Page 25 of Truck Off

He groans as he leans closer to me. “You’re going to make me go two full weeks without seeing you again? I don’t think I’ll make it.”

I run my free hand down his chest, letting my fingers linger over the buttons. “Then I guess you need to think of a way to change that without impacting my work schedule.”

His grin makes my heart flutter. Who knew this man could grin so much? “Challenge accepted.”

We hold each other’s gaze without moving for what feels like an eternity before he finally twirls a strand of my hair between his fingers. “I really want to kiss you. Is that okay?”

I suck in a breath and nod.

With our hands still linked, he lifts his free hand to my face and cups my cheek. My skin burns from his touch and my body aches to feel his heat against me.

He lowers his head toward mine at an agonizingly slow rate, and it feels like his lips will never meet mine. He’s so close, yet so far away. My impatience to finally know what Christian Mutter’s lips feel like has me wanting to take control. How I manage to restrain myself is beyond me.

When his lips finally brush against mine, I tremble. It’s light and gentle and barely there. But that doesn’t change the way my body reacts.

Then he shifts closer until our chests touch. He presses my back against my car and applies more pressure with his lips. A deep, guttural moan escapes me and that causes something in both of us to snap.

The kiss quickly changes from sweet and innocent to demanding and sinful. His tongue parts my lips and dives into mine with so much force I feel like I’m going to fall. I clench my hand into his shirt for additional support, but it does nothing to keep me from melting into him.

Before I know it, both of his hands are around my head and gripping my hair in tight fists. My arms wrap around his waist and my fingers dig into his back.

Our bodies are pressed together. His heat is my heat, and I can’t tell where he ends and I begin. Then he rotates his hips. And oh. My. God. His very hard erection pokes me in the stomach. Heat pools at my core and I lose all sense of self control.

“Christian,” I breathe into him as I lift my leg around his hips so I can feel that erection press into me somewhere else.

Then he freezes.

He releases me and takes a couple of steps back, taking all his heat with him. His sudden retreat leaves me cold and confused. The lust-filled look in his eyes vanishes and is replaced by something resembling guilt.

“What’s wrong?” I whisper.

He shakes his head but doesn’t look at me. His gaze is focused on the ground between us. “Just don’t want to get out of hand in the parking lot.”

I don’t believe him. Something is off and I can’t pinpoint what. How did we go from an intense, feverish kiss to something that feels a hell of a lot like regret?

“It’s okay. I should get going anyway.” I spin around and dig my keys out of my purse. I suddenly want nothing more than to get as far away from Christian as I can.

“Wait!” He steps up behind me and rests his hands on my upper arms before he leans close to my ear. “I’m sorry. I freaked out. That kiss was … Hell, Lina. That kiss was everything.”

I nod, feeling the exact same way. “Yeah, it was intense.”

He brushes my hair away from my neck and face and nuzzles his lips against me. “Can I still see you again?”

Leaning into him, I sigh. “I’d like that.”

“Good.” He kisses my cheek and steps back. “I’ll call you, or better yet, I’ll figure out a way to see you as soon as possible without impacting your work schedule.”

That makes me smile. I glance over my shoulder to find he’s smiling too. “I look forward to it.”

He steps toward me and presses a quick kiss to my lips before he backs away. “See you soon, Grumps.”

With that, he spins around and heads toward the back of the parking lot. I slide into my car and take a deep breath.

Holy hell. That kiss.

He wasn’t kidding when he said it was everything. No kiss has ever made me feel that alive and wanted.

Christian Mutter was full of surprises tonight. Good surprises.

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