After the Christmas Party(90)

“After the past two weeks you aren’t sure that I’m totally fascinated by you and want to spend every second of my time with you?”

Wow. That’s all that her brain could register. Just wow. Wow. Wow. Riley’s words seemed so foreign, so far-fetched, yet she heard his sincerity, saw the truth in the way he looked at her. He looked at her as she’d never been looked at, as if she was the most precious being on earth.

“I’m scared,” she heard herself say, knowing her words were as true as his, shocked, though, that she was admitting her fear to him. Wasn’t that exposing just how vulnerable she really was?

“Don’t be scared of me, Trinity. I’d never intentionally hurt you.”

Intentionally. Which meant she likely would be hurt at some point down the line. Her life had taught her to expect no less. But she wasn’t going to hold back, wasn’t going to let the past or fear dictate who she was. Not when it came to Riley. Was she?

At this moment she was a woman sitting on a romantic beach, touching a fantasy man who was quickly encompassing her whole world.

He wanted to be here, with her. He thought she was beautiful, he wanted her, and he didn’t mind telling her, showing her.

When he was with her she didn’t get the impression that he wanted to be anywhere except right with her. When he looked at her she didn’t get the impression that he wished she were someone else.

He wanted her.

He lifted her hand to his lips, kissed her fingertips.

“I have sand on my fingers.” And tears in her eyes. Why was she crying?

“Doesn’t matter.” He kissed the top of her hand, gently turned her arm to press his lips to her wrist, then he kissed her there. Gentle kisses where his lips lightly brushed across the tender skin, heating her blood. Brilliant kisses that made her mind go in thousands of directions, all of which involved him.

She shivered and scooted closer to him, grazed her knuckles across his clean-shaven jaw. “Smooth.”

He chuckled. “The better to kiss you without worrying about scratching you.”

“I’m not a dainty flower that easily wilts.”

“You want scratched?”

“I want kissed.”

“I’m a man who aims to please.”

When his lips covered hers, he didn’t kiss her with the gentle pressure he’d kissed her goodnight with each night. No, he kissed her with the mouth of a man who was hungry. Hungry and wanting to devour her.

As if he wanted her so much he couldn’t not kiss her that way.

The sensation was heady.

Trinity’s head spun she felt so light, so good, so unreal.

Riley was unreal.

Because no way was such a beautiful man kissing her as if he couldn’t get enough, as if he wanted, no, needed, everything she could give him.

She wanted to give him everything.

But if she did, would it be the beginning of the end, the way it had been with Chase?

Would Riley find her so lacking between the sheets that he wouldn’t want her any more and would wonder why he’d ever thought he had thought her something special?

Or did sex even matter that much to him?

His mouth moved lower, to her neck, trailing hot kisses, making love to her skin.

Um, yeah, this was a man who cared about sex. No doubt about it.

Which meant she was in big trouble.





CHAPTER NINE



RILEY FELT THE difference in Trinity’s response and pulled back. “You okay? Am I coming on too strong? I didn’t mean to move too fast.”

He’d known better than to rush things, but he’d thought…No matter what he’d thought. The reality was they’d only known each other for two weeks and he had moved too fast. She was scooting away from him, standing, brushing the sand off her clothes, and was a million miles away from him.

“You’re fine.”

Fine? Not the adjective he wanted to be called when he was on fire for her and had just been kissing her with a great amount of gusto.

Mindless kisses that had been all about feeling and emotion and had had little to do with thought or intentions.

“The wind just felt a little chilly. That’s all. I want to finish our walk now.”

Just what every man wanted to hear when he was on the verge of making love to a woman he was crazy about. When he’d been overcome with passion and she’d…she’d decided she wanted to finish their walk. Oh, yeah, he’d pushed too soon. Only had he really? She’d wanted him, too. Had he done something wrong? Or was she playing games with him?

“Okay, we’ll walk.” He stood, brushed his clothes off, and took her hand.

He wasn’t sure she wanted him holding her hand either, but he wasn’t going to let her shut him out after the kiss they’d just shared.