With Family In Mind (Saddle Falls Book 1) by Sharon de Vita Page B

never allowed herself to feel anything.
    But this…this was glorious. Heady. Addictive. She wondered how she could have possibly lived so long without this wonderful experience of knowing what it felt like to kiss a man as if her life depended on it, tohold on to him as if she might fall off the world if she didn’t.
    She wanted.
    Something she’d never allowed herself before. Ever. The ache that pummeled her body, making her vividly aware of Jake, also made her feel suddenly, wickedly alive, as if she’d just been awakened from a very deep sleep.
    Her breasts ached. An almost unbearable yearning low in her belly had her arching against him, pressing herself tighter to him, wanting to ease the ache, but not really knowing how.
    Angling her head, she followed the movement of his mouth, unwilling to let go of this glorious feeling just yet. Her fingers clutched, then clung to his shirt as she tilted her head to be able to taste him better.
    Jake’s hands, so large, yet gentle on her back, made her vividly aware of the soft silkiness of her blouse rubbing against her bare skin. The resulting wave of friction made her want to peel the material off so she could feel his hand against her skin.
    His flesh to her flesh.
    When she laced her arms around his neck and opened her mouth, Jake’s low moan as he responded in kind, dragging her further and further into this hazy wave of passion, brought reality crashing back.
    “No.” With a great deal of effort, Rebecca drew back and laid her hand on his chest again—this time to keep him at bay, to get some much needed distance from him. From that incredibly talented, glorious mouth.
    What had she done? Looking at him, she found hervision blurred with passion, her mind clouded with desire. How could she have let this happen with him? It was unforgivable. Absolutely unforgivable, and might have jeopardized everything she’d come here for. One moment of madness could have forever ruined a life of discipline and control. Disappointment in herself was not something she was accustomed to, but Rebecca felt it now, sharp and shameful, and vowed this would be the first and last time she ever did anything so foolish.
    She had to swallow before she could speak coherently. “We…can’t. This…can’t happen.” Words were her life, but every word she knew seemed to have deserted her. Stunned, she pushed back her hair and shifted so she wasn’t touching him anywhere, then tried again, aware that he was looking at her with an air of amusement that was just a tad annoying. “We can’t do this, Jake.” She shook her head, wishing she knew the right thing to say under the circumstances. But she’d never been in these circumstances. “This can’t happen again.”
    “I didn’t think it was that bad,” he said with a grin, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Jerking away from his touch, because it set off a new round of desire that dazzled and delighted her, Rebecca numbly shook her head.
    “No.” She licked her lips, still tasted him, and realized it made her yearn for him, for more. It couldn’t happen again, she repeated firmly. She’d taught herself never to want or need anything. She’d picked a helluva time to forget all she’d learned.
    She made the mistake of looking at him, and felther stomach slowly roll in a wave she now recognized as desire. She wanted nothing more than to move right back into his arms and kiss him again.
    But it wasn’t going to happen.
    Not ever again.
    “It wasn’t…bad,” she said firmly, not trusting herself to look at him. “It’s just that I cannot afford to compromise my professional objectivity or integrity.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his expression change, and she dared a glance at him, wishing her heart would stop thudding. It was so loud she feared he’d hear it. There was an expression of curiosity on his face. “I never get emotionally or personally involved with anyone I’m professionally