buckled as that practiced electricity leaped from his lips into hers.
It took several stunned seconds before she realized that he shifted subtly, changing as his kiss raised some buried desire deep within him. His hands left their painful grip on her upper arms to slide around to her back. Incredibly, she heard a low, hungry noise in his throat, mixed with surprise. It had to be surprise—his tongue swept into her mouth, hot and fierce, caressing her as though he would devour her, get enough of her before the sensation faded away. When it didn’t, when she clung to him, trembling helplessly, that golden gaze darkened. His arms tightened, simply pulling her to him as his thighs opened to bring her in contact with the wet front of his suit and the pressure of his obvious arousal.
Rachel was almost witless with his wild assault on her senses. She had never experienced the feel of such exploding, irrational sexuality, or the sensations it awakened in her. He mumbled something hurriedly against her mouth, his teeth teasing her lower lip as his hands slipped to her bottom, fingers grabbing to pull her against his legs. But as his thighs clamped her legs between them, Rachel felt a jolt of revulsion.
What was she doing? It was ugly and awkward, she didn’t want this to be happening with a violence totally alien to her, Rachel threw up her arms, flailing wildly, jerking away from him so quickly that she broke free.
“Stop it!” she cried. She reeled backward into the rain, holding her hand to her burning lips.
Before he could grab her again she frantically found her pocketbook and hurled herself away. She lunged through the puddles to her car, tore the door open and threw herself into the front seat. Rachel slammed the door behind her and pressed down the lock. She was shaking as she scrabbled for the ignition keys in her purse.
Beau Tillson had followed her around to the driver’s side. She saw him bend in the slanting downpour to slam his hand against the window. “Open up,” he shouted. “Open the door and let me in. I need to talk to you!”
She tore through the compartments in her purse frantically, looking for her keys. She had to get out of there before he did anything else. “I can’t talk to you now,” Rachel screamed at him.
It was beyond belief. He had mauled her, kissed her, right there outside the lawyer’s office! She was genuinely frightened. Whatever had happened had slipped beyond her control, beyond anything rational. She was shaking so hard she could hardly fit the ignition key into its slot.
“Call Pembroke Screven.” She wouldn’t even turn to look at him as he bent to beat his fist on the glass of the car window. “Call the lawyer!” she yelled.
The engine started at once. Rachel backed her car at full speed, flooring the gas pedal. She saw him jump out of the way. She threw the Toyota into Drive and shot out of the parking lot and into Draytonville’s main street, sending a sheet of water into the air.
She was so wet she was dripping all over the inside of the car. Something had happened that she couldn’t believe. This man had actually waylaid her on her way to her car and had forced himself on her! She was so stunned she couldn’t be angry.
The station wagon rocketed around the corner to the state highway, and Rachel took her foot off the gas pedal, just missing a truck looming up out of the rain. The memory of the scent of his skin, that remarkable face, the taste of him, still confounded her. The lawyer, Pembroke Screven, had certainly known what he was talking about when he had warned her to stay away from Beau Tillson.
Chapter Four
It was still raining when Rachel walked into her house, and the telephone was ringing. The call was from Billy Yonge, curious to learn about the outcome of the meeting with Beaumont Tillson.
For a moment Rachel was tempted to be blunt and accusatory: if he had been with her at the
It took several stunned seconds before she realized that he shifted subtly, changing as his kiss raised some buried desire deep within him. His hands left their painful grip on her upper arms to slide around to her back. Incredibly, she heard a low, hungry noise in his throat, mixed with surprise. It had to be surprise—his tongue swept into her mouth, hot and fierce, caressing her as though he would devour her, get enough of her before the sensation faded away. When it didn’t, when she clung to him, trembling helplessly, that golden gaze darkened. His arms tightened, simply pulling her to him as his thighs opened to bring her in contact with the wet front of his suit and the pressure of his obvious arousal.
Rachel was almost witless with his wild assault on her senses. She had never experienced the feel of such exploding, irrational sexuality, or the sensations it awakened in her. He mumbled something hurriedly against her mouth, his teeth teasing her lower lip as his hands slipped to her bottom, fingers grabbing to pull her against his legs. But as his thighs clamped her legs between them, Rachel felt a jolt of revulsion.
What was she doing? It was ugly and awkward, she didn’t want this to be happening with a violence totally alien to her, Rachel threw up her arms, flailing wildly, jerking away from him so quickly that she broke free.
“Stop it!” she cried. She reeled backward into the rain, holding her hand to her burning lips.
Before he could grab her again she frantically found her pocketbook and hurled herself away. She lunged through the puddles to her car, tore the door open and threw herself into the front seat. Rachel slammed the door behind her and pressed down the lock. She was shaking as she scrabbled for the ignition keys in her purse.
Beau Tillson had followed her around to the driver’s side. She saw him bend in the slanting downpour to slam his hand against the window. “Open up,” he shouted. “Open the door and let me in. I need to talk to you!”
She tore through the compartments in her purse frantically, looking for her keys. She had to get out of there before he did anything else. “I can’t talk to you now,” Rachel screamed at him.
It was beyond belief. He had mauled her, kissed her, right there outside the lawyer’s office! She was genuinely frightened. Whatever had happened had slipped beyond her control, beyond anything rational. She was shaking so hard she could hardly fit the ignition key into its slot.
“Call Pembroke Screven.” She wouldn’t even turn to look at him as he bent to beat his fist on the glass of the car window. “Call the lawyer!” she yelled.
The engine started at once. Rachel backed her car at full speed, flooring the gas pedal. She saw him jump out of the way. She threw the Toyota into Drive and shot out of the parking lot and into Draytonville’s main street, sending a sheet of water into the air.
She was so wet she was dripping all over the inside of the car. Something had happened that she couldn’t believe. This man had actually waylaid her on her way to her car and had forced himself on her! She was so stunned she couldn’t be angry.
The station wagon rocketed around the corner to the state highway, and Rachel took her foot off the gas pedal, just missing a truck looming up out of the rain. The memory of the scent of his skin, that remarkable face, the taste of him, still confounded her. The lawyer, Pembroke Screven, had certainly known what he was talking about when he had warned her to stay away from Beau Tillson.
Chapter Four
It was still raining when Rachel walked into her house, and the telephone was ringing. The call was from Billy Yonge, curious to learn about the outcome of the meeting with Beaumont Tillson.
For a moment Rachel was tempted to be blunt and accusatory: if he had been with her at the
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