Page 20 of Catch a Tiger

He opens his trunk and pulls something out, but it’s too dark to see what it is.

When he sits down next to her, he passes her a grocery bag. She opens it and finds snacks inside, and then she lifts her gaze to his with a questioning expression.

“Didn’t want you to go hungry,” he murmurs and then looks back to the city.

“You’re always feeding me,” she teases.

He smiles without looking at her. She pulls out some grapes and sets the bag by their feet. Popping a grape in her mouth, she turns to him and chews thoughtfully. “Are you always this way with women?”

“Feeding them?”

“Yeah. And kind. And caring.”

His eyebrows raise and he chuckles under his breath. “No.”

“So just me then?”

“Yes,” he answers simply.

She’s not going to lie and say that the thought doesn’t thrill her. “I must be special or something.”

He finally looks at her, and his eyes are smoldering with heat, flecked by the stars and moon. He’s absolutely as breathtaking as the view. “You are.”

She frowns a little. “What makes me so special?”

It’s his turn to frown as he thinks over his answer. “I haven’t exactly put my finger on it. We click, is the closest thing I can come to it. I haven’t clicked with someone in a long time.”

“So,” she begins, drawing out the word. “We’re just friends?” She nibbles on her lip for a moment.

“Not if you don’t want to be. We can be more if you want. I won’t pressure you into anything. If you just want to remain friends, I’ll understand.”

“No, no!” she nearly shouts, breaking the peace that’s around them. “I just wanted to make sure that we are on the same page.” She pushes hair behind her ear and gathers up some nerve. “I like you, Mark. If you wanted to be just friends, I’d probably walk away from you.”

“Why?”

She peeks at him from under her lashes. “Because I’m way too attracted to you to just have a friendship. Being just friends with you would break my heart.”

He grabs her hand again and squeezes. She finds it comforting, so she scoots closer to him, her body still angled to face him.

“I’d feel the same way.”

“So . . . we aren’t going to see anyone else, right? Especially while we figure this out?”

He turns a grin to her and leans in close. His breath fans her face when he says, “No. I’d appreciate it if we didn’t.”

“Okay,” she whispers. Suddenly, her mouth is dry. His closeness makes all of her thoughts just flee from her mind and makes her body do strange things. She’s never been around a guy who can make her hormones go haywire.

“Maria?” he says after a moment of simply staring at her. He drops his gaze to her lips.

“Hmm?”

“What would you do if I kissed you again?”

She swallows with difficulty. “I wouldn’t object.”

Without another word, he presses his lips to hers. Just like before, the kiss is soft and exploring, but then he teases her bottom lip with his tongue. She opens for him, and his tongue dives inside, exploring her mouth.

He makes a rumble of contentment, lets go of her hand, and plunges it into the nape of her hair. She moans when he tugs a little, angling her head so that their kiss can go even deeper. The kiss makes her feel like she’s on fire, like she’s being consumed by a blazing inferno. It feels like their kiss goes on forever, and soon, they’re both breathing hard.