Hazard Play by Janis McCurry Page A

against her lips rather than a kiss. She trembled. Both their arms were ramrod straight at their sides, as if that would stop them from the inevitable. He pulled her into his embrace as he took her mouth, as if silently asking her to open to him.  And she answered with her lips and body. Her hands caressed their way up his back and into his hair while she deepened the kiss, her tongue seeking the recesses of his mouth.
    They stood in the afternoon sunlight. The heat warmed them, but not as much as their passion.  Their bodies fit together, seeking the closeness, the feeling that they belonged.
    He’d kissed his fair share of women.
    But… this .
    This was unlike any kiss he’d experienced. Jolted by the force of his growing need, the only thing he could think about was making love with Tess Hazard.
    “You have too many clothes on.” Her throaty murmur tickled against his mouth.
    He opened his eyes and she smiled, her eyes drowsy with desire. “But—” He stopped when he couldn’t think of anything to say.
    Tess stepped back just enough to draw him in the direction of her bed. She pulled the bottom of his T-shirt over his head and let it drop to the floor. He groaned when she spread her hands over his chest and pressed a kiss over his heart. He cupped her face and kissed her temples before settling on her mouth once more. 
    She arched against his bare chest and he could feel her nipples through the thin cotton. It wasn’t enough and, apparently, Tess felt the same way. Still kissing him, she unbuttoned her dress and shrugged out of it. 
    He reached around her back and unclasped her bra. She melted against him and the feel of her breasts against him made his mind go blank. He felt like an exposed mass of nerve endings, each one hotter than the next. He ended their kiss only to pull her down onto the bed and cover her with his body. They stared into one another’s eyes. 
    Bailey dipped his head and kissed one breast before taking her hardened nipple in his mouth. She tasted like sunshine and he transferred his attentions to her other breast. She raised her hands over her head as he drew her nipple into the heat of his mouth, tugging and sucking on it. She wasn’t content to remain passive. Not for long.
    “You do have this thing with clothes, don’t you?” Tess struggled for air as if she’d been running. 
    Bailey paused and looked into her face. Holding his gaze, Tess propped herself on one elbow and drew her hand down his chest, stopping at the dark hair that narrowed to a vee above the zippered fly. He sucked in his breath as she cupped his arousal.
    “I want to feel all of you.” She unbuttoned his Levis, pausing at each button to kiss and caress him. Her tongue dipped into his navel and he drew her up to his mouth to drink from the sweetness of her lips. He didn’t trust himself with her mouth doing such devastating things to him.
    “You’re not playing fair, Contessa.” He gasped. “My turn.” Their bodies were covered with a thin sheen of sweat. She looked like she had been dipped in gold, with a thin wisp of lace panties guarding her femininity.
    He couldn’t help it. Reaching out, he touched the lace reverently. He stroked over the lavender silk and she trembled. He pressed a kiss against her heat and she moved sensuously against his mouth. The tiny bit of silk served as a barrier to heaven. Bailey’s fingers slipped under the scrap of material and she opened to him with a soft cry. 
    Her body danced under his touch. All her senses centered on his touch, and she adjusted to the rhythmic slide of his hand by raising her hips in time to his gentle probing. He found the sensitive nub he was seeking and it sent a surge of molten lava through her. The fire was building and he welcomed the explosion that was coming closer with each caress.
    She reached down to free him from his constricting shorts. He felt a vibration that traveled like an electrical spark between their entwined limbs.
    In