Page 7 of Sweet on Her

Tossing the pan on the stuff, I back away, flapping my hands uselessly. I hit the Fan by the upper cabinets and then dart to the side to open the windows.

The door slams open and a masked man slips inside my house, his eyes behind the mask narrowing intently.

I’d know that dark gaze anywhere. I squawk and back away quickly, backpedaling so fast that I almost trip over my own feet.

Like an invading army, he’s on me in two quick strides and I find myself unceremoniously tossed over a broad shoulder covered in some slick material that slips under my fingers.

Scrabbling at it, I attempt to pull myself upright.

“Stop!” I gasp frantically. “No! It’s only cupcakes!” But he ignores me and tears out the door just as fast as he came in. Then as soon as we’re outside, he flips me over like I weigh as much as a freaking doll and I slide down the hardest body I’ve ever felt before. His big, bronze hand reaches up and pulls the mask off his face and I feel every molecule of my body freeze. His deep brown eyes spark with anger and fear. His big body is shaking with…something. I’m not even sure what. But a red tide washes across his cheeks and he glares at me.

“What the hell, Kat? You’ve been in town for a couple of days at the most and you started a fire?”

My hands drop to my hips and I see his heated gaze drop below my waistline and then shoot back up, flaring with desire for a second. But I must have been seeing things because in the next second he growls, “Whatever you’re about to say, be very careful how you say it, Kat.”

“I was about to say that it’s not a damn fire and I tried to tell you that. I burnt a pan of cookies. They’re sitting on the burner in the kitchen. So maybe you could dial it down.”

He paces closer to me and growls under his breath. “I warned you.” Before I can blink he’s got me plastered against more hard muscles than I’ve felt in my entire life. His fist wraps up in my hair and he tugs my head back until I’m staring right up into his eyes before he comes so close that I can’t even fit a slip of paper between our lips. Then they drop onto mine and it feels like I’m a bunny trapped by a wolf. A sexy wolf who tastes like mint and coffee and his lips feel warm and soft and so damn good that I gasp, barely breathing, my brain freezing, trapped in a loop of lust washing over me like a red haze.

Then he drops me to my feet and backs away so quickly that I fall forward, pinwheeling my arms to catch myself before I faceplant in front of him.

Jerking myself upright hastily I see the smirk on his lips and anger roars to life in me. “What the hell, Hank? You need to learn to keep those freaking sexy lips to yourself!”

He chuckles darkly and his eyes twinkle with gold fire. “You think my lips are sexy?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake! I cannot believe this day!” Barefoot, I stomp back to my house with smoke still billowing out of the window.

“Hey, slow down! Wait a bit, Katrina! Let the smoke die down a bit.” He barrels after me and I whip around, my hand stiff arming him before he can touch me again.

“Back the hell up and I’ll go where I want, Hank! You are unbelievable!” My eyes drag down his body, my inner wild child wanting to climb all those muscles like a fucking tree!

“I’ll take that as a compliment. You really should let the place air out though.”

“I’ll be fine. As long as you leave me alone,” I say, my lip trembling slightly.

I need to get away from him. Need to get myself under control because I have never felt the way he makes me feel.

“I’ll see you later, Katrina!’ He hollers to me and I wave my hand over my head

“Good-bye, Hank!”

I scuttle away from him, my head down, my cheeks flaming.

I can’t believe what just happened but it’s insane that I let him touch me the same way he used to when we were dating. It was like time stood still and I was that young girl again, shivering when his fingers touched me.

Only this time those slim, calloused fingers seem to know exactly what they’re doing, playing my body like a concert cello.

It’s a concerto of warm, languid music washing over me when his fingers trace my body.

All of a sudden I really want to feel the concert around me. I shove it down and run away like my ass is on fire. When I glance back at the door, I see his eyes locked on my backside and groan, shoving in the door, slamming it closed and slipping to the floor, stunned.

What just happened here?

I’m not sure but I cannot let it happen again. I’m not sure I’ll be able to walk away another time.

CHAPTER 5

Hank