sleeping, I am.”
“What?”
She chuckled. “I can let my guard down when I know you’re not going to say something I have to contradict.”
“Come on. You know I’m a marshmallow.”
She reached over and tapped the cushion between them. If he had been sitting right in that spot, she would have touched him. “Actually, truth be told, I’m surprised how comfortable I feel here. Your hospitality is most welcoming. Thank you.”
They both sipped, watching each other over the rims of the mugs.
Evan cleared his throat. “May I say something?”
“Could I possibly stop you?”
He leaned closer. “Not this time.”
“Well, then, if you want to apologize for bullying me earlier, I will accept it.”
He leaned even closer. “I apologize a thousand times over, but that is not what I want to say.”
She shot him a cautious glance. “What is it?”
He crooked a finger. “Come closer.”
She leaned farther back into the corner of the couch. “There you go, telling me what to do.”
He smiled, hoping to disarm her. “Come on now, sweet Kelly. Trust me. Come closer.”
When she cautiously leaned in, he captured her chin with the pads of his fingers, slowly drawing her even closer to his mouth. He whispered, “I want to kiss you, woman.”
She didn’t pull away. Instead, desire mingled with concern in her eyes. “Do you think this is a good idea?”
“Oh, Kelly Ann Sullivan, I think it is an excellent idea. You are, by far, the most seductive, impish, intelligent, courageous and beautiful woman I have ever met. And your lips? Most intriguing of all.”
She didn’t pull back, but eyes widening, watched his mouth as he spoke. When she bit her lower lip as if trying to decide what to do, he leaned in ever so slowly and grazed that lower lip with his. When she closed her eyes at his touch, he kissed her. Pressing gently against her mouth to feel the silk of her lips against his, letting the power of his mouth invite her to press closer, lean into him, let him kiss her more fully.
She did.
He slid a hand along her neck, letting his fingers splay in her hair. His palm cupped the soft column of her throat, her rising pulse echoing against his hand. He kissed her more deeply, letting his tongue enter her parting lips in tentative invitation, tangling delicately with hers then retracting to kiss those luscious lips more. He didn’t want to scare her. He just wanted her to feel how much she meant to him with a kiss.
Keeping his cool wasn’t easy. Her lips were igniting an inner blast of heat like he’d never felt before. Whether it was the beauty of her innocence pounding his caveman self awake, or the fact that he was finally kissing this woman who had intrigued him for so long, she was proving to be more enticing than he could ever imagine.
He began to pull away to catch a breath. He’d have to take it slow.
But she would have none of it. Without breaking the kiss, she blindly reached and found a landing spot on the coffee table for her mug. With both hands, she captured his face and kissed him in return with the confidence of a woman who’d made a decision.
His mug just made the edge of the table. Not wanting to lose the moment, he pulled her against his chest, cradling her in his lap, returning her kiss with the same hunger with which she drank up his.
Oh, God, she kissed like Venus on fire.
The weight of her body felt so right. His hands took on a life of their own, hungrily exploring her curves beneath the silken fabric—the delectable dimples in the small of her back, up her torso, palms skimming the sides of her breasts, up to her neck, her shoulders, down her back to the sweet turn of her buttocks. A soft moan rose in her throat and vibrated right through him, urging him to make his kisses deeper.
It didn’t take long to see where this moment was leading. His body already betrayed that he thought this was a good idea. An exce1llent idea. His mind raced with reasons to stop while his soul tore into overdrive devouring her kisses.
“Kelly...”
He leaned forward, the momentum of their weight splaying her on her back against the couch cushions. She hesitated only for a second before welcoming him in her arms. Not wanting to be too aggressive, he stretched out alongside and pulled her close so they wouldn’t tumble off the couch.
“You