She’d never fluttered before, no one had ever tried to make her flutter. Lina McArthur was the ice queen. She was certainly not the object of any man’s attentions. Not like what Ace had just shown her.
She swallowed. He hadn’t touched her for the ten or so minutes he’d been driving, but her skin still hummed in all the places he had. Her palms still felt warm from everywhere she’d touched him. And her mouth… Her mouth was like its own pulsing, living thing.
He’d kissed her like he couldn’t help himself. Like she’d been irresistible and necessary, and he’d kept kissing her. Even when she’d stood there, having no idea what to do.
Her first kiss was no chaste peck, no simple meeting of mouths, no embarrassing story. It had been hot and carnal and wonderful.
Which made her wonder what sex would be like.
She blinked hard at the windshield of Ace’s truck as it drove through the dark evening. It would be insane to have sex with a guy she’d just met. Especially her first time.
But she kind of wanted to.
But you’re not going to, Lina. You are a responsible, careful, sensible…
She wanted to tell herself she was all of those things, but found all she could think was she hated those things. She was tired of being responsible and careful and sensible. She was tired of being… Boring and staid and contained. She was exhausted of always doing the right thing only to have it not really matter one way or the other. People still looked at her like she was some kind of alien.
Except Ace. He looked at her like she was irresistible. And he was irresistible. He was so hot and his hands were so big. And his mouth, God, his mouth had done things she didn’t even know mouths could do.
She couldn’t have sex with him. She couldn’t. She couldn’t . That would be an intimacy she afforded no one. She barely hugged the people she knew and loved. How could she have sex with a random stranger?
Maybe because this is your life and you can do whatever the hell you want?
Dangerous to think that way. There were so many consequences. She was a doctor, she knew the consequences. She couldn’t let this insanity grip her and change the course of her life.
She closed her eyes and bit back a groan—not the sexual kind, but the kind that said what the hell are you thinking?
“Do I turn here?” Ace’s dark, rumbling voice asked, sending an unbidden shiver up her spine.
The sexual kind. Definitely the sexual kind.
“Yes,” she said, trying to pull herself out of her insane thoughts. Like how her entire body felt touched when he’d placed his hand on the small of her back to walk them out. Or the way he’d seemed to listen and be interested in the things she had to say. Things that had nothing to do with being a doctor.
But most of all, she tried not to think about the way he looked at her like she was a treat. Like she was something he wanted.
No one really wanted her. Her father couldn’t seem to get over the fact she was a girl, her mother couldn’t get over her lack of graces. Her brothers had been so swamped in their own battles with their father they’d never paid her much mind.
Jess was the only one who had paid attention to her, and even Jess… Well, she’d always loved Cole more. Which was fine and great and wonderful, to see her brother and best friend so happy, but she wanted someone to want her.
Hell, even if he was Dean. She wanted what he offered. She wanted . Wanted in a way that would probably never make sense to her. This insane feeling, this insane want.
Something like her father’s voice reminded her McArthurs didn’t act on wants or desires . They acted on science and responsibility.
But being a McArthur turned out to be nothing but shit. Shit, shit, shit.
Lina glanced over at Ace, who was concentrating on driving with a kind of studied focus, like he had to focus on driving or he might just focus on her. Could she be crazier?
Probably. And she’d never been crazy when she’d
She swallowed. He hadn’t touched her for the ten or so minutes he’d been driving, but her skin still hummed in all the places he had. Her palms still felt warm from everywhere she’d touched him. And her mouth… Her mouth was like its own pulsing, living thing.
He’d kissed her like he couldn’t help himself. Like she’d been irresistible and necessary, and he’d kept kissing her. Even when she’d stood there, having no idea what to do.
Her first kiss was no chaste peck, no simple meeting of mouths, no embarrassing story. It had been hot and carnal and wonderful.
Which made her wonder what sex would be like.
She blinked hard at the windshield of Ace’s truck as it drove through the dark evening. It would be insane to have sex with a guy she’d just met. Especially her first time.
But she kind of wanted to.
But you’re not going to, Lina. You are a responsible, careful, sensible…
She wanted to tell herself she was all of those things, but found all she could think was she hated those things. She was tired of being responsible and careful and sensible. She was tired of being… Boring and staid and contained. She was exhausted of always doing the right thing only to have it not really matter one way or the other. People still looked at her like she was some kind of alien.
Except Ace. He looked at her like she was irresistible. And he was irresistible. He was so hot and his hands were so big. And his mouth, God, his mouth had done things she didn’t even know mouths could do.
She couldn’t have sex with him. She couldn’t. She couldn’t . That would be an intimacy she afforded no one. She barely hugged the people she knew and loved. How could she have sex with a random stranger?
Maybe because this is your life and you can do whatever the hell you want?
Dangerous to think that way. There were so many consequences. She was a doctor, she knew the consequences. She couldn’t let this insanity grip her and change the course of her life.
She closed her eyes and bit back a groan—not the sexual kind, but the kind that said what the hell are you thinking?
“Do I turn here?” Ace’s dark, rumbling voice asked, sending an unbidden shiver up her spine.
The sexual kind. Definitely the sexual kind.
“Yes,” she said, trying to pull herself out of her insane thoughts. Like how her entire body felt touched when he’d placed his hand on the small of her back to walk them out. Or the way he’d seemed to listen and be interested in the things she had to say. Things that had nothing to do with being a doctor.
But most of all, she tried not to think about the way he looked at her like she was a treat. Like she was something he wanted.
No one really wanted her. Her father couldn’t seem to get over the fact she was a girl, her mother couldn’t get over her lack of graces. Her brothers had been so swamped in their own battles with their father they’d never paid her much mind.
Jess was the only one who had paid attention to her, and even Jess… Well, she’d always loved Cole more. Which was fine and great and wonderful, to see her brother and best friend so happy, but she wanted someone to want her.
Hell, even if he was Dean. She wanted what he offered. She wanted . Wanted in a way that would probably never make sense to her. This insane feeling, this insane want.
Something like her father’s voice reminded her McArthurs didn’t act on wants or desires . They acted on science and responsibility.
But being a McArthur turned out to be nothing but shit. Shit, shit, shit.
Lina glanced over at Ace, who was concentrating on driving with a kind of studied focus, like he had to focus on driving or he might just focus on her. Could she be crazier?
Probably. And she’d never been crazy when she’d
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