Maybe it would be smart to leave, but Cass’s credo had always asserted smart wasn’t always the most fun. She had a powerful yen for Griffin Mitchell, and the margaritas had dulled her inhibitions. This might be the perfect opportunity to discover if he was everything her imagination had him cracked up to be.

Of course, all she could think of on the way up in the elevator was that she’d been tromping around in the bluebonnets half the day, gorging on Mexican food, and probably smelled worse than a goat. She couldn’t quite say, Hey, if we’re going to have a romp in the hay, could I take a shower and brush my teeth first?

Or could she?

No way. She was a modern woman, but she wasn’t that modern. She’d always been too cautious for casual sex. And, truthfully, she was a closet romantic. It had been a long time since she’d had sex of any kind. She hadn’t met anybody who’d lit her boilers until Griff came along.

“You’re very quiet,” he said. “Tired?”

“No. In fact, I’m kind of jazzed.”

“Me, too. I was just thinking a dip in the pool would feel great. Too bad you don’t have a suit. I wonder if the gift shop downstairs has any?”

Perfect solution to her dilemma, Cass thought. A nice swim, a shower…ahhh. “I’m sure they do.”

“Let’s check.” When the elevator door opened on his floor, Griff punched the button down to the lobby.

In the gift shop, he zeroed on a red patterned bikini. Cass checked the tag. It was her size, but the price on it was ridiculous.

He must have caught her frown. “My treat,” he said. “Payback for the day.”

She didn’t argue. Nor did she protest when he handed a matching cover-up and slides to the clerk and charged the purchase to his room. After all, she suspected Griff could easily afford it. If he’d been on a budget, he would have been at Motel 6 instead of in a lake-view suite at the most expensive hotel in town. Too, she thought, he was macho enough to want to make up for her having to foot the bill for the evening’s expenses. Men were sometimes goofy like that.

Back upstairs, he insisted that she take the bathroom while he changed in the living room. Cass took time for a quick shower and put on her new suit. It was a perfect fit, but a tiny bit of her appendectomy scar showed. Although it had faded considerably since she was fourteen and she rarely thought about it, she was suddenly very self-conscious. Why hadn’t she chosen a one-piece as she usually did?

She sighed. Oh well. If a scar turned Griff off, so be it. What was, was. She pulled on her cover-up, stepped into her slides and grabbed a couple of towels and terry robes as she left the bathroom.

Griff smiled when she came out. “Ready?”

“Yep. Let’s hit that pool.”

They went down the elevator again.

“I heard you taking a shower,” he said. “I must smell like a goat.”

She giggled—and couldn’t stop. They’d both had goats on their mind.

“Am I really that bad?” he asked.

“Not at all.”

“Then what’s so funny?”

Cass giggled again. “I’d been thinking the same thing about me earlier.”

He threw an arm around her neck and gave her a peck on the nose. “You certainly don’t smell like a goat. You smell like…bluebonnets.”

“For your information, bluebonnets don’t smell.”

He grinned. “Neither do you.”

“Is the pool indoor or outdoor?”

“Outdoor, but it’s heated so the water should be perfect.”

And it was. The full moon shimmered over the lake, just visible between the trees lining the shore, and sparkled on the surface of the pool.

“It’s like swimming in moonbeams,” Cass said as she did a slow breaststroke across the water.

“I arranged it just for you,” Griff said, pacing himself beside her.

She laughed. “Yeah, sure. But it is nice. And we have the whole pool to ourselves.” She glanced up at the bank of hotel windows. “And whoever is playing voyeur inside.”

She changed to a fast crawl, and still Griff kept pace. When she reached the edge of the pool, she grabbed on and wiped the water from her face.

“You’re a regular otter,” he said, catching hold with both hands so that she was pinned.

“I love swimming, but I haven’t had much opportunity lately. This is a fantastic pool.”

“You’re welcome to come anytime you’d like.” He moved his face closer to hers, then touched her lips with his.

Desire shot through her. If she’d done what she wanted to, they would probably have drowned. Plus the voyeurs would have had an eyeful.

His tongue played over her lips and the pressure of his mouth deepened. Maybe drowning wasn’t such a bad way to go, and to hell with whoever was watching. Her arms went around his neck, her legs around his waist, and she returned his kiss with all the pent-up passion in her. Warm morphed into scorching until she was sure the water around her boiled.

He groaned and reached for the ties to her bikini top. She clung tighter to him.

“Ahem!” a voice said. “Ahem!”

They both looked up to see a man standing nearby. “I’m sorry, but the pool is closing.”

“But we just got here,” Griff said, his voice hoarse.

“Sorry, sir, but it’s eleven o’clock. Perhaps you would be more comfortable…in your room.” The attendant grinned and winked.

Cass felt herself turn a thousand shades of red. What in the world was she thinking? That was the problem. She hadn’t been thinking. Another couple of minutes and she’d have been stripped in front of God and everybody.

