Just One Kiss (Whisper Lake #4) - Barbara Freethy Page 0,15

funny and sarcastic you can be. But mostly I just miss being part of your life."

She felt the ice around her heart melt with his words. She did miss him, but she couldn’t admit that. That would take this conversation in the wrong direction.

"You asked every single one of our friends to donate money for your booth for the winter carnival, but you didn't ask me," he added.

"I can't believe you're annoyed because I didn't ask you for money."

"Well, I can't believe you're annoyed every time I breathe, so there we are," he retorted.

"We shouldn't have started talking about the past," she said. "There's no point."

"Maybe there is a point."

"What could that possibly be?"

"You need to get your head out of the past, and I know how to make that happen."

"You don't—" she began, only to have her words cut short with a shocking kiss.

She didn't know what to do, how to react. Her brain was telling her to push him away, but as his arms came around her, as his mouth moved against hers, she couldn't think anymore; she could only feel. This was Jake. And the taste of his mouth took her back in time.

She suddenly remembered everything: the heated demand of his lips, the feeling of being swept off her feet and enveloped in a storm of desire and passion.

But this kiss was also different. Jake was a man now, and she was a woman who knew what she liked, what she wanted. Their tangled dance of tongues became a new adventure, a delicious melding of the past with the present. And she wanted more. She wanted to pull off his sweater and push down his jeans. She wanted to see him, touch him and taste him.

Her pulse pounded with the depth of her need. It was terrifying. This was why she'd avoided him for so long, because deep down she'd known the fire simmering between them could quickly get out of control. She had to stop. She had to push him away.

Finally, she found the strength to break the kiss, to slide down the couch, to put some much-needed space between them.

But it was still too hot. Her face was burning. And Jake's dark eyes were filled with a tempting promise of all the things she secretly wanted. "Why did you kiss me?"

"I wanted to get you out of the past," he said. "And you kissed me back."

"Only because you surprised me."

"That surprise lasted for several minutes."

"Well…" She found herself without any words.

"Well," he echoed. "It's not often you can't think of something to say."

"I'm going to bed." She got up and moved around the couch, then turned back to face him. "Don't do that again, Jake."

"I won't. Unless you ask me to."

Her stomach flipped over at that comment. "That will not happen."

"We'll see."

"You know one thing that hasn't changed, Jake? You're still cocky."

"And you still like it."

She really wished she could have had the last word, but escape was a bigger priority. She walked into the bedroom and closed the door, her heart still beating out of her chest.

He had surprised her, but she had kissed him back. Maybe they'd both wanted to see if the sparks were still there. Now they knew. The sparks were definitely there, and they were dangerous.

Jake had said he wouldn't kiss her again. It would be up to her. Which meant she was safe—at least from him. She wasn't so sure about herself.

But she needed to stop thinking about Jake and start thinking about the other male currently in her life—the little boy sleeping peacefully in front of her.

She took off her shoes and stretched out on the bed, pulling the heavy blanket over both of them. It was warm and toasty in the cabin despite the storm raging outside.

At her movement, Brett snuggled up against her and she put her arm around him. He immediately quieted, falling back to sleep. He trusted her. And she did not want to let him down.

She might be furious with her sister, but not with this little boy. He was an innocent angel, and she would do everything she could to keep him safe.

As the warmth of Brett's small body seeped into her soul, she closed her eyes, and the exhaustion of the day caught up to her. She didn't want to dream about anything, especially Jake, but there were other images sweeping through her mind.

Kelly with her long blonde braid and laughing smile around the living room using a hairbrush as