Page 23 of Daring to Love

“Thank fuck for that.”

A snort escapes her lips before a charming giggle erupts.

“What an odd thing to say.”

I crack a smile at her and shrug,

“Sorry, but I’m going to let you in on a matter that’s quickly becoming vital to my health, Amelie Winters.”

She tilts her head at me, that small smile still grazing her lips.

“What’s that?”

I can’t stop my eyes from roaming her face, needing to memorise her every feature.

“I want to date you.”

Her mouth falls open, and I grin at the disbelief shining back at me.

“I know it can’t happen while we’re going to have a working relationship, but…” I take a step closer and she cranes her neck. “You’re beautiful, and I’m attracted to you, so once it’s all over, I want to date you.”

Her mouth shuts and opens a few times, and I fucking love that I’m already able to surprise her.

“I’m a virgin, Finlay,” she blurts out.

Fuck. Me.

I did not see that coming. How the hell is it possible for a lovely creature such as herself not to be shackled to some bloke?

Before I have time to gather my wits, she soldiers on.

“I don’t know how it’s possible for me to date you, because when it comes to men, I’m utterly clueless.” She shakes her head, but I take it as a good sign that she hasn’t backed away from me. “I get tongue-tied, I stammer, I get so nervous I can’t think straight, and to top it all off, I’m a workaholic – dancing is all I do, Finlay. I’m not even sure who I am without it.”

I glance at a couple as they pass us, astonished looks on their faces, and it’s no wonder as Amelie’s voice has grown louder by the second.

“Calm down, sweetheart,” I murmur and raise my hands to frame her face, but she doesn’t seem to take notice of my intentions.

“You’re probably thinking I’m daft, or stupid, or that there’s a tragic thing from my past that keeps me from dating – which there isn’t, by the way – or…” Her eyes turn wide with horror. “Oh, gosh, I can’t believe I told you. I-I’m so stupid.”

I frown down at her.

“Don’t ever let me hear you tell yourself you’re stupid,” I rumble.

The air grows thick with tension as she stops blabbering, and the longer I keep her gaze captivated with mine, the harder it gets to ignore her sweet, tempting mouth.

“I’m mortified,” she breathes and shuffles closer, her hands resting on my biceps.

Back away, Jensen. She’s not yours to keep.

But I can’t. The tension between us grows thicker, as if the air itself sizzles with the burning attraction I feel for her, and I can barely resist her. I thumb her lower lip, and a low growl erupts from so deeply inside me, I hardly recognise myself.

“You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you right now.”

She wets her lips, her grey-blue eyes falling to my mouth, and it’s a fucking miracle I manage to hold still. I want to fuse our lips together, swallow her moans as I push my tongue inside to taste hers. Warmth and desire run through my blood as I stare down at her, and I pull her flush to my chest. As crazy as it sounds, I’ve never felt this imminent need to taste another woman’s lips, and I can’t resist pushing my hardness into her belly. Her eyes widen as she feels how turned on I am, and I tip up her chin. Knowing no other guy has been inside her makes all thoughts of responsibility vaporise into the thin air, and I’m so far gone, I don’t care we’re not a regular couple coming home from their first date.

“Since you’ve never had a boyfriend, does that mean you’ve never come?”

She shakes her head slowly.