Dressed in a cool, flowing turquoise blue maxi dress that contrasted nicely against my hair, I felt that feeling of utter contentment come over me as I clasped Cole’s hand and let him lead me up the stone slab steps to the restaurant. He was dressed in a white dress shirt and black trousers—effortlessly stylish. He also smelled amazing. The restaurant was beautiful, built in the style of a Swiss chalet, and as the friendly owner led us out into the garden to a table that had the most breathtaking view of the lake, I almost felt like crying.

This place, with this man at my side, was all too good to be true.

In the romantic setting, as I watched the sun slowly lower behind the mountains, my skin prickled—and not with growing chill. The air around Cole and me was electric, and I knew he was feeling all that I’d been feeling today. Despite the headiness between us, we managed to have a fun—and thick with innuendos—conversation while we indulged in the most astounding food I’d ever eaten. Everything just tasted so much more delicious here than it did back home. The vegetables, the fruit . . . all of it was bursting with flavor.

Allowing our food to settle, we sipped at our wine and looked out over the lake.

“Thank you for bringing me here. It’s beyond anything I’ve ever experienced before.”

Cole reached for my hand. “Thank you for coming with me.”

Our eyes met and the electricity that had been sparking between us all night crackled.

“Let’s go back to the villa,” I said, the words coming out thick.

On the return trip I forced myself to try to find my equilibrium. I was likely to explode into a million different pieces if I didn’t try to control what I was feeling for Cole.

As soon as we walked into the villa, my gaze locked on the pool glittering in the moonlight outside the sitting room. “Let’s go for a swim,” I suggested, thinking it might cool me down. I half suspected it was the heat that was making me feel so discombobulated.

“A swim?” Cole sounded confused, but I was already heading into the bedroom to grab a bikini. Cole had disappeared while I changed and I was out in the pool by the time he appeared in his swim shorts, carrying two cold beers.

I smiled at him as he lowered himself into the pool. “Good thinking,” I said, taking the proffered beer.

We sipped in silence for a while, gazing up at the starry sky.

“Why are we in the pool?” Cole asked, amusement in his voice.

I swallowed hard, unable to look at him. “Because I needed to cool down before I injured either you or myself tackling you to the ground.”

“Huh. A relaxing dip in the pool or tackled by a gorgeous redhead.” He slanted me a mock-confused look. “Are you sure you understand men?”

I laughed and nudged him with my elbow.

In response Cole took the beer out of my hand and put it on the flagstone bordering the pool. “What are you doing?” I asked.

He answered me by turning to me with a determination in his gaze I recognized. My pulse started to race and I—

Cole pushed me back against the edge of the pool, his mouth devouring mine as he lifted my legs around his waist and ground his hips into me. I clung to his neck, pressing into him, kissing him back just as voraciously. Our tongues licked and tangled and tasted as the normally placid water sloshed against the sides of the pool.

Cold air covered my breasts as Cole deftly untied the string behind my neck and pulled it loose. I felt him swell against me as my nipples puckered up for him. He groaned deep in his throat moments before he bent down to suck my left nipple into his hot mouth, playing the right with his thumb. Heat began to build between my legs as he tormented me with his mouth and fingers until I was writhing against him.

The entire day had been leading toward this, and any control or patience I had was gone. I smoothed my hands down his back until I reached the waistline of his shorts and tugged.

Panting, Cole lifted his head from my chest to meet my gaze. His voice was hoarse. “I don’t have a condom.”

I smiled, my eyes bright with emotion. “We don’t need one.”

Cole froze against me, processing my words, the expression on my face, and what it all meant.

I trusted him.

He let out the gust of air he’d been holding and sank against me, his mouth slamming down on mine. If I’d thought our kiss before had been wild, it had nothing on this one. Kissing him and panting for breath at the same time, I gripped Cole tight with my legs while he quickly removed his shorts. I loosened my hold so he could take off my bikini bottoms. They floated off into the water as Cole smoothed his hands along my thighs, my hips, and around to my bottom. He lifted me easily in the water, his cock prodding against my entrance.

My inner thighs trembled and my fingers dug into Cole’s biceps with the fierceness of my anticipation.

The cry of exultation from both our lips flew up into the night sky as Cole slid inside me. Those cries, like birds, were followed by the feathers of softer, broken cries that fluttered up in their wake upon his slow, excruciatingly wonderful thrusts inside me. He teased and tortured us both.

“Cole,” I begged against his lips. “Please.”

“What do you want?” he panted. “Tell me what you want.”

I kissed him. “Harder,” I whispered, giving him everything.

His arms tightened around my waist and as he slid back inside me it was with more force than before.

“Oh God.” My head dropped back as he pumped faster and harder into me. I felt the heat inside me build toward a blaze. “I’m close.”

I barely even felt the hard edge of the pool as Cole lost the last remnants of his control and pushed me back against it so he could increase the force of his thrusts.