The Favour. Cara Summers

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      The glint of humor she saw in his eyes settled some of her nerves. “Somehow, I don’t think so.”

      Competent and confident were the two words that came to mind as she studied him. He was different from the men who frequented the Blue Pepper—they were either local merchants or the up-and-coming movers and shakers of DC. He was also different from the men she ran into in her field of work. They were slow-moving academics. Cautious book people who seldom took risks. Just like herself.

      This man, in addition to having classic Adonis-like good looks, was…what? Real was the first word that came immediately to mind. His skin was a golden-brown that came from working in the sun rather than a tanning salon, and she bet the muscles she’d felt came from something other than a tri-weekly appointment with a personal trainer. And there was a hint of danger about him.

      He smiled at her then, and her gaze shifted to his mouth. For a moment she thought of nothing at all, except how those lips might feel pressed to hers. The thought startled her. She’d never before wanted to pull a man’s mouth to hers.

      “Why don’t we start over?” He took her hand, and though his fingers only gripped hers lightly, she felt the sensation right down to her toes.

      “I’ll say I’m sure I’ve seen you somewhere, I’ll introduce myself and I’ll offer to buy you a drink? And you’ll say…?”

      She couldn’t say a thing. They were squatting down, leaning toward each other, their fingers linked, their knees nearly brushing, and she’d never felt this kind of intense connection with anyone in her life.

      In the part of her mind that hadn’t shut down, she realized that she wasn’t feeling like herself at all. Around them, people edged past. Above them, faint noises swirled—glasses clinking, people talking, laughing. She barely heard them. All she knew was that she wanted this man—this perfect stranger—to kiss her. She couldn’t recall ever wanting anything quite this much. What would happen if she just leaned a little closer, reached up and drew his mouth to hers?

      Her sister Natalie would do it. And her sister Rory wouldn’t be the least bit afraid. What about the Sierra she wanted to be? She would do it. Suddenly, the wanting, the need was so strong that she felt herself swaying toward him.

      As if he’d read her mind, he tightened his grip on her fingers and his free hand moved to the back of her neck, steadying her. “I want to kiss you,” he said.

      Startled, she raised her eyes to meet his, and the old Sierra suddenly reasserted herself. “You…can’t.”

      His brows lifted. “If you don’t want me to, offering a challenge isn’t the best strategy.”

      She’d known he would be a bit dangerous, but she hadn’t expected the thrill that moved through her. “I’m not offering a challenge. But we’re in a public place. We don’t even know each other.”

      His lips curved again. “And your point is?”

      She moistened her lips, and tried to focus her thoughts. What was her point? If she truly wanted to initiate a sexual relationship with a man, she had to start somewhere. It would be good practice. “Never before in my life have I wanted to kiss someone that I didn’t know.”

      Something flashed into his eyes then, and it made her breath hitch.

      “That makes two of us,” he murmured as he took her mouth with his.

      A riot of sensations moved through her. His mouth was just as strong, just as competent as she’d anticipated. It terrified her. It delighted her. The scrape of his teeth on her bottom lip, the clever slide of his tongue over hers sent tiny explosions of pleasure shooting through her.

      She’d never been kissed like this—as if he had all the time in the world to take and take and take. She’d never felt this alive. Her blood pounded, her body heated until all the worry, all the anxiety that had been plaguing her for weeks seemed to evaporate. She should think. But how could she when her whole being seemed to be filled with him? No one had ever made her feel this way. So wanted. So wanton. So free.

      You. The word repeated itself over and over in her head as she gripped his shoulders and felt those tensed, hard muscles. Greed erupted in her. She wanted to touch more of him. She wanted to run her fingers through that dark hair. She wanted to press her palms against his chest, his back, his waist. And she wanted his clothes out of the way.

      With a moan, she moved her hands to the back of his neck and pulled him closer.

      RYDER FELT as if he were going under for the last time. Worse, he felt as if this time he’d be sucked into a riptide that would drag him places he’d never been before.

      Oh, he’d experienced the sparks from the moment that he’d touched her. Those he’d been familiar enough with. And he’d known that he was skilled enough to fan them into a flame. That had been his plan. He would coax until she offered and then take a real taste of her.

      But she wasn’t at all what he’d expected. Her mouth wasn’t soft and warm as he’d expected. Instead, it was hot and avid and as demanding as his own. She was so alive. So responsive. He felt the beat of her pulse against his fingertips, the moan vibrating deep in her throat. And beneath the passion, he could sense innocence, too.

      Greed—his, hers, or a combination—rocketed through his system, tearing at his control. This was a first for him. No woman had ever set off this fevered combination of sensations and needs.

      Needs? Even as a little alarm bell went off in his mind, Ryder felt a flash of intuition—the kind he often got when he was working on a case. This woman could have the power to shake up a life he was perfectly satisfied with. That uncomfortable possibility, along with the fact that they were kneeling on the floor of a very public place, had him grasping the reins of his control and pulling tight.

      Slowly, he set her from him. Her eyes were huge and that blue color had turned smoky. Her hair had tumbled to her shoulders, and she looked every bit as stunned as he felt.

      “Are you all right?” His voice was ragged, and when he drew in a deep breath, his lungs burned. He’d forgotten to breathe. Another first. Just who was this woman that she could do this to him?

      It had been years since he’d allowed himself to need anyone or anything. No one could be depended on. He’d learned that lesson the hard way when his mother had walked out on him, and later, when his aunt had left him too. He was always careful to keep his relationships with women uncomplicated and mutually satisfying. This woman had complications written all over her.

      Despite all that, he wanted to kiss her again. He was going to have to give that some thought.

      When she closed her eyes, and sagged, he felt a sprint of fear. That was a first too. How could he feel such a concern for a woman he didn’t even know?

      “Are you all right?” he repeated as he tightened his grip on her.

      NO, SHE WASN’T all right. And she wasn’t feeling like herself at all. Clenching her fists, Sierra stiffened her spine, and wished for her inhaler. If she’d had any strength in her limbs, she might have tried to find it. Instead, on a count of ten, she drew in a breath and let it out.

      “Fine. I’m fine.” She would be in a minute. What had she been thinking? She’d kissed him. She’d let him kiss her back. And СКАЧАТЬ