Midnight Diamonds by Cynthia Hampton

thinking, she reached up to smooth it back. His heated gaze caused her heart to skip a beat.
    “Like what you see?” he asked in a husky voice.
    “Maybe,” she answered softly.
    He took her glass and set both of them aside. Raising one hand, he traced her chin with his fingers. “I hope you don’t mind, but I can’t wait any longer to do this.”
    Leaning closer to her, Justin touched his lips to hers, a feathery kiss that burned like gentle fire. Desire roused slowly, testing the flames. Silver held perfectly still, hesitant to break the spell he wove around her, but also afraid to open up completely. She’d made that mistake before with Chase. And Justin would be too easy to fall in love with. She couldn’t risk it. Not again, not so soon after she’d finally mended her broken heart. But Justin felt so good, so right, and part of her heart demanded to be set free.
    He pressed slightly, and she offered a little more.
    When his fingers slid into her hair, then to the nape of her neck, she moaned in delight. With one hand on his chest, she leaned even closer, waves of heat coming from him as her fingers touched his white dress shirt. His fingers tightened, then relaxed, as he framed her face with his hands.
    After several moments, he eased back. She struggled to breathe normally, but the warmth from his lips continued to ripple over her in soft waves. One kiss and this cowboy had stoked a blaze from the ashes of heartbreak. She wanted more.
    She wanted it to consume her.
    He brushed her bottom lip with his thumb. “Exactly like I remembered. Simmering heat with a touch of honey.”
    Simmering?
    No…not exactly.
    Silver slid a hand behind his neck and slowly guided him back to her mouth, her tongue sliding over his lips, begging for entry to his mouth while her fingers dove into his dark hair. The kiss deepened and he pulled her closer, his hand drifting to the small of her back.
    She lost track of time as her entire body trembled against him. Nothing else existed at that moment. Who needed dinner when her soul could feed on bliss all night?
    “Sir, we’re about two minutes from the restaurant.”
    Silver jerked away, then realized the voice had been on an intercom.
    Justin never took his eyes off her. “Thanks, Joe.”
    She smiled and wiped lip gloss from his lips. “I forgot about the driver.”
    “And I got carried away, but I’m not going to apologize. You are, without a doubt, the most stunning woman I’ve ever met.” He took a breath and ran fingers through his hair. “Whew, back to reality. I hope you like this place. Ever been to The Crystal Cowboy?”
    “I’ve heard about it, but no. One of yours?”
    “My family’s, yes.”
    “Why aren’t you part of the restaurant business?”
    He turned toward the window for a moment, then gave her a smile. “That’s a story for another night.”
    The car slowly pulled onto a driveway lined with tall, graceful trees. Long rows of amber lights directed them to the front of the restaurant. When the limo parked under a large, rough wood portico, she noticed an empty parking lot dotted with old gas lamp posts.
    “Where are the other customers?”
    “We have the place to ourselves tonight since they’re usually closed on Mondays.”
    Could this guy be any more perfect?
    Silver loved the exterior of the building, because it reminded her of a sprawling, rustic ranch house, but not in a primitive or tacky way. Artful landscaping enhanced the simplistic elegance of the building without the use of cactus or shrubs, which was a huge plus in her opinion. There were no marquees or bright lights to draw diners. No signs to hint at the location or the type of establishment. This exclusive hideaway needed no advertising.
    After being helped from the car by the limo driver, Silver and Justin entered the restaurant through smoked glass double doors. Each of the doors had a large cowboy hat etched into the glass and boasted a brass handle in the shape of a longhorn. They