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“Kiss me back,” she demanded, but Oliver was already returning his mouth to hers.

Heat radiated from her skin through the sweat-dampened fabric of her dress. He slid his palms down her back in a desperate effort to make sure she was really there—in his arms—and not a figment of his imagination.

He hadn’t taken any pain pills in months, but who the hell knew—maybe hallucinations were a latent side effect. And yet she felt solid, and real, and definitely there.

With a growl of relief, he bunched the dress in his greedy hands and pulled her shapely form tighter against him. He explored her willing mouth in small, deliberate increments, shaking with the effort to restrain, anticipating each next move but refusing to rush, craving to prolong the moment with this creature he knew he should hate. She kissed him back with a throaty gasp, as if the pleasure kindling between them surprised her too.

Soon, it wasn’t enough. He needed more. But when he swept his tongue past her lips, it was her turn to freeze.

Wasn’t this what she wanted?

He drew back to—

“Not yet.” She tightened her hold around his neck and joined their mouths again.

This time, when he tasted her, she invited him in, sliding her tongue against his with a welcoming mewl.

Her lips were salty. Inside, she tasted of chocolate mints and heaven. The combination made him rock-hard.

He hadn’t felt arousal in three lonely, pain-filled years. To experience it now, for this woman he’d found on his doorstep, was surreal and intoxicating.

The gratitude that he could still need, still desire, still function as a man nearly overwhelmed him. And gratitude was the last thing he wanted to feel toward her.

He nipped her lower lip, soothed the sting before dipping inside, seeking another taste and another. Needing any part of him to be inside any part of her, he trembled with the effort to take sips when he wanted to gulp, to savor when he wanted to claim.

It had been years since he’d kissed someone, but he couldn’t recall ever feeling such a desperate hunger. Dizzy with lust, trembling with the effort to restrain, he finally loosened the reins and let himself take.

Sliding his hands into her hair, he removed the plastic clip holding it in place. The mass tumbled down around her shoulders. Cool. Silky. Fragrant. He nuzzled the delicate spot behind her ear, breathing her in—this stranger he wanted more than his next breath. Gripping the lush flare of her ass, he pulled her tighter against him, letting her feel his need.

A honk reached him from somewhere just outside.

Raising one hand, she waved distractedly.

He lifted his head and turned to see a cab pull away. The driver honked again and waved at them before exiting the driveway.

She’d come by cab.

The thought evaporated as he returned his mouth to hers, where it belonged.

He swept his hand along the indent of her waist, up her rib cage, memorizing every curve and hollow, and cupped one perfect breast. Her nipple was already a hard little pebble against his palm. Would it be the same tawny pink as her lips?

When he grazed it with his thumb, she inhaled sharply. A plea for more or notice to stop?

Pulling back, he stared down at her flushed, round face. She was gorgeous. The photos hadn’t done her justice. They’d failed to capture the high cheekbones, the stubborn chin. He’d never been one to go for redheads, but he couldn’t remember a single blonde or brunette he’d wanted more.

The cinnamon freckles dusting her skin clustered at the bridge of her nose and forehead. Her kiss-swollen lips remained parted as she struggled to breathe. Slowly, she lifted her lashes and her dilated gaze met his.

He tightened his hold on her to keep himself upright. He’d never seen eyes that color before—vibrant peridot flecked with gold. They looked deliciously unfocused and desire-hazed. A surge of satisfaction shot through him. He’d made them—made her—that way.

She wanted him as much as he wanted her. Undeniable.

The fact that he despised her as much as the man who ruined his life? A perverse joke.

Powerless to resist, he brought his lips to the curve of her cheek.

Her breath caught at the contact, and she held still as he traced her flushed skin.

When he lifted his head, her gaze focused on his.