answers for you. I want the truth as much as you do. Believe me. That’s why—”
He stopped and just stared at her.
“Why what, Blaze?” What on earth was going on here? Whatever it was, she didn’t want him to walk away from this.
“Oh, hell.”
He cupped her face in his large, warm hands, his eyes burning with heat, and so slowly she was afraid he’d change his mind. But then his mouth pressed against her, gently but firmly, and heat surged through her body. Her nipples turned to hardened peaks, her sex throbbed as if a bass drum was lodged there and a hunger she’d never experienced before surged through her.
When he nudged her lips apart with the tip of his tongue, she gladly opened her mouth for him and let that tongue sweep inside. Oh, god, he tasted so good, the heady flavor of a real male. It was an explosion of undefined emotion, like nothing she’d ever felt before.
The kiss went on and on, hot and erotic and sexy, until she had no breath left but still could not break away. Blaze’s arms banded around her, pressing her body to his. She could feel every ridge of muscle. Every dip and curve, from the solid flatness of his chest and belly to the thick hardness of his cock straining behind the denim of his jeans.
It could have been minutes, an hour, the next day before at last he lifted his head. She didn’t know which of them was breathing harder. There was a hunger in his eyes that eclipsed anything she might have expected to see. She wondered if hers reflected the same intensity. And even though the kiss was broken, Blaze still held her tight against his body, his big hands cupping the cheeks of her ass as he pressed against her.
“Jesus,” he said at last, his breath still unsteady.
Her smile was shaky. “I agree. What the hell was that?”
Blaze looked as shaken as she felt. “I think it was an earthquake at the top of the Richter scale. Listen, Peyton, I…”
He stopped as if he couldn’t find the right words.
She knew exactly how he felt. “Um, well, I…”
He tilted up her chin with the tips of his fingers and studied her face.
“I don’t know if I should apologize or celebrate.” His laugh was rough and unsteady. “That kiss kicked my ass. Please tell me I wasn’t in it all by myself.”
“No. You weren’t. I thought you could tell.” She swallowed. “But how did we get here, Blaze? This isn’t like me at all. One minute I’m frantically trying to find out who put my sister in a coma and hiring people whose office is in a plane to do it. The next I’m getting kissed out of my mind, a kiss so hot I think the soles of my feet got singed. Do you know what’s going on here?”
“I do.” His lips tilted up in a tentative grin. “But you have to promise not to smack me if I tell you.”
Peyton let out a sigh. “How can I smack you when I was a willing participant?”
“The first thing I want to tell you is, everything else aside, my focus is on finding out who ran down your sister and brother-in-law and getting justice for you. For them.”
“Okay. And the second thing?”
“Whatever that was that just exploded between us? I can’t put it back in a bottle, Peyton. And I’m not sure I can keep my hands off you if we do this together. So again, if you want me to step back and let one of the others take lead, I’ll understand. I’m not in the habit of taking advantage of women at a bad place in their lives. That’s not who I am.”
“You don’t think I can tell that? I like to think I have good instincts about people. No, Blaze, I think I’m the one who should be embarrassed.” She studied his face, looking for some indication of his real thoughts. “This isn’t my usual style, either, but I don’t think I can turn it off. So unless you want to switch me to one of your partners, we’re doing this together.” She stopped and drew another breath. “All of it.”
Every muscle in his body seemed to relax and relief washed over his face.
“Thank fuck. Really. I thought I had really screwed things up here.” He brushed a light kiss over her lips. “How did I get so lucky? Smart, sexy and a crack shot.