Текст книги "Truly Madly Yours "
Автор книги: Рэйчел Гибсон
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Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 18 страниц)
But she was desperate. No one wanted to pay more than ten dollars for anything. In the three days shed been open, Mrs. Van Damme was the only person who hadnt taken one look at her prices and turned and run out. Of course, the woman could barely walk.
“If you do a good wave, Ill recommend you to my friends, but they wont pay more than I do.
Oh goody, she thought, a whole year of frugal old ladies. A whole year of tight roller curls and back combing. “Do you part your hair on the right, Mrs. Van Damme?
“On the left. And since you have your fingers in my hair, you can call me Wannetta.
“How long have you worn your hair this way, Wannetta?
“Oh, for about forty years. Every since my late husband told me I looked like Mae West.
Delaney seriously doubted Wannetta had ever looked anything like Mae West. “Maybe its time for a change, she suggested and snapped on a pair of rubber gloves like a surgeon.
“Nope. I like to stick with what works.
Delaney snipped off the tip of the bottle, then applied the lotion to the right side of the womans head and began to shape the waves with her fingers and comb. It took her several tries to get the first ridge perfect so that she could move on to the second and third. While she worked, Wannetta chatted nonstop.
“My good friend Dortha Miles lives in one of those retirement villages in Boise. She really likes it. Foods good she says. Ive thought about moving to one of those villages myself. Ever since my husband, Leroy, passed on last year. She paused to slip her bony hand from beneath the cape and scratch her nose.
“Howd your husband die? Delaney asked as she formed a ridge with her comb.
“Fell off the roof and landed on his head. I dont know how many times I told that old fool not to climb up there. But he never listened to me, and look where he is now. He just had to get up there and fiddle with that TV antenna, so certain he could get channel two. Now Im alone, and if it werent for my worthless grandson, Ronnie, who cant keep a job and is always borrowing money, maybe I could afford to move into one of those retirement villages with Dortha. Only Im not certain I would anyway being that her daughter is a—she paused and lowered her voice—“lesbian. I tend to think that sort of thing is genetic. Now, Im not saying Dortha is a—again she paused and whispered the next word—“lesbian, but she always did have a tendency toward very short hair, and she wore comfortable shoes even before her arches fell. And Id hate to live with someone and discover something like that. Id be afraid to take a shower, and Id be afraid shed run around the apartment naked. Or maybe shed try to get a peek at me when Im naked.
The mental picture that flashed through Delaneys head was frightening, and she had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing. The conversation moved from Wannettas fear of naked lesbians to the other disturbing worries in her life. “After that house out near Cow Creek was robbed last year, she said, “I had to start locking my doors. Never had to do that before. But I live alone now, and I cant be too careful I guess. Are you married? she asked, peering at Delaney through the wall of mirrors in front of her.
Delaney was getting sick of that question. “I havent found the right man yet.
“I have a grandson, Ronnie.
“No, thanks.
“Hmm. Do you live alone?
“Yes, I do, Delaney answered as she finished the last ridge. “I live right upstairs.
“Up there? Wannetta pointed toward the ceiling.
“Yep.
“How come, when your mamma has such a nice place?
There were a million reasons. Shed hardly spoken to her mother since shed moved out, and she couldnt say she was all that upset about it. “I like living alone, she answered and formed a row of tiny curls across the womans forehead.
“Well, you just watch out for those crazy Basque Allegrezza boys next door. I dated a sheepherder once. They have mighty funny ways.
Delaney bit her cheek again. Before shed opened the shop, running into Nick had been a concern of hers, but although shed seen his Jeep in the common lot behind the two buildings, and their back doors where only a few feet apart, she hadnt actually seen him. According to Lisa, she hadnt seen much of Louie lately, either. Allegrezza Construction was working overtime to complete several big jobs before the first snow, which could come as early as the beginning of November.
When Delaney was finished, Mrs. Van Damme was still old and wrinkled and looked nothing like Mae West. “What do you think? she asked and handed the woman an oval mirror.
“Hmm. Turn me.
Delaney turned the chair so Wannetta could see the back of her head.
“Looks good, but Im going to take off fifty cents for those little curls in the front. I never said Id pay for extra curls.
Delaney frowned and removed the neck strip and silver plastic cape.
“You give a senior citizen discount dont you? Helen isnt as good as you, but she gives a discount to seniors.
