He released a laugh, diffusing his tension while the mutualadoration volleyed between Ford and Natalie. Yep. He was going to miss this,and an ache formed in his heart. “I should just give you the damn dog. He likesyou more anyway.”
She rose, hovering at the edge of his bubble, causing hisnerves to fire. “No, he doesn’t.”
Why did standing next to her make him feel like a fuckingfourteen-year-old? Another nervous laugh escaped him. His brain wasdisconnecting—probably because all his blood was redirecting elsewhere—and hebegged it to stay in play and help him out.
He slid his eyes to a corner of the ceiling and distractedlytook note of a dot. Spider? Errant paint dab? When helowered his gaze, her lidded eyes were focused on his mouth. His cock had beenstirring with great interest and now stiffened to full mast, as if to say,“Ready to party here.”
When women came on to him, he let them take the lead, actinghis part capably enough to get them into the bedroom, where they both wanted togo. An easy role to play, and it saved him having to be the aggressor, whichsaved him from an ego-spearing shutdown.
Natalie was sending the signals, but he was in over his headhere, drowning in desire.
He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anyone.
A whisper away, her body hadn’t moved. “What’s going on inyour curly-haired head?”
Lust and honor jousted inside him, leaving him tongue-tied.Bound up in knots. All he could do was answer honestly, his voice a rasp. “Ihave absolutely no idea.”
“None?” Her lips formed a very kissable pout.
Just a kiss. Just one.No, you can’t. One taste, and you’ll crave more, and taking more would make youan even bigger douchebag. She’ll hate you ten times over.
She leaned in, her face so close, ahint of warm breath tickled his chin. He could pick out the sweet frecklesbanded over the bridge of her nose. Her fragrance made him woozy, and hernearness hijacked the air from his lungs. Between their bodies, the atmospherecrackled, charged as though lightning sizzled in the narrowing gap.
Long, thick lashes swept her cheeks when she fluttered themclosed. What did she look like when she slept? Or when she—
“Tyler?”
Reason fled. As if acting on their own, his hands rushed toher face, cradling it. Surprise flitted through her eyes. Angling her head, hedrew her mouth to his. Her eyelids lowered in surrender, and his lips landed onhers.
He took it slow, pressing gently. She tasted so much sweeterthan he’d imagined, and he savored the perfect softness of her lips. Of her skin beneath his thumbs. He cupped her head, slidinghis hand in her hair, tangling, tugging. With the other hand, he stroked herneck, her back. She glided her hands under his open flannel shirt, fisting themin his T-shirt. A musical mewl rose from her throat. Her touch traced asizzling trail that drove off what was left of his mind, and he crushed her tohim. As her warm curves molded to his fever-fueled body, so did her mouth moldto his, lips parting with a nudge of his tongue. The kiss deepened, soft andwet, as they explored each other’s mouths.
Lushness and heat.
Sucking, nibbling, tongues rolling and caressing like theybelonged together. He couldn’t tell where his lips ended and hers began. Allhot mouth and tongue, they fused together. Urgency ramped up.
Sensations burst and began raging through him, igniting him.Fierce, primal. A visceral force possessed him. Hespun them, pressing her against the counter. His hands ran over her back, herwaist, her hips, squeezing, recording every curve, marveling at how well she fithim. In turn, her hands roamed all over him, her touch like ghosting handprintsthat pulsed shivers through his body. Layers separated them, and his mindzeroed in on removing them, of her skin sliding against his, hot and smooth.His cock strained his zipper, aching to let loose its load.
No one, ever, had rocked him like this.
He was lost.
Their lips uncoupled, and he kissed his way over her jaw,his tongue flicking, tasting her as he went. Her mouth was on his neck, moist,warm, thrilling, and when she reached his ear, she whispered, “Tyler.” So much promise in that one word.
Tyler.
The sound of his name—that name—thumped himrudely, bringing him out of a lust-filled fog. He could never have this. Hecouldn’t have her. Didn’t deserve to.
Breathless, he pulled back, staring at her as her lidslifted lazily. He stepped back, putting space between them to keep himself from plunging back into the succulent depths of hermouth. Cold rushed in, puckering his skin where their bodies had been cinchedtogether.
“I shouldn’t’ve done that,” hestammered.
Breathing unevenly, her expression zoomed from languid lustto embarrassment. “No.” She rushed to smooth her hair and blouse. “Momentarylapse of judgment.”
Those words hit him like an ice bucket challenge.
She peered at him, her lips rounding into an O. “I meant mylapse of judgment, not yours. I shouldn’t be kissing clients. I don’t kissclients.”
“My fault.” He was shaking his head like the idiot he was.If he shook hard enough, maybe it would fly off his neck and save him fromexplaining.
“I really like you.” He mentally slapped himself. When wasthe last time he’d told a girl he liked her? Eighth grade? And the lasttime he’d told a woman he loved her was ten years ago, the same night she’dripped his heart out and crushed it under her cowboy boot.
Natalie cocked her head. “Um, I like you too?” An awkwardpause followed, and he couldn’t think what to say next. She saved him byspeaking first. “Are we talking I like you in a let’s-be-BFFs kind ofway? Your-playlists-are-so-cool kind of way? Or anI’m-into-you-and-want-to-kiss-you-again kind of way?”
Stuffing his hands in his pockets to prevent themwandering—and to rearrange himself south of his belt—he locked eyes with herand rocked on the balls of his feet. “That last one. Yeah.” Pausing a beat, hetook stock of his heart slamming against his ribcage. Then hauled in asteadying
