Between the Moon and the Deep Blue Sea

Chad Collier's had enough of providing stud service to rich men. It's true he's had more fun than any one man deserves, but now it's time to make a plan for the rest of his life. At the urging of a mentor, he takes a leap of faith and breaks with his old ways. Yet a job interview lands him smack in the path of Darcy Paulson, the sort of rich man Chad vowed to avoid.

Darcy Paulson came of age as the prodigal son in a wealthy manufacturing dynasty. Every man he's ever met has been after his money, until Chad Collier shows up on his doorstep. Darcy finds Chad prickly, standoffish, and utterly irresistible. Smitten by Chad's dark good looks and determination to stand on his own two feet, Darcy is happy to give him an opportunity. It doesn't take long for them to figure out that some private, no-strings fun is what they both need.

An unexpected event brings them face-to-face with the truth. The magic that happens between the moon and the deep blue sea is something a man can't own, and it can be fully experienced only in the arms of a lover...

* * *

His low, husky voice rippled over me in the small space. I stood still, unmoving, caught between fight and flight, as his warm palm stroked my side. I looked up into his glittering eyes and fell into his intent. Darcy's dark pink tongue flicked over his lips, leaving them moist. He meant to kiss me and, against all better judgment, I wanted him to do it. I gripped his hips and pulled him closer. I knew if I kissed him, he wouldn't push me away, but I…

"I won't hurt you, Chad. I swear."

"Don't promise me anything, Darcy. You don't know where my head is these days."

His hands skimmed my sides. "Fair enough. Just don't lie to me and tell me you don't want to be kissed again."

I let my hands fall from his hips. "What I want and what's best for me right now are several galaxies apart."

Darcy studied me for the longest thirty seconds of my life, then nodded. "Okay. I'm backing off." The corner of his mouth twitched in a quirky smile. "I don't want to, but I will."

The tiny spark of hope longing for him to push me past my reluctance died, and only when it faded did I realize what I'd done…