Gah. Just kiss me already.
She gave a curt nod before closing her eyes again. She'd forgotten how much she loved kissing him years ago, but it was all coming back to her now, the giddiness, the pleasure, the euphoria. She couldn't wait to feel his lips on hers once again.
Finally, the painfully slow descent of his lips ended, meeting hers in a gentle kiss. Tiny electrical sparks radiated out from her lips, spreading rapidly throughout her body, making her feel so alive. A melting sensation filled her as the anxiety drained away, leaving her blanketed in a comfortable warmth.
Daniel's kiss remained light, tenderly caressing, yet his lips were firm and confident. A tension radiated from him as though reading her reaction, preparing to make a full retreat at the slightest sign of distress from her.
She leaned closer to him, letting him know she was okay. In fact, she was better than okay.
Daniel is kissing me, and I'm not panicking.
A spark of triumph ignited in her chest. Not only was she not panicking, she was enjoying every second of his kiss.
All too soon his lips started to withdraw without ever taking the opportunity to deepen the kiss. Not ready for it to end yet, she grabbed the front of his shirt to prevent him from retreating and rocked up on her toes.
His lips pulled away momentarily in a grin, but then he claimed hers in a kiss that was a little less gentle and considerably morepassionate. His arms slid around her, pulling her tight against him, and for the first time this summer, Riley felt like she'd found home.
Her hands glided over his shoulders until she could tangle her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck. She reveled in the feel of his lips on hers and his arms holding her close. She had forgotten how amazing it felt to be held by him. Her breathing quickened and her heart rate kicked up a few notches as desire built in her.
Daniel's arms tightened around her, and a low moan erupted from him. The soft guttural sound set off warning bells in her head.
Riley was suddenly transported back to her apartment in Seattle where Collin’s strong arms pinned her down, his kisses becoming more demanding and invasive by the second. His throaty laugh and passionate groans grew louder the more he violated her.
She tried to push the horrible memory from her mind by reminding herself she was safe with Daniel, but the rasp of his stubble that she'd found pleasant at first suddenly dug into the tender skin of her face.
Her chest tightened to the point where her lungs struggled to bring in sufficient air. An unpleasant quivering sensation filled her, sending a prickly feeling to her fingertips. She pulled her hands from his hair as warning bells continued to sound in her head. The curl of desire in her abdomen hardened into stone.
She gasped and shoved him away.
Wide-eyed, Daniel fell back a step. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She gave a jerky nod and retreated a step. She sucked in a deep breath. "I've—I've got to go."
She spun on her heel and practically raced up the porch steps.
"Riley? Are you sure you're okay?" Daniel's concerned voice followed her.
She turned back when she reached the door. "I'm fine, really. It was just...a lot of...sensations." She pressed a hand to her chest to still her racing heart. “My mind went a little haywire there at the end, but I’m okay. I promise.”
Pushing open the door, she went inside. She closed the door behind her and leaned back against it. Her eyes closed as sheprocessed the emotions coursing through her. Yes, the panic had set in, but she'd enjoyed Daniel's kiss and touch for several long, glorious moments before it did.
She'd anticipated having to endure the kiss in order to prove to herself she could handle it. She hadn't expected to enjoy it as much as she did. A hint of the desire she'd felt while in his arms continued to linger now that she'd distanced herself from him. Her lips turned up. With time and a little practice, she was confident she'd be able to overcome the panic that had ended the kiss so abruptly.
Would Daniel be game for more practice? No, practice wasn’t the right word, but she definitely wanted to experiment more with Daniel.
"Looks like the night was either a success or a disaster."
She jumped at the sound of Jake's voice. Her eyes flew open and searched the dimly lit room to find him lying in the recliner with little Adam on his chest.
"I didn't expect you to still be up."
"I wish I wasn't, but this little guy..." Jake's large hand gently stroked Adam's back. "...needs to learn his days from his nights." He studied her face. "So...how did Daniel do tonight?"
“He did really well. I’m proud of him. There were moments where I could tell he was struggling, but he didn’t have a single drop of alcohol.” She plopped down on the end of the couch closest to the recliner and pulled her boots off. "We were having a good time until some guy—a cocky cowboy with an over-inflated ego—stopped me in the hall outside the bathrooms and propositioned me."
Jake swore under his breath.
"I told him I wasn't interested and tried to walk away, but he trapped me against the wall. Daniel saw it all happen and rushed over to help me. I had already taken care of the guy by the time he got there, but that didn't keep Daniel from trying to punch him."
