respond. Astonishment shattered through him, quickly chased away by need as he kissed her hungrily. How long had he imagined this kiss? Now it was happening, and it was hotter and juicier than anything he could have made up. He folded one arm tight around her waist. With his other hand he threaded his fingers through her smooth hair, revelling in its fineness before cupping the sideof her cheek, his thumb caressing her jaw. She was satin and fire in his arms, and he never wanted to let go of her. But just as her lips began to part and he was ready to explore her mouth with his tongue, she broke off the kiss, and it felt like someone had yanked out his power cord.
Dumb-struck, he stared at her, aware of his panting and the uncomfortable bulge in his trousers. Her hair stuck to her cheeks, and she was huffing just as hard as he, her lips parted and rosy from their kissing.
“Dion–” She gulped and shuffled away from him. “Uh, what just happened?”
He sucked in some oxygen. Should he tell her that he’d been fantasising about her for years and that since she’d arrived he couldn’t stop thinking about getting her naked every time she got near him? No, that would be guaranteed to make her run a mile. Better to keep it cool and not creep her out.
“Last time I checked we’re two single, consenting adults,” he said, forcing himself to keep still. “We’re allowed to kiss.”
“Yes, but that–” She pressed her fingertips against her lips as if she could still feel the kiss. “That felt wrong.”
“Oh? How can I improve the next time?”
“The next time?”
“It didn’t feel wrong to me. It felt pretty damn good.” He reached for her and pushed his fingers through her hair, lifting the heavy mass off her shoulders. How fantastic she’d look naked with all that black shiny hair spilling over her breasts. Cradling the back of her head in his palm, he kissed her again, this time making sure it was light and teasing. When she didn’t resist, he flicked the tip of his tongue over the seam of her lips and was rewarded by a small tremor running through her body. “Was that better?” he asked as he lifted his head.
For a while she seemed too dazed to speak. Eventually she swallowed and said, “This is crazy. You and I, we’re friends.”
“Friends can’t make out?”
“You make it sound so – so natural.”
“It is natural.”
“No, it’s not. Not for me. I don’t go round pashing my male friends.” She jumped to her feet and turned away to stare out blindly at the trees, all the while rubbing her upper arms as if it was freezing, despite the muggy night.
Slowly he rose and stood close behind her. Every muscle in his body ached with the strain of reining in his emotions and denying his need to touch her, but instinct told him not to push her too far so he made himself remain silent.
“Dion, you’re a very attractive man,” she began, her face still averted.
Uh-oh, that didn’t sound too promising.
“You’ve had heaps of girlfriends,” she continued.
None of them were serious, he wanted to say.
“I don’t want to be another of your ex-girlfriends.” She turned to face him. “I don’t want to lose what we have just for the sake of – of a few kisses. You’re too important to me.”
And she had no idea just how important she was to him. “Toni, you’re not going to lose me.”
“You say that now because you’re thinking with your penis and not your brain.”
“I’ve always been told I’m a clever dick.”
She folded her arms and glared at him. “It’s wonderful that you can just live in the moment and not bother about the future, but I can’t.”
“Well, gee, thanks for pointing out my faults for me.”
“I didn’t mean it that way!” Her face crumpled a little. “Dion, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to criticise you, but you’ve really taken me by surprise here. I never thought you, uh, wanted to kiss me.”
His irritation melted away. If she only
Dumb-struck, he stared at her, aware of his panting and the uncomfortable bulge in his trousers. Her hair stuck to her cheeks, and she was huffing just as hard as he, her lips parted and rosy from their kissing.
“Dion–” She gulped and shuffled away from him. “Uh, what just happened?”
He sucked in some oxygen. Should he tell her that he’d been fantasising about her for years and that since she’d arrived he couldn’t stop thinking about getting her naked every time she got near him? No, that would be guaranteed to make her run a mile. Better to keep it cool and not creep her out.
“Last time I checked we’re two single, consenting adults,” he said, forcing himself to keep still. “We’re allowed to kiss.”
“Yes, but that–” She pressed her fingertips against her lips as if she could still feel the kiss. “That felt wrong.”
“Oh? How can I improve the next time?”
“The next time?”
“It didn’t feel wrong to me. It felt pretty damn good.” He reached for her and pushed his fingers through her hair, lifting the heavy mass off her shoulders. How fantastic she’d look naked with all that black shiny hair spilling over her breasts. Cradling the back of her head in his palm, he kissed her again, this time making sure it was light and teasing. When she didn’t resist, he flicked the tip of his tongue over the seam of her lips and was rewarded by a small tremor running through her body. “Was that better?” he asked as he lifted his head.
For a while she seemed too dazed to speak. Eventually she swallowed and said, “This is crazy. You and I, we’re friends.”
“Friends can’t make out?”
“You make it sound so – so natural.”
“It is natural.”
“No, it’s not. Not for me. I don’t go round pashing my male friends.” She jumped to her feet and turned away to stare out blindly at the trees, all the while rubbing her upper arms as if it was freezing, despite the muggy night.
Slowly he rose and stood close behind her. Every muscle in his body ached with the strain of reining in his emotions and denying his need to touch her, but instinct told him not to push her too far so he made himself remain silent.
“Dion, you’re a very attractive man,” she began, her face still averted.
Uh-oh, that didn’t sound too promising.
“You’ve had heaps of girlfriends,” she continued.
None of them were serious, he wanted to say.
“I don’t want to be another of your ex-girlfriends.” She turned to face him. “I don’t want to lose what we have just for the sake of – of a few kisses. You’re too important to me.”
And she had no idea just how important she was to him. “Toni, you’re not going to lose me.”
“You say that now because you’re thinking with your penis and not your brain.”
“I’ve always been told I’m a clever dick.”
She folded her arms and glared at him. “It’s wonderful that you can just live in the moment and not bother about the future, but I can’t.”
“Well, gee, thanks for pointing out my faults for me.”
“I didn’t mean it that way!” Her face crumpled a little. “Dion, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to criticise you, but you’ve really taken me by surprise here. I never thought you, uh, wanted to kiss me.”
His irritation melted away. If she only
Similar Books
