somehow she managed to keep her wits about her. “I just expect one thing,” she said, forcing herself to turn and face him. “It’s a deal breaker.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “What is it?” he asked, clearly wary.
The poor man was worried she wanted commitment. She actually felt sorry for him. His unwillingness to open himself up to anyone meant he’d miss out on so much in life. She wondered why, coming from such a warm loving family, Mike ran from the same. Cara’s parents’ marriage was far from ideal, yet she refused to give up on the idea that maybe there was a man out there she could trust.
She doubted it, but she refused to let go of that kernel ofhope. Mike had already given it up. But now wasn’t the time to go there.
She stepped closer, her hands on the top of her blouse. She slipped one button out of the loop, then worked on another. “I just want you to promise me that things between us won’t be awkward tomorrow. That you won’t go back to defensive mode and treat me like…”
She was going to say
dirt
, but she realized that hadn’t been his intent. “Like you’re afraid I’m going to ask for forever.”
He actually paled. “You think you know me that well?” he asked, his gaze more on the swell of her breasts pushing upward from the cups of her bra.
“I know I do.” She let another button slip through. “But you should know something about me.”
“What’s that?” he asked, his voice a harsh croak as her hands hit the last button and her blouse hung open wide.
“I only want what you’ll willingly give.”
Apparently her words appeased him because a sexy smile lifted the corners of his mouth and he reached up, grabbing her wrists, stopping her from slipping off her shirt.
This was the Mike she remembered, calm and in control. The man who fired her blood and stirred her arousal. His dark gaze bore into hers as he slowly lowered his head, leaving no doubt that he intended to kiss her. But instead of his lips landing on her mouth, he turned his head and pressed his cheek against hers. His razor stubble rubbed against her skin and felt warm and good, making her want to cuddle closer.
Before she could act, he latched onto her earlobe, nibbling and suckling until she felt the pull straight down to her toes. He never did what she expected or anticipated. That was also the man she remembered.
The man she still wanted.
He slid his lips from her ear to her jaw, grazing her skin as he slowly worked his way to her lips. By the time hesettled his hot mouth over hers, she was shaking with need. And he’d barely touched her. He knew the power of their attraction, understood how to heighten the anticipation, and she loved every second.
He’d worked his tongue lazily inside her mouth and proceeded to devour her. His tongue tangled, sliding against the roof of her mouth, the sides, leaving no part of her untouched. Suddenly his hands came to her hips and he lifted her, carrying her to the kitchen counter, which in this small apartment wasn’t far away.
Once he placed her down, he settled himself between her legs, braced his hands on either side of the counter and leaned in for another kiss. One that was too quick.
“How is it you can be so tough on the outside and yet so damn sweet?” he asked.
His words poked at the barriers she had to keep erected against him, but he made it so hard. Thankfully he kissed her again, devouring her before she could formulate a reply.
He surrounded her, a hot male who smelled good and promised delicious things with his sexy gaze and heated kiss. Liking everything about what he was doing, she wrapped her legs around his waist, locking him in place, and he rewarded her with a groan of approval. And when she threaded her fingers through the silken strands of his hair, his groan deepened, reverberating through her.
He broke the kiss, his breathing rough, then reached for her shirt. He slipped it off her shoulders, trapping her arms at
He folded his arms across his chest. “What is it?” he asked, clearly wary.
The poor man was worried she wanted commitment. She actually felt sorry for him. His unwillingness to open himself up to anyone meant he’d miss out on so much in life. She wondered why, coming from such a warm loving family, Mike ran from the same. Cara’s parents’ marriage was far from ideal, yet she refused to give up on the idea that maybe there was a man out there she could trust.
She doubted it, but she refused to let go of that kernel ofhope. Mike had already given it up. But now wasn’t the time to go there.
She stepped closer, her hands on the top of her blouse. She slipped one button out of the loop, then worked on another. “I just want you to promise me that things between us won’t be awkward tomorrow. That you won’t go back to defensive mode and treat me like…”
She was going to say
dirt
, but she realized that hadn’t been his intent. “Like you’re afraid I’m going to ask for forever.”
He actually paled. “You think you know me that well?” he asked, his gaze more on the swell of her breasts pushing upward from the cups of her bra.
“I know I do.” She let another button slip through. “But you should know something about me.”
“What’s that?” he asked, his voice a harsh croak as her hands hit the last button and her blouse hung open wide.
“I only want what you’ll willingly give.”
Apparently her words appeased him because a sexy smile lifted the corners of his mouth and he reached up, grabbing her wrists, stopping her from slipping off her shirt.
This was the Mike she remembered, calm and in control. The man who fired her blood and stirred her arousal. His dark gaze bore into hers as he slowly lowered his head, leaving no doubt that he intended to kiss her. But instead of his lips landing on her mouth, he turned his head and pressed his cheek against hers. His razor stubble rubbed against her skin and felt warm and good, making her want to cuddle closer.
Before she could act, he latched onto her earlobe, nibbling and suckling until she felt the pull straight down to her toes. He never did what she expected or anticipated. That was also the man she remembered.
The man she still wanted.
He slid his lips from her ear to her jaw, grazing her skin as he slowly worked his way to her lips. By the time hesettled his hot mouth over hers, she was shaking with need. And he’d barely touched her. He knew the power of their attraction, understood how to heighten the anticipation, and she loved every second.
He’d worked his tongue lazily inside her mouth and proceeded to devour her. His tongue tangled, sliding against the roof of her mouth, the sides, leaving no part of her untouched. Suddenly his hands came to her hips and he lifted her, carrying her to the kitchen counter, which in this small apartment wasn’t far away.
Once he placed her down, he settled himself between her legs, braced his hands on either side of the counter and leaned in for another kiss. One that was too quick.
“How is it you can be so tough on the outside and yet so damn sweet?” he asked.
His words poked at the barriers she had to keep erected against him, but he made it so hard. Thankfully he kissed her again, devouring her before she could formulate a reply.
He surrounded her, a hot male who smelled good and promised delicious things with his sexy gaze and heated kiss. Liking everything about what he was doing, she wrapped her legs around his waist, locking him in place, and he rewarded her with a groan of approval. And when she threaded her fingers through the silken strands of his hair, his groan deepened, reverberating through her.
He broke the kiss, his breathing rough, then reached for her shirt. He slipped it off her shoulders, trapping her arms at
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