Harvest Moon (Borrowed Brides 2)

Loving the feel of his hands in her hair, yet wanting more, Tessa explored the seam of his mouth with the tip of her tongue.

He groaned aloud. Parting his lips to allow her entrance, David kissed her back with an urgency that couldn’t be denied. He ate at her lips, tasting her over and over again, probing the depths of her mouth. He inhaled her breath, her little whimpers and cries of pleasure, as his tongue met, then mated with hers.

Tessa moved her hands from around his neck, caressing the breadth of his shoulders before working her hands between them. Finding the buttons of his shirt, Tessa undid them one by one, then slipped her hands inside the opening and touched the skin of his chest.

The feel of her hands against his flesh ignited the fires he’d kept carefully banked. Forgetting restraint, David tore his mouth away from hers, planting kisses on her eyelids, her cheekbones, down the column of her neck, and back again to her ear. He plunged his tongue inside the delicate shell.

Tessa shivered in reaction.

David released his tight hold on her, allowing his hands to roam over the back of her yellow wool gown searching for the fastenings.

She felt the cool rush of air against her back as David freed the hooks of her dress. Moving his hands to the front, he tugged it off her shoulders and down her arms. The bodice fell to her waist.

Placing a hand on either shoulder, David smoothed the straps of her corset cover and chemise aside. Tessa pulled her arms free. Smiling at the wonderful bounty she offered, he leaned forward and kissed the curve of each breast, then bent to pull the sheer silk garments lower.

Tessa gasped when his mouth found the hard nub of one breast. Her legs quivered beneath her. She groped for something to steady herself and found his wide shoulders. He licked, lightly at first, then harder, suckling her like a baby demanding nourishment. Tessa felt a rush of moisture between her legs, felt the incredible ache that begged for attention.

A hoarse shout followed by a burst of high-pitched feminine laughter outside the window echoed through the office.

“Damn!” David cursed beneath his breath as he straightened up and walked to the back door. It was unlocked. Lifting the window shade, he realized it was dark outside. Twilight had given way to night, and in the brightly lit interior of the office he and Tessa had been silhouetted against the shades for all of Peaceable to see. “Son of a bitch!”

“Who is it?” Tessa whispered, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable.

David strained to make out the figures walking arm and arm down the alley. Listening closely he heard the low murmur of conversation and the rhythmic jingling of spurs. As he watched, the two shadows stopped to kiss. David let the shade fall back into place.

“Just a cowboy and his lady friend.” He turned back to Tessa.

She stood in the center of the room, the bodice of her dress held protectively in front of her. Her eyes were a dark sapphire blue, her lips red and swollen from his kisses, her glorious red hair tousled by his eager hands. She’d never looked more inviting. Or lovelier.

David massaged the muscles at the back of his neck. What the hell was he thinking of? Tessa Roarke was his client, not his lover. He couldn’t forget that. But neither could he forget the feel of her in his arms or the taste of her. He wouldn’t let himself think about that, he promised. He’d think about her case instead. He couldn’t make love; all his energy should be focused on saving her. He couldn’t risk her life for a few hours of pleasure. David smoothed his hair back, restoring a semblance of order, and buttoned the top button of his shirt.

He would act honorably.

“David?” Tessa searched for a sign, some clue to his emotions, but his face gave nothing away. He had distanced himself from her. One minute they were intimate, and the next, he acted as if he’d never kissed her. Tessa struggled to regain the closeness they’d shared. “Would you like to kiss me again?”

God, yes, he thought, I’d like to kiss you all over. All night. Forever. “I think we’ve done enough kissing for one night, Tessa.” He finished buttoning his shirt and walked to the sink. The dishwater was cold.

“Don’t,” Tessa told him, her voice thick with emotion. “I’ll finish the dishes.”

“We had a deal,” David reminded her, diligently scrubbing another plate. “I’d wash the dishes while you tried on your dresses.”

Tessa tried again. “Which dress would you like to see next? The brown or the blue?”

David plunged the plate into the rinse water before facing her.

She let the bodice of her dress slip just a bit, so the tops of her breasts were exposed to his view once again. She licked her lips and took a step forward.

David forced himself to stay where he was, but every inch of his body strained to accept her invitation. He cleared his throat before he spoke. “I…um…think you should try the other dresses on in your room.”

“You think too much.” Tessa took another step.

He held up a hand to ward her off. Drops of water ran down his wrist and fell to the floor. “Because you don’t think enough.”

She stopped, stung by his words. Her expression hardened. The softness left her eyes; they became a colder shade of blue.

He hated the change. “Tessa, you don’t understand… I’m your attorney. You’re my client.”