to have any regrets. We can stop this right now if you want.”

“The only regret I’ll have is if you leave me tonight,” she murmured. “Please don’t go.”