At this rate, she was going to be out of business in no time. As soon as Mrs. Van Damme left, Delaney locked up and put away her green smock. She reached for her vinyl jacket and headed out the back. Just as she stepped outside and turned to shut the door behind her, a dusty black Jeep rolled to a stop in the slot reserved for Allegrezza Construction. She looked over her shoulder and almost dropped her keys.
Nick cut the Jeeps engine and stuck his head out the window. “Hey, wild thing, where you headed dressed like a hooker?
Slowly she turned and shoved her arms into her jacket. “I am not dressed like a hooker.
As he got out of the four-wheel drive, he looked her over. His gaze started at her boots and worked upward. A lazy smile curved his lips. “Looks like somebody had a real good time wrapping you up in electrical tape.
She pulled her hair from the back of her collar and subjected him to the same scrutiny hed just given her. His hair was slicked back in a ponytail, and the arms had been hacked out of his blue work shirt. His jeans were worn almost white in places and his boots were dusty. “Did you get that tattoo in prison? she asked, pointing to the wreath of thorns circling his bare biceps.
His smile flat lined and he didnt answer.
Delaney couldnt remember a time when shed gotten the best of Nick. Hed always been quicker and meaner. But that had been in the past with the old Delaney. The new Delaney stuck her nose in the air and pressed her luck. “What were you in the slammer for, exposing yourself in public?
“Strangling a smart-ass redhead who used to be blond. He took several steps toward her and stopped close enough to touch. “It was worth it.
Delaney looked up at him and smiled. “Did you bend over and pick up the soap? She expected his anger. She expected him to say something cruel. Something to make her wish shed run the second shed seen his Jeep, but he didnt.
He rocked back on his heels and grinned. “That was a good one, he said, then he laughed, and it was the deep confident laughter of a man who knew with certainty that no one would think to question his sexual preference.
She couldnt remember a time when shed ever heard his laughter that it hadnt been directed at her . Like the time her mother had made her dress up like a Smurf for the Halloween parade, and Nick and his hoodlum buddies had howled with laughter.
This Nick was disarming. “Sounds like were both going to be in Louies wedding.
“Yeah, who would have thought my best friend would end up with crazy Louie Allegrezza.
His chuckle was deep and genuine. “Hows business? he asked and really threw her off balance.
“Okay, she answered. The last time hed been pleasant to her, shed let him strip her naked while hed remained fully clothed. “All I need is a few new locks and some deadbolts.
“Why? Did someone try to break in?
“Im not sure. She lowered her gaze to the folded papers sticking out of his breast pocket, anywhere but his tractor-beam eyes. “I was given only one key to the business and there have to be more somewhere. I called the locksmith, but he hasnt made it over yet.
Nick reached for the door handle by Delaneys waist and jiggled it. His wrist brushed her hip. “He probably wont. Jerry is a damn good locksmith when he works, but he works just enough to pay his rent and buy booze. You wont see him until he runs out of Black Velvet.
“Thats just great. She looked down at the toes of her shiny boots. “Has your business ever been broken into?
“Nope, but I have steel doors and deadbolts.
“Maybe Ill just do it myself, she said, thinking out loud. How hard could it be? All she needed was a screwdriver and maybe a drill.
This time when he laughed, it was definitely at her. “Ill send over a subcontractor in the next few days.
Delaney looked up at him then. Up past his chin, his full sensuous mouth, and cool gaze. She didnt trust him. His offer was too nice. “Why would you do that for me?
“Suspicious?
“Very.
He shrugged. “A person could easily crawl through the vents from one building to the other.
“I knew your offer wasnt made out of the kindness of your heart.
He leaned forward and planted his hands on the wall beside her head. “You know me so well.
His big body blocked the sunlight, but she refused to feel intimidated. “Whats it going to cost me?
A wicked smile lit his eyes. “Whatcha got?
Okay, she refused to show him that he intimidated her. She lifted her chin a little. “Twenty bucks?
“Not enough.
Trapped within his arms, she could hardly breathe. A thin slice of air separated her mouth from his. He was so close she could smell the scent of shaving cream still clinging to his skin. She had to turn her face away. “Forty? she asked, her voice all squeaky and breathless.
“Uh-uh. He touched his index finger to her cheek and brought her gaze back to his. “I dont want your money.
“What do you want?
His eyes moved to her mouth and she thought he would kiss her. “Ill think of something, he said and pushed away from the wall.
