Page 57 of On the Chase
“We’re not going to get shot at. Or blown up.”
“True, but you’re not playing the game right.” His fake pout was back, and this time, she couldn’t resist. Reaching up, she pinched his lower lip. His eyes shot open in surprise for a split second, and then narrowed. Before she could pull away, he caught her thumb between his teeth. She felt a jolt pass from her fingers all the way down to her toes. They both froze, gazes locked on each other, until he pulled away slightly, releasing her thumb.
“We’re…” His voice was rough. Clearing his throat, he tried again, although it didn’t sound any smoother. Grace secretly liked it. It was so easy for him to set her mind spinning, and she loved any type of proof that he was as affected by her as she was by him. “We’re going on a date.”
“We are?” If his voice was gravelly, hers was almost as husky. “Where? I thought the only place in town is the VFW.”
“What’s wrong with the VFW?” he asked. Although she could tell he was trying to tease, his gaze was heated and serious, moving between her mouth and her eyes.
“Absolutely nothing. Well, nothing except that it’s too easy for some creeper to break into the women’s bathroom.” Instead of sounding snarky, the words came out absently. She hardly knew what she was saying anymore. The only thing she could focus on was that all signs pointed to Hugh kissing her. Although her brain still warned her to keep her emotional distance for the sake of her heart, her body was perfectly all right with the idea of kissing Hugh.
His hand slid from her shoulder to the base of her skull, and he pulled her slowly—much too slowly—toward him. Finally, his lips brushed hers, clinging for a fraction of a second before retreating. It was so different than their first kiss, when they’d gone from arguing to making out in no time at all, and this one was even hotter. Gentle Hugh, the Hugh who was taking his time, was just as appealing as the take-charge Hugh who’d initiated their explosive, spontaneous kiss.
He teased her. Of course he did; it was Hugh, after all. He used his lips and his tongue and his teeth, but in the tiniest nips and slides and touches. Every time Grace moved in to him, trying to prolong the contact, he skipped away, only to land in a new spot with the lightest brush of his mouth.
“You’re driving me crazy,” she groaned, turning her head to chase his lips again.
His chuckle rumbled through his chest, and she felt the low vibrations against her breasts as he touched the tip of his tongue to her earlobe. “Is that good?” The warm air expelled with his words blew against the shell of her ear, and she shivered. His teeth were next, lightly scoring the sensitive lobe.
Enough was enough. Grabbing his head with both hands, she held him still and crashed her mouth down onto his. He laughed, but only for a moment, and then he was kissing her back. It was as wild, as ferocious, as intense as Grace remembered from their earlier kiss, but this one was even more amazing. That embrace had been born of heightened emotion, but there was a sweetness now, an affection, that made things so much better.
He took over the kiss, dominating and hot, and then she took it back, loving that they passed control back and forth. It was a game, the most exciting one she’d ever played, but it felt intensely serious at the same time. Hugh grinned against her mouth as she twisted around, wriggling until she had a knee on either side of his hips, straddling him. She felt him flinch, just a tiny movement. Worried that she’d hurt his injured leg, she started to pull away, but he chased her lips with his, not letting her escape. Soon, she was lost in the kiss again.
His breath caught when she slid her fingers underneath his T-shirt, stroking the soft, hot skin that overlaid ridges of muscle. With a groan, he pulled her closer, trapping her fingers between them so she couldn’t have moved her hands from his belly, even if she’d wanted to.
Their kiss grew in intensity, heating until it reached a flash point and they both burned with an incredible fire that turned everything to ash except the two of them. Hugh’s fingers kneaded the back of her neck as his other hand wrapped around her hip, pulling her closer with each motion, until they were pressed together so completely that she wasn’t sure where she ended and where Hugh began.
She slid her hands to his sides and then to his back, wedging them between his shirt and skin in the small space that the seat back allowed. It felt like she couldn’t get enough of him, of kissing him, touching him.More.She needed more of Hugh. Gripping the bottom of his T-shirt, she started tugging it upward. It needed to come off.
As she pulled at the fabric, wishing it and all the rest of their clothes would just disappear, he groaned and kissed her harder. Distracted, she clenched her fingers around handfuls of his shirt and lost herself in his kiss.
Something cold and damp touched the side of her neck. With a startled cry, she jerked backward, turning her head to see a close-up of Lexi’s muzzle.
“What?” Hugh asked, his voice hoarse, and immediately began scanning the growing darkness outside the car.
The ridiculousness of the situation made her snort, which made her laugh. Hugh stared at her, bewildered by her amusement. “Lexi,” she finally managed to explain. “Her cold nose on my neck kind of killed the mood.”
As if on cue, Lexi licked Hugh’s ear before lying down in the backseat again. With an amused wince, Hugh rubbed his ear. “I have to admit that it’s sexier when you do that.”
Grace got the giggles again. “Sorry, but I’m not going back in that territory until after you shower.”
“No?” The devilish gleam in his eyes should’ve made her run, but she was too caught up in the remains of her laughter to realize what was about to happen. Surging forward, Hugh held her head still and covered her cheek and ear with sloppy kisses.
“Ew!” she complained, still laughing, as she tried to rub off the dampness with her shoulder. “That’s just gross.”
“Sorry.” He didn’tlooksorry. He didn’t look sorry at all.
“Uh-huh.” Now that they’d stopped kissing, Grace started to feel awkward straddling Hugh’s lap. She shifted, planning to return to the driver’s seat, but he caught her hips, holding her in place.
“Stay.” When she met his gaze and raised her eyebrows, he shrugged but didn’t loosen his grip. “You’re keeping me warm.”
Since she wasn’t that excited about returning to the cold, Hugh-less driver’s seat, she complied, although she twisted around until she was sitting sideways again. “If I sit the other way, my feet will fall asleep.”
Hugh’s response was a rumbling sound in his chest, but Grace wasn’t sure if it was a sign of acknowledgment or contentment. His arms wrapped around her, protecting her from the chilly mountain air drifting in through the window. Relaxing against his solid chest, she yawned.
“Forget my feet. My whole body might be falling asleep soon,” she admitted.
“No problem.” He sounded almost gentle, and the way he was stroking her hair was incredibly soothing. “Get some rest. I’ll keep watch.”
