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.And then he kissed her.She arched against him, her body pliant, her lips hot and Annabelle-spicy.Her hair curledaround his fingers, ribbons of silk.He freed one hand and found her breast.Through herclothes, the nipple pebbled under his palm.She wound her arms around his neck, pressed herhips to his.Their tongues played an erotic game.He was hard, mindless.He needed more, andhe reached under her top to feel her skin.A muffled little whimper penetrated his fog.She shuddered, and the heels of her hands pressedagainst his chest.He drew back."Annabelle?"She gazed up at him through watery eyes and sniffed, the corners of her soft, rosy mouthdrooping."If only I were drunk," she whispered.file:///C|/Downloads/Susan%20Elizabeth%20Phillips%20-%20Match%20Me%20If%20You%20Can%20(v1.0).html (167 of 329)10/12/2005 17:39:42SEp Match me if you canChapter ThirteenAnnabelle heard Heath's sigh.That kiss& She'd known he'd be a wonderful kisser:domineering in the best possible way, master and commander, lord of the realm, leader of thepack.No need to worry about this one slipping into high heels when she wasn't payingattention.But none of that justified her foolishness."I I guess I have more self-disciplinethan I thought," she said, her voice unsteady."So gosh darned thrilled you figured that out now.""I can't throw everything away for a couple of minutes of heavy breathing.""A couple of minutes?" he exclaimed indignantly."If you think I'm not good for longer than ""Don't." Pain shot through her.All she wanted to do now was climb into bed and pull thecovers over her head.She hadn't cared about her business, her life, her self-respect.All she'dcared about was giving in to the moment."Let's go, Tinker Bell." He snagged her arm and steered her toward the kitchen."We're takinga walk to cool down.""I don't want to walk," she cried."Fine.Let's go back to what we were doing."Even as she pulled away, she knew he was right.If she intended to get her footing back, thiscouldn't wait till morning.She had to do it now."All right."He grabbed the flashlight hanging by the refrigerator, and she followed him outside.They setoff down a path soft with pine needles.Neither of them said a word, not even when the pathopened into a small, moonlit cove where limestone boulders edged the water.Heath turned offthe flashlight and set it on the lone picnic table.He stuffed his hands in the rear pockets of hisshorts and walked toward the water."I know you want to make a big deal out of this, butfile:///C|/Downloads/Susan%20Elizabeth%20Phillips%20-%20Match%20Me%20If%20You%20Can%20(v1.0).html (168 of 329)10/12/2005 17:39:42SEp Match me if you candon't.""Out of what? I've already forgotten." She kept her distance, wandering toward the water butstopping a good ten feet from him.The air smelled warm and marshy, and the lights from thetown of Wind Lake twinkled off to her left."We were dancing," he said."We got turned on.So what?"She dug her fingernails into her palms."As far as I'm concerned, it never happened.""It happened all right." He turned toward her, and the tough note in his voice told her thePython had uncoiled."I know the way you think, and that wasn't some big, unforgivable sin."Her composure dissolved."I'm your matchmaker!""Right.A matchmaker.You didn't have to swear a Hippo-cratic oath to get your businesscard.""You know exactly what I mean.""You're single; I'm single.It wouldn't have been the end of the world if we'd seen this through."She couldn't believe she'd heard him right."It would have been the end of my world.""I was afraid of this."His mildly exasperated air pushed her over the edge, and she stomped toward him."I shouldnever have let you come with me this weekend! I knew it was a bad idea from the beginning.""It was a great idea, and no harm's been done.We're two healthy, unattached, reasonably saneadults.We have fun together, and don't even try to deny that.""Yeah, I'm a great buddy, all right.""Believe me, tonight I wasn't thinking of you as a buddy."That threw her totally off stride, but she recovered quickly."If another woman had beenaround, this would never have happened.""Whatever you're trying to say, just spit it out.""Come on, Heath.I'm not blond, leggy, or stacked.I was the default setting.Even my ex-fiance never said I was sexy.""Your ex-fiance wears lipstick, so I wouldn't take that to heart.I promise, Annabelle, you'revery sexy.That hair& "file:///C|/Downloads/Susan%20Elizabeth%20Phillips%20-%20Match%20Me%20If%20You%20Can%20(v1.0).html (169 of 329)10/12/2005 17:39:42SEp Match me if you can"Do not start in on my hair.I was born with it, okay.It's like making fun of someone with abirth defect."She heard him sigh."We're talking about simple physical attraction brought on by somemoonlight, a little dancing, and too much liquor," he said."Do you agree that's what this is?""I guess.""Basic physical attraction.""I suppose.""I don't know about you," he said, "but it's been a long time since I've had such a good time.""Okay, I'll admit it was fun.The dancing," she added hastily."Damned right it was.So we got a little carried away.Nothing more than circumstances,right?"Pride and self-respect dictated that she agree."Of course.""Circumstances& and a little animal instinct." His huskier pitch began to sound almostseductive."Nothing to get worked up about.Are you with me?"He was throwing her off stride, but she nodded.He moved closer, his gravelly whisper a rasp over her skin."Perfectly understandable, right?""Right." She was still nodding, almost as if he'd mesmerized her."Are you sure?" he whispered.She kept nodding, no longer remembering exactly what the question was.His eyes gleamed in the moonlight."Because that's the only way& you can explain somethinglike this.Pure animal attraction.""Uh-huh," she managed, beginning to feel like a bedazzled, bobble-headed doll."Which sets us free" he touched her chin, the barest brush "to do exactly what neither of uscan stop thinking about, right?" He dropped his head to kiss her.The night wind hummed; her heart pounded.Just before his lips touched hers, his eyelidsflickered, and she glimpsed the faintest hint of cunning loitering in those green irises.That'swhen it hit her."You snake!" She pushed against his chest.file:///C|/Downloads/Susan%20Elizabeth%20Phillips%20-%20Match%20Me%20If%20You%20Can%20(v1.0).html (170 of 329)10/12/2005 17:39:42SEp Match me if you canHe stepped back, all wounded innocence."I don't deserve that.""Ohmygod! You've just put me through Sales 101.I bow to the master.""You've had way too much to drink.""The Great Salesman asks just the right questions to get his mark agreeing with everything hesays.He makes her nod her stupid head until it feels like it's coming off her neck.Then hedives in for the kill.You just tried to make a sale!""Have you always been this suspicious?""This is so you." She stomped toward the path, then spun back because she had so much moreto say [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]