test the other half? Find out just how compatible we really are before we sign on the dotted line?”
Chapter Seven
W hile Brian tried to unscramble his brains, Dawn gave him a sardonic smile. “Why look so surprised? If we’re going to form a partnership, we need to make sure all parties are comfortable with the terms.”
The sarcasm came through, as thick as hot tar and twice as scorching.
“Okay,” he conceded, his feathers singed. “I may not have framed my offer in the best terms.”
“Ya think?”
“But it came from the heart.”
That took some of the storm from her eyes. Not all, but some. Crossing her arms again, she swung that foot. Once. Twice.
“I’m listening.”
Even after all these years it was hard for him to talk about the pain he always kept so private. Yet he owed Dawn an honest answer.
“We’ve both learned the hard way there are no guarantees in life,” he said slowly. “I thought I’d have forty or fifty years with Caroline. You were certain you’d found the perfect mate. Not once, but...”
“Twice.” Her foot gave another twitch. “Yeah, I know. I was there. Both times. You were saying?”
“I was saying we don’t know what will happen tomorrow, much less next week or next year. Nor can we know whether marriage will work for us. But we have a solid foundation to build on. Mutual respect, a common bond in Tommy and—” he huffed out a laugh “—you have to know my throat closes and my lungs burn every time I get within twenty yards of you.”
“Twenty yards, huh?” Head cocked, she feigned an innocent interest. “What happens when we’re this close?”
Brian felt almost light-headed with relief. From the sound of it, he’d managed to navigate some very dangerous shoals. Now all he had to do was bring the ship safely into port.
“This close,” he admitted, “I have to battle the urge to haul you into my arms and kiss you crazy.”
“Interesting.”
She dropped her contemplative pose. The smile he’d been hoping to see crept into her eyes.
“Especially since I have to fight a similar urge. Hence my suggestion a few moments ago. So...?” she asked with a delicate lift of her brows.
Brian didn’t need another invitation. Two seconds later he had her off the stool and in his arms. When his mouth came down on hers, she pushed up on the balls of her feet to hook her arms around his neck and gave herself up to the kiss with hungry abandon.
The heat was instant and intense. As Brian molded her closer, her breasts, her belly, her thighs all burned into him. Burrowing under the hem of her sweater, he ran his hands up her rib cage and was delighted to discover she wasn’t wearing a bra. As he palmed her breasts, every drop of blood drained from his head and went south.
“Damn, woman,” he ground out hoarsely. “Do you have any idea how close I am to stroking out at this moment?”
Laughing, she pushed back a few inches and attacked his shirt buttons. “What’s good for the gander...”
She yanked the shirt free of his slacks and peeled it down his arms, leaving only his tie to dangle from his neck. Her fingers danced along his shoulders, across his chest, down to the stomach that went drum-tight at her touch.
“Nice,” she murmured, raking a nail through the hair that swirled above his belt. “Very nice.”
She stooped a little and followed those teasing, tantalizing fingertips with her mouth. Kissing, licking, nipping, until Brian was pretty sure his head would explode. Desperate for relief, he dragged her sweater up, tangling her arms and swathing her head in a thick, cable-knit turban.
“Brian!” The thick knit muffled her protest. “You’re going to stroke out and I’m going to suffocate. They’ll find us dead on the floor.”
When he finally untangled her, his belly went tight again. God, she was gorgeous! The full curves, the soft skin, the fiery curls now tumbling free of her scrunchie. Determined to explore every inch of her, he
Chapter Seven
W hile Brian tried to unscramble his brains, Dawn gave him a sardonic smile. “Why look so surprised? If we’re going to form a partnership, we need to make sure all parties are comfortable with the terms.”
The sarcasm came through, as thick as hot tar and twice as scorching.
“Okay,” he conceded, his feathers singed. “I may not have framed my offer in the best terms.”
“Ya think?”
“But it came from the heart.”
That took some of the storm from her eyes. Not all, but some. Crossing her arms again, she swung that foot. Once. Twice.
“I’m listening.”
Even after all these years it was hard for him to talk about the pain he always kept so private. Yet he owed Dawn an honest answer.
“We’ve both learned the hard way there are no guarantees in life,” he said slowly. “I thought I’d have forty or fifty years with Caroline. You were certain you’d found the perfect mate. Not once, but...”
“Twice.” Her foot gave another twitch. “Yeah, I know. I was there. Both times. You were saying?”
“I was saying we don’t know what will happen tomorrow, much less next week or next year. Nor can we know whether marriage will work for us. But we have a solid foundation to build on. Mutual respect, a common bond in Tommy and—” he huffed out a laugh “—you have to know my throat closes and my lungs burn every time I get within twenty yards of you.”
“Twenty yards, huh?” Head cocked, she feigned an innocent interest. “What happens when we’re this close?”
Brian felt almost light-headed with relief. From the sound of it, he’d managed to navigate some very dangerous shoals. Now all he had to do was bring the ship safely into port.
“This close,” he admitted, “I have to battle the urge to haul you into my arms and kiss you crazy.”
“Interesting.”
She dropped her contemplative pose. The smile he’d been hoping to see crept into her eyes.
“Especially since I have to fight a similar urge. Hence my suggestion a few moments ago. So...?” she asked with a delicate lift of her brows.
Brian didn’t need another invitation. Two seconds later he had her off the stool and in his arms. When his mouth came down on hers, she pushed up on the balls of her feet to hook her arms around his neck and gave herself up to the kiss with hungry abandon.
The heat was instant and intense. As Brian molded her closer, her breasts, her belly, her thighs all burned into him. Burrowing under the hem of her sweater, he ran his hands up her rib cage and was delighted to discover she wasn’t wearing a bra. As he palmed her breasts, every drop of blood drained from his head and went south.
“Damn, woman,” he ground out hoarsely. “Do you have any idea how close I am to stroking out at this moment?”
Laughing, she pushed back a few inches and attacked his shirt buttons. “What’s good for the gander...”
She yanked the shirt free of his slacks and peeled it down his arms, leaving only his tie to dangle from his neck. Her fingers danced along his shoulders, across his chest, down to the stomach that went drum-tight at her touch.
“Nice,” she murmured, raking a nail through the hair that swirled above his belt. “Very nice.”
She stooped a little and followed those teasing, tantalizing fingertips with her mouth. Kissing, licking, nipping, until Brian was pretty sure his head would explode. Desperate for relief, he dragged her sweater up, tangling her arms and swathing her head in a thick, cable-knit turban.
“Brian!” The thick knit muffled her protest. “You’re going to stroke out and I’m going to suffocate. They’ll find us dead on the floor.”
When he finally untangled her, his belly went tight again. God, she was gorgeous! The full curves, the soft skin, the fiery curls now tumbling free of her scrunchie. Determined to explore every inch of her, he
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