"Allison, I can''t get the printer to work."


    He was standing in the doorway, watching her. She jumped at the sound of his voice.


    "What are you doing?" he asked her.


    She stood, smoothed her skirt, and walked toward him. "I''ll fix the printer." She tried to walk past him, but he put his hands on her shoulders and stopped her.


    "What''s the matter?"


    "Nothing," she answered, and tried to veer around him. He didn''t let go.


    "You looked like you were a thousand miles away."


    "I was just thinking about . . ."


    "About what?"


    "You."


    They were inches apart. She stared into his eyes. He stared at her mouth. He tilted her chin up, leaned down, and kissed her. It was a nice, undemanding kiss that was over with before she had time to respond.


    It wasn''t enough for Liam. His mouth came down on hers again, but this time the kiss was altogether different. It was consuming.


    He made her want more. When he lifted his head she realized her arms were around his neck. How had that happened? She was also plastered against him. Did he want another hookup? Should she ask him?


    "I was wondering . . ."


    "Yes?"


    "Never mind," she whispered. "You''d better kiss me again."


    "Yeah, okay." He was smiling as she tugged on his hair to get him to do what she wanted.


    She became the aggressor. Her mouth was open and her tongue stroked his. She heard him groan and felt him tighten his arms around her. She knew she was pleasing him, because he told her so in between wild kisses. She desperately wanted him. He was leaving in two days and she didn''t have any idea when she would see him again. Was it wrong to want one more night with him? One glorious night.


    He gave her the shivers, kissing the side of her neck. His breath was so warm and sweet against her skin.


    "Do you know what I want to do?" he whispered, his lips tickling her ear. He lifted his head and waited.


    She didn''t know how to be coy. "Have sex? Because that''s what I want to do."


    "Take your clothes off, Allison."


    Liam had to pull her arms from around his neck and tell her again before she reacted. She turned around then and lifted her hair away from the neckline of her dress. He noticed her hands shook.


    "Unzip me, please," she said.


    Although she was extremely nervous, she wasn''t at all shy with him. In fact, she couldn''t wait to get her clothes off and throw herself into his arms. She loved the heat from his skin against hers, the strength that radiated from his muscles. She had never been drawn to any other man the way she was drawn to him. Most of all, she loved the way he touched her. He was rough yet gentle at the same time. How was it possible to be so tender while driving her to the very edge of all control?


    He kissed the nape of her neck as he slid the dress from her shoulders and let it drop to the floor. She stepped out of it and turned to face him in her pink bra and panties while she waited for him to remove his clothes. Her toes curled into the carpet, her hands were fisted at her sides, and she had to tell herself over and over again that she wasn''t embarrassed. She wasn''t sophisticated, either. She could feel her face getting warm. The fire in his eyes made her heart race. She knew he wanted her, and yet he wasn''t reaching for her.


    "Liam, did you change your mind? Would you rather not do this?" She looked around for her robe, mortified now.


    Had he not be so aroused, Liam would have laughed. His hand moved to the back of her neck and he jerked her forward as his mouth came down on hers. The kiss went on and on, his tongue stroking hers in love play. He moved her toward the bed while he stripped off the rest of his clothes and then hers, and as they fell onto the bed, he kept telling himself to make it last. He was ravenous for her, but she wasn''t ready for him yet. He pushed her onto her back, then slowly kissed a path down her body. His tongue brushed across her breasts. She nearly came off the bed. The erotic sounds she made told him how much she liked what he was doing. He moved lower between her thighs and used his fingers and his tongue to drive her out of her mind.


    Allison wasn''t passive by any means. She caressed him, clinging to him as she kissed his neck and his shoulders. She wanted to know all of him, but he wouldn''t let her move, so she retaliated by biting his earlobe. He grunted and tightened his hold on her.


    His voice was little more than a gruff whisper. "Put your legs around me. I can''t wait any longer."


    He lifted her thighs, thinking to slowly enter her, but that thought was lost when she pushed against him. With one powerful thrust, he was surrounded by her liquid heat. She was so tight, so perfect. He dropped his head on her shoulder, took deep, shuddering breaths, and tried to slow down, wanting it to be perfect for her.