Page 33 of Kiss Me Forever

"Have you been involved with anyone in the recent past? I know you've gone on a lot of dates, but has there been someone who stuck around awhile?"

"How long would you consider awhile?"

"Six months."

"Then no."

"Okay, what has been your longest relationship in the past five years?"

He thought for a moment. "Probably about two to three months."

"What happened?"

"The fire burned out."

She stared back at him. "On whose side?"

"Both sides. It was a mutual parting."

"So you're a serial dater?"

"That sounds bad. I don't think I want to be that," he said with a lighthearted grin.

"You're messing with me, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"This is why you haven't had a relationship longer than three months. You don't take women seriously."

"And you seem to take things a little too seriously. It's a beautiful night. Relax, enjoy it. You don't have to work every second."

"I don't know how many seconds I'm going to have with you," she replied. "I don't want to waste them."

"If we're just going to talk about my love life, you are wasting them. I really have nothing momentous to share with you. And I don't date nearly as often as you think."

"Why not? You could have any woman you want."

"Could I have you?" he challenged.

She shivered at his words. "You don't want me. You just want to shake me up."

"I do want you, and I do want to shake you up," he said, taking a step in her direction.

She instinctive backed up, right into the fence. "Let's get back to the interview."

"What are you afraid of, Andrea?"

"I'm not afraid. I just want to get back to business."

"This is business. The business of you getting to know me." He put his hands on her waist. "I'm about to reveal something to you that I've never shown another reporter."

"What's that?" she asked breathlessly.

He lowered his head and his mouth covered hers.

She jumped at the heat of his lips, the sudden unexpected contact. She should have pushed him away, but instead she found herself sinking into the kiss, sliding her arms around his back, pressing her breasts against his chest. His mouth was warm and still spicy from the curry, and he kissed with same confidence and intensity that he seemed to bring to everything else in his life.

She kept telling herself she would end the kiss in a moment. She would move away. She would get back to the most important thing in her life, which was her job. But she didn't feel much like a reporter now. She felt like a woman—a woman filled with desire and need and an ache that started in her heart and ran through every muscle in her body.

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