etched on her smooth features. “Are you referring to yourself, or someone else?”
Good question. A second ago, he could’ve sworn he was talking about Sean. God, it was hard to think with her standing so close, touching him, fingers scorching his skin through the fabric of his T-shirt. Lord help him, he needed to touch her, too.
“A friend, and too sad a story for a day like today. Kat?”
“Yes?”
“May I kiss you?”
Her eyes widened and she started to say something, but nothing emerged.
“Jesus, I’m a jerk. Forget I—”
Kat stepped into his body, reached up to curl one hand behind his neck. She tugged his head down and Howard went willingly, taking her mouth with a groan of pure bliss.
Her lips were plump and sweet, every bit as kissable as he’d imagined. Strawberries on the vine, waiting for him to savor, nibble. Not wanting to rush her, he started slowly and gently. Parted her Windbreaker, rested his palms at the curve of her waist, brushed his lips against hers, tempting. Maximizing the initial tingle, the anticipation. Drawing out the moment to make them crave more.
He worked his hands under the edge of her shirt, skimmed her ribs, wondering if she’d protest. Ready to back off if she did. She sighed instead, melted into him, and he increased the pressure. Swept his tongue past the seam of her lips, into her moist heat. Tasting, exploring as she did the same, tangling her tongue with his.
Oh, God, so good. So right. They were sealed together now from head to toe, Kat playing with the thick hair at his nape as they drank one another. Two people dying of thirst for too long.
So much soft woman pressed against his starving body. Full breasts and lush hips. Spreading his legs, he cupped her bottom with his big hands, pulled her in, seated her against his hard length as intimately as possible. At least part of his fantasy came true. Yeah, she was everything a woman should be. Mine .
His body ignited, his rigid shaft desperate to be inside Kat to the point of pain. To be whole, no longer fractured and alone in a base act of sex. To feel filled afterward, rather than empty. And something else he couldn’t name, elusive and frightening. Enough to finally cause him to break the kiss and hold her close, breathing as though he’d run the training course in record time.
“Wow.” She collapsed against his chest.
His laugh emerged as a wheeze. “My thoughts exactly, sweetheart. If I don’t stop now, the good citizens of Cheatham County are going to see more of nature than they expected.”
“Mmm. Now I know the truth. You’re a very bad boy under that gentlemanly exterior, Lieutenant. I like. A lot.”
His inner bad boy stood up and cheered. Along with his outer one. “Have mercy—you’re killing me here. I still have to go home later to a cold, empty house. Wait.” He frowned. “I wasn’t hinting for you to come home with me. Not that I don’t want to—I mean, it’s obvious. . . .”
Nice move, idiot.
Putting him out of his misery, Kat dimpled, giving him a quick kiss before pulling away and gesturing to the sack. “Deli sandwiches, huh? I’m starved!”
Howard blinked in amazement. Any of the women he’d been with would’ve gotten all huffy and offended for one reason or another, accusing him of either not wanting her or of moving too fast. Lose-lose, whatever he said or did. Not his Kat. She seemed to understand exactly what he’d been trying to say. Even if he didn’t.
“Me, too.” Shrugging off his denim jacket, he knelt and spread the material on the ground. “Here you go, have a seat.”
“Oh, no, I don’t want to ruin your nice jacket.”
“You won’t. Sit,” he ordered, stretching out next to her spot. For a second, she looked ready to protest, then sat.
“Okay, thanks.” She shot a pointed look at his chest. “I thought coffee was your only vice. Smoker?”
“What?” Looking down at himself, he patted the tube-shaped bulge in the front pocket of his
Good question. A second ago, he could’ve sworn he was talking about Sean. God, it was hard to think with her standing so close, touching him, fingers scorching his skin through the fabric of his T-shirt. Lord help him, he needed to touch her, too.
“A friend, and too sad a story for a day like today. Kat?”
“Yes?”
“May I kiss you?”
Her eyes widened and she started to say something, but nothing emerged.
“Jesus, I’m a jerk. Forget I—”
Kat stepped into his body, reached up to curl one hand behind his neck. She tugged his head down and Howard went willingly, taking her mouth with a groan of pure bliss.
Her lips were plump and sweet, every bit as kissable as he’d imagined. Strawberries on the vine, waiting for him to savor, nibble. Not wanting to rush her, he started slowly and gently. Parted her Windbreaker, rested his palms at the curve of her waist, brushed his lips against hers, tempting. Maximizing the initial tingle, the anticipation. Drawing out the moment to make them crave more.
He worked his hands under the edge of her shirt, skimmed her ribs, wondering if she’d protest. Ready to back off if she did. She sighed instead, melted into him, and he increased the pressure. Swept his tongue past the seam of her lips, into her moist heat. Tasting, exploring as she did the same, tangling her tongue with his.
Oh, God, so good. So right. They were sealed together now from head to toe, Kat playing with the thick hair at his nape as they drank one another. Two people dying of thirst for too long.
So much soft woman pressed against his starving body. Full breasts and lush hips. Spreading his legs, he cupped her bottom with his big hands, pulled her in, seated her against his hard length as intimately as possible. At least part of his fantasy came true. Yeah, she was everything a woman should be. Mine .
His body ignited, his rigid shaft desperate to be inside Kat to the point of pain. To be whole, no longer fractured and alone in a base act of sex. To feel filled afterward, rather than empty. And something else he couldn’t name, elusive and frightening. Enough to finally cause him to break the kiss and hold her close, breathing as though he’d run the training course in record time.
“Wow.” She collapsed against his chest.
His laugh emerged as a wheeze. “My thoughts exactly, sweetheart. If I don’t stop now, the good citizens of Cheatham County are going to see more of nature than they expected.”
“Mmm. Now I know the truth. You’re a very bad boy under that gentlemanly exterior, Lieutenant. I like. A lot.”
His inner bad boy stood up and cheered. Along with his outer one. “Have mercy—you’re killing me here. I still have to go home later to a cold, empty house. Wait.” He frowned. “I wasn’t hinting for you to come home with me. Not that I don’t want to—I mean, it’s obvious. . . .”
Nice move, idiot.
Putting him out of his misery, Kat dimpled, giving him a quick kiss before pulling away and gesturing to the sack. “Deli sandwiches, huh? I’m starved!”
Howard blinked in amazement. Any of the women he’d been with would’ve gotten all huffy and offended for one reason or another, accusing him of either not wanting her or of moving too fast. Lose-lose, whatever he said or did. Not his Kat. She seemed to understand exactly what he’d been trying to say. Even if he didn’t.
“Me, too.” Shrugging off his denim jacket, he knelt and spread the material on the ground. “Here you go, have a seat.”
“Oh, no, I don’t want to ruin your nice jacket.”
“You won’t. Sit,” he ordered, stretching out next to her spot. For a second, she looked ready to protest, then sat.
“Okay, thanks.” She shot a pointed look at his chest. “I thought coffee was your only vice. Smoker?”
“What?” Looking down at himself, he patted the tube-shaped bulge in the front pocket of his
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