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“Understandable.” She rose.
He stood with her. “Can you see past that?”
“I have to see past that. The January replacements are already underway.”
“Always business with you.”
Her voice was a whisper, but the hurt was clear. “That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it?” He drank in her beauty.
“I’m doing everything I can to help Kayla.”
He couldn’t stop himself. He had to touch her. He ran his index finger along the curve of her chin.
His voice was guttural. “While I’m doing everything I can to save myself.”
She didn’t bolt, and he stroked his spread fingers into her hair. Then he leaned down to mesh his lips to hers, letting the power of his longing obliterate all good sense.
* * *
Angelica knew that the last thing in the world she should be doing right now was kissing Evan. But she didn’t stop. She couldn’t stop.
His lips were tender, firm, hot against her own. He knew just when to apply pressure and when to back off. His tongue flicked out, setting off a spiral of sensation through her body, drawing a moan from deep in her chest. She stepped in, pressing full length against him, blindly setting her wineglass on a side table.
His free arm went around her waist and he pulled her close, kissing her deeply. Then he moved to the corners of her mouth, across her cheek, down her neck, easing open the collar of her shirt.
“We can’t do this,” she murmured, more to herself than to him.
“We won’t,” he breathed. “We never do.”
His words didn’t make sense. “We don’t?”
He popped a button on her shirt. “I always wake up far too soon.”
“Oh. Okay.” She’d dreamed about him too. She didn’t always wake up too soon, but she wasn’t about to admit that he’d satisfied her many times in her sleep.
He popped another button. His lips were warm, the autumn breeze cool on her skin.
She ran her fingers through his short hair, inhaled his familiar scent, closed her eyes and let herself revel in the cocoon of Evan. Her free hand went to his shoulder, sliding over his bicep, and she was reminded of his strength. She kissed his chest through his T-shirt, fighting an urge to tear it off. She wanted to taste his skin.
Before she knew it, her shirt was open. He slipped his hands beneath, moving them to her bare back. She felt her nipples tighten against her bra, and she pressed her breasts to his warm, broad chest.
His voice was strained. “This feels so damn right.”
“I know.” Her hands had moved to the waist of his jeans. She was pulling his T-shirt free, reaching beneath it to stroke his bare skin.
He swore under his breath. Then his hand fisted around the hem of her blouse. He took a step backward, tugging her along. She stepped forward. Then she took another step, knowing where they were going. They’d been there before, made love there before, in a secluded alcove at the edge of the patio, screened by a rose-covered trellis.
She dared to look into his eyes. They were dark and intense, smoldering coffee. She knew she should tell him no. One of them had to put a stop to this, and Evan looked like he was past the point of reason.
But her vocal cords weren’t working. His intense gaze trapped her own, and she felt her pulse rate jump. Her skin was flushed with arousal, itching against her tailored blouse and straight skirt.
The light dimmed around them. As he backed up against the log wall, the momentum propelled her forward, and she braced her hands on his shoulders, coming flush against his body. He instantly kissed her. His lips were hotter than before, more intense, his tongue probing deeper.
This was such a terribly bad idea.
But his hands were on the clasp of her bra. And then it was free, and he pushed the shirt and bra from her shoulders. His hand closed over her breast, and she moaned against his lips. He stroked her nipple with his thumb, making her knees go weak.
“I’ve missed you,” he rasped, even as his hand stroked over her rear, coming to the hem of her skirt before reversing to slide upward.
“Evan,” she managed.
She didn’t know what else to say. She could stop him with a word, but she’d missed him so much. She’d missed his kiss, his touch, his voice and his scent.
His fingertips grazed her panties, and passion surged within her. She couldn’t wait another second.
“Now,” she whimpered. “Oh, please, now.”
He’d heard the words before, and he jerked to action. He stripped off her panties, still kissing her deeply. He loosened his jeans. Then he lifted her, turning to brace her against the wall.
