Blaze stopped directly in front of her, close enough that she could feel the desire radiating from him.
He paused long enough to look at her.
Reallylook at her.
As if he couldn't quite believe she was standing in front of him.
"Come here," he said softly.
As if she wasn't already standing within arm's reach. Still, shemoved closer. His hands settled firmly at her waist once again.
Those hands.
The familiar strength of them sent a rush of warmth gliding through her.
Blaze lowered his head and kissed her slowly this time, as though he intended to savor every second instead of losing himself in it.
Johanna melted against him almost immediately.
Being kissed by Blaze in private felt different. More intimate. More dangerous.
His mouth moved against hers with masculine confidence while his hands slid beneath her sweater, warm palms brushing across bare skin. The touch sent a shiver through her, and Blaze noticed instantly.
"Damn," he muttered, pulling back just enough to look at her. "You feel so good."
Heat flooded her face and chest, but Blaze never gave her space to retreat from it.
His mouth moved to her jaw and then lower, kissing along the curve of her neck while his hands tightened gently at her waist. Johanna's fingers slid across his hair, and the low groan that escaped his lips sent another sensation of need rippling through her.
"There you go," he murmured against her skin. "I like it when you touch me."
The masculine approval in his voice nearly dissolved her completely.
Blaze lifted his head, his eyes dark and his jaw tight with control. "You know how long I've wanted to get my hands on you like this again?"
Johanna could barely think straight anymore.
“Probably as long as I have.”
The admission hung between them, carrying years ofunfinished feelings neither of them had ever truly buried.
That should have terrified her more than it did. Because every wall she’d spent years building seemed to weaken whenever Blaze looked at her like this.
And judging by the look in his eyes, he knew it.
The answer settled between them, warm and dangerous.
Blaze smiled with the kind of confidence that made her pulse stumble.
“Don’t worry,” Blaze said as he backed her toward the table until she felt its edge against the backs of her legs. “I plan on having my hands all over you tonight.”
Blaze’s grip tightened on her hips, pulling her body against the hard length straining beneath his blue jeans. The feel of him shocked her. Every inch of him felt powerful, solid, and undeniably male.
A helpless moan slipped from Johanna's lips when his mouth claimed hers again. This kiss was deeper than before. Slower at first, almost teasing, until it built into something devastating. Blaze kissed like a man who knew exactly how to take control without taking away her choice, and every lingering touch left her feeling hotter, softer, and far too vulnerable.
She tasted traces of beer and desire on his lips, but what truly undid her was the familiarity of him. No one else had ever touched her and made her feel herself unravel so quickly.
“You taste so damn good,” Blaze murmured roughly against her swollen lips. One large hand traveled down over her ass, cupping her in his palm.
