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“Are you saying I’m an asshole because I took the initiative?” Talia mock-growled.
He looked appalled and stuttered. “No! I…”
“I’m just teasing, Fleet.” Talia gave a flirty laugh. “And FYI, I promise I won’t think you’re a dick if you decided to explore things a little more.”
There.That was about as succinctly as she could put it; letting him know she wouldn’t mind if he got a little more…intimate.
“I’m, uh, not in the habit of throwing myself at women,” he admitted a little gruffly. “And I don’t want to be picking up the wrong signals here, so… Are you saying you wouldn’t mind if I kissed you?” Without waiting for an answer, he tugged her into the entry-alcove of a store that had closed up hours earlier and stared into her eyes.
“See. I knew you were astute,” Talia answered breathlessly, her anticipation building. Her body gave a small shiver, and she was unable to keep her tongue from swiping across her bottom lip.
Fleet watched it as if mesmerized, then slowly, gently backed her up against the cool bricks of the store, taking her face in his hands to cradle her blush-hot cheeks. He didn’t invade her space; didn’t press her into the wall with his large body. He simply dipped his head slowly toward her and brushed his warm lips across hers before withdrawing to regard her even more deeply.
Talia sighed. The kiss was lovely, but she wanted more. Still, she’d already stuck her bossy foot into things, pretty much orchestrating the whole physical contact thing, so she needed to cool her jets and see how Fleet would proceed. She blinked up at him, willing him with all her non-existent psychic powers to go for it.
When he finally bent to her again, she did an internal fist-pump, then brought both hands up to tangle in his hair; relishing the feel of his soft, short-cropped curls
Her actions unleashed something in him, and he deepened his pressure, kissing her in earnest this time. She moaned at the contact, arching her body toward his, wanting more; seeking the pressure of his muscled chest and hips. He didn’t give her that, though, holding himself back to touch only her face, but… Still, she was lost. Absorbed. Tingling from head to toe. He plied his mouth and tongue like a virtuoso, playing her for all she was worth, making her brain sing.
Her fingers dropped to his neck of their own volition, scraping his flesh along her journey downward before she judiciously clutched the front of his shirt to prevent a foray toward his lower extremities.Yes.She wanted to touch his abs, his hips, and even his cock, but she refrained.Barely. And wasn’t that mind-blowing? Normally she was way more cautious, really getting to know someone before she, herself, allowed things to ramp up.
But this encounter? She’d wanted it to go from zero to sixty from the moment her foot hit the pedal. Fleet sparked something in her she couldn’t begin to explain.
She was just about to take things to the next level when—
“Damn, Talia. That was…” Fleet pulled back first.
“Extraordinary?” she answered breathlessly, ready the second he gave her the sign to pull him forward for more.
“Scorching,” he agreed, bending again, but only to touch his forehead to hers. He gently untangled her hands from his shirt. “Still, as much as I want to continue this, we need to take it slowly. I’ve been…burnt in the past, leaping before looking, and I’m not going to risk that with you.”
Damn.Talia was ready for more right now. “I—”
He laid a finger on her lips. “No, Talia. Don’t. Please.”
“But I…” Did she just stamp her foot?
Fleet backed up a step, shaking his head regretfully. “Listen. I like you, but if you’re looking for something fast and semi-meaningless, I’m not your man.”
“Semi…” Now her mouth dropped open. “No.” She shook her head. “You have seriously read me wrong. I’mnotlooking for a quick fuck, Fleet,” she snapped. Her anger grew and she pushed him away, stalking back toward the sidewalk, suddenly irate.
This was why she didn’t date. It didn’t matter whether you figured someone was on the same page as you, or not. Guys always got the wrong picture, taking her natural aggression as a guaranteed booty-call rather than a simple green light. Had she imagined going to bed with Fleet after a few dates? Hell, yes. Had she wanted more than a kiss tonight? Yes, to that, too. But not to the extent of them getting naked. She’d simply craved a little…more.
As he struggled to catch up, his frown line became pronounced. “I wasn’t—”
Talia cut Fleet off, not interested in what he had to say. “I think it’s time for me to go home,” she told him, turning on her heel and striding down the sidewalk. She wasn’t sure who she was angrier at, herself or Fleet. This was the first man in whom she’d had an interest in ages, and because of her aggressive nature, he’d read her signals wrong and backed off. Because of…his past, he’d said?
Cripes.She might just have just blown this all to hell, and she needed space to calm down and reassess.
“I’m sorry, Talia,” Fleet said, catching up again and offering an apology she didn’t need as she marched back toward where she’d parked her car. “I didn’t mean to make you think—”
“Well, you did,” she clipped, although maybe she should have let him finish.
What didn’t he want her to think? That he was turned off by pushy women, or worse. That he thought she was a slut?
“I’m the one who’s sorry,” she mumbled, now horrendously embarrassed. She dug her keys from her pocket and thankfully heard the chirp that signaled her car, parked just ahead, was now unlocked. “I guess this wasn’t such a good idea, after all.”
Without looking at Fleet again, Talia opened the door to her car, got in, and started it up. He cemented her belief that she’d blown it all to hell when he didn’t attempt to say anything more before she closed her door, effectively shutting him out.
