Night Whispers - Leslie Kelly [33]
Mitch stared hard at her, looking for the gleam of mischief he felt sure he’d find, but it wasn’t there. She looked contrite, embarrassed even. And a mess.
A smudge of flour rode the high plane of her cheek, and her hair hung in disarray from a clip. He watched her part her full lips and take in a deep breath, and noticed the strong pulse beating in her throat. She was nervous—he could see it. A slow flush spread from her neck up through her face, and her breathing became more labored. Mitch glanced down to the slight space between their bodies. Not much more than a whisper separated them.
He dropped his voice to a growl. “All right, Kelsey. You win.”
Kelsey raised her eyes in confusion, but didn’t have time to absorb his words when his mouth suddenly captured hers in a searing kiss. She didn’t move, didn’t have the strength to lift her arms to encircle his neck, but reveled in the hard press of his body, crushing hers from shoulder to thigh. His hot mouth urged hers to open and she welcomed him, loving the intimacy, the taste of him as the kiss continued endlessly.
She whimpered when Mitch moved his hands to her shoulders, then slowly slid them down her arms until he reached her fingertips. He laced his fingers through hers briefly, then moved his hands to her hips, pulling her tighter against him. Her whimper turned into a moan at the feel of his hard excitement. Mitch lifted his mouth from hers, trailing hot kisses down her chin, across her neck, to the hollow of her throat. His fingertips reached her waist and slid under her sweatshirt, caressing her sensitive, bare flesh.
Kelsey shifted a little, silently urging him to continue exploring her body, as she longed to do with his. Finally regaining the ability to move, she allowed her palms to travel up the flat expanse of his stomach to his hard chest. She stroked the side of his neck, then curled her fingers in his hair.
Mitch inhaled Kelsey’s scent as he trailed kisses along her throat. He lightly grazed his teeth against the soft curve of her neck as he caressed her bare midriff, then moved his hands higher to rest just underneath her breasts.
“Oh, Mitch, yes, please,” she whispered brokenly in that deep, throaty voice he knew so well.
Mitch closed his eyes tightly as her words intruded on the seductive spell he’d allowed to envelop him. Pulling his fingers away from her skin, he leaned his forehead on the wall behind her and struggled mightily to slow his rapid, shallow breathing.
After a few seconds he pulled back from her, looking at her dazed expression. Her head was thrown back, eyes closed, and deep breaths came from between her swollen lips. Desire for her rose again, almost as swiftly as his anger at his lack of control. He didn’t know whether he was more angry at himself for forgetting his resolutions regarding Kelsey, or at her for being so damned tempting.
“Are you satisfied now?” he asked raggedly.
Kelsey slowly shook her head and replied without even opening her eyes, “I’m a long way from satisfied.”
So was he. Mitch knew the only way he’d be satisfied right now was if he buried himself inside her body and felt her sleek legs wrapped around his waist.
“This is insane,” he muttered as he angrily thrust his hands through his hair. “What are we doing?”
She smiled slowly without bothering to open her eyes. “Exactly what we’ve both been wanting to do, I believe.”
Mitch shook his head in disbelief. She was so matter-of-fact, as if this moment of wild, unexpected passion was the most natural thing in the world. As if the two of them could forget the past, and her family, and their longstanding connection, and just drift into a reckless affair.
He stared steadily at her. “What do you want from me?”
Oh, if he only knew what she wanted! She wanted Fred and Celia to disappear. She wanted Mitch to yank her clothes off and lift her up so she could wrap her legs around him. She wanted him pressing her against the wall as he filled her body and they let the passion consume them.
And more than anything, she wanted to