Read Online Jealous in July (Spring River Valley Book 7) by Clarice Wynter - Free Book Online
Authors: Clarice Wynter
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apologize. At least I saved the boat.” She stomped past him toward the river bank, pr aying there were no more dragonflies buzzing around and nothing worse lurking in the dark water.
With an exasperated sigh, he followed her , and when she plopped down on the dry grass at the water’s edge, he tossed the paddle on the ground and lowered himself next to her.
She held his intense gaze for a second, her heart thundering. He looked marginally angry, though his voice was even and calm. For some reason the dark look in his eyes turned her on. She tried to ignore the suddenly heavy feeling in her lower belly and judiciously crossed her arms over her own soggy shirt to hide her hardened nipples.
Chase wiped water from his face, and the edge left his voice. “Yeah, I suppose. Thanks for that…which you wouldn’t have had to do if you hadn’t toppled us out of it.” He hauled himself up from the ground, then slapped a mosquito from the side of his neck. “We’d better get back to the pier. All wet like this, we’re nothing but bug bait.”
He held out his hand , and she slipped her slightly muddy fingers into his. He tugged, and she tried to brace her sneakers on the river bank, but the wet soles lost traction and she ended up spread-eagled, straddling his left leg.
He lost his balance and fell on top of her, managing to knock the air out of her lungs. Gasping now, she lay beneath him, shocked by the solid weight of him. Chase pushed at the mud, trying to scramble off her. “Sorry, are you okay?”
Brenda nodded. She braced her hands on his chest and was about to push him off, when she caught his gaze. Those beguiling golden brown eyes of his had darkened, and his gaze seemed fixed on her lips. Everything stopped for a split second, but before Brenda could process the moment, he’d gotten up and hauled her to her feet. She slipped again, and he caught her, and this time his lips touched hers.
Her thoughts blanked. The itchy mud and the sticky heat disappeared. The embarrassment of toppling the boat and soaking them both faded , and all she knew was strong arms around her waist, warm lips on hers, and the taste of him, sweet and salty, invading her senses.
How long had it been since she’d felt this? Not the wanting of something distant that she could only imagine, but the having…hard muscles under her trembling hands, a possessive grip pulling her hips against the bulge in a pair of tight jeans? She made a sound at the back of her throat, one of surrender maybe, or utter confusion, and a moment later, he tangled his hands in her hair and thrust his tongue against hers.
“Chase… Chase…” She whispered his name when he let her up for air. She put her hands on his face and let her fingers tease the damp hair at the back of his neck.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop myself. I understand how you —”
“Chase.” She silenced him with a kiss, soft, meaningful, a gentle pull that completely divorced her thoughts from her actions. She refused to think again until this night was over. “Take me home and take me to bed.”
*
The paddleboat ride back to the pier took forever. Chase thought his legs would fall off before the stupid little boat pulled up to the rental dock. He hastily tossed the paddle to the boat boys along with a couple of bills from his wallet as a tip, then he took Brenda’s hand and tugged her back along the aging wooden planks to the small parking area.
“You know you just gave them two twenties, right?” she muttered as she skipped along behind him.
“If I didn’t need my driver’s license, I’d have given them my whole wallet.” This was no time for small talk, and yes, he’d probably miss those twenties later, but who cared? Brenda wanted him, and he wasn’t going to let the opportunity slip by. He glanced back at her as they reached his car, and she was smiling, a sinful gleam in her eye that had him biting his lip to keep from losing his cool right there in the
With an exasperated sigh, he followed her , and when she plopped down on the dry grass at the water’s edge, he tossed the paddle on the ground and lowered himself next to her.
She held his intense gaze for a second, her heart thundering. He looked marginally angry, though his voice was even and calm. For some reason the dark look in his eyes turned her on. She tried to ignore the suddenly heavy feeling in her lower belly and judiciously crossed her arms over her own soggy shirt to hide her hardened nipples.
Chase wiped water from his face, and the edge left his voice. “Yeah, I suppose. Thanks for that…which you wouldn’t have had to do if you hadn’t toppled us out of it.” He hauled himself up from the ground, then slapped a mosquito from the side of his neck. “We’d better get back to the pier. All wet like this, we’re nothing but bug bait.”
He held out his hand , and she slipped her slightly muddy fingers into his. He tugged, and she tried to brace her sneakers on the river bank, but the wet soles lost traction and she ended up spread-eagled, straddling his left leg.
He lost his balance and fell on top of her, managing to knock the air out of her lungs. Gasping now, she lay beneath him, shocked by the solid weight of him. Chase pushed at the mud, trying to scramble off her. “Sorry, are you okay?”
Brenda nodded. She braced her hands on his chest and was about to push him off, when she caught his gaze. Those beguiling golden brown eyes of his had darkened, and his gaze seemed fixed on her lips. Everything stopped for a split second, but before Brenda could process the moment, he’d gotten up and hauled her to her feet. She slipped again, and he caught her, and this time his lips touched hers.
Her thoughts blanked. The itchy mud and the sticky heat disappeared. The embarrassment of toppling the boat and soaking them both faded , and all she knew was strong arms around her waist, warm lips on hers, and the taste of him, sweet and salty, invading her senses.
How long had it been since she’d felt this? Not the wanting of something distant that she could only imagine, but the having…hard muscles under her trembling hands, a possessive grip pulling her hips against the bulge in a pair of tight jeans? She made a sound at the back of her throat, one of surrender maybe, or utter confusion, and a moment later, he tangled his hands in her hair and thrust his tongue against hers.
“Chase… Chase…” She whispered his name when he let her up for air. She put her hands on his face and let her fingers tease the damp hair at the back of his neck.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop myself. I understand how you —”
“Chase.” She silenced him with a kiss, soft, meaningful, a gentle pull that completely divorced her thoughts from her actions. She refused to think again until this night was over. “Take me home and take me to bed.”
*
The paddleboat ride back to the pier took forever. Chase thought his legs would fall off before the stupid little boat pulled up to the rental dock. He hastily tossed the paddle to the boat boys along with a couple of bills from his wallet as a tip, then he took Brenda’s hand and tugged her back along the aging wooden planks to the small parking area.
“You know you just gave them two twenties, right?” she muttered as she skipped along behind him.
“If I didn’t need my driver’s license, I’d have given them my whole wallet.” This was no time for small talk, and yes, he’d probably miss those twenties later, but who cared? Brenda wanted him, and he wasn’t going to let the opportunity slip by. He glanced back at her as they reached his car, and she was smiling, a sinful gleam in her eye that had him biting his lip to keep from losing his cool right there in the
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