"You're hurting me," she snapped when he poked her to get her moving. He wasn't, she just didn't want him touching her. It made her incapable of thinking clearly and thinking clearly was mandatory at this point.
"I am not," he came right back, but he relented on the nudging when she started moving towards the door.
Okay, yeah – that had been another lie, but he didn't need to call her on it so forcefully. So she stuck to her guns. "You are too! You can't tell me that you're not hurting me, Mike! If I say you're hurting me, then you're hurting me."
He laughed and kissed the top of her head, enjoying her temper probably more than he should. "You're tougher than you look."
She wasn't sure if she should be indignant about that. But by the time she'd made a decision, he'd already closed the door.
They were in a secluded area of the church, a space not many people went through because there were easier ways to get to the administrative offices or the Sunday school classrooms. She looked around, shocked that she was now alone with Mike. "What are we … ?"
She couldn't finish that question because he'd already pulled her into his arms and was kissing her. Not just kissing her. Mike never "just" kissed, she was starting to realize. He devoured. He possessed! She felt like he was trying to taste her in ways that were too wicked to contemplate … except she was contemplating. Oh boy, was she contemplating!!
Over and over again, he slanted his mouth over hers and she was his willing accomplice in this sinful endeavor. Except it didn't feel sinful. Not in any way was his touch or his kiss sinful. It felt marvelous. In his arms, with him holding her like this, she felt like everything was finally "right" in her world. The way his strong arms held her close to his body, the way his fingers curled around her waist, his arms tightened as they wrapped her up, pulling her higher so that their bodies fit together perfectly, was like coming home. But in a wild and wicked way that she loved!
Her body seemed to know exactly what to do because her arms were already around his neck, her fingers in his hair and she pressed her body against his, needing that contact against his muscles more than she needed her next breath.
"Don't stop!" she gasped when he pulled back.
"Halley, come to my place. We can't do this here."
She shook her head. "Not to your place."
He sighed and pulled her against him. "Fine, I'll follow you to yours." His teeth nipped at her neck, making her gasp and shift again. Why wouldn't he just shut up and kiss her again? She wanted so badly to feel his lips, to taste him, and know what it was like to lose herself in his kiss, to not know anything other than Mike and everything about him surrounding her, making her crazy.
"No. Not my place either."
Mike was in heaven and hell. He loved the way she was moving against him, feeling her arms around his neck and she tasted better than he'd thought possible. But why the hell was she saying they couldn't head back to his place or hers? Where did she think this interlude was heading?
He grabbed her arms and pulled her away from him. "Halley, look at me!" he growled.
It took her a moment to open her eyes because all she wanted to do was feel those incredible sensations that streaked through her body whenever he kissed her. "Halley!"
She jerked at his gravelly tone, her eyes coming open. "What?" she snapped right back.
He waited until her eyes were open and focused on him. "If not my place or yours, then where?"
Halley was slowly coming to her senses. She looked up at him, then at his chest. Her eyes were having a bit of trouble focusing, but who wouldn't after Mike kissed her like that? It was excusable! Good grief, she should receive a medal for even opening her eyes at this point. But then her eyes traveled lower, taking in the bulge in his slacks and she was amazed. Her heart was pounding, her eyes felt like they were bulging out of her head and … her hand. It was reaching towards that place on him. She wanted to feel him. She wanted to touch that part of him, explore and understand. She'd never seen anything so big!
"May I … ?" she asked, licking her lips while her eyes darted up to his and then back down, drawn to that bulge, fascinated!
Mike laughed, thinking this was retribution for teasing her during the service. He looked up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry!" he said to God, shaking his head as if contrite. But he wasn't. No way! Halley was in his arms, she'd been kissing him and now … now she wanted more!