But when her gaze slid down his face and hovered on his mouth, the pulse that had been pounding in his chest nearly cut off his breathing.
Could she possibly ...? No. She could have no desire for a kiss from him. No one willingly chose him.
But his body had already taken the idea and run with it. The distance between them closed. Had she risen up on her toes to meet him?
Great sun in the sky, she had. He cupped her elbows in his palms and let his mouth hover over hers for a heartbeat, just in case she changed her mind.
When her lips reached up to his, fire sluiced through him.
eighteen
Aflame burned in Lorelei’s chest, igniting a longing only Tanner’s kiss could quell. She’d never believed a man’s touch could stir her so. Never fathomed his mouth would be so ... gentle, yet intense. So all-consuming. The confidence he usually carried in his bearing seemed to have given way to uncertainty. Was this his first kiss? Surely not a man like him, attractive in every possible way.
Could he tell this washerfirst kiss? Probably, but she had no secrets from him.
She could hide nothing in the wonder, the intense pleasure, of his mouth pressed to hers. She rested her hands on his chest, let the wild racing of his heart throb up her arms and match the rhythm of her own. Then she slid her palms upward, relishing the touch of his neck, the feel of skin-on-skin. She stroked the edge of his jaw.
A growling sound murmured from his throat as he deepened the kiss, and she wove her fingers up into his hair, pulling him closer. The fire inside her wanted to consume him. Wanted him to consume her.
But then something seemed to shift, and his kiss gentled. She nearly whimpered for more, but the aching sweetness of this new touch swept through her, weakening her knees. She slid her hands down to his shoulders for support.
He pulled back an inch, and his breath caressed her the way his mouth had done before. She gulped in deep inhales, struggling to refill the air the fire had scorched out of her.
When she opened her eyes, he was there, his gaze so full of ... something wonderful. Her mind was too befuddled to decide what. His hands cupped her shoulders, then he slid them up to her jaw, cradling her as his eyes roamed her face.
The glance at her lips was her only warning before his mouth came down to brush hers again. A single, gentle caress, yet it reignited the flame she’d been trying to bank. When he pulled away, her body tried to follow him.
She forced her eyes open once more. She had to take control of herself, else he’d think her ... well, who knew what he already thought of her, the way she’d given over so completely to that kiss.
He drew back more this time, and his mouth curved at the corners as he studied her. He ran his hands down the length of her arms, taking her hands in his and lifting them to his chest. His thumbs stroked the backs of her fingers, then he raised one hand to press a kiss to its tips.
She could only grin like a simpleton.
He started to say something, but his voice came out in a high-pitched rasp. He cleared his throat, then tried again. “You take away my ability to speak.”
If only she could think of a witty response, but her benumbed mind wouldn’t form anything coherent. This giddiness bubbling inside her clouded out every clear thought.Did he ... really? Could he want there to be ... something ... between them?
He studied her, not speaking again. She had to know what he was thinking, but would it be too forward to ask?
His mouth parted—that mouth that drew her attention so easily—and this time he cleared his throat before trying to talk. “You’ve taken me by surprise.”
She raised her brows, waiting for more insight.
He met her look, earnestness marking his expression and tone. “I didn’t think you would...” He seemed to struggle for words as much as she did. “I didn’t think you would consider me. That you would find me...” The corners of his mouth pulled upward again. “I didn’t think you’d have any interest in kissing me.”
Heat flushed through her as he put into words what they’d done.
But then the pleasure slipped from his face. “I understand if you’d rather pretend it didn’t happen. I don’t mean to tie you to something—to me—if you had no intention or wish to pursue anything more than friendship.”
As he spoke, tightness pressed in her chest, twisting her middle into a knot. Had he changed his mind about her and was trying to find a kind way out? He was waiting for her answer, so she had to say something.
She swallowed down the lump clogging her throat. “Is that what you want?”
He made a noise that sounded almost like a snort, then stepped back and lowered her hands. But he didn’t release them. His mouth curved once more, yet this time only sadness glimmered in his eyes. “I won’t hold you to something you don’t wish to continue.”
Realization slipped through her, and her jaw might have dropped open a little. He thought she didn’t desire him. Hadn’t hefelther kiss? How could he not realize she’d been drawn to him in so many ways since that first day he’d showed up at the ranch with news that he had a milk cow?
She straightened and turned her hands in his so she could hold them tightly. His brows rose, his expression turning to something like a mix of surprise and wariness.
