Page 25 of A Match Made in Montana

Swallowing her next words, Annie began pacing. Truth be told, what she felt when she was near Craig was scaring the living daylights out of her. Would spending time together, having sex, really manage to make these feelings evaporate?

She had to think, really think. Being so close to Craig was making it extremely difficult.

Chapter Eight

Annie was chewingher bottom lip as she paced. Every now again, she stopped to look at him. A few times, she opened her mouth, closed it again before resuming the pacing.

Craig watched her intently. What was going on in that mind of hers? He swore he could hear the wheels turning.

When he was about to add something to his argument, she stopped. “Okay, if I agree to your proposition, I have conditions.”

Craig swallowed the smile that was threatening to split his face in two. Something was telling him this was so not the time to grin. “Okay, let’s hear it.”

“One…” she said, lifting a finger in much the same way he’d done earlier. “First, I need time to think about this.”

“What do you want to think about? Neither of us wants to get married, right? But we have this thing between us we should explore.”

“I still have to think about it.”

Rubbing his face, he groaned out loud. “How much time do you need?”

“A week. I don’t just jump into bed with every guy I meet. I need to make sure… I need time.”

She was right. He knew that. He didn’t like it, but she was right. “What is your other condition?”

“We don’t tell anyone else about us.”

He nodded. “I can agree to that. Less messy that way. What else?”

“I know this may be difficult for you, but my other condition is we don’t see other people while we’re dating.”

Craig pressed his lips together. That was an easy one. He didn’t want to be reminded of the date she’d had with what’s-his-name. And he couldn’t see straight while he was near Annie, let alone think of anyone else. “Agreed.”

“Shall we make a date for next Saturday?”

“Do you really need a whole week?” he barked. “That leaves only another week for us to be together.”

“Probably not.” Tapping a finger against her chin, her tongue chewing her lower lip, she looked out of the window. “But maybe I’ll be busy. I may just get all those guests for the spring festival I’ve been hoping for thanks to you. Okay, what about Wednesday?”

Craig wasn’t quite sure what was happening. Annie hadn’t rejected his proposition, but he also didn’t have permission to take her up the stairs to her room as his whole body was aching to do.

Taking her hand, he pulled her slowly closer. “Okay, Wednesday. In the meantime, I want you to know exactly what happens between us when we kiss…”

Brown eyes darkened. “Not necessary. We’ve kissed before…”

“Not like this,” he whispered against her mouth, giving her ample time to move away if she wanted to. “May I use my hands?” he murmured trailing kisses over her face.

With a groan, her hands slipped around his body. “You m—”

*

Hot lips capturedhers before she could finish the word. His big, warm hands slid restlessly up and down her sides sending her blood to boiling point within milliseconds. Wherever he touched her, she ached until her whole body throbbed in sync with the wild beating of her heart.

This was what she’d wanted, what she’d been dreaming about since she’d seen him the very first time.

He angled his head, deepened the kiss, his tongue curling around hers. Her senses, seeped in the familiar hint of leather and vanilla always surrounding him, blocked out the rest of the world until the only sound she could hear was their ragged breathing. All she could smell was him and all she was aware of was those warm hands restlessly moving over her body.

It was too much, but not nearly enough. Desperate to touch him without any barrier between them, her hands slipped underneath his top and touched his hot, toned flesh.Oh, my.Of course, he’d have a six-pack.

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