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Then his hand moved and cupped the back of her head, his fingers tangled in her hair, holding her still.
He was going to kiss her!
This big, brawny, slightly dangerous man, leaving so many questions about himself unanswered, was leaning in for an all-consuming kiss. And she wasn’t going to do a damn thing to stop him.
Nervousness and excitement intertwined in her mind and her heart began a double beat in her chest. She’d never been kissed before. Heriot had no idea the crazy sheltered life she’d led growing up with her off-the-grid grandparents. She’d missed them desperately since the moment they’d passed away in a car crash two years ago. But she’d been forced to grow up quickly, and she was still amazed that her life had changed so drastically to where she was now, making a grown-ass woman decision like this—to accept a stranger’s kiss.
Heriot’s silver eyes darkened, his lids heavy. Hannah’s lips parted, because she was so ready for this, so long overdue for a first kiss it wasn’t even funny. She wanted Heriot to be her first in all things.
He lowered his mouth to hers, their lips softly touching. Hannah shivered. She reached up and grasped his biceps, holding on for dear life. His lips brushed hers, light at first, and then the kiss began to deepen. She had to tilt her chin up all the way to keep kissing him, he was that tall. He seemed huge, and it made her feel small and delicate in comparison. His tongue ran along the seam of her lips and she opened her mouth for him. The masculine tickle of his beard made it all ten times sexier.
She reached up and slipped her arms around his neck. They kissed and kissed and kissed some more. She never wanted it to end.
There was a loud coughing noise.
“Get a room!” someone yelled.
Hannah yanked out of Heriot’s embrace, her heart thundering in her ears. She looked over to see their tour group pouring out of the door of the guest house. Fifty pairs of eyes staring at them. Some people were giggling and pointing.
She put her hand to her red cheek. It was probably the most embarrassing moment of her life. She stood there, a deer caught in headlights, her lips swollen from a stranger’s kiss. Everyone on that tour knowing she’d just met this guy on the bus. And here she was, kissing him in public.
Oh God.
Heriot growled.
6
She placed a palm on his forearm, turning her back on the accusing stares, hiding her burning cheeks.
“Follow me,” Heriot ordered, his voice deeper than usual.
She nodded, grateful to get away from prying eyes.
He led her away from the sounds of the tour group, and they were soon standing behind a quiet, soothing fountain with a statue on top that was probably three hundred years old and straight out of Italy. Hannah glanced around, relieved to find the two of them alone again. She stood there for a moment, looking out at the unobstructed views of the rolling hills and distant ocean. Behind them stood an exquisite cream-stoned mansion that looked like it belonged on the edge of Lake Como.
It was breathtaking. A strong breeze whipped her hair in front of her face. She turned into the wind, her head buzzing with twenty different feelings and thoughts all at once. Why had she kissed him back, this man she’d just met?
Never had she felt this way about a man before, so sudden, so all-consuming.
Normally she was a very deliberate person, thinking every decision through to the nth degree before taking action. But with Heriot, the feelings she had for him were so overwhelming and intense, she was acting on pure instinct alone, which was a bit scary. She placed a finger on her kiss-swollen lips, her upper lip warm from slight beard burn.
Was that the right thing to do? What if her instinct was wrong?
That kiss…
She glanced over to see Heriot staring at her intently, his enormous arms crossed over his impossibly wide chest, his hip resting against the ledge of the marble fountain. He wasn’t touching her, wasn’t saying anything, just watching her and giving her space.
Which was nice.
Yes, maybe she should start a conversation with Heriot about what they’d just done. How he’d kissed her. What it meant and all that, but really, there were more important things going on than how she felt about some guy she’d known for an hour. Her friends were hurt, and a criminal was running around this estate.
She exhaled and stepped closer to him, forcing herself to reorient to the task at hand, pushing all thoughts of her first kiss from her mind. The hugely important task of finding the asshole who’d hurt her friends was number one right now. Nothing else.
“Wait,” she muttered, an important question blooming in her mind. She lifted her chin. “Wait…I just thought of something.”
Heriot looked down at her, his eyes redder than before. His skin was pink now, in fact, a bit red. The poor guy, his allergies must be bad.
