Dangerous Abduction (O'Connor Brothers Book 2) by Rhonda Brewer

several times to see Marina wasn’t actually eating much. She just seemed to be moving her food around her plate but Mason and Danny quickly cleaned their plates. Then Mason put James in a state of shock when he instructed Danny to put the plates in the dishwasher. James was constantly reminding him about clearing his dishes away. Guess it was another positive of having Marina at his house.
    Marina began fixing the dishes in the dishwasher and wiping down the counter but when James tried to help, she waved him off. He liked how at home she was in his kitchen. Maybe a little too much because he knew she would be leaving as soon as her house was ready. His heart clenched when he thought about her going.
    “You cooked breakfast, I’ll clean up.” James placed his cup into the dishwasher.
    “Nope! You go do whatever you need to do. I got this.” Marina turned him and pushed him out of the room and even though it was his kitchen, he knew better than to argue with a woman. His grandfather and father taught him that. He chuckled as he made his way upstairs thinking about all the times he’d heard his grandfather tell him he never argued with Nanny Betty because there was just no way to win an argument when a woman had a rolling pin in her hand.
    James shaved, had a quick shower and got dressed. It was the fastest time he ever got ready in the morning because Mason wasn’t running in every five minutes to ask him something. He also wanted to spend as much time with Marina as possible before she went back to her own house.
    He raced back downstairs and heard the bouncy hip-hop music float out of the kitchen. It wasn’t his favorite type of music, but it had a good beat. The lyrics said something about hearing the singer roar and an eye of the tiger.
    He stepped into the doorway and stopped. Marina had her hands in the sink, but what drew his attention was the swing of her hips as she danced to the music with her slightly off-key singing. James leaned against the door-jamb and crossed his arms over his chest. He smiled as she sang louder to the chorus of the song. He chuckled as she raised her hand in the air at part of the chorus, causing her to turn around. Her face flushed beautifully as she scrambled to turn off the iPod and then turn back to the sink.
    “Don’t stop on my account.” James casually moved to the counter and poured another cup of coffee. “Do you always do dishes that way?” he teased and hopped up onto the counter next to the sink.
    “Okay, you caught me.” Marina sighed. “I like to sing badly and dance when I clean.” She tossed the cloth into the sink, and the soap splashed up on her cheek. James reached out without thinking and brushed it away with his thumb. Her tongue darted out and flicked across her lower lip as her gaze met his.
    He cupped her cheek and it was as if a magnet was pulling him closer to her. His eyes moved to her lips and his thumb grazed the edge of her mouth. A soft gasp escaped her as her lips parted. His eyes moved back to hers and they drew him in as if they were talking to him, telling him to do the thing he’d been aching to do. James brushed his lips against her mouth and she whimpered but she didn’t pull away. So he pressed his lips full against hers and slid his hand behind her head.
    When she kissed him back, his body came alive for the first time in a long time, and he completely devoured her mouth with his. Her lips were soft and his tongue glided across the seam, begging to let him enter. She opened with a whimper and he plunged his tongue inside. She tasted of maple syrup, coffee and heaven. Marina fisted his shirt as he slid off the counter and plowed his fingers through her silky hair. Their kiss came to an abrupt halt when Mason and Danny thundered down the stairs. James stepped back just as the boys ran into the kitchen.
    “Can we go to the park, Daddy?” Mason held his hands together as if he was praying.
    “Sure, bud. You guys go grab your coats.