Her mouth dropped open and she burst into giggles. Even with her tan complexion, her face reddened.
What did I say that for? Now I’ve embarrassed her and she’ll probably wear sweats and bulky hoodies from now on.How could he salvage the situation? Apologize? Laugh with her? No. He just listened to his gut, strode over to her, pulled her into his embrace, and kissed her. He wanted there to be no misunderstanding. He didn’t wait for permission. He took possession of her lips and delivered his message resolutely.
Her body molded to his and she wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders. He didn’t want to stop kissing her, but neither did he want to seem overanxious. He pulled back slowly, and still holding her he said, “You’re irresistible, you know.”
She lowered her head and let out a nervous giggle, but she didn’t pull away and maintained a friendly smile. Apparently going with his gut had been the right thing to do. He leaned in for another kiss and this time her lips parted, slightly. He slipped his tongue in her mouth and their tongues touched.
She tasted like apples and cinnamon. She smelled good too—kind of like spicy vanilla. A small moan escaped her soft lips.I know what you mean, babe.
Their tongues swirled as if caressing each other. Jason knewhe wasn’t a bad kisser, but this was the first time he’d felt like his lips were an incomplete puzzle that had found their missing piece. They fit together perfectly.
He didn’t know how long they’d been standing there kissing when he reluctantly let her go. She touched her full bottom lip as if it tingled.
He inhaled deeply and let out a long breath. “Man.”
“You can say that again.”
Merry wandered through Jason’s apartment, barely taking in the details, while he opened and poured the wine. She hadn’t expected to be kissed so soon but had hoped things would head in that direction by the end of the night—still, she wasn’t about to complain. A twinge of nervousness niggled at her, but how could she find out if this handsome man, who had plenty of money and could probably attract any woman he wanted, wanted her for a fling or more than that?
Merry knew what she wanted. Love, a home, and a family. Sure, a good time at first so she’d have some wild memories to keep her entertained while sitting around in a nursing home, but love, eventually and ultimately. Possibly more than a man like Jason Falco was willing to consider.
Merry’s realistic nature acknowledged that love didn’t always happen without heartbreak, but her optimistic side hoped to avoid it, nonetheless. Her lips still tingled. His line about her being irresistible might have been cliché, but that kiss certainly wasn’t.
She suddenly realized she had bypassed an exercise room and had been standing in his bedroom for quite a while. Her attention focused on the king-sized pedestal bed, covered in white linens, a white duvet, and loads of white pillows. Whywould a single guy need such a huge bed? Obviously, he wasn’t planning to sleep alone. But there was enough room in this one for three and the surface sat so low that no one would get hurt if, in all the rolling around, someone slid off onto the white carpet…Oh!Damn, wasn’t that every man’s fantasy? And if he could have anything he wanted…Eek.
“Like it?” he said from the doorway.
She startled. “Oh, uh… What?”
He held out a glass of red wine to her. “Do you like my place?”
“Yeah! Of course. Who wouldn’t?”
“I wouldn’t. I think it’s cold and sterile.”
“Really? Huh, come to think of it, it kind of reminds me of the hospital.” She took a sip of her wine, and it trickled down surprisingly smoothly. She usually thought of reds as bitter, but this mellow brand might help her survive the evening. The idea of kinky aerobics had her shivering inside, yet she wasn’t chilly. If anything, her warm cheeks grew warmer.
“I notice that everything is pretty low to the floor.”
“I know. Isn’t that ridiculous? I had to go and buy myself one chair I could sit in without stretching my legs all the way out. I’m six feet tall. I still can’t figure out who the designer had in mind when she picked out this stuff. Dwarfs?”
“It looks like all seven dwarfs could fit in this bed.” She glanced back at it, then noticed a gleam in his blue eyes as he smiled. Warning alarms sounded in her head.
But he answered nonchalantly. “The seven dwarfs worked in a mine, didn’t they? All this white furniture and bedding would turn gray in a week.”
“Well, let’s go back to your living room,” she said a little too abruptly.
They bypassed the living room and decided to skip the small talk and go right to dinner.
He pulled out the chair for her. That made her smile.Well, things look as though they’re back on track.
And, how! Merry didn’t sit but faced him and pulled his arms around her waist. She delivered another one of her mind-blowing kisses, then swept aside the dishes. She lay back on the table and crooked her little finger at him.
Jason approached her like a panther stalking its prey. He walked forward on his hands and leaned over her. As he kissed her again, she cupped her hand around his hot, throbbing… Mercy!He shivered.
“Is everything okay? Are you going to sit down too?”
Crap. It was just a fantasy.Someday, however, he wanted that particular fantasy to come true.
