Page 33 of Dream Date With the Millionaire
All the while his lips caressed, his tongue explored.
Sensation pulsated through her. She hadn’t known it was possible to feel this way.
Every nerve ending sizzled. Her stomach quivered. Her heart melted.
This was how she’d dreamed of being kissed someday. Dani couldn’t believe it was happening now. Here. With Bryce.
She might not have been looking for a boyfriend, but somehow she’d found him. And, even though she didn’t want a relationship, she might need one.
The realization should have scared her more than it did.
As Dani ran her hands through his hair, he trailed kisses along her jawline. She arched back, wanting…
More.
He returned to her mouth, stealing her breath and her heart…
Warning bells sounded. Rational thought returned. With her hands on his shoulders, she pulled her lips away from his.
The emotion in his eyes and the smile on his face made her want to start kissing him all over again.
But that would be too dangerous. She didn’t want to lose herself in him. She couldn’t.
Dani tried to catch her breath, regain control.
He pushed a strand of her hair off her face. “That was amazing.”
Awesome was more like it. She stared up at him, wanting to memorize everything about him, from the faint lines at the corner of his eyes to the way he smoothed her hair with his hand. “Yes, amazing.”
Somewhere a horse neighed.
“Ready to head back to the city?” Bryce asked.
No. A sense of inadequacy swept over her. She wanted to go somewhere else—a neutral place, where they could just be themselves and not have to worry about their jobs, their families, their lives. Their differences.
“Not really,” she admitted.
Bryce laced his fingers with hers and gave a squeeze. “We can come back.”
We.
Hope surged. Dani didn’t want to let go. She didn’t want to say goodbye.
Not today. Not ever.
She looked up at him. The tenderness in his expression brought a sigh to her lips.
Happiness bubbled, threatening to spill from her heart. She wanted this feeling to last.
Today, tomorrow, always.
That couldn’t happen unless she did one thing…
Tell Bryce the truth.
About her job. About everything.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“WOULD you like something to drink?” Standing in the doorway to her kitchen, Dani wrung her hands. “Eat?”
Bryce wanted to put her at ease, not make her wait on him. “No, thanks.”
Her nervousness disturbed him. Especially after the great time they’d had at the stable.
He understood how she felt though. They were alone in her studio apartment after some really hot kisses. He was a bit on edge himself. Maybe a little conversation would help.
“Nice place.” Bryce noticed the futon sofa that probably doubled as her bed. He looked away. “Comfortable.”
“Thanks.” Her voice sounded shaky. “It’s small, but I don’t need a lot of space.”
A photograph of her riding a large black horse caught his attention. Even in the still frame, he could see the fluidity of her body as she and the animal made a jump. “Where was this picture taken?”
Her faint smile seemed to relax the rest of her face. “A stable near the farm where I worked during high school.”
He noticed she was wearing the same old paddock boots in the photo as she’d worn today. Functional and well-worn. She deserved new ones. “You should come out to my family’s stable and ride.”
Uncertainty crept into her eyes. “You have a stable?”
Darn, he’d wanted to put a smile on her pretty face, not make her feel worse. “Not me, my family.”
She paced in front of the doorway to the kitchen. She reminded him, not of a hummingbird, intent on reaching its next destination, but of a cat, trying to decide whether to chase after a mouse or not. The indecision seemed out of character for Dani.
Something must be on her mind. Bryce hoped she wasn’t thinking he wanted to take their kiss further. Okay, he did, but not if it made her act like this. He wished he could go back and change things because, even though he liked Dani, he didn’t like the complications relationships often brought with them.
Not that kissing her meant he was in a relationship.
Yet…she’d gotten under his skin.
Her friendliness, her sense of humor, even her evasiveness intrigued him. And he couldn’t deny he wanted to kiss her again.
Bryce crossed the room and held her hands. “Today has been great, but since we got here you seem a little tense. Don’t be. There’s no rush. The only thing I want is to see you smile.”
“I want to smile, except…”
He led her over to the futon and pulled her down so she was seated next to him. He kept hold of her hand. “Tell me what’s going on.”