Delaney took a deep breath and watched him disappear into the building next door. She was afraid to think of what that something might be.
* * *
The next day at work, she made a sign offering free nail polish with a weave or color. No takers, but she did spray Mrs. Vaughns gray hair into the shape of a helmet. Laverne Vaughn had taught grade school in Truly until shed been forced to retire in the late seventies.
Evidently, Wannetta had been true to her word. She told her friends about Delaney. Mrs. Vaughn paid ten dollars, wanted her senior citizen discount, and demanded a free bottle of polish. Delaney took the sign down.
Friday she shampooed and styled another of Wannettas friends, and Saturday, Mrs. Stokesberry dropped off two wigs to be cleaned. One white for everyday wear, the other black for special occasions. She picked them up three hours later, and insisted on placing the white wig on her own head.
“You give a senior citizen discount, right? she asked as she pulled at the hair about her ears.
“Yes. Delaney sighed, wondering why she was putting up with so much crap from so many people. Her mother, the gray-haired ladies, and Nick. Especially Nick. The answer came to her like the ringing of her cash register. Three million dollars. She could put up with a lot for three million big ones.
As soon as the woman left, Delaney closed the salon early and went to visit her friends Duke and Dolores. The dogs trembled with excitement as they licked her cheeks. At last, friendly faces. She rested her forehead on Dukes neck and tried not to cry. She failed, just as she was failing with the salon. She hated finger waves and spraying hair into domes. She really hated washing and styling wigs. Most of all, she hated not doing what she loved. And what Delaney loved was making ordinary women look extraordinary. She loved the sound of blow-dryers, the tempo of rapid snipping, and the smell of dyes and perming solutions. Shed loved her life before shed come back to Truly for Henrys funeral. Shed had friends and a job she loved.
Seven months and fifteen days, she told herself. Seven months and then she could move anywhere she wanted. She rose to her feet and reached for the dogs leashes.
Half an hour later, she returned from walking the dogs and put them back in their pen. She was just about to open her car door when Gwen stepped outside.
“Can you stay for dinner? her mother asked, wrapping a beige angora sweater around her shoulders.
“No.
“Im sorry I had to leave your party early.
Delaney fished her keys from her pocket. Usually she bit her tongue and held it all inside, but she wasnt in the mood. “No, I dont think you are.
“Of course I am. Why would you say such a thing to me?
She looked at her mother, at her blue eyes and blond hair cut in a classic bob. “I dont know, she answered, deciding to back down from an argument she would lose anyway. “Ive had a crappy day. Ill come to dinner tomorrow night if you want.
“I have plans for tomorrow night.
“Monday then, Delaney said as she slid into her car. She waved good-bye, and as soon as shed returned to her apartment, she called Lisa. “Are you free tonight? she asked when her friend picked up. “I need a drink, maybe two.
“Louies working late, so I can meet you for a while.
“Why dont we meet at Henneseys? A blues band is playing there later tonight.
“Okay, but Ill probably leave before they start.
Delaney was a little disappointed, but she was used to being alone. After she hung up the telephone, she took a shower then dressed in a green belly sweater and a pair of jeans. She fluffed her hair, applied her makeup, and put on her Doc Martens and leather jacket to walk the three blocks to Henneseys. By the time she arrived, it was six-thirty and the bar was filled with the after-work crowd.
Henneseys was a fair-sized bar, with the top level looking down on the lower. The tables on both levels were crowded together, and a portable stage had been set up on the large dance floor. For now, the lights inside the bar blazed and the dance floor was empty. Later, that would all change.
Delaney took a table near the end of the bar and was on her first beer when Lisa arrived. She took one look at her friend and raised a finger from her glass and pointed at Lisas ponytail. “You should let me cut your hair.
“No way. Lisa ordered a Miller Lite, then turned her attention back to Delaney. “Remember what you did to Brigit?
“Brigit who?
“The doll my Great-grandmother Stolfus gave me. You cut off her long gold ringlets and made her look like Cyndi Lauper. Ive been traumatized ever since.
“I promise you wont look like Cyndi Lauper. Ill even do it for free.
“Ill think about it. Lisas beer arrived and she paid the waitress. “I ordered the bridesmaid dresses today. When they get here youll have to come to my house for a final fitting.
“Am I going to look like a tour guide on a Southern plantation?
“No. The dresses are a wine-colored stretch velvet. Just a real simple A line so you dont draw attention away from the bride.
