Sharon Swan - Home-Grown Husband

No, she wouldn’t. How could she, given the wonders that came with being in this man’s arms? “Not especially,” she murmured. “I’ve always liked this song.”

She pulled back slightly to gaze up at him and awareness soared to new heights. They were surrounded by people, yet it seemed as if, for this singular moment in time, no one existed but the two of them. It had to be her imagination, she told herself. He couldn’t be feeling what she was feeling.

Could he?

The last notes of the music died away at that point. The song was over. And Tess decided then and there to go home—before she started imagining who knew what.

“Thanks for the dance,” she said with deliberate mildness.

“Thanks for putting up with my shuffling.” He released her and took a step back. “Can I get you another glass of wine?”

With a swift shake of her head, she said, “It’s getting late. I have to go.”

He didn’t point out that it was barely ten o’clock. He just said, “I’ll walk you home.”

She brushed a stray lock of hair back from her face. “You don’t have to, you know. You could stay and enjoy yourself.”

It was his turn to shake his head. “I’m ready to go, too, but first I suppose we should say goodbye to our hosts.”

Tess aimed a look around her. “Somehow it doesn’t amaze me that they’re nowhere in sight. I’ll talk to Sally tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Jordan agreed as they started for the front of the house. “Will you tell her I said thanks for inviting me?”

“I’d be glad to. Right after I tell her a few other things.”

THEY WERE HALFWAY HOME by the time Jordan finally decided that, with the least encouragement on her part, he would kiss the woman walking beside him when they got to her door. It was something he’d been mulling over ever since he’d released her after that dance and dropped his arms when he only wanted to haul her closer, because holding her had felt so damn good. But he’d figured she wouldn’t appreciate being swept up in full view of a crowd of onlookers and carried off into the night. Which was exactly what everything inside him had firmly urged him to do, right then and there.

No, he’d settle for a kiss. And not a long one, either. Just a short, small taste of those naturally rosy lips. That’s what he had in mind.

Jordan snorted under his breath. Who was he kidding? His mind had little to do with it. Other parts of him were a lot more involved. They were, in fact, primed for action. But he could—and would—keep them in check.

The question was: Would he get any encouragement?

Tess hadn’t said much beyond a few words since they’d left the party. Neither had he. Still there was no uneasiness in the silence between them, not that he could detect. Could be she was comfortable being alone with him despite that humming instant of up-close-and-personal eye contact during their dance. Or she might be too busy plotting revenge for her friend’s meddling to spare a thought for discomfort.

Whatever the case, he figured it was to his advantage. If she wasn’t uptight about the situation, chances were a brief good-night kiss could be taken as no more than a casual end to a pleasant evening. She didn’t have to know how much he wanted a taste of her.

Just a small taste, Jordan reminded himself, and repeated the inner warning for good measure when they arrived at their destination minutes later and mounted the low front steps. As they stood under the soft glow cast by the porch light overhead, her fine-grained skin again took on a golden gleam, and Jordan’s hands fisted in his pockets, where they’d remained during the short walk.

He vowed to keep them there and off that petal-smooth skin. No matter what.

“Thanks for seeing me home,” Tess said, finally breaking the quiet all around them.

“You’re welcome,” he replied, stark huskiness in his tone.

She drew a sharp breath, as if she’d recognized what his vocal chords had revealed. It was something a man had a difficult time hiding when a female was in sight who stirred everything male in him. He’d been lucky to conceal it this long.

Once again their gazes locked. Once again silence stretched between them. But this time there was nothing comfortable about it.

This time, tension snapped in the calm, balmy air.

“Well, I suppose I should go in,” Tess murmured at last. But she didn’t move a muscle, just stared at him with clear blue eyes. And that turned out to be all the encouragement Jordan required.

Without a word, he bent his head and put his mouth on hers, felt soft lips part slightly under his, and didn’t think it was in shock. In welcome, was what he told himself, what he wanted to believe as he tilted his chin and angled his mouth for a better fit. His tongue probed gently, gradually found entry, and tasted what awaited him.

Just one small taste.

And all at once his whole body clenched with need and craved more. A lot more. So much more, the sudden hunger twisting through him threatened to make him growl. He needed more badly, and he needed it now.

He didn’t realize his hands had left his pockets until his palms cupped delicate shoulders, had no awareness of his arms tugging a slender figure closer until soft breasts brushed the solid wall of his chest. The kiss, already longer than he’d bargained for, turned hard and heated in a hurry as the puzzling pull he’d experienced on their first meeting made a swift return. Far stronger now, it drew him in, urged him on and wiped out any thought of bringing things to a halt.

The hell with everything, he told himself. He wasn’t stopping. Not yet.

Tess clutched the corded forearms of the man who held her and tried to cling as tightly to her common sense. They were in clear view of the entire neighborhood, kissing each other as if their lives depended on it, as though the world would end if they so much as paused from a greedy meld of lips, teeth and tongues to take the barest breath.

Thank goodness most of her neighbors were still at the party, because she was participating to the hilt in what seemed like total madness, she couldn’t deny. Jordan might have initially taken her by surprise, but she’d caught up quickly. Three years was a long time to go without kissing a virile male. She hadn’t realized exactly how long until a firm mouth had come down on hers.

Yet the bald truth was that more than mere years separated her from the heady wonders of being kissed like this, with such towering need and single-minded intensity. She had, in fact, never been kissed like this. Ever. Never had she felt as if reality were about to go up in smoke. When it did in the next instant, Tess clung even tighter to those strong arms and gave herself up to the moment.

No past existed; no future waited. Only the present mattered, and pulling her mind back to full awareness of her surroundings was no longer an option. She’d already made the choice to lose herself in the pleasure this man’s kiss could give her. And to enjoy every minute of it.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.