She should have stopped this. She should have walked away while she still could.
Instead, she remained exactly where she was, and judging by the look in Blaze's eyes, he knew she wasn't going anywhere.
"You know what I want, don't you, Johanna?" he asked quietly.
The question stole what little breath she had left.
“You’ve always had this effect on me,” he admitted quietly. “One look from you, and suddenly I’m out here fighting for self-control.”
A soft laugh escaped her. “You seem pretty controlled to me.”
Blaze’s mouth curved. “Baby, that’s years of practice.”
Her breath caught.
His gaze locked on hers, raw with desire and something even more dangerous beneath it. Something emotional. Something that made her heart pound almost as hard as the attraction itself.
He wanted her.
And the truth she didn't want to examine too closely was that she wanted him just as badly.
"I want to make love to you," he whispered against her neck. "Slow. Deep. Until you can't remember your own name."
His fingertips traced a deliberate path along her skin while her breathing grew increasingly uneven. Her nipple tightened instantly beneath his hand, and Blaze groaned softly when he felt it.
"You like the way that feels, don’t you?"
"Yes, I do," she admitted shakily.
The kiss that followed felt less like seduction and more like determination. His tongue thrust into her mouth harder now, greedier, while his hands roamed over her body without restraint. Johanna felt consumed by the warmth of his mouth, the roughness of his palms, the deep masculine sounds vibrating in his chest every time she moaned.
Her entire body burned for more.
She pushed lightly against his chest, searching for a moment to steady herself, but Blaze brushed his mouth against her skin and whispered, “You can stop thinking now.”
The quiet certainty in his voice stripped away another layer of resistance.
"Yes," she breathed.
A faint smile touched his mouth.
"Yes what, sweetheart?"
"Yes… you're driving me crazy."
His expression darkened with satisfaction. "I'm nowhere near done with you."
The promise in those words sent her pulse racing all over again.
Hishands slid down to the hem of her sweater and lifted it upward, fingertips dragging over every inch of exposed skin. Johanna’s stomach tightened with awareness as he stripped the fabric over her head and tossed it aside. Then he reached behind her, unclasped her bra and sent it in the same direction.
The cool air hit her bare breasts instantly.
She moved instinctively to cover herself, but Blaze caught her wrists gently.
“Don’t,” he said softly. “Let me see you.”
The hunger in his voice made her tremble, and not entirely for the reasons she wanted to admit.