Delaney took a sip of beer and smiled. “I couldnt do that anyway, but you really should think about letting me do your hair for the big day. Itll be fun.
“Maybe Ill let you do a braid or something. Lisa took a drink. “I booked the caterer for the wedding dinner.
When the subject of Lisas wedding was exhausted, conversation turned to Delaneys business.
“How is your salon doing these days?
“Crappy. I had one customer, Mrs. Stokesberry. She dropped off her wig, and I shampooed it like it was a roadkill poodle.
“Cool job.
“Tell me about it.
Lisa took a drink then said, “I dont want to make you feel worse, but I drove by Helens Hair Hut today. She looked fairly busy.
Delaney frowned into her beer. “Ive got to do something to steal her business.
“Do a giveaway. People love to get something for nothing.
Shed tried that already with the fingernail polish. “I need to advertise, she said, silently contemplating her options.
“Maybe you should do a little show or something at Sophies school. Cut some hair, get some of those girls looking good. Then all the other girls will want you to cut their hair, too.
“And their mothers will have to keep bringing them back. Delaney sipped her beer, and thought about the possibilities.
“Dont look now, but Wes and Scooter Finley just walked in. Lisa raised her hand to the side of her face as a shield. “Dont make eye contact or theyll come over.
Delaney shielded her face also, but looked through her fingers. “Theyre just as ugly as I remember.
“Just as stupid, too.
Delaney had graduated with the Finley brothers. They werent twins, just repeat offenders. Wes and Scooter were two shades darker than albino with spooky pale eyes. “Do they still think theyre chick magnets?
Lisa nodded. “Go figure. When the Finley threat had passed, Lisa lowered her hand and pointed toward two men standing at the bar. “What do you think, boxers or briefs?
Delaney took one look at their shirts with the big red Chevron logo, their Achy Breaky hair, and said, “Briefs. White. Fruit of the Loom.
“What about the guy third from the end?
The man was tall, rail thin, with perfectly layered hair. The yellow sweater tied around his neck told Delaney he was either new in town or a man of great courage. Only a very brave man would walk the streets of Truly with a sweater of any color, let alone yellow, tied around his neck. “Thong, I think. Hes very daring. Delaney took a drink of her beer and turned her attention to the door.
“Cotton or silk?
“Silk. Now its your turn.
The two women turned and stared at the door, waiting for their next victim to walk through. He entered less than a minute later, looking as good as Delaney remembered. Tommy Markhams brown hair still curled about his ears and neck. He was still lean rather than beefy, and when his gaze landed on Delaney, his smile was still as charming as a wayward boys. The kind of smile that could make a woman forgive him almost anything.
“Youre driving my wife crazy. You know that dont you? he said as he approached their table.
Delaney looked up into Tommys blue eyes and placed an innocent hand on her chest. “Me? There had been a time when the sight of his long lashes had made her heart flutter. She couldnt help the smile curving her mouth, but her heart was just fine. “What have I done?
“You moved back.
Good, she thought. Helen had spent their whole childhood needling Delaney, driving her crazy.
Turnabout was certainly fair play. “So, where is the old ball and chain anyway?
He laughed and sat in the chair next to her. “She and the kids went to a wedding in Challis. Theyll be back tomorrow sometime.
“Why didnt you go? Lisa asked him.
“I have to work in the morning.
Delaney looked across the table at her friend, who was doing the “hes married signal with her eyes. Delaney grinned. Lisa had nothing to worry about. She didnt sleep with married men—ever. But Helen wouldnt know that. Let her worry.
Nick hung up the telephone and rolled his chair backward. The fluorescent lighting hummed overhead, and a smiled played across his lips as he looked out the plate glass window. The sun had set and his own reflection stared back at him. Everything was coming together. He had three contractors jumping to invest venture capital with him, and he was in the process of talking to several lenders.
He tossed his pencil onto the desk in front of him, then ran his fingers through the side of his hair. Half the town of Truly was going to shit bricks when they learned of his plans for Silver Creek. The other half was going to love it.
When he and Louie had decided to move the company to Truly, theyd known the older residents of the town would resist development and growth of any kind. But like Henry, those people were dying off and being replaced by a whole influx of yuppies. Depending on whom you listened to, the Allegrezza boys were either businessmen or land rapers. They were loved or hated. But then, they always had been.
