“I don’t know. That’s just how I’ve always felt. Like I couldn’t give a man what he wanted because I was also so focused on my own life. I’ve been called selfish many times because I am devoted to my career.”
I shuffled toward her. “Ali, that’s not being selfish. That’s being true to yourself. You should never give up your dreams for someone else.”
“I know,” she said as I stopped in front of her.
“Were you really afraid of how I made you feel?”
“Yes.”
“How did I make you feel, Ali?” I took in every feature of her face.
“You thrilled me, made my heart pound, and you looked at me like I was your world. Like you would do anything for me, but I’m not sure that I can be that to someone in return.”
I touched her cheek; she was very perceptive. At the time that we were dancing, that was pretty much how I had felt. I would have done anything for the woman, and I hadn’t even known her.
“What do you feel right now?”
“Like my heart is pounding and I’m afraid that if we kiss, it won’t be the same. I’m afraid that it won’t feel as perfect as it did, but I want to know. I need to know, Harvey, but I’m afraid.” Her hands were on my chest now that she closed the distance. She lifted her lips to mine. “Please.”
I speared my hand through her hair and curled my fingers around her neck, holding it right where it was, not allowing her any closer as she stared up at me and begged with her beautiful green eyes.
I would never be able to deny this woman anything. I leaned forward, slowly, slower than I had when we had danced, and our breath mingled. Her hands fisted my shirt, and I wondered if she could feel my heart pounding. Our lips brushed; she quivered in my arms, and I finally sealed my mouth over hers.
I felt things exploding in my head, felt dizzy as I tilted my head more, and opened my lips to mingle my tongue with hers. She whimpered and went up on her tiptoes, pushing her body into mine as she wrapped her arms around my neck and clung to me like I was saving her life from a tidal wave.
I pulled her body flush to mine and ran my palms over her back. From her shoulders to her waist, it felt like I had come home. My hands knew this body, knew how the muscles felt shifting under the material of her clothing. I wanted it all off. I wanted her skin on mine. I wanted to ravish every inch of her body.
A sound of the freezer compressor kicking on reminded me of where we were, and I took her face in mine, slowing the kiss and pulling back to stare down at her.
“Disappointed?” I asked her huskily. She shook her head, and I grinned at her. “Me either, but we need to not do that again. I have work that needs to be finished, and you—” I frowned. I’d never made a move on a taken woman before. I stepped back. “Well, at least that answered your question. I need to get this done. The minis will only take a few minutes each.”
“Alright,” she finally replied as I stepped away. “Um, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to finish some paperwork in my office.”
“Yeah, sure. I’ll let you know when I’m done.” She disappeared down the hallway and into her office, and I ran a hand along my jaw. “Well, that was stupid,” I said softly to myself before I snagged the box of minis off the floor.
Stupid was an understatement. There was no denying that whatever connection the two of us had when we danced was still there. I don’t ever recall kissing a woman that way before and feeling like I should drop to my knees and beg them to let me please them.
I huffed out a sigh and got back to work. With any luck, Ali would stay in her office until I was finished.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ali
I was having an out-of-body experience. That was the only way to explain it. I couldn’t feel my body, but my mind was going a hundred miles a minute as I stepped into my office.
Disappointed? Oh, holy hell! How could anyone be disappointed in a kiss like that? The man made me want to climb right up him like he was a telephone