body.
“So tell me, Miss Elizabeth Reynolds, what
brings a city girl like you to a place like Rabbit Creek?”
“Is it so obvious I’m a city girl?” she
asked, laughing lightly and lowering her lashes. This was flirting.
She was actually flirting. Thank you Cassandra Fontaine!
Charles leaned in and breathed deeply through
his nose. “Mmmm, it is. Country girls don’t smell this good.”
She was searching her mind for some witty
reply when he raised his eyes to hers. Her brain froze in its
search for words and all she came up with were two. Kiss me .
She hoped she hadn’t said it out loud.
His tongue touched her lips and pulled back.
She wasn’t sure if she should follow it or stay where she was.
Cassandra had deserted her. As if sensing her hesitancy, Charles
leaned in again, this time catching the corner of her mouth with
his kiss. The kisses continued lightly against her cheek, her
temple, the corner of her eye.
When his mouth returned to her lips, she was
ready for him. Tilting her head to meet him, he kissed her, mouth
slightly open but probing no further. This time when his mouth left
hers, she followed, but he had other plans. He moved to her neck,
to the sensitive spot below her ear and with tiny nips and nibbles,
worked his way down to her exposed shoulder. Her body burned hotter
with each new touch.
Her breath left her on a sigh. When his lips
traveled further downward to the swell of her breast, she drew
breath sharply and smiled dreamily. Charles was every bit as good
at this as Marshall. Marshall!
What the hell was the matter with her? She
didn’t even know this man. She hadn’t had more than twenty minute’s
conversation with him. She didn’t know his likes, dislikes. They
hadn’t had a meal together. Hell, she hadn’t even finished her
glass of iced tea before her body wanted to drag him off to the
nearest bedroom. Still breathing hard, she pushed away from
him.
“Stop, stop.” She crossed her hands at the
base of her throat and took two steps back. “This isn’t right,” she
said, “This isn’t me.”
Rather than looking shocked or chagrinned,
Charles looked pleased. “Oh, it’s you all right, heeding Mother
Nature’s call. Doing what you were meant to do.” He reached for
her. “Just go with it, love, and see where I can take you.”
“No,” she said shaking her head. She took
another step back toward the end of the porch at the corner of the
house. Her body, seemingly with a mind of its own, wanted to throw
itself into his arms to pick up right where it’d left off. She
pressed her knees together and bit the inside of her cheek. “I’m
sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. I’m normally not this
way. I don’t even know you well enough to kiss you, never mind…”
She flapped her hands helplessly.
Charles laughed. “Your body knows me. All the
rest will come in time. No one has a claim on you, do they?” He
sounded reasonable, sincere.
She couldn’t tell him about Marshall.
Besides, Marshall wasn’t a possibility and certainly didn’t have a
claim.
“No, there isn’t anyone else. Still…” She
could feel her resolve beginning to weaken. Why shouldn’t she play
a little fast and loose? There was nothing wrong with being a
healthy woman with healthy appetites. This was a new place, a new
life, a new her.
“I knew it.”
Charles grinned roguishly and it should have
been charming, but something about that grin made her
uncomfortable. It was as if he’d won a bet and she was the purse.
It suddenly felt as if he were playing a game to which she didn’t
know the rules. It was that more than anything that gave her the
strength to stand straight and face him.
“Please,” she said quietly, “I need you to
leave.”
He frowned and took a step forward. She was
beginning to feel trapped, enclosed by the house and rail with
Charles blocking her only exit.
“I apologize again if I appeared to offer
more than I’m willing to give.” She didn’t want
“So tell me, Miss Elizabeth Reynolds, what
brings a city girl like you to a place like Rabbit Creek?”
“Is it so obvious I’m a city girl?” she
asked, laughing lightly and lowering her lashes. This was flirting.
She was actually flirting. Thank you Cassandra Fontaine!
Charles leaned in and breathed deeply through
his nose. “Mmmm, it is. Country girls don’t smell this good.”
She was searching her mind for some witty
reply when he raised his eyes to hers. Her brain froze in its
search for words and all she came up with were two. Kiss me .
She hoped she hadn’t said it out loud.
His tongue touched her lips and pulled back.
She wasn’t sure if she should follow it or stay where she was.
Cassandra had deserted her. As if sensing her hesitancy, Charles
leaned in again, this time catching the corner of her mouth with
his kiss. The kisses continued lightly against her cheek, her
temple, the corner of her eye.
When his mouth returned to her lips, she was
ready for him. Tilting her head to meet him, he kissed her, mouth
slightly open but probing no further. This time when his mouth left
hers, she followed, but he had other plans. He moved to her neck,
to the sensitive spot below her ear and with tiny nips and nibbles,
worked his way down to her exposed shoulder. Her body burned hotter
with each new touch.
Her breath left her on a sigh. When his lips
traveled further downward to the swell of her breast, she drew
breath sharply and smiled dreamily. Charles was every bit as good
at this as Marshall. Marshall!
What the hell was the matter with her? She
didn’t even know this man. She hadn’t had more than twenty minute’s
conversation with him. She didn’t know his likes, dislikes. They
hadn’t had a meal together. Hell, she hadn’t even finished her
glass of iced tea before her body wanted to drag him off to the
nearest bedroom. Still breathing hard, she pushed away from
him.
“Stop, stop.” She crossed her hands at the
base of her throat and took two steps back. “This isn’t right,” she
said, “This isn’t me.”
Rather than looking shocked or chagrinned,
Charles looked pleased. “Oh, it’s you all right, heeding Mother
Nature’s call. Doing what you were meant to do.” He reached for
her. “Just go with it, love, and see where I can take you.”
“No,” she said shaking her head. She took
another step back toward the end of the porch at the corner of the
house. Her body, seemingly with a mind of its own, wanted to throw
itself into his arms to pick up right where it’d left off. She
pressed her knees together and bit the inside of her cheek. “I’m
sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. I’m normally not this
way. I don’t even know you well enough to kiss you, never mind…”
She flapped her hands helplessly.
Charles laughed. “Your body knows me. All the
rest will come in time. No one has a claim on you, do they?” He
sounded reasonable, sincere.
She couldn’t tell him about Marshall.
Besides, Marshall wasn’t a possibility and certainly didn’t have a
claim.
“No, there isn’t anyone else. Still…” She
could feel her resolve beginning to weaken. Why shouldn’t she play
a little fast and loose? There was nothing wrong with being a
healthy woman with healthy appetites. This was a new place, a new
life, a new her.
“I knew it.”
Charles grinned roguishly and it should have
been charming, but something about that grin made her
uncomfortable. It was as if he’d won a bet and she was the purse.
It suddenly felt as if he were playing a game to which she didn’t
know the rules. It was that more than anything that gave her the
strength to stand straight and face him.
“Please,” she said quietly, “I need you to
leave.”
He frowned and took a step forward. She was
beginning to feel trapped, enclosed by the house and rail with
Charles blocking her only exit.
“I apologize again if I appeared to offer
more than I’m willing to give.” She didn’t want
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