and for the first time he felt something beyond just lust. It intensified the arousal flowing through his veins.
He felt each exhalation of her breath like a brand on his skin. He felt each minute movement of her body as she undulated against him like a velvet glove tightening on his private flesh. He felt each sound she made all the way to his soul and he knew heâd never kiss a woman again without remembering Lauren.
He thrust his tongue deep inside, seeking more of her, needing to delve deeper and claim her completely as his own. Her skin felt soft under his touch, just as heâd known it would.
His mind shut down and he was guided by instinct. Slipping his hands down her back, rubbing the individual vertebrae of her spine, slipping underneath the loose sweater she wore.
Her skin was warm to the touch and she shivered as he stroked his hand lazily under and down. She moaned deep in her throat, and the sound went straight to his groin, hardening him even more.
He shifted on the seat, pulling her more fully against him. Her breasts nestled into the hard planes of his chest. He reached for the hem of her sweater, starting to raise it, when he remembered where they were.
In a parked car on the side of the road. He was arespected businessman, not a horny teenager alone with his first girl. He pulled his hands away from her flesh with a lingering caress. He lifted his mouth from hers, but her lips were full, swollen from his kisses, and he couldnât resist one more round before he lifted her off his lap and set her in the passenger seat.
He drew in several deep breaths, finding some control before he looked at Lauren. Her arms were wrapped around her waist and her eyes were closed.
âThat almost got out of hand,â he said. Because he couldnât say what he really wanted to, which was, To hell with getting your car, letâs go back to my place and explore every nuance of the attraction between us.
But Lauren wasnât his usual kind of woman, and heâd heard more than the words sheâd said in the diner. She wanted a man who would court her. A man who looked behind that made-for-sin body to the woman underneath. And by damned if he wasnât going to try to be that man.
He didnât understand why. Didnât even care to explain it, because he knew that if he tried, heâd realize that failure loomed in front of him. Heâd never been good at the long haul, but holding Lauren in his arms had made him realize he had to at least try. At least make the effort of being the kind of man she wanted. Because he wanted to be her man.
âYeah, thanks for stopping it.â
She didnât sound that grateful. In fact, shesounded mad. He realized the way she was holding her body wasnât for warmth but for some sort of comfort.
Heâd never freaking understand women. âI was being a gentleman.â
She lifted both eyebrows at him. âAnd I said thanks.â
âLauren?â He grabbed onto his temper with both hands. He was still violently aroused and wanted nothing more than to say the hell with this behavior that was foreign to him. Did she want a red-hot affair that lasted no more than a week? âIn order to find Prince Charming you have to actually recognize him when he rides up to the castleâand then you have to let him in.â
She bit her lower lip, which was still red and swollen from his kisses. âAre you saying maybe I deserved to kiss those toads?â
He wished at least one of them were a little confident here. At least one of them knew where they were going, had some experience in this out-of-control feeling. Was this what his dad had experienced each time heâd launched his motorcycle into the air? If so, Jack wondered how heâd gotten used to it.
Lauren was staring at him and he realized he hadnât responded to her. âNo. Iâm saying that maybe youâve forgotten what to do when Mr. Right rides