could be reasoned as nothing more than a friendly test of sorts, just to experience an adult kiss.
“It’s natural given the circumstances that something might…happen.” She swallowed the dryness in her throat, knowing her makeshift excuse only partially covered the situation.
“Uh huh, it just might.” His hand slid to the back of her neck, drawing her to his mouth as it hungrily slid over hers.
Reason flew out the window, slipping further away as he deepened the kiss, coaxing her to open to him. His hand caressed her ribs, inching upwards until his thumb rested below her breast. Even as he caused her bones to dissolve, she fought to stay in control. Her body craved what he offered.
“I want you,” he whispered.
Oh Lord. Reality hit full force with the simplicity of his words. Here it was. Her choice to go blindly with her emotions, make that highly overheated emotions, or decide if this was a man she wanted more than an afternoon tumble with. Speculating on emotions, and saying how you felt, were two very different things.
She closed her eyes, fighting what his hands were doing to her logic.
“You said it yourself, these feelings are natural,” he murmured against her neck.
“Yes, and did I mention, dangerous.” Tess tried to challenge him with a look, while her moral conscience lay panting in the wake of their kisses. Suddenly, something Merle had said echoed in the back of her mind, causing a twinge of doubt about his intentions. Thirty seconds ago, you’d have let him carry you right up those stairs , she mentally reprimanded herself.
“We’re neither one of us inexperienced Tess, but I think you know this is more than sex we’re talking about.”
“Is it?” She saw instantly his emotions sober and part of her wanted to go back to where they were. Unbridled, free to feel what they wanted with no thought to the consequences. But she’d squelched all that with her fear and suspicious thoughts.
His hand fell from her body and he smiled congenially. “When you’re ready and this happens for us, and it will, it’ll be more than great sex.” He grinned, glancing away in that shy way she’d come to recognize and love. “It’ll be that too, of course.” Holding her chin, he searched her eyes and kissed her softly on the top of her nose. “I better go.
He withdrew the towel from his neck and handed it to her.
Tess was frozen, held captive in his smoky gaze and by his verbal declaration. She slid from his lap as he stood gazing down at her.
“You’re going to need more ice on that.” He grinned and held her gaze silently before he turned and walked out the door.
“Sure thing, right along with the rest of me.” Tess stood in the living room quaking in the aftermath of his seduction. She jolted as heard the spin of gravel from him roaring out of the drive.
Chapter Eight
Sex? Gabe gripped the steering wheel, watching the lightening split the horizon. His body shivered remembering how she looked at him. Good Lord, loneliness was a powerful thing if it caused instantaneous reactions like what occurred between him and Tess. What in the world happened back there? One minute she’s cutting his hair, discussing style, and the next, he’s ready to carry her upstairs as if they were wed. The woman was lethal. There was no doubt about that. Somehow she’d managed to get under his skin when he wasn’t looking. He hoped she didn’t realize it yet, because he was still trying to figure out what bus hit him, to leave such massive skid marks across his heart.
He squinted through the fat raindrops, reminding himself to get new wiper blades. It was a futile distraction, which lasted all of forty-five seconds. He licked his lips, still able to taste her and shivered again, realizing he’d left his shirt behind.
Sex? Gabe truly liked women, a lot in fact, but he wasn’t the type who liked one-night stands. The thought of what she must think of his character unnerved him and he
“It’s natural given the circumstances that something might…happen.” She swallowed the dryness in her throat, knowing her makeshift excuse only partially covered the situation.
“Uh huh, it just might.” His hand slid to the back of her neck, drawing her to his mouth as it hungrily slid over hers.
Reason flew out the window, slipping further away as he deepened the kiss, coaxing her to open to him. His hand caressed her ribs, inching upwards until his thumb rested below her breast. Even as he caused her bones to dissolve, she fought to stay in control. Her body craved what he offered.
“I want you,” he whispered.
Oh Lord. Reality hit full force with the simplicity of his words. Here it was. Her choice to go blindly with her emotions, make that highly overheated emotions, or decide if this was a man she wanted more than an afternoon tumble with. Speculating on emotions, and saying how you felt, were two very different things.
She closed her eyes, fighting what his hands were doing to her logic.
“You said it yourself, these feelings are natural,” he murmured against her neck.
“Yes, and did I mention, dangerous.” Tess tried to challenge him with a look, while her moral conscience lay panting in the wake of their kisses. Suddenly, something Merle had said echoed in the back of her mind, causing a twinge of doubt about his intentions. Thirty seconds ago, you’d have let him carry you right up those stairs , she mentally reprimanded herself.
“We’re neither one of us inexperienced Tess, but I think you know this is more than sex we’re talking about.”
“Is it?” She saw instantly his emotions sober and part of her wanted to go back to where they were. Unbridled, free to feel what they wanted with no thought to the consequences. But she’d squelched all that with her fear and suspicious thoughts.
His hand fell from her body and he smiled congenially. “When you’re ready and this happens for us, and it will, it’ll be more than great sex.” He grinned, glancing away in that shy way she’d come to recognize and love. “It’ll be that too, of course.” Holding her chin, he searched her eyes and kissed her softly on the top of her nose. “I better go.
He withdrew the towel from his neck and handed it to her.
Tess was frozen, held captive in his smoky gaze and by his verbal declaration. She slid from his lap as he stood gazing down at her.
“You’re going to need more ice on that.” He grinned and held her gaze silently before he turned and walked out the door.
“Sure thing, right along with the rest of me.” Tess stood in the living room quaking in the aftermath of his seduction. She jolted as heard the spin of gravel from him roaring out of the drive.
Chapter Eight
Sex? Gabe gripped the steering wheel, watching the lightening split the horizon. His body shivered remembering how she looked at him. Good Lord, loneliness was a powerful thing if it caused instantaneous reactions like what occurred between him and Tess. What in the world happened back there? One minute she’s cutting his hair, discussing style, and the next, he’s ready to carry her upstairs as if they were wed. The woman was lethal. There was no doubt about that. Somehow she’d managed to get under his skin when he wasn’t looking. He hoped she didn’t realize it yet, because he was still trying to figure out what bus hit him, to leave such massive skid marks across his heart.
He squinted through the fat raindrops, reminding himself to get new wiper blades. It was a futile distraction, which lasted all of forty-five seconds. He licked his lips, still able to taste her and shivered again, realizing he’d left his shirt behind.
Sex? Gabe truly liked women, a lot in fact, but he wasn’t the type who liked one-night stands. The thought of what she must think of his character unnerved him and he
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