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“And nose to nose.” She leaned her forehead against his, and the tips of their noses brushed.

“Lemme just show you the last part.” He tilted his head to the side and softly nipped her bottom lip just like he’d wanted to moments before. He hesitated then, savoring the familiar taste of vanilla and mint, this time sure it wasn’t morning tea.

“Lip balm,” she whispered, somehow reading his thoughts. “I hope it doesn’t bother you.”

He kissed her once, then licked his own lips with a grin.

“I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything sweeter.”

He kissed her again, hands moving up her back as she hooked her knees over his hips, squeezing him tight.

“You sure about that just kissing deal?” he asked, his lips traveling down her neck and to the soft skin exposed above her tank top.

“No?” Her knees squeezed him again. “But yes?”

He understood. She wanted him in the right headspace for this to go any further, and he wanted to be in the right headspace for her. He wanted to believe he deserved what she was willing to give. Until then, he’d give her whatever she was willing to receive.

“Should I only kiss you here?” he teased, lips brushing hers once more.

“Maybe,” she whispered. Then, “But maybe other places too.”

“How about here?” He unzipped her hoodie and kissed the hardened peak of her nipple beneath the fitted cotton.

“Mm-hmm,” she acquiesced.

Just kissing, he reminded himself, but there were so many places to kiss.

He moved to her right side, giving equal attention to her other breast.

Her back arched. Eli lowered her slowly so her head rested on the truck bed.

“Nothing below the belly button,” she told him. “Or I won’t be able to stop, and I want the next time I—I want to do it together.”

Eli nodded, hooked his fingers under the hem of her tank, and lifted it over her breasts. He growled when he found them bare, no bra separating him from her soft, pink flesh.

“Also small but mighty,” she teased, rising up on her elbows. “Means sometimes nothing more than a supportive tank is necessary to hold the girls in place.”

He laughed. “If you don’t mind, I’m having a moment with the girls.”

And bending the rules as much as she’d let him, he kissed and nipped and tasted until they were both dangerously close to a point of no return.

Beth lay breathless, hands white-knuckling the tailgate’s edge.

Eli throbbed against the prison of his jeans.

“We have to stop.” His words came out hoarse.

“I know,” she lamented. “Why do we have to be so mature about this when we could be having wild, crazy sex in a truck? Outside? Are we making a huge mistake by not just getting jiggy with it?”

Eli threw his head back and laughed.

Hell, this woman was funny. And beautiful. And headstrong. And smart. And, of course, mighty.

As much as he wanted to bury himself inside her right here in the bed of his truck, he’d hate himself for it in the morning, probably pull a selfish disappearing act again, and then Beth would hate him too. If they were going to go down whatever road this was, Eli was going to figure out how to do it right…or as right as he could given the past baggage they both brought to the table and the future they didn’t have.

He readjusted her tank, then pulled her so she was sitting again.

“I will be thinking about you all night, Mighty Dancer.”