Read Online Sweet Harmonies by Melanie Shawn - Free Book Online

fingertips even as she moved her hand quickly upward to
the back of his head, pressing his mouth even more firmly into
hers.
    Karina felt Ryan's strong hands on her waist,
encircling it as though it were as tiny and delicate as her wrist.
She heard him groan, and felt the rumble deep in his chest as it
vibrated against her own.
    Karina’s head fell back in abandon, and as it
did, she felt one of Ryan's hand come up to the back of her head
and gently but quite firmly guide it back down until her mouth was
again devouring his. The strength and sureness in his touch and
guidance of her lips caused her body to catch fire. She could not
remember the last time – if ever – that she had found herself so
completely consumed by desire, so blissfully out of control. She
loved it.
    Eager to take this intense and pleasurable
interlude to the next level, desperate to feel the rough skin of
his muscled chest against her quivering breasts, Karina began to
unfasten the buttons down the front of his shirt with fingers that
were trembling with arousal.
    As she did this, however, it seemed to snap
Ryan out of the trance that he had been in. He stepped back,
looking at her as if he didn't quite believe this was real, as if
he thought this might all be part of some dream he was having.
    He stepped back deliberately, reaching up and
grabbing her hands on his shirtfront and holding them tenderly. He
took a ragged breath, and then another. He smiled at her, a smile
that held a bit of regret, but which was mainly composed of
determination.
    Then, that sweetly melancholic smile still on
his lips, he leaned down and gave her a sweet, chaste slow peck on
the cheek.
    “ Sweetheart,” he said, looking into her
eyes intently, “This is definitely going to happen. All this and so
much more. But it’s not going to be here like this. This isn't the
right way, and it isn't the right time. Not now. With all your
friends here, it's disrespectful.”
    She laughed this off blithely, “Oh, don't be
silly! They're all in the front of the house.”
    She stepped up to him again, and lowering her
voice seductively, she whispered, “We won't get caught,” and
started kissing his neck. Her fingers returned to their steady
progress down his shirtfront, unfastening as she went.
    She felt him groan deep in his throat, and
take a long, raggedy breath.
    “ Karina...” he breathed, but forced
himself to step backwards.
    He laughed shakily.
    “ Look, darlin',” he said, “There's no
way I'm gonna be able to hold myself back if I stay in this room
with you, so I'm gonna get back to work.”
    And with a quick kiss to her forehead, he was
gone. Karina was beyond confused. She had never been rejected by
any man she had tried to sleep with. She was in shock. She wanted
to be angry, she wanted to be offended, but she couldn't seem to
quite work it up. Instead, as she listened with regret to his firm
bootsteps echoing away down the hall, what she couldn't help but
feel was respect.
    She smiled to herself. Respect, yes. But
tinged with a bit of a competitive edge. She wasn't above taking on
a challenge, in fact, she relished the opportunity.
    “ Game on, Ryan,” she whispered with a
grin.

Chapter 5
    Ryan unlocked the door of the cafe that
night, after having been dropped off by Amanda, Justin, Lauren and
Sam in Amanda's van. He smiled as he again fought off the imagery
of himself as a kid getting dropped back home after day camp.
    He felt like the day had been a success. He
had begun this morning with two goals in mind for moving day – to
make sure Karina was aware of his interest in her, and to
enthusiastically do more than his fair share of the work. Of
course, the second part was easily accomplished by simply jumping
in and expending the elbow grease. It was the first part of his
mission that he hadn't been sure if he would be able judge his
success at.
    However, that was before their little moment
in the studio. He grinned. He had gotten more information than