Page 70 of A Bloom in Winter

Hemmy slowly eased back. “How we doing?”

“You are . . . an amazing kisser.”

The beaming smile that came back at her was a charmer. “Tell me more.”

Mahrci ran her hands through his blond hair. Stroked his strong jawline. Put her hand on his thick shoulder. “Fishing for compliments, are you?”

“Fine, let’s just do that some more.”

Now he took control, cupping the nape of her neck and bringing her to him—and she was happy to close in on him, reaching down and releasing her seatbelt so she could all but drape herself over the drink cup holders that separated them.

The kissing got explosive again quick, and as she arched into him, she understood what he meant: Here and now . . . was everything: The scent of his arousal in her nose, his lips against hers, his body so close, yet so tantalizingly far away . . .

With the promise of everything she wanted just a bedroom away. Or a back seat. Or maybe his front seat.

When they finally broke apart for air, they were both panting and the windows were steamed up.

“You are . . . a really,reallygood kisser,” she said roughly. “Not that I’ve kissed a lot of males.”

Hemmy smiled in a lazy, sexy way. “Well, I feel the same way about you. And I haven’t kissed any males.”

She laughed as he ran his thumb over her lower lip. “I’m glad you approve.”

“I more than approve,” he growled. “And I have to say, this is not the way I expected this to go. Well, the groceries in the back, yes—”

“I’m not going to take advantage of you.”

“Oh, sweetheart, you are welcome to takeallof my virtue. Not that I have much left—” Abruptly, he shook his head. “Uh-oh. Nope. No, don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Overthink anything. I can see it on your face. Just be here with me now. I promise you, fate will take care of the rest—”

A flare of headlights pierced through the SUV, lighting the side of his face.

“Looks like we have company,” he grumbled.

Mahrci stiffened and looked out the back, but all she got was blinded.

“I think your groundskeeper had made his return,” Hemmy said as he put them in drive and continued along.

“Are you sure?”

Wouldn’t that be a thank-God. As opposed to the list of people she didn’t want to see.

“Those lights are too high to be anything else but that heavy-duty Ford.”

“Oh. Good. And he’s not my groundskeeper. He’s my father’s.”

As they made their way down the lane, some of the mood was lost for her, and she tried to get it back, touching her mouth with her fingertips. Still, she couldn’t ignore the fact that she had a lot of music to face. Sooner or later, she was going to have to—

“And it looks like we have company.”

She shook herself back into focus and looked out the front windshield. Sure enough, parked right in front of the big house, was a low-slung, gray BMW—

A very unladylike curse left her on a frustrated exhale.

“Not who you expected?” Hemmy said as he pulled in front of the sedan.

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