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She leaned in, hands on his jacket, then around his neck, pulling them closer again.

With another groan, Burke wrapped his arms around her, and the kiss turned hot enough to melt the snow around them.

Burke gathered every ounce of self-discipline he’d learned in the military. He wanted to toss Rissa over his shoulder and head into her RV. Lay her out on the nearest soft surface and worship her from toes to tongue.

Instead, he slammed his control in place and lost himself in her mouth. She tasted like chai, apple fritters, and something that was magically and uniquely Rissa.

Despite their winter jackets, heat zipped between them, firing his blood even more. He gentled the kiss before his brain lost control. When their lips separated, he sighed with pleasure. “Wow.”

Rissa smiled and nodded. “A definite wow.”

Then their lips were locked again.

His body had definite ideas about what they could do in her nearby RV or in the barn, but Burke wasn’t going there. Jumping straight from a first kiss to sex was a terrible idea, no matter what, but especially when his heart wanted long-term with this woman.

Burke drew back with a chuckle. “I could do that for days.”

Rissa grinned. “Me too.”

Frizzle barked again, and he looked down to see her perched on Rissa’s boot, looking up mournfully. “Sorry, Frizzle. We were ignoring you completely, and I can’t promise it won’t happen again.”

Rissa bent down and ruffled Frizzle’s head. “We’re okay, my friend.”

“More than okay.” His voice was a rough growl, but it couldn’t be helped. Not wanting to finish the evening yet, he motioned with his head toward the trees. “How about a walk through the orchard?”

Rissa’s smile bloomed. “I’d like that.”

Content now that Rissa was paying attention and they were moving, Frizzle led the way into the orchard, checking often to ensure they were following.

Burke took Rissa’s hand. Neither of them put on their gloves. He wasn’t sure about her, but he wanted the skin-to-skin connection and the temperature wasn’t bad, hovering around freezing with no wind.

The Yorkie led them deeper into the woods. Part of Burke’s mind tracked direction and distance so he’d know where they were within the orchard. Another part monitored their surroundings for any threats. Most of it was focused on the woman beside him and getting to know her better. “Tell me how you ended up teaching science out of your RV.”

Rissa smiled softly. “It was a long journey to get to where we are now.”

“I want to hear it all.”

She raised her eyebrows at him. He nodded and squeezed her hand. “Everything you’re willing to share.”

She squeezed his hand back. “Once I saved enough money, I bought myself a used car and headed south from Burlington. I figured it would be cheaper to live in a place where I didn’t need seasonal clothes and didn’t have to pay for heating.”

Hell, he’d never had to worry about things like that. It made him feel like even more of a jerk for letting their friendship lapse. “Your father didn’t help you at all?”

Her body flinched at his question and she stared at him in surprise. “He died just before I turned eighteen.”

“Hell, Rissa. I didn’t know. I should have known.”

She shrugged it off, but it was more proof of how self-absorbed he’d been.

“It makes me a horrible person to say it, but in most ways it was better without him. Mrs. Anwar let me stay rent-free for two months, then helped me find a room with a private bathroom to rent in a safe building.”

Hell.

“I worked a bunch of different jobs, putting as much as I could into savings. Once I bought the car, I headed to the Carolinas.”

He chuckled. “You always wanted to visit there, wanted to explore the different climate zones and see how they affected the plants and animals.”

She grinned. “It was amazing. I worked at a variety of jobs and moved around a bit. I didn’t realize what I’d been looking for until I got hired on at a science center close to Charleston.”