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“Hello,” he replied, continuing to devour her with his eyes. On the stage the other night, he’d been too captivated by her face and her outrageous behavior to truly look at the rest of her. Oh, he’d known she felt amazing in his arms, but he hadn’t realized just how lush and curvy her body was. Not until now, when he saw the deepV of cleavage revealed by her tank top, and the full hips outlined beneath the tight jean skirt. Not skinny, she was beautifully curved and soft—incredibly feminine and so damned appealing he forgot to breathe for a few seconds.
“I was just passing by, on my lunch break,” she said. “Sure didn’t expect to look over and see you here.”
“Am I going to get tackled by your concerned friends and neighbors if I ask you to join me?”
One of her brows shot up in confusion, and she quickly took stock of the situation around them. The confusion changed into a frown when she realized they were being watched. “Small town.”
Rising to his feet, he stepped close. “Every resident of which seems to be on vigilant guard of your virtue.”
She laughed, the light sound matched by the sparkle in her eyes. “My virtue? Maybe you are straight out of a pirate romance novel.” Then she lowered her gaze, her smile fading as her eyes noted his Jacksonville Jaguars T-shirt and his tight, faded jeans. “Though you do the contemporary look pretty well, too.”
There was that forthright honesty again. No game-playing, no flirtation. No pretending she hadn’t practically kissed his lungs out last weekend.
She was attracted to him, as much as he was to her. “Maybe you should tell me your last name and phone number now, before someone whisks you away from the big, bad carny man.”
She rolled her eyes. Opening her mouth to reply, she was interrupted. “Allie, come join us,” one of the mothers called, her tone more commanding than cajoling.
She sighed. “Okay. Apparently, some of my friends and neighbors are a bit overprotective.” She waved nonchalantly and told the woman that she’d catch up later.
“Have they had you tied up and hidden since last week?”
“Sorry. Not into bondage.”
A reluctant laugh crossed his lips. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised but considering you faked hypnosis to steal a kiss from a helpless man, I have to wonder what your limits are.”
“Handcuffs and chains are definitely outside my limits.”
“Aw, shucks.”
She gave him a sharp-knuckled punch to the shoulder and even that contact felt so good coming from her that he wanted to grab her hand, open his mouth on her palm and devour her.
As if sensing his thoughts, she stepped away. “Let’s walk.”
To the nearest hotel would be good.
She didn’t head for a hotel. Instead, she led him through the tiny downtown area of Trouble. Ignoring the looks of everyone they passed—most of whom greeted Allie with a smile and Damon with a glare—they talked about the weather. And the lousy coffee in the local restaurants. And the carnival. And her job as a secretary to a local millionaire. And nothing important at all.
One surprise was her age. Allie was twenty-two. Not too young for his twenty-eight, but it still took him by surprise. She looked young, of course, but there was a wisdom—an air of experience—in her tone, and her matter-of-fact outlook. It intrigued him, made him wonder what the rest of her story was, why she seemed older than her years.
“So where have you been this past week?” he asked after they returned to the park. The crowd had thinned out, with only one or two moms watching their kids.
“Have you really been trying to find me?”
He could have kept things easy, come back with a flirtatious answer, but he didn’t. The truth was a deep want had existed within him since the moment he’d seen her. The reaction wasn’t shocking, considering his sex life had been so dormant lately. But the power of his interest in only her surprised him. He’d never been immediately hit by such intense attraction for any woman before now. Her shadowy silhouette, those amazing eyes and incredible mouth had created a powerful first impression. Her actions…the determined way she’d taken what she wanted, and how damn good the kiss had been, made her unforgettable.
And their simple walk today made him realize one thing more—he liked her. So he didn’t try to pretend, and he held nothing back. Not his interest. Not his intensity. Not his intentions. “I’ve been searching for you every single day since the night we met.”
“Oh,” she whispered. Her full lips parted, and she breathed deeper. Stepping in until her mouth was close to his throat, he felt her soft exhalations as well as the warmth of her body. His responded with typical heat, and Damon realized just how much he’d missed his previously healthy interest in sex.
“Have you been hiding?” he asked, reaching up to touch her arm. A mere stroke of his fingers on her elbow, it was loaded with sensation just the same. “Purposely staying away from me?”
She shook her head, thought better of it, and slowly nodded a yes.
“Embarrassed because you went for something you wanted? A lot of people would love to have the guts to do the same thing.”
“I wasn’t embarrassed. I was afraid.”
“Afraid?”
