Forbidden Fling (Wildwood 1)

He nodded, then glanced at Ethan’s empty. “Want another?”

“I’m good, thanks.” When the bartender moved away, he asked Delaney, “How does Gus know you?”

“We met earlier, remember? That shot of tequila?”

“Right. What’s up with the tonic and lime? Did my beer push you over the edge?”

“My buzz is long gone.” She lifted a hand and brushed her fingers through his hair at the temple in an intensely intimate gesture. “And I get the feeling I’m going to want to remember every minute with you.”

Holy. Shit.

Tingles spread through his stomach. He wanted to pinch himself. If he woke up in a cold sweat, alone in his bed, he might jump off a bridge.

But there was still something . . . off . . . about her. The spark in her eyes was gone. “I didn’t think you were going to show. Thought your talk with Phoebe scared you away.”

“We didn’t talk about you. I was going to ask, but she was so focused on the bar, there wasn’t an opportunity. And, of course, any discussion over that place always tanks my mood, so I didn’t plan on coming. But then I was in my car, lost in thought, and I found myself headed this direction. If you were bad news, it would have been the first thing out of her mouth once you were out of earshot. That tells me a lot about you.”

She turned and pressed her back to the wood behind her. Her hip brushed his knee, and when she settled, she left it there.

And, yeah. He should tell her that her interpretations weren’t accurate, and that if Phoebe had known what Ethan had on his mind, she would have definitely warned Delaney away.

But, no. He really didn’t want to.

And, hell, what did it really matter?

“Here’s the thing.” She shifted closer and laid her hand on his thigh. Pressure registered first, then her heat penetrated the fabric, spreading up his leg and through his groin. “I’ve had a really, really rough month. A month I really don’t want to talk about. And I’m only in town for a very short time.

“I wasn’t looking for any kind of hookup until I saw you. For you, with you, I would be willing to do something easy and fun and light. But you need to know that’s all I do. I don’t do ties or boyfriends or dates or family. You know my past, so you know why I’m not made that way, and why I won’t be sticking around. So, I know all I need to know.”

This confirmed it: Delaney Hart was perfection personified.

Gus returned with Delaney’s drink, and she lifted it to her lips without taking her eyes off Ethan. He’d never felt this . . . this . . . electric connection with anyone before. He didn’t know if it was just the thrill of a fantasy come true, some wild pheromones she emitted, or a true chemistry between them. Whatever it was made his blood bubble in his veins, his muscles tight and hot, his cock full and pulsing.

He leaned back on his stool, angled toward her, then eased her between his thighs with a light grip on her waist. She seemed to glide into position, melt against him, as if it were the most natural move in the world. Her eyes sparked with heat, her lips curved with approval, and she ran her hands across his shoulders, down his arms, and back up.

“Mmm,” she hummed.

Ethan let his hands roam over her waist, up her back, down her spine. Her nipples peaked beneath her silk blouse, and the sight ramped Ethan’s lust. She was surprisingly sleek and strong beneath the dressy clothes. “These aren’t exactly clothes that belong in The Bad Seed.”

“Interviews. I quit my job a couple of weeks ago.”

He cupped her jaw and stroked her cheek with his thumb. Her skin was petal-soft. She closed her eyes and tipped her head into his hand.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he murmured. The awe in his voice embarrassed him. Until she turned her head and kissed his palm. Then Ethan’s stomach triple-flipped.

He took a quick look around. Gus had his back to them, his gaze on the television as he chatted with a customer at the other end of the bar. Only two or three other customers filled the seats, none near Ethan and Delaney.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, covering his hand with hers and kissing his palm again, finishing with a flick of her tongue. Heat arced up his arm. “Worried someone will see you with me?”

“No,” he lied. “I’m just not much for public affection, you know?”

She grinned, and a devilish little chuckle vibrated in her throat. Then she traced the lifeline on his palm with her tongue. And followed up that erotic display by taking his index finger into her mouth.

The sight of those full lips closing around his finger, of the naughty look in her eyes as she did it, speared his groin with raw lust. Ethan siphoned air in surprise, then held it as the warmth of her mouth closed around his skin and the suction of her mouth tugged. Her eyes were heavy-lidded and held his as she drew his finger from between her lips only to slowly lick it, then slide it back in with another sexy hum.

He growled, pulled his hand from her mouth, gripped the back of her neck, and dragged her lips to his. She opened to him and kissed him back, her tongue as hungry as his, her teeth grazing his lips. The sound of pleasure at the back of her throat felt like an M-80 exploding in Ethan’s gut, spreading heat everywhere.

She broke the kiss, her