JENN
Heat ignites,roaring to life like it’s been smoldering between us all week. Because, let’s face it, it has. Austin yanks me closer, already easing my lips open, tongue sliding deep to explore my mouth.
Holy shit, can this man kiss.
I melt against him, reveling in the sensual feel of him: Body solid against mine, hands gripping me tightly, I’m in heaven. A hot, sweaty, thrilling heaven. Somewhere, I register the sound of people’s voices, and people hitting balls in the surrounding cages, but right now, Austin and I are the only two people in the world.
And this kiss? Is officially blowing my mind.
I reach up, clutching on to him with one hand as the other finally gives in to temptation and runs over the short hair of his buzzcut. Austin rumbles a groan against my lips, and the sound sends a fresh wave of heat spiraling down between my legs.
Immediately, I’m fantasizing aboutmore. Feeling every inch of this man’s incredible body and exploring that mouth more. As soon as freaking possible. His tongue brushes against mine, and it’s a good thing he’s got those arms because my legs are weak. He might need to carry me out of here and back to the office—
The office. Where he hired me to work, thinking I was somebody else entirely.
Fuck.
A cold shard of reality pieces the haze of desire sweeping me up, and I manage to pull away, even though my whole body howls in protest. I’m overriding every instinct, and my own basic biology. But there’s no other option.
I lurch back, heart racing. “I should, um, go,” I blurt, trying not to notice that Austin looks about as slammed by that kiss as I feel. “Thanks for the, umm, lesson!”
Before he can say a word, I grab my purse and flee, scolding myself the whole way home.
What the hell was I thinking?
Never mind that he’s my boss and sticking my tongue down his throat is about as far from professional behavior as its possible to get, but he thinks I’m Other Jennifer!
My one little white lie made things between us complicated enough, but now that kiss has taken ‘complicated’ all the way to ‘utter chaos’.
That kiss…
I can’t help replaying it, in all its technicolor, hot-as-hell glory.
His hands… His lips… Histongue.
I let out a groan of frustrated despair that makes the other subway passengers look at me funny, but I don’t care. I’ve had my share of kisses, good and bad, but what just happened back there with Austin was downright spectacular.
Spectacular—and absolutely out of bounds.
By the timeI get back to my apartment, I’ve just about stopped tormenting myself with the action replays. It’s still early, and I should be at the spa, doing my actual job, but I figure Austin can’t object to me working from home for the rest of the day.
Plus, right now I don’t trust myself not to jump the man if he so much as smiles at me again.
Nope. No jumping, swinging, licking, or any other activity is on the menu for me.I get stuck into emails and strategy to distract myself, and it works, just about.
I’m about to break for dinner when there’s a knock at the door.
I leap up, wondering if it’s Austin. I shouldn’t hope that—I know. But my heart and hormones want what they want.
Instead, I find four familiar faces staring expectantly back at me, armed with bags of yarn and needles.
Stitch-and-bitch. Here. At my place. I totally forgot.
“Don’t look so startled dear,” Evelyn says, breezing past me. “You’ll get forehead wrinkles.”
I stand back and wave them inside, letting out a sigh of relief—thank goodness. Instead of spending the rest of night panicking-slash-reliving the kiss, I can lose myself in familiar chit-chat.
And snacks. Lottie always brings great snacks.