Page 50 of And Then There Was Us
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Sure.” She pulled the towel from her belt and set it on the bar. “Let me get my jacket.”
He watched her walk away in her curve-hugging jeans and flat-bottomed boots. She was so sexy, and she didn’t even know it. Even her Old Town Tavern T-shirt made her look like the most exquisite and seductive girl-next-door he’d ever seen.
They walked down the street hand in hand. Hugh had been trying to be respectful of her time, her space, and her reputation, and even though she’d given the green light to their intimacy, he still held back. Hugh was used to moving fast, and he worried that if he let his true emotions take control, he might smother her—or worse, scare her off completely. He had to test the waters.
Hugh pulled her around the side of the building and took her in a long, avaricious kiss. “I’ve missed you.”
Brianna hooked her finger in his belt. “Me too,” she whispered.
He took her cheeks in his hands and pressed another kiss to her lips. They were definitely in sync. Her eyelids hung heavily, and her lips remained parted. She was so hot, he had to remind himself she had only a few minutes. He drew further away to calm his desires.
“I…uh…I fixed your lock, and I saw that Layla opened her gift. I’m glad you gave it to her.”
Brianna held his gaze. “She found it on the counter and she loved it. Thank you, but you really didn’t have to buy her those things. She’s just fin—”
I want to kiss you.He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from touching her. “I wanted to. I’m glad she loved it.” He didn’t have a plan for the fifteen minutes with her. He’d just needed to see her.
Brianna fiddled with the edge of her jacket.
“Hey, you okay? Did I overstep my bounds with the kiss? Or the gift?” His stomach lurched.
She shook her head and took a step closer to him; then she reached up and took his cheeks in her hands and stood on her tiptoes. He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her again, soft and tender.
“I’ve been thinking about you all day,” she whispered.
She kissed him again, and Hugh backed her up against the wall, allowing himself to kiss her like heneededto kiss her—like he’dwantedto kiss her all afternoon—passionate and deep, until neither of them had any breath left in their lungs. She ground her hips into his and he couldn’t help but run his hand down the delicious curve of her hip and grab hold of her backside.
He pulled back, and she said, “Kiss me,” in one long breath. She grabbed the back of his head and pressed his lips to hers again, capturing his next breath.
She drove him crazy.
“Next time, please don’t hesitate.” She looped her index finger in the waist of his pants.
“I was trying to be respectful.”
“I got it. You respect me. Hugh, I want to experience the real you, and whatever that is, I’m not afraid of it.”
“You may not realize what you’re asking. I’m a thrill seeker—not with other women, but once I let my emotions take over, my carnal desires won’t be far behind. I might smother you.” He dragged his eyes down to her heaving chest and let his eyes linger there, then brought them back up again, weighing her expression, which got hungrier with each breath. “I don’t want to mess things up with you. I force myself to slow down and ask if I can touch you.” He cupped her hip in his hand.
“Don’t,” she commanded, with serious eyes and an expression to match.
He took his hand off her hip and she grabbed it and put it back.
“Don’t think of me like that,” she said. “I mean, think of me with respect, but I can tell you’re holding back, and I want to experience you full-on, Hugh. If I’m going to risk my organized and overly scheduled life, then I want to do it right. I’ll never do anything that’ll jeopardize Layla or the world she knows, but if we’re alone, or in bed together…” Her cheeks flushed.
“Love you like I want to?”
She nodded.
He breathed heavily. “You might want to retract that the next time we’re alone together.”
She bit her lower lip again, before whispering, “Good.”
Man, she had no idea how his feelings for her had multiplied over the afternoon, or how much he wanted to crawl right back under the sheets with her.
“When I get back from my race next weekend, I have a couple months off, and I’ve been thinking that I’d spend them here with you and Layla. You might regret your decision when you see me more often.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I can’t wait to find out.”
