Page 5 of Tucker

She looked at his mouth. “Can’t prove it by me.”

Oh, so bold—and soclose. Her lips were damp, her eyes heavy, and everything about her screamed an invitation. Could she possibly know what it did to him, having her look at him like that? Did she know that he was getting hard?

Wrestling with temptation, Tucker tried to draw back, but it was as if their gazes had locked and he couldn’t pull free. Maybe he even leaned closer...

Suddenly, headlights flashed in the rear windows of the van, blinding them both. He lifted a hand, turning toward the roar of a muscled engine. Through the windows he saw a car wildly careening toward them. Fast. Too fast.

In his gut, he knew they’d be hit.

Kady squeaked as he grabbed her close and bore her down to the floor on her butt, her face tucked against his chest, his body curling over and around hers protectively. They had no time for anything else, not for explanations or preparation, before the car heavily sideswiped the van with a jolting impact. The screech of metal on metal filled the air as the car shoved the van farther off the road and into the mud.

For one heart-stopping moment, Tucker thought it might roll, but it rocked back with a deep shudder that sent something with hard corners tumbling down onto his shoulder.

Grunting at the sharp pain, teeth locked, he gave thanks that he’d thought to cover Kady’s head so thoroughly. Instinctively, his arms tightened around her, and he ignored the ache to his shoulder muscle.

The seconds ticked by.

When nothing else happened, he cautiously lifted his head. She kept her face against him, her small hands curled on his chest.

He could feel her trembling.

After one stroke to her hair, he unwound from her and helped her to sit up. His shoulder screamed, but he had other priorities. “Are you okay?”

Eyes big and glassy, she nodded. “You?”

Anger washed away a lot of the pain. “Fine. Stay here.” He got up and looked through the front windshield in time to see the car’s taillights disappear around a bend in the road.

The reckless bastard hadn’t even stopped.

With the distance, the rain and the dark, there was no way to see the license-plate number.

Kady sat cross-legged on the floor, her palms to her cheeks. “I guess the driver didn’t see us.”

“The jackass was driving too fast to see anything, especially on a night like this.”But he couldn’t have missed that force of contact.Tucker crouched in front of her. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

“Just shaken.” She put a hand to his neck.

Her palm was soft, small, cool to the touch...and yet, he felt scorched. Asinine. It was only his damned neck.

She swallowed. “I take back what I said.”

Wondering if he’d ever understand her, Tucker asked, “Which part?”

“About you being an obtuse man.” Her fingers stroked a little. “You have amazing reflexes, and I... I appreciate that you thought of me.”

Tucker had no idea what to say to that. Truthfully, when he’d realized what would happen, he’d been able to thinkonlyof her.

“I mean, I know you’d have done the same with any woman. I’m not insinuating... That is, I realize...” Her voice faded and she shook her head, then said firmly, “Thank you.”

After doing his best to behave, it was crazy that her uncertainty would push him right over the edge, but that’s what happened. For once she wasn’t flirting, wasn’t flaunting that teasing persona.

At this moment, here—with him—she was open and vulnerable andreal.

Needing to touch her, comfort her, Tucker put his knuckles under her chin and brought her face up to his. Those summer-sky eyes searched his, and he saw her dawning awareness seconds before he kissed her.

Her lips were soft and warm, slightly parted. She made a sexy, husky sound in the back of her throat and immediately,urgentlysqueezed closer, her arms twining around his neck, her breasts pressing to his chest.

Tucker turned his head for a better fit, licked along her lips until she opened her mouth, then he kissed her as he wanted, his tongue sliding over hers, learning her taste, absorbing her warmth. Possessing her.

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