Hot Pursuit - Denise A. Agnew [5]
Why did he have to remind her of the details? The awful details. “Yes.”
Ann and Carolyn had slipped the tape to a friend, who had made sure it accidentally leaked out on the intercom system. Not all of the conversation. But that silly, awkward, terrible kiss…oh, man.
Administration halted it and heads rolled. She’d never forget the embarrassment. “My parents grounded me for three months. No car. No dates.” Dark memories surfaced. “Every idiot boy in school thought I was an easy lay after that.” She tried a smile but failed. “But your reputation did a spiral upward. All those boys thinking you’d got some.” She covered her face for a moment. “I ruined my senior year by going along with that stupid stunt. For putting you through that.”
He reached for her hand, held it against his thigh, a gentle and consoling touch. “Sometimes stupid takes a long time to forget. I just wanted to clear the air. We don’t need to dwell on it.”
Deep inside an ache burned. Two aches actually. One held huge remorse for what had happened that night. The other for thinking that a one -night stand could ever remove the stain of heartache. Did she think sleeping with some guy she didn’t know would wipe away the anger she felt for Danny Mendoza’s betrayal with Felicia? She’d contemplated sleeping with Vic to wipe away bad feelings, but now old memories brought up her own betrayal of Vic as a teen.
She felt like the greatest heel in the universe. She made penitence for it the only way that felt right. She took a plunge.
Lucy kissed him.
Chapter Two
Lucy fell into heaven.
Vic had apparently learned a lot over the years about kissing. Oh, yes. He smelled like over six feet of hot pheromones. Leather, musk. Man. Tough and tender.
Her inhibitions crumbled as her body melted against his, soaking in the delicious need that opened inside her. He accepted her kiss without reservation. One hand came up to cup her face while the other kept possession of her hand. His mouth was hot, gentle. As his arms came around her and drew her into his muscular frame, she felt twenty kinds of protected. All that strength turned her on, drew her higher and hotter than anything she’d experienced before in a first kiss. Exceptional power cradled her close, as if he held an item so precious to him he couldn’t bear to part with it. She was swamped by the excitement, overtaken, her defenses destroyed. The powerful protection she experienced in this moment made no sense when she’d only just met him…again. Still, her body accepted it. Her mind following along as if he’d given her a drug. As if his hard, masculine body was a fortress made for her alone. Restaurant sounds faded around them. Liquid heat invaded her veins and gave life to the steady ache that had burned inside her since she’d seen him tonight. She didn’t grip him or hold him, but allowed Vic’s warmth to lure her into a languorous warmth and comfort.
She melted and the kiss turned deeper, to show the appreciation her body and mind felt. When his tongue tasted her, she welcomed the intimacy, brought him into her with a shocking acceptance. His tongue swept over hers, no longer teasing. He wanted. He took.
Yet he gave so much more.
She shivered, overwhelmed by the delicious sensations, the excitement that sprang upward and filled every inch of her.
She drew back at the same time he did. They touched foreheads, eyes closed. She shivered, but not with cold. In an instant she was aware of her body’s reactions to his kiss. Her breasts felt rounder, fuller, her nipples tight. She was achy and hot between the legs, wanting his touch, his fullness inside her. Lucy’s imagination exploded in a second. She wanted to know what he’d look like naked.
Oh, man. She had it bad.
Lucy could think of one word. “Wow.”
“Yeah.” His voice sounded raw, and almost stunned.
Breaking out of her mesmerized state, she gently