“Yes, dangerous.” He gave her a rueful smile, stepping closer. “You’re too distracting. I need to keep my wits about me tonight, and if I was anywhere near you…well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be my best idea.”
Although warmed by his admission, she still felt a wave of disappointment wash over her. Of course, she quickly tried to mask it. “Oh, okay. I get it,” she said, setting the pillow and blanket on the couch.
Dale noticed, of course. He always noticed. He stepped close and gently cupped her face in his hands, his thumb softlybrushing her cheek. “Hey, don’t think for a second that I don’t want to take you up on that amazing offer. I’d love a raincheck, okay?”
She nodded, trying to smile despite the sting of rejection resurrecting memories of high school, and they weren’t the good ones. “Sure. A raincheck. You got it.”
When Dale released her and didn’t lean in for a kiss, she inwardly sighed, feeling an awkwardness settle between them.
Great. She needed to reel it in, although she’d thought, given the hot kisses they’d shared today that they were both on the same out-of-control page.
Apparently not.
“Goodnight, Dale,” she murmured, turning to head up the stairs before she made an even bigger idiot out of herself.
As she reached the top of the steps and turned down the hall, she continued to berate herself.That was stupid, Sadie. So stupid. What were you thinking?
But just as she neared the door to her room, she heard the quick, determined thumping of footsteps on the stairs. By the time she turned around, Dale was there.
“Sadie,” he murmured, using his body to press her gently but firmly against the hall wall. His breath was hot against her face as he whispered, “I changed my mind.”
Her heart leaped, then soared when without another word, he captured her lips in a long, deep, deliciously thorough kiss. His hands slid to her waist as he pulled her closer.
The tension, the doubt—all of it melted away as she kissed him back, losing herself in the warmth and intensity of the moment.
This was what she wanted. And, judging by the way Dale’s hold tightened, it was what he wanted as well.
Heat rushed through her as Dale’s kiss deepened, his hands gripping her waist with a possessiveness that sent deliciousshivers down her spine. She responded with equal intensity, her fingers threading through his hair as she drew him closer to give back the bliss she was getting.
The hallway around them seemed to blur into the background, leaving only the two of them in a world where nothing else mattered.
His lips moved from her mouth to her jaw, then down to the sensitive skin of her neck. Each touch sent a thrill of excitement through her, causing breath to hitch in her throat. He was usually so controlled, so steady, but right now he was letting go, and the passion that had been simmering between them since his return now flourished with a vengeance.
“Sadie,” he murmured against her skin, his voice low and rough, filled with a longing that matched her own. “I’ve been trying so hard to stay focused, to keep things professional, but you—” He paused, pulling back just enough to look into her eyes. “You make it impossible to think about anything else.”
She smiled, her breath shallow. “Good. I don’t want you thinking about anything else right now. I’ve waited a lifetime for this moment.”
Dale’s gaze darkened, his eyes searching hers for any hesitation, any sign that he’d heard wrong. He hadn’t, and when he realized that, he surged forward, kissing her again with a fierceness that sent heat pooling low in her belly.
This time, there was no holding back, no second-guessing. The connection between them flared to life stronger than ever, and Sadie was swept away by the sheer intensity of it.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his, feeling the solid strength of the amazing man. Somehow, he seemed to ground her even as he made her feel like she was floating. Yeah, he was amazing.
Big, strong hands tugged her away from the wall to roam over her back, his touch leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Itwas a dizzying, intoxicating feeling, one that made her forget everything but the here and now.
But just as the heat between them reached its peak, Dale suddenly pulled back, his breathing ragged, his forehead resting against hers. “Sadie,” he muttered, his voice hoarse with restraint, “if we keep going, I’m not going to be able to stop. You need to be sure about this. Are you sure?”
Her heart skipped a beat. He was so sweet. The heat blazing in his eyes spoke of his need, and yet he was willing to put it aside to put her first.
Good thing her need happened to be for him.
“Never been more sure of anything in my entire life.” Smiling, she reached down, grabbed her shirt with one hand, and tried to drag it up and off her body in one fluid motion like he had, except it got caught on her messy bun which, thanks to his hands, was now a messy ponytail.
Chuckling, he helped untangle it and pulled it the rest of the way off. There was no time for embarrassment as his amusement turned into the same lust eating her up from the inside.
His gaze took in her lacy, mint green bra and her heaving cleavage, because, yeah, she was breathing hard.
“So beautiful,” he murmured before he captured her mouth again, nipping, tasting, devouring until she could barely think straight.
