Page 9 of Over Verdant Irish Hills

He played with the back of her hand. “Do you think I do? Sugar, I had the wholedoing it alonething down until I met you. Then it all went sideways.”

“Sideways,” she said, glaring. “Thanks a lot, Linc.”

When she started to stand again, he threw his leg over hers. The hard muscle there shocked her, and her eyes flew back to meet his gaze.

“You don’t know the meaning of sideways, do you, sugar? It means something so powerful that it turns everything on its head. That, my dear, is you, Betsy O’Hanlon. And if we do this run you’re suggesting, it’s guaranteed to go more than sideways. Are you sure you really want that?”

She swallowed thickly and then nodded. “I’ve been walking down the expected roads way too long, Linc. I’m done with it. I want this. I want you.”

“So we throw caution to the wind and throw ourselves at each other, huh?” His mouth tipped up on the right in an endearing half smile. “Bets, I never quite know what to expect from you.”

“Yes, you do.” She looked down at their joined hands and then raised her gaze to him. “You always seem to. Linc, I want this. Don’t make me say it again.”

“How am I supposed to say no to you when saying yes is the only thing I ever want to do?” Suddenly his blue eyes burned hot. “It’s not going to be all courtly or controlled with me, Bets. It’s going to be messy and sweaty and downright intense, and I plan to make you just short of breathless every day of this so-called run.”

She could hear her heartbeat in her ears. “Promise?”

His mouth tipped up again. “Well, hell, Bets, yes, I promise. Now you promise me something too. As you said, we have the arts center between us. I think we keep that separate.”

“Agreed,” she said slowly. “I don’t want to mess up our business relationship. I need you there too. Heck, I need you period.”

He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it slowly and yet with enough heat to make her belly tight with desire. “Then we give this a run. I’ll bring the fire, and you bring the water, and we’ll make enough steam to fog up the windows.”

She felt like a teenager again. “Fog up the windows? Didn’t you tell me once you’d created a window that didn’t fog up?”

“Bets, those windows would fail if we tested them out.”

Goodness, her internal temperature was going to sear her insides. “Linc Buchanan, you have some imagination.”

He plucked her out of her chair suddenly and onto his lap. She nearly purred as he settled her against his chest and leaned over her.

“You bet I do.”

Then his mouth covered hers, and she was lost.

Heat rose between them as their lips tormented each other. She grabbed a fistful of his jacket and held on. He nibbled at her lips one moment before plunging his tongue deeply into her mouth, making her moan. She managed to sneak her other hand into his hair and threaded her fingers through it, pleased when he groaned. Then he was cupping her face between his hands and kissing her with so much tenderness, her heart gave an answering sigh. She found his jaw and caressed it as their mouths made slow, heated passes in the quiet of the kitchen.

When they finally inched back from each other, he was smiling at her, his blue eyes filled with sheer delight. She knew she was smiling herself. Her freshly kissed mouth felt slightly chapped and swollen, an absolutely delicious feeling.

“You sure do know how to kiss,” she murmured and touched the shape of his smile.

“That’s not all I know how to do,” he said with a wicked wink. “But I have a heap of company still outside, so perhaps we should table this until my house is just good ol’ me again. You think you can hold off for a few days, sugar?”

Now that she’d kissed Linc Buchanan and knew where they were going—and how good it would be once they got there—she probably could have held out a week. Still, she said, “Patience has never been my strong suit.”

He let out a wild spurt of laughter before kissing her soundly on the mouth and depositing her back in her chair. “Me either. You look good mussed from my kisses, sugar. I’ll be thinking about that while I see to my company.”

“When will you be back to just you and your good ol’ self?” she asked, toying with the black fabric at his knees.

He covered her hand with an amused grin. “Wednesday.”

“Technically it’s Sunday, so that’s only four days away.”

She inhaled deeply, not surprised to smell oranges. Sorcha would be pleased, of course. She wondered what Linc would think if he knew about their matchmaking ghost. Should she tell him?

“Four days won’t break the bank,” he said, waggling his brows. “But you might want to clear the decks for a few days after that. I plan to keep you hot and thirsty for the foreseeable future.”

Hot and thirsty. Oh, my. Lust shot to the most luscious of places, and boy, did it feel delicious. “I’ll bring some supplies for the duration.”

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