Tangled Vines: An Australian Rural Romance by Nicole Flockton Page B

ever bring back his parents or sister.
    • • •
    Kyle set his board against the side of the shed and grabbed the hose to wash off the sand and salt.
    “Did you have a good surf?”
    He whipped around, spraying Jordan with the hose. “Shit. Sorry.”
    Jordan laughed. “It’s okay, I was hot but,” she looked down at her wet shirt, “we really do have to stop meeting like this.”
    Yeah, like walking in on her in the shower. He’d never touched her breasts, but he felt like he knew them intimately.
    Her flirting surprised him. He didn’t expect it from her. Especially not after the way they’d parted the night before. He’d all but left her hanging for a kiss in the kitchen. But his body remembered how it felt to have her in his arms. His lips on hers. Like last night.
    Jordan didn’t need to see the tenting in his board shorts. He turned the hose on himself, hoping the water would cool him off. He shook his head, the water spraying around him. With his erection subsiding, he chanced a look at her.
    Her eyes were wide and fixed squarely on his bare chest, her tongue running over her lips.
    He threw the hose down and strode over to where she stood. Damn the consequences. Their bodies communicated in a way they had yet to work out.
    How could this need for her be so strong when he’d only met her the previous day? He’d never believed in lust at first sight, but hell, he believed in it now. He lusted after her and fighting it didn’t make sense. Perhaps losing himself in Jordan’s softness would make his dark memories easier to deal with.
    Kyle placed his hands on either side of her face. “Forgive me,” he whispered before tilting her head so he could get maximum access to her lips. Her mouth opened beneath his the moment his lips touched hers.
    Heaven.
    Having her hands on his flesh could only be described as heaven. He widened his stance and brought her closer to him. The erection he’d doused with cold water flared to life again. He didn’t care if Jordan felt his need for her. He wanted her to. He wanted to lose himself within her softness.
    As their tongues dueled and her hands roamed over his chest, he wanted to lay her down on the ground and take her. Drive into her and replace his bad memories with sweet ones.
    Kyle wrenched his mouth away from her. He couldn’t do this to Jordan. He couldn’t use her to help him forget. It would be cruel.
    She deserved someone who could give her a future. Who cared for her body, mind and soul. Not someone out to slake a guilt because he survived when his family hadn’t. His punishment was to live his life alone.
    “I’m sorry,” he muttered. He turned and strode down the driveway toward the road. The surf sucked so maybe a walk would help him get his thoughts under control.
    • • •
    Jordan stood, wet shirt and all by the shed as Kyle disappeared from her view.
    She grabbed her arm and pinched it. Yep, she hadn’t dreamt the kiss. Hadn’t dreamt the desperation she’d seen in his eyes before he kissed her. Hadn’t dreamt the desolation replacing the desperation.
    She let out a scream of frustration. Kyle Davis had the potential to drive her insane. For the sake of her own sanity she needed to keep herself as far away from him as possible. She would keep her end of the bargain and prepare all the meals. Apart from that she’d spend her time closeted away in her room. She would stay at the house. Today Dad’s apartment smelled even worse than it had the previous evening. How that was possible she had no idea. She’d move the TV from Dad’s place and put it in her room in Kyle’s house. That way she’d have something to occupy her evenings. The Christmas movies were on and she loved to watch them. She needed to put the tree up. Christmas was only a few days away. Dad’s decorations had been sitting at the top of a cupboard so they weren’t damaged. All she had to do was go into town and buy a tree.
    But not today. Today she still had rows to