He wasn’t expecting the contact. She felt his surprise in the tension in his body. For a second he didn’t react, but she held her ground, moving her mouth against his. Teasing. Promising.
One heartbeat. Two.
He grabbed her arms with both hands and held on tight. At the same time his tongue pushed into her mouth, plunging and exploring with enough heat to set Texas on fire. She was instantly lost in erotic sensations as she strained to get closer, kiss deeper. To feel everything.
His mouth was hungry, giving and taking. She met him stroke for stroke. Every part of her body yelled for attention. Her breasts ached, her legs trembled and that place between her thighs clenched tightly.
Nick pulled back and stood. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Izzy drew in a slow breath and smiled. Oh, yeah. That was good. There was no mercy kissing going on in this world. Nick wanted her as much as she wanted him. Maybe more.
She rose to her feet and felt like a cat in the sun. All languid and content. If she knew how to purr, she would have.
“Just checking,” she said. The confidence she’d been missing since the explosion all rushed back. “You’re good-looking, right? My sisters said you were hot, but they might have been saying that to be nice. Because of what you’re doing for me.”
“What?” He sounded both confused and outraged. “Your sisters?”
“I’m asking because I generally date good-looking guys. I know it’s shallow of me, but it’s a standard. Part of my charm, I guess.”
“We’re not dating.”
She held in a laugh. There it was. The clench-teeth voice she was growing to adore. If only she could see the look on his face. She would bet his eyes glowed with annoyed fire and that he had tightened his fists in frustration. It was good to be her.
“I know.” She reached up and patted his cheek. “I mean, we’re already living together. But we’re involved and I do have my reputation to think of. Don’t worry about it. I’ll ask Aaron. He’ll tell me the truth. Hmm, now that I think about it, Aaron’s always going on about how yummy you are, so never mind. I have my answer.”
“We are not involved.”
She tilted her head. “Silly man. You can’t kiss me like that and think there aren’t going to be consequences.”
He muttered something she couldn’t hear.
“Vowing never to kiss me again?” she asked with a smile. “We both know that’s not going to happen.” She moved closer, until they were touching everywhere and she could feel his arousal. “Want to test the theory?”
She expected him to cut and run. Instead he ran his fingers down the side of her face, then rubbed his thumb across her mouth.
“This is a mistake,” he said in a low voice that made her shiver. “All of it. I don’t get involved. Ever.”
Her mouth went dry. She had to clear her throat before she could speak. “Are you challenging me? I love a good challenge.”
“I’ll bet you do.”
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with a hungry passion that made her ache with longing. He claimed her with his mouth, even as his hands moved up and down her back.
She wanted to get closer to him, to crawl inside him. She wanted them both naked. She wanted to touch every inch of him, and have him touch her in return. She wanted breathless cries of surrender. She wanted him filling her, taking her, making her scream.
He pulled back. “I can’t do this.”
She stared at him, wishing she could see his face as more than blurry features she couldn’t make clear. “Why?”
“Because I can’t be what you need.”
“Cryptic guy statements never do it for me. Let’s talk about something else. Like how much you want me.”
“Wanting you isn’t the problem,” he said and abruptly left.
He was good at leaving, she thought. Too good. Which meant he did it a lot. Fine by her—she wasn’t looking for anything permanent. She wanted Nick and she would get him. In her bed…or his.
She laughed as she headed for the barn. For the first time since the explosion, she felt fully like herself again. Izzy was back and Nick had better watch out.
CHAPTER EIGHT
GARTH PARKED HIS CAR and reached for the grande latte from Starbucks. Extra foam, two sugars, just the way Kathy liked it. He tried to get over to Titanville every few days, but didn’t always make it. Sometimes he got busy, sometimes he couldn’t face Kathy’s happy smile and trusting expression.
He told himself she was fine. That she didn’t remember much about what she’d been like before. He told himself that she loved the pet store and that he should be relieved he was able to take care of her. Sometimes he nearly believed it. Most of the time he didn’t.He’d bought the pet store for her about twelve years ago. He had a manager in place and plenty of employees. Kathy didn’t have any specific responsibilities. She mostly took care of the animals and decided which ones got adopted by whom. He’d heard she had a gift for matching the right person with the right pet. Not that he gave a damn. As long as she enjoyed her day, the rest of the world could go to hell.