Page 119 of The Making of Marnie Jones

“You need a place to stay.” She rubbed her thumb along his. “Mission City is within commuting distance of Vancouver.”

“Are you offering me a place to stay?”

She met his gaze intently. “I'm asking you to stay. With us. With me. ” In case he needed clarification.

He tugged her gently toward him. “I'm going to kiss you now.”

“I wish you would.”

Her lips were as soft as he remembered, and her arms quickly snaked around his neck, running her hands through his hair. When his tongue touched her lips, she sighed softly, allowing him entrance. She tasted as sweet as she had in his dreams. But there was a desperation coming from her matching his own. For two months he’d ached to have her in his arms and now that she was there, he was uncertain of how to proceed.

“Marnie.” A reverential whisper. She was up on her toes, pressing herself against him. Arousal swirled as her body became pliant against his.

“Marnie.”

She pulled back, her breathing ragged. “Yes, Jake.”

“I need a breather.”

Confusion knit her brow. “Breather?”

He tried to pull away—to put some space between them.

In response, she grasped his biceps. “What is it?”

Leaning forward, he pressed his forehead to hers. “You can't know how much I want this…”

“You want me to say it.”

“Yes.”

She pulled away, gazing into his eyes. “Show me.” Her deep green eyes were dark with arousal and something less tangible. “I want you to show me what it can be like.”

“One ground rule.”

A questioning look.

“I’ll stop when you say so.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Tomorrow, then.”

Her look of hurt nearly tore him in two. He had to say something quickly to defuse this possibly disastrous situation. “Nothing would bring me greater pleasure than to show you, but it's after midnight, and we both need our sleep. We have all the time in the world.”

She pulled back and tightened her ponytail. “You're right, of course. I'm going to hold you to your promise of tomorrow.” She pulled his mouth to hers. The kiss was hard, fast, and hot. In moments, she departed.

Watching her leave, he questioned the wisdom of his decision. She might wake up in the morning and regret their midnight interlude. He might never get to show her what real intimacy looked like.

Keep the faith.

She’d offered to let him move in, and a few hours ago he’d not believed that possible.

Tomorrow offered the beginning of a bright future.

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