touched.
“I so want to kiss you,” he said on a sigh. “But I shouldn’t.”
“Then let me,” she said.
There was no time to think, no time to realize how bold her actions were. Jo only knew that she wanted this kiss more than she had wanted anything in a very long time. It was more than physical attraction, more than a desire to be close to another person. This was about something Jo had always wanted, but never really believed would exist for her.
And, if she had let herself think about it, it would have scared her into a lifetime of loneliness.
Instead, acting in a way she had never done before, Jo pressed her lips against Mark’s.
His lips were surprisingly soft. He tasted of sweet cream, of the humid Texas air, of the softest hint of the sweat of a long working day. At first it seemed he wouldn’t respond, wouldn’t open himself to her lips’ caress. Jo pressed her lips tighter against his, her chest aching with the fear that was quickly building there. But then the muscles of his jaw flexed and his hands suddenly came around her waist. He pulled her closer to him across the long seat, cradling her in the curve of his arms as he opened to her, deepening the kiss.
A sigh of relief, of joy, of desire jumped from her lips even as he released a groan that vibrated from his body to hers. Then there was no thought, no comprehension. There was only his lips on hers, his hands on her back. There was only sensation and an ache that grew more intense with each passing second. There was just his heartbeat pounding against her chest, his breath on her face, his heat enveloping her body like a warm winter blanket.
Jo didn’t want it to end. She didn’t want him stop. She didn’t want to taste anything but the coffee he’d had sometime recently, never wanted to feel anything on her skin but the rough, calloused skin of his fingers, the baby softness of his palms.
But, as they say, all good things must come to an end.
A tap on the window alerted them to the fact that they were no longer alone. Mark pulled away slowly, like a child waking from a dream. But when he saw the mechanic at the window, Mark must have realized where they were, what they were doing. Jo found herself suddenly released. She fell against the seat in an undignified lump, something about the scene making the mechanic more than just casually interested in what he was witnessing.
Jo straightened and rolled down the window, telling the mechanic she would be with him in a moment. As the man walked away, Jo began straightening her clothes.
“That was embarrassing.”
Mark only cleared his throat. Jo looked at him, but he wouldn’t look at her. She reached over and touched his arm, but he jerked it away.
“You should go,” he said in a low, controlled voice.
“Mark, we didn’t do anything wrong.”
He turned the key in the ignition and gripped the steering wheel tight in his hands. “Please, go, Jo.”
“Will I see you tomorrow?” Jo asked.
Mark just stared forward, again not looking at her and not speaking.
Jo didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what that meant.
Jo slipped out of the truck and had barely moved a step when he pulled out and disappeared in a puff of dust.
Chapter 13
Word came down the following day. Becca had been given the promotion. Jo did not have to wait for Kathleen to tell
“I so want to kiss you,” he said on a sigh. “But I shouldn’t.”
“Then let me,” she said.
There was no time to think, no time to realize how bold her actions were. Jo only knew that she wanted this kiss more than she had wanted anything in a very long time. It was more than physical attraction, more than a desire to be close to another person. This was about something Jo had always wanted, but never really believed would exist for her.
And, if she had let herself think about it, it would have scared her into a lifetime of loneliness.
Instead, acting in a way she had never done before, Jo pressed her lips against Mark’s.
His lips were surprisingly soft. He tasted of sweet cream, of the humid Texas air, of the softest hint of the sweat of a long working day. At first it seemed he wouldn’t respond, wouldn’t open himself to her lips’ caress. Jo pressed her lips tighter against his, her chest aching with the fear that was quickly building there. But then the muscles of his jaw flexed and his hands suddenly came around her waist. He pulled her closer to him across the long seat, cradling her in the curve of his arms as he opened to her, deepening the kiss.
A sigh of relief, of joy, of desire jumped from her lips even as he released a groan that vibrated from his body to hers. Then there was no thought, no comprehension. There was only his lips on hers, his hands on her back. There was only sensation and an ache that grew more intense with each passing second. There was just his heartbeat pounding against her chest, his breath on her face, his heat enveloping her body like a warm winter blanket.
Jo didn’t want it to end. She didn’t want him stop. She didn’t want to taste anything but the coffee he’d had sometime recently, never wanted to feel anything on her skin but the rough, calloused skin of his fingers, the baby softness of his palms.
But, as they say, all good things must come to an end.
A tap on the window alerted them to the fact that they were no longer alone. Mark pulled away slowly, like a child waking from a dream. But when he saw the mechanic at the window, Mark must have realized where they were, what they were doing. Jo found herself suddenly released. She fell against the seat in an undignified lump, something about the scene making the mechanic more than just casually interested in what he was witnessing.
Jo straightened and rolled down the window, telling the mechanic she would be with him in a moment. As the man walked away, Jo began straightening her clothes.
“That was embarrassing.”
Mark only cleared his throat. Jo looked at him, but he wouldn’t look at her. She reached over and touched his arm, but he jerked it away.
“You should go,” he said in a low, controlled voice.
“Mark, we didn’t do anything wrong.”
He turned the key in the ignition and gripped the steering wheel tight in his hands. “Please, go, Jo.”
“Will I see you tomorrow?” Jo asked.
Mark just stared forward, again not looking at her and not speaking.
Jo didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what that meant.
Jo slipped out of the truck and had barely moved a step when he pulled out and disappeared in a puff of dust.
Chapter 13
Word came down the following day. Becca had been given the promotion. Jo did not have to wait for Kathleen to tell
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