Read MacKenzie's Lady for Free Online Page B

join his, twining together in an erotic love duet.
    His hands tightened on her shoulders and she felt the shudder that went through him a moment before he lifted his mouth from hers. Her eyelids quivered briefly before she could raise them. She felt as if she had been on a long journey, one that had changed her life forever. She stared into the hooded darkness of his eyes. Beneath her palms, she could feel the steady beat of his heart, its accelerated pace matching her pulse.
    His gaze was piercing, asking questions she didn't understand, demanding answers she didn't have. Tentatively, her fingers crept up to his face, running delicately over the rough surface of his jaw. With a groan he twisted his face away and his hands tightened on her nape before his mouth came down on hers with a demanding pressure that stopped just short of being hurtful. His lips slanted across hers, his tongue surging past the barrier of her teeth and plunging deep into her mouth before withdrawing, only to surge inward again.
    The erotic implication set Holly's slight frame humming with need. A warm liquid feeling gradually spread outward from the pit of her stomach to encompass her entire body. Her small hands slid into the ruffled darkness of his hair as she strained to get closer.
    She stiffened in surprise as his hand suddenly cupped her full breast. For an instant she was frozen. She could almost feel the hard, callused palm against her soft skin. She could imagine the pad of his thumb stroking her nipple. With a moan she dragged her mouth away from his and stared up at him, the wild look in her dark eyes telling him of her disturbance.
    Outside the car everything was the same but Holly knew that she was changed. A soft flush heated her cheeks as she stared at him, and the small hands that lay on his chest pushed slightly. He let her go without protest and she eased herself a few inches away, still unable to break the spell of his eyes on hers.
    "I want to see you again."
    His husky voice broke the last remnants of the spell, and her eyes jerked away, the color in her face darkening. Holly couldn't remember the last time she had kissed a man with such abandon. She drew a shaky breath and began to fumble on the floor for her purse and tote bag.
    An involuntary shiver raced through her when he touched her shoulder and she straightened up, helpless to resist the urge to look at him.
    "Mac, I... I don't want to go too fast___" She let the sentence trail off. So many men expected a woman to fall into bed with them right away. She wanted to make sure that he didn't expect that of her.
    His mustache tilted upward in that lazy smile that wreaked havoc on her pulse. "We'll take it as slow as you like, love. We're not working on a deadline. I'd just like to see you again. One step at a time."
    "I'd like that, too," she admitted, wishing her voice didn't sound so breathless.
    He walked her to her apartment door, despite her assurances that hers was a very safe neighborhood. At the door she turned, shrugging off the leather jacket he had once again wrapped around her. His features were shadowed by the dark canvas hat and she shivered lightly. He looked dark and mysterious. But there was nothing mysterious about the solid warmth of the brief kiss he gave her.
    "I'll call you."
    She leaned back against the closed door, listening to his swift steps echoing on the pavement before fading out of hearing. She put her fingers up to her tingling mouth, and a tiny smile of anticipation curved her lips.

Chapter 3

    W hen she finally managed to drag her mind away from Mac and look at a clock, Holly was surprised to find that it was still early. It was only three hours ago that Baby's recalcitrant engine had refused to start. There was still plenty of time for her to wash her hair and then work on the projects for tomorrow's class.
    By ten o'clock, when Maryann's key was inserted into the lock, Holly had managed to accomplish at least part of her program. Her hair had