sexy smile. The one guaranteed to have a hundred teenage girls swooning when he became an astronaut. There was no doubt. Not a secondâs hesitation as his lips captured hers. His hand caught the back of her head, tangling through her soft hair and anchoring her in position. Not that sheâd want to be anywhere else.
Her hands slid across his shoulders. She could feel his muscles quivering under her touch, and the sheen on his skin, still slightly damp. She inhaled deeply and all she could smell was... him .
He was like a drug. There was nothing sensitive and sweet about this kiss. Austin Mitchell knew how to kiss a girl.
His lips were all over hers. His teeth brushing against them, his tongue probing into her mouth. Teasing. Tantalising. Making her think illicit thoughts.
A mixture of pheromones and adrenaline was coursing through her body. It was addictive. She could so get used to this. So get used to the feel of his body next to hers.
He leaned her back just a little, moving away from her mouth and concentrating on the delicate skin around her neck and behind her ears. For the first time in her life she actually felt her knees tremble. It was like being a teenager all over again and dreaming about kissing that movie star from the latest film. Except she wasnât dreaming. She was living the whole experience.
And it was even better than she could have imagined.
His hands started to move. Leaving the back of her head and tracing little lines down her back and round to her hips. One moved lower, touching the bare skin at the back of her thigh, hovering around the edge of her shorts.
She pressed a little closer. It was awkward. There was a railing directly between them both. She didnât know whether to be happy or sad. She wasnât quite sure how far she wanted this to progress. Her body might be acting one way but her brain was definitely holding a little in reserve.
He was a candidate. There might not be official rules about them dating but she was sure it wouldnât go down well.
His hand swept around towards her stomach and she sucked in a breath and laughed. It was automatic. He laughed too and pulled his lips apart from hers, pressing their foreheads together.
It gave her a few seconds to catch her breath.
His fingers tickled around her belly button. For a minute she wondered if they were going to make an attempt to go lower. His other hand was now cradling her bum. If there hadnât been a railing between them she would have been able to feel every inch of his body against hers.
And the more she thought about thatâthe more she craved it.
His fingers moved along her bare skin, skirting upwards towards her breasts. It was like butterfly wings dancing against her skin. They hit the jackpot. Cupping her breast and playing with her hardened nipple. A wave of sensations swept over her body and she let out an involuntary moan.
It was like a firework going off in her brain.
Her body took a step back, her forehead still connected with his. She sneaked her hand under her T-shirt and closed it over his, gently pulling it down and out, resting it on her hipbone.
He didnât object, didnât make any attempt to persuade her to change her mind. And somehow she knew, deep down, that he wouldnât. That made him almost perfect.
âThis could get complicated,â she whispered, her breath ragged.
He smiled. âYes. It could.â
After a few seconds he leaned back, then jumped down from the railing, standing on the ground beneath her. He grabbed his T-shirt and pulled it over his head.
The confidence was still there. He still had that assuredness that drove her crazy.
She didnât want to admit what it did to other parts of her system.
He gave her a wink. âWeâll talk exercise programmes some other time, Dr Carter. In the meantime, letâs see if we can come to a compromise about another kind of exercise.â
The implication was loud and clear. She
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