Tiffany tipped her head back and looked up at him, returning his smile. “Yes, it certainly appears that way. Now it’s going to be up to us to make sure they get to spend more and more time together.”
Chance strode into Kylie’s house, rounded the corner that led from the utility room to the kitchen and stopped dead in his tracks. For the first time in his life, he forgot how to breathe.
Kylie was standing on a stool trying to get something out of a top cabinet. Stretching upward, the sundress she was wearing had raised, showing off a pair of luscious hips and those legs of hers that he admired so much.
His conscience gave him a hard kick. He shouldn’t be standing in the middle of her kitchen ogling her this way. The truth of the matter was that he couldn’t help it. The tantalizing sight of her had captured his attention and wouldn’t let go. Pure, unadulterated hunger filled his gaze, keeping him focused primarily on her. She had a gorgeous body and, with the fantasies playing around in his head, he could just imagine his hands all over it, followed by his mouth.
He inhaled deeply when he felt his body getting hotter by the second. The need to escape back outside suddenly overwhelmed him. He had to get out of there, right now, this very instant, before he went up in flames or—even worse—before he did something outside of his control like cross the room, snatch her off that stool and take her into his arms and kiss her senseless.
Kylie wasn’t certain if she’d heard a sound behind her or if her own body had alerted her to the fact that Chance was near. Whichever it was, she turned around so fast that she almost slipped off the step stool and had to fight to regain her balance.
Within an instant she was gathered into strong arms, avoiding a possible fall.
“You okay?”
The soft husky words from Chance’s lips that fanned against her temple raised her temperature ten degrees. “Yes, I’m okay. You startled me. I hadn’t heard you come in.”
Instead of offering her any kind of explanation, he simply nodded as he held her body in his strong arms. For the next couple of seconds her mind questioned the sanity of them standing in her kitchen that way. What if the kids walked in?
She panicked at that possibility. “I’m okay, Chance. You can put me down now,” she said, although she knew her voice lacked conviction.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, his tone deep and rich, and his gaze remaining steadily on hers.
No, Kylie thought. She wasn’t sure. Desire, the likes of which she’d never encountered before, raced through her, igniting her awareness, her attraction and her fire. Her eyes locked with his and at that instant she felt safe and protected in his arms, even with the feel of his body growing hard beneath her, which reminded her of the kiss they had shared Friday at the car wash.
With her teeth she caught the edge of her bottom lip, thinking she was just where she had dreamed of being last night—in his arms. Would it be so terrible if she stayed there just a little longer?
“Where are the kids?” she asked softly, tilting her head back and not breaking eye contact.
“Outside, cooking the rest of the meat.”
“That should take at least five minutes.”
“I’m counting on at least ten,” he said.
She felt him sliding her down his body, lowering her feet to the floor. But he kept his hand at her waist, not intending for her to go anywhere out of touching distance. When she was standing, her legs automatically parted slightly to gain her balance; ironically it was just enough room for him to pull her close and place his thigh between them. She felt him again, the hardness of his erection that was resting between her legs.
“Why didn’t you let me know that you had come inside?” she asked as intense heat shot up her core.
An apologetic smile touched his lips. “I couldn’t have spoken even if I had wanted to, Kylie. Seeing you on that stool like that had me barely breathing. Has anyone ever told you that you’ve got one hell of a nice figure?”
She tried not to be touched by the thought that he liked the way her body looked. “Yes, but it never really mattered.”
“Oh.”
“Until now.”
He bent toward her. “You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
He intended to be certain of that. Moving his hand to the swell of her hips, he gently pulled her closer as he leaned down and slanted his mouth over hers. She tasted sweeter than he remembered and he was helpless to do anything but deepen the kiss. He knew the exact moment she placed her arms around his neck, bringing their bodies closer into a locked embrace.
What he was sharing with her was a degree of passion he hadn’t shared with any woman in over seven years, and he was desperate for anything and everything she was offering. He suddenly felt it, a primitive need to bind her to him in the most elemental way. But he also knew he wanted more from her than just her body. He wanted her mind and soul as well.