Page 42 of Garrison's Creed

He rounded the hood of his truck, and her hands wrapped around his neck, digging a grave into his carotid artery. Her bad arm had a helluva grip.

Damn it.

He had her at a bad angle. The only way he could pull her loose was to slam her against the truck or drop her to the ground. She wasn’t playing nice either. She was out to prove her point. He twisted his neck, testing her handhold. It was strong. Maybe shewastrained. Trainedwell, for that matter.

Nicola hissed in his ear. “Think again, if you think I’m not. You embarrass me, I’ll embarrass you. I’ll drop your ass in front of all your boys. Give me six more seconds, and you’re lights out.”

Truth was, she was right. Unless he pulled some kind of defensive measure, her vise-lock on his neck would take him down.

Here goes nothing.

He dropped forward, cradling the back of her head before they slammed to the ground. He absorbed the impact with his other arm around her back, pressing her to him. They crunched into the grass. His knees were on either side of her thighs. Her breaths were fast, and her hair splayed in the grass like a blonde halo. Her cheeks flushed, and she was the most beautiful woman he’d set eyes on.

Years ago.

Right now.

It made no difference.

Cash leaned over. Nose to nose, eyes locked. Lavender and flowers were all he could smell. She was all he could see. The electrified air zipped and zapped around them, pushing them together. Heat poured off her long frame. Her quick breaths kissed his lips, the way he so desperately wanted to kiss her.

Never had a woman grabbed hold of his spinning world and stopped it cold. Just him and her, suspended in time. Never had he focused on wanting a kiss like the one he was about to take. Her chocolate eyes didn’t blink. She watched, waited. Anticipated.

He pushed through the minute fraction of charged space between them, brushing his lips over her plump bottom one, instantly drawing his eyelids closed to savor her. Soft velvet, tasting like sugar.

The brim of his cowboy hat sheltered them. His mouth opened and caressed her top lip. Her mouth parted on a breath, and his tongue dipped into their kiss, living the daydream that had stolen his mind.

She sighed into him. An eruption of goose bumps trailed down his spine, tapering their descent at the small of his back and rushing blood to his groin. Every muscle tightened as if awaiting a command for action, but all he could do was repeat: bottom lip, top lip, both lips together.

Nicola relaxed, chin reaching up, tongue stroking his. Her hands slid up his neck, and she clasped his cheeks in her palms, pulling him to her. Sweet and hungry.

She was familiar, flared with something exciting and new to be explored and relished.

He nibbled her soft kiss, then paused. “I never thought anything would feel like that again.”

His lips were still against hers, and he felt the smile melt onto the face he memorized years ago. The girl next door, turned into the woman who promised his dreams could come true. He knew every facet, every expression. Even if it had been years, her smile was pure warmth, soothing the animosity that confused him.

“Kiss me again,” she whispered.

As if she had to ask. He rolled them to the side, running his hand through her hair, letting the silk slide through his fingers. The grass was cold, tickling and biting his skin, momentarily reminding him they laid on the ground at his buddy’s house. But fuck it. They were far enough away, and nothing could have stopped him from kissing her at her command.

Cash wrapped Nicola into his embrace. She nuzzled, kissing up his neck.

“I missed you, sweet girl.” He took her mouth, possessive and entirely focused on the little sounds she purred. She clung to him, a long leg kicked over his thigh. The whip of her tongue shocked his senses, ricocheting his nerve endings to the tips of his toes. Her breasts pushed into him, and his mind fast-forwarded to where they could be, how they could be.

“Stop.” She pushed back hard, surprising him straight out of his kiss clouded mindset.

What just went wrong?Floored. He was floored. Literally on the ground, as she dusted herself off and jumped upright, and figuratively, dumbstruck.

Never. Ever. Not once had a woman walked away from him when they were warming up. Not that much could go down in the grass and in front of God and co-workers, but still. He hadn’t a clue.

Instead of jumping up, he rolled back onto his back, propped up on his forearms, not particularly caring who saw his hard-on, and pulled his hat over his face. Neither embarrassed nor hiding, he was just plain confused. But her footsteps didn’t walk away. She stood there. One pointy-toed shoe bouncing in a pissed off allegro.

No way was she pissed at him.

No way.

They’d kissed. It wasn’t all him. She was there with him, every lip lock, tease, and torture. She’d been game.

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