Read Online Hot Ice (A Hostile Operations Team Novel - Book 7) by Lynn Raye Harris - Free Book Online
Authors: Lynn Raye Harris
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school—we reward the ones who ask questions and give answers in a group setting, but the quiet ones who are too shy to speak up, we think they need to be fixed somehow.”
He’d never thought of it that way, but yeah, he could remember the kids who never put up their hands or who stammered and blushed when called upon to give an answer in front of the class. He’d known it was torture for them, but he hadn’t understood why.
“You were the kid who was terrified to speak up.”
She gave him a soft smile. She really was very pretty when she did that. “Most definitely. My parents put me in therapy for it, in fact. In my family of outgoing swans, I’m the ugly duckling who’s terrified of her own shadow.”
“You aren’t an ugly duckling, Grace.”
“You haven’t seen my sisters.”
No, he hadn’t, but he still didn’t believe they could outshine her that much. She had a certain light about her, a certain beauty and vulnerability that set all his protective instincts on high alert.
Looking at her now, he had a sudden urge to reach out and unpin her hair. He wanted to see how long it was, wanted to see the dark cloud of it falling over her shoulders and caressing her bare skin.
“Stop fishing for compliments,” he said, annoyed with his thoughts—and with her for being so blind to her assets.
Her eyes widened and she pressed her hand to her chest. It’s what his mama called a “pearl pressing” moment—when a lady put a hand to the pearls around her neck in surprise or horror.
“I most certainly was not fishing for compliments.”
She sounded so horrified that he almost laughed. But then she shot to her feet and started for the hallway.
Garrett was on her heels in an instant, grabbing her arm and spinning her around. “What the fuck, Grace?”
Her gaze went over his shoulder, then back to his face. “It’s Jeffrey,” she whispered, and he felt a hot wash of relief. He’d thought he’d hurt her with his comment and that she was running away from him. An ex-boyfriend he could deal with.
“Grace?”
The voice came from down the hall, moving toward them, and Grace’s eyes widened with hurt and panic. He didn’t know what this Jeffrey had done to her, but he didn’t like it.
“Make him go away,” she said softly. “Please.”
It was the please that undid him. “I can do that, cupcake—but you have to trust me, okay?”
She nodded. And then her eyes widened as he cupped her jaw in both his hands and tilted her face up to his. He took a step nearer, closing the distance between their bodies—and then he lowered his mouth to hers and took her lips in a searing kiss.
CHAPTER FIVE
TRUST HIM, HE’D SAID. Grace’s heart pounded as her hands came up to grip his biceps—whether to hold on for dear life or push him away, she wasn’t sure.
But his mouth—oh, his mouth. His lips were firm and somehow soft as well. His hands on her face were hot, his skin sizzling against hers—and then he let go of her face, and his hands slid down her bare arms and then around her waist, tugging her into the heat and hardness of his body.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, one of her hands spearing into his hair as she pulled his head closer to hers. Their teeth clashed, and he made a noise in his throat—but then his tongue dove into her mouth and slid against her own.
Grace’s knees melted. And her body lit up in ways it hadn’t in a long time. She felt herself growing wet, felt the ache of desire throbbing in her core as blood rushed through her body and made her want .
Her heart fluttered like a trapped moth in a jar, and her skin was the epicenter of an electrical storm. She didn’t know this man from Adam, but she suddenly wanted to get naked with him on a bed somewhere—or maybe a floor or table, who cared really?—and feel his powerful body moving inside hers.
What would it be like to have sex with a stranger just for the hell of it? That was something she’d
He’d never thought of it that way, but yeah, he could remember the kids who never put up their hands or who stammered and blushed when called upon to give an answer in front of the class. He’d known it was torture for them, but he hadn’t understood why.
“You were the kid who was terrified to speak up.”
She gave him a soft smile. She really was very pretty when she did that. “Most definitely. My parents put me in therapy for it, in fact. In my family of outgoing swans, I’m the ugly duckling who’s terrified of her own shadow.”
“You aren’t an ugly duckling, Grace.”
“You haven’t seen my sisters.”
No, he hadn’t, but he still didn’t believe they could outshine her that much. She had a certain light about her, a certain beauty and vulnerability that set all his protective instincts on high alert.
Looking at her now, he had a sudden urge to reach out and unpin her hair. He wanted to see how long it was, wanted to see the dark cloud of it falling over her shoulders and caressing her bare skin.
“Stop fishing for compliments,” he said, annoyed with his thoughts—and with her for being so blind to her assets.
Her eyes widened and she pressed her hand to her chest. It’s what his mama called a “pearl pressing” moment—when a lady put a hand to the pearls around her neck in surprise or horror.
“I most certainly was not fishing for compliments.”
She sounded so horrified that he almost laughed. But then she shot to her feet and started for the hallway.
Garrett was on her heels in an instant, grabbing her arm and spinning her around. “What the fuck, Grace?”
Her gaze went over his shoulder, then back to his face. “It’s Jeffrey,” she whispered, and he felt a hot wash of relief. He’d thought he’d hurt her with his comment and that she was running away from him. An ex-boyfriend he could deal with.
“Grace?”
The voice came from down the hall, moving toward them, and Grace’s eyes widened with hurt and panic. He didn’t know what this Jeffrey had done to her, but he didn’t like it.
“Make him go away,” she said softly. “Please.”
It was the please that undid him. “I can do that, cupcake—but you have to trust me, okay?”
She nodded. And then her eyes widened as he cupped her jaw in both his hands and tilted her face up to his. He took a step nearer, closing the distance between their bodies—and then he lowered his mouth to hers and took her lips in a searing kiss.
CHAPTER FIVE
TRUST HIM, HE’D SAID. Grace’s heart pounded as her hands came up to grip his biceps—whether to hold on for dear life or push him away, she wasn’t sure.
But his mouth—oh, his mouth. His lips were firm and somehow soft as well. His hands on her face were hot, his skin sizzling against hers—and then he let go of her face, and his hands slid down her bare arms and then around her waist, tugging her into the heat and hardness of his body.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, one of her hands spearing into his hair as she pulled his head closer to hers. Their teeth clashed, and he made a noise in his throat—but then his tongue dove into her mouth and slid against her own.
Grace’s knees melted. And her body lit up in ways it hadn’t in a long time. She felt herself growing wet, felt the ache of desire throbbing in her core as blood rushed through her body and made her want .
Her heart fluttered like a trapped moth in a jar, and her skin was the epicenter of an electrical storm. She didn’t know this man from Adam, but she suddenly wanted to get naked with him on a bed somewhere—or maybe a floor or table, who cared really?—and feel his powerful body moving inside hers.
What would it be like to have sex with a stranger just for the hell of it? That was something she’d
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