Page 63 of Brushed By Moonlight

He shook his head. “Of course I don’t hate you. I only hate that I can’t stop thinking about you. That I can’t stop wanting you.”

My mouth hung open.

He stroked my cheek gently. “So, about that kiss…”

“Well, if you insist…”

I meant to press slowly into another kiss, but it got away from me, and soon, we were panting…touching…needing…

We were playing with fire, and I knew it. But that was the thing about fire. Once you got a blaze going, it took on a life of its own.

When Marius slid a hand down my leg, I raised it eagerly. When I slid my hands down his ass, he surged forward. I started calculating the distance to my bedroom.

But the bell rang again, more insistently this time.

“Dammit…” Marius growled.

I forced my foot back to the floor and caressed his cheek.

“We should go,” I said, though I didn’t budge.

He arched an eyebrow. “In a rush?”

“No, but the longer I stand here, the more I want to kiss you.”

He snorted. “The longer I stand here, I more Ineedto kiss you.”

A chorus of angels hit high notes in my soul. The big, bad dragon shifter needed me. Me!

Somehow, I kept myself together and played coy. “Would that be so bad?”

He shook his head. “It would be too good.”

And damn the man for saying all the right things. I half hoped he would be too rough, too demanding, or plagued by bad breath. Then I could stop lusting after him all day and get on with my life.

The bell rang again, and I cursed. Then I sucked in a deep breath, patted his chest — a big, broad chest, like a platter, if platters came in solid steel — and eased up one step.

Marius closed his eyes. His nostrils flared, savoring my scent. Then he loosened his grip, slowly pulling his hands away from my waist.

I missed his warmth immediately, but my senses were gradually emerging from their fog, and I knew we’d gone too far.

Not far enough,my libido grumbled.

I ran my hands over my hair, then my rumpled clothes.

“You need to…um…” I motioned to his shirt.

He arched an eyebrow. “Hide the evidence?”

I gave him a look, then straightened his shirt myself, sneaking in a few last touches.

“So…um…” I started, then stopped. “Maybe we shouldn’t read too much into this.”

A lie, because my heart was already racing away with deep analyses and plans.

His lips curled in a cocky grin. “You mean, you pawing me?”

I rolled my eyes. “I did notpawyou.”