Did she have no idea what she’d done? How perfect that picture was? “Look at it again.”
Slowly she turned back. “The lighting isn’t great and there’s blurriness down at the bottom…” She stopped and for a long moment said nothing. Then she murmured at last, “It’s good, isn’t it?” She sounded as if she didn’t really want it to be.
“It’s not just good, sweetheart. It’s genius. Hell, I’m just a dumb rugby player and even I can see it.”
His gaze shifted to her obdurate back, black hair in glossy contrast to the dark blue silk of her shirt. “Surely you must have done spontaneous shots like this before?”
She sighed. “Once. A while ago I did some arty stuff but it didn’t really work out. Now, I do everything in the studio. It’s where I have most control over the product.”
“Control is not necessarily always a good thing, Jude. Why do you need it so badly?”
She straightened. “Because then the only person I have to rely on is me.” Slowly she turned round. “And so far I’ve never let myself down.”
Yeah, he’d let her down once, he knew that. But he could make it up to her. He would make it up to her. Show her he could be someone she could count on, not stupid Abs of Steele with his parties and his playmates.
The sun-and-flower scent of her began to creep into his senses, stealing his train of thought. She was so close. Close enough that he could see how fast the pulse at her throat was beating, the sapphire of the fantail’s eye glittering. See the faint outlines of her black lace bra through the silk of her shirt.
Caleb reached out, took her chin in his hand, and forced her gaze back to his. “I won’t let you down, Jude,” he said thickly, trying to stay on track because this was important, but mostly failing. “Not again. I promise.” His thumb moved, tracing the line of her lower lip. It felt as soft as he remembered.
Her throat moved, her mouth opening slightly as he stroked it. “It doesn’t matter now.” Somehow she’d moved even closer to him, and he could hear her breathing, uneven and fast.
“It does matter.” He wanted to kiss her. Wanted more of what they’d had back in the locker room. And he could, couldn’t he? “I want to make you smile. Make you laugh. Make you happy. I want to be someone you can count on.”
Her gaze seemed to be fixated on his mouth. “Caleb…” Her hand was pressed against his chest, fingers spread, and he could feel the heat of it go right through the cotton.
Oh God. Perhaps this was a mistake. Perhaps this was going to be too much for both of them. But if so, it was too late. Because right about now the flammable mixture of memory and chemistry was going to blow up in his face.
…
Judith shivered as Caleb’s thumb made another gentle pass over her lower lip, chills chasing over her skin. This was crazy. Wasn’t she supposed to be angry with him? And yet she just couldn’t seem to make her feet move. Couldn’t seem to make herself take a step away.
Desire coiled inside her, a sensation she’d never felt for any other guy, no matter how many abortive dates she’d gone on. It was always Caleb. It had only ever been Caleb.
“Yes,” she breathed, unable to stop the words coming out of her mouth. “I want that, too. I want…to trust you. It’s just that I’m scared. You broke my heart once, Caleb…”
“Ah, God, darling,” he murmured. “I know and I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”
All her earlier anger had vanished, her concentration narrowed down to the movement of his thumb and the way her mouth tingled. The heat of his tall, muscular body so close to her own. The familiar scent of his aftershave.
What were they talking about again? She couldn’t keep track of it.
“You smell the same,” she whispered, half dizzy with the sudden want that had come over her. “Still. After all these years.” So close now. All she’d have to do is lean forward a bit, rise up on her toes a bit, and she’d be kissing him.
“So do you.” His voice sounded rough. “God, you’re driving me crazy. The things I want to do to you…” His thumb kept up that maddening caress, making her forget what she was doing. Forget everything but the fact that she wanted Caleb Steele and always had.
“Things such as what?” Her fingers curled in the cotton of his shirt, holding on as her knees weakened.
“Such as this.” He bent his head and his mouth took hers in a kiss that nearly made her knees give out altogether.
Oh yes…God, yes… Her other hand had moved to his chest as well, both of them clenching hard in the material of his shirt, holding on, as she opened her mouth to let him in. Deepen the kiss.