He stood and stretched his arms over his head. The specifications for a nine-hole golf course and the blueprints for fifty-four two-thousand-square-foot condominiums lay before him. Even with a conservative projected budget, Allegrezza Construction stood to make a fortune. And that was just the first stage of development. The second stage was bound to make even more money, with million-dollar houses built within spitting distance of the green. Now all Nick needed was clear deed to the forty acres Henry had bequeathed him. In June hed have it.
Nick smiled into the empty office. Hed made his first million building everything from starter houses to lavish homes in Boise, but a guy could always use spare cash.
He grabbed his bombers jacket off the coat tree and headed out the back. After he finished with his plans for Silver Creek, he would think about what he wanted to build at Angel Beach. Or maybe he wouldnt build on it at all. He paused long enough to switch off the lights before locking the door behind him. His Harley Fat Boy sat in the space next to Delaneys Miata. He glanced up at her apartment, and the green door illuminated by a weak light. What a hole.
He could understand why shed want to move from her mothers house. He couldnt be around Gwen for three seconds without wanting to choke her. But what he didnt understand was why Delaney had chosen to move into such a dump. He knew Henrys will provided her with a monthly income, and he knew she could afford a better place. It wouldnt take much for a man to kick the damn door off the hinges.
When he got the time, he still planned to replace the locks on her shop. But Delaney herself wasnt his problem. Where she lived or what she chose to wear didnt concern him. If she wanted to live in a little hole and wear a strip of vinyl that barely covered her ass, that was her problem. He didnt give a damn. He was sure he wouldnt give her more than a passing thought if she werent living practically on top of him.
Swinging one leg over the Harley, he righted the bike. If hed seen any other woman in that skimpy vinyl crap, he would have appreciated the hell out of it, but not Delaney. Seeing her shrink-wrapped tighter than a deli snack had made him itch to peel back the plastic and take a bite. Hed gone from zero to hard in about three seconds.
He kicked the stand up with the heel of his boot and pressed the ignition button. The v-twin engine roared to life, shattered the still night air, and vibrated his thighs. Getting hard for a woman he wasnt planning on taking to bed didnt bother him. Getting hard over that particular woman did.
He gunned the bike and shot down the alley, barely slowing as he turned onto First. He felt restless and was home only long enough to take a shower. The silence set him on edge, and he didnt know why. He needed a diversion, a distraction, and he ended up at Henneseys with a beer in his hand and Lonna Howell in his lap.
His table looked out onto the dance floor, pitched in darkness and filled with slow shifting bodies, moving to the sensual rhythm and languid blues flowing from five-foot speakers. Slivers of light shone on the band and several rows of track lighting illuminated the front of the bar. But mostly the tavern was as dark as sin so a person could get away with sinful things.
Nick didnt have any particular sin planned, but the night was still young and Lonna was more than willing.
Chapter Six
Delaney locked her fingers behind her old boyfriends neck and moved with him to the slow pulse of blues guitar. Being so close to Tommy again felt a little like deja vu, only different because the arms holding her now belonged to a man, not a boy. As a boy hed had no rhythm, he still didnt. Back then, hed always smelled like Irish Spring soap. Now he wore cologne, not the fresh scent shed always associated with him. Hed been her first love. Hed made her heart pound and her pulse race. She felt neither of those things now.
“Remind me again, he spoke next to Delaneys ear, “why cant we be friends?
“Because your wife hates me.
“Oh, yeah. He pulled her a little closer, but kept his hands on the small of her back. “But I like you.
His shameless flirting had started an hour ago, right after Lisa had left. Hed propositioned her twice, but was so charming about it, she couldnt get angry with him. He made her laugh and made her forget that hed broken her heart by choosing Helen.
“Why wouldnt you sleep with me in high school? he asked.
Shed wanted to—really wanted to. Shed been madly in love and filled with the juices of raging teen hormones. But overpowering her desire for Tommy had been the terror that her mother and Henry would find out shed been with a boy. “You dumped me.
“No. You dumped me.
“Only after I caught you boffing Helen.
“Oh, yeah.
She pulled back far enough to look into his face, barely visible on the darkened dance floor. His laughter joined hers when she said, “That was horrible.
“It sucked. I always felt really bad about what happened, but I never knew what I should say to you after that, he confessed. “I knew what I wanted to say, but I didnt think youd like it.
“What?
His teeth flashed white in the murky light. “That I was sorry you caught me boffing Helen, but could we still go out anyway?
