Date with Destiny. Helen Lacey

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СКАЧАТЬ she didn’t. She just let herself float on a sigh and kissed him back. Her arms moved upward and she curled her fingers into his shoulders. The movement brought their bodies together and Grace melted against him. Strong and safe. The words spun around in her head and rocked her to the core. Because she knew she’d only ever felt that way with Cameron. Not with Erik. Not with any man she’d ever been with.

      His arms came around her and one hand settled on her hip. And still he kissed her. Grace clung to him as heat charged between them. His touch became firmer and he bunched a handful of her dress in his fist. The tempo between them altered slightly, and the hot surge of desire fanned to life.

      He said something against her mouth—her name—something…she wasn’t sure. But it fueled the growing need she had to feel his touch. She lifted her leg and wrapped it against him. Her dress rose up and she shuddered when his hand made contact with the soft skin behind her knee. It felt so good to be with him like this, even though some faraway voice told her it was madness. Every part of her came alive when he touched her and she arched her back with a hazy, wanting compliance.

      “Grace,” he said, leaving her mouth for a moment. He trailed a line of kisses across her cheek and toward the sensitive spot below her ear. “I think it would be a good idea if we stopped… .”

      Grace turned her head so their lips met again. She didn’t want to stop. She only wanted to feel. “No,” she whispered into his mouth. “Don’t stop.”

      “You’ll hate me tomorrow,” he said softly against her craving lips.

      “I hate you now…”

      She felt his smile against her mouth.

       He’s right, we have to stop…

      Only Cameron’s touch was mesmerizing and his kiss had her longing for more. His fingertips burned across her skin in an erotic trail, moving higher, and the blood in her veins boiled over in a powerful surge of narcotic pleasure. She felt his hand on the top of her thigh and she pushed closer. He was obviously as hotly aroused as she was and the notion drove Grace beyond rational thought, beyond reason. His palm curved around her bottom and he drew her hard against his body. Need uncurled low down, liquefying her bones. She groaned as his mouth sought hers again and kissed him back with a hunger that startled her, entwining her tongue with his. She was dazed, on fire, out of control. Grace’s knees almost gave way when his fingers traced the edge of her lace panties. I shouldn’t want this. I shouldn’t feel this turned on. But she was so aroused, so completely oblivious to anything other the sudden and unexpected need to be taken to places she suspected he’d effortlessly be able to take her.

      But reality intruded and brought her back to earth with a resounding, wrenching thud.

      The music resonating from the wedding reception area came to an abrupt halt and the silence was suddenly deafening. “Oh, my God,” Grace moaned as she jerked her mouth from his. “My speech!”

      Cameron released her. “What?”

      Grace staggered back and shoved her dress down her thighs with shaking hands. “I have to give a speech. I’m the maid of honor. I have to get back.”

      He looked annoyingly calm. “Okay, we’ll go back.”

      “No,” Grace said on a rush of breath. “I’m not walking back up there with you. I look like…” She pushed a hand into her hair and was relieved to discover that the up style was still in its right position. But her blood raced, her breath was shallow and she was certain her mouth looked as though it had been well and truly plundered. “I must look like I’ve been—”

      “You have been,” he agreed quietly, seeming completely cool and relaxed. “Don’t stress, Princess. You look fine—as picture-perfect as always.”

      Grace crossed her arms and glanced toward the reception area. The big white tent stood out like a beacon in the moonlight. She heard someone speaking into a microphone and quickly recognized her father’s steady voice. “I need to get back. And don’t follow me.”

      He didn’t respond immediately. He just looked at her. Looked through her was more the point. Humiliation burned across her skin like an out-of-control brush fire.

      This was not supposed to happen. I didn’t come home for this. Nothing will stop me from getting my life and career back on track.

      He grabbed the bottle and glass from the sand. “Let’s go,” he said quietly.

      Grace considered some kind of cold retort, but failed to find one.

      Cameron Jakowski had his hand up my dress.

      “All right,” she said with a deliberate tilt of her chin and tried not to think about how good his hand had felt. “We won’t ever mention this again.”

      “Sure we will.”

      Grace lifted her hem fractionally and took a few steps up the sand. “We won’t,” she said defiantly. “I won’t. I intend to forget this ever happened.”

      “Good luck with that.”

      Grace stomped along the sand, headed for the boat ramp and walked back toward the reception. As she’d suspected, her father’s proud speech was in full swing and Grace circumnavigated the huge tent and slipped through an opening behind the wedding table as discreetly as she could.

      But Evie’s hawkeyed radar caught a glimpse of her immediately and Grace did her best to squash a fresh wave of embarrassment from heating her cheeks. Evie raised both her brows inquiringly and Grace managed a barely decipherable shake of her head. It didn’t help that Cameron chose that moment to make his entrance through the same opening.

       Busted…

      The look on her sister’s face was unmistakable. She knew Evie would demand answers at some point. That was Evie’s way. Grace steeled herself with a deep breath and took her conspicuously empty seat at the table. Cameron did the same a few seats away and she used every inch of effort to not look at him. Instead, she concentrated her attention on her father’s heartfelt speech.

      When it was her turn to say a few words, Grace stood and took the microphone from her father and softly kissed his cheek. All the guests clearly waited for her to speak. And she meant to. Only she made a fatal mistake and glanced at Cameron. And damn him—he smiled, winked and made her forget every word she’d planned to say in honor of the bride and groom.

      Nothing came out, only a squeak, a kind of strangled sound that a distressed cat might make.

      And it was pain-in-her-neck, thorn-in-her-side Cameron Jakowski’s fault.

      Supercool Grace Preston was at a loss for words. Any other time Cameron might have been happy about that. But tonight…not so much. He could still taste her lovely mouth; still feel the silky texture of her skin against his hands.

      One minute they were talking, the next they were kissing like a couple of horny teenagers. Cameron couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like that. The last time he’d done that.

      And he certainly hadn’t expected to do it with Miss Icy Britches.

      He’d mostly kept his hands to himself when they were dating. They’d made out plenty of times—but СКАЧАТЬ