Bachelor's Special by Christine Warner Page B

encouraging her—he pulled his hand away.
    “From our conversations I know you’re not that kind of girl.”
    “Oh.” Her shoulders sagged. She should’ve been relieved, but disappointment settled in the pit of her stomach. Was that his way of telling her if she threw herself at him again, he’d push her away? If she couldn’t save herself, he would? “After the way I keep throwing myself at you, I don’t know if I’d believe me.” That realization rocked her. She didn’t know why, but the force of her attraction scared her.
    “I believe I took the initiative in the kitchen.”
    “But only because I provoked you by making you a Bachelor’s Special.”
    “Did you know it would end in a kiss?”
    “No.”
    “Anyway, you know the saying? It takes—”
    “Two. I know. I don’t want things to be awkward between us. You’re giving me a great opportunity and I don’t want to blow it.”
    “You aren’t. We’re adults. Things happen. Let’s blame it on the heat.”
    …
    Yeah, Castle, the heat.
    “We can do that.” The sexy pulse at the base of her throat went wild when she chuckled.
    No way could he blame it on the heat. His attraction to Jill started as a ripple that had been invading his dreams on and off for a year. Now, with her under the same roof, emotions and libidos were ablaze and out of control.
    After their kiss in the kitchen last week, he’d tried to declare her off-limits, but that only made his awareness around her shoot off the charts. He wanted her now more than ever. Although he’d planned to stick to his promise, he didn’t know if he could resist her for the remainder of their deal. Especially when he saw her in the pool each time he blinked.
    He drove his fingers through his hair. “Nothing has changed, Jill.”
    “I’m glad.”
    The smooth skin of her leg brushed his for what seemed like the millionth time. Her tantalizing coconut shampoo wafted around him and he dragged in a breath. He wanted to touch her, feel her skin beneath his fingertips, not just along his thigh. Damn it, he wanted to kiss her and press her softness against his…
    You need to make an exit before you do something you’ll both regret.
    Instead he leaned in and, with the strength of his thumb under her chin, turned her face toward his. The bodice of her dress stretched taut as her breath flared across his face. He grazed his mouth against hers in a light caress, testing her reaction.
    She gasped, and he caught the sweet sound in his mouth before she sighed, and he crushed his mouth to hers. They turned further into each other, and Jill’s cool fingers trailed up his chest. Shivers traveled up his spine and he leaned back against the stairs, dragging her willing body with his.
    Her weight pressed into him and rightness permeated his skin, filling his blood. He wanted to kiss her all night. If she didn’t let him do anything more, he’d be satisfied. The realization didn’t shock but thrilled him. He pulled her tight and shifted the length of her body so she lay across him. Her soft curves pressed against his flesh and her scent drove him mad. This seemed like a dream. A dream he’d had many times in the last several months.
    Chet slid one hand over her back until his fingers threaded into the hair at her nape. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, and her body shook against his, then stiffened.
    “This time it was your fault.” She teased his mouth as she spoke.
    His first reaction was to take her into his arms and kiss her again, but he pushed her back and looked at her. He loved the way her skin glowed, how the thin lines of her eyebrows arched over her bright eyes, and the sexy way she bit her bottom lip when embarrassed.
    “I’m sorry.” He wasn’t.
    “Let’s both agree we’re attracted to one another, but it can’t go anywhere.”
    “Why, Jill? Why can’t our attraction run its course?”
    “You’re my boss, and I’m not looking for a fling. Though at the moment I wish I were.”