She watched, mesmerized, as his gaze roamed over her face. When his other hand touched her bare arm, she shivered involuntarily.
She tried to say no, tried to tell him to leave. Her lips would not form the words. But neither could she bring herself to ask him for what she feared she wanted. Her silence was the only answer she could give.
"Someday . . ." he said, trailing a finger down her arm. "Someday, I want to see the same invitation in your eyes and on your lips that I see right now in this dress."
He lowered his face to hers, and for the first time in over five years, a man's lips touched hers. His lips were soft, warm, gentle. The kiss was tentative and undemanding and exhilarating.
Shock waves, warm and tingling, rushed through her. She had no defense against this tender onslaught, nor did she wish for any. She stood paralyzed, unable to move, not responding except for the rapid increase in her pulse and breathing.
Jared pulled back and looked at her. In her eyes he saw the same startled wonder that he was feeling. Something was happening here — something important — and he wanted to explore it more thoroughly. The pulse pounding along her temples matched the rapid thundering of his heart. His hands trailed down her silken arms until he reached her fingers. He grasped her hands and brought them to his shoulders, where he held them until he was assured by the movement of her fingers that they would stay.
Rachel felt his large, warm hands settle on the curve of her waist. And then he kissed her again. But this kiss was different. She felt his barely controlled passion, and as his lips took hers, she felt their plea. They reached for her, yearned for her, begged her to open herself to their demand. They seemed to say, This move was mine. The rest is up to you.
Emotions long dormant shimmied to life as his kiss became more insistent, and the sensuous woman buried deep inside her for so many years responded. Her fingers dug into the smooth fabric of his dinner jacket. Her mouth opened to his.
His tongue immediately darted within to explore, to taste, to tease, and soon her own tongue joined in the dance. When she ran it along the sleek, silky underside of his, she felt a deep groan come from his throat. His arms circled around and pulled her tightly against his chest.
It was impossible to tell whose heart was pounding harder until Jared slipped a hand around and settled it possessively over her breast. He turned her a little, for better access, and Rachel could only cling to him as his hard palm closed over her full, firm, flesh, nothing separating their skin but the thin layer of gold lamé.
She trembled with the force of feelings she'd never thought to feel again, feelings she wasn't sure she'd ever felt before. His thumb flicked over her nipple and it instantly hardened. Liquid warmth pooled deep inside her. This time, it was Rachel who groaned.
Her response intoxicated him. He felt her hands slide around his neck until they clutched frantically at the back of his head, holding him there where he most wanted to be. He pressed his hips against her and knew she could feel the evidence of his arousal against her stomach.
At the first touch of his hardness against her abdomen, Rachel panicked. The here and now receded, and the past swept forward, smothering her in gaping darkness and icy fear. Rationally, she knew it was Jared who held her. Jared wouldn't hurt her. But sheer terror left no room for rational thoughts. The panic overwhelmed her, and she fought for her life, squirming, shoving, trying to break free of the arms that imprisoned her.
Jared felt the change in her instantly, but didn't understand she was trying to get free until she tore her mouth from his and he saw her eyes. God, her eyes. He'd never seen such terror in his life.
"Rachel?"
With an anguished cry, she broke loose of his arms and stumbled backward against
She tried to say no, tried to tell him to leave. Her lips would not form the words. But neither could she bring herself to ask him for what she feared she wanted. Her silence was the only answer she could give.
"Someday . . ." he said, trailing a finger down her arm. "Someday, I want to see the same invitation in your eyes and on your lips that I see right now in this dress."
He lowered his face to hers, and for the first time in over five years, a man's lips touched hers. His lips were soft, warm, gentle. The kiss was tentative and undemanding and exhilarating.
Shock waves, warm and tingling, rushed through her. She had no defense against this tender onslaught, nor did she wish for any. She stood paralyzed, unable to move, not responding except for the rapid increase in her pulse and breathing.
Jared pulled back and looked at her. In her eyes he saw the same startled wonder that he was feeling. Something was happening here — something important — and he wanted to explore it more thoroughly. The pulse pounding along her temples matched the rapid thundering of his heart. His hands trailed down her silken arms until he reached her fingers. He grasped her hands and brought them to his shoulders, where he held them until he was assured by the movement of her fingers that they would stay.
Rachel felt his large, warm hands settle on the curve of her waist. And then he kissed her again. But this kiss was different. She felt his barely controlled passion, and as his lips took hers, she felt their plea. They reached for her, yearned for her, begged her to open herself to their demand. They seemed to say, This move was mine. The rest is up to you.
Emotions long dormant shimmied to life as his kiss became more insistent, and the sensuous woman buried deep inside her for so many years responded. Her fingers dug into the smooth fabric of his dinner jacket. Her mouth opened to his.
His tongue immediately darted within to explore, to taste, to tease, and soon her own tongue joined in the dance. When she ran it along the sleek, silky underside of his, she felt a deep groan come from his throat. His arms circled around and pulled her tightly against his chest.
It was impossible to tell whose heart was pounding harder until Jared slipped a hand around and settled it possessively over her breast. He turned her a little, for better access, and Rachel could only cling to him as his hard palm closed over her full, firm, flesh, nothing separating their skin but the thin layer of gold lamé.
She trembled with the force of feelings she'd never thought to feel again, feelings she wasn't sure she'd ever felt before. His thumb flicked over her nipple and it instantly hardened. Liquid warmth pooled deep inside her. This time, it was Rachel who groaned.
Her response intoxicated him. He felt her hands slide around his neck until they clutched frantically at the back of his head, holding him there where he most wanted to be. He pressed his hips against her and knew she could feel the evidence of his arousal against her stomach.
At the first touch of his hardness against her abdomen, Rachel panicked. The here and now receded, and the past swept forward, smothering her in gaping darkness and icy fear. Rationally, she knew it was Jared who held her. Jared wouldn't hurt her. But sheer terror left no room for rational thoughts. The panic overwhelmed her, and she fought for her life, squirming, shoving, trying to break free of the arms that imprisoned her.
Jared felt the change in her instantly, but didn't understand she was trying to get free until she tore her mouth from his and he saw her eyes. God, her eyes. He'd never seen such terror in his life.
"Rachel?"
With an anguished cry, she broke loose of his arms and stumbled backward against
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