mouth meeting his with a clumsy bump.
But Liam didn’t seem to mind. He pulled her against his chest and gently explored her mouth with his tongue, teasing and tasting, lingering over her lips. Ellie knew she shouldn’t let it go any further. They barely knew each other. But in the past days, she’d learned to trust Liam with her life. How could a man who’d saved her not once but twice possibly turn around and hurt her?
His hands slipped beneath her camisole and spanned her waist as he deepened the kiss. She’d wanted the taste of him to drive all the worry out of her head, but it was also sweeping her common sense right along with it. She’d made a vow to stay away from men for at least a year. She’d kept that vow for sixty-seven days and about six hours, and with just a few incredible kisses she was ready to throw it all aside.
Liam Quinn was not Ronald Pettibone. Nor was he Brian Keller, the stock analyst she’d been with before Ronald. Nor Steve Winston, the business consultant. Or any of the others that she’d thought she’d loved. Liam was…different. He was a man she could depend upon.
“I read this book once that said that people who have near-death experiences sometimes become more passionate in the aftermath. Do you think that’s what’s happening here?”
“I don’t know. Is that a bad thing?”
Ellie shook her head. “I don’t think so. It’s just the author’s observation.”
“Maybe we should stop.”
She reached for the hem of her camisole and slowly pulled it up. “Maybe we shouldn’t.” Ellie gazed into his eyes, waiting for a cue, anything that would tell her that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. He slid his hand up along her rib cage and cupped her breast, stroking his thumb across her nipple and bringing it to an aching peak through the soft fabric.
“You are so beautiful,” he murmured. “From the moment I first saw you, I thought about this.” He pressed his forehead against hers. “You were dancing a—” he paused “—around me with that—that phone in your hand, dressed in your nightgown.” He grinned. “You know, when you stood in front of the light, I could see right through it.”
“You looked?”
“I couldn’t help myself.”
She pulled her camisole up a few more inches, until it was bunched beneath her breasts. “I’m lucky I tied you up,” she teased. “I didn’t realize how dangerous you were.”
Liam chuckled softly, then brushed her hands away. “You like dangerous?” He took the soft cotton knit in his hands and slowly dragged it up and over her head. Then he tossed it aside.
This time when his hand touched her breast, the contact was electric, sending a shockwave through her body. “I do like dangerous,” Ellie murmured. “Very much.”
With a low growl, Liam reached down and grabbed her, pulling her up until she sat on the edge of the bathroom sink. He covered her mouth with a deep and shattering kiss and Ellie had no choice but to respond. He seemed to know exactly what she wanted. Every place he touched and kissed ached in the moments before his lips moved there.
She couldn’t deny that she wanted him, but it was a need that was irrational. With every other man, the weeks or even months that approached this moment had been measured carefully, as if following some prescribed schedule. But now she didn’t care. So what if she’d only known Liam for ten days? So what if he’d probably seduced a string of beautiful women? That didn’t matter.
For now all that mattered was that she wanted him. Ellie reached for the buttons on his shirt and fumbled with them until they were undone. Then she brushed aside the soft cotton and smoothed her hands over his chest, lost in the pure masculine beauty of his body.
His chest was broad and finely muscled, a thin line of hair leading from his collarbone to beneath the waistband of his jeans. She trailed her fingers along that line as if it were a map to the next spot in their
But Liam didn’t seem to mind. He pulled her against his chest and gently explored her mouth with his tongue, teasing and tasting, lingering over her lips. Ellie knew she shouldn’t let it go any further. They barely knew each other. But in the past days, she’d learned to trust Liam with her life. How could a man who’d saved her not once but twice possibly turn around and hurt her?
His hands slipped beneath her camisole and spanned her waist as he deepened the kiss. She’d wanted the taste of him to drive all the worry out of her head, but it was also sweeping her common sense right along with it. She’d made a vow to stay away from men for at least a year. She’d kept that vow for sixty-seven days and about six hours, and with just a few incredible kisses she was ready to throw it all aside.
Liam Quinn was not Ronald Pettibone. Nor was he Brian Keller, the stock analyst she’d been with before Ronald. Nor Steve Winston, the business consultant. Or any of the others that she’d thought she’d loved. Liam was…different. He was a man she could depend upon.
“I read this book once that said that people who have near-death experiences sometimes become more passionate in the aftermath. Do you think that’s what’s happening here?”
“I don’t know. Is that a bad thing?”
Ellie shook her head. “I don’t think so. It’s just the author’s observation.”
“Maybe we should stop.”
She reached for the hem of her camisole and slowly pulled it up. “Maybe we shouldn’t.” Ellie gazed into his eyes, waiting for a cue, anything that would tell her that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. He slid his hand up along her rib cage and cupped her breast, stroking his thumb across her nipple and bringing it to an aching peak through the soft fabric.
“You are so beautiful,” he murmured. “From the moment I first saw you, I thought about this.” He pressed his forehead against hers. “You were dancing a—” he paused “—around me with that—that phone in your hand, dressed in your nightgown.” He grinned. “You know, when you stood in front of the light, I could see right through it.”
“You looked?”
“I couldn’t help myself.”
She pulled her camisole up a few more inches, until it was bunched beneath her breasts. “I’m lucky I tied you up,” she teased. “I didn’t realize how dangerous you were.”
Liam chuckled softly, then brushed her hands away. “You like dangerous?” He took the soft cotton knit in his hands and slowly dragged it up and over her head. Then he tossed it aside.
This time when his hand touched her breast, the contact was electric, sending a shockwave through her body. “I do like dangerous,” Ellie murmured. “Very much.”
With a low growl, Liam reached down and grabbed her, pulling her up until she sat on the edge of the bathroom sink. He covered her mouth with a deep and shattering kiss and Ellie had no choice but to respond. He seemed to know exactly what she wanted. Every place he touched and kissed ached in the moments before his lips moved there.
She couldn’t deny that she wanted him, but it was a need that was irrational. With every other man, the weeks or even months that approached this moment had been measured carefully, as if following some prescribed schedule. But now she didn’t care. So what if she’d only known Liam for ten days? So what if he’d probably seduced a string of beautiful women? That didn’t matter.
For now all that mattered was that she wanted him. Ellie reached for the buttons on his shirt and fumbled with them until they were undone. Then she brushed aside the soft cotton and smoothed her hands over his chest, lost in the pure masculine beauty of his body.
His chest was broad and finely muscled, a thin line of hair leading from his collarbone to beneath the waistband of his jeans. She trailed her fingers along that line as if it were a map to the next spot in their
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