Triplets Found: The Virgin's Makeover / Take a Chance on Me / And Then There Were Three

He turned and walked back to the cottage, where he would wait for Lissa to come to him.

Like a virgin in the mist.

An hour later, Lissa slipped out of the darkened house and headed across the lawn, toward the bridge that led to the cottage. She hadn’t wanted her parents to know she was sneaking out to meet Sullivan. Not that she was doing anything wrong. But to be on the safe side, she’d waited until after they’d gone to sleep.

No need to worry them. Or to provoke any questions she didn’t want to answer.

She’d taken off her dress, since she assumed it would end up in a wad on the floor. In its place, she’d slipped on a pair of flannel night shorts and a one-size-fits-all T-shirt. Unfortunately, her shopping spree with Jared hadn’t included a skimpy nightie. And this was the best she could do.

It was chilly outside, so she’d put on a robe. As she neared the cottage, she contemplated running back home and changing her clothes. Surely, she could find something more alluring, more sexy than this.

But knowing her and the insecurities that had been known to plague her, she’d be hard-pressed to find something suitable. And by the time she settled on the proper garment to wear to a tryst, Sullivan would probably be sawing logs.

Soft light poured from the cottage window, as she approached. Rather than knock, she opened the door and let herself in.

Candles flickered on the coffee table. A fire glowed in the hearth, and a sensuous tune played on the stereo—Kenny G, at his best.

Sullivan sat upon the sofa in the cozy living room, wearing a pair of slacks and a lazy smile. No shirt. No shoes. No pretenses.

She flipped a strand of hair behind her ear, a little more nervous than she’d expected.

He stood, then moved toward her and took her hand. “Want to sit by the fire for a while?”

No. She wanted to feel his arms around her, to taste his kiss. But she nodded and let him lead her to the overstuffed sofa.

“Why don’t you take off the robe?” he asked.

She slipped out of the worn chenille housecoat and draped it over the easy chair. Then she took a seat beside him.

He took her hand and held it in his lap. His thumb made a slow circle on her skin, sending a warm rippling tingle along her arm. “We rushed into things last time, and I intend to take it slow this evening.”

How slow? She wasn’t sure whether she could wait patiently, without pouncing on him, trying to revive the heated kiss they’d shared in the winery.

The fire licked the logs on the grate in the hearth, while the sounds of a sexy instrumental filled the air. The ambiance heightened her senses, her sexual awareness. Her anticipation. And she realized Sullivan knew exactly what he was doing, where he was taking her.

The lovemaking had already begun.

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and she looked at him, caught the passion in his gaze.

Then he kissed her. Slow and gentle at first, but deepening the kiss until she thought she’d go wild. Desire nearly consumed her, and she ached to have him inside her, where he belonged—if only until the end of the month.

Somehow, and she wasn’t entirely sure when, she ended up lying on the sofa, with him hovering over her, caressing her, taking her places she’d never been.

Sullivan wrestled with his desire, trying to keep it at bay, while he slowly removed her shirt, baring her breasts for him to caress and kiss. Her nipples had already beaded, and a flush crept over her chest—a sure sign that his efforts to arouse her had been rewarded. But he wouldn’t stop the foreplay yet, wouldn’t press for more.

They made out like a couple of teenagers exploring their sexuality, their bodies’ reactions. And even though Sullivan had a lot of experience, he still found it exciting to learn what pleasured Lissa, to watch the passion glaze her eyes, to hear her whimper.

He used his hands and his mouth to bring her to the precipice of her first climax. And he nearly beat his chest in primal pride when the waves of pleasure took her over the edge.

“Oh, wow,” she said, her eyes wide in awe. “I’ve read about those, but never had any idea it would be so nice.”

“Nice?”

“Much better than nice,” she said, a sated smile curling her lips.

“They’ll only get better,” he said.

“Next time?”

“As the night progresses.”

Sullivan and Lissa made love on the sofa. And on the living-room floor. And finally, sometime before dawn, they found themselves on the bed, in a room lit only by lilac-scented candles Sullivan had found in the linen closet and used to set the mood throughout the house before she’d arrived.

He knew they’d both be wiped out tomorrow, as they tried to focus on the work still left to be done. But tonight he didn’t care.

As they lay amidst rumpled sheets, among the blended scent of their lovemaking and fields of lilac, Sullivan ran a hand along Lissa’s hip, taking time to savor the silky texture of her skin.

Lissa might be new to the world of sex, but she was a fast learner.

“I’d like to ask you a question,” she said.

Uh-oh. His hand slowed, his fingers resting upon the edge of her thigh. “What do you want to know?”

“How do you feel about us having a discreet affair, one that’ll end when you leave?”

Normally, he would have run for the hills at a time like this. But even though he was wary of entering a committed relationship, the one she proposed didn’t seem too scary, especially since he had an out. He was leaving in two weeks—maybe less.

And she was only suggesting a short-term affair, which is all his relationships ever were.

If he told her no, he’d have a hell of a time keeping his hands to himself while they continued to work together. And quite frankly, he didn’t want to. Not after the last mind-spinning climax they’d shared.

Funny, but the idea of a one-on-one until he left the vineyard didn’t bother him—too much.

Some women got pretty territorial when it came to the men they were sleeping with. Except, maybe, for the ladies he dated.

But Lissa wasn’t like any of the women he’d gone out with in the past. And he wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not. Still, he’d be a fool to think he could remain at the vineyard without wanting to make love to her again.

“A two-week affair?” he asked. “One we keep secret?”

She nodded.

“I think that can be arranged.”

She smiled, green eyes dancing in the candlelight. He felt a tightening in his chest, just at the thought of having her to himself. Heck, he might even get a little territorial—for the next couple of weeks.

That was one way to put the kibosh on ol’ Dapper Dad’s program.

“What about Martinelli?” he asked, hating himself for doing so. But he wanted to hear her say the dinner date was history before it even started.