Match Me If You Can (Chicago Stars #6)(61)

“I know. Jump him.” He ran the tip of his finger over the curve of her cheek. She leaned into his hand. He rubbed his thumb over her chin. “Could you be quiet now so I can kiss you?”

She blinked, thick lashes sweeping her pixie’s eyes. “Really?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Because, if you do, I’ll kiss you back, so you need to remember that I’m—”

“Drunk. I’ll remember.” He slipped his hands into the hair he’d been aching to touch for weeks. “You’re not responsible for your actions.”

She gazed up at him. “Just so you understand.”

“I understand,” he said softly. And then he kissed her.

She arched against him, her body pliant, her lips hot and Annabelle-spicy. Her hair curled around his fingers, ribbons of silk. He freed one hand and found her breast. Through her clothes, the nipple pebbled under his palm. She wound her arms around his neck, pressed her hips to his. Their tongues played an erotic game. He was hard, mindless. He needed more, and he reached under her top to feel her skin.

A muffled little whimper penetrated his fog. She shuddered, and the heels of her hands pressed against his chest.

He drew back. “Annabelle?”

She gazed up at him through watery eyes and sniffed, the corners of her soft, rosy mouth drooping. “If only I were drunk,” she whispered.





Chapter Thirteen




Annabelle heard Heath’s sigh. That kiss…She’d known he’d be a wonderful kisser: domineering in the best possible way, master and commander, lord of the realm, leader of the pack. No need to worry about this one slipping into high heels when she wasn’t paying attention. But none of that justified her foolishness. “I—I guess I have more self-discipline than I thought,” she said, her voice unsteady.

“So gosh darned thrilled you figured that out now.”

“I can’t throw everything away for a couple of minutes of heavy breathing.”

“A couple of minutes?” he exclaimed indignantly. “If you think I’m not good for longer than—”

“Don’t.” Pain shot through her. All she wanted to do now was climb into bed and pull the covers over her head. She hadn’t cared about her business, her life, her self-respect. All she’d cared about was giving in to the moment.

“Let’s go, Tinker Bell.” He snagged her arm and steered her toward the kitchen. “We’re taking a walk to cool down.”

“I don’t want to walk,” she cried.

“Fine. Let’s go back to what we were doing.”

Even as she pulled away, she knew he was right. If she intended to get her footing back, this couldn’t wait till morning. She had to do it now. “All right.”

He grabbed the flashlight hanging by the refrigerator, and she followed him outside. They set off down a path soft with pine needles. Neither of them said a word, not even when the path opened into a small, moonlit cove where limestone boulders edged the water. Heath turned off the flashlight and set it on the lone picnic table. He stuffed his hands in the rear pockets of his shorts and walked toward the water. “I know you want to make a big deal out of this, but don’t.”

“Out of what? I’ve already forgotten.” She kept her distance, wandering toward the water but stopping a good ten feet from him. The air smelled warm and marshy, and the lights from the town of Wind Lake twinkled off to her left.

“We were dancing,” he said. “We got turned on. So what?”

She dug her fingernails into her palms. “As far as I’m concerned, it never happened.”

“It happened all right.” He turned toward her, and the tough note in his voice told her the Python had uncoiled. “I know the way you think, and that wasn’t some big, unforgivable sin.”

Her composure dissolved. “I’m your matchmaker!”

“Right. A matchmaker. You didn’t have to swear a Hippocratic oath to get your business card.”

“You know exactly what I mean.”

“You’re single; I’m single. It wouldn’t have been the end of the world if we’d seen this through.”

She couldn’t believe she’d heard him right. “It would have been the end of my world.”

“I was afraid of this.”

His mildly exasperated air pushed her over the edge, and she stomped toward him. “I should never have let you come with me this weekend! I knew it was a bad idea from the beginning.”

“It was a great idea, and no harm’s been done. We’re two healthy, unattached, reasonably sane adults. We have fun together, and don’t even try to deny that.”

“Yeah, I’m a great buddy, all right.”

“Believe me, tonight I wasn’t thinking of you as a buddy.”

That threw her totally off stride, but she recovered quickly. “If another woman had been around, this would never have happened.”

“Whatever you’re trying to say, just spit it out.”

“Come on, Heath. I’m not blond, leggy, or stacked. I was the default setting. Even my ex-fiancé never said I was sexy.”

“Your ex-fiancé wears lipstick, so I wouldn’t take that to heart. I promise, Annabelle, you’re very sexy. That hair…”