“I could die,” she murmured.

“Don’t do that,” Griff whispered. “I have better things in mind, and I’m not into necrophilia.”

She made sure her bikini top was tied, and hoisted herself from the pool. They quickly rinsed off, toweled themselves dry and donned terry robes. Cass barely had time to step into her slides before Griff grabbed her hand and dragged her inside.

In the empty elevator he took her into his arms again, and she melted like warm chocolate against him. Every cell in her body was on high alert. Her brain was a bowl of tapioca, and she ached with yearning. She’d never felt so out of control. She didn’t care if she barely knew this man; she only cared that she wanted him in the worst way. Longing filled her mind and throbbed in her body. Reason was overwhelmed by primal urges stronger than anything she’d ever experienced before. For once, she didn’t want to think; she wanted to feel. She needed to feel again.

When the bell dinged, Griff seemed to come to his senses enough to exit and pull her after him. He fumbled with the key card until the door opened. Robes and bathing suits went flying, and they barely made it to the couch before Griff was on top of her, kissing, caressing, moaning. She responded to his every move, frantic with desire, urging him to enter.

“Wait, wait!” he said. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

Cass protested, but he jumped over the back of the couch and returned in mere seconds, rolling on a condom. He knelt between her legs, scooped up her bottom and plunged deep inside. She screamed as he entered, and a powerful orgasm racked her immediately. “Oh, hell. Did I hurt you?”

“Not…hardly,” she gasped, as the spasms seemed to go on forever.

“That was something new for me.”

“Thank God.” He gave a second thrust and stiffened with his own release.

In a few moments, he withdrew and repositioned them so he lay on the couch and cuddled her on top of him.

“I can’t believe…” she murmured. “I’m usually not…”

“Not what?”

“So…uh…quick to become aroused and…well, you seem to do strange things to me.”

He squeezed her against him. “I can usually control myself a little better, too. Woman, you turn me on like crazy. I’ve had the hots for you since the first time I laid eyes on you.”

“Really?”

“Really. Do you have to work tomorrow?”

She shook her head.

“Good. We can spend the rest of the night and all day tomorrow taking it a little slower.”

“All night and all day? We’ll be exhausted. Do you think you can last that long?”

He chuckled. “I’d sure as hell like to try.”

Cass took another shower and washed and dried her hair while Griff ordered a bottle of wine and late night snacks.

They drank wine and watched TV and made love again on the couch. Slowly. It was lovely.

They slept and he awakened her with kisses, and they made love again. Slowly. It was even lovelier.

Cass stirred when she felt kisses moving up and down her spine.

“It’s morning,” Griff whispered. “Want some breakfast?”

“Coffee.”

“Anything else?” he asked.

“You choose. I’m sleepy.”

He kissed her shoulder and chuckled. “Go back to sleep. I’ll wake you when food comes.”

She dozed for a few minutes, then blinked herself awake, dragged herself out of the big bed and into the bathroom, which was still steamy from Griff’s shower. Showering again, Cass dried off, then realized she didn’t have any clean clothes. Wrapping herself in a towel, she searched the closet and found a blue dress shirt. From in the dresser she helped herself to a pair of knit boxer briefs.

Just as she did up the last button, Griff tapped lightly on the door.

“Breakfast.”

She opened it. “I raided your clothes.”

“Help yourself. My shirt never looked so good.”

He grinned, and she wanted to grab on to him like a monkey and never let go. What was the matter with her? She’d never acted this way before or felt like this about any man. This was crazy. And scary. She ought to run for the hills, but she wasn’t going anywhere until she had a major jolt of caffeine.

Griff waved a cup under her nose, and she followed the heavenly scent of coffee like a bloodhound as he enticed her to the lavishly set table.

“Gimme, gimme!” She grabbed for the cup, but he held it up over her head. “I’ve been known to kill for less,” she growled.

“Yours is poured and waiting by your plate.”

Downing half a cup immediately, she sighed. “Heavenly. Thank you, sir.”

“You’re very welcome, madam.” He began lifting plate covers. “French toast. Eggs, bacon, sausages. Cereal. Fruit. Anything here tickle your fancy?”

Looking him up and down, she cocked an eyebrow.

He grinned. “The food, I mean.”

“All of it. I’m starved.”

When she had polished off a good portion of the meal and half the coffee, he said, “Shall I order more?”

“Nope.” She patted her tummy. “I’m full for now.”

She heard the familiar ring tone of her cell phone and looked around searching for her purse. Griff finally retrieved it from underneath a couch cushion and handed it to her.

“It’s Sunny,” she told him. “Hi, sis. What’s up?”

“Where are you?” Sunny asked.

“I’m having breakfast with a friend.”

“Well, get over to Chili Witches right away. We’ve got a problem.”