No Stranger to Scandal - By Rachel Bailey Page 0,23

the corner jumped.

“I’ve been wondering what it would feel like to touch you,” she said, watching the path her fingers traveled over his jaw. “In fact, I wished for it.”

He winced as if in pain. “You should be more careful about what you wish for.”

“I was careful,” she murmured. Her fingertips feathered along the strong column of his throat. “I’m wishing for it again right now.”

He stilled, his only movement the rapid rise and fall of his chest. “I swear, Lucy, you’d try the patience of a saint.” His gaze fell to her lips. “And I hate to admit it, but I’m no saint.” Finally, his hands crept under her hair to cradle the nape of her neck, lightly massaging, sending a spray of fireworks across her skin.

“No regrets yet,” she said, though she wasn’t sure her voice was strong enough for him to hear. He leaned in, his body tense, and his lips brushed across hers, the softest of caresses, yet enough to leave her trembling.

“Hayden,” she whispered with all the need inside her. A shudder ripped through his body. He pulled her flush against him and kissed her, the warm pressure of his mouth like nothing she’d ever felt. When his tongue moved against hers, the shimmering heat exploded inside her, and she crawled onto his lap. It still wasn’t close enough. At last, after all these days of hoping and nights of dreaming, Hayden was kissing her. Hungrily. Gloriously. And she was melting.

On a groan, he wrenched his mouth away and they both gasped to find their breath again, but she didn’t stop touching. Couldn’t. The skin on his neck, below where the stubble ended, was surprisingly smooth and oh, so warm. She pushed her fingers down past the collar of his shirt, wanting nothing more than to feel the strength of his shoulders, to know how they’d taste. But before she could make much headway, he brought her mouth back to his.

“This is a bad idea,” he murmured, lightly kissing the edges of her lips, lingering at the corner of her mouth.

He ironed a hand down her back and her pulse jerked erratically. “A very bad idea,” she agreed with a catch in her voice.

“But damned if I don’t want to do it anyway.” He cupped her face and the fine tremor that ran through his hands created an answering shiver that spread through her whole body.

“Oh, yes. Me, too,” she moaned.

He cursed under his breath, then gave a rueful half laugh. “I was hoping you’d be the sensible one.”

She caught his earlobe between her teeth and gently nipped. “There’s no fun in being sensible all the time.”

“I’m beginning to see that,” he said as he laid her down on the sofa, pressing her into the cushions with his body. He kissed along her throat. “But if we do this—”

“If?” she said incredulously, desire scorching along her skin at every point Hayden’s body touched hers.

He lifted his weight on hands that rested at either side of her head. “If we do this, we have to agree on a couple of ground rules first.”

“Anything.” She reached for him, trying to get him to bring his delicious heat back.

He didn’t move. “I’m serious, Lucy.”

“I can see that,” she conceded on a sigh and wriggled to sit up. Seemed they were having a conversation whether she wanted to or not.

Five

“So, ground rules,” Lucy said, her hands pressing against Hayden’s chest as they sat entwined on the sofa. For the moment, ignoring her body’s insistent straining toward him was her best option so they could get the talking part of the night over as quickly as possible. Then they could get back to the part where he was kissing her. She went a little dizzy just thinking about it.

He swallowed hard and she watched the progress of his Adam’s apple, up then down. “This can only be a one-time deal.”

She slid the first button of his shirt through the buttonhole. “Sure.” She wasn’t thinking ahead; she was too busy being smack-dab in the middle of the moment, so if he thought she’d put up an argument about some future possibility, he was wrong.

His hands were motionless on her hips, but his fingers dug in, his heart thumping so hard she could feel it through his shirt. “No one can know.”

“I won’t breathe a word.” She released a second and third button. A fourth. A whorl of dark hair peeked through the opening she’d made, teasing her. Daring her.

“And,” he rasped,