Then he grasped her hands and tugged her toward him.
She came without protest, nestling against him with a contented sigh that did more to stoke his libido than anything she could have said.
And as long as she’d dispensed with words, he did too. There were better ways to tell her how happy he was that she was staying.
He brushed her hair aside. Bent down. Nuzzled her neck.
A hum of pleasure purred in her throat, and she angled her head to give him more access.
Slow and easy,Steele. Take it slow and easy.
Excellent advice, if he could follow it.
Suppressing his impulse to fast-track the embrace, he trailed a kiss along her jaw. Traveled up to her cheek. Began a slow trek across her forehead.
At which point she cupped his face in her hands and directed his lips where she wanted them.
On hers.
No problem.
She matched him step for step in a kiss that morphed from passionate urgency to eager exploration before finally easing into a gentle tenderness filled with awe and wonder and gratitude.
When they at last came up for air, Devyn looked as dazed as he felt.
He tried to speak.
Failed.
She sucked in a breath. “That was ... that was even more mind-blowing than I remembered.”
“Yeah.” It was all he could manage.
“But I think we have ... we have more going for us than just the kissing.”
“I agree. Although phenomenal kissing doesn’t hurt.” He touched her cheek. Played with the silky strands of her hair. “And as long as we have this place all to ourselves, I think we should—”
“Hello? Is anyone here?”
As a male voice spoke from the front of the store, Devyn huffed out a breath. “I guess we should have locked the door.”
“We had other things on our mind.” He ran a finger along her jaw. “Still do, as a matter of fact.”
“Hold that thought.”
“I’ll get rid of the unwanted visitor.”
He slipped out of her arms and walked to the end of the shelving unit to find a fiftyish guy standing inside the front door. “Can I help you?”
The man peered around the dusty space. “Isn’t this a hardware store?”
“It used to be. The owner retired.”
“Shoot.” He forked his fingers through his hair. “I’m in search of a replacement blade for my old rotary fan, and Bob was always my best bet for odd spare parts. There wouldn’t happen to be one lying around here, would there?”
“Sorry. I haven’t seen any.”
The man exhaled. “I suppose I’ll have to continue my quest up in Coos Bay. It’s starting to heat up in our spare attic room.”
