Page 66 of Raging Fires

“Just don’t step on my toes.”

“Your toes are hard to miss, given that your feet are enormous.”

He huffed out a laugh. “You obviously haven’t looked at Kowalski’s. Mine look like a kid’s in comparison.”

“I doubt that. But you have to compare yourself to normal people, not linemen.”

“I’ll let you tell Gramps he’s not a normal person.”

Kelli chuckled. “Gramps has told me he’s not a normal person.”

“He would.” They danced on in silence, the mood like velvet wrapping around them. Jake said, “Remember that time—”

“Nope.” Kelli shook her head, looking up at him. “No memories. We’re strangers, remember?”

“I guess you’re right.” The music ended, but he held her for a moment more before his arms fell away.

“The bar’s closed,” Kelli said. “Time to go home.”

Jake cut off the music and they left, turning off the lights behind them. He took her hand, and they strolled across the parking lot to the house. They stepped up onto the porch and Kelli put her forefinger to her lips, whispering, “Careful, or we’ll wake up Toby.”

“Nah, he’s dead to the world. He had a big day.” But Jake kept his voice soft.

At the front door, Kelli turned to face him, leaning back against the door and smiling up at him. “Well, this is where we say good-bye.”

Jake braced one hand against the doorframe, leaning over her. “And this is when we have a good-night kiss.”

“Hmm. I don’t know.” Kelli tilted her head to one side as if thinking.

“Oh, yeah, you do,” he said in that low, rumbly voice that vibrated through her. “You want me to kiss you.”

She smiled a little. “Maybe I do.”

He leaned closer, stopping when his lips were only an inch from hers. “You sure?”

“Yes.”

Jake’s lips brushed hers. “Really, really sure?”

Kelli poked him in the ribs. “Yes. Get with it or I’m going to change my mind.”

He kissed her, only their mouths touching, his body tantalizingly close, his lips taking hers in a long, slow kiss. His tongue crept along the seam of her lips, teasing them open. He kissed her upper lip, then her lower. Hunger surged in her, growing with each slow movement, until she wanted to grab his sides and pull him into her, but she didn’t because this way was so delicious.

Then his mouth settled onto hers, his tongue sweeping in to tangle with hers, and his arms went around her, pulling her hard against him. His kiss took her, claimed her, and Kelli strained against him as if she could bring them even closer. The slant of his kiss changed, and his hands moved over her body, cupping her breasts, teasing the nipples into hard points, roaming down to the zipper of her jeans and slipping between her legs.

Jake rubbed her through the cloth, his fingers slow and tight against her, using the seam of the jeans to arouse her until Kelli thought she might climax right then and there. She moved against him, and she felt the smile on his lips. His mouth left hers, trailing down her neck. He put his hands behind her thighs and lifted her, and Kelli wrapped her legs around him. His hard length pressed into her where she ached for him to be, frustrated by the coarse material.

Her breath hitched as his teeth nibbled at her neck, and she wriggled against him, as if she could push through their clothes to what she desired. Jake’s breath was rasping in his throat, his skin searing.

If they hadn’t had to separate to move inside, if her legs hadn’t had to let go so she could stand, Kelli knew she would have eagerly rushed into sex, would have taken him inside her, moaning at the way he filled her and digging her fingers into his back.

But when he moved back a little and Kelli slid down to the porch, feeling the door against her back, she recalled what she had decided about how she would give herself time to think over this whole thing.

Her hand went to the door knob, turning it, and she stepped back, but her other hand pressed against his chest, holding him back. “Good night, Jake.” Her breath was ragged. “I had a wonderful time.”

Jake gaped at her. “Are you serious? Kelli, what the…”

“We’ve just met, remember?” Though she, too, was thrumming with unsatisfied desire, she had to smile at his dumbfounded expression. “I’m not the kind of girl who puts out on the first date.”