Her hands moved firmly over his rib cage, over the heavy pads of muscle, pulling him closer. His fingertips glided downward, touch featherlight against the edge of a perfect breast clothed in the thin material of a tank top and bra. A shiver crept through her, her hand stuttering on his ribs.
Cole smiled against her before placing a careful kiss on her neck, another on her throat, opening his mouth and flicking his tongue across her flesh. Her hands tightened in his shirt, curling into small, demanding fists. With his good hand he grazed her arm, trailing down, feeling the tiny soft hairs and the firmness of muscle under skin. Then he found her waist, kept moving down until he felt the edge of her jeans. He tugged at her tank top, pulling it free to find warm, elastic flesh.
His kissed her again as his fingertips skimmed over abdomen muscle, teasing at the edge of her rib cage. Her mouth opened, tongue brushing against his lips. She tasted like warm summer sunshine and lazy mornings, long rides and slow laughter. Tongues tangled and slid together, tasting, exploring, growing bolder and more heated. He slid his hand up under her shirt, following the line of her rib cage to the edge of her bra. There he hesitated, giving her a moment to pull back, to slow things down. Instead, she pressed into him with a tiny sound almost caught in her throat.
Sometimes you have to go more than halfway to meet in the middle.
Always
? 2009 Lauren Dane
Caitlin Moore has every reason to celebrate. She’s through with law-school finals, and out for some post-semester fun when she runs smack dab into Eamon Blake, the Irishman with whom she had a summer fling years ago. Time hasn’t dimmed their lingering friendship—or their sexual chemistry.
Eamon isn’t looking for love when he bumps into Cat while he’s in Seattle on a job. Yet over the next year, he finds himself involved in a rekindled long-distance romance that moves from casual to a lot more.
That’s the rub. Cat is determined not to repeat her past mistakes with men and give up the dream job for which she’s worked so hard. Independence is something she’s spent years achieving. Eamon can start over so much easier than she can—why shouldn’t he make the sacrifice this time?
But Eamon doesn’t much relish leaving the life he’s been building in Los Angeles—and he really doesn’t like ultimatums. At an impasse, goodbye seems the only direction to go. Ending it is the right thing to do…or the biggest mistake they ever made.
Warning: Like-whoa sexy Irishmen speaking French in the ear of a very willing Seattleite. Sexin with all the big words.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Always:
This was total insanity. Caitlin could not believe she’d just invited him to her place for sex. But the truth of it was, he wasn’t a stranger and he’d be gone in a few days anyway. They’d been great together. He was inventive and courteous in bed; she’d certainly never walked away without satisfaction. And she liked him. When she really thought about it, it was the perfect solution.
Yeah, the perfect solution.
“We can walk. Your car is as close as you’ll get anyway. It’ll be safe if you’re concerned.”
He turned to her as they walked down the sidewalk toward her building, his arm around her shoulders. “Darlin’, the safety of my car is the last thing on my mind.”
She grinned, leaning into his body a moment before they crossed the street and turned right.
“That’s my building up there on the other side of the street.” She pointed briefly, hoping he didn’t notice the slight tremble in her hands.
“And what brings you down to this part of town then? The University is a bit away, yes?”
“It’s a pretty quick bus ride. Most downtown busses head straight to the University District and my job is down here anyway.”
They crossed again and she pulled out her keys to unlock the front door. He followed her to the elevator.
“What do you do?”
Oh how casual she could be. Just chatting about work when they were on their way up to her place to have sex. Mmm. Sex. She was glad she’d shaved her legs earlier to prepare for going out.
She blinked up at him, realizing she’d been off in her happy place for long moments. “I’m interning at the Attorney General’s Office, in the SHS Division.” She quickly added, “Social and Health Services. It deals mainly with abused and neglected children. I’m a Rule 9 Intern. That means I can do trials with supervising attorneys around.”
He smiled approvingly. “Ah, you did go ahead and go to law school, then.”
“I did. After a fashion. I’m in my second year now.” She indicated he get out of the elevator on her floor when the doors opened up and they walked down the long hallway. Caitlin loved the building, loved her studio apartment. It wasn’t as grand as the showplace she’d shared with Adam for two years, but it was hers and it felt like home. And it didn’t have Adam in it. Bonus.