Read Sunkissed for Free Online

the force almost knocking him over. It was more than he expected to find.
    There was no gentle exploration. It was a flash of lips, tongue, teeth. Teasing, playing, devouring.
    Here was heat. Here was a type of desire he could drown in.
    He caged her body against the counter, a growl rising in his throat as he changed the angle of their kiss, trying to find a better fit as he plundered her mouth.
    She shivered against him, her body turning pliant.
    He wanted more of her.
    Wrapping a firm arm around her waist, his other hand trailing to cradle the back of her head, her silky dark hair tickling his arm, he brought her flush against him. Every soft curve molded to hard planes, scorching him.
    She pressed into him, the friction causing him to break off their kiss with a curse. Unwilling to let her go, he held her against him, guiding her head to his shoulder.
    He gulped in air, trying to steady his breathing.
    He couldn’t think straight. It was mind-blowing, the level of physical connection that they shared. The kiss had been more intense, more pleasurable than anything he had ever experienced before.
    “I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that.” She looked up at his face before freezing. “Oh, geez. You aren’t with someone, are you? I never would have done that had I thought you were involved with someone else.”
    “What? No.” He shook his head firmly, trying to jumpstart his brain. “No. I’m not with anyone else. That was just… more than I expected.”
    Stepping away, they looked warily at one another.
    “Me too.” She frowned. “Maybe it’s too much like repeating history. I mean, it’s weird, right?” Her brow arched in question.
    She looked calm, but he sensed that their kiss had shaken her. Their chemistry wasn’t ordinary, and he wanted to see where it led. But to do that, he needed her to relax. He leaned against the countertop opposite her, fighting for calm. “Not really. It was only a kiss between two unattached adults. There’s nothing strange about that.”
    It was the right thing to say. The muscles in her shoulders relaxed in visible relief. “You’re right.” She sent him a slow smile. “I think all of this is just overwhelming.”
    “Understandably. I feel the same way.”
    The sun was bright in the kitchen as they stood together. The thread of friendship he felt in that moment was a surprise, but welcome. He realized that he liked her, not just her looks, but as a person. She intrigued him. Her brain, her personality, what made her tick. He wanted to know more. Wanted to get beneath the surface and see what was there, what had brought that guarded look into her eyes.
    “I should probably get going.” She sent him a small smile of apology before retrieving her purse. “I’ll let you know if I find anything in her journals.”
    “Same here,” he said, walking her out the door.
    “Thank you for this. I know you didn’t want to be involved.”
    “You’re right. But I’m glad I am.”
    “I’ll be in touch.”
    He watched her climb into her car before driving down the lane.
    He knew she’d be back. If there was anything Grant felt sure of, it was that he and Natalie had begun something.
    When a woman like that came along, a man would be a fool to let her go without seeing what was there.
    Grinning, he went back inside. He was no fool.

Curled up on her grandmother’s couch, comfortable in a baggy shirt and stretch pants as the stereo blared a mixture of songs from her iPod, she leaned over her tablet, completely absorbed in her latest sketch.
    In the days since her meeting with Grant, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking of him.
    Her wrist loose, she drew long, fluid lines, the full skirt of a gown taking shape.
    She was still in the creative phase of her line, and while her current sketch didn’t fit in with the smooth, cultured styles she had already created, it didn’t matter.
    Her mind was on her grandmother, on her life.
    Mimicking a nurse’s hat, she