He was inside her in seconds, and she nearly wept with relief. The sensation was so familiar, so satisfying and so intensely arousing. He moved, and she pressed her face to the crook of his neck. Her hands clasped his back, fisting into the fabric of his T-shirt.
His breathing was heavy. He’d broken out in a sweat. He knew just when to slow down and just when to speed up. His fingertips teased, while his lips left moist circles on her neck and shoulders.
All she could do was hang on tight, while her world tilted over the horizon, and color and sound hazed her brain.
“Evan,” she cried, and his hand closed over her mouth.
She cried out again, but the sound was muffled.
“Angie,” he whispered in her ear. “Angie, Angie, Angie.”
Her body contracted, and her arms convulsed. Evan groaned, holding her tight, kissing her hard, his body shuddering and then going still.
After long minutes, she blinked her eyes open to see the stars, the black outline of the barn, the glow of the deck lights filtering through the rose bush. It was the intensely familiar sight of Big Blue. Reality was all around her, and she was practically naked in Evan’s arms.
“Uh oh,” she muttered.
“I know we shouldn’t have done that.”
She drew back to look at him, her body still joined with his. “Can you think of a single dignified move I can make here?”
“I can’t,” he admitted.
“This is mortifying.”
“Yeah. Okay. Well, maybe in a minute I’ll work my way up to mortified. Right now I’m still feeling pretty satisfied.”
She bopped him in the shoulder. “Well, stop.”
“I’ll try.”
“Evan, we just had sex.”
“No kidding.”
“We can’t do that.”
“Turns out, we can.”
“Will you please be serious?”
“I am being serious. I’ll be appalled in a minute. But right now, well...” He glanced at her bare breasts. “I want to memorize the moment.”
“You have to forget all about this moment.” She was going to find a way to do exactly that.
“Okay,” he agreed.
“I mean it, Evan. We have to forget this ever happened.”
“I will.”
But then he kissed her, and she automatically kissed him back. It was tender and sweet, and it felt like goodbye.
“I’m sorry, Angie,” he whispered as he eased them apart.
He set her gently on the ground, smoothing her skirt and adjusting his jeans. Then he stepped away to pick up her blouse and bra.
In the few seconds it took him, she struggled to regroup. It had been a slipup, for sure. But now that they’d done it, now that the urge was out of her system, perhaps things would get easier.
“You’re going to the office in the morning?” he asked handing her the clothes.
“Yes.” She shrugged into the lacy white bra, trying to forget that he was watching.
“You want some help?”
She felt a flash of annoyance. “I don’t need your help.”
“I got to know Noah pretty well over the past few months.”
Having her shirt back on gave her confidence. “I can handle Noah.”
“I’m not saying you can’t. They’re going to see your ring.”
She reflexively glanced at her left hand, fighting a surge of emotion that came along with the sight of the diamond.
“They’ll think I’m back in the game,” Evan continued. “It wouldn’t be so strange for me to show up with you.”
“I’ll tell them you’re not working for Lassiter Media. We’re not pretending that,” she warned. “Not even temporarily.”
“I agree.”
“That’s a first.”
He took a step closer. “Hey, I agreed we shouldn’t make love.”
“Fat lot of good that did me.”
He flexed a grin. “What is it you and Noah disagree on?”
“None of your business.”
“I’m trying to help.”
“Don’t.”
“Seriously, Angie. Is there some kind of trouble?”
“No trouble, Evan. None at all.” Well, except for the fact that she’d just had sex with her ex-fiancé. That was definitely trouble.
She refastened the last button then met his eyes. She didn’t have the faintest idea what to say in this situation. Simple seemed best.
“Goodnight, Evan.”
“Goodnight, Angie.”
She moved past him.
“Sleep well,” he called from behind.
She didn’t acknowledge his words. Instead, she retrieved her wineglass on the way across the patio and headed for the staircase to her bedroom. She would sleep well, she told herself. For a few hours at least, she was going to forget about everything complicated in her life.
