“The problem,” she said, her throat tight, “is that I’m not built that way. I want to be. I want to be that carefree, easy kind of person who can accept something at face value, who can live in the moment and enjoy it. And I’ve tried but it doesn’t work, because that’s not who I am. When you smile at me … when you kiss me…”
“You want more?”
“I want more. I want all of you and I know all of you isn’t available.”
He cursed. His dark gaze heated as they stared at each other, both breathing heavily as the tension closed in on them.
“You know I want you, right?”
God, how could he make his voice so smooth, so deep and sexy and filled with promise? This was what she was fighting against. Fighting and losing. When they were apart, she could be rational. But when he was close, the moment he said or did something like this, she lost all perspective.
“Don’t,” she whispered. And wished the word had come out stronger.
“We’ve been doing this dance,” he said, ignoring her plea. “Keeping things easy. You think your voice of reason is giving you trouble?” He was so close now she could almost feel the heat of his body against hers. “I find myself calling or texting and wanting to be with you and then when I’m with you, I just want to touch you. Damn it, Charlie, it’s been killing me to leave it at a few kisses and then walking away.”
She swallowed. Hard. He was right before her now. Big, strong, former SEAL confessing to wanting her. Her, little Charlene Yang who always stayed in the background and never caused any trouble. Charlene Yang, who had found it so difficult to make friends here that up until a few weeks ago she’d made do with watching him from a restaurant window and the most illuminating conversation she’d had was with a doll at the church nativity scene.
He wanted her. And she wanted him so badly she was nearly dying with it. The only thing holding her back was knowing that she would be giving him the power to really and truly hurt her. If she took one step in his direction, she’d be taking responsibility for that.
“Charlie,” he murmured. “Look at me.”
His eyes were so intense she stopped breathing for a second.
The anticipation was so strong that she would swear she could already feel him touching her even though they were inches apart.
“I used to see you working on the docks and wondered who you were,” she admitted, her voice soft. She swallowed against a lump of nervousness in her throat. “I would imagine that you would show up somewhere and … and … and sweep me off my feet.”
It should have sounded stupid but instead the words fanned the flames of attraction, ramping up the tension between them. “I just…” She bit down on her lip, realizing she was probably doing this badly, but stumbling along anyway. “I just want you to sweep me away. Can you do that?”
His breath came out in a rush and he reached down and clasped her hand, gripping it tightly. “You’re sure? I’m asking because you’d better be damned sure you know what you’re doing.”
“Yes,” she answered meekly. “Please.”
He muttered something incomprehensible, stared at her for a long moment. The air snapped and sizzled between them and she licked her lips, watched his pupils widen, felt her muscles tighten with delicious anticipation. No one had ever looked at her that way. Not ever. Not with such desire and intent and all it did was fuel her own longings.
For once in her life she was not going to think or dissect or weigh the ramifications. She was going to feel and she’d let the cards fall where they may.
He reached over and pulled her straight into his arms. His mouth fused to hers, fierce in its intent, all-consuming and wonderful, his tongue sweeping into her mouth as his strong arms lifted her against his body, hard in all the right places. She loved his sheer physicality, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him tight.
His hands circled around and cupped her bottom, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Dave made a raw sound in his throat and took a single step backward, which put her hips up against the kitchen counter, and she pressed her core against him, letting the pleasure of the moment soak in.
He backed off, breaking the kiss, running his tongue over his lower lip as if tasting her there. Her body was feeling jacked up and liquidy all at once. He reached for the neck of his T-shirt and pulled it over his head, revealing a muscled body that up to this moment, she’d only seen in pictures. For the first time in her life, any thoughts of anything beyond the next few minutes didn’t exist. He’d succeeded in wiping them all away.
This time he took a little more time with her. He dropped the shirt on the floor and stepped back into the V of her legs, kissing her again, slowly and persuasively. She slid her hands over the hard curves of his shoulders, loving the feel of his warm skin beneath her fingertips. Encouraged, she reached down and slid her hand along the curve of his ass, pulling him closer against her.