already told you, Callah. Charlie Benson was unbelievably stupid.” And then he did what he’d been denying himself for hours. He kissed her.
Riley’s lips were as soft as she’d imagined, as she remembered.
At first, Callah let him kiss her because she wanted to feel desired. To feel pretty. To forget for just a minute all the terrible truths she needed to uncover.
When he stopped after a second impossibly soft kiss, she knew it wasn’t enough. Not by a long shot.
She looked into his eyes and he looked into hers and heat unfurled low in her belly and sprawled outward, taking possession before she even realized it. When she raised her hand to the back of his neck, he didn’t resist. She met his mouth with hers and this time, there was no softness. No gentle kisses for poor Callah Crenshaw whose bastard husband left her, whose family had built her entire life on one dangerous lie after another.
This was a kiss to forget. A kiss to erase everything from her mind except the incredibly sexy man who said he’d kick Charlie Benson’s ass if Charlie were still alive.
Mouths and tongues melded, danced, mocked. His fingers slowly massaged her back and she heard a groan she recognized as her own as the heat unfurled inside her reminding her of all the good things about making love with a man who truly wanted her instead of a man worried about the size of her thighs.
She wanted him. Now. Here.
It didn’t matter that it might be wrong. That it was about sex. That love wasn’t a part of the equation. That it was a stalling technique to wipe away the realities that threatened to bombard her if she took her mouth from his.
She climbed onto his lap. Settled where the juncture of her thighs met the hardness between his. How had she forgotten this power? This joy.
Riley pulled back first. His breath hard. Fast. Not nearly fast or hard enough.
“Callah. Honey.”
She didn’t want to hear his voice. She wanted to feel him everywhere.
She started down for another kiss but he held her back. “We can’t do this, Callah. Not now.”
As if to accentuate the point, his cell phone’s ring tone echoed through the room.
Oh my God. Callah wanted to die of embarrassment. He was literally pushing her away. Holding her back. She was sprawled on top of him, and he was the one stopping.
She opened her mouth to say something. Anything, but the words wouldn’t come. Not with his hands wrapped around her arms. Not with her pressed into his hardness.
Somehow she climbed off his lap without embarrassing herself further.
By the time she turned to face him, Riley was on the phone with his brother. All business. As if the kiss had never happened.
Riley opened his phone and tried to look relaxed. Damn she was hot. Her nipples puckered against that dress, her cheeks red from his unshaven chin. Her lips still swollen from his kisses.
“Dammit, Riley. Are you hearing me at all?” His brother’s voice snapped.
He needed to focus on what Rand was saying. Really needed to focus. He turned away from Callah and brushed his hand through his hair. “Yeah, yeah. I’m listening. What’s new?”
“The Colonel has been arrested. His office is locked down.”
Riley closed his eyes and bit back his automatic response. How was he supposed to tell her this?
“What’s the charge?”
“Espionage. I’m still looking for your answers but this has made things considerably more complicated. I’m catching a flight out there as soon as I can make arrangements.”
Riley wanted to tell his brother to stay there, to get the answers. But he needed all the help he could get to keep Callah safe. Whatever mess her family’d been involved in, it had just gotten a lot worse.
“You better get Callah prepared. The press corps here is going crazy. They don’t have a name yet, but they will shortly. And whatever else you do, hang tight. This is bigger than anything I’ve been involved in. Don’t call anyone or do anything until you
Riley’s lips were as soft as she’d imagined, as she remembered.
At first, Callah let him kiss her because she wanted to feel desired. To feel pretty. To forget for just a minute all the terrible truths she needed to uncover.
When he stopped after a second impossibly soft kiss, she knew it wasn’t enough. Not by a long shot.
She looked into his eyes and he looked into hers and heat unfurled low in her belly and sprawled outward, taking possession before she even realized it. When she raised her hand to the back of his neck, he didn’t resist. She met his mouth with hers and this time, there was no softness. No gentle kisses for poor Callah Crenshaw whose bastard husband left her, whose family had built her entire life on one dangerous lie after another.
This was a kiss to forget. A kiss to erase everything from her mind except the incredibly sexy man who said he’d kick Charlie Benson’s ass if Charlie were still alive.
Mouths and tongues melded, danced, mocked. His fingers slowly massaged her back and she heard a groan she recognized as her own as the heat unfurled inside her reminding her of all the good things about making love with a man who truly wanted her instead of a man worried about the size of her thighs.
She wanted him. Now. Here.
It didn’t matter that it might be wrong. That it was about sex. That love wasn’t a part of the equation. That it was a stalling technique to wipe away the realities that threatened to bombard her if she took her mouth from his.
She climbed onto his lap. Settled where the juncture of her thighs met the hardness between his. How had she forgotten this power? This joy.
Riley pulled back first. His breath hard. Fast. Not nearly fast or hard enough.
“Callah. Honey.”
She didn’t want to hear his voice. She wanted to feel him everywhere.
She started down for another kiss but he held her back. “We can’t do this, Callah. Not now.”
As if to accentuate the point, his cell phone’s ring tone echoed through the room.
Oh my God. Callah wanted to die of embarrassment. He was literally pushing her away. Holding her back. She was sprawled on top of him, and he was the one stopping.
She opened her mouth to say something. Anything, but the words wouldn’t come. Not with his hands wrapped around her arms. Not with her pressed into his hardness.
Somehow she climbed off his lap without embarrassing herself further.
By the time she turned to face him, Riley was on the phone with his brother. All business. As if the kiss had never happened.
Riley opened his phone and tried to look relaxed. Damn she was hot. Her nipples puckered against that dress, her cheeks red from his unshaven chin. Her lips still swollen from his kisses.
“Dammit, Riley. Are you hearing me at all?” His brother’s voice snapped.
He needed to focus on what Rand was saying. Really needed to focus. He turned away from Callah and brushed his hand through his hair. “Yeah, yeah. I’m listening. What’s new?”
“The Colonel has been arrested. His office is locked down.”
Riley closed his eyes and bit back his automatic response. How was he supposed to tell her this?
“What’s the charge?”
“Espionage. I’m still looking for your answers but this has made things considerably more complicated. I’m catching a flight out there as soon as I can make arrangements.”
Riley wanted to tell his brother to stay there, to get the answers. But he needed all the help he could get to keep Callah safe. Whatever mess her family’d been involved in, it had just gotten a lot worse.
“You better get Callah prepared. The press corps here is going crazy. They don’t have a name yet, but they will shortly. And whatever else you do, hang tight. This is bigger than anything I’ve been involved in. Don’t call anyone or do anything until you
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