Page 342 of The Trouble With Bad Boys

As they shared a smile, he leaned his forehead against hers and then kissed the tip of her nose.

The intoxicating presence he surrounded her with was far more potent than the wine. “I have a question.”

Noticing the determined look in his eyes, she backed away a few inches and said warily, “Then I guess I have an answer.”

“When you were with your boyfriends, did you ever think about me?” His warm hand traced the shape of her neck exposed to him before his strong fingers kneaded the tension at the base of her scalp.

Sinking into the divine sensation, she sighed.

“Is that a yes?”

Unwilling to give away her secrets, she licked her lips. “Maybe.”

Leaning down, he traced her earlobe with his mouth, steam curling inside the delicate shell. “Did you ever wish it was me touching you instead?”

His brazen question troubled her as much as it turned her on.

What if she had? He hadn’t reached out after she’d moved. He hadn’t pursued her. So why was that any of his business?

She wasn’t hung up on him or anything. Years had passed, she’d had other lovers, lost her virginity along the way, but their summer fling had ended when she’d moved to Colorado. She thought she’d put her attraction to bad boys behind her.

She peeked at him through her lashes.

His heavy-lidded eyes seared her, the color of a stormy sea, leaving no doubt about how much he craved her, wanted to consume her. His stare traveled straight into her soul.

“Tell me you don’t want this,” he whispered against her parted lips. “Or I’m going to kiss you. And I don’t plan to stop.”

“You know what they say about best-laid plans,” she murmured. “They don’t always work out the way we intend.”

His gaze turned sultry at her challenge. “Intentions are for those who hesitate. I know exactly what I want. What I’ve wanted for a damned long time. Too long.”

Then he sealed his mouth over hers in hot possession, claiming her.

A whimper of uncertainty mixed with desire caught in her throat. Then his kiss melted all lingering traces of doubt.

“I want you, Lara.” He pressed the heel of his hand to her lower back, cupping her backside with a territorial squeeze.

How many other girls—and women since their brief teenage indulgence—had felt their knees go weak when he said those words? His gorgeous face, outrageous sex appeal, and take-charge bad-boy charm made an irresistible combination.

She didn’t actually want to know the number—dozens, hundreds?—she just wasn’t sure how cautiously to guard her feelings against eventual disappointment when he got bored and moved on.

“From what I recall,” she said, “you were good at leaving a trail of broken hearts in your wake. I don’t want to add mine to that list.”

The atmosphere turned from steamy to serious. His eyebrows drew together over an intense, sincere look she’d never seen from him.

“I guess I’ve earned your caution, given my history. But I haven’t gone on a date in six months. I’m not looking for just someone to spend a Saturday night with. I want one woman I can do anything with, every night.”

His admission radiated with sincerity. He seemed regretful, even distressed over her assumptions.

He trailed his touch along her back as he looked into her eyes. “I want you, Lara.” He sighed. “Part of me has known that for years. Forever? I just never thought I’d find a path back to you.” He sweetly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek with his thumb. “I never stopped thinking about you…wanting you.”

“Do you mean that?” And if he said he did, was she a fool to believe him?

Then again, what man would drive like a bat out of hell across counties, and willingly put his own life in danger to protect her, if he didn’t care about her?

“I mean it,” he said. “Would you give me a second chance to prove I can be the man you deserve?”

“Starting tonight?”

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