Page 40 of Take the Bait

She murmured, “Your car made me imagine sitting on your lap like this. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Do you see me complaining?”

Her skirt had ridden up her thighs when she climbed on him, revealing the tops of her stockings and generous lengths of garter. Cam’s warm palms cupped her knees but didn’t move as he said low, his voice husky, “I’m a big fan of consent. You can say no or tell me to stop at any time. Okay?”

“Does that also mean I can tell you not to stop?” she replied.

His mouth curved into a sinful smile. “It does.”

“Good. Then don’t stop what you were doing with your hands.”

His gaze went serious. Intent. Sparks crackled between them as he skimmed his hands up the length of her thighs. His fingertips traced the skinny garter straps and heat shot straight from his fingers to her groin.

Their smiles faded as they stared into each other’s eyes. Millimeter by achingly slow millimeter, she closed the gap between them.

Her breasts brushed his chest lightly and she gasped as fire shot through her, resolving into a molten ball of lust low in her belly.

She got the distinct feeling they were approaching a cliff.

This was wrong, and they both knew it. Why then, did it feel so totally right? Good grief. Was she one of those cliché women who fell for the one man they weren’t supposed to have? How lame was that?

Thing was, she knew—knew—that once she went over the edge of the cliff with Cam, there would be no coming back. But then, that was the nature of cliffs, wasn’t it? They were a one-way trip.

But to what?

She would turn thirty in another year. She’d always assumed Mr. Right would show up in college and that they would fall in love and get married while she finished up her law degree. They would start their family once she got out of law school and had a good job. But Mr. Right had stubbornly not come along and she’d despaired long ago of ever finding a good man to settle down with.

And then this man blew into her life.

She barely knew him. But she knew him well enough to be positive he was everything she’d been looking for, and maybe a whole lot more.

Cam shifted restlessly beneath her and she realized she’d zoned out on him there, for a minute. “Sorry,” she murmured.

“What were you thinking about so hard?” he asked surprisingly seriously.

“You. Me. The way I thought my life was going to go. Wondering why you had to come along now, in this way, that makes it so hard to be with you.”

“I’m here, now. And in my experience, moments like this don’t come along very often.”

She studied his dark, smart, compassionate eyes intently. He knew exactly what was going through her mind, but he was going to make her choose what happened next between them. Which was frustrating as hell…but also responsible of him. Considerate. Yet another quality that made him even more perfect.

She didn’t know what she was waiting for. They’d kissed once already. Heck, they’d all but given each other tonsillectomies already.

But this was different. They weren’t angry with each other. They weren’t operating in reaction to other people’s agendas. It was just her and Cam. Alone. Two consenting adults who could do whatever they wanted tonight in the privacy of his home.

Nobody else knew they were here, together. This moment was theirs alone. Regardless of what tomorrow served up, the two of them had tonight.

And that decided her.

She took the last step, off safe, solid ground, into thin air and plunged off the cliff. Hitting the ground was going to hurt like hell but for tonight, she was going to enjoy the flight.

She leaned forward and kissed Cam. The instant their lips touched, it was as if the entire sky lit up in fireworks around them. Passion sparked between them even more brightly than the first time they’d kissed. Maybe it was because nobody might walk in on them tonight and interrupt them.

Sure, the risk to everything she held dear still lurked at the bottom of this incredible fall. But for now, she planned to ride the searing heat and swirling currents of this wildfire raging between them.

Her mouth moved lightly across his warm, firm lips, tasting the sweet bite of the liqueur on them. She sipped delicately at his mouth, savoring the taste, and he let her. In fact, it felt like he was holding his breath.

Tentatively, she deepened the kiss. His mouth opened a little, inviting her in, and she accepted the invitation. They fit together so shockingly perfectly. As if they’d been made for each other. Being together like this felt like the satisfying snap of two puzzle pieces going together exactly where they belonged.

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