Change of Heart - By S.E. Edwards Page 0,71

“when we both know it feels so right.”

He kisses me again. This time, I’m determined not to fold so easily. I clamp my lips together, refusing to allow him in, no matter how much I want to. But Rich stays determined. His tongue presses into my mouth. His hand comes up and winds in my hair.

He’s so big and strong he could easily have his way with me. I know this. But I also know the difference between persistence and force. Even though Rich is trying to get me to kiss him back, not once do I feel pressured or scared. His hand is caught in my hair, and while he could use his other to hold me down, he does not. It’s laying still on his lap.

He’s giving me an escape route if I need to take it.

I don’t. I can’t help the arousal from stirring up inside me. I can’t deny how badly I want to kiss him back. So, I do.

I open my mouth to his, letting the swell of passion overcome me. As soon as he senses my acceptance, both his hands are on me. He lifts me by the waist and settles me on his lap. Waves of heat beat against my back. Waves of desire crash within my body.

My hands tangle in his hair, bringing him closer. I let the taste and smell of Rich guide me. He moans as I kiss him hard, unleashing the torrent of emotions that have been boiling inside me. I’m swept off my feet by him—his smell, his taste, his touch. I want to bury myself deep in his essence.

His hands run down the sides of my body. They brush along the outside of my breasts, teasing me with their touch. I can feel his fingers pressing deep into the flesh of my waist. My need for him is overwhelming. The way Rich keeps kissing me turns me into a hot, aroused mess. His kiss leaves me breathless.

I can’t hold it in anymore. I need to lose control. I need… Rich!

I gasp his name and tear away from his kiss to rip his shirt off. His eyes shine in the night as he lifts his arms. The top flies off and my hands devour his body in the dark. He groans as I dance my fingers over his shoulders, up and down his hard arms. He pulls me in to kiss me harder.

Exhilaration fills me. I can tell how much he wants me. So help me God, I want him even more. The desire is so strong it’s unnatural. It can’t be normal. It can’t be healthy.

I press my body into his, nearly toppling both of us backward off the log. My nipples tighten under my bra as I’m surrounded by Rich’s dense, masculine strength.

The next thing I know, his hands are at the hems of my sweater, lifting it off. I help him eagerly. It’s entirely too hot with it on. I want to feel my naked body pressed tight against his. I want my skin to mold to his shape. I want his arms wrapped around me, holding me close. I want—

I gasp as he snaps open the clasp of my bra with one expert hand. Chilly air runs over my hardened nipples as the straps fall from my shoulders.

Rich inhales a reverent breath. “My God, Penny,” he whispers. “I forgot how beautiful you are.”

His words reach right into my heart. In the one place I’ve kept locked tight since that fateful day in high school. The feeling scares me, so I try to play it off. I slap him on the arm and laugh. “Don’t tease.”

“I’m serious,” he says. I can feel his eyes burning on my chest, then up and down my exposed body. “Hold still. Let me have a look at you. Wow…”

He’s becoming way too sentimental for my liking.

“Just kiss me, you fool.”

Chapter Fourteen

Rich complies without hesitation. He kisses me so well, so thoroughly, that I could die right now and be the most content woman on earth.

But this isn’t junior high. The scorching need I feel throbbing between my legs tells me that. The hard-on I feel pressing into me tells me that. Rich’s kiss alone leaves me breathless, but I’m greedy. I want way, way more.

Rich’s mouth trails down my body. His hot lips run along my neck. Goose bumps erupt on my flesh as he dips his head to my breasts. His scratchy stubble feels like absolute sin on