Page 14 of Breakaway

She nibbled her bottom lip. “Canada.”

His laughter warmed her insides. “Very good. Actually it’s not that far from here. Just north of North Dakota. It’s a nice city. Not as big as Chicago, of course. Bet you didn’t know it was once called the ‘Chicago of the north.’”

“I didn’t know that.” She watched him talk, sipped her wine.

“Back at the turn of the century, Winnipeg was growing fast. There were a lot of skyscrapers built—well, at the time they were considered skyscrapers. The architects who designed them were trained in the Chicago School style. Those buildings are still there, in the Exchange District. In fact, a lot of movies are filmed there because the buildings and streets still look just like they did back then. It’s a neat area.”

“Really? That’s cool.”

“Yeah. Winnipeg has stood in for Chicago in a few movies.”

“Like what?”

“Um…Shall We Dance, with Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon.”

“Get out! Really?”

“I kid you not.”

She wanted to know why he’d left, why he was here in Chicago, but didn’t want to ask.

“Do you miss your family?”

“Yeah. I see my brothers once in a while.” He gave her a funny grin. “And my parents visit sometimes, when they can.” He paused. “You must miss your parents.”

“Well, I do. But to be honest, they weren’t around that much, even when they were alive. They were both doctors and they did a lot of work in Africa.”

His brows rose. “Wow. Africa.”

“Yeah. It was very noble of them. They felt a…a ‘calling’, I suppose. But they’d be gone for months at a time.”

“Let me guess. Leaving big sister Remi in charge.”

“Yeah.” Her mouth twisted into a crooked smile. “And then they were killed in a small plane crash in Somalia.”

“Ah. That’s crappy.”

She nodded. “Yeah. But we did okay.”

“I see that.” He stroked a strand of hair back off her face, sending heat sliding down from his touch.

“Let’s talk about happier things.”

“How about….let’s not talk.”

Chapter Three

Their mouths met and clung in a long, slow kiss. When they drew apart, their eyes met. Jase’s breath stuck in his chest, his heart thudding painfully. His eyelids felt heavy and then, like two magnets, he and Remi fell on each other, their mouths meeting again, this time hard, hot and hungry.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and practically crawled onto his lap, their tongues sliding, teeth nipping. She tasted goddamn delicious, sweet and sparkly like champagne, with a hint of mint from the mojitos. His hands grabbed her hips and pulled her closer and then she was on his lap, sideways on the couch. He shifted his body, gently lowered her to the couch and moved over her. He kissed her again and again until they both had to break for air, panting.

She licked her lips, staring at him wide eyed. “Wow.”

“Yeah. Wow.”

And they went at it again, deep, seeking, open-mouthed kisses. His hands stroked her everywhere he could reach, over her hips, her waist, up the sides of her ribcage, thumbs resting just beneath her breasts, then down to thighs bared by her skirt which hadridden up indecently high. Her skin was satiny warm and her body jerked when he found the sensitive spot at the back of her knee.

He was acutely aware of how tiny she was compared to him, worried that he might hurt her, so he took care and didn’t let his weight rest on her as he leaned over her to kiss her. She squirmed beneath him, arching into him, and he lifted away from her.

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