I don’t want to believe it was...’
When he moved his head she felt the whisper of his breath against her hair. ‘You can’t save me, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m beyond saving.’
Leaning back to look up at his face, she discovered he was frowning; his gaze lowered so she couldn’t look into his eyes. The arms holding her loosened as he took a half step back. Unwilling to let him retreat when they’d taken such a major leap forwards, Miranda freed up a hand and raised it to stroke her fingertips along his jaw, her thumb gliding to the edge of his mouth.
Heat resonated from him, seeping into her skin and removing the chill from her bones.
Watching her thumb as it traced his lower lip, she whispered, ‘Kiss me.’
He stood rigidly still.
Moving her hand to wrap her fingers around the thick column of his neck, she pulled his head down to hers and rocked forwards onto her toes. She lifted her chin, closed the last of the distance between them and pressed her lips against his. He stiffened but didn’t jerk away. Miranda took that as a good sign, even if she’d never kissed such an unresponsive partner. Launching a tentative exploration, she kissed a corner of his mouth, willing him to relax.
The thought of him remaining still while she explored every inch of his body was a heady enticement to continue. Emboldened, she traced the valley between his lips with the tip of her tongue. Then she wasn’t in control any more.
Long fingers threaded into her hair, his palm cradling the back of her head and holding it still as he sampled her lips in softly sipping kisses that coaxed her into opening her mouth. When his tongue slipped inside Miranda moaned in appreciation, sensation pouring over her like a blanket of warm honey. Another large hand stroked over her shoulder blade as the kiss deepened, smoothing down her spine and dipping to the curve of her rear to draw her closer.
When her abdomen made contact with the evidence that he was as turned on as she was Miranda grabbed the lapels of his jacket between her fingers. He parted their lips and she dropped her head back, eyes closed, as he planted a trail of heated kisses along her neck. He pushed up the hem of her blouse, burrowing his hands underneath to touch the heated skin of her midriff. When she sucked in a breath the movement granted him access to her torso. He traced a finger along the band of her bra, knuckles skimming the lace-covered swell at the underside of her breasts.
‘We shouldn’t be doing this,’ his deep voice rumbled against her neck.
‘I’m not sure reminding us both it’s forbidden will help,’ she answered breathlessly, clinging to him as if he was the only thing holding her upright.
‘I’m supposed to keep my distance.’
Her mouth curved into a decadent smile. ‘That might sound more convincing if you weren’t saying it while you have your hands on me.’
‘You’re the mayor’s daughter,’ he said as he kissed his way back up her neck.
‘One day I’m hopeful people will think of me as more than that. Using my name would be a great place to start.’
He raised his head and looked down at her. ‘I’ve used your name.’
‘No, you haven’t.’
‘I can’t have gone this long without saying it.’
She smiled again. ‘Wanna bet?’
‘There was that time when I was listing everything I knew about you...’
She shook her head. ‘Doesn’t count.’
He nudged the tip of her nose with his before lowering his voice. ‘Miranda...’
The sound of her name said in the deep rumble of his voice sent a tingle across her sensitive skin.
He placed a light kiss on her lips. ‘Miranda...’
She sighed contentedly. It sounded both sexy and reverent when he said it that way. Angling his head, he scrambled her thoughts with a longer, heated kiss. She felt one of his hands move against her breast and then...
He lifted his head and took a step back, his hands dropping from her body.
When Miranda opened her eyes she blinked at the sight of a half smile curving his mouth as he held up the keys.
‘Nice move,’ she said with begrudging respect.
He clamped his fingers around the keys and lowered his arm. ‘I have plenty more where that came from but right now you’re going home before we both end up in trouble.’
When he took her hand and led her back to the SUV, her thoughts unscrambled for long enough to