Read Online Midnight Heat by Donna Kauffman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Donna Kauffman
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at him, her eyes all dreamy and clouded with desire. “You’re right, you know,” she said, her voice delectably hoarse.
He’d all but begged to kiss her, then had stopped her. He’d expected her to be hurt or angry or both. God knows
he
wanted to rant and scream. “About what?” he asked, wondering why he still expected to be able to second-guess her. He should know better.
“To stop this.”
Dane curled his fingers into his palm against the need to pull her back into his arms. “Maybe so,” he said. “But it doesn’t mean I wanted to.”
She took a half step away. “What we want isn’t always good for us.”
“Adria.”
She’d started to turn away, but stopped when he said her name. She looked back at him, her eyebrows lifted in question, as if she didn’t trust herself to speak.
That he sensed no regret in her relieved him. “That’s the problem. It would be good. Damn good. And we both know it.”
Dane watched as she banked the emotions that were always so clear in her expression.From the moment he’d met her, he’d felt she was too open. It was dangerous to be read so easily. He could never have survived like that. How had she? But now, when she worked to hide her feelings, it perversely angered him.
He thought she was about to say something, but she just shook her head, then turned to the table and cleared their mugs.
Dane knew he should pick up his briefcase and get the hell out of her kitchen. Out of her house. Out of her personal life.
It was the only logical, rational thing to do considering she was under investigation. An investigation being run by him. And though he was beginning to believe something else might have happened in the sky that night, that didn’t automatically clear her name. He’d make damn sure he followed every available path and lead he had to its conclusion, but there could be no allowances made, no room for bias. For, or against.
He should push his growing personal involvement aside for now, then follow up on it after the case was over. But what if the final facts in the case didn’t clear her? Proved her negligent? Cost her her job?
He might lose any chance he might have had with her.
Logical. Rational.
He ran his investigations that way. His career had flourished conducted under that code.
Only now did Dane realize that not only had his cold, unemotional approach adversely affected his private life, it had completely taken over. Until there were no personal aspects to his life.
He looked at Adria as she stood in front of the sink rinsing the dishes. The way his body tightened instantly, the things just looking at her made him feel—there was nothing logical, rational, or unemotional about them.
And he had absolutely no desire to change that.
He shut down logic as he crossed the room, not stopping until he was right behind her. He turned her around, took her face in his hands, and then, just as deliberately, took her mouth with his.
He invaded her with his tongue, tasting all of her. He slanted her head and coaxed her tongue into his mouth until their kiss was no longer give or take but an equal sharing.
They were both breathing hard when he finally pulled his mouth from hers. He tugged her against his chest and was filled with an absurd need to pump his fist and shout when she willingly curved into him.
He realized then that he’d been wrong to assume the battle he waged had been with her. All along, it had been with himself.
“I know what your mouth tastes like now, Adria. And I know I want more.” He acted onhis words with another kiss—brief but drugging in its intensity.
“I don’t seem to be able to do what’s best for me for any length of time,” she said. “But if you’re not the best thing for me, then I’ll console myself with the fact that you’re probably going to be the best worst thing I’ve ever gotten myself into.”
Dane’s lips quirked. Adria reached up to place her forefingers on the corners of his mouth. She
He’d all but begged to kiss her, then had stopped her. He’d expected her to be hurt or angry or both. God knows
he
wanted to rant and scream. “About what?” he asked, wondering why he still expected to be able to second-guess her. He should know better.
“To stop this.”
Dane curled his fingers into his palm against the need to pull her back into his arms. “Maybe so,” he said. “But it doesn’t mean I wanted to.”
She took a half step away. “What we want isn’t always good for us.”
“Adria.”
She’d started to turn away, but stopped when he said her name. She looked back at him, her eyebrows lifted in question, as if she didn’t trust herself to speak.
That he sensed no regret in her relieved him. “That’s the problem. It would be good. Damn good. And we both know it.”
Dane watched as she banked the emotions that were always so clear in her expression.From the moment he’d met her, he’d felt she was too open. It was dangerous to be read so easily. He could never have survived like that. How had she? But now, when she worked to hide her feelings, it perversely angered him.
He thought she was about to say something, but she just shook her head, then turned to the table and cleared their mugs.
Dane knew he should pick up his briefcase and get the hell out of her kitchen. Out of her house. Out of her personal life.
It was the only logical, rational thing to do considering she was under investigation. An investigation being run by him. And though he was beginning to believe something else might have happened in the sky that night, that didn’t automatically clear her name. He’d make damn sure he followed every available path and lead he had to its conclusion, but there could be no allowances made, no room for bias. For, or against.
He should push his growing personal involvement aside for now, then follow up on it after the case was over. But what if the final facts in the case didn’t clear her? Proved her negligent? Cost her her job?
He might lose any chance he might have had with her.
Logical. Rational.
He ran his investigations that way. His career had flourished conducted under that code.
Only now did Dane realize that not only had his cold, unemotional approach adversely affected his private life, it had completely taken over. Until there were no personal aspects to his life.
He looked at Adria as she stood in front of the sink rinsing the dishes. The way his body tightened instantly, the things just looking at her made him feel—there was nothing logical, rational, or unemotional about them.
And he had absolutely no desire to change that.
He shut down logic as he crossed the room, not stopping until he was right behind her. He turned her around, took her face in his hands, and then, just as deliberately, took her mouth with his.
He invaded her with his tongue, tasting all of her. He slanted her head and coaxed her tongue into his mouth until their kiss was no longer give or take but an equal sharing.
They were both breathing hard when he finally pulled his mouth from hers. He tugged her against his chest and was filled with an absurd need to pump his fist and shout when she willingly curved into him.
He realized then that he’d been wrong to assume the battle he waged had been with her. All along, it had been with himself.
“I know what your mouth tastes like now, Adria. And I know I want more.” He acted onhis words with another kiss—brief but drugging in its intensity.
“I don’t seem to be able to do what’s best for me for any length of time,” she said. “But if you’re not the best thing for me, then I’ll console myself with the fact that you’re probably going to be the best worst thing I’ve ever gotten myself into.”
Dane’s lips quirked. Adria reached up to place her forefingers on the corners of his mouth. She
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