There had been a time when shed written his name all over her notebooks, when shed envisioned living the picket-fence dream with Tommy Markham.
“Would you have gone for it?
“No, she answered, truly grateful he wasnt her husband.
He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “Thats what I remember the most about you. The word no, he said against her skin. The music stopped and he pulled back and smiled into her face. “Im glad youre back. He escorted her to the table and grabbed his jacket. “See ya around.
Delaney watched him leave and reached for the beer shed left on the table. As she raised the bottle to her lips, she lifted her hair from her neck with her free hand. Tommy hadnt changed much since high school. He was still good-looking. Still charming and still a hound. She almost felt sorry for Helen—almost.
“Planning a date with your old boyfriend?
She knew the voice even before she turned around. She lowered the bottle and looked up at the only man whod caused her more misery than all her old boyfriends combined. “Jealous? But unlike Tommy, she would never forget what had happened one hot August night with Nick Allegrezza.
“Pea green.
“Did you come over here to fight with me? Because I dont want to fight. Like you said the other day, were both going to be in your brothers wedding. Maybe we should try to get along. Be more friendly.
A slow sensuous smile curved his lips. “How friendly?
“Friends. Just friends, she said although she doubted it would ever happen. But maybe they could quit taking swipes at each other. Especially since she always seemed to lose.
“Buddies?
That might be pushing it. “Okay.
“Pals?
“Sure.
He shook his head. “Itll never happen.
“Why?
He didnt answer. Instead he plucked the bottle from her hand and set it on the table. The singer of the small blues band dug into a slow sweet rendering of “Ive Been Loving You Too Long as Nick dragged her onto the crowded dance floor. He pulled her against him, then swayed his hips to the sensuous soul music. She was jostled from behind as she tried to put a little distance between her breasts and his chest, but his big hands on her back kept her just where he wanted her. She had no choice but to lightly place her palms on his broad shoulders. The ends of his hair brushed her knuckles like the whisper of cool silk, and the heat from his hot, hard body seeped through layers of denim and flannel and sweater to warm her skin. Unlike Tommy, rhythm poured through Nick, easy and natural, like a languid stream in no great hurry to get anywhere. “You couldve asked me to dance, she said, speaking past the heavy thud of her heart.
“Youre right. I could have.
“This is the nineties. Most men have abandoned the cave. The scent of him filled her head with the smell of clean cotton and warm man.
“Most men like your old boyfriend?
“Yes.
“Tommy thinks with his dick.
“So do you.
“There you go again, he paused and his voice lowered a fraction, “thinking you know so much about me.
Her stomach knotted in a tangle of conflicting emotion. Anger and desire, breathless anticipation, and gut-level fear. Tommy Markham, her first love, hadnt created such chaos within her. Why Nick? Hed been nasty to her more times than hed been nice. They had a past shed thought shed buried. “Everyone in town knows you spend time with quite a few women.
He pulled back far enough to look down at her. Light from the stage sliced across the left half of his handsome face. “Even if that were true, theres a difference. Im not married.
“Married or not, indiscriminate sex is still disgusting.
“Is that what you told your boyfriend?
“My relationship with Tommy is none of your business.
“Relationship? Are you going to meet him later for some of that indiscriminate sex you find so disgusting? His hands moved up her back to the base of her skull. “Did he get you hot? He plowed his fingers through her hair from beneath, holding her head in his palms. His eyes were as hard as granite.
She pushed at his shoulders, but he tightened his grasp, pressing his strong fingers into her scalp. He wasnt hurting her, but he wasnt letting her go either. “Youre sick.
He lowered his face and asked against her lips, “Does he turn you on?
She sucked in her breath.
“Make you ache?
Delaneys heart pounded in her chest and she couldnt answer. He lightly brushed his mouth over hers and slid the tip of his tongue across the seam of her lips. A current of pleasure swept across her breasts. Her bodys immediate reaction surprised and alarmed her. Nick was the last man for whom she wanted to feel such aching desire. Their past was too ugly. She meant to push him away, but he turned up the heat, and the kiss turned carnal. His tongue entered her mouth for a long hot assault, devouring her, consuming her resistance, and creating a delicious suction with his lips.
She wanted to hate him. She wanted to hate him even as she kissed him back. Even as her tongue encouraged him. Even as she wound her arms around his neck and clung to him as the only steady thing in a dizzy chaotic world. His lips were warm. Firm. Demanding she kiss him back with the same fiery passion.
