knees, willing the tears not to fall. “It’s all right. It’s not like he died or anything. He just…”
Packed a bag and ran away.
Broke my heart.
Abandoned me.
“Left,” she repeated. Leaving her as the only target of their father’s anger and their mother’s dissatisfaction.
“Sometimes that’s worse,” Matt said.
“How would you know?” she asked and remembered, too late, that he was divorced with a sixteen-year-old son.
“Because most of the time leaving is a choice.” He turned off the engine. “Death isn’t.”
“I didn’t mean to be rude,” she said into the silence. “I don’t usually overshare like this.”
She didn’t usually talk about herself at all.
He was a very good listener.
He shifted slightly, facing her. His cheeks creased in a smile. “Not ever? Or not on a first date?”
She picked at the hem of her skirt. “We’re not dating.”
“I picked you up, I bought you a drink, I brought you home.” The creases deepened. “What am I missing?”
Those lazy blue eyes missed very little, she thought. Despite his easy manner, he must see, he must know, that she was attracted to him.
“We didn’t eat,” she said.
“Next time,” he promised. “When I show you my island.”
“We didn’t…” Her gaze fell to his mouth. Her pulse clamored.
Shut up, shut up, shut up, Allison.
His eyes darkened. “I can take care of that now.”
He stretched his arm across the back of her seat, giving her time to stop him, giving her space to move away. She did neither. Her pulse went wild with anticipation as his fingers caught a strand of her hair, stroking it behind her ear.
He leaned in, warm and close. She inhaled and closed her eyes, need pooling in the pit of her stomach and lower, between her thighs. He kissed her hot cheek, making her shiver, pressed his lips to her forehead and made her sigh. Cupping her face with his free hand, he laid his mouth on hers.
His lips were warm, firm, parted. Like his touch, his kiss teased and tempted, a promise of heat, a whisper of excitement along her nerves, surging in her blood. Withoutthinking—
Don’t think
—she opened her mouth, inviting him in.
He deepened the kiss immediately, nudging inside her, licking inside her while his hand tightened on the back of her neck. Heat flared, blanketing her brain. She fisted her hand to pull him closer, wanting more. More heat, more contact, more tongue. He gave it to her, swamping her with sensations, the softness of his shirt, the roughness of his stubble, the taste and textures of his mouth.
His hand stroked from jaw to shoulder, brushing the outside curve of her breast, sliding from hip to thigh, rousing and soothing at the same time. Her skin tingled in the wake of his touch. She made a sound in her throat and strained forward, her knee bumping the gearshift.
“Let’s take this inside,” he said against her mouth. Another kiss, deep and drugging. “I want to come inside with you. Let me come.”
Oh, yes. Inside me. Come.
Oh, no.
Allison broke the kiss, banging her head on the back of the seat.
“Easy.” He gathered her closer, his thumb stroking the sensitive skin of her neck.
His eyes were dark and dilated, his lips wet and close. She almost lunged for them again.
No, no, no.
“I don’t do this,” she said.
Not anymore.
His body tensed. Stilled. “Okay.”
“I can’t do this.” She struggled to remember the reasons why. “Your son is in my class.”
The inside of the cab was sweltering. Her breathing rasped in the quiet.
Matt eased back, his gaze on her face. “My son doesn’t have anything to do with this.”
Maybe not.
She swallowed, feeling hot and dorky and embarrassed.It wasn’t like she was a virgin or anything. In college, she’d had her share of drunken fumblings and awkward couplings. But she was trying so desperately now to be an adult, to only say yes when she meant yes. When it meant something. She didn’t need a commitment, but…
“I
Packed a bag and ran away.
Broke my heart.
Abandoned me.
“Left,” she repeated. Leaving her as the only target of their father’s anger and their mother’s dissatisfaction.
“Sometimes that’s worse,” Matt said.
“How would you know?” she asked and remembered, too late, that he was divorced with a sixteen-year-old son.
“Because most of the time leaving is a choice.” He turned off the engine. “Death isn’t.”
“I didn’t mean to be rude,” she said into the silence. “I don’t usually overshare like this.”
She didn’t usually talk about herself at all.
He was a very good listener.
He shifted slightly, facing her. His cheeks creased in a smile. “Not ever? Or not on a first date?”
She picked at the hem of her skirt. “We’re not dating.”
“I picked you up, I bought you a drink, I brought you home.” The creases deepened. “What am I missing?”
Those lazy blue eyes missed very little, she thought. Despite his easy manner, he must see, he must know, that she was attracted to him.
“We didn’t eat,” she said.
“Next time,” he promised. “When I show you my island.”
“We didn’t…” Her gaze fell to his mouth. Her pulse clamored.
Shut up, shut up, shut up, Allison.
His eyes darkened. “I can take care of that now.”
He stretched his arm across the back of her seat, giving her time to stop him, giving her space to move away. She did neither. Her pulse went wild with anticipation as his fingers caught a strand of her hair, stroking it behind her ear.
He leaned in, warm and close. She inhaled and closed her eyes, need pooling in the pit of her stomach and lower, between her thighs. He kissed her hot cheek, making her shiver, pressed his lips to her forehead and made her sigh. Cupping her face with his free hand, he laid his mouth on hers.
His lips were warm, firm, parted. Like his touch, his kiss teased and tempted, a promise of heat, a whisper of excitement along her nerves, surging in her blood. Withoutthinking—
Don’t think
—she opened her mouth, inviting him in.
He deepened the kiss immediately, nudging inside her, licking inside her while his hand tightened on the back of her neck. Heat flared, blanketing her brain. She fisted her hand to pull him closer, wanting more. More heat, more contact, more tongue. He gave it to her, swamping her with sensations, the softness of his shirt, the roughness of his stubble, the taste and textures of his mouth.
His hand stroked from jaw to shoulder, brushing the outside curve of her breast, sliding from hip to thigh, rousing and soothing at the same time. Her skin tingled in the wake of his touch. She made a sound in her throat and strained forward, her knee bumping the gearshift.
“Let’s take this inside,” he said against her mouth. Another kiss, deep and drugging. “I want to come inside with you. Let me come.”
Oh, yes. Inside me. Come.
Oh, no.
Allison broke the kiss, banging her head on the back of the seat.
“Easy.” He gathered her closer, his thumb stroking the sensitive skin of her neck.
His eyes were dark and dilated, his lips wet and close. She almost lunged for them again.
No, no, no.
“I don’t do this,” she said.
Not anymore.
His body tensed. Stilled. “Okay.”
“I can’t do this.” She struggled to remember the reasons why. “Your son is in my class.”
The inside of the cab was sweltering. Her breathing rasped in the quiet.
Matt eased back, his gaze on her face. “My son doesn’t have anything to do with this.”
Maybe not.
She swallowed, feeling hot and dorky and embarrassed.It wasn’t like she was a virgin or anything. In college, she’d had her share of drunken fumblings and awkward couplings. But she was trying so desperately now to be an adult, to only say yes when she meant yes. When it meant something. She didn’t need a commitment, but…
“I
Similar Books
