“That’s great news, Sky. I’m happy for you. And for Doc. She seems like a really nice person.”
“She is. She offered me a job in her office, sorta like a work-study program, and she’ll help me jump through all those hoops.” She sighed and snuggled against him, enjoying the heat emanating from his body, the rightness of being here with him, knowing he cared for her. That he wanted her. Years of waiting, of dreaming of this moment finally came to fruition, and she savored it like fine wine as she drank in the comfort of his nearness. She took a deep breath, dropped her hand to his chest, and rubbed lightly. “I’d like you to kiss me right now, if you don’t mind.”
His heartbeat thumped under her palm as the smoldering anger in his eyes softened to a passion-sparked mocha.
“If you insist.”
“I do.”
The kiss was slow and surprisingly gentle as his lips skimmed hers with tantalizing persuasion. The tender massage sent the pit of her stomach in a wild swirl as the kiss went on. And on.
“Sky…” he murmured as his lips left a moist trail down to the pulsing hollow at the base of her throat then up to the sensitive skin under her earlobe.
She buried her face in his neck and breathed a kiss there, enjoying the sharp intake of breath that said he liked it.
His mouth reclaimed hers, more demanding this time, and she gloried in the delicious sensation of his touch. A touch that pooled heat in her middle and ratcheted up her pulse.
The man was a kissing ninja.
Slowly, he pulled back, and the look in his eyes made her insides jangle with excitement and her heart pound out an erratic rhythm as he traced one finger along her jawline, over her lips, and down her neck.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered hoarsely. “So beautiful.” He pulled in a ragged breath and tucked her against his side, her head resting on his shoulder.
His uneven breath on her cheek as he held her close was oddly comforting as they waited for normalcy to return.
Her whole being seemed to be waiting for this moment. This man.
Her instinctive, passionate response to him was so powerful, it gave her a moment’s pause. A part of her reveled in his open admiration, but a cautious voice asked if all her loneliness and confusion had welded together in one upsurge of untamed yearning.
An undeniable attraction existed between them from the very beginning. But was it too soon? Was she letting her emotions rule her decisions again?
The hard thump of his heart against her ear said he felt something for her. But what?
It was difficult to think straight this close to him, when everything about him saturated her senses and robbed her of rational thought. But one thing she could not deny was that she loved him. Crazy as it may sound to some, she loved this man.
She relaxed against him, enjoying the tenderness of his embrace, conscious of every spot his flesh touched hers, and letting her thoughts drift where they willed.
She loved the way he was with Maddie and Big John. She loved his innate goodness that dictated he propose marriage to a girl in trouble with no plan other than to save her from disgrace.
Thoughts of Anna threatened to put a damper on her fledgling emotions, and she thrust them aside. There’d be time for that later.
“Any chance you could get Gail to watch Tink tomorrow night?”
Max’s quiet question brought her back to the moment.
“As a matter of fact, she’s having a sleepover at Bonnie’s.” She shifted to look up at him. “Why?”
He cleared his throat. “I thought maybe we could go out. You know…on a date.”
Beneath her palm, his heart gave several hard thumps.
“I’d love to. But I won’t get off until seven, maybe a little earlier if things are slow.”
“How about I come by about eight? Will that give you enough time?”
“Eight is good.” Her smile grew. “What did you have in mind?”
“I thought we’d grab a bite at that steakhouse near the interstate. Maybe check out the dance at the VFW. If that’s okay with you.”
“I don’t care where we go or what we do…as long as we do it together.”
An infrequent smile tugged up the corners of his mouth. “Same here.”
She sighed and snuggled against him again.
Long minutes passed in silence before he spoke up. “I hate to leave, but…I left Logan asleep on the couch.”
Hand in hand, they walked to the back door. Max reached for the knob and stopped. “You know I’ll do anything I can for you and Maddie, right?”
She smiled. “I know.”
“No strings attached.”
She lowered her eyes, then glanced up at him. “What if…what if I wanted some strings attached?”
Nostrils flared as he sucked in a breath. “Then I’d say we should discuss those strings.”
She ran one hand up his chest. “I look forward to our date.” She smiled and kissed him softly on the lips. “Don’t be late.”
