The Best Thing Yet by McKenna Jeffries and Aliyah Burke Page B

Her response held no heat—she’d begun to enjoy herself.
     Still, he paused and brought her head up to meet his gaze. “I wouldn’t have brought you here, Arissa, had I known. Do you want to go back?”
    Good opportunity to make things difficult for him, he’d opened the door for it. Yet, she couldn’t do it. Damn him and his way of getting under my skin! “No.”
    His smile made the nausea she’d experienced worth it. Cripes, I’m becoming such a sap. For a moment, Deiter appeared almost boyish. Then his gaze turned hot and there was nothing about him that was boyish. Nothing but six foot two inches of hot ass German male.
    “Not much more to go.”
    He gave a little tug on her hand. She fell into step with him and enjoyed the fact they were together. It was unexplainable to her how come she felt so comfortable with a man she’d not even known for two weeks. She didn’t count the time they had been apart—she hadn’t had the chance to get to know him then. But she’d thought of him. With him thoughts of forever, kids, a minivan and being a soccer mom flashed through her mind.
    “Here we are,” he said, grabbing her from the direction her thoughts had headed.
    Arissa scanned the area and a smile, the first real relaxed one since she’d arrived in McKingley, crossed her face. There was a cliff’s edge to the right and a few large trees with twisted trunks, courtesy of the punishing winds that moved through here on occasion. Almost no grass yet the view…well, it astounded her. Snow-capped mountains, gleaming in the sun, made for one hell of a backdrop.
    “Wow.”
    “Yeah, I kinda thought that too.”
    She watched him stride to a large tree and take off his pack. Before long, he waved her over to sit with him on the blanket he’d spread out.
     
    Deiter watched Arissa situate herself on the old quilt he’d brought up. She looked amazing. Her reddish-gold pixie style hair was longer than before, and he wanted nothing more than to sink his fingers in it. He’d never known hair to be as soft as hers.
    She wore an old college sweatshirt and some jeans that were slightly baggy. Her hiking boots looked new. Not that it mattered—he knew what lay beneath those clothes.
    Perfection, and his own idea of heaven.
    God, he’d missed her. He stretched out and braced himself on his left elbow. “Come here.” He removed his sunglasses and watched her approach. She stretched out, her smaller body fitting just so against his. And this way, she was out of the wind.
    “Thank you for coming with me,” he said.
    He took his right hand and began to trace his fingers along her delicate facial features. Touching her was as addictive as any drug, he loved how her light brown eyes watched him.
    “Did you have a good move?” he asked.
    “Long,” she admitted. “But, yes, it was good. Went along smoothly, which is always nice.”
    He did his best to ignore the fierce jealousy at the knowledge of who had come with her. “Good.” He stroked over her full lips and up one cheek. “When do you start work?”
    She shifted on the blanket, bringing his attention to everything on her below the neck. Stifling his groan, he focused on her eyes and waited for the answer.
    “A week. Figured I should give myself a bit of time before I delve back into it.”
    “Time zone difference?”
    “No, that never bothered me, besides we’re just an hour different here. I worked all hours at the ER in Chicago so time zones mean nothing. I get sleep when I can.”
    She said it so matter-of-fact he almost smiled. Lowering his head, he nuzzled her chin. Her gasp went from her mouth to his groin.
    Shit, he was harder than the rocks beneath them. She slid her hand along the back of his head and tangled her fingers in his hair, drawing him to her mouth. He obliged. Lightly, he licked her lower lip and traced the shape of her tempting mouth before covering it fully, slipping his tongue between the seam and sinking into her warm depths.
    He