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Shane cupped her breast, stroking, and she couldn’t stifle the lowinside her bra, the friction exquisite She’d never felt soin every way—good and bad—and her heart raced, pulse beating so fast she couldn’t quite catch her breath

With one hand in her hair, he tipped her head back to give hiue took her ue, the rhythers curled into his shoulders, nails biting at the muscle and skin

If he wanted her now, if he stripped off her clothes now, she’d find it impossible to say no

Crazy to feel so strongly about him

Crazy to want him when everyone in Marietta was so conflicted about him

Crazy to feel connected when there was so little she really knew about him

Nothing about her feelings made sense And yet she couldn’t stay away froo away and shut down this thing between them

The kiss becaers had found the tip of her breast and the kiss and his touch had her al for relief

It had been forever since she’d wanted to be touched, and right now all she wanted was him Skin Only skin Only pressure—

Shane broke off the kiss, his head lifting, his dark eyes half hidden by lowered lashes But he was breathing hard, too His slash of cheekbones glowed a dusky red

“If I didn’t respect you so ht here, right now” His deep voice ruot to protect you—”

“From what?”

“From me” His mouth was still on hers “And what you don’t yet know about me”

The words were spoken quietly but she heard them, and she stiffened, and slowly lifted her head

Part of her wanted to return to her seat, but another part couldn’t bear to break the contact She wasn’t ready to leave him, not when she still needed hi in her craved more connection with him instead of less

“Are you keeping secrets?” she asked as lightly as she couldto hide her fear

“Doesn’t everyone?”

“I don’t”

He looked pained “Maybe that’s why I have more than my share”

Shehair, and let the loose curls slide through her fingers Close, his hair wasn’t black but a rich, dark chocolate with lighter sun streaked pieces here and there “Would your secrets hurt me?”

“They could,” he admitted

“That’s ominous”

His broered “I’ I can to be sure you wouldn’t be hurt, though”

She wasn’t going to move off of his lap without an explanation And so she just touched hi his dark brows and the neat dark beard on his jaw His beard was as soft as his hair His eyebroere strong lines over his nose and yet they balanced his broad forehead and firm mouth perfectly He had a perfect face It was almost a familiar face She tried to think of her favorite actors and which one he rese about him that was so very familiar, and perhaps that hy she liked him so much, and maybe that hat drew her to hith, which blazed in his eyes…

She wrapped her hands around his neck, thu the sinewy column of his throat, and then lower to his collarbones She could see and feel his quick intake She stared at his mouth, fascinated by the shape and the feel when pressed to her own

She kissed hian to kiss her back, his lipsbeneath hers She didn’t understand how he see his—and not just physical E and fierce and so full of longing The longing swept through her, an aching wave of hope and need, the hope and need so strong hot gritty tears burned at the back of her eyes

I love you, she wanted to tell him I love you

But how could she? Especially as he’d just confessed he had secrets that could hurt her How could she love soer?

But the way he kissed her h he wanted her Maybe even needed her

“There are things I wonder about you,” she said after a s that don’t line up”

“Such as?”

Jet stared into Shane’s dark eyes His hands were on her hips His touch firm, almost possessive She liked that Maybe too much

“The fact that you were born in Marietta” She continued to hold his gaze, gauging his response “Your decision to write a book about a crime in Marietta And then the decision to lease the Sheenan house when you said there is this…issue…between you and them, which strikes me as rather suspicious”

He said nothing but she was conscious of his hands, and his war with hers

“Obviously, I can’tto be patient, “but it would help since you know I’ve thrown my lot in with you I’ve chosen to stand with you and it’s not an easy place for me I wish you’d trust me I wish you’d talk to me I wish…”