Read Online By the Book by Mary Kay McComas - Free Book Online

confused was obvious. But they were both human, they both had feelings, and somewhere along the way their spirits had connected.
    He stood perfectly still as long as he could, the warmth of her palm seeping through his skin, heating the chill that protected and preserved his heart. The lovely face he’d admired from afar was close enough to kiss, and the woman who owned it was more than he thought possible. In her eyes he could see the gentleness and perception he’d suspected her of having, but more, a true kindness and empathy that needed no words, no action to be activated. It was ever present in her, as spontaneous and unconscious as her next breath.
    She felt his fist pressing softly below her chin, his thumb brushing along the curve of her lower lip. There was a tender gratitude in his eyes. And behind it, beyond the mysteries, was an all-consuming need that once unleashed would devour her completely. It frightened her and yet somehow she knew that he was ... akin to the wind. That he could come at her hard and harsh, or slow and gentle, and the effect would be the same—she would be changed forever, reshaped, different. And like the wind, he would be unstoppable.
    He tipped his head and leaned toward her, pressing his lips against hers, then hesitated. She knew the first kiss had been born of gratitude. She knew, too, that the second one wouldn’t be. He was giving her a chance to run, to refuse him, to protect herself. But in that moment no little green book, no attitude, no promotion, no pay raise, no huge character flaw was more important to her than that next kiss. There was nothing left to the world but him and her and that kiss.
    She put her lips to his, moved her hand from his cheek to the back of his head, where his hair was thick and soft in her fingers. She felt his hands at her waist and stepped closer, opened her mouth to the first tentative touch of his tongue and was instantly lost.
    A dam of pent-up emotion broke free inside him. Mingled with the acute physical sensations and the thrilling excitement was an overwhelming stir of relief, and he wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was simply good to confirm that she felt as right in his arms as he’d hoped. Perhaps it was just a matter of getting the first kiss out of the way. Or of knowing she hadn’t been averse to a second. But it was such a huge relief, a relaxing sigh from his soul, that he believed it was something much more significant.
    They came away breathless and feeling awkward, stared at each other in amazement. Then they laughed, their arms falling away to hang loose at their sides, their common sense forcing them to take mental steps backward.
    Ellen scrambled immediately for her lost attitude. What would he think if she made too much of the kiss? That she’d never been kissed that way before? That she’d wanted him to kiss her that way? Well okay, she had, but ... She was shaken to her very core and feeling vulnerable as hell. Attitude was the perfect shield to hide her fears and make her appear brave and strong—and kissed like that all the time.
    Jonah, on the other hand, was much more adept at hiding his feelings and recovered much quicker.
    “You should have been a shrink,” he said casually, closing the car door and, with a light hand to her back, leading the way to the restaurant. “You’re very easy to talk to.”
    “I get that a lot,” she said lightly. “But if I hung out my shingle, talking would become my job and not as much fun. I’d have to charge people and get a fifty-minute watch. No, I think I’ll stick with my amateur status. Then I only have to talk to people I want to talk to, and I can use my expert skills for other things.” She arched a sly brow at him.
    Looking duly cautious as he held the door for her, he asked, “Such as?”
    “Such as extracting information from mysterious men who work in camera shops,” she said, smiling mischievously as the hostess approached them.
    Pretending enlightenment, he