Page 27 of Snowed In With the Maverick
“Huh,” she said, her breath catching. “Can I look again?”
He moved away from the scope, but enjoyed staying close as she peered through again. “You’re right,” she said.
“Are you going to make a wish or something?” he asked. He knew whathewanted from the universe. He ached to kiss her.
Andrea laughed. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. Sounds like a rare sighting. Aren’t you supposed to wish on stars?”
Andrea raised an eyebrow. “I’m a scientist, remember? We don’t do wishes, or luck or anything like that.”
Seth grinned, leaning in a little closer. “Alright, no wishes, then. Shall we find something else?”
Then Andrea turned to him again. “Thank you again for taking me here,” she murmured.
Seth’s heart skipped a beat. Now that he knew what it was like to make her happy, it was all he wanted to do. Desire flared within him, and the way her eyes sparkled told him he wasn’t alone in feeling the pull.
Without thinking, he reached out, his fingers brushing hers before he gently took her hand in his. He paused, waiting, the quiet of the night wrapping around them like a cocoon.
To his delight, Andrea’s hand responded, warm and sure, clasping his in return. Their eyes met, and in that fleeting moment, something unspoken passed between them. Before he could fully process it, Andrea tilted her chin up, and instinctively, Seth leaned down, closing the distance between them.
Their lips met in a kiss—soft, tender and full of promise.
Her lips were honey-sweet, and the scent of her perfume, or shampoo, or whatever it was, tangled with his senses and made his heart pound. Their lips moved together, and when he felt her tongue enter the mix, he grunted with pure satisfaction.
Seth hooked his arm around Andrea’s waist, tugging her close and reveling in the feeling of her firm breasts pressed up against his chest. She responded by gripping his bicep and let out a small gasp when he moved his lips from hers and began kissing the soft skin on the side of her neck.
Kissing Andrea was more than a treat. It felt like a gift. And while he knew he was unworthy, he was relishing every moment of grazing his fingertips down the small of her back and drawing in breaths of the vanilla sweetness of her skin.
He took a moment to look at her, eager to take in the sight of her stunning face for another moment, and was surprised when she pulled back, her eyes swimming with a mixture of desire and trepidation. “Everything okay?” he asked, his words coming out deep and raspy.
“We should go,” Andrea whispered, then bit her lip and looked away. “I’m sorry.”
Seth pulled back farther. Had he overstepped? Had he totally mistaken how strongly she’d leaned into his body, and taken his mouth so hungrily?
“I just—I’m not sure I can…” She stopped, and her eyes flashed with confusion. “I don’t know if I can do this right now.”
Disappointment rippled through him. “Of course,” Seth said. “I’m sorry if I—”
“You don’t need to apologize,” she said quickly. “I liked that. A lot.” Her cheeks flushed, and she squeezed her eyes shut. “Too much, maybe. And that scares me. I just need to think things through.” She reached out and gripped his hand, her touch again igniting something deep within him. “I’m sorry,” she repeated.
Seth softened. She was still hurting from her last relationship. Something like that would take some time, and he could understand that. “It’s alright,” he said. “But if you ever find yourself ready, I’m right here.” Now that he knew what Andrea smelled like, tasted like, how she felt in his arms…there was no chance in hell he’d be going anywhere.
* * *
It was all she could do to pull herself away from the perfection of Seth’s embrace, but even though every last cell in her body urged to her continue, there was still a niggling doubt in her mind that caused her to separate her lips from Seth’s.
“Ready to head out?”
“Sure.”
Seth led her to the door, their hands still lightly touching. The silence between them was comfortable, but laced with tension.
“Thanks for being patient with me,” she said softly as they stepped out into the cool night air, the door clicking softly behind them.
“Anything you need,” said Seth.
Andrea slid into the passenger seat of Seth’s SUV. They still had a long drive ahead of them—an hour charged with the energy that had been ignited, but not fully explored. She gazed out the window, her thoughts swirling. She’d nearly let herself fall headfirst, but she couldn’t afford to make that same mistake again. Not this time.
