He raised one eyebrow. ‘I kissed a girl based on the chemistry between us.’
She gulped. Talk about getting straight to the point. ‘You can’t just go around kissing people.’
‘You can’t just go around kissing people back.’
Every time she tried to push him back in his box he jumped straight back out. The sizzle in the air between them was practically causing sparks.
His fingers were just across the table from hers. If she inched her fingers forward just a little, they would touch. But where would that lead?
Nowhere good.
‘You did kiss me back—remember?’
The Texas drawl was rich and thick. Like melted chocolate dripping all over her skin. For a few seconds she couldn’t breathe. This guy had a ridiculous effect on her. Maybe she would be better to try and get him out of her system?
Where had that come from?
That wasn’t like her at all. She didn’t do things like that. She didn’t think things like that. What was it about this guy that was making her brain scramble whenever he was around?
It was driving her crazy. She’d never had one of these lightning-bolt attractions. A ‘fireworks going off in the background whenever he was around’ kind of thing.
She licked her lips as her eyes fixed on the table. ‘I might have kissed you back,’ she said quietly.
His fingers moved, stretching across to touch hers.
The effect was instant. Her eyes met his. ‘Wanna kiss me back again?’
He couldn’t have been more direct.
And it lit a fire under her like never before.
She hadn’t even answered before he turned to the waitress and lifted his hand. ‘Can we get the check, please?’
The next few moments passed in a blur. Austin glanced at the check and left a pile of dollars on the table. He was on his feet in an instant, holding his hand out towards her.
She hesitated.
‘Shall we?’
She was doing her best to appear calm. To calm the racing heart in her chest and the buzzing in her ears. The jumbled thoughts swirling around her mind stilled, giving her one clear thought and one clear answer.
She slid along the booth and reached her hand out to his.
It was the weirdest thing. But she’d never had a clearer thought in her head.
She was going to do this.
For the first time in her life. She was going to be bad.
CHAPTER EIGHT
HE MUST BE losing his mind. But right now, Austin Mitchell could only focus on one thing—and for about the first time in twenty years it wasn’t on getting to space.
They stood next to her car as she fumbled with her keys. He was pretty sure this was completely out of character for Corrine Carter. Even though she was trying to be confident and determined he could see the tiny flare of panic in her eyes.
He walked around to the driver’s side of the car and put his hand over hers. ‘Do you want me to drive?’
She nodded without speaking, handed him the keys and disappeared to the other side of the car.
He climbed in, started the car and pulled out into the traffic. Neither of them spoke and the ten-mile journey seemed to take for ever. He was conscious of every tiny movement, every cross of her legs, the way she held her hands in her lap and the bounce of her hair on her shoulders.
His stomach was literally in knots the whole way. The last thing he wanted to happen was for Corrine to change her mind between the diner and the house.
The yellow clapboard house appeared in the distance. It was still a good-looking house, but now it seemed to represent so much more.
It was all he could do not to skid to a halt. Corrine jumped out of the car as soon as they stopped. Austin moved a little slower. The last thing he wanted to do was push her into doing something she didn’t want to.
She unlocked the front door and turned to face him. ‘Want to see inside?’ It was supposed to be light. It was supposed to be fun. But he could hear the tiny wobble in her voice.
He kept his feet firmly planted on the porch and lifted his hand, running a finger down the side of her face. ‘Corrine, do you know what you’re doing?’
‘No.’ She blinked. The answer had come out automatically. She sucked in a deep breath and closed her hand around his. ‘But I know I want to do it.’
She nudged her door with her hip, letting it swing open to reveal a wide hallway. ‘You only get invited in once,’ she said. This time she was smiling. This time, she seemed more confident, more relaxed.
He kept his voice low as he ran his finger along the length of her arm. ‘In that case, I’d better say yes.’
* * *
Every part of her body was trembling. It was all she could do to stay on her feet. All she could smell was him. All she could see was him. Every word he spoke seemed to connect with the muscles in her legs and turn them to mush.
The expectation had been building too long. If she waited much longer she’d spontaneously combust and she had the distinct impression he’d do the same.
She grabbed his hand and pulled him along her hallway. A tiny wave of panic flared. Was her bedroom even tidy? When she’d left this morning she hadn’t contemplated having a guest. That hadn’t entered her head at all.
As they reached her bedroom door she turned around to face him. His reaction was instant; he captured her head in his hands and put his lips on hers. This was the kiss she remembered. But this time she could feel all his body against hers.
Now, she had every part of his muscle and sinew pressed up against her. This was the moment that had haunted her dreams for the last two weeks. And it felt even better than she’d imagined. One hand drifted down the side of her body, skimming her breast, her waistline and settling at her hip, where it tugged at
the ties of her wrap dress.
She froze for a second.
‘Hey, what’s wrong?’ he murmured in her ear.
She licked her lips. ‘I just... I just...’
He put both hands on her hips and looked her square in the eye. ‘You just, what?’
She gulped. One minute she’d been fine, the next she’d felt a tiny second of panic.
She was surprised he’d even noticed. But it felt good that he had.
‘I like to be in control,’ she said shakily.
He was watching her steadily. ‘Corrine, did something happen?’
A little shiver coursed over her body. His gaze was intense. She could still feel the attraction buzzing in the air between them, but this needed to be on her terms. Her way.
‘Let’s just say I had a reason to learn self-defence.’
He flinched. Then reached over and touched her cheek. It was the gentlest touch. ‘Did he hurt you?’
She squeezed her eyes closed for a second. This was not where she had wanted this to go. But she couldn’t be truly comfortable with what was coming next if Austin didn’t understand her.
She lifted her chin and swallowed, meeting his gaze. ‘He tried to hurt me, so I hurt him back. I knocked him out.’
The corners of his lips turned upwards. ‘That’s my girl.’
He didn’t say anything for a few seconds but just lifted his hand away from her cheek. ‘Corrine, I will never do anything to hurt you. I won’t even put a hand on you if you don’t want me to. You can have all the control you want. And if you want me to leave, you just need to say.’
‘No.’ This time she did reach out. She put her hand on his arm. ‘I don’t want you to leave.’
‘You’re sure?’ They might have flirted and joked together before, but right now there was absolute sincerity on Austin Mitchell’s face.
And she believed it. He made her believe it.
‘I’m sure.’
His eyes twinkled. ‘Then let me ask you, Dr Carter, what do you want?’