Read Online In the Red Zone by Crista McHugh - Free Book Online Page B

He turned and faced the court. “And if you had been anyone else, they’d have to censor that kiss.”
    “Meaning?”
    He turned back to her and arched one brow. “Do I need to show you how turned on I am by you? It’s turning into pure torture trying to behave when I’m around you.”
    “And why are you trying so hard to behave?”
    “Because until you decide you want to make things real, I’m minding my manners.”
    His answer caught her off guard. Maybe this wasn’t all a show to Frank. Lord knows, he didn’t kiss like a man out to fake a relationship. Too bad she wasn’t in a place where she could make things real between them. If things had been different, she’d have no problem letting her guard down and going out with him. But she was no longer the carefree woman she’d once been. She had responsibilities, obligations, a reputation to uphold. And none of those allowed her to get involved with Frank Kelly.
    Silence replaced the easy conversations they’d enjoyed earlier, and as Frank walked her back to his car after the game, he stared at the ground and shuffled his feet along the concrete. “Did I overstep my bounds, Kiana?”
    “No,” she replied with a bit of caution.
    She waited for him to open the car door, but he braced his outstretched arm against the window beside her. “Then let me just clear the air for a minute. I like you, Kiana. A lot. Too much, actually. And I’d like to go out with you, even after this whole fundraiser thing is over. But if you don’t feel the same way, then please let me know now so I don’t say or do anything that will earn me a slap in the face.”
    Her mind listed a dozen reasons why she shouldn’t engage him, but her body had different ideas. She arched against him, her body against the hard contours of his muscles, and captured his cheeks between her hands. “How about you give me one of those kisses that need to be censored?”
    “As you wish.”
    She’d expected something playful or flirtatious from him, but from the second his mouth engaged hers, she was left breathless. This wasn’t a kiss for pure show. It was real. No reservations. No acting. No holding back. Just pure, raw desire playing out with every movement of his lips.
    He silently pleaded for her to open her mouth, and when she did, a moan of pleasure escaped from her. Damn, the boy could kiss. His arm circled her waist and held her against him while his tongue performed a forbidden dance that made her crave a night filled with naked bodies and tangled sheets. She breathed him in, the scent of his aftershave heightening her desire until she forgot about everything but him.
    Then he cupped his hand along the back of her neck, and a painful rush of memories overtook any pleasure she might have known. A chill rippled through her veins. She jerked back with a gasp, reminded of all the times Malcolm had grabbed her there and squeezed the muscles at the base her skull just before he struck her.
    “Kiana?” Frank asked, his voice filled with worry.
    It was enough to pull her from the flashbacks, but not enough to tame the trembling in her hands. She hid them behind her back and leaned against the car, fighting the tears that gathered in the corners of her eyes. Her breaths shook with choked-back sobs. “I’m sorry.”
    “For what?”
    She didn’t want to tell him about that chapter of her life, of the months she’d cowered and let a man physically and emotionally beat her. She’d been strong enough to get away from Malcolm, but it was still very clear that she hadn’t been able to put the past behind her. Her voice shook as she replied, “Please, Frank, just take me back to the office.”
    Concern filled his blue eyes, followed by confusion and then resignation. “Of course.”
    He opened the door, and she sank into her seat. Shame replaced her terror, and she couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze as they drove back into the city.
    Several minutes ticked by before Frank asked, “He hit