Breakaway by Nancy Warren Page B

back but held her ground, held his gaze.
    He grabbed her shoulders, pulled her to him and kissed her with the same urgency as when he’d drunk deep of the stream only moments ago.
    She felt the roughness of a face that hadn’t seen a razor in two days, the coldness of the river water on his lips, the hot, potent energy flowing through him and into her.
    She wanted more. More of that energy, more of his solid sexiness, more of the feeling that something positive and wonderful was happening in the midst of this madness.
    She pulled him closer and he responded by deepening the kiss. She felt the warmth of the sun on her shoulders, heard the buzz of insects and the rush of water. Sensed the powerful attraction between them as his tongue took mastery of her mouth.
    She’d known kisses before, of course. Friendly kisses, exploratory kisses, passionate kisses, but she had never experienced a kiss that seemed to lift her off her feet and transport her to a different place. She had never known a kiss that made her body feel like it was buzzing with excitement. She couldn’t stand still; she found herself squirming with desire, wanting him as she’d never wanted a man. She knew, with an instinct she didn’t question, that it was the same for him. Like a quiet but insistent yes dancing along their nerve endings pulling them ever and inevitably closer.
    He pulled back and they were both panting. “Wow,” he said.
    “I thought we were going to have a date when we got back?” she reminded him.
    “We are going to have a date. We are going to have the date to end all dates.” He drew in a sharp breath. “Does it matter to you?”
    The thought of waiting until they were back in civilization, until there was an evening in both their schedules that they could devote to romance, was no sooner contemplated than dropped. She knew on some level that this crazy life-or-death adventure was causing her to throw caution to the winds, but she realized she didn’t want her caution back. Let it stay floating on wind currents, like an aircraft headed through a weather system. For now, she needed that man with every fiber of her being. She’d worry about consequences later.
    She answered his question by putting her arms around his neck and pulling him back to her, kissing him with the same fervent desire he’d shown her. He made a small sound, half growl, half groan and pulled her even closer.
    The world receded. Time stopped. Her senses were so focused on that kiss she’d have sworn the river ceased flowing and fell into silence.
    He tugged at her shirt, pulling it from her pants, undoing buttons with haste. She suspected he might have ripped the thing off her, let the buttons fly where they might, except that they both knew she had only the one shirt. So he was careful. But fast.
    She felt the sun on her naked shoulders, then his lips were there.
    He had her bra unfastened almost faster than she could have done it herself. This man was smooth. She was sure he’d been with countless women. But when he slipped the bra off her shoulders and the sun tingled on her breasts, she felt for a moment like the first woman he’d ever seen. His gaze was worshipful and he reached for her slowly, touching her gently but firmly until her nipples ached with need. When he lowered his head and put his mouth on the tip of her breast she felt sensation spiral through her, coming to rest heavy in her belly.
    She dragged at his shirt, trying to be as smooth as he’d been when he unbuttoned hers, but it was hopeless. She was too frantic. She fumbled and cursed in her haste until he laughed and stripped it off himself.
    He was magnificent. Tawny and muscular and with a six-pack on him that made her want to run her tongue over the ridges of muscle in his belly.
    In unspoken agreement, they finished stripping themselves, both driven by need rather than a desire for slow seduction. There was a time for slow seduction, and Claire was a sucker for it. But not here.