Page 288 of Love Bites

I frowned up into his suddenly serious face. “Why?”

“Because of this.” He hauled me against him and covered my mouth with his.

He tasted salty, his lips soft at first, hesitant, coaxing; then hard, demanding. I sagged against his warm chest, my mind reeling. This was Doc. Dark, mysterious, dangerous Doc. I was kissing Doc.Finally!Well, he was actually kissing me, but that was something I planned to change right away. I wrapped my free hand around the back of his neck and pulled him down lower, closer, and took control of the kiss, my tongue teasing his into a response.

His fingers squeezed my hand, his breath jagged, mirroring my own. “Violet,” he rasped and shoved me back against the wall. “You’re right.”

I pulled my hand from his grasp; eager, impatient, wanting to touch and explore, nibble and lick. I had scars to examine, skin to study. “About what?” I asked, my hands tugging at his shirt while my mouth surveyed his jaw line, trailing toward his ear. His cologne filled my head, sending my sense and sensibilities floating up to the ceiling.

His hands hovered around my stomach, hesitating. “It’s really bad.” He groaned as I sucked on his earlobe.

“I know.” I grabbed his hands and moved them north, planting them on my chest. His palms scorched me through my shirt and bra.

“Jesus, woman.” He growled against my neck. “Your hair smells like peaches.” His fingers came alive, fondling, caressing, rubbing. “I love peaches.” His teeth left a trail of fire along my collarbone.

Any last qualms about Natalie, my job, and my principles burned up in the inferno roaring between us. I wanted Doc, now, right here in this dark stairwell, while Mona’s little sandwiches grew dry and crusty in the living room.

Doc’s body crushed mine, my shoulder blades digging into the plaster wall. I lifted my leg and pressed my inner thigh against his hip, rubbing my boot up and down his leg as I dragged his mouth back to mine and thoroughly investigated his lips, nibbling. “You do things to me, Doc.”

“I want to do more,” he said against my mouth, between long, wet, searing kisses. He hooked his hand under my knee, inching my skirt up my thigh while his hips ground into mine.

“What’s stopping you?” I sure as hell wasn’t.

He braced his hand on the wall beside my head. “We need to stop.”

I nipped his lower lip, then kissed it better as my hands found hot flesh covering a ripple of abs. I didn’t think I could stop. I’d been too long without sex, too hungry for Doc’s hands and mouth on my skin. “You first,” I challenged him.

Doc tore away from me so fast I almost fell down the last step. He backed up, bumping into the door behind him.

I shook my head, feeling like I’d just been stampeded by a crash of rhinos. “What the hell?” I hadn’t expected him to take me seriously.

“Mona,” Doc whispered, his chest heaving. “She’s calling your name.”

Then I heard her as the blood rushing in my ears faded. “Vi? Where are you?” Her voice was muffled, but growing louder.

Panic spread a fresh layer of dew on my skin. I looked at Doc. “What should I do?”

He reached out and adjusted my shirt, fastening the top two buttons again. “Answer her.”

“I can’t go out like this.” I touched my lips, blood still pounding in them. They felt swollen. “You go.”

Doc chuckled and glanced down at himself. “This might be kind ofhardto explain.”

I admired his problem.

“That’s not helping the matter any, Violet.”

“Vi?” Mona sounded like she was upstairs now, nearing the open door above us.

I heard a rattling sound and then I was blinded by a gush of daylight from behind Doc. I shielded my eyes.

“Oh, look,” Doc said, pushing the door all the way open and dragging me into the light. “You were right about the kitchen.”

After adjusting my skirt and shirt, I left Doc in the kitchen to cool off. I reached the main stairs just as Mona was coming down.

She hesitated at the sight of me, her eyes searching my super-sized smile for several seconds. “Where were you?”

“Checking out the house.” And the inside of Doc’s mouth.

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