weakness, but she wanted to kiss him, if only one last time before he married his princess and Karissa raced cross-country to stake land for Clint and Amanda.
“Damn you, Rissa,” he muttered as his head came deliberately toward hers. “You make me crazy.”
And then he claimed her mouth and stole the breath right out of her lungs. Before she realized it, she hadwrapped her arms around his neck and was kissing him back with all the pent-up torment that had been hounding her since Vanessa stood in the doorway of the mess hall, shining like the brightest star in heaven.
Karissa was ashamed to admit that envy and jealousy had been spurring her to pick a fight with Rafe. And now she was secretly where she wanted to be—tasting him thoroughly, feeling his masculine strength surrounding her, experiencing this phenomenal pleasure that he alone incited in her.
When Rafe glided his hands down her rib cage to pull her against him, she became blatantly aware of his arousal. She told herself that it was a man’s natural reaction to any woman, before she foolishly started to believe that she had some exclusive effect on him.
And damn him for starting this anyway, she thought as she struggled to regain her common sense. He had a fiancée he could kiss senseless anytime he wanted. He didn’t need Karissa. Didn’t want her because she wasn’t good enough to be anything except the place he came for sexual release.
Karissa somehow found the willpower to press her hands against his chest and push away. She was thoroughly annoyed with herself for letting her forbidden attraction to Rafe control her. Never mind that when he let loose and kissed her, as if he was starving for a taste of her, her knees wobbled to such serious extremes that she had to brace her hip against the nearby table to prevent collapsing at his feet.
She had to say something sassy to break this tormenting spell, she thought frantically. “And what was that, General? A dress rehearsal for the affection you plan to bestow on Vanessa? Go practice on someoneelse. I have better things to do this evening. Like sort my clean laundry.”
Thankfully, he reared back, as if she had slapped him. It gave her time to draw in a breath that wasn’t thick with his masculine scent and to reconstruct her usual defenses.
“Considering that mouth of yours, hellion, I’ll be shocked if any man ever asks for your hand. You’d bite his hand off at the wrist.”
She shrugged carelessly, far more comfortable now that they were back to verbal pistols at twenty paces. “I do not need a man in my life,” she informed him airily. “I can take care of myself and I’ve had lots of practice at it. I can darn my own stockings, do my own laundry and cook for myself. I can also earn my own wages.”
“And you can’t bear the thought, being as independent as you are, of having any man tell you what to do,” he added with a smirk.
“Precisely,” she agreed. “Which is why we clash so often. You delight in giving orders and I live to thumb my nose at them.” She emulated Vanessa’s sophisticated air and flicked her wrist to shoo him on his way. “Run along now, General. I’ve sharpened my tongue well enough on you tonight to hold an edge for tomorrow. Once I file my nails I will be good to go.”
“You still aren’t leaving the post, no matter how much you antagonize me,” he muttered at her. “You’re not as tough as you would like me to think, either.”
Maybe not, but never in a million years would she admit it to him. She gestured toward the door. “Leave now, before I decide to whittle you down to size. Believe me when I say that you haven’t seen anything yet. I’ve gone a lot easier on you than most men.”
She inclined her head ever so slightly and smiledwryly. “If not for your prestigious position here I wouldn’t have shown as much restraint with my insults.”
“This is restraint?” he hooted. Rafe stepped forward to wag a lean finger in her face.
“Damn you, Rissa,” he muttered as his head came deliberately toward hers. “You make me crazy.”
And then he claimed her mouth and stole the breath right out of her lungs. Before she realized it, she hadwrapped her arms around his neck and was kissing him back with all the pent-up torment that had been hounding her since Vanessa stood in the doorway of the mess hall, shining like the brightest star in heaven.
Karissa was ashamed to admit that envy and jealousy had been spurring her to pick a fight with Rafe. And now she was secretly where she wanted to be—tasting him thoroughly, feeling his masculine strength surrounding her, experiencing this phenomenal pleasure that he alone incited in her.
When Rafe glided his hands down her rib cage to pull her against him, she became blatantly aware of his arousal. She told herself that it was a man’s natural reaction to any woman, before she foolishly started to believe that she had some exclusive effect on him.
And damn him for starting this anyway, she thought as she struggled to regain her common sense. He had a fiancée he could kiss senseless anytime he wanted. He didn’t need Karissa. Didn’t want her because she wasn’t good enough to be anything except the place he came for sexual release.
Karissa somehow found the willpower to press her hands against his chest and push away. She was thoroughly annoyed with herself for letting her forbidden attraction to Rafe control her. Never mind that when he let loose and kissed her, as if he was starving for a taste of her, her knees wobbled to such serious extremes that she had to brace her hip against the nearby table to prevent collapsing at his feet.
She had to say something sassy to break this tormenting spell, she thought frantically. “And what was that, General? A dress rehearsal for the affection you plan to bestow on Vanessa? Go practice on someoneelse. I have better things to do this evening. Like sort my clean laundry.”
Thankfully, he reared back, as if she had slapped him. It gave her time to draw in a breath that wasn’t thick with his masculine scent and to reconstruct her usual defenses.
“Considering that mouth of yours, hellion, I’ll be shocked if any man ever asks for your hand. You’d bite his hand off at the wrist.”
She shrugged carelessly, far more comfortable now that they were back to verbal pistols at twenty paces. “I do not need a man in my life,” she informed him airily. “I can take care of myself and I’ve had lots of practice at it. I can darn my own stockings, do my own laundry and cook for myself. I can also earn my own wages.”
“And you can’t bear the thought, being as independent as you are, of having any man tell you what to do,” he added with a smirk.
“Precisely,” she agreed. “Which is why we clash so often. You delight in giving orders and I live to thumb my nose at them.” She emulated Vanessa’s sophisticated air and flicked her wrist to shoo him on his way. “Run along now, General. I’ve sharpened my tongue well enough on you tonight to hold an edge for tomorrow. Once I file my nails I will be good to go.”
“You still aren’t leaving the post, no matter how much you antagonize me,” he muttered at her. “You’re not as tough as you would like me to think, either.”
Maybe not, but never in a million years would she admit it to him. She gestured toward the door. “Leave now, before I decide to whittle you down to size. Believe me when I say that you haven’t seen anything yet. I’ve gone a lot easier on you than most men.”
She inclined her head ever so slightly and smiledwryly. “If not for your prestigious position here I wouldn’t have shown as much restraint with my insults.”
“This is restraint?” he hooted. Rafe stepped forward to wag a lean finger in her face.
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