a head-on collision with professional disaster and he knew it, but in the heat of the moment he simply didn’t care. His mind was that skewed by her. Robert reached up and pulled the elastic band from her ponytail. Her hair fell over his hand in a shiny dark cascade.
Sharply, he inhaled.
Her eyes widened.
He sank his lips onto hers.
She let out a soft sound of pleasure and arched against him. Underneath her shirt, he felt her nipples pebble. She smelled so good, like the Cajun holy trinity of bell peppers, celery and onions.
He cupped her face in his palm, amazed at her softness. Her hair was tangled around his fingers, ribbons of ebony silk.
With a sigh, she wound her arms around his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss.
A scorching heat flashed through him, incinerating everything in its path. His tongue, his throat, his gut.
He was on fire for her.
The taste of her mouth. Wow!
Kissing her was raw and real, primal and fierce.
Perfectly, their mouths fit together. The scrape of his skin—already sprouting a slight stubble even though he’d shaved that morning—against her tender chin made for an intoxicating contrast. She was all woman and he was all man.
Naked need, passionate frustration, pure animal lust erupted and spun a magic that went far beyond the mere joining of their lips. This single, wild union was everything.
Robert fisted his hand tighter in her hair and pulled her even closer to him, penetrating her with his tongue, exploring her fully. Ah yes, yes. This was what he’d been tasting in his dreams.
He groaned low in his throat, his body straining and pushing against hers, and Melanie met him measure for measure—a sensual woman unabashed in her sexuality.
His lips vibrated against hers as he breathed, “Melanie.”
No name had never sounded so sexy.
She moaned quietly and he swallowed up the resonant sound, like a man too long deprived of what every cell in his body cried out for.
He yearned to tumble her onto a soft mattress, rip her clothes off and dive into her. He ached to feel her body close around his.
He was in turmoil, excitement warring with caution. And guilt.
He jerked his head back, yanking away, struggling to snatch hold of some shred of sanity before it was too late. Her eyes were clouded and heavy-lidded. Her lips trembling…
He wasn’t the only one totally blown away. Embarrassment and regret washed over him.
“Melanie…” What was he going to say? That he was sorry? But he wasn’t sorry. He’d enjoyed every minute of it.
She reached out to draw him back to her, but he raised an arm, blocking her hand. He was breathing hard and he couldn’t speak, but he flashed her a desperate message with his eyes.
Touch me again and I will have no choice but to take you right here, right now, the rest of the world be damned.
At that moment a knock sounded, and they had just enough time to jump apart before the door swung open and Jean-Paul stuck his head into the room. “Kitchen’s gone crazy busy, Chef LeSoeur. We’re really in the weeds. Is Mel okay to come back to work?”
I T WAS AFTER MIDNIGHT when Melanie left the restaurant. She floated, flying high on the long-acting endorphin rush of Robert’s kiss.
She’d imagined that he’d be a terrific kisser, strong and masterful. But there was also a surprisingly tender side to him she hadn’t expected. She’d felt it in the gentle sweep of his tongue as he’d explored her mouth. She wondered how far things might have gone if Jean-Paul hadn’t interrupted at just the wrong time. Or maybe it had been the right time. His interruption had kept her from making a huge mistake.
Car keys in hand, she stepped out into the courtyard and was surprised to find Charlotte sitting on one of the wrought-iron benches in the patio garden. The pool area glistened in the muted lighting. Overhead the stars were rich and bright against an inky sky. Her sister was a meadowlark who rarely stayed up past ten. Why was she still
Sharply, he inhaled.
Her eyes widened.
He sank his lips onto hers.
She let out a soft sound of pleasure and arched against him. Underneath her shirt, he felt her nipples pebble. She smelled so good, like the Cajun holy trinity of bell peppers, celery and onions.
He cupped her face in his palm, amazed at her softness. Her hair was tangled around his fingers, ribbons of ebony silk.
With a sigh, she wound her arms around his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss.
A scorching heat flashed through him, incinerating everything in its path. His tongue, his throat, his gut.
He was on fire for her.
The taste of her mouth. Wow!
Kissing her was raw and real, primal and fierce.
Perfectly, their mouths fit together. The scrape of his skin—already sprouting a slight stubble even though he’d shaved that morning—against her tender chin made for an intoxicating contrast. She was all woman and he was all man.
Naked need, passionate frustration, pure animal lust erupted and spun a magic that went far beyond the mere joining of their lips. This single, wild union was everything.
Robert fisted his hand tighter in her hair and pulled her even closer to him, penetrating her with his tongue, exploring her fully. Ah yes, yes. This was what he’d been tasting in his dreams.
He groaned low in his throat, his body straining and pushing against hers, and Melanie met him measure for measure—a sensual woman unabashed in her sexuality.
His lips vibrated against hers as he breathed, “Melanie.”
No name had never sounded so sexy.
She moaned quietly and he swallowed up the resonant sound, like a man too long deprived of what every cell in his body cried out for.
He yearned to tumble her onto a soft mattress, rip her clothes off and dive into her. He ached to feel her body close around his.
He was in turmoil, excitement warring with caution. And guilt.
He jerked his head back, yanking away, struggling to snatch hold of some shred of sanity before it was too late. Her eyes were clouded and heavy-lidded. Her lips trembling…
He wasn’t the only one totally blown away. Embarrassment and regret washed over him.
“Melanie…” What was he going to say? That he was sorry? But he wasn’t sorry. He’d enjoyed every minute of it.
She reached out to draw him back to her, but he raised an arm, blocking her hand. He was breathing hard and he couldn’t speak, but he flashed her a desperate message with his eyes.
Touch me again and I will have no choice but to take you right here, right now, the rest of the world be damned.
At that moment a knock sounded, and they had just enough time to jump apart before the door swung open and Jean-Paul stuck his head into the room. “Kitchen’s gone crazy busy, Chef LeSoeur. We’re really in the weeds. Is Mel okay to come back to work?”
I T WAS AFTER MIDNIGHT when Melanie left the restaurant. She floated, flying high on the long-acting endorphin rush of Robert’s kiss.
She’d imagined that he’d be a terrific kisser, strong and masterful. But there was also a surprisingly tender side to him she hadn’t expected. She’d felt it in the gentle sweep of his tongue as he’d explored her mouth. She wondered how far things might have gone if Jean-Paul hadn’t interrupted at just the wrong time. Or maybe it had been the right time. His interruption had kept her from making a huge mistake.
Car keys in hand, she stepped out into the courtyard and was surprised to find Charlotte sitting on one of the wrought-iron benches in the patio garden. The pool area glistened in the muted lighting. Overhead the stars were rich and bright against an inky sky. Her sister was a meadowlark who rarely stayed up past ten. Why was she still
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