“That’s a good first step, I guess.” Brooke bit her lip as she mulled over the situation some more. “But do you think there’s anything else we can do to give them both a bigger push in the right direction?”

“I’m pretty sure we’ve done more than enough already by sending him in for that meeting with her this week and then getting them together for dinner tonight.”

Looking a little guilty about their machinations, Brooke said, “I just want Adam to be happy.”

“I know, sweetheart. We all do. But the truth is, there’s only one thing that will do that for sure.”

Brooke scrunched up her face. “No more matchmaking.”

“No more matchmaking.”

She sighed. “You’re no fun.”

“You sure about that? Because I have some pretty fun ideas about what we should do tonight when we get home.” And when he leaned in even closer and began to whisper those wicked ideas to her, Brooke finally forgot about anyone but the man she couldn’t wait to marry.

CHAPTER SIX

Kerry’s heart pounded faster with every floor the elevator rose. Though she’d never done anything like this before, she’d still convinced herself that she could be cool. That she could walk into a hotel suite knowing she was going to have hot sex with a man she barely knew without blinking an eye.

Who had she been kidding?

Kerry could feel Adam’s intense gaze on her the moment she stepped out of the elevator onto the penthouse level. They each already had their keys, but he hadn’t waited for her in the room. She wondered if it was because he’d known how close she’d be to going back on her vow not to run. Not because she didn’t want him. On the contrary, she’d never wanted anyone or anything this much. But simply because she was so far out of her comfort zone right now that she almost felt as if she were watching herself from a distance.

One step, and then one more, and then another—that was all it took to meet him in the middle of the hall, in front of the door to their suite. But when he didn’t open the door with his key, she realized he was waiting for her to decide whether or not she truly wanted to do it.

Being a wedding planner meant Kerry dealt with people making big decisions all day long. She always told them that while it was great to take the time to consider all the options, they shouldn’t worry about making the wrong choice. Because whichever way they went, she could absolutely promise them she would do whatever it took to make sure they were happy.

Happy. Kerry so badly wanted to be happy, too. If only just for one night with a beautiful man who set her every nerve alight.

Because the truth was that Adam Sullivan had made her smile more than any man ever had before. Remembering the way he’d ordered every dessert on the menu so that she could have a taste of each one made her smile through the nerves that were riding her. So, for tonight, she told herself as she lifted the key to the electronic pad, she wouldn’t let herself worry about making the wrong choice.

She’d simply let herself be happy.

The door clicked open and she stepped inside first, with Adam locking the door behind him.

Unfortunately, the sound of the bolt clicking into place—echoing loudly in her head as she realized they were now locked into the suite together—had her smile falling away as if it had never been there at all. She spun around and blurted, “Maybe this is a mistake.”

Adam slid his hand through hers, and somehow, instead of it feeling as if he were trying to hold her down, it was more like he was trying to share his warmth.

“It isn’t.”

There were so many things she should already have done, all of them starting and ending with keeping her distance from him. But just as she hadn’t been able to pull that off thus far, yet again she couldn’t make herself pull her hand away from his. Still, she needed to ask, “How can you be so sure?”

“I was sure the first moment I set eyes on you that this is exactly where you and I are meant to be. Together.” His eyes heated even further. “About to get naked.”

She couldn’t stop her next breath from catching in her throat. She wasn’t used to playing this kind of sexy game. Wasn’t used to any of this.

“I don’t know what you’re expecting from me.”

Her words were almost a whisper, the opposite of the image of strength she’d hoped to give him. All her life Kerry had tried so hard to get everything right, but tonight, she just didn’t know up from down. Right from wrong. All she knew was that some crazy longing, some fiery desire had sent her to this hotel to meet Adam tonight.

But what if that longing, that desire, fizzled into disappointment and regret?

“I’m only expecting one thing from you tonight, Kerry.” Adam’s words weren’t much louder than hers had been. But they were completely steady. And utterly certain. “For you to let me give you pleasure.” He used their connected hands to tug her just the slightest bit closer, close enough that she could feel the heat of his body. “More pleasure than you’ve ever had before.” He took her other hand in his and rubbed each thumb in a circle over the palms of her hands. “More pleasure than you ever thought was possible.”

Did he know that his words—and just the barest touch of his hands on hers—were already getting her more than halfway there?

And yet, the still barely rational part of her needed to know, “What about your pleasure?”

He smiled then, a smile with so much heat behind it that she lost what was left of her breath. “Making you feel good is what’s going to give me pleasure.”