Page 14 of Agent of the Heart (Hearts in Hawthorne #3)

Chapter

Eight

T heir lips met.

Jace had kissed his fair share of women and had found kissing to be highly overrated.

Until now.

Darby Montgomery’s lips were pillowy soft against his firmer ones, and he had the urge to swallow her whole.

He needed her goodness inside him. Her caring spirit.

He had shared things with her that he hadn’t told another soul, things which he had never really admitted even to himself.

He was a push things aside kind of guy. Either he dealt with something head on or he dismissed it, shoving it as far away as he could, hoping no residue was left.

But Darby had drawn confidences from him. It was as if in knowing her, he wanted to reexamine his own life. Make some changes.

Make a life with her.

That thought freaked him out, and he almost pulled away, but the lure of her lips and that intoxicating floral scent drew him back in. Jace told himself to stop thinking and just be in the moment.

He let all thoughts dissipate as he concentrated on the woman next to him.

Slowly, he brushed his lips against hers.

He didn’t rush anything. Instead, he let things unfold naturally.

His pulse leaped as her lips pressed harder against his, demanding more from him.

Her hand, warm on his nape, held them together. He, too, wanted to hold her.

His hands came up, cradling her face. He kissed her softly, breaking the kiss, then moving in for another one.

One kiss became too many to count, each one longer than the one before it.

Need coursed through him. He didn’t think about whether it was a physical need which cried out to be satisfied or an emotional one. It was time his lips did the talking.

He stroked her smooth cheeks with his thumbs, touching her gently as if she were a precious vessel. Ever so slowly, he teased her mouth open. Her hand tightened on his nape, and his tongue swept inside, ready to explore. Taste. Touch.

Tilting her head back, he deepened the kiss, need pounding him now. Hungrily, he kissed her, taking and giving, amazed at how intimate a kiss could be. She made a noise, one which let him know she liked how he kissed her. How he held her.

It made him want more.

And it was because he wanted to press for more that he stopped. He caressed her tongue a final time and then kissed her rosebud mouth softly. Yet he couldn’t seem to pull away entirely. Jace rested his brow against hers, his hands still tenderly touching her face.

What was he supposed to say to her? That this was the most incredible kiss of his life? That he was compelled to learn everything he could about her?

Admitting to these kinds of feelings sent panic surging through him.

His hands fell away, and he lifted his forehead from hers, slowly withdrawing from her, despite the fact his body cried out to stop immediately.

Wanting to embrace her so badly made him terrified.

Jace had never depended upon anyone. Never needed anyone.

He wasn’t about to change his life because of a few kisses.

“Wow,” she said softly, wonder in her voice.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized brusquely. “I shouldn’t have?—”

Her hazel eyes, which now shone green with passion, immediately sparked with anger.

“Don’t you dare apologize, Jace Tanner,” she said threateningly. “I won’t let you do that.”

Curiosity filled him. He felt if he asked her what she meant, her reasoning would suck the life out of him.

Already, he was frightened enough by this woman, which was laughable.

She was a foot shorter than he was and probably weighed barely over a hundred pounds.

A brisk wind would likely blow her away.

Yet Jace saw a strength within her. A resolve which might be as strong as his own.

“Then I won’t apologize,” he told her.

Her eyes narrowed. Darby studied him. “You have no idea why you started to apologize, much less why I would be angry about you doing so, do you?”

Darby Montgomery didn’t pull any of her punches.

“No. And no. It’s just that we don’t know one another.”

“We don’t?” she asked, snorting. “Jace, you opened up to me. You shared some pretty deep things. I am honored you would confide in me. Yes, we may not have known one another until a few days ago, but I’m more comfortable with you than I have felt with any man.

My gut tells me we are two old souls. Maybe ones who knew one another in a different life. ”

She paused, assessing him. “Because from the moment we met, I have been drawn to you. And not just physically, even though there’s that.

I sense something about you. I feel as if I’ve known you a lot longer.

That I want to know you better. Whether we become friends or lovers is still up in the air for me. But I’m drawn to your essence.”

“How do you do that?” he asked. “It’s like you’re inside my head. Talking to you is a little like talking to myself.”

Taking her hands in his, Jace said, “I’ll admit that I’m a typical guy.

I have surface conversations with everyone.

Because of my agency, most of those discussions are about sports.

When I talk sports—and combine that with business—I don’t have to dig deep.

Think too hard on anything. My entire life, I’ve pushed myself to achieve.

I set a goal and reach it. I set another one.

Big. Small. In-between. I’m climbing this invisible ladder.

Laser-focused. Never looking down. Always moving ahead. ”

He gazed deeply into her eyes, ones which drew him in. “You make me want to think about things. Especially myself. I’m not really sure I like that, Darby.”

“Self-analysis is good for you,” she encouraged. “We’re always growing. Learning. Changing. Evolving. That’s simply a part of life.”

Jace shook his head. “I’m afraid I’m more like a shark.

I’m cutthroat when it comes to business.

I would do anything for my clients. I’m merciless when I’m negotiating on their behalf.

They know how devoted I am to them. I’ll get them more money.

More benefits. More of whatever they want.

Whatever they dream of. I’m in the business of making those dreams of theirs come true. ”

She cocked her head, studying him. “Then what do you want, Jace? What do you dream of? And don’t say more money.

You have plenty of that already. It’s easy to see by the way you dress and the car you drive.

I’m talking about deep within you, not a business goal you wish to achieve.

You can only take on so many clients and negotiate so many contracts and make so many sponsorship deals.

“What I’m asking is what makes Jace Tanner tick? And what makes—or would make—you happy?” Her words were both encouraging and challenging at the same time.

And Jace had absolutely no idea what he truly wanted.

“Can I think on that and get back to you?” he asked lightly, trying to downplay the serious turn of their conversation.

Darby pulled her hands from his. “Joke all you want, but I think until you figure out what you want out of life, you’ll simply bull your way through it, trying to get your own way in everything you do.”

“That’s what being a sports agent is all about.”

She rolled her eyes. “There’s more to being a sports agent.

I think you do an outstanding job, setting goals for yourself and your agency.

You should be proud of all you have achieved.

I’m impressed by it.” She paused. “But I also want to get to know the man you are, Jace. And I think before I can, you need to get to know the man you are—and the man you want to be.”

Jace felt as if she’d thrown down a gauntlet like a knight of old, challenging him in a way no one had ever done before.

What did he really want out of life?

Darby was right. He had a successful business. An expensively furnished condo. A sports car which drove smoothly and was flashy. He wore custom-made clothing. Dined at the best restaurants. Was seen with the most stunning women on his arm.

But what did he truly want out of life?

His tone serious, he met her gaze. “I really do think I need to stop and assess things and think about what I want. And when I know? I want to talk to you about it.”

Her smile radiated warmth. “That’s a much better answer. Not flippant. Thoughtful.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I think we’ve done enough deep diving for tonight, Tanner. Let’s go relax and chow down on some great Mexican food.”

He saw the pendulum swinging. Darby was once again playful. Confident. Flirtatious. He liked that side of her, but he also liked this deeper side of her. The one which challenged him. Once he dropped her at her hotel this evening, he would have a lot of thinking to do.

He got out of the car and went around to open her door. Jace offered her a hand and helped her from the low-slung passenger seat. He got a nice flash of toned, tanned legs, which caused his pulse to jump.

Possessively taking her hand in his, they crossed the street and entered Adelina’s. Even on a Tuesday night, the place was almost full.

Jace held up two fingers, and the hostess led them to the only empty booth available. They passed couples, families, and even those still dressed for work, looking as if they were meeting colleagues for dinner.

Darby slid into one side of the booth, and he took the other, glad he had the table between them because desire still raced through him. He told himself to do all the looking he wanted but that touching was off-limits.

Unless Darby made the first move.

The hostess handed them their menus and promised their server would arrive soon.

“What’s good here?”

“Everything,” she said, thanking a teenager who set a bowl of tortilla chips and another bowl of salsa on the table. “I’m partial to their enchiladas, but everything from burritos to tamales to tacos rock.”

The server appeared, setting down two glasses of water. “What else can I get you to drink?”