against the wall of his chest. Everything about him was deliberate, from the way he nibbled at her lips to the way he adjusted his body to cradle hers. As if he’d been thinking about this kiss for a long time.
Victoria melted into the sensation of being savored. She put common sense on hold and forgot everything but the feel of muscle beneath her fingers as they crept up his chest and around his neck. Three years was a long time to wait to be kissed again.
For Joshua, the contact of their lips had signaledthe point of no return. Her mouth was soft and yielding beneath his, allowing him to take his time. At the touch of his tongue against the seam of her lips she opened her mouth slightly. With no more invitation than that, he swept his tongue into the moist, welcoming warmth.
Everything about the kiss was an exploration, because he didn’t know what she was feeling. He didn’t have a window into her emotions to tell him what she wanted. All he had to guide him was the physical response of her body to his, the way her tongue twined with his, the way a tiny movement of her hips urged him silently onward. When Joshua realized his hand was straying to the first of the buttons that had driven him crazy all day, he finally broke the kiss.
Joshua touched his forehead to hers and allowed himself to catch his breath. Kissing Victoria was like running a marathon, and he needed his second wind. So did she, because she drew in a extended breath and exhaled slowly. Long, pregnant seconds passed as neither of them moved. Joshua finally cleared his throat and stepped back.
With tiny movements Victoria squared her shoulders and smoothed her dress. As incredible as that kiss was, she knew better than to let a man know he had the power to shake her right down to her toes. What was that television commercial? Never let them see you sweat. Silently she added—or need, or want.
When she felt she could trust her voice not to come out in a rasp, she said, “I guess we had to … to get that out of our systems.”
“You don’t honestly think we got it out of our systems?” Joshua asked with a scowl. “I know it’s not out of mine. The question is, what are we going to do about it?”
“Nothing.”
“We tried that. It didn’t work.”
“Why do we have to do anything? Can’t we chalk it up to curiosity and forget it? It’s over and done with. We can go back to being friends.”
“Or we can go forward to being more than friends.”
“That’s not a good idea.” Victoria shook her head vigorously, causing the tendrils around her face to brush against her jaw.
“Neither is letting the tension between us get so thick you could cut it with a knife. I’m afraid that what we’ve got here, love, is an ongoing chemistry experiment.”
“Which is more than likely going to blow up in our faces if we don’t get smart. You’re busy being retired from whatever it was that you did, and I have a practice to run. Let it go, Joshua.”
“Not ‘it,’ ” Joshua corrected her softly. “
You.
Let
you
go. That’s what you’d really like. Then you wouldn’t have to worry.”
“About what?”
“About me. Takes two to tango, Vicky. You’re afraid that if I lead, you’ll follow.”
“That is ridiculous macho double-talk. The only thing I’m afraid of is being sidetracked when I need to be concentrating on my patients.”
“I don’t think so.” Joshua refreshed her memory. “Tell me you didn’t want me to kiss you in the cabin the first day we met. Tell me you weren’t disappointed tonight when I let the moment on the porch slide by without doing anything. Tell me you didn’t want that kiss every bit as much as I did.” When she opened her mouth to deny it, he cautioned her, “Be honest, Victoria.”
She pressed her lips together. Taking a deep breath, she admitted, “I’m as curious as the next person.”
“Curious?
Curious
is a little weak, Vicky. I think we both knew it was inevitable. The only
Victoria melted into the sensation of being savored. She put common sense on hold and forgot everything but the feel of muscle beneath her fingers as they crept up his chest and around his neck. Three years was a long time to wait to be kissed again.
For Joshua, the contact of their lips had signaledthe point of no return. Her mouth was soft and yielding beneath his, allowing him to take his time. At the touch of his tongue against the seam of her lips she opened her mouth slightly. With no more invitation than that, he swept his tongue into the moist, welcoming warmth.
Everything about the kiss was an exploration, because he didn’t know what she was feeling. He didn’t have a window into her emotions to tell him what she wanted. All he had to guide him was the physical response of her body to his, the way her tongue twined with his, the way a tiny movement of her hips urged him silently onward. When Joshua realized his hand was straying to the first of the buttons that had driven him crazy all day, he finally broke the kiss.
Joshua touched his forehead to hers and allowed himself to catch his breath. Kissing Victoria was like running a marathon, and he needed his second wind. So did she, because she drew in a extended breath and exhaled slowly. Long, pregnant seconds passed as neither of them moved. Joshua finally cleared his throat and stepped back.
With tiny movements Victoria squared her shoulders and smoothed her dress. As incredible as that kiss was, she knew better than to let a man know he had the power to shake her right down to her toes. What was that television commercial? Never let them see you sweat. Silently she added—or need, or want.
When she felt she could trust her voice not to come out in a rasp, she said, “I guess we had to … to get that out of our systems.”
“You don’t honestly think we got it out of our systems?” Joshua asked with a scowl. “I know it’s not out of mine. The question is, what are we going to do about it?”
“Nothing.”
“We tried that. It didn’t work.”
“Why do we have to do anything? Can’t we chalk it up to curiosity and forget it? It’s over and done with. We can go back to being friends.”
“Or we can go forward to being more than friends.”
“That’s not a good idea.” Victoria shook her head vigorously, causing the tendrils around her face to brush against her jaw.
“Neither is letting the tension between us get so thick you could cut it with a knife. I’m afraid that what we’ve got here, love, is an ongoing chemistry experiment.”
“Which is more than likely going to blow up in our faces if we don’t get smart. You’re busy being retired from whatever it was that you did, and I have a practice to run. Let it go, Joshua.”
“Not ‘it,’ ” Joshua corrected her softly. “
You.
Let
you
go. That’s what you’d really like. Then you wouldn’t have to worry.”
“About what?”
“About me. Takes two to tango, Vicky. You’re afraid that if I lead, you’ll follow.”
“That is ridiculous macho double-talk. The only thing I’m afraid of is being sidetracked when I need to be concentrating on my patients.”
“I don’t think so.” Joshua refreshed her memory. “Tell me you didn’t want me to kiss you in the cabin the first day we met. Tell me you weren’t disappointed tonight when I let the moment on the porch slide by without doing anything. Tell me you didn’t want that kiss every bit as much as I did.” When she opened her mouth to deny it, he cautioned her, “Be honest, Victoria.”
She pressed her lips together. Taking a deep breath, she admitted, “I’m as curious as the next person.”
“Curious?
Curious
is a little weak, Vicky. I think we both knew it was inevitable